and most of all so when he concluded with expressing his lord's desire
to have my wife to be his own, and to give me in exchange for her four
oxen, the best that I could choose from his herd!

As he made the proposal in presence of my wife, she was so much tickled
with the absurdity of the proposed barter, and the manner in which it
was expressed, that she laughed immoderately. Karoo, thinking she was
delighted with it, eyed her with a look that surpasses all description,
and then caused his interpreter to make another palaver to her
concerning all the good things she was to enjoy; one of which was, that
she was to ride upon an ox whose horns were tipped with gold. I thanked
the great Karoo for his kind intentions, but declared my incapability to
part with my wife, for that we were one flesh and blood, and that
nothing could separate us but death. He could comprehend no such tie as
this. All men sold their wives and daughters as they listed, I was told,
for that the women were the sole property of the men. When I told him
finally that nothing on earth could induce me to part with her, he
seemed offended, bit his thumb, knitted his brows, and studied long in
silence, always casting glances at Agnes of great pathos and
languishment, which were perfectly irresistible, and ultimately he
struck his spear's head in the ground, and offered me ten cows and a
bull for my wife, and a choice virgin to boot. When this proffer was
likewise declined, he smiled in derision, telling me I was the son of
foolishness, and that _he foretold I should repent it_.

My William was at this time about eleven months old, but was still at
the breast, as I could never prevail on his lovely mother to wean him,
and at the very time of which I am speaking, our little settlement was
invaded one night by a tribe of those large baboons called
ourang-outangs, pongos, or wild men of the woods, who did great mischief