An expedition of discovery into the interior of Africa; through the hitherto undescribed countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras Volume 2 - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 edition. Excerpt: ...grand reed dance to take place, and at least an hundred women came before the tent, young and old. A full band of reed-players blew and stamped, as before described, the women clapped their hands, sang, and ran round the players; and there was dust and noise to our hearts' content. There was one old woman here with ostrich feathers in her hair, who was one of the most persevering dancers I ever saw, for she danced for two or three days after the above beginning. There seemed to be no tiring her throat, palms, or heels, and I thought at last she would meet with KAMAKA DAMARAS. 163 the fate of the dame described in this elegant Scotch rhyme--" There was an auld wife, and they ca'ad her Kilfuddie, And aa body said she wad gang to the wuddie, But I think she deed in a better commaund, For she danced her to dead at her ain house end!" Among the Namaquas of Niais there were several Kamaka Damaras, of both sexes, prisoners of war, captives of the bow and spear. The young men were square built, and the finest specimens of bone and muscle I had almost ever seen, whilst their skins shone like polished ebony. The young women were tall and graceful, and with features much handsomer than those of the Namaquas, or Hill Damaras. The men opened their mouths and showed me the mark of their nation: it consisted in the loss of the two lower front teeth, and in the twq upper being filed, so as to leave an opening between them like the letter A. I questioned these Kamaka Damaras till I tired them, regarding their people beyond the Swakop. 164 COMPARISON OF LANGUAGES. The Damaras of the plains are a great nation, and their country is full of cattle--" which," say the Namaquas, "they get from a cave as they require them; so there is no great harm in our taking a few...