people, and the rest were sent to a distant cattle-station for the use
only of his herdsmen.
Without bringing forward every foolish tale and absurd story
which they thought proper to tell me, whether they seriously believed
it or merely did it to amuse or deceive me, their religion may, in
short, be characterized as an inconsistent jumble of superstition and
ignorance, among which no signs were to be discovered of its having
been ever derived from any purer source, or that it was aught else
than the offspring of barbarous and uncultivated minds, in which
some occasional traces of cunning might be perceived.
Themoral characteroitheBachapins, though in general lamentably
debased, possesses, however, some virtues, and contains some points
for which it may be admired and even held up for more general
imitation. These people are, in common society, exceedingly well
ordered, and conduct themselves with a remarkably careful attention
to decorum in several respects. During the whole of my residence
at their town and in my travels through their country, I never saw
two men openly quarrelling, nor heard them using abusive language
towards each other; neither have I witnessed any of that tribe in a
state of intoxication from drinking. The former may fairly be
viewed as a positive merit; for the observance of this rule, is, in
their estimation, if we may depend on the character which they give
of themselves, the highest proof of being a good man : the latter is
but negative, as they are not sufficiently acquainted with the art of
preparing spirituous liquors, to prove by experiment whether they
can maintain their sobriety with more firmness, than the Hottentots
have done since the introduction of brandy into their country. They
are not altogether ignorant of the effects of fermented drink, as they,
in common with the Hottentots, possess the art of making a beverage
of this kind from honey and water put into a state of fermentation
by the addition of a certain root or by the dregs of a former preparation.
This beverage is called boialloa by the Bachapins, and is
well known to the Hottentots by the Dutch name of honing-bier
(honey-beer).
Although it has been stated that the Bachapins were never seen
quarrelling, it must from this not be inferred that they never disagree
; for it appears that sometimes, though perhaps rarely, serious
quarrels take place, and that these, not being on subjects personally
affecting the Chief, are mostly terminated by fighting ; as their laws
allow the private wrongs of families or individuals to be settled by
the parties themselves. *
Their women appeared to deserve the character of exemplary
modesty and of the greatest propriety of conduct; as far at least as
my own observation and the assurances of others, enable me to give
an opinion. They are said to be almost universally faithful wives;
and, that they shall be obedient ones, the men have taken sufficient
precaution by establishing a law which permits a husband to put his
wife to death for certain crimes or even for the offence of offering
him personal violence, should he chuse to declare that she did so
with murderous intention: while, at the same time, he retains for
himself the privilege of committing those same misdemeanours with
impunity. But no instance of such punishments ever came to my
knowledge. To the ear of an Englishman, the assertion, that women
are merely animals or beings of a rank much inferior to man, must
sound truly savage : but this I have more than once heard asserted
by Bachapins ; and hope, for the character of the whole tribe and for
their own character as men, that it was said merely as a joke or for
the purpose of misleading me.
The great attention of the inhabitants of Litakun, to the removal
of every thing unclean or dirty from their dwellings, constitutes a
laudable part of their character, but is counterbalanced by a want of
personal cleanliness: yet the necessity of greasing their bodies, to protect
their skin from the effects of a parching air, may be admitted as
some excuse; and the woolly and, if I may coin a word, uncombable
nature of their hair renders it almost impossible, except by shaving
their head, to free themselves from a disgusting nuisance which generally
extends itself also to their clothing.
Among the vices of this people, a universal disregard for truth
* A similar case has been mentioned in the first volume at page 373.
VOL. II. 4 B