MEETING WITH THE OVAMBO DIET. 173 



tion and independence. On acquainting them with our oV 

 ject, and our wish to obtain a guide to conduct us to their 

 country, they not only refused, but became very reserved in 

 their manner. They promised, however, that if we would 

 return with them to Tjopopa's werft, and there wait until 

 they had disposed of their articles of exchange, we were wel- 

 come to accompany them home. They assured us, moreover, 

 that any attempt on our part to accomplish the journey alone 

 would be attended with certain destruction ; for, even sup- 

 posing we should find the waters — which were few and far 

 between — their chief, unless previously apprised of our ap- 

 proach, would never receive us. We thought their language 

 bold, and at first laughed at them ; but they remained in- 

 flexible. Remonstrances were of no avail, and we soon saw 

 that they were a very different style of natives from those 

 with whom we had been accustomed to deal. Moreover, on 

 mature consideration, we thought it only just that they should 

 know something of our character before taking us into the 

 heart of the country. We accordingly made necessity a law, 

 and agreed to their proposal. No sooner had we done so 

 than they threw off their reserve, and in a very short time 

 we became the best of friends. 



Mr. Galton made them a present of some meat, which they 

 greatly prized. Their sole diet, on these occasions, was ap- 

 parently a kind of grain resembling Caffre-corn (holcus Caffro- 

 rum), which they carried in small skin-bags. This grain was 

 either half boiled, simply steeped in water, or, more common- 

 ly, partially crushed, and then converted into a coarse stir- 

 about. They kindly gave us a liberal supply of their homely 

 fare, which we eagerly partook of, being quite tired with the 

 everlasting flesh-diet. Our Damaras were also treated with 

 a dish of soaked corn ; but, before they were allowed to taste 

 it, they were obliged to undergo the ceremony (why or where- 

 fore I know not) of having a quantity of water spirted into 

 their faces from the mouth of one of the Ovambo. These 



