LOSS OF THE HERCULES. 71 
over his shoulder. A Caffre perceiving it, made a snatch at 
the handle ; but the owner resisting it, he lost his hold. This 
550 enraged the savage, that he lifted up his assagay with an 
apparent intention of dispatching the object of his resentment. 
At the moment he stood in this attitude, a more finished pic- 
ture of horror, or what may be conceived of the infernals, was 
perhaps never seen before. The savage wore a leopard's 
skin ; his black countenance bedaubed with red ochre ; his 
eyes, inflamed with rage, appeared as if starting from their 
sockets; his mouth expanded, and his teeth gnashing and 
grinning with all the fury of an exasperated demon. He was, 
however, diverted from his purpose, and dropped the assagay. 
The crew instantly proceeded to the river, and crossed it 
in pursuit of their guides, who were standing on the summit 
of the mountain. When they came up, the guides expressed 
the utmost satisfaction at their escape. They gave them a ter- 
rible description of the people they had just left, and assured 
them, if the remainder of their horde had been hunting at the 
time they got to the Fish River, not a man of them would 
have survived. They also declared that they were the most 
abominable horde throughout the whole of Caffraria. 
Their conversation lasted but a few minutes, when they re- 
solved to descend the mountain and pursue their journey. 
Scarcely had they put themselves in motion, when a scene of 
the most extensive and luxuriant beauties burst in a moment 
on their view. The danger they had just escaped engaged 
their attention so entirely, when they gained the summit, that 
they did not immediately perceive the world of beauties that 
now lay spread before them. All stood for some time in a 
state of rapture and amazement. The country was mostly a 
level, yet pleasingly diversified with gentle elevations, on the 
tops of which they could perceive clumps of the mimosa tree, 
and the sides clothci with shrubs of various denominations. 
A thousand rivulets seemed to meander through this second 
Eden ; frequently skirting or appearing to encircle a planta- 
tion of wood ; then suddenly taking a difierent direction, glided 
through a plain of considerable extent, until it came to a gentle 
declivity ; here it formed a natural cascade, and then, follow- 
ing its course, proceeded in an endless variety throughout 
the whole of the country. 
As they stood gazing at this sylvan scene, they perceived 
innumerable herds of animals, particularly of the species of 
the gazelle, scouring over the plains ; some darting through 
the woods, others feeding or drinking at the rivulets. As iar 
