274 
TRAVELS IN 
chofe to venture themfelves. The manner indeed in which 
their village was attacked was certainly not calculated to infpire 
them with much confidence. On the contrary, it was fo 
diredly hoftile as perfedly to juftify their fliooting a volley of 
arrows among us, which was afterwards found to be the cafe, 
as the commandant had afferted. The conclufion of the bufi- 
nefs, however, mufh have appeared to them very different from 
what, on former occafions, they had always experienced, when 
thofe who efcaped from immediate death were inceflantly pur- 
fued and fired upon, and their wives and children feized and 
carried away into flavery. In this inftance they were well 
treated, and left at full liberty to remain with us or to depart. 
The women all fi:aid behind ; but three of the men accompa- 
nied us to the waggons, where they continued for feveral days. 
We had wifhed to fpeak with the captain or chief of the horde,, 
but they afTured us there was no fuch perfon ; that every one. 
was mafter of his own family, and aded entirely without con- 
trol, being at liberty to remain with, or quit, the fociety as it 
might beft fuit them. 
Little fatisfadlory could be obtained from thofe who returned 
with us to the waggons. They infifted on their innocence, by 
afferting that their horde, fo long as they had compofed a part 
of it, had never committed depredations on the colonifts, but 
had always remained about the fpot we found them, where 
they fubfifted by the chace, and upon the roots of the earth.. 
Appearances certainly were much in their favor; no bones nor 
horns of animals were found near the horde ; no fkins but 
thofe of young elands, fpringboks, tigers, and jackals. One 
woman 
