'776- January. may venture to conclude, that thefe Caffres were but indifferent fmokers compared to the Hottentots. When they heard that we intended to hunt thefea-cow, and that thefe animals were rather uncommon as well as ihy in thefe parts, they told us, that about Konap-river, thefe creatures were feen to come up out of the river in the very middle of the day, and both to ileep and graze in the fields there ; where, in faft, for the fake of defending themfelves from the attacks o f their enemies, they were cob lefted in as great numbers as the pebble-ftones I adtually faw fcattered by the fide of Vifch-rivier, on the fpot on which we then flood. Though this companion was, it muft be owned, in the true Oriental ftyle, yet it is probable that thefe animals were really to be found in great numbers about the river above-mentioned ; and that they were far from being ihy, but grazed and flept on land in open day, as the Caffres informed us:; for, in confequence of the uncultivated Hate in which they were, and particularly as they had not the uife of fire-arms, thefe people mull ne- ceffarily be obliged to give Way to animals o f foch ftrength and magnitude. When it grew dark, thè Caffres flood up, and without any kind of order, or taking leave, went towards a large buih, at the diftance of a mufket-ihot from us, where they made a great fire, near which they took up their re- pofe for the night. Shortly after We heal'd a hideous roaring near that fpot, and We conjehured that it proceeded from feme beaft they were 'killing. Accordingly Mr. Immf.i.ma.n and I haftened thither, to fee it, and found the beaft, which had been felled to the grdund, lying on r its its right fide, with its left fore leg bound over its head; neither was any other binding or fattening neceffary, as the animal lay tolerably ftill, though not yet dead; while five or fix people flood by, and made feveral incifions with their hafiagais into its ftomach, which they afterwards took out through an opening they made for that purpofe in the cheft. 1 do not know whether this way of ilaughtering beafts is praftifed by any other nation 5 it certainly appeared to be a very cruel one, though while this bufinefs was difpatching, > a good deal of mirth and laughter feemed to pafs between thofe who had the management of it. The whole of this operation, however, did not take up a long time, the animal's pain terminating with its life in about two minutes after the firft incifion had been made. Immediately after this they fet about flaying the beaft piece-meal, with the affiftance of their hafiagais, and cutting the hide into ilices of different forms and fizes. Thefe were like- wife intended to be eaten, as I afterwards learned from one of my Hottentots, who the next day got a broiled piece o f it, in exchange for a little tobacco; and aflured me, that when an ox or cowls hide was well drefied, viz. firft boiled in water and then in milk, it is by no means a contemptible diili. While we were ftanding to fee .the beaft flaughtered, we took notice that all the fpears and hafiagais, exclufive of thofe that were ufed in killing the animal, were piled up together in the middle juft before one o f the chiefs, who was now obierved to be very bufy in iffuing out his orders, thefe orders being obeyed without delay by thofe who looked after the fire. Indeed, they did not feem to pay the L 1 2
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