ARTIFICIAL CALF CATTLE VALUED NEXT TO WOMEN. 309 



their horns. Some African tribes take much pains in form- 

 ing them of a certain shape. This is effected either by saw- 

 ing off the tips, splitting them, bending them forcibly when 

 yet tender, and so forth. 



The Damara cow is of slender proportions and very wild. 

 Before she can be milked, it is always needful to lash her 

 head to a tree, in like manner as the Laplanders treat their 

 reindeer, or to tie her hind legs together. The best cow 

 rarely gives more than two or three pints of milk daily, and, 

 should her calf die or be taken from her, she absolutely re- 

 fuses to give any at all, in which case it is necessary to re- 

 sort to artificial means. One plan is to stuff a calf-skin with 

 hay or grass, and afterward to place it on the ground for the 

 cow to slobber over. Sometimes the adoption of the latter 

 expedient gives rise to ludicrous scenes ; for the cow, when 

 tenderly caressing her supposed offspring, has all at once got 

 scent of the hay or grass, when, thrusting her snout into the 

 skin, she has greedily devoured its contents ! 



The Damaras, as well as other nations, take great delight 

 in having whole droves of cattle of the same color. The 

 Namaquas have a perfect mania for a uniform team. Bright 

 brown is the favorite color ; and I myself have always found 

 beasts of this hue to be the strongest and most generally ser- 

 viceable. Dark brown oxen with a yellowish streak along 

 the back — by the Dutch designated "geel-bak" — are also 

 usually stout and enduring. Yellow, and more especially 

 white, oxen are considered weak, and unable to bear much 

 fatigue or hardship. 



The Damaras, as with almost every other people of South- 

 ern Africa, value their cattle next to their women, and take 

 a pride in possessing animals that look high bred. The ox, 

 in fact, forms the chief theme of the songs of the Damaras. 

 They, moreover, rarely or never make use of a handsome 

 animal as a beast of burden, but employ quiet, ugly bulls for 

 such purposes. These have a buffalo look about them, and 

 (lieir horns, moreover, rarely attain to any size. 



