144 THE DAMARAS GREAT LIARS. 



Kabaka, and Omuvereoom, stood out in bold relief. Some 

 of these were similar to tliat of Erongo, and, like it, inhabited 

 by Hill-Damaras, as also a few Bushmen. 



I was particularly anxious to learn something of the 

 country toward the north, in which direction — as before said 

 — our route to Omanbonde lay ; but it was in vain that I 

 endeavored to get any thing like correct information from the 

 natives, notwithstanding some had actually been living there. 

 I was excessively annoyed, and imagined that their conflict- 

 ing accounts were purposely invented to deceive and frighten 

 me ; but, as I became more intimate with the Damara char- 

 acter, I found that they lied more from habit than for the 

 mere sake of lying. Indeed, a Damara would believe his 

 own lies, however glaring and startling they might be. Thus, 

 for instance, they informed me that the mountain Omuvere- 

 oom, which was distinctly visible, lay ten long days' journey 

 off, and was inhabited by Hill-Damaras and Bushmen, whom 

 they represented as perfect devils ; moreover, that the inter- 

 vening space was entirely destitute of water, and that any one 

 attempting to traverse it would be sure to perish. At a sub- 

 sequent period, we not only reached this mountain after four- 

 teen hours' traveling, but found an abundance of water ; and 

 the natives, instead of being monsters, were the most timid 

 and harmless of human beings. 



This, however, is only one of the hundred instances that 

 might be mentioned of the difficulty of eliciting truth from 

 the Damaras. The missionaries had been living for several 

 years at Barmen and Schmelen's Hope before they were 

 aware of the existence of either "Buxton" or Okandu fount- 

 ain, and yet these places were within a very short distance 

 , of the stations, and they had made repeated inquiries after 

 springs. 



With regard to the distance and situation of Omanbonde, 

 the chief object of our journey, they could not say whether 

 one or ten weeks would be required in order to reach it. 



