SOUTHERN AFRICA. 105 
The good woman of the houfe rifes about the fame early 
hour with her hufband; takes her coffee alone ; fcolds the flaves ; 
fets them their daily talk ; drelTes for a vendutie or public fale, 
of which there are never fewer than three or four in the town, 
or its vicinity, every day of the week ; comes home to dinner 
at twelve, and then goes to bed ; rifes again with her hufband, 
receives or pays vifits with him ; but here they feparate ; the 
men drink and fmoke in one room ; the women are left to them- 
felves in another. The poor children fcramble as well as they 
can among the flaves, to whom they are configned, one in one 
room, and another in another ; each, in the better fort of fa- 
milies, having its proper flave, called its aya^ a Malay term, 
borrowed, perhaps, from the Portuguefe or Italian, fignifying 
nurfe or protedtrefs; and, by an inevitable confequence, the aya 
is looked up to through life with more affed:ion than the na- 
tural parents. 
Little as charader is regarded, they are extremely tenacious 
of their rank. More quarrels have arifen about ladies taking 
precedency in the church, or placing their chairs neareft the 
pulpit, than on any other occafion. In the government of 
Lord Macartney a ferious difpute arofe on this fubjeft, between 
the ladies of the Landroft or Chief Magiftrate of the diftrid, 
and of the Minifter of the parifh ; and memorial was prefented 
after memorial on both fides, ftating their mutual claims and 
mutual grievances. His Lordfhip, feeling the delicacy of inter- 
pofmg his authority between two ladies of fuch high rank, re- 
commended a compromife, fuggefting, in cafe that fhould not go 
down, that he would be under the neceflity of adopting the 
VOL. II. p decifion 
