CHAPTER XLII.

Return to the Lake.—The Author starts for Namaqua-land to procure Wagons.—Night Adventure with a Lion.—Death of the Beast.—Sufferings of the Author.

After about a month’s absence, I returned in safety to the Lake, and was delighted to find that affairs were going on prosperously at my camp. My men, however, complained much of the begging and pilfering of the natives. They had also been greatly annoyed by Lecholètébè, who was one of the first persons I encountered on my arrival. I had long been puzzling my brains how I could most effectually pay off the chief for his treachery, and had resolved to assume an angry and dissatisfied air; but a glance at his smooth, sly, smiling face was sufficient to mollify every feeling of resentment; and when, with the most innocent look, he inquired if I had seen Libèbé, and if I felt satisfied with the trip in general, my anger was turned into mirth, and I burst into a hearty laugh. This was all my cunning friend wanted: he seemed like one resting completely on a profound sense of his own merits, and waiting to receive the thanks and praises which he felt to be his due.

When stopped so unexpectedly in my exploring career by the artifices of Lecholètébè, I made up my mind to return forthwith to the Cape, partly for the purpose of obtaining a fresh outfit, and partly to procure boats suitable to navigate the Ngami and its water-sheds, and then return to the Lake to follow up my discoveries. But it was not to be.

As the reader will probably remember, I reached the Ngami by means of pack-and-ride oxen; but I had found this mode of traveling so exceedingly inconvenient that I almost dreaded a renewal of it. Moreover, my collection of ivory, specimens of natural history, curiosities, &c., had by this time so increased that I found my few remaining half-broken-in cattle altogether inadequate to the task of conveying me and my stores to the Cape. A wagon had become absolutely necessary, and the only possible way of obtaining one was to return to Namaqua-land, where, should my man Eyebrecht not have such a vehicle at my disposal, I was in hope of being able to borrow one from the natives. To insure dispatch, although I stood sadly in need of rest and quiet, I determined on undertaking the journey.

After about a week’s stay at Batoana-town, I set out for Namaqua-land on the 10th of September, accompanied by only one man, leaving Timbo in charge of the camp in my absence.

Before I returned to the Lake, and was fairly on my way home, four months had elapsed; but, though this portion of my travels was not devoid of interest, the volume has already swelled to such a bulk that I must content myself with relating merely one striking incident that befell me, and a few general remarks.

Journeying in a very lonely part of the country, and only accompanied by a single native, I arrived one day at a fountain, situated in a defile between some craggy rocks. The water issued from different parts among these cliffs, forming little pools here and there; and though the place was difficult of access, elephants and other large game were in the habit of flocking to the water nightly. As the stony nature of the ground afforded excellent “ambuscades,” and being much in want of provision, I determined to watch the pools in question for a night or two.

The first night was a failure, but in the second I succeeded in killing a white rhinoceros. After this, though I watched long and well, nothing appeared, and at last sleep overtook me. How long I slumbered I know not; but on a sudden I thought, or dreamed, that I was in danger. From much night-watching, my hearing and sight had gradually acquired such an acuteness that even in sleep I was able to retain a certain consciousness of what was passing around me, and it is probable that I was indebted to this remarkable faculty for the preservation of my life on the present occasion. At first I could not divest myself of fear, and for a while my senses were too confused to enable me to form any accurate notion of the imagined danger. Gradually, however, consciousness returned, and I could distinctly hear the breathing of an animal close to my face, accompanied by a purr like that of a cat. I knew that only one animal existed in _these parts_ capable of producing the sound, and at once I came to the conclusion that a lion was actually stooping over me.

If a man had ever cause for dread, I think I certainly had on this occasion. I became seriously alarmed. My first impulse was to get hold of my gun, which was lying ready cocked immediately before me, and the next to raise myself partially from my reclining position. In doing so, I made as little noise as possible; but, slight though it might be, it was sufficient to attract the notice of the beast, who uttered a gruff kind of growl, too well known to be misunderstood. Following with my eyes the direction of the sound, I endeavored to discover the lion, but could only make out a large dark mass looming through the night-mist. Scarcely knowing what I was about, I instinctively leveled my gun at the beast. My finger was on the trigger; for a moment I hesitated; but, by a sudden impulse, pulled it, and the next instant the surrounding rocks rang with the report, followed by roarings from the beast, as if in the agonies of death. Well knowing what a wounded lion is capable of, and how utterly helpless I was, I regretted my rashness. The wounded beast, who at times seemed to be within a few paces of the “skärm,” and at others at some little distance, was rolling on the ground, and tearing it up, in convulsive agonies. How long this struggle between life and death lasted is hard to say, but to me it appeared an age. Gradually, however, and to my great relief, his roars and moans subsided, and after a while ceased altogether.

Dawn at length appeared; but it was not until after some time, and then with much caution, that I ventured to ascertain the fate of the lion, whom, to my great satisfaction, I found dead within fifty yards of my place of concealment. The beast was of an average size, but, unfortunately, the hyænas and jackals had played sad havoc with his skin.

Some time previously, my men, Eyebrecht and Klaas Zaal, had also shot a lion in this identical spot; but, owing to his fearful growls while dying, they thought it best to decamp at once without ascertaining his fate.

During the four months that I was absent from my men, I traveled, either alone or accompanied by a single native, sometimes on foot, and at others on horseback or ox-back, over upward of a thousand miles of country, parts of it emulating the Sahara in scarcity of water and general inhospitality. Tongue is too feeble to express what I suffered at times. To say nothing of narrow escapes from lions and other dangerous beasts, I was constantly enduring the cravings of hunger and the agonies of thirst. Occasionally I was as much as two days without tasting food; and it not unfrequently happened that in the course of the twenty-four hours I could only once or twice moisten my parched lips. Sometimes I was so overcome by these causes, coupled with bodily fatigue, that I fainted. Once both my steed and myself (as seen in the sketch below) dropped down in the midst of a sand-plain, where we remained a long time in a state bordering on unconsciousness, and exposed to all the injurious effects of a tropical sun. I would at times pursue my course with a pained and listless step, scarcely knowing what I was about, and staggering like a drunken man. “This,” says Captain Messum, when speaking of the hardships he had undergone in a short tour into the interior of the West Coast, “was the pleasure of traveling in Africa. It requires the endurance of a camel and the courage of a lion.”

[Illustration: AUTHOR AND STEED BROKEN DOWN.]

[Illustration: SIGNAL STATION AT CAPE-TOWN.]

FOOTNOTES

[1] It will doubtless be remembered that, in a gale of wind off the British coast, the _Dalhousie_ was thrown on her beam-ends, and foundered in half an hour afterward, when, with a single exception, every soul on board perished. Out of the several vessels in which I have at different times been a passenger, the _Dalhousie_ is the third that has perished shortly after my leaving her!

[2] The term “cart,” in this sense, implies a large, roomy, and _covered_ vehicle, capable of holding four or six individuals, and from five hundred to one thousand pounds of baggage. It is usually drawn by six or eight mules or horses.

[3] When a bush-tick is found attached to any part of the body of a man, the simplest and the most effectual way of getting rid of it, without any disagreeable result, is to anoint the place to which the insect has fixed itself with pipe oil. In cases of brute animals, I have found tar to answer the purpose exceedingly well.

[4] I have seen the white Egyptian vulture feed upon it! This is, I believe, with one more exception, the only instance where this class of birds are known to partake of vegetable food.

[5] The southern limit of Great Namaqua-land is, at the present moment, the Orange River. To the north it is bounded by Damara-land, or by about the twenty-second degree of south latitude.

[6] To prevent confusion, when speaking hereafter of these people, I shall simply call them Damaras, in contradistinction to the Hill-Damaras, who are a totally different race of natives.

[7] A similar notion prevails with regard to that most curious little animal, the lemming (_lemmus norvegicus_, Worm.), on whose mysterious appearance and disappearance so many hypotheses have been unsatisfactorily expended. See Lloyd’s “Scandinavian Adventures,” vol. ii., chap. v.

[8] His hunting dress on these occasions consisted simply of a thick, coarse blue shirt or blouse, secured by a belt round his waist, containing his balls, caps, wadding, &c.

[9] Most animals, when shot or otherwise killed, fall on their sides; but the rhinoceros is often an exception to this rule: at least such is my experience. In nine cases out of ten, of all those I have killed during my wanderings in Africa—and they amount to upward of _one hundred_—I found them on their _knees_, with the fore parts of their ponderous heads resting on the ground.

[10] The “shambok” (a Dutch term) consists of a strip of the stoutest part of the hide of the rhinoceros or the hippopotamus. After being stretched on the ground, and when it has acquired a certain stiffness, the strip is subjected to a severe hammering, for the double purpose of condensing it and giving it a rounded shape. It is then reduced to the desired size by means of a knife or plane; and, lastly, a piece of sand-paper, or glass, if at hand, is employed to give it the finishing smoothness and polish. The “shambok” is exceedingly tough and pliable, will inflict the most severe wounds and bruises, and will last for years. The price of one of these “whips,” in the colony, varies from eighteen pence to as much as nine or ten shillings.

