Bushmen of the Orange River. 81 



'.lie arrow passes through the fingei on the right side, — a 

 mode of shooting I believe peculiar to them. 



Their treatment of a wound made by a poisoned arrow is 

 truly scientific It is Laid freely open, the poison cleaned out, 

 and a horn applied in t'lc manner of a cupping-glass, exhaust- 

 ed by suction at the small extremity. This, as far at I could 

 learn, is the only treatment they adopt, never making use 

 of any herb as a specific. The Boors consider gunpowder 

 and urine as very efficient, and prescribe those in every arrow 

 wound, and in every case of snake-bite. Cupping would 

 seem to be the Bushmen's favourite treatment of every com- 

 plaint accompanied with pain, and so frequently do they 

 resort to this, that by the time they are full grown they 

 appear scars all over. 



The length of time a Bushman can live without food is 

 surprising, often living for three and four days without a 

 mouthful; and the quantity they can devour after such ab- 

 stinence is equally remarkable, one man having been known 

 to eat an African sheep (30 lbs.) in a single night. When 

 unable to procure food, a belt round the body is tightened 

 as the craving increases, and they resort to the smoking of 

 dakka (a species of chanvre, or hemp), which produces in- 

 toxication. The narcotic effects of this plant no doubt pro- 

 duce much of that shrivelled appearance which is observable 

 in all of any age. When possessing plenty of their dakka, 

 they can smoke and sleep for several days and nights without 

 eating. 



A Bushman has no idea of the perpetuation of property ; I 

 might say, no notions of a prospective existence. He is 

 wholly dependent on nature or on man : he will neither imi- 

 tate the Caffer nor the Boor, will neither grow corn nor 

 breed cattle. 



The figures drawn by them on the rocks are often remarka- 

 ble for the correctness of the outline ; they hit the attitude 

 of the animal, but seldom care about truth in the colouring : 

 speaking phrenologically, they have the organ of form, but 

 not of colour. I have never seen any animal resembling the 

 unicorn among their paintings, but such an animal is said to 

 exist beyond the Orange River. They are fond of music and 

 dancing, but their musical instrument is rude, and without 

 power or variety, consisting of one sti-ing stretched upon a 

 bow, whose vibrations are produced by the breath, with great 

 exertion. 



The Bushman's conception of a Supreme Being is, that he 

 is an evil deity ; and their notion of futurity, that there will 

 be an eternity of darkness, in which they will live for ever, 

 and feed on grass alone. They imagine that the sun sends 

 rain, and when he is clouded, they hold up burning wood, in 



