AFRICA. 51 
Riy waggons and tents, fhe fuddenly called to 
me aloud, and putting into my hand an egg 
not yet cold, ^' Here," laid £he, " this belongs 
to you. But let it teach you to be lefs neg- 
ligent, and do not again let it be necefiary 
" for me to wait upon your heels, and give 
" you leflbns of vigilance." 
The egg had been found In a bufh, where 
it had been laid by the hen, which, when I fet 
out upon my fecond journey, I had given as a 
companion to my cock. In reality, neither 
I nor my people fufpeded, that, after a jour- 
ney in which fhe had fo much fuffered from 
want and fatigue, a few days reft were fuf- 
ficient to recover her ftrength, and enable 
her fo foon to give me eggs. This, however, 
was certainly not the firft. At leaft I faw 
near the neft fragments of broken Ihells, which 
proved that others had been laid. 
It was poffible, that a weafel or fome fuch 
animal had come unknown to us, and devour- 
ed the produce of my hen ; but there was a 
culprit nearer at hand that might be fufpeQed 
with more appearance of probability. This 
was my ape. Such is the efFeft of a reputation 
defervedly loft. If any crime was commuted 
E 2 to 