[11] The proper name of these people is _Haukoin_, which literally means “real men.” By the Namaquas they are styled _Ghou-Damop_ or _Daman_—a term not sufficiently decorous for translation. The name Hill-Damaras is that by which they are best known, and, being really very appropriate to their habits and mode of living, I shall retain it throughout the course of this narrative.

[12] In the nights the Damaras invariably carry a fire-brand, which they hold close to their bodies, in order to shelter themselves, in some degree, from the wind and cold.

[13] I have since had frequent opportunities of hearing the dying groans of the zebra, which in reality greatly resemble the faint gasps and ejaculations of a drowning man. Even the subdued neighings of this animal, when heard from a distance, are of a very melancholy nature.

[14] I have been told that on a similar occasion to the present, a lion was so injured by the flaming missiles thrown at him, that he was found shortly afterward dead of his wounds.

[15] Captain Sturt, who in his explorations in Australia seems to have experienced the same heat in even a greater degree, says,

“The mean of the thermometer for the months of December, January, and February had been 101, 104, and 105 degrees respectively, in the shade. Under its effects, every screw in our boxes had been drawn, and the horn handles of our instruments, as well as our combs, were split into fine laminæ. The lead dropped out of our pencils, and our signal rockets were entirely spoiled; our hair, as well as the wool on the sheep, ceased to grow, and our nails had become brittle as glass. The flour lost more than eight per cent. of its original weight, and the other provisions in still greater proportion.” In another part of his narrative, this enterprising explorer mentions the quicksilver once to have risen to 132 degrees in the shade, the thermometer being placed in the fork of a tree, five feet from the ground!

[16] “The black, or rock scorpion,” says Lieutenant Patterson, “is nearly as venomous as any of the serpent tribe. A farmer, who resided at a place called the Paarle, near the Cape, was stung by one in the foot during my stay in the country, and died in a few hours.”

[17] A bottle of any kind, filled with milk, and with a quill (enveloped in linen) inserted in the cork.

[18] For a detailed account of this curious and interesting insect, see Mr. Westwood (_British Cyclopædia_); Mr. Savage (_Annals of Natural History_, vol. v., p. 92), &c.

[19] This surpasses the graphic answer given to Björn Jernsida (the bear ironside), a famous Swedish sea-king. When on his way to plunder Rome, he inquired of a wayfaring man what the distance might be. “Look at these shoes!” said the traveler, holding up a pair of worn-out iron-shod sandals; “when I left the place you inquire for, they were new; judge, then, for yourself.”

[20] Previously to my leaving Africa, I learned that the entire tribe had been broken up.

[21] Omuramba, in the Damara language, signifies a water-course, in the bed of which both _grass_ and _water_ is to be had.

[22] On his return to England Mr. Galton presented the Kew Gardens with specimens of the fruit, but I am told that every effort to raise plants from it proved abortive.

[23] The beautiful drawing from which the above wood-cut is taken was kindly placed at my disposal by my esteemed and accomplished friend Major Garden. It represents the species of fan-palm or vegetable ivory-palm found about Natal, and seems in general appearance to correspond with the kind observed by ourselves. In size, however, it is very inferior, for, according to the major’s estimate, it does not much exceed fifteen feet in height, while the tree of the parts of which I am now speaking not unfrequently attains to the altitude of from thirty to fifty feet, and even more.

[24] These trees consisted chiefly of what in the Cape Colony is termed _Stink-hout_, or stink-wood. It derives its peculiar name from an offensive odor that it exhales, and which it retains until thoroughly seasoned. In the grain and the shading it somewhat resembles walnut, but in external appearance approaches the oak. Indeed, if I am not mistaken, botanists have described it as _quercus Africana_, in which case I believe it to be the only species of that kind known to be indigenous to the African continent. I am told it is by far the best wood in Southern Africa, and seems well adapted for various purposes, such as wagons, gun-stocks, ship-building, &c.

[25] Shortly before reaching “Baboon Fountain” I should remark that, at a place called Orujo, we saw a cavity of a similar shape, though on an infinitely smaller scale. It consisted of a circular-shaped basin in the limestone rock ninety feet in diameter by thirty in depth. As it was dry at the time, we ascertained that the bottom was flat, or nearly so. In various other places we also met with similar basins, but on a still smaller scale than Orujo.

[26] In speaking of the Matabili, Captain Harris says, “To be fat is the greatest of all crimes, no person being allowed that privilege but the king.” Here, then, we have a new kind of _lèse-majesté_. According to some of the African tribes, _obesity_ in plebeians is _high-treason_!

[27] These ornaments, together with a narrow and soft piece of skin in front, and another behind of stout hide, constitute the _dress_ of the Ovambo _ladies_.

[28] The above wood-cut is a view of the country near Nangoro’s residence. The huts in the distance are those of Bushmen. A great number of these people dwell among the Ovambo, to whom they stand in a kind of vassalage and relationship.

[29] Captain Messum, master of a merchant vessel, subsequently informed me that he has seen it.

[30] The plate facing the page represents two lions observing me, while the lioness, not yet aware of my presence, is still eagerly pushing on toward the intended victims.

[31] In my journey to the Lake Ngami at an after period, I observed whole forests of a species of tree called Omumborombonga, the supposed progenitor of the Damaras. This fact, coupled with our knowledge that all the tribes to the north are more or less conversant with agriculture, of which the Damaras know nothing (having no word in their language for cereal food), and that many of the nations to the east are partly pastoral, would seem to indicate a northeast or east direction as their original home.

[32] His father, Christian Afrikaner, once lived within the present boundary of the Cape Colony; but his brother having killed a Dutch farmer, from whom the tribe is said to have suffered much wrong, he and his kindred were obliged to fly the country. He then settled on the banks of the Garib or Orange River, where he soon became famous for his daring and ferocious exploits against his neighbors. In this state of things he was found by the Rev. Mr. Moffat, well known for his missionary labors in Southern Africa, who, after having experienced much opposition, finally succeeded in converting him to Christianity. At his death the present Jonker Afrikaner, though an elder brother was still living, assumed the chieftainship, which occasioned a division in the tribe, and was, moreover, the original cause of their migration northward.

[33] Some Damaras attribute the origin of the sheep to a large stone.

[34] The grain of this tree is so very close, and the wood so exceedingly weighty, that we gave it the name of the “iron tree.”

[35] I am told that this is not unfrequently done before life is quite extinct! It is moreover affirmed, that when the sick man begins to breathe hard a skin is immediately thrown over his face, which, no doubt, often causes premature death.

[36] Each caste has a particular tree or shrub consecrated to it. Of this shrub, a couple of twigs or sticks represent the deceased.

[37] When we thus shot at night, we generally ensconced ourselves in a “skärm,” that is, a small circular inclosure six or eight feet in diameter, the walls (usually consisting of loose stones) being about two feet in height.

[38] A copper-cap box, for the information of my female readers, is about the size of a pill-box.

[39] The wood-cut on the preceding page is a faithful representation of the chase described, which took place shortly before sunset.

[40] At the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, where at this moment several of these birds are alive, the ostrich is fed on a mixture of oats, barley, chaff, and cabbage, of which the respective quantities are as follows: oats, one pint; barley, one pint; chaff, half a gallon; and cabbage, four pounds.

[41] Apicius gives a recipe for the best sauce.

[42] The Romans, as is well known, also introduced large numbers of ostriches into the circus, where they were butchered by the people. We are told that no less than one thousand of these splendid creatures (together with an equal number of the stag, the fallow deer, and the boar tribe) were on one occasion brutally sacrificed to gratify the insatiable thirst for blood of the Roman populace.

[43] The plumes, together with the eggs, of the ostrich, are said to have been held in much request with the ancient Egyptians. Indeed, they formed part of the tribute imposed on those of the conquered nations in whose country the bird abounded, and appear to have been used for ornaments as well as for religious purposes. “The ostrich feather was a symbol of the Goddess of Truth or Justice. It belonged also to the head-dress of Ao, was adopted by Hermes Trismegistus, and worn by the soldiery and the priests on certain religious festivals.” “In Turkey, the janizary who signalized himself in arms had the privilege of empluming his turban, and in the kingdom of Congo the feathers, mixed with those of the peacock, are employed as the ensigns of war and victory.”

[44] Such feathers as have been plucked from the wings of the living bird are said to be preferable to those obtained from the dead ostrich, as being less liable to the attack of worms.

[45] “The Boke of Philip Sparrow.”

[46] Among the people of Persia and Arabia the vulgar belief is said to exist “that the _shutur-moorg_ (the camel-bird) is produced by the union of a camel with a bird!”

