FOURTH JOURNEY. 
courfe with them as before ; for the whole family immediately 
betook themfelves to flight, except a little Dog, which feemed 
to be equally unacquainted with Europeans. Here we ftayed 
fome time, and examined their huts. In them we found 
feveral fpecies of aromatic plants which they had been drying, 
and a few fkins of Seals. Their huts were much fuperior to 
thofe of the generality of Hottentots ; they were loftier, and 
thatched with grafs ; and were furnifhed with ftools made of 
the back bones of the Grampus. Several fpecies of fi{h were 
fufpended from poles ftuck into the ground. Having nothing 
about us which we thought would prove an acceptable prefent, 
Colonel Gordon cut the buttons from his coat, and depolited 
them among the aromatic plants which were drying. In the 
mean time we again obferved thefe natives at the fame place 
where v/e had firft difcovered them. We made every poffible 
lign in order to allure them to us, and difpatched one of our 
Hottentots, who Ipoke to them and aillired them we had no 
evil intention. After fom.e time. Colonel Gordon went to them 
while I remained at their huts v/ith the guns, and after much 
perfuafion he induced them to return to their Kraal. They 
were eleven in number, and were the only natives who inha- 
bited this part of the country. We inquired after other nations, 
but they could give us no account, except of the Nimiquas, 
whence we had juft come. A Nimiqua woman who lived 
with them, was the only one of the company who knew any 
thing of Europeans. Though few in number, they were go- 
verned by a chief, whofe name was Cout. The mode of living 
amongfl: thefe people was in the higheft degree wretched ; 
.and they are apparently the dirtieft of all the Hottentot tribes. 
