CONTENTS. . IX 



CHAPTER IX, 



THE KALAHAEI AND THE BUSHMEN. 



Reasons why Droughts are prevalent in South Africa — Vegetation admirably 

 suited to the Character of the Country — Number of Tuberous Roots — 

 The CaiFre Water-Melon— The Mesembryanthemums — The Animal Life of the 

 Kalahari — The Bushmen, a Nomadic Race of Hunters — Their Skill in Hunting 

 —Their Food — Acuteness of their Sight and Hearing — Their Intelligence and 

 Perseverance — Their Weapons and Marauding Expeditions — Their Voracity — 

 Their Love of Liberty — The Bakalahari — Their Love for Agriculture — Their 

 Ingenuity in procuring Water — Trade in Skins — Their timidity . . Page 85 



CHAPTER X. 



THE SAHAKA. 



Its uncertain Limits — Caravan Routes — Ephemeral Streams — Oases — Inundations 

 — Luxuriant Vegetation of the Oases contrasted with the surrounding Desert — 

 Harsh contrasts of Light and Shade — Sublimity of the Desert — Feelings of the 

 Traveller while crossing the Desert — Its charms and terrors — Sand-Spouts — 

 The Simoom— The * Sea of the Devil ' — The Gazelle — Its chase — The Porcupine 

 — Fluctuation of Animal Life according to the Seasons — The Tibbos and the 

 Tuaregs — Their contempt of the sedentary Berbers 93 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE BEDOUINS OF AEABIA. 



The Deserts of Arabia — Sedentary Arabs and Bedouins — Physical Characteristics 

 of the Bedouins — Remarkable acuteness of their Senses — Their Manners — Their 

 intense Patriotism and Contempt of the dwellers in Cities — The Song of May- 

 sunah — Their Wars — Their Character softened by the Influence of Woman — 

 Their chivalrous Sentiments — The Arab horse — The Camel — Freedom of the 

 Arabs from a Foreign and a Domestic Yoke — The Bedouin Robber — His Hos- 

 pitality — Mode of Encamping — Death Feuds — Blood-money — Amusements — 

 Throwing the Jereed — Dances — Poetry- Story-telling — Language — The Bedouin 

 and the North American Indian 104 



CHAPTER XII. 



GIANT TREES AND CHARACTERISTIC FORMS OP TROPICAL VEGETATION. 



General Remarks — The Baobab — Used as a Vegetable Cistern — Arborescent 

 Euphorbias— The Dracaena of Orotava— The Sycamore— The Banyan— The 

 sacred Bo-Tree of Anarajapoora— The Teak Tree— The Saul— The Sandal 

 Tree-^The Satinwood Tree— The Ceiba— The Mahogany Tree— The Mora- 

 Bamboos— The Guadua — Beauty and multifarious Uses of these colossal 

 Grasses — Firing the Jungle — The Aloes — The Agave americana — The 



