i68 
TRAVELS IN 
We had not travelled many miles beyond the HafTagai-bofch ^ 
river till the difcovery of the whole furface of the country in 
flames indicated our approach to fome of the ftations of the 
Kaffers. We pitched our tents in fa£t: at night on the banks of 
the Kareeka^ amidft feveral hundreds of thefe people, who, on 
our approach, came fwarming out of the thick fhrubbery that 
fkirted the river. A party of women were the firft who ad- 
vanced to falute us, laughing and dancing round the waggons, 
and putting on all the coaxing manners they could invent, in 
order to procure from us tobacco and brafs buttons. Good 
temper, animation, and a cheerful turn of mind, beamed in all 
their countenances. We found them to be modeft without 
referve ; extremely curious without being troublefome ; lively 
but not impudent ; and fportive without the leaft fhadow of 
being lafcivious. Their perfonal charms were not of a very 
captivating nature, though, getting over the prejudice of color, 
which was that of a dark glofly brown verging on black, feve- 
ral of them might have been accounted handfome. The rapid 
movement of their dark fparkling eyes gave animation to their 
countenances : their teeth were beautifully white and regular ; 
they had neither the thick lips nor flat nofes of Africans in 
general ; and the whole contour of the face and head was 
equally well formed as thofe of Europeans ; but the mofl flirik- 
ing feature in their character was a degree of fprightlinefs, 
activity, and vivacity, that diftinguifhed them from the women 
of moft nations but little civilized, who are generally referved 
to ftrangcrs. Bordering upon the country of the Hottentots, 
their manners, their perfons, and their whole charadier, 
feemed to be as widely removed from this phlegmatic race as 
the 
