ASTRONOMY-MARRIAGE.

321

On the death of a person, some of his cattle (the richer the deceased, the more numerous the animals) are killed, and a banquet is given to his relations and friends. On these occasions the poor beasts are suffocated. Ordinarily, and when intended for food alone, animals are dispatched by some sharpcutting instrument. The flesh, never eaten raw, and not often when roasted, is usually served up when boiled.

The ideas of a Namaqua as to the formation and rotary motion of the heavenly bodies, if not very profound, are unquestionably very original. "The sun, by some of the people of this benighted land," says an enterprising traveler, "is considered to be a mass of fat, which descends nightly to the sea, where it is laid hold of by the chief of a white man's ship, who cuts away a portion of tallow, and, giving the rest a kick, it bounds away, sinks under the wave, goes round below, and then comes up again in the east."

When a man feels a desire to enter the matrimonial state, he goes to the father of the woman on whom he has settled his affection, and demands her in marriage. If the parent be favorable to the match, the affair may be considered as settled. An ox or a cow is then killed outside the door of the bride's home, and the ceremony is over.

Polygamy is practiced without limitation. If a man become tired of his wife, he unceremoniously returns her to the parental roof, and however much she (or the parents) may object to so summary a proceeding, there is no remedy. Widows are left to shift for themselves.

No

They neither cradle nor circumcise their children, which they are said to name in the following singular manner. man nor woman has more than one name, which is retained even after marriage. If a daughter be born, she assumes the name of her father, while a boy would be called after his mother, with very little alteration. I never could understand the reason of this.

Within the memory of the present generation, a barbarous

322 BARBAROUS PRACTICE-NAMAQUAS LONG-LIVED.

practice prevailed of leaving old and disabled people to perish far away from the dwellings of men. A slight fence was raised round the "living-dead," and a small supply of water was placed at his side, when he was abandoned to his fate. Mr. Moffat, during his wanderings in Namaqua-land, saw one of these wretches (a woman), and on inquiring the cause of her being thus deserted, she replied, "I am old, you see, and no longer able to serve them (referring to her grown-up chil.. dren). When they kill game, I am too feeble to help in carrying home the flesh; I am incapable of gathering wood to make fire; and I can not carry their children on my back, as I used to do."

The Namaquas may be said to be long-lived, for individuals have been known to reach the advanced age of ninety, and even one hundred years. This is the more remarkable, when the very wretched life they lead is taken into consideration.

The Namaquas have a singular custom both among themselves and with regard to strangers, which consists in the adoption of a "father" and a "mother." This practice is so widely observed, that few who come in contact with the several tribes are able to avoid it. Almost every European trader, indeed, possesses in each village which he is in the habit of frequenting either a so-called "father" or "mother." But the custom is a most inconvenient one, to the traveler at least, for he may be pretty sure that, as soon as this near degree of consanguinity is established between himself and a Namaqua, he will be asked for a horse or an ox, or it may be for the very coat upon his back, which, as in duty bound, he is expected to hand over to "papa" or "mamma,” as the case may be. The poor son, it is true, has also the privilege of demanding any thing that may captivate his fancy; but since a native is usually more forward and importunate than a European, the bargain, as a rule, is generally a losing one to the latter.

SINGULAR CUSTOM-ORNAMENTS ARMS.

323

When two Namaquas are talking together, and one is relating a story, the listener repeats the last words of the speaker, even if he should know as much of the matter as his informant. For instance: if a man begin his recital by saying, "As I walked along the river, a very large rhinoceros rushed suddenly upon me." "Rushed suddenly upon me,” echoes the auditor. "He was very fat." "Very fat," the other ejaculates, and so forth.

The Namaquas are fond of ornamenting their persons profusely with brass, iron, and copper, but more especially with small beads of various colors. A kind of black, dull bead, manufactured by themselves, is particularly esteemed. A quantity of resin is procured, which they melt and mix with powdered charcoal, and, during the process of cooling, it is diligently kneaded, until, being converted to the consistency of gum, it is drawn out into long, narrow bars. Again it is gently heated over a slow fire, when small bits are detached and worked between the fingers till they assume the desired shape. Their patterns of bead-work are by no means devoid

of taste.

