si8 TRAVELS IN 
the harbingers of drought and fterlFity, My 
ape alone was a ftranger to this general alarm : 
he (hewed, on the contrary, figns of joy and 
cxnltation, and followed with his eyes the di- 
redion of the locufts, expeding with impa- 
tience that fome of them would drop, that he 
might feize and devour them at pleafure. 
Whilfl: we were indulged at the fountain of 
JIeere4ogement with a temporary enjoyment of 
the neceffary refrefliments, we did not negleft 
our ufual labours and refearches. Among the 
rocks, and on the mountains which furrounded 
us, we found abundance of thofe fmall qua- 
drupeds called in the country dajen^ and by 
Bufion the daman. I knew already by ex- 
perience that this fmall animal was excellent 
eating. To people who for a long time had 
lived on lean beef and mutton, this was a for- 
tunate opportunity of varying our food ; and 
the flefli of this animal, however fat it might 
be, could not but be confidered by us as a de- 
licious treat. My people devoured it with 
their eyes, even before it was in our polTeffion. 
We all, therefore, fet out in purfuit of the 
damans, and each procured as many as he 
4 gould. 
