Bushmen of Orange Kiver. 159 



They will throw the arrow upwards of an hundred yards, and 

 with great correctness ; but, as might be expected, it will seldom 

 wound at such a distance ; and I have known a cavalry cloak 

 protect a soldier at twenty paces. The bow is not brought to 

 the eye in shooting. They fix their eye upon the object, grasp- 

 ing the bow with the left hand, while the arrow passes through 

 the fingers on the right side, — a mode of shooting I believe 

 peculiar to them. 



Their treatment of a wound made by a poisoned arrow is 

 truly scientific. It is laid freely open, the poison cleaned out, 

 and a horn applied in the manner of a cupping-glass, exhausted 

 by suction at the small extremity. This, as far as I could learn, 

 is the only treatment they adopt, never making use of any herb 

 as a specific. The Boors consider gunpowder and urine as very 

 efficient, and prescribe those in every arrow wound, and in every 

 case of snake-bite. Cupping would seem to be the Bushmen's 

 favourite treatment of every complaint accompanied with pain,' 

 and so frequently do they resort to this, that by the time they 

 are full grown they appear scars all over. 



The length of time a Bushman can live without food is sur- 

 prising, often living for three and four days without a mouth- 

 ful ; and the quantity they can devour after such abstinence is 

 equally remarkable, one man having been known to eat an Af- 

 rican sheep (30 lb.) in a single night. When unable to pro- 

 cure food, a belt round the body is tightened as the craving in- 

 creases, and they resort to the smoking of daJcJca (a species of 

 chanvre, or hemp), which produces intoxication. The narcotic 

 effects of this plant no doubt produce much of that shrivelled 

 appearance which is observable in all of any age. When posses- 

 sing plenty of their dakJca, they can smoke and sleep for several 

 days and nights without eating. 



A Bushman has no idea of the perpetuation of property ; I 

 might say, no notions of a prospective existence. He is wholly 

 dependent on nature or on man : he will neither imitate the 

 Caffer nor the Boor, will neither grow corn nor breed cattle. 



The figures drawn by them on the rocks are often remarkable 

 for the correctness of the outlines ; they hit the attitude of the 

 animal, but seldom care about truth in colouring : speaking phre- 

 nologically, they have the organ of form, but not of colour. I 



