1811. AN HYPOTHESIS. — BUSHMAN ROBBERS. 443 
southernmost quarter of Africa, one may, judging from effects, sur- 
mise that it is also a cold, rugged, mountainous region, attracting 
and condensing the vapors of the atmosphere ; cherishing in its 
deep valleys the innumerable springs which supply the first rivulets 
of this beautiful river ; and that it is for the greatest part of the year 
visited by abundant rains. 
There is, it must be acknowledged, some presumption in thus 
pronouncing the nature of a country never yet visited by any tra- 
veller ; but as we are living in the age for hypotheses in geography 
and natural philosophy, the presumption will appear the less remark- 
able ; nor indeed do I much care whether this hypothesis be here- 
after proved or disproved, if it do but excite the curiosity of some 
properly qualified traveller to explore that region. 
\2th. . We were visited by a party of fourteen Bushmen, who 
remained with us till the following morning. They were nearly all 
strangers ; and, although we discovered that many of them belonged 
to the gang of robbers who a few months ago had carried off from 
Klaarwater a herd of cattle belonging to the missionaries, we 
thought it prudent to treat them friendly, and with the same hos- 
pitality with which the other Bushmen had been entertained. So 
little discredit do they attach to transactions of this kind, that they 
openly avowed to us their having been participators in the theft. 
As it was difficult to discover their real sentiments, we could 
not comprehend why they thus shamelessly owned an act which 
could not be deemed, even by themselves, any other than an act of 
unprovoked enmity. For, with respect to the injustice and immo- 
rality of it in their eyes, there may be some doubt whether robbery 
of this nature may not be considered by them in the same glorious 
light as that in which the great civilized nations of Europe view the 
capture or destruction of a convoy of enemy's merchant-ships. I'lit 
these savages have one forcible argument in their favor ; that they are 
urged to it by a pressing want of the first necessaries of life. 
It cannot be said that these men were quite averse to getting, 
in an honest way, what they wished to possess ; for, having heard 
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