212 Voyage of the Novara. 



to be fit for reception, by baptism, into the Christian com- 

 munity. 



In the house of correction there were a number of female 

 Caffres who had been made prisoners at the same time with 

 their brothers and husbands, some belonging to the family of 

 chiefs. One, the sister of the chieftain Sandilli, was a hand- 

 some, tall and slender woman, with mild features and piercing 

 small black eyes ; another, by the name of Mnovenkeli, the 

 sister of the chieftain Mkoseni, was an imposing and earnest- 

 looking figure. Several of these women bore a long stripe 

 tattooed on their breasts as an ornament. Several were deficient 

 of a little finger of the left hand : this mutilation is the effect 

 of superstition, as it often occurs that, in case of the severe 

 illness of the child, the distressed mother causes a finger of her 

 offspring to be cut off and sacrificed to the evil spirit, in order 

 that the rest of the body may be saved and permitted by the 

 evil spirit to recover. 



One of these young Caffre women had her child wrapped up 

 in a piece of linen tied to her back, and endeavoured to lull it 

 to sleep by continually moving the left elbow, by which the 

 baby was kept in a swinging motion, and an effect was produced 

 like that of a cradle. Various questions were put, through an 

 interpreter, to several of these females, who, after their timidity 

 was overcome, answered with great readiness. Polygamy is 

 said to prevail amongst them. Many women have from ten to 

 twelve children. The children are suckled sometimes from 

 two to three years. A numerous progeny is the pride of a 



