Travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope; in the years 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 / Tr. from the French of M. Le Vaillant. Illus. with 12 elegant copper-plates.

  • Le Vaillant, François, 1753-1824.
Date:
1790
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope; in the years 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 / Tr. from the French of M. Le Vaillant. Illus. with 12 elegant copper-plates. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    away by the current, I was in danger of lofing it; and this difapppintment would have given me the greater uneafinefs, as one of the fame fpecies, which I procured with much diffi- culty, had one day, by the negligence of fomc of my people, been entirely fpoilt in my tent. I therefore plunged into the river, which reached up to my middle ; but getting en- tangled in the herbs which gyew on its banks, and having not yet forgot the accident at Queur-Boom, I was unwilling to advance farther, Narina, who perceived my embar- raffinent, and the awkward fituation into which I had got by running after my bird, was much aftoniffied that I ffiould be afraid of trufting myfelf to the current. In an inftant therefoie fhe threw herfelf into the water, and began to fvvim, whilft I returned to the bank ; but the cruel creature who had feized my bird, held it up in her hand, and, calling out to me,defired me to come and fetch it. After a thoufand prayers, and the moft earneft entreaties, inftead of complying with my requeft, fhe made for the other bank, with the velocity of an arrow, where ffie ridiculed me at her eafe, and laughed at me for my timidity. I have already faid that I could not fwim ; and if ever there was a 2 conjuncture