AFRICA. 177 
My interpreter, Klaas Bafter, was by me : 
but in vain did I requeft him to explain to me 
what the pythonefs faid. Scarcely had he be- 
gun to tranflate a fmgle fentence, before fee 
had finiflied ten more. At length expreffing 
herfelf more clearly, with a gefture too fignifi- 
cant for me to mifapprehend, ilie demanded of 
me fome of the 'water of my country. This veiy 
intelligible language I anfwered by a bumper 
of brandy, which I poured out into a large 
goblet, and (lie took it off at a fingle draught. 
On this flie began to play her pranks more 
violently than before : flie danced, fung, 
laughed, and cried, all at once; every now 
and then prefenting me her goblet to fill. This 
was replenifhed fo often, that at laft, her tongue 
and limbs both failing her, it became necefTary 
to carry the prieftefs back to her temple. 
Hitherto the forcerefs had appeared to me 
only as a bacchanalian, a perfon pofTeffed, or 
rather a mad woman. I perceived nothing of 
that craft, that air of being infpired, that af- 
fed:ation of profound fcience, that quackery, 
which fo well fuit her pretended art. Unable 
to guefs the means by which £he had Impreffed 
on her comrades fo high an idea of her fupe- 
VoL. II, N riority, 