[47] “When slain, the throat is opened, and a ligature being passed below the incision, several of the hunters raise the bird by the head and feet, and shake and drag him about until they obtain from the aperture nearly twenty pounds of a substance of mingled blood and fat, of the consistence of coagulated oil, which, under the denomination of _manteque_, is employed in the preparation of dishes and the cure of various maladies.”—_Harris’s Wild Sports._

[48] Several well-known Australian explorers make mention of similar occurrences with this identical bird. I have also heard that in India it is no unusual thing to see hawks snatch the food from a person as he travels along.

[49] _Oryx capensis_, _oryx beisa_, and _oryx leucoryx_.

[50] The numerous engravings of the leucoryx on the sculptures of Egypt clearly indicate that this animal was well known to the nations inhabiting the valley of the Nile. It was chosen as an emblem, but whether as a good or evil symbol is uncertain, though some modern writers seem in favor of the former opinion. The wealthy Egyptians kept a great number of this antelope in a tame state, but it does not appear to have been considered a sacred animal. Indeed, it was indiscriminately sacrificed to the gods, and slaughtered for the table.

[51] It is possible that heralds became acquainted with this animal, or at least with the leucoryx, through the Crusaders. Or perhaps the knowledge was obtained from the Romans, who, according to Martial, had the oryx at their games.

[52] For some curious remarks on the unicorn, see Barrow, vol. ii., p. 269, _et seq._

[53] Mr. Lichtenstein, when speaking of the Bushmen dogs, which may be considered identical with those of the Hottentots, thus writes: “These dogs, in their size and form, have a striking resemblance to the black-backed fox of Southern Africa, the jackal, as he is falsely called, _canis mesomelas_; so that it seems very probable that the one is really a descendant from the other, only that the properties of the animal are, in the course of time, somewhat changed, from its having been tamed and trained by the hand of man.”

[54] Barrow, who wrote about this period, and who gives a remarkable account of the devastations of these insects, probably alludes to this very circumstance when he says,

“The present year is the third of their continuance, and their increase has far exceeded that of a geometrical progression whose ratio is a million. For ten years preceding their present visit the colony had been entirely freed from them. Their last departure was rather singular. All the full-grown insects were driven into the sea by a tempestuous northeast wind, and were afterward cast upon the beach, where, it is said, they formed a bank of three or four feet high, which extended from the mouth of the Bosjeman’s River to that of the Becka, a distance of near fifty English miles; and it is asserted that when this mass became putrid, and the wind was at southeast, the stench was sensibly felt in several parts of Sneuwberg.... The larvæ at the same time were emigrating to the northward. The column of these imperfect insects passed the houses of two of our party, who assured me that it continued moving forward, without any interruption except by night, for more than a month.”

[55] Large species of serpents of the python family are known to inhabit many parts of the African continent. Dr. Smith, in his “Zoology of South Africa,” when speaking of a certain species (_python Natalensis_) found sparingly in the neighborhood of Natal, thus says:

“It occasionally attains a very large size, and, according to the natives, individuals have been seen whose circumference was equal to that of the body of a stout man: we have ourselves seen a skin which measured twenty-five feet, though a portion of the tail was deficient. It feeds upon quadrupeds, and for some days after swallowing food it remains in a torpid state, and may then be easily destroyed. The South Africans, however, seldom avail themselves of these opportunities of ridding themselves of a reptile they view with horror, as they believe that it has a certain influence over their destinies; and affirm that no person has ever been known to maltreat it without sooner or later paying for his audacity.”

[56] Mr. Freeman, in “A Tour in South Africa,” mentions having heard of one of this kind of reptiles being destroyed that actually exceeded this size nearly three times. “This enormous serpent,” says the reverend gentleman, “was hanging from the bough of a large tree, and was killed only after a desperate struggle. It measured fifty feet in length. This was ascertained by a number of men lying down at full length by its side. It took nine men to reach from the head to the tail, and was of prodigious girth round the body.”

[57] _Trimerorhinus rhombeatus._

[58] _Naia haje._

[59] _Columber canus._

[60] Turtle blood is also asserted to be a good remedy against wounds caused by poisoned arrows.

[61] This superstition is common in Devonshire, in the western parts of which it used, till lately, to be affirmed, “that at twelve o’clock at night on Christmas eve, the oxen in their stalls are always found on their knees in an attitude of devotion; and that, since the alteration of the style, they continue to do this only on the eve of _old_ Christmas day.” Bravo, oxen!—(_See Brand’s “Popular Antiquities.”_)

[62] This remarkable beast was a long time in the possession of Mr. Oswell, who, I believe, intended to bring it alive to England, but unavoidable circumstances prevented this distinguished traveler from carrying his plan into execution.

[63] Or about 148,000 English square miles. The area of Damara-land is about 29,000 English square miles.

[64] When speaking of the moon, the Namaquas do not say, like ourselves, that it rises and sets, but that “it dies and is born again.”

[65] It is a practice among the young Namaquas to hold a goat between the knees, and draw the milk directly from the teats of the animal into their own mouths.

[66] After a great hunt, it was also the custom to reserve for the chief the best pieces of the different kinds of game which had been killed, such as the breast of the eland, the hump of the rhinoceros, and so forth, the rest being divided among the tribe.

[67] This institution was founded by the Rev. Mr. Schmelen. In 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.

[68] The above wood-cut is a portrait of a negro youth born and bred at the Cape. He has been jobbing, and is returning home with the various articles intrusted to his charge.

[69] Descendants of Dutch farmers and Hottentot women, and hence also called Bastards.

[70] On accidentally mentioning my fast to Captain Sturt, the distinguished Australian traveler, he assured me it was a mere trifle to what he himself had once suffered, having been six and a half consecutive days without nourishment of any kind!

[71] It is asserted by more than one experienced hunter, that when the hyæna proves troublesome, the lion has been known to bite off all its feet, and, thus mutilated, leave the poor animal to its fate!

[72] _Rhinoceros Indicus_, _Rhinoceros Sondaicus_, and _Rhinoceros Bicornis Sumatrensis_.

[73] I have met persons who told me that they have killed rhinoceroses with three horns; but in all such cases (and they have been but few), the third, or posterior horn is so small as to be scarcely perceptible.

[74] The above wood-cut is a rough but characteristic outline of the heads of the four distinct species of rhinoceroses recognized as indigenous to Africa. The two lowest heads in the sketch are those of the “black.”

[75] Only the horns of this species have been described by naturalists. Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, seems to be one of the first who drew attention to the Kobaaba as a distinct rhinoceros. In the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” No. ccl., p. 46, the following details appear. They were obtained from a pair of horns (of which the wood-cut in the opposite page is an excellent likeness) presented by Mr. Oswell to Colonel Thomas Steele, of Upper Brook Street:

“The front horn is elongated and thick; but, instead of being bent back, as is the general character of _R. bicornis_, or erect, as in _R. simus_, it is bent forward, so that the upper surface is worn flat by being rubbed against the ground. The front horn is thirty-one inches long, flat, square, rough and fibrous in front, rounded and smooth behind. The hinder horn, eleven inches in length, is short, conical, and sub-quadrangular.”

[76] The Asiatic specimen in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, is fed on clover, straw, rice, and bran. His daily allowance is one truss of straw, three quarters of a truss of clover, one quart of rice, half a bushel of bran, and twenty to twenty-four gallons of water.

[77] Sparrman says that the cavity containing the brains of a rhinoceros that he shot was only six inches long, and four high, and of an oval shape. On being filled with peas, it was found to hold barely one quart; a human skull, measured at the same time, did not require much less than three pints to fill it.

[78] It was my intention to introduce at length the history of this animal; but being (as already alluded to in a preceding chapter) confined as to space, I must, though reluctantly, abandon the idea.

[79] The cut on the next page represents one of those numerous and exciting scenes that I have witnessed at night, at the water, when lying in ambush for game. There is one fact—a fact that has hitherto escaped the attention of the African sportsman—connected with this illustration that makes it particularly interesting, and which induced me to designate it “The Approach of Elephants.” The animals are just appearing above the distant hill. If the spring or pool, as the case may be, be of small extent, all the animals present will invariably retire from the water as soon as they are aware of the presence of the elephants, of whom they appear to have an instinctive dread, and will remain at a respectful distance until the giants have quenched their thirst. Thus, long before I have seen, or even heard the elephants, I have been warned of their approach by the symptoms of uneasiness displayed by such animals as happened to be drinking at the time. The giraffe, for instance, begins to sway his long neck to and fro; the zebra utters subdued, plaintive cries; the gnoo glides away with a noiseless step; and even the ponderous and quarrelsome black rhinoceros, when he has time for reflection, will pull up short in his walk to listen; then, turning round, he listens again, and, if he feel satisfied that his suspicions are correct, he invariably makes off, usually giving vent to his fear or ire by one of his vicious and peculiar snorts. Once, it is true, I saw a rhinoceros drinking together with a herd of seven male elephants; but then he was of the white species, and, besides, I do not believe that either party knew of each other’s proximity.

