110 ARRIVE AT BARMEN, [chap. iv. 



scatter the flock over the country. Oxen, unless 

 tliirsty, or hungry, or cold, or in a restless, home-sick 

 state of mind, never leave the waggons, but lie in a 

 group round the fire, chewing the cud, with their large 

 eyes glaring in the light, and apparently thinking. 

 We made no kraal for them. To continue : as the 

 eveniug closes in the sheep are driven into their kraal, 

 the door is bushed up, the Damaras get their meat, 

 and make their own sleeping-places, and we get our 

 dinner. Then I make a few observations with my 

 sextant, which occupies an hour or so, and everybody 

 else has some mending or some other employment. 

 Timboo gets out my rug and sleeping-things ; the 

 firewood is brought close to the fire ; and we lie down 

 in two large groups, Andersson, Hans, John Morta, 

 and myself, round one fire, and the waggon-men and 

 Damaras round the other, and all gradually drop off to 

 sleep, