METHOD OF CURING MEAT. 151 



immediately appropriated by the Damaras ultimately found 

 its way to them through the medium of our native servants. 

 In Damara-land the carcasses of all animals, whether wild or 

 domesticated, are considered public property ; therefore, un- 

 less the natives should share their allowances with every 

 stranger that might choose to intrude himself into their com- 

 pany, a withering "curse" was supposed to befall them. I 

 have seen the flesh of four zebras, that had been shot by our 

 party, brought to the camp in a single day, and the next 

 morning we could not obtain a steak for our breakfast. 



The Damaras are the most voracious and improvident 

 creatures in the world. When they have flesh they gorge 

 upon it night and day, and in the most disgusting manner, 

 until not a particle is left ; and, as a consequence, they not 

 unfrequently starve for several days together ; but they are 

 so accustomed to this mode of living that it has no injurious 

 effect on them. 



In this hot climate, unless preventives of some kind were 

 adopted, flesh would, of course, soon become tainted ; and as 

 salt, from the difficulty of conveyance, is exceedingly scarce 

 in Damara-land, the following expedient is adopted. As 

 soon as the animal is killed, lumps are indiscriminately cut 

 from the carcass ; a knife is plunged into an edge of one of 

 these lumps, and passed round in a spiral manner, till it ar- 

 rives at the middle, when a string of meat, often ten to twen- 

 ty feet long, is produced, which is then suspended like fes- 

 toons to the branches of the surrounding trees. By cutting 

 the flesh very thin it soon dries, and may in that state be 

 carried about any length of time. There is considerable 

 waste in this process, as fully one third of the meat thus jerk- 

 ed is lost. On such occasions, the natives take care not to 

 forget their own stomachs. Besides large pots filled with 

 the most delicate morsels, immense coils may be seen friz- 

 zling on the coals in every direction. When half roasted, 

 they seize one end with their hands, and, applying it to their 