[80] I lost many noble beasts from the small calibre of my guns, which did not carry more than fourteen and seventeen balls respectively to the pound. This was more especially the case as regarded the elephants; and it was not until after a time, and when they had become scarce and shy, that I found out the way of bringing them down with any certainty at one or two shots. I found the best part to aim at (when shooting by night) was the shoulder, either behind or in the centre, near to the lower edge of the ear. Another good point, provided the gun be of large calibre, is to fire at the leg, which once broken, the animal, in almost every instance, is completely at the mercy of the hunter.

[81] The black rhinoceros is, under all circumstances, as already mentioned, a morose and sulky beast. The one in question was unusually savage, as she had probably a young sucking calf. We did not see the latter, it is true, but assumed such to be the case from the beast’s teats being full of milk. It is most likely that her offspring was of too tender an age to accompany her, and that, as not unfrequently happens, she concealed it among the bushes when about to quench her thirst at the pool.

[82] “The baobob,” says Mr. Livingstone, “the body of which gives one the idea of a mass of granite, from its enormous size, yields a fruit about the size of a quart bottle; the pulp between the seeds tastes like cream of tartar, and it is used by the natives to give a flavor to their porridge.” Mr. Green writes me that plants have been raised in England of the baobob from seeds brought home by his son, Frederick Green, who is at present treading in my tracks in the interior of Southwestern Africa. For further details of the baobob, see “Saturday Magazine” for the year 1832.

[83] When the lake was first discovered, a man told me that he obtained, in exchange for a musket, twelve hundred pounds of ivory, worth, at the least, £240 sterling!

[84] Many are of opinion that this river continues to flow subterraneously, and that it ultimately finds an outlet into the sea on the east coast. It is by no means uncommon in African geography—and we have in England an instance of it in the Mole—to find a river suddenly disappearing and as unexpectedly reappearing at some little distance.

[85] Dr. Livingstone informs us that on the first discovery of the Zouga, its banks literally swarmed with wild animals, and that in the course of three years no less than nine hundred elephants were killed. However, from the persecution to which the game is constantly exposed, and the introduction of fire-arms, the number of animals has rapidly decreased, and what remain are wild and wary.

[86] Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, to whom I submitted an imperfect skin and a sketch of the head of the nakong, is unable to determine its exact nature, but seems inclined to consider it identical with the _tragelaphus eurycerus_—the broad-horned antelope—of which specimens of horns and heads have been brought from the Bight of Biafra, on the west coast of Africa. In the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” No. 250, p. 47, the following details appear:

“Head, pale brown. Broad band before the eyes, and two large spots on cheeks; chin and front of upper lip white. Horns elongate, thick, scarcely bent forward at the tip. Throat with long black hairs.”

Again, from a head in Mr. Warwick’s collection:

“The horns are very similar to those of _t. angasii_, but the head is considerably larger, nearly as large as that of the koodoo, and the horns are thicker and larger; they are twenty-seven inches long in a straight line from base to tip, and nine inches in circumference at the base. The hair of the head is also paler and more uniformly colored, and with very large white spots on the cheek, much larger than those of the koodoo or of _t. angasii_. The throat has a distinct mane of blackish rigid hairs. The muffle is very like that of _t. angasii_, and larger than that of the koodoo. The skull is imperfect; it has no appearance of any suborbital pit or slit.”

[87] Some of the notions entertained of these people before the existence of the Ngami was known to Europeans are curious and amusing. Captain Messum, in an article in the Nautical Magazine on “the exploration of Western Africa,” says that he had heard the inhabitants of the Lake regions represented as monsters, with only one eye in the centre of the forehead, and feeding on human flesh, as the giants of old used to take their breakfasts. “A baby was nothing; they swallowed it whole.”

[88] Moffat.

[89] For a scientific description of this insect, see “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” No. ccxvii.

[90] When allowed to settle on the hand of man, all it is observed to do is to insert its proboscis a little farther than seems necessary to draw blood. It then partially withdraws the dart, which assumes a crimson hue. The mandibles now appear to be agitated; the shrunken body swells; and, in a few seconds, the insect becomes quite full, and quietly abandons its prey.

[91] “One of my steeds,” says Gordon Cumming, “died of the tsetse. The head and body of the poor animal swelled up in a most distressing manner before he died; his eyes were so swollen that he could not see; and, in darkness, he neighed for his comrades who stood feeding beside him.”

[92] A dog reared on the meat of _game_ may be hunted in tsetse districts in safety!

[93] The above wood-cut represents a native in the act of ferrying himself across the river on nothing but a bundle of reeds, with sidings and uprights of the same light materials. It is a most ingenious contrivance, and, in localities where wood is scarce, answers the purpose admirably.

[94] As perhaps many of my readers are interested in philology, I may mention that in the “Geographical Journal” of this year I have introduced a short vocabulary of the Bayeye language. The words, though necessarily few in number, have been selected with a view to their utility, and consist chiefly of those denoting family relations, names of the different parts of the body, familiar objects, numerals, &c. I have, at the same time, given the corresponding terms in the Otjiherero (Damara) and the Chjlimanse (a tribe inhabiting the country west of the Portuguese settlement on the East Coast) to show the striking analogy existing between these languages. The nations here mentioned occupy a narrow strip of territory extending obliquely across the continent from the West Coast almost to that of the East.

[95] In an old painting at Hampton Court representing the Last Judgment, the mouth of the hippopotamus is said to be figured as the entrance of the “place of the wicked.”

[96] The object of having the connecting line to consist of a number of small cords instead of a single stout one is to reduce the chance of its being severed by the teeth of the hippopotamus.

[97] In some parts of ancient Egypt the hippopotamus was worshiped. It is also said to have been a representation of Typho (in connection with the crocodile) and Mars. According to Plutarch, it “was reckoned among the animals emblematic of the Evil Being.”

[98] Sir Gardner Wilkinson informs us further that the inhabitants at Sennaar still follow up the practice of their ancestors, and, like them, prefer chasing it in the river to an open attack on shore.

GENERAL INDEX.

A.

Aamhoup, the, a periodical river, 303; splendid mirage, at, _ib._

Abeghan, a watering-place, 388; the Author shoots a large bull-elephant there, 391.

Afrika, Jonathan, 349; his adventure with a lion, 350.

Allen, John, 71; enters Mr. Galton’s service, _ib._; his adventure on the banks of the Swakop, 264; falls sick of a fever, 301; emigrates with Hans to Australia, 334.

Amral, a Namaqua chieftain, 319.

Amulets, great faith of the South African natives in, 179, 319.

Ana, the, a species of acacia, 42, 58; its fruit nutritious food for cattle, _ib._

Animals, domestic, of the Ovambo, 201; of the Damaras, 228; of the Namaquas, 324; of the Bechuanas, 454; of the Bayeye, 480.

Antelopes, Author stalking, in company with lions, 210.

Archery, the Ovambo inferior to the Damaras in, 184.

Articles of barter of the Ovambo, 175.

B.

Baboon Fountain, 172.

Bahurutsi, the natives at Kuruman send embassadors to a rain-maker residing among the, 442.

Bain, Mr., the distinguished South African geologist, 333.

Bam, Mr., slight results of his missionary efforts among the Namaquas, 42; his wonderful escape from a rhinoceros, 49, 50.

Baobob-tree, the, 415, 426.

Barmen, its aspect and situation, 106; ill suited for an encampment, 125; return to, 214; second departure from, 241.

Basutos, the famous king of the, 438.

Batoana, the, a Bechuana tribe, 413; their appearance and manners, _ib._; their government, 437; their Pichos, _ib._

Bayeye, the, expert fishermen, 455.

Beads, in request with the South African tribes, 202; kinds most esteemed, _ib._, 323, 455.

Bean, a species of white, used as an antidote for snake-bites, 296; the Author falls sick from eating a bean-looking fruit, 354.

Bears, affecting story of two, 20.

Bechuanas, the, their language, 439; first acquaintance of Europeans with, _ib._; their want of religious ideas, 440; wizards numerous among, 441; hold a council at Kuruman as to the best means of removing a severe drought, 442; practice circumcision, 448; festivals attending the age of puberty, _ib._; funeral ceremonies, _ib._; vindictiveness, 450; theft a prevailing vice among, _ib._; attire, 452; great snuff-takers, 453.

Beer, 193, 480.

Bees, wild, frequently make their nests in the giant dwellings of the termites, 137; their disposition unusually quiet and forbearing, _ib._

Berry, delicious, 145.

Bethany, a Rhenish missionary station, 304.

Bill, a Damara lad in the Author’s service, loses himself in the bush, 211.

Blacksmiths, 203.

Boers, the, on the Trans-vaal River, 27; Sir Harry Smith’s opinion of, 28; an uncivil one, 328.

Bonfield, George, 336; spoils the Author’s watch, 390.

