fpeaking, they cluck with the tongue againft the roof o f the
mouth: thefe clucks do not appear to have any meaning,
but rather to divide, what they fay into fentences. Moft of
thefe Hottentots fpeak Dutch, without any peculiarity of
pronunciation.
They are all modeft, even to fheepifhnefs s for it was not
without the greateft difficulty that we could perfuade any of
them to dance, or even to fpeak in their own language to
each other, in our prefence. We did however both fee them
dance, and hear them fing; their dances are by turns a drive
and lluggiffi to excefs; fometimes confifting of quick and
violent motions, with ftrange diftortions of the body, and
unnatural leaps backwards and forwards, with the legs crof-
fing each other; and being fometimes fo fpiritlefs that the
dancer only ftrikes the ground firft with one foot and then
with the other, neither changing place nor moving any
other part o f his body: the fongs alfo are alternately to quick
and flow movements, in the fame extremes as the dance.
We made many enquiries concerning thefe people of the
Dutch, and the following particulars are related upon the
credit of their report:
Within the boundaries of the Dutch fettlements there are
feveral nation? of thefe people, who very much differ from
each other in their cuftoms and manner of life : all however
are friendly and peaceable, except one clan that is fettled
to the eaftward, which the Dutch call Bofchmen, and thefe
live entirely by plunder, or rather by theft; for they never
attack their neighbours openly, but fteal the cattle privately
in the night. They are armed however to defend them-
felves, if they happen to be detefled, with lances or affagays,
and arrows, which they know how to poifon by various
ways, fome with the juice of herbs, and fome with the venom
nom of the ferpeht called Cobra di Capeh; in the hands of Mf*.
thefe people a flone alio is a very formidable weapon, for 1 11
they can throw it with fuch force and exacftnefs as repeatedly
to hit a dollar at the diftance of a hundred paces. As a defence
againft thefe freebooters, the other Indians train up bulls,
which they place round their towns in the night, and which,
upon the approach of either man or beaft, will affemble
and oppofe them, till they hear the voice of their mailers
encouraging them to fight, or calling them off, which they
obey with the fame docility as a dog.
Some nations have the art of melting and preparing copper,
which is found among them, probably native ; and of
this they make broad plates, which they wear as ornaments
upon their foreheads. Some of them alfo know how to
harden bits of iron, which they procure from the Dutch
and form into knives, fo as to give them a temper fuperior to
that of any they can buy.
The Chiefs, many of whom are poffeffors of very numerous
herds of cattle, are generally clad in the Ikins of lions,
tygers, or zebras, to which they add fringes, and other ornaments
in a very good tafte. Both fexes frequently anoint the
body with greafe, but never ufe any that is rancid or fcetid,
if frelh can be had. Mutton fuet and butter are generally
ufed for this purpofe; butter is preferred, which they make
by ffiaking the milk in a bag made of the flrin of fome
bead.
We were told that the prieft certainly gives the nuptial
benedict ion by fprinkling the bride and bridegroom, with his
urine. But the Dutch univerfally declared that the women
never wrapped the entrails of iheep round their legs, as they
have been faid to do, and afterwards make them part of
their food. Semicaftration was alfo abfolutely denied, to be
3 c 2 ' general;