LIVE IN PATEIARCHAL STYLE. 189 



melons, pumpkins, beans, peas, &c. They also plant tobacco. 

 When ripe, the leaves and stalks are collected, and mashed 

 together in a hollow piece of wood by means of a heavy 

 pole. The tobacco is, however, of a very inferior quality ; 

 so much so, that our Damaras, who had a mania for the 

 weed, refused to smoke it. 



There are no towns or villages in Ovambo-land, but the 

 people, like the patriarchs of old, live in separate families. 

 Each homestead is situated in the middle of a corn-field, and 

 surrounded by high and stout palisades. The natives were 

 obliged to take this precaution in order to guard against the 

 sudden attacks of a neighboring hostile tribe, which kept 

 constantly harassing them. Once or twice the Ovambo at- 

 tempted to retaliate, but without success. The tribe just 

 mentioned is the only one with whom this naturally peace- 

 able people are ever at variance. If not previously provoked 

 they interfere with no one. 



"We were anxious to form some sort of estimate of the 

 density of the population, but this was no easy matter. 

 However, by counting the houses in a certain extent of coun- 

 try, and taking the average number of individuals to each, 

 we came to the conclusion that there were about a hundred 

 persons to every square mile. 



With the exception of a few cows and goats, no cattle 

 were seen about the dwellings of the natives, yet we knew 

 them to be possessed of vast herds. A general scarcity of 

 water and pasturage in Ondonga compelled them to send the 

 oxen away to distant parts. They also breed hogs, which, 

 from their mischievous propensities, are always sent to a 

 distance during the time of harvest. These animals, they 

 assured us, attain to an enormous size. By all accounts, 

 indeed, they must be perfect monsters. And there can be 

 little doubt of the fact, for captains of vessels, who nre ac- 

 customed to trade with the natives of the West Coast, also 

 speak of a gigantic race of swine. 



