cks standing in the savannah; which at a distance we thought were
houses, looking just like the Hottentots' houses at the Cape of Good
Hope: but we found them to be so many rocks. We searched about these for
water, but could find none, nor any houses, nor people, for they were all
gone. Then we turned again to the place where we landed, and there we dug
for water.

While we were at work there came nine or 10 of the natives to a small
hill a little way from us, and stood there menacing and threatening of
us, and making a great noise. At last one of them came towards us, and
the rest followed at a distance. I went out to meet him, and came within
50 yards of him, making to him all the signs of peace and friendship I
could; but then he ran away, neither would they any of them stay for us
to come nigh them; for we tried two or three times. At last I took two
men with me, and went in the afternoon along by the seaside, purposely to
catch one of them, if I could, of whom I might learn where they got their
fresh water. There were 10 or 12 natives a little way off, who seeing us
three going away from the rest of our men, followed us at a distance. I
thought they would follow us: but there being for a while a sandbank
between us and them, that they could not then see us, we made a halt, and
hid ourselves in a bending of the sandbank. They knew we must be
thereabouts, and being 3 or 4 times our number, thought to seize us. So
they dispersed themselves, some going to the seashore and others beating
about the sandhills. We knew by what rencounter we had had with them in
the morning that we could easily outrun them; so a nimble young man that
was with me, seeing some of them near, ran towards them; and they for
some time ran away before him. But he soon overtaking them, they faced
about and fought him. He had a cutlass, and they had wooden lances; with
which, being many of them, they were too hard for him. When he first ran
towards them I chased two more that were by the shore; but fearing how it
might be with my young man, I turned back quickly, and went up to the top
of a sandhill, whence I saw him near me, closely engaged with them. Upon
their seeing me, one of them threw a lance at me, that narrowly missed
me. I discharged my gun to scare them but avoided shooting any of them;
till finding the young man in great danger from them, and myself in some;
and that though the gun had a little frighted them at first, yet they had
soon le