VOL. XXV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 36l 



than punishing adultery with death, has prevailed among them. I was informed 

 there, that they abhorred polygamy. When any person grows decrepid with 

 age, their children, or nearest relations, shut them up in their houses, and 

 starve them to death, they bury their dead with the skins, they wore when 

 alive, about them. Their food is chiefly roots ; their drink is milk and water ; 

 they are great lovers of tobacco and brandy, to purchase which from the Dutch, 

 is all the use they have of money. 



Notwithstanding their great ignorance, they distinguish several of the more 

 remarkable stars by names of their own imposing: yet they have no distinction 

 of weeks, of months, or of years, any otherwise than by their rainy seasons ; so 

 that if you ask a Hottentot how old he is, he answers, so many rains. They 

 watch the elephants where they use to water, whom they shoot in the eye, 

 where only they can wound them. 



This country produces lions, tigers, elephants, rhinocerots, elks, leopards, 

 wild asses, of which one sort is finely streaked with white and dark brown ; 

 several sorts of beautiful wild goats, jackals, baboons, monkeys, deer, large 

 cows, and large sheep without horns, with hair like a goat, instead of wool, 

 and with large tails, small horses, &c. ostriches, pelicans, hawks, magpies, 

 wild peacocks, cranes, Guinea hens, penguins, flamingos, rock-ducks, par- 

 tridges, pheasants, geese, common hens, turkeys, and ducks, &c. Here are 

 also manatees or sea cows, and serpents of various kinds, lizards, salamanders, 

 and porcupines. Their soil produces most sorts of fruits and plants that grow 

 with us, as grapes, apples, quinces, olives, oranges, apricots, cherries, aloes, 

 pompions, cabbages, &c. corn, as wheat, barley, &c. of Dutch cultivation. In 

 short, it is fit to produce whatever is planted in it, both the soil and climate 

 conspiring to its advantage. 



The Variation of the Compass, or Magnetic Needle^ in the Atlantic and 

 Ethiopia Oceans, Anno Dom. 1706. N° 310, p. 2433. 



Variation, 

 East and "West 

 8* 32' W. 



42 



30 

 4 



22 



30 



35 



20 



14 



10 



00 



16 



00 



Latitude, Longit. from 

 North & South. Lond. E. & W. 

 49° 18' N. 7° 29' W. 



44 

 41 

 40 



29 

 32 

 32 

 18 

 9 







1 



2 

 3 



31 



6 

 22 

 11 

 21 

 42 

 50 

 26 

 49 



9S. 

 32 

 17 



13 

 15 

 14 

 15 

 15 

 15 

 20 

 17 

 18 

 18 

 19 

 20 



45 

 8 

 54 

 35 

 S9 

 38 

 52 

 59 

 42 

 5S 

 48 

 5 



Variation, Latitude, 



East and West. North & South 



40' E. 



2 

 30 

 50 

 10 

 32 



4 

 19 

 20 

 30 

 00 

 45 

 36 



3" 58' S. 

 5 9 

 21 



3 



7 



3 

 53 

 51 

 26 

 48 

 58 

 45 

 11 



Longit. from 

 . Lond. West. 

 27 'W. 



6 

 8 

 9 

 12 

 18 

 19 

 21 

 21 

 21 

 24 

 27 



20° 



21 



22 



23 



23 



25 



26 



27 



28 



28 



28 



27 



27 



39 



8 



15 



35 



3 



30 



2 



14 



10 



23 



56 



17 



VOL. V. 



3 A 



