SINGULAR NOTION. 1 1 7 



to the match, and a certain day and place were ap- 

 pointed for the rendezvous. In the meantime, the 

 tortoise sent to all her friends and acquaintances, 

 informing them of the pending match, and requested 

 that they and their kindred would place themselves, 

 at short intervals, all along a certain line of country 

 that agreed upon as the scene for the coining 

 race. The match was begun ; after a while, the 

 antelope, after proceeding at the top of his speed 

 for a time, came to a halt, at the same time calling 

 out: 'Where are you, friend?' 'Here, here!' 

 screamed the tortoise from amongst the grass. Off 

 started again the astonished steinbock at even greater 

 speed, and on repeating his question at intervals, 

 he always receives the same reply ' Here, here !' 

 On, on went the puzzled beast, until at last it 

 dropped dead from exhaustion, and thus the sluggish 

 tortoise easily overcame his immensely more swift 

 but less strategic antagonist." 



There is also another version of this story, in 

 which the steinbock, after having run some distance, 

 and not perceiving his friend, lay down to sleep 

 the sun at the time being very hot in which situa- 

 tion the sluggish tortoise passed him ; and when tho 

 antelope awoke, his opponent had already reached 

 the end of their common journey. 



Regarding the sun again, certain of the Bcchuanas 

 entertain very singular notions, they believing that 

 the luminary which sets in the evening so suddenly is 

 during the course of the ensuing night, transferred 

 to the eastern hemisphere; but no one has yet seen 

 the phenomenon. 



