176 A CURIOUS PLANT DAMARAS LOVE TOBACCO. 



lected birds and other specimens of natural history, and on 

 an evening, when I returned home, were convulsed with 

 laughter on seeing the contents of my game-bag. This pas- 

 sion of mine (coupled with my name being unpronounceable) 

 caused them to rechristen me " Karabontera," or the bird- 

 killer, by which designation I am now universally known 

 throughout the country. 



The vegetation at Okamabuti was very rank and luxuriant, 

 but the thorn -jungles still continued to haunt us. The hills 

 were covered with a profusion of creepers, low shrubs, and 

 aromatic herbs. The euphorbia candelabrum was particularly 

 abundant. 



I discovered a peculiar plant growing on a very large 

 succulent root, protruding about a foot above the soil. It 

 produced two or three immense leaves, with a fruit so closely 

 resembling gi'apes that, when I first brought some bunches 

 to our encampment, they were mistaken for such ; but they 

 were not eatable — nay, the natives pronounced them to be 

 poisonous. 



There was also a tree, yielding an acid fruit somewhat 

 like an apple, but with a hard kernel similar to that of a 

 plum. In hot weather this fruit was very refreshing, and 

 not unpalatable. 



During our stay at Okamabuti, Tjopopa's aged mother 

 died. The women of the place, according to custom, howled 

 most dismally for a whole day. Great numbers of cattle 

 were killed or sacrificed on this occasion. 



Tjopopa would spend whole days at our camp in the most 

 absolute idleness and apathy, teasing us with begging for 

 every thing he saw. Like all Damaras, he had a j^erfect 

 mania for tobacco, and considered no degradation too deep 

 provided he could obtain a few inches of the narcotic weed. 

 He was of an easy and mild disposition, but excessively 

 stingy. We stood greatly in need of live-stock, and took 

 every opportunity to display our most tempting articles of 