Boom-slang, the (or tree-snake), 294.

Borele, a species of rhinoceros, 371, 372.

Buffaloes, following the tracks of, 462; proof against bullets, 464.

_Buphaga Africana_, the sentinel bird, 212.

Bushmen, a few met with near Omuvereoom, 158; Lake Omanbondè, called Saresab in their language, _ib._; a few met with near Baboon Fountain, 172; and at Otjikoto, 182; legend of a Bushwoman changing herself into a lion, 320; some met with returning from Lake Ngami, 392; their manner of hunting the koodoo, 467.

Bush-ticks, deadly effects of the bite of, 36.

Bustard, the large, very abundant at Schmelen’s Hope, 135; the flesh good eating, 136.

Buxton Fountain, origin of its name, 105.

C.

Caffre-corn, the, 188, 482.

Camelopards, a troop of them seen near Omanbondè, 166; one shot, _ib._

Canoe, description of a Bayeye, 456.

Cape Cross, a vessel supposed to be wrecked at, 129, 139.

Cape-Town, 24; varieties of the human race encountered in its streets, _ib._; sensation caused by the Author’s appearance in, 329.

Caracal, the, 135; its fur warm and handsome, _ib._; supposed medicinal virtues of the skin, _ib._

Caravan, 178; caravan route, 182.

Chikor’onkombè, chief of an Ovambo trading caravan, 175; his residence, 188; desertion of, 206.

Christmas in the desert, 119.

Cobra di capella, the, common in the Cape Colony, 293; a remarkable escape from one, _ib._

Cockatrice, the, Damara’s account of, 292.

Cold weather, 154, 185, 300.

Comet, the Author observes a remarkable, 354.

Cornelius, chief of a powerful tribe of Namaquas, 280.

Cow, the Damara, 309.

Cunenè, a river of Africa, its discovery and subsequent mysterious disappearance, 204; the Ovambo often extend their trading excursions to, 205; attempt of Mr. Galton’s party to visit it frustrated, 206; the Ovambo’s account of, 430.

D.

Dacre’s pulpit, 333.

Damara-land only partially inhabited, 217; the seasons there the reverse of those in Europe, _ib._; reptiles numerous in, 293.

Damaras, the, beautifully formed, 62; not strong, _ib._; complexion, _ib._; symmetrical shape of the women, 64; clothing, _ib._; ornaments, weapons, 65; divided into two large tribes, 66; carry firebrands at night, 94; one struck dead by lightning, 108; believe that all men of a light complexion are their enemies, 111; entirely a pastoral people, 121; their notions respecting property in land, _ib._; cruelly treated by the Namaquas, 127; the flesh of the leopard, hyæna, and other beasts of prey eaten by the poor, 135; a Damara’s opinion of his countrymen, 143; addicted to telling falsehoods, 144; their method of cooking and eating, 151; villages, 159; their immorality, 177; eight Damara women surprised and put to death by Bushmen, 208; general reflections on, 214, 215; whence they came, 215; their conquests, _ib._; attacked by the Namaquas, 216; their own ideas respecting their origin, 218; their chief deity, _ib._; their tribes, _ib._; have great faith in witchcraft, 219; a fire always kept burning before the hut of their chief, 220; curious customs respecting food among the, 221; the women marry at much the same age as those in Europe, _ib._; customs on the occasion of a girl’s betrothal, _ib._; polygamy practiced among, 222; domestic habits, _ib._; customs respecting the naming of children, _ib._; bury their dead, 223; ceremonies on the death of one of the tribe, _ib._; the law of succession among, 222, 225; ceremonies on the accession of a new chief, 225; fever and ophthalmia their prevailing maladies, 226; milk their staple food, 227; fond of music and dancing, _ib._; power of the chief, _ib._; rudiments of science among, 228; value their cattle next to their women, 309.

Dance, a, at Nangoro’s residence, 193.

Daviep, arrival at, 52; much frequented by lions, _ib._

Dogs, miserable plight of the Namaqua, 278.

Duikers, the (cormorants and shags), mode in which they obtain their food, 32.

E.

Eggs, the, of the ostrich, 60; of the Guinea-fowl, 92, 136.

Eikhams, the residence of Jonker Afrikaner, 130; twilight at, 230; abundantly supplied with water, _ib._; hot spring in the neighborhood of, _ib._; history of the mission at, 231; terrific thunder-storm at, 277.

Elands, spirited chase after, 366.

Elephants, tracks of, 143; breed near to Omuvereoom, 158; combat between rhinoceros and, 164; unsuccessful hunt of, 170; Hans and Phillippus kill one, 175; the Author shoots a large bull-elephant, 391; a midnight meeting with a troop of, 394; adventure with a herd of female elephants at Kobis, 400; a midnight spectacle of a magnificent troop of, 405.

Elephant Fountain, arrival at, 233; formerly a Wesleyan missionary station, _ib._; chiefly inhabited by Hill-Damaras, _ib._; nature of the country eastward of, _ib._; return to, 236; abundance of game in its neighborhood, 237.

Elephant Kloof, the Author shoots a magnificent giraffe at, 357.

Erongo, a mountain famous for its peculiar formation, and as a stronghold of the Hill-Damaras, 114; about three thousand feet in height above the level of the plain, 120.

Etosha, a sterile plain, 156; at times inundated, _ib._

_Euphorbia Candelabrum_, use made of its poison by the Ovaherero and the Hill-Damaras, 91; fatal to the white rhinoceros, but harmless to the black species, _ib._; abundant at Okamabuti, 176.

Eyebrecht, Mr., Jonker’s right-hand man, 231.

F.

Fever, the Author attacked by, 300.

Fig-tree, a gigantic one near Otjironjuba fountain, 156.

Fire, the Author nearly destroyed by, 185.

“Fiscaal,” the, curious belief of the Cape people respecting, 78.

Fish, 182.

Fly, wasp-like, 57; the Author severely stung by one, _ib._

Flying-Fish, the, a schooner, 338.

Foam, the, a small schooner chartered by Mr. Galton for the voyage to Walfisch Bay, 28, 29.

Fowl, domestic, 201, 482.

G.

Gabriel, his violent disposition, 79; dismissed at Barmen, 125; marks his subsequent career with violence and insolence, 140.

Galton, Mr., starts for the Erongo Mountain, 114; obtains information from Jonker, 139; departs for England, 247.

Gemsbok, the, first sight of, 57; death of one, 123; the Damaras feast on it, 124; description of, 273.

Geological characteristics of Great Namaqua-land, 313.

Ghanzé, arrival at, 367; description of, 368; departure from, 386.

Giraffe, the, one killed, 59; their marrow good eating, _ib._; troop of, 92; peculiar motion of, 93; troop of, 154; a splendid one pulled down by lions, 396.

Giraffe-thorn, the, 42.

Gnoo, a, chase after and death of, 113; stalking them in company with lions, 210.

Grain, kind of, grown among the Ovambo, 188; the storing of, 201.

Griquas, the Author meets with a party of, 347; one of them engaged as interpreter, _ib._; information derived from, 429, 430; severe losses sustained by a party of, 469.

Grosbeak, the social, 104.

Guinea-fowls, an immense number at Onanis, 92; the flesh of the young tender and well flavored, _ib._; the best mode of shooting them, _ib._; their eggs excellent, 136.

Guitar, 193.

H.

Hahn, Mr., a missionary of the Rhenish Society, settled among the Damaras, 56; a Russian by birth, 108; his missionary labors, 109; his coadjutors, _ib._; his fruitless efforts to bring about a reconciliation between the Damaras and the Namaquas, 127.

Hans (Larsen), 68; a fine specimen of the true Northman, 69; his great strength, _ib._; an indefatigable sportsman, 70; enters Mr. Galton’s service, _ib._; his character for being a good woodsman damaged, 154; meets with a little adventure, 241; enters into partnership with the Author, 265; goes into Damara-land to trade with the natives, 269; has an adventure with the Damaras, _ib._; emigrates to Australia, 334.

Hare, the Namaqua superstition respecting, 317.

Hareld, the (Arctic duck), mode in which it obtains its food, 32.

Heat, effects of excessive, 51, 101.

Heitjeebib, a deity worshiped by the Namaquas, 316.

Hill-Damaras, the, 60; a kraal of, at Onanis, 89; cultivate dacka or hemp as a substitute for tobacco, _ib._; unusual manner in which they smoke, _ib._; description of the pipe they use, 89, 90; a kraal of, at the foot of Omuvereoom, 157; probably the aborigines of Damara-land, 215.

