BFRCHELL. 221 



eometimes to stab an enemv. The circle being formed, 

 they all join in a song, which the principal person often 

 follows with a dance. Each chief, as he rises, prefaces 

 his speech with three tremendous howls or yells, sometimes 

 imitating the bark of a dog. Several of his attendants 

 then spring forward and dance before him, — an accompa- 

 niment never omitted, even when the age and stiffened 

 limbs of the performers render it altogether ludicrous. At 

 length comes the speech, replete with frankness, courage, 

 often with good sense, and even with a rude species of elo- 

 quence. On some occasions the speakers do not hesitate 

 to pour the severest reproaches on the king, who retorts 

 with bitterness, but never resents in any other shape. The 

 females, meantime, stand behind, and take an eager interest 

 in the debate, — cheering those whose sentiments they ap- 

 prove, or bursting into loud laughter at any that they con- 

 sider ridiculous. 



Mr. Campbell, on his return, took a direction somewhat 

 to the westward, and found himself on the borders of an 

 immense desert, which he thinks may be called the Southern 

 Sahara. A party engaged in a plundering expedition 

 were said to have spent two months in reaching Mampoor, 

 its opposite extremity, which was found situated on the 

 ocean. His conclusion, however, that this desert reaches 

 nearly to the equator is very hasty, since the route which 

 he mentions evidently extended, in a great measure, from 

 east to west. 



Mr. Burchell, in 1812, made a pretty extensive journey 

 through this part of Africa. He did not reach quite so far 

 as his predecessor ; and the account of his progress beyond 

 Lattakoo has not yet appeared. At that city he spent a 

 considerable time ; and his diligent observations of nature 

 and society, animated by a fine vein of philosophical re- 

 flection, give a considerable interest to his narrative. 



That rude equality which had been remarked among all 

 the tribes of the Hottentot race was found here giving 

 way to very marked distinctions, chiefly supported by 

 wealth, which those in power sought the means of in- 

 creasing, in their incessant wars and plunder ; yet their 

 dignity is not accompanied with that haughty separation 

 from the inferior classes which exists in Europe. Mateebe, 

 called here Mattivi, chief or king, used to squat himself 

 T2 



