KAHICHENE. 147 



receive us ; he had already announced his intention to visit 

 us, and, in order to propitiate our favor, had a few days pre- 

 viously forwarded us a present of several head of cattle. 

 The chief was accompanied by about forty of his people, who, 

 taking them as a whole, were the finest body of men I have 

 ever seen before or since ; yet they were all arrant knaves. 

 Kahichene told them as much in our presence ; but, strange 

 to say, they were not in the least abashed. 



This tribe had at one time been the richest, the most 

 numerous, and the most powerful in the country ; but, what 

 with their own civil broils, and the exterminating wars with 

 the Namaquas, they had gradually dwindled tQ about twenty- 

 five villages, with perhaps ten or fifteen thousand head of 

 horned cattle.* 



Notwithstanding Kahichene in former days had commit- 

 ted many depredations against his neighbors, we could not 

 help liking him. In a very short time he had thoroughly 

 ingratiated himself in our favor. Indeed, he was the only 

 Damara, whether high or low, for whom we entertained any 

 regard. Perhaps, also, his late misfortimes had insured our 

 sympathy. With the missionaries, Kahichene had always 

 been a very great favorite, and they looked upon him as the 

 stepping-stone to the future civilization of Damara-land; 

 but we have already seen how far this was realized. 



Kahichene was somewhat advanced in years, but his de- 

 portment was dignified and courteous. He was, moreover, 

 truthful and courageous — rare virtues among his country- 

 men. It would have been well had the rest of the nation at 

 all resembled this chief. 



Kahichene was at this period at variance with a ver^' 

 warlike and powerful tribe of Damaras, under the rule of 

 Omugunde, or rather his son, whom he represented as a man 

 degraded by every vice, and particularly inimical toward 



* Previously to my leaving Africa, I learned that the entire tribe had 

 been broken up. 



