Pottery. 31 



the Bushmen did not buikl up their pots in the same manner 

 as the Hottentots, but first made rusli-baskets which they smeared 

 with clay on the inside. The whole was then burned, which 

 caused the rushes to perish and the clay-pot, showing the 

 impressions of the rushes, remained behind. 



I have not seen anj pottery made by Kalahari-Bushmen, 

 and I am not sure whether tliej^ ever made any. Fritsch,^ in 

 speaking of the Bushmen generally, simply says, after describing 

 their food : " For the preparation of such primitive food there is no 

 long series of utensils re(|uired, but they have rough earthenware 

 pots, which more frequently serve to preserve things in, than for 

 cooking purposes." Burchell, though going everywhere minutely 

 into details, never mentions Bushman pottery. But we must not 

 foi'get that ever since Europeans colonised South Africa, the Bush- 

 men led the lives of hunted animals, and it is possible, that pre- 

 viously, when they were able to lead a compai-atively moi-e settled 

 life, they utilised earthenware pots to a larger extent. On the 

 other hand it is possible that thej' only learned the potter's art 

 from Hottentots. The Hottentots, wherever they came into contact 

 with Europeans, soon lost the art of making pots of their own. 

 Their philosophy of life was akin to that of the Indian chief who 

 is reported to have said to a European "■' : " Oh, brothei", you will 

 never know the blessings of doing nothing and thinking nothing ; 

 and yet, next to sleep, that is the most delicious. Thus we were 

 before birth, thus we shall be after death." Such a race was 

 bound to be absorbed hy a stronger conquering race, and lose the 

 few a*rts that, in their state of nature, were almost a necessity to 

 to them. Again Burchell makes no mention of Hottentot pottery, 

 and other .writers on S.African natives onlv occasionallv make 

 a casual iftference to it, while it seemi to me that the praise 

 bestowed on it by Kolbe, who knew the Hottentots at the 

 beginning of the ISth centui-y, is perfectly justified. 



' h. c, p. 317. 



■^ F. Max Miillor. " Lectures on the origin anil growth of religiou." Now 

 impression. Lonidou, LSiKS, p. 7!). 



