65 
uneasiness was their abrupt departure. 
When the day was drawing to a close, they 
disappeared, and left us to rest under the 
sand-hills, as on the former night. 
We recruited our fires with some timber 
from the wreck, and then placed sentinels 
as before. The wind blowing hard from 
the same quarter, we were again tormented 
with clouds of sand, and a chilling atmo- 
sphere. June being one of their winter 
months, we had to encounter the severities 
of the season. It was impossible to shift 
our quarters, as we could not procure 
timber to light new fires, and the CafFrees 
might be displeased at our not remaining 
in our former situation. The night passed 
in consultations and gloomy predictions. I 
told my people not to do any act that might 
have the least tendency to displease the 
natives; to give them every thing they 
asked for, as the inhabitants of these deserts 
were only to be dreaded when provoked. 
But, at the same time, if, contrary to our 
expectation, they made an attack, or en- 
deavoured to detain us after a certain time, 
then I hoped we should firmly unite, and 
F 
