465 / TRAVELS IN 
rafter ; but the hiftory of the whale dim'-nuliec! 
my imprudence in their eyes, and rendered me 
much lefs culpable. They even confidered 
my journey to the coaft as the moft fortunate 
of our enterprifes 5 and they all regretted that 
they had not been chofen to accompany me : 
all, that is to fay, but Swanepoel, who aloncv 
feemed forry I had undertaken it, becaufe of 
the dangers to which it had expofed me. 
Sometim.es he addreiTed his reproaches to the 
whole company, and fometlmes to the four 
fwimmers in particular, whom he confidered 
as criminal for having obeyed me. 1 myfelf 
even, as foon as I awoke, was not exempted 
from his ccnfure. I refpe£led him on account 
of his age, and I iiftened to his remonftrances ; 
but I regretted at the fame time that I was not 
able to anfwer him, by difplaying before his 
eyes the fpoils of a conqueft more brilliant thaa 
that of an ibis, the only fruit of my perilous 
expedition. 
At dinner, my foui* companions had filled 
the heads of the other Flottentots with an idea 
of the great quantity of oil they might pro- 
cure by going to th^ fea ihore where we had 
left the whale. Dunng the reft of the day, 
6 - their 