Hippopotamus, the, the actions and figure of, mimicked by a Damara, 159; visits Omanbondè, 163; one takes up his abode at Schmelen’s Hope, _ib._; abound on the northern side of Lake Ngami, 434; its supposed identity with the Behemoth of Scripture, 487; where found, _ib._; two species in Africa, 488; description of, _ib._; its food, 490; ravages caused by, _ib._; possessed of a good memory, 492; nocturnal excursions, 493; easily domesticated, _ib._; kept in captivity by the ancient Romans, _ib._; details respecting those in the Zoological Society’s Gardens in the Regent’s Park, London, 494; its most valuable parts, _ib._; manner in which the Bayeye harpoon, 495; drawings on the monuments and sculptures of Thebes relating to the chase of, 499; the Author’s safety jeopardized by one, 502; instances of the ferocity of, 503; various devices for destroying, 504.

History of Damara-land, 215.

Hogs, found among the Ovambo, 189.

Honey, wild, poisonous, 91.

Horse, the Cape Colony, 326; instance of the extraordinary endurance of, 327.

Horse-sickness, the, 67; three mules and one horse perish of, _ib._; its cause unknown, _ib._; usually makes its appearance in the months of November and December, 68; common throughout various parts of Southern Africa, 68.

Hottentots, a small kraal of, 39; Frederick, their chieftain, and the alarum, _ib._; of Great Namaqua-land, 314.

Hountop River, the, Author’s party encamps near, 301; game abundant in the neighborhood of, _ib._; an interesting atmospheric phenomenon at, 302.

Houses, the Ovambo, 201; the Damara, 222; the Namaqua, 315; the Bayeye, 479.

Hyæna, the, 123; called wolf by the colonists, 131; mode of setting spring-guns for, 132; startling appearance of a spotted, 369.

I.

Ia Kabaka, the, a mountain, 144, 155.

Ice, 209, 300.

Implements of husbandry, 58, 104, 202.

Ivory, 202.

J.

Jackal, a mischievous, 364.

Jonker Afrikaner, 108, 112; a letter from, 125; his quarrel with Kahichenè, 127; an instance of his cruelty, 129; Mr. Galton sets out to visit, 130; relations between him and William Zwartbooi, 138; sends an express to Zwartbooi for his horses, _ib._; promises to live in peace and amity with the Damaras, _ib._; his first victories over the Damaras, 216; whence he came, _ib._; gifts presented by Mr. Galton to, 231; the Author takes his portrait, _ib._; loses the greater part of his cattle, 240; his werft in the neighborhood of Eikhams, 278; engaged in a cattle-lifting foray, 287; the Author upbraids him for his depredations, 289; his defense, _ib._

Justice, summary, 149.

K.

Kachamaha, a powerful Damara chief, 287; the Author’s visit to, _ib._

Kahichenè, a Damara chieftain, 122; immense number of oxen and sheep possessed by, _ib._; his quarrel with Jonker Afrikaner, 127; meets the Author’s party at Kotjiamkombè, 147; his appearance and manners, _ib._; at variance with a tribe of Damaras under the rule of Omugundè, 149; his summary treatment of thieves, _ib._; his kraal, _ib._; his death, 152.

Kaiaob, the Namaqua witch-doctor, 318.

Kamapyu, a half-caste native lad, 344.

Kameel-doorn, the, 104; hardness of its wood, _ib._; the social grosbeak constructs its nest in the branches of, _ib._; groups of, 163.

Klaas Zaal, engaged as a wagon-driver, 354.

Kleinschmidt, Mr., 139, 286.

Kobis, good shooting at, 398; adventure with a black rhinoceros there, 399; with a white one, 400; and with a herd of female elephants, _ib._; departure from, 412.

Kolbé, Mr., 109, 127, 138.

Komaggas, a Rhenish missionary station, 325.

Konyati, the, a mountain, 143.

Koodoo, the, a young one caught and reared, 130; its tragic end, 131; description of, 465; the Bushmen’s manner of hunting, 467.

Kotjiamkombè, a splendid vley, 146.

Kuisip, the, a periodical stream, 41; swollen by heavy rains, 264.

L.

Lambert, eldest son of Amral, a Namaqua chief, 355.

Larsen (_vide_ Hans).

Larvæ, locust, sudden appearance of at Schmelen’s Hope, 140; conjecture respecting, _ib._; devoured by storks, _ib._

Leché, the, a species of antelope, 431; the Author shoots one, 458.

Lecholètébè, chief of the Batoanas, the Author sends presents to, 393; Timbo’s interview with, 402; the Author visits, 418; his manner of receiving presents, 420; his greediness, 421; his prompt mode of punishing his subjects, 422.

Leopard, the, erroneously called tiger by the Dutch, 133; one seizes and wounds a favorite dog, 134; pursued and slain, 134.

Libèbé, the capital of the Bavicko, situated considerably to the north of Lake Ngami, 422; the Author determines to visit, 423; the centre of a great inland trade, 484; visited by the Mambari, _ib._

Lightning, a man killed by, 108.

Lion, the, a daring and destructive one slain by Messrs. Galton and Bam, 41; a horse and mule killed by lions, 53; panic caused by a troop of lions, 66, 67; two met with on the banks of the Swakop, 93; narrow escape from, _ib._; midnight interview with a, 97; one deprived of his prey, 98; one mistaken for a zebra, 112; one kills a goat, 114; pursued and slain, 118; the travelers serenaded by a whole troop of, 123; Mr. Galton confronted by one, 164; stalking antelopes in company with, 210; very numerous and daring in the neighborhood of Zwart Nosop, 238; adventure with one at night, _ib._; story of the seizure of lion cubs, 243; troops of them in the neighborhood of Tincas and Onanis, 267; a lion devours a lioness, 302; a fair shot at one, 342; Old Piet’s adventures with, 343; one finds his way into the church at Richterfeldt, 344; instances of their boldness, 350; unexpected meeting with five, 396; serious night adventure with one, 508.

Locust, the, larvæ of, 281; immense masses of, _ib._; their arrival a cause of rejoicing to the Bushmen, 283; how prepared as food, 284.

Locust-bird, the (_Spring-haan vogel_), 284.

Louis, a Mozambique liberated slave, 337.

M.

Mackintosh punt, 160.

Malays, the, religion and mode of life of, 24, 25.

Mambari, the, an African tribe, 484.

Matsanyana, the, an African tribe residing north of the Bayeye, 484.

Mimosa, the black-stemmed, found in the periodical water-courses, 90.

Mirage, a remarkable, 33, 303.

Missionaries, their exertions unavailing in Namaqua-land, 42; the natives very reserved on their first appearance in Damara-land, 109; prospect of their success at Schmelen’s Hope disappointed, 127; arrival of the missionary ship, 246; decline of the mission at Rehoboth, 286; the Rhenish missionary station at Bethany, 304; blamed by the Bahurutsi rain-maker as the cause of a severe drought, 447.

Monoohoo, a species of rhinoceros, 372.

Mortar, John, irritability his only fault, 80; a famous teller of stories, 81; his disappointment in the matter of soap manufacture, 237.

Mosheshe, the famous Basuto king, 438.

Mukuru-Mukovanja, a large river, 204; the Ovambos’ account of, 430.

Mules, the, one becomes exhausted and is left behind, 51; shortly afterward killed by lions, 53; the travelers lay in a stock of mules’ flesh, 54; the flesh of, not unpalatable, 56; worn out, 61; three killed by sickness, 67; escape, and are intercepted at Barmen, 130; again make off, and are not retaken, _ib._

Mummies, 182.

Mushrooms, grow on the sides of the nests of the termites, 137.

N.

Naarip, the, a sterile plain, 48, 51; travelers often lose their way on, 74; the author’s party suffers much from cold on, 76; affords a good road, 84; its pleasant appearance after rains, 266.

Naitjo, an Ovambo man, 188.

Nakong, the, a species of antelope, 431; description of, 431-433.

Namaqua-land, Great, description of, 312; in a geological point of view, 313.

Namaquas, the, their character, 42, 43; their astonishment at the first wagons they saw, 43; treat the Damaras very cruelly, 127; usually very barbarous, 129; their respect for truth-tellers, 290; best mode of behaving toward, _ib._; names of the chiefs of the Northern, 315; their habitations, _ib._; their religious ideas, 316; their superstitions with regard to the hare, 317; have great faith in sorcery, 318; their neglect of widows, and cruel treatment of old and disabled persons, 322; their custom of adopting fathers and mothers, _ib._; personal adornment, 323; excessively idle, _ib._; understand the art of distilling spirits, 324; attack Richterfeldt, 339; ill-treat the missionaries, _ib._

Nangoro, king of the Ovambo, 165; assists a Damara chief, 169; a messenger sent to, 186; interview with, 191; his personal appearance, _ib._; his wives, 198.

