or he first thought it was the bear Johannes, and again,
that it was the supercargo Von Stroom, who had appeared before him; he
looked again, and found that he was mistaken, although he had warrant
for supposing it to be either, or both. A tall Hottentot, with an
assaguay in his hand, stood by his side; over his shoulder he had thrown
the fresh-severed skin of the poor bear, and on his head, with the curls
descending to his waist, was one of the wigs of the supercargo Von
Stroom. Such was the gravity of the black's appearance in this strange
costume (for in every other respect he was naked), that, at any other
time, Philip would have been induced to laugh heartily; but his feelings
were now too acute. He rose upon his feet, and stood by the side of the
Hottentot, who still continued immovable, but certainly without the
slightest appearance of hostile intentions.

A sensation of overpowering thirst now seized upon Philip, and he made
signs that he wished to drink. The Hottentot motioned to him to follow,
and led over the sand-hills to the beach, where Philip discovered
upwards of fifty men, who were busy selecting various articles from the
scattered stores of the vessel. It was evident by the respect paid to
Philip's conductor, that he was the chief of the kraal. A few words,
uttered with the greatest solemnity, were sufficient to produce, though
not exactly what Philip required, a small quantity of dirty water from a
calabash, which, however, was to him delicious. His conductor then
waved to him to take a seat on the sand.

It was a novel and appalling, and, nevertheless, a ludicrous scene:
there was the white sand, rendered still more white by the strong glare
of the sun, strewed with the fragments of the vessel, with casks, and
bales of merchandise; there was the running surge with its foam,
throwing about particles of the wreck: there were the bones of whales
which had been driven on shore in some former gale and which, now
half-buried in the sand, showed portions of huge skeletons; there were
the mangled bodies of Philip's late companions, whose clothes, it
appeared, had been untouched by the savages, with the exception of the
buttons, which had been eagerly sought after; there were naked
Hottentots (for it was summer time, and they wore not their sheepskin
krosses) gravely stepping up and down the sand, picking up everything
that was of no value, and leaving all that civilised people most
coveted;--to crown