276 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



task, for no bond of sympathy exists between the 

 Dopper and the black man. His horse he takes plea- 

 sure in, his cattle he is proud of, but a heathen merits 

 not a thought. The missionaries they are particularly 

 opposed to, because of their calling, and have on more 

 than one occasion sacked their habitations, and appro- 

 priated or destroyed their property. As their sole 

 support is the produce of their flocks and game, they 

 have become expert hunters and fearless horsemen. 



What their errand is here it would be difficult to say, 

 although they profess to be trecking to Ovampo Land, 

 north of Damara Land ; but this I believe a subterfuge 

 to obtain possession, through the right of occupation, of 

 the rich bottom-lands on the north and west side of the 

 Limpopo. The country where they are outspanned 

 belongs to Kama, King of the Bechuana ; in fact, his 

 dominions commenced from the moment we crossed the 

 Notawaney. 



The black population of these parts love not the 

 Boers, but hate and dread the Doppers ; so it is not at 

 all unlikely there will be blood shed before they are 

 dispossessed, or have established themselves firmly in 

 their new locality. 



There is no doubt that beautiful farms might be 

 made all along this river's margin, if irrigation were 

 introduced farms that would rival any in the habitable 

 earth. But the Doppers are not the people to cul- 

 tivate them as they would require to be, for they are 

 opposed to all new inventions, mechanical contri- 

 vances, &c., that were not known or used by their 

 ancestors ; and to raise water artificially, build dams, 

 form canals all necessary to irrigation are what they 

 simply would not do. 