Naras, the, a delicious fruit, 27; its beneficial qualities, 38; where found, _ib._

Ngami, the Lake, preparations for navigating, 22; failure of Mr. Galton and the Author to reach it, 234; the Author resolves to make another attempt, 236; first appearance of, 416; arrival at, 417; first information received by Europeans respecting, 423; different names by which it is known among the natives, 424; description of, _ib._; Mr. Green’s description of, 425; its shores, _ib._; must have undergone very considerable changes at different periods, 426; the Author navigates, _ib._; fed by the River Teoge, 427; finds an outlet at its eastern extremity in the Zouga, 428; a great variety of animals found in its neighborhood, 431; hippopotami abound on the northern side of, 434; swarms with crocodiles, 435; snakes numerous on the shores, 435, 436; fish, 436; departure from, 507.

Nosop, the river, 353.

O.

Obesity equivalent to high treason among certain African tribes, 191.

Oerlams, a branch of the Hottentot race, 314.

Okamabuti, the residence of the Damara chief Tjopopa, 168; the northern limit of Damara-land, 169; rank vegetation at, 176.

Omanbondè, Lake, Mr. Galton hears of, 111; surmises respecting its extent, 158; Mr. Galton’s party makes preparation for spending some time on its shores, 160; arrival at, 161; its insignificance _ib._; visited by hippopotami, _ib._; departure from, 166.

Omatako, 141; its beautiful appearance, _ib._; the river of, 143.

Ombotodthu, a mountain, 149; remarkable for its peculiar red stone, 150.

Ommutenna, a tributary to the Swakop, 61, 114.

Omoroanga Vavarra, the, a branch of the Teoge, 473.

Omugundè, the chief of a tribe of Damaras, 147; slays several of Kahichenè’s children, and keeps the others prisoners, 148.

Omukuru, the chief deity of the Damaras, 218.

Omumborombonga, a tree, the supposed progenitor of the Damaras, 215.

Omuramba-k’Omatako, a periodical river, 208; supposed to flow toward the Bechuana country, 209.

Omurangere, the holy fire of the Damaras, 220.

Omutjamatunda, a cattle-post belonging to the Ovambo, 183; a copious fountain, 184; ducks and grouse numerous there, _ib._

Omuvereoom, the, a mountain, 144; distance between it and Omatako, 153; arrival at the southern extremity of, 155; extensive view from its summit, 157.

Onanis, the residence of a kraal of very poor Hill-Damaras, 89; fine pasturages, 91; troops of lions seen at, 267.

Ondangere, the vestal virgin of the Damaras, 220.

Ondara, the, a species of serpent, 291; story of one, _ib._

Ondonga, the country of the Ovambo, 186; arrival in, _ib._; water and pasturage scarce, 189; departure from, 206.

Onesimus, Zwartbooi’s henchman, joins the Author’s party, 140; is flogged, 363.

Ongeama, native name for lion, 114; cries of, 178.

Onguirira, a species of animal resembling, but totally distinct from, the lion, 153.

Ophthalmia, the Author attacked by, 281.

Orange River, the, description of, 310.

Oranges, a feast of, 331.

Orukumb’ombura, “rain-beggars,” the name given by the Damaras to columns of sand driven along by the wind, 217.

Oryx, the death of one, 123; the Damaras feast on it, 124; description of, 273.

Ostrich, the, omelet of the eggs, 60; the egg equal to twenty-four of the common fowl, _ib._; numerous on the Naarip plain, 247; chase and capture of part of a brood of young ones, 248; interesting manœuvre of a parent ostrich, _ib._; districts in which found, 250; types in other parts of the world, _ib._; general appearance, _ib._; its cry greatly resembles that of the lion, 251; its marvelous speed, _ib._; food, _ib._; power of enduring thirst, 252; season for breeding, _ib._; period of incubation, 253; a peculiarity in regard to the eggs of the ostrich, 254; nature of the covering of the young birds, _ib._; the flesh of the young ostrich palatable, _ib._; in estimation with the ancient Romans as an article of food, 255; uses to which the egg-shells are applied, 256; ostrich feathers, _ib._; the ostrich in a wild state, 258; its powers of digestion, 259; resemblance to quadrupeds, _ib._; modes in which it is captured, 262.

Oswell, Mr., his chase of a rhinoceros, 382.

Otjihako-tja-Muteya, 186; sufferings from cold on, 207.

Otjikango, the, name of a series of wells, 172, 179.

Otjikoto fountain, 180; a wonderful freak of nature, 181; its remarkable cavern, _ib._; visited by a great number of doves, 182; Bushmen reside near to it, _ib._

Otjironjuba Fountain, 156; departure from, 158.

Otjombindè, 233.

Otjruru, an apparition, 219.

Otters, not uncommon in Lake Ngami, 434.

Ovaherero, the, their mode of using tobacco, 90; tip their arrows with the poison of _euphorbia candelabrum_, 91.

Ovambo, the, a people of Africa, 165; first interview with, 172; their food, 173; arms, 174; effect of fireworks on, 192; musical instruments in use among, 193; their personal appearance, 194; their strict honesty, 196; no pauperism in their country, _ib._; their national pride, _ib._; hospitality, 197; staple food, _ib._; morality among, 198; state of religion among, _ib._; their dwellings, 201; domestic animals, _ib._; farm implements, 202; their chief articles of export, _ib._; have some slight knowledge of metallurgy, 203.

Ovapangari, the, an African tribe, 205, 485.

Oxen, invaluable in South Africa, 44; method of breaking in, 45; one charges Mr. Galton, 47; manner of guiding a saddle-ox, 71; can be made to travel at a pretty quick pace, _ib._; training for the yoke, 77; vicious one ridden by Mr. Schöneberg, 102; become wild and unmanageable from their over-long rest, 123; several stolen from Mr. Galton’s party, 148; extraordinary confusion among, and the cause of it, 212; curious custom when an ox dies at a chief’s werft in Damara-land, 220; their instinctive power of catching the scent of humid winds and green herbage at a great distance, 240; instance of affection between two, 268; Author’s adventure with a runaway, 270; the Author has an ugly fall from one, 288; superstition that they refrain from eating on Christmas-eve, 307: the Damara breed of, _ib._; the Bechuana breed of, 308; the Namaqua breed of, 324.

P.

Palm-trees, a large number seen, 166; description of a peculiar kind of fan-palm, _ib._; fruit of the, _ib._, 188.

Parrots, crested, 57, 59.

Pelicans, 77; curious mode of flight, _ib._

Phenomenon, 143.

Phillippus, a Damara, joins the Author’s party as a wagon-driver, 140.

Pichos, the (or Parliaments), of the Batoanas, 437.

Pitfalls for the capture of game, 362.

Polygamy, 198, 222, 321, 448, 479.

Population of the Ovambo country estimated, 189.

Portuguese, 183.

Puff-adder, the, 294; its manner of seizing its prey, _ib._

R.

Rain-maker, the Bahurutsi, 442; murdered among the Bauangketsi nation, 447.

Rains, the, begin as early as September and October, 125.

Rath, Mr., 61, 109, 121; his description of the track of a nondescript animal, 133.

Rehoboth, a Rhenish missionary station, 139, 281; description of, 286; the rocks in its neighborhood strongly impregnated with copper, 349.

Religion, 198.

Reptiles, numerous in Damara-land and Namaqua-land, 293; superstitions respecting, 294; antidotes used in Southern Africa for the bites of, 295.

Rhinoceros, the, curious anecdote preserved in the archives of Cape-Town relating to a death of one, 26; Mr. Bam’s story of his wonderful escape from one, 49, 50; tracks of, 49; one shot, 72; fall frequently on their knees when killed, 73; curious anecdote, _ib._; flesh not unpalatable, _ib._; hide useful, _ib._; discovery of a, 84; adventure in pursuit of one, 85; its escape, 86, 87; combat between elephant and, 164; several shot at Ghanzé, 369; where found, 370; four distinct species known to exist in South Africa, 371; distinctions between the black and the white rhinoceros, 373; appearance of, 374; food, 375; breeding, 376; Colonel Williams’s story respecting one, 377, 378; conflicts with elephants, 378; the flesh and horns, 380; adventure with a black rhinoceros at Kobis, 399; with a white one, 400; the Author shoots a white one, 407; desperate adventure with a black one, 407, 408; method of chasing, 381; Mr. Oswell’s stories respecting the chase of, 382.

Richterfeldt, a Rhenish missionary station, reached, 61; water abundant, _ib._; soil fertile, _ib._; when founded, 62; return to, 95; bid a final farewell to, 123.

Rifle, obtained in barter, 150; excellent weapon, _ib._

Rights of succession, 198, 222, 225.

Ringel-hals, the, or ring-throat, a species of snake, 294.

Roode Natie, the (or Red Nation), a powerful tribe of Namaquas, 279; their character, 280; Cornelius, their chief, _ib._; their country, 281; few Damara slaves among them, _ib._

S.

Salt-lick, a, 366.

Sand Fountain, excursion to, 34; badness of its water, 35; its disagreeable guests, 36; its advantages, 37; general aspect of the country in the neighborhood of, 38.

Sand-wells, 365.

Scarlet flower, the, emotions on first seeing, 48; observe it again, 49.

Scenery, striking, 170.

