FOOD MUSIC AND DANCING CUSTOMS. 227 



ward, and finding his sister still lingering, he beat her about 

 the head with his knob-stick until life was extinct. 



Milk- is the staple food of the Damaras. They eat or 

 drink it out of one and the same dish without its being clean- 

 ed otherwise than occasionally by the tongues of dogs. The 

 people have a notion that if they wash their " bamboos" 

 (pails) the cows would cease to give milk. 



With the exception of the spoils of the chase, they destroy 

 but few animals for food. Indeed, unless it be on the occa- 

 sion of a marriage, a birth, a death, or a circumcision, cattle 

 are rarely killed. 



The Damaras are very fond of music and dancing. The 

 only musical instrument known among them is the bow (a 

 kind of temporary rude Jews' -harp), from which they con- 

 trive to extract a sort of wild melody. By this instrument 

 the performer endeavors (and frequently with much success) 

 to imitate, musically, the motion peculiar to different ani- 

 mals ; for example, the awkward gallop of the giraffe, the 

 quick trot of the zebra, and the lively caperings of the beau- 

 tiful springbok. 



The dance consists mostly of mimic representations of the 

 actions of oxen and sheep. The dancers accompany their 

 gesticulations by monotonous tunes, and keep time by clap- 

 ping their hands and striking the ground with their feet. 



As with the Ovambo, the Eastern custom of taking off the 

 sandals before entering a stranger's house is observed. 



The Damaras swear "by the tears of their mothers." 

 This is most touching and beautiful : it elevates the oath to 

 heaven. 



Generally speaking, a chief has but nominal power over 

 his subjects. On an attempt to punish heavy offenses, the 

 guilty individual often coolly decamps with his cattle, and 

 takes refuge with another tribe. In minor matters, howev- 

 er, from superstitious customs and old habits, the chief is 

 more or less obeyed. 



