A F R I C A. 165 
-while it would be highly gratifying to them to 
procure me one ; and to accomplifh it, they 
.devifed the plan.of diving two at a time, hold- 
ing one another by th« hand, in order to labour 
together on the fame box, and raife it, if pof- 
fible, by thei-r joint efForts,-one on each fide. 
The manoeuvre fueeeeded ; and I ^aw them 
•fhortly appear with a complete box, vs'hich was 
brought in fafety-to the fhor^. 
Charmed^ with my treafure, and anxious to 
•Jcnow what it contained, I caufed it to be 
opened ; when I found, to my extreme fatif- 
faction, a handfome fervice of diflies and plates 
of all fizes, w^ell aflbrted. Other .divers --had 
furnifhed me with tea-cups, and fomemagnrfi- 
cent bowls, -equally vduabk for the heauty of 
their Chape and their e-^xtraordinary fize. But 
by remaining 'fo long under water the colour 
^f this china was fo much altered, that the >part 
originally white appeared as if variegated with 
a tint of green ; and what was ftill worfe, it 
had contraftcd, from the fame caufe,fo naufeous 
and fetid a marine fmell, that thofe of my peo- 
ple who had opened the box, or affifted in 
emptying it, were, as well as myfelf, feized 
with a vomiting. From -this circumftance I 
M 3 Iqft 
