A F R I C A. Ji99 
fometimes to favour my audacity : but it has 
much more frequently thwarted me ; and the 
erroneous calculations of a firft attempt affifted 
it but too well, m deftroying the hopes which 
from time to time it feemed to offer, like gleams 
of light breaking through clouds heaped on 
clouds. 
The rlfmg of my people was, like all other 
popular commotions, violent, yet fliort ; and 
night completely calmed it. When I av^oke, I 
found every one quiet and fubmifiive ; and my 
confidant informed me, that they intended to 
come and afk my pardon for what had palfed, 
and entreat me not to fend away the w^omen. 
Experience had long before taught me the 
danger of attacking certain abufes, of which 
this was one, too abruptly. I had committed 
a fault in not oppofmg it at the outfet, when 
Klaas Bafter and fome of his comrades had 
borrowed the wives of Bernfry. At that time, 
it would have been eafy for me to have flop- 
ped an evil, of which a few only were guilty : 
but now that all were implicated in it, I thought 
it more prudent to tolerate it, and accordingly 
confented that the women fhould remain. I 
was careful, however, to add this condition : 
4 that. 