Schaap-steker, the, a species of snake, 294.

Scheppmansdorf, Mr. Galton arrives at, 40; all the baggage safely deposited at, 41; description of, _ib._; first impressions of, 76; kind friends at, 77; departure from, 83.

Scheppman’s Mountain, origin of its name, 103.

Schmelen, Mr., a highly-gifted and enterprising missionary, 127.

Schmelen’s Hope, its situation, 126; origin of its name, 127; agreeable residence; abundance of game to be obtained there, 135; departure from, 146; return to, 214.

Schöneberg, Mr., 101; his mishap, 102; his wailing, 103.

Scorpions, a swarm of, 105; their fondness of warmth, _ib._; their bite poisonous, but rarely fatal, _ib._

Season, the rainy, in Ovambo-land, 201; in Damara-land, 217.

Sebetoane, an African chief, false report respecting, 414.

Serpent, tracks of an immense (the Ondara), 290; story of a, 291.

Serpent-stones, 297.

Servants, described, 78-83; African travelers can not be too particular in the selection of, 79; become refractory, 125; adventure of one of them with an ox, 270; Damara servants abscond, 355.

Shambok, the, 73, 74.

Shrike, a species of, 78; superstitious belief respecting, _ib._

Smith, Dr. Andrew, 213, 491.

Snake, a curious species of, 292; several species occasionally met with in Damara-land and Namaqua-land, 294; antidotes for the bites of, 295; numerous in and about Lake Ngami, 435, 436.

Snake-stone, the, 298.

Snuff, manner in which the Bechuanas manufacture, 458.

Spring, hot, at Barmen, 108; at Eikhams, 230; at Rehoboth, 286.

“Spring,” Author’s ride-ox, 71.

Spuig-slang, the, or spitting-snake, 294.

St. Helena, John, officiates as head wagoner, 80; his extraordinary disposition, _ib._; discourses on ghosts, 331.

Steinbok, the, a young one taken and reared, 130; its tragic end, 131.

Stewardson, Mr., 45.

Stink-hout, a species of oak, 170.

Sugar-cane, supposed to exist in many parts of Southern Africa, 188.

Sun-stroke, Author receives one, 58; usual results of a, _ib._; the Author in danger of a second, 88.

Sunrise, the, in the tropics, 51; often followed by intense heat, and sufferings thereon, _ib._; a mule left behind, _ib._

Superstition, a, with regard to oxen, 152.

Swakop, the, first appearance of, 49; its cheerful aspect, _ib._; the Author’s party attacked by two lions on the bank of, 93; the Damaras flock with their cattle to, 241.

T.

Table Mountain, 25; ascent by the Author of, _ib._

Tans Mountain, 348.

Tent, the Author’s, takes fire, 299.

Teoge, the River, feeds Lake Ngami, 427; scenery along the banks of, 460; crocodiles observed on, 471.

Termites, the, Schmelen’s Hope swarms with, 136; their method of constructing their nests, _ib._; encampment in the middle of a nest of, 145; instances of the fearful ravages they are capable of committing in an incredibly-short space of time, 155.

_Textor erythrorhynchus_, a parasitical insect-feeding bird, 213.

Thirst, suffering from, 52; water not quenching thirst, _ib._

Thorn coppices, 182.

Thunder-storm, a, in the tropics, 107, 141, 352.

Tiger-wolf (or spotted hyæna), 369.

Timbo, a native of Mazapa, 81; carried into captivity by Caffres, _ib._; sold as a slave to the Portuguese, 82; liberated by an English cruiser, _ib._; his faithless spouse, _ib._; his good qualities, _ib._; his love of (native) country, 83; friendship between him and George Bonfield, 336; turns sulky, 352; the Author sends him to Lake Ngami, 393; his return, 402.

Tincas, the mountain, 52; great stronghold and breeding-place of lions, _ib._

Tincas, the River, 84.

Tjobis, a river and tributary to the Swakop, 59.

Tjobis Fountain, arrive at, 60, 93; depart from, 61, 93.

Tjopopa, a great chief of the Damaras, 168; reach his werft, 169; his character, _ib._; death of his mother, 176; his idleness and fondness for tobacco, _ib._; sensuality, 177; leaves Okamabuti, 207.

Tobacco, great size of leaves of, 110; the Ovambo cultivate it, 189; buy sheep for, 208.

Topnaars, a branch of the Hottentot tribe, 314.

Toucans, 59.

Trans-vaal River, the, rumors respecting the churlish conduct of the Boers on, 27.

Traveling by day injurious, 58, 61; by, night preferable, but dangerous, 84; difficulties of African, 160.

Trees, bearing an apple-looking fruit, 176, 189; enormous sized, _ib._

Tsetse fly, the, where chiefly found, 468; description of, 469; poisonous nature of its bite, _ib._; result of Captain Vardon’s experiment on, 470; Mr. Oswell’s examination of oxen bitten by, 471; wild animals unaffected by the poison of, _ib._

Tunobis, 233; days profitably and pleasantly passed there, 235; immense quantity of game in the neighborhood of, _ib._; the Author’s misadventure at, 360.

Twass, the head-quarters of the Namaqua chief Lambert, 355.

U.

Usab, the, a striking gorge, we arrive at, 83.

V.

“Venus,” a small half-breed dog, her combat with a rhinoceros, 391; great sagacity of, _ib._

Voet-gangers (_vide_ larvæ).

Vollmer, Mr., 139, 286.

W.

Waggoner, John, his sulkiness and reluctance to work, 79; dismissed at Barmen, 125; his subsequent dishonest career, 139.

Wagons, the, fifteen hundred weight a good load for, 78; accident to, 170.

Wait-a-bit thorn, the, 156; great strength of its prickles, _ib._; excessively troublesome, 367, 413, 415.

Walfisch Bay, the Author’s party advised to select this place as a starting-point for their journey into the interior, 28; arrival at the entrance of, 29; appearance of the coast as seen from, _ib._; description of, 30; trading establishments there, _ib._; frequented by immense numbers of water-fowl, 31: outrageous conduct of the crews of whaling and guano ships visiting, 243; extraordinary number of dead fish in, 245; the Author’s second visit to, 339.

Water, difficulty of obtaining, 306, 387.

Water-courses, the periodical, afford the only really practicable roads, 124.

Wenzel, Abraham, 79; his thievish habits, _ib._; dismissed at Schmelen’s Hope, 140.

Whirlwinds, 217.

Williams, John, results of his carelessness, 80.

Willow-tree, the, in the neighborhood of Omuvereoom, 155.

Witch-doctor, the Namaqua, 318.

Witchcraft, Damaras have great faith in, 219; the Bechuanas have great faith in, 442.

“Wolf,” 114.

Wolves, or hyænas, 131.

Women, Ovambo, 194; Damara, 221; Bayeye, 480.

Z.

Zebra, melancholy wail of the, 98; the Author shoots one, 102; its flesh not very palatable, _ib._; a lion mistaken for one, 112; the Author shoots one, 142.

Zouga, a river which flows out of Lake Ngami, 403; runs in an easterly direction from Lake Ngami for a distance of about three hundred miles, 428; vegetation along its course varied and luxuriant, _ib._

Zwartbooi, William, a Namaqua chieftain, 137; relations between Jonker Afrikaner, and, _ib._; his territory, 138; assists us with servants, 140.

Zwart Nosop, many pitfalls for game constructed in the neighborhood of, 238.

Zwart-slang, the, or black snake, 294, 295.

LATIN INDEX.

Acacia giraffæ, 42, 104.

Aigocerus ellipsiprymnus, 431.

Amadina squamifrons, 213.

Behemot Jobi, 487.

Buphaga Africana, 212.

Canis mesomelas, 278.

Chizoerhis concolor, 59.

Columber canus, 294.

Croton, 323.

Diosma, 323.

Euphorbia candelabrum, 91, 176.

Felis caracal, 135.

Francolinus adspersus, 50.

Glossina morsitans, 468.

Gryllus devastator, 281.

Harelda glacialis, 32.

Hippopotamus amphibius, 488, 489.

” Liberiensis, 488.

Holcus Caffrorum, 173.

Hyrax Capensis, 291.

Lanius subcoronatus, 78.

Loxia socia, 104.

Naia haje, 294.

Oryx Capensis, 272.

” beisa, 272.

” leucoryx, 272.

Otis kori, 135.

Processus mamillaris, 495.

Python Natalensis, 290.

Quercus Africana, 170.

Rhinoceros bicornis, 372, 373.

” ” Sumatrensis, 370.

” Indicus, 370.

” Keitloa, 372, 376.

” Oswellii, 372.

” simus, 372, 373, 374.

” Sondaicus, 370.

Textor erythrorhynchus, 213.

Tragelaphus Angasii, 433.

” eurycerus, 433.

Trimerorhinus rhombeatus, 294.

Vipera inflata, 294.

THE END.

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