These people tattoo themselves, and also anoint and besprinkle their bodies with a profusion of grease and powders. The latter are of several kinds, and are chiefly obtained from the leaves of plants of the croton and diosma families. These powders are called "buku" by the Namaquas, and are much esteemed, more especially the kind procured south of the Orange River, which has a very agreeable and aromatic scent. The sole arms of the Namaquas of the present day are

guns. Their original weapons, which consisted of the bow and arrow, the assegai, and an immense shield (made out of an entire, single-folded ox-hide), are now rarely seen.

They may

The Namaquas are an excessively idle race. be seen basking in the sun for days together in listless inactivity, frequently almost perishing from thirst or hunger, when, with very little exertion, they may have it in their

324

DIVERSIONS DISTILLING-DOMESTIC ANIMALS.

power to satisfy the cravings of nature. If urged to work, they have been heard to say, "Why should we resemble the worms of the ground?" A few may occasionally be seen employing themselves in making neat little camp-stools and in repairing guns, for which they have a certain aptitude. Jonker Afrikaner-be it said to his honor-is by far the most industrious Hottentot that I have yet seen.

They are excessively fond of diversions, more especially music and dancing. They do not, however, distinguish themselves by grace in their movements, nor do they even possess that dexterity and flexibility of limb that the Ovambo ladies -at the expense of our peace of mind-exhibited at King Nangoro's court ball.

They understand and practice the art of distilling spirits. When a certain kind of berry, of a sweet and agreeable taste, is ripe, large quantities are collected and put into a skin bag to ferment. On being sufficiently advanced, they are deposited in a large pot and boiled, and the steam drawn off into another vessel joined to it by an old gun-barrel. The liquor is then allowed to settle for a few days, and becomes so strong and intoxicating that a small glass or two is sufficient to upset any man's reason not previously accustomed to it. I have seen the natives become perfectly maddened by its effect.

They also make a kind of mead (a favorite drink with the ancient Northmen), which is a pleasant and refreshing beverage, and, unless partaken of to excess, is comparatively harmless.

The domestic animals of the country are the cow, the sheep, the goat, and the dog. The sheep is highly prized by them, so much so that at one time (before the introduction of tobacco) it was more thought of than any thing else—even than women! The original breed of Namaqua cattle is nearly extinct. The southern tribes still possess it, though more or less mixed with that of the colony and Damara-land. In

LEAVE THE ORANGE RIVER-KOMAGGAS.

325 shape and size the Namaqua cattle approach nearer the European breed than to that indigenous to the countries north of them. They are of moderate size, very compact, and have short but stout horns (usually curved inward), with rather large hoofs.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Leave the Orange River. — Arrival at Komaggas.— Gardening and Agriculture. The Author starts alone for the Cape. - Colony Horses. Enmity of the Boers to "Britishers."-Dutch Salutation. -The Author must have been at Timbuctoo, whether or no.—He arrives at Cape-Town.-Cuts a sorry figure.-Is run away with.A Feast of Oranges.-Ghost Stories.-Cattle Auction.-Hans and John Allen proceed to Australia.-Preparations for Journey to the Ngami.-Departure from the Cape.

On the 25th of August we left the inhospitable banks of the Orange River. After rather more than a week's slow travel through dreary and uninteresting tracts of land, covered by a deep, yielding sandy soil, bearing a dwarfish vegetation, we arrived at Komaggas, also a Rhenish missionary station. The Rev. Mr. Weich now officiated here.* The congregation consists of a promiscuous collection of Hottentots and the offspring of other dark-colored natives.

Komaggas is picturesquely situated, and well supplied with water. Gardening is brought almost to perfection; and, notwithstanding the dryness of the atmosphere, corn is cultivated with success in the neighborhood. Indeed, the best wheat in the west part of the colony, I am informed, is grown here; but its cultivation is attended with much labor, since it can *This institution was founded by the Rev. Mr. Schmelen. 1830, during the administration of Sir Lowry Cole, it received by charter an extensive grant of territory from the British government at the Cape. On that memorable occasion the zealous missionary presented to the governor a translation of the four Gospels in the Namaqua tongue.

In