120 
TRAVELS IN 
A fingular circumftance, however, which it 
was impoffible to forefee, gave to things a very- 
different turn. During my abfence, Engel- 
brecht had feveral times vifited my camp to 
converfe with my HottentQtSi. One day, while 
talking of me, they mentioned that diverfion in 
my firft journey, which, in my account of it, 
I called the feftival, and when, to divert them 
from too powerful a dofe of tobacco, which I 
had been fo imprudent as to give them, I took 
it into my head to make them dance to the 
mufic of the Jew's harp. This burlefque feftivaj 
was not yet forgotten by them. They never 
recolleded without enthufiaftic tranfport the 
inftrumcnt that afforded them fo muchpleafure; 
and, in confequence of their eulogiums, Engel- 
brecht, perfuaded that a man who played on 
the jew*s harp muff be an accomplifhed mufi- 
cian, and that an accomplifhed mufician muft 
be capable of playing on any inftrument, 
thought of prevailing on me to entertain the 
foclety affcmbled in the plantation. 
He bad at his houfe a fort of violin, whichj^ 
hanging up againft the wall near the fire- 
place, had there dried in filence, without 
haying once been moved from its peg for thefe 
