- -T' 



African Bushmen, 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE KALAHARI. 



Reasons why Droughts are prevalent in South Africa — Vegetation admirably 

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

 The CafFre Water-Melon — The Naras — Tho Mesembryanthemums — The 

 Animal Life of the Kalahari — The Bushmen, a Nomadic Race of Hunters — 

 The Bakalahari — Their Love for Agriculture — Their Ingenuity in procuring 

 Water — Trade in Skins. 



AGEOGrEAPHICAL position, not unlike that which con- 

 demns the plains along the western foot of the Peruvian 

 and Bolivian Andes to perpetual aridity, renders also the 

 oreater part of tropical and sub-tropical Southern Africa sub- 

 ject to severe droughts, and in general to great scarcity of 

 rain. For the emanations of the Indian Ocean, which the 

 sasterly winds carry towards that continent, and which, if 

 squally distributed over the whole surface, would render it 

 3apable of bearing the richest productions of the torrid zone, 

 ire mostly deposited on the eastern slopes of the mountain- 

 2hains, which, under various denominations, traverse eastern 

 South Africa from north to south ; and when the moving mass 

 3f air, having crossed their highest elevations, reaches the great 

 heated inland plains, the ascending warmth of that hot dry 

 surface gives it greater power of retaining its remaining 

 moisture, and few showers can be given to the central and 

 \vestern lands. Thus, while the sea-borde gorges of the eastern 

 zone are clad with gigantic forests, and an annual supply of 



