36 EXPEDITION INTO 



they are further prompted by a desire to leave the pools 

 open for wild animals, which they occasionally shoot from an 

 ambush with poisoned arrows, and devour on the spot. 

 They possess neither ilock nor herds — are unacquainted with 

 ag-riculture — and the most wealthy can boast of no property 

 beyond his weapons and his starving- dog-. With no cares 

 beyond the present moment, they live almost entirely upon 

 bulbous roots, locusts, reptiles, and the larvae of ants, with 

 the habitations of which latter the country is in many places 

 thickly strewed. Not a trace of their hovels could be seen 

 from the road, and a traveller mig'ht even pass through their 

 country without seeing a human being*, or suspecting- that 

 it was inhabited. Such is their g-eneral distrust of visitors, 

 that the males would never willing-ly approach us, evincing 

 g-reat trepidation when forced to do so— no object being- 

 more unwelcome to their sight than a troop of horsemen 

 on the plain. 



The stature of both sexes is invariably below five feet. 

 The males are usually meagre, bow-leg-g-ed, and ill made ; 

 yet they display a sing'ular ease of motion and ilexibihty of 

 joint. The rapidity with which they drive off a herd of 

 cattle is perfectly astonishing;. Their complexion is sallow 

 brown, darkened by dirt and grease : their only dress a piece 

 of leather round the waist, and their sole defence a diminu- 

 tive bow, with poisoned arrows, rather resembling- children's 

 toys than mortal weapons. 



The women, who were much less shy, and who never 

 failed to follow the tracks of our wagg-ons when they hap- 

 pened to come upon them, with the hope of obtaining* 

 tobacco in exchange for ostrich eg-g-s, are of small and 

 delicate proportions, with hands and feet of truly Lillipu- 

 tian dimensions. Their foot-prints reminded us of Gulliver's 

 adventures, and are not larger than those of a child. 

 When young- they have a pleasing- expression of countenance, 



