454 SMOKING OCCUPATIONS. 



smokers, a habit (as already mentioned when speaking of the 

 Hill-Damaras) often productive of serious bodily disorders. 



The occupations of the men consist chiefly in going to war, 

 hunting, preparing fur and skins for carosses, milking the 

 cows, &c., while those of the women are by far the heaviest 

 — namely, the erection of houses, collecting and bringing 

 fuel, tilling, sowing, reaping, thrashing and grinding the 

 corn, not to mention the heavy task of rearing a family. 

 While cultivating the ground, I have often seen a woman 

 with one or two babies fastened to her back under a scorch- 

 ing sun. Yet, notwithstanding all these exhausting and gall- 

 ing duties, they would be amazed were a person to tell them 

 that a state of " single blessedness" would be preferable to 

 that of being the drudge of a haughty and indolent husband. 



" While standing near the wife of one of the grandees," 

 writes Mr. MoiFat, " who, with some female companions, was 

 building a house, and making preparations to scramble, by 

 means of a branch, on to the roof, I remarked that they 

 ought to get their husbands to do that part of the work. 

 This set them all into a roar of laughter. Mahuto, the 

 queen, and several of the men drawing near to ascertain the 

 cause of the merriment, the wives repeated my — to them — 

 strange and ludicrous proposal, when another peal of mirth 

 ensued. Mahuto, who was a sensible and shrewd woman, 

 stated that the plan, though hopeless, was a good one, as she 

 often thought our custom vvas much better than theirs. It 

 was reasonable that woman should attend to household af- 

 fairs and the lighter parts of labor, while man, wont to boast 

 of his superior strength, should employ his energy in more 

 laborious occupations ; adding, she wished I would give their 

 husbands medicine to make them do the work." 



The Bechuanas who inhabit the shores of the Ngami are 

 rich in sheep and goats, but possess comparatively few hom- 

 ed cattle. Like other tribes of that nation, they are excess- 

 ively fond of their oxen, but more particularly prize their 



