3^* A J G U R N E Y IN
incapable of profiting by the doctrines of Christianity. Their
number is, however, very inconsiderable. In travelling
through the heart of the desert occupied by them, the present
party did not in the whole journey see fifty persons, and of
com-se had but little opportunity of making and comparing
their observations on their character and condition. Of the few
they saw it was remarked that several had attained a very
considerable age ; that the oldest had not lost a single tooth,
but that in many instances they were worn down in a remarkable
manner to mere stumps; that out of the number seen
at least half a dozen were blind in one eye, which they pretended
to have been occasioned while young by accidents
from fire ; that the greater part wanted the first joint of the
little finger, which they said had been taken off as a charm
against misfortunes, or to stop an incipient disorder; that the
sting of a scorpion, which to Europeans or colonists is always
attended with dangerous consequences, and by which
one of the present party suffered severely, has no ill effect
on this people, which they endeavoured to explain by sayin«-
that while children being accustomed to be stung by these
insects, the poison in time ceases to have any effect on them,
as the small-pox virus loses its action on a person who lias
.had the disease.
In their persons they were all diminutive, but well made;
of the colour of a faded leaf; the joints and ‘prominent parts
of the body almost black with a thick coating of hardened
dirt.; their hair clotted, which with the face was smeared
ever -with red ochre and fa t; their little eyes, scarcely
visible, were always in motion, and ever on the watch;
Their whole property was very portable, consisting generally
of a bow and quiver of arrows, a belt of skin, and sometimes
half a cloak, two or three thin grass mats which, when fixed
between two sticks over a round hole dug in the ground, serve
for a dwelling, and a wild gourd or an ostrich egg-shell to
carry a little water. Sometimes they are' accompanied by
little dogs not unlike a species of jackall, having a ruff
of long hair round the lower part of the neck. Two or three
of these people were also, like the Koras, monorchides:; and
the women had those peculiar conformations of certain parts
of the body, which are so general in the Hottentot race, to a
very remarkable degree. I t appeared indeed that the elongation
of one part and the protuberance of the other were
generally in the inverse proportion of the stature of the individual.
In this mixed society the party had the good fortune to-
meet with two persons who had it in their power to render
them essential services* The one was a native Booshuana,
of the name of Miklango, who spoke a little Dutch, and who
willingly engaged to accompany them as interpreter; but he
was wholly unacquainted with the road which led to his own
country. The other was his comrade Makauta, who was well
acquainted with the country, and readily undertook to be
their guide. A Dutch boor of the name of Kruger also
joined the expedition at thisplaee: he had been pointed out'
to them as a man of great resource, and likely to be of use.
At an early period of life his. brother and himself, having exercised
their ingenuity in forging the paper currency of the.
colony, were banished for life-to Robben Island in the mouth