VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 89 
the coast. Tj^gers are not often'seen; they skulk about the cattle- 
kraals, and in the woods, but wolves roam singly, all over the downy 
or heathy country. The wild-dogs go in packs, are very bold and 
mischievous, and Avill attack oxen, horses and sheep, in spite of 
watchmen and dogs. Both they and the wolves, attack always 
either from behind, or in flank, never in front, as a tyger does. 
Serpents are more dangerous to man. Mr. Linde related, that a 
wood-keeper he employed in the kloofs, had lately lost his life by 
the bite of a Berg-adder. He died before notice could reach his 
master, and assistance be sent, which was in about three hours. Not 
long since, one of his oxen was bitten, on the road, b}^ a Puff-adder, 
and died the same night. The bite of the Nachtschlange, or night- 
serpent, is said by the Hottentot poison-doctors, to be incurable. 
It is a beautiful creature, marked Avith dark blue or black, Vermil- 
lion and yellow rings, following each other from head to tail. 
Some time after supper, the ladies retired, but Brother Bonatz 
and I received still much entertainment and information from our 
host and his guests, who were sensible, pleasant companions, till at 
length we requested to be shown into our bed-room. In passing 
through an anti-chamber, Ave found a Dutch folio bible, and a tes- 
tament in octavo, lying on the window-seat. Both had been used, 
the latter some time ago, for it had lain so long with the leaves 
upon the boards, that the opened pages had assumed the colour of 
the wood. As for the bible, one use of long prefaces, introductory 
exhortations, and other prolegomena, with which these ancient edi- 
tions abound, was here rendered manifest, for they had saved the 
text of the Scriptures itself, as some of the famil y had torn out the 
greater part, both of the first and last leaves, and had not yet reached 
either Genesis or the Revelations, the latter being defended by a 
translation of Josephus's account of the destruction of Jerusalem. 
Thus by a timely remonstrance, I hope the bible itself, has been 
saved. It was furnished with very good prints, in the old Dutch 
style of engraving. 
On entering the bed-room, how great was my astonishment, now 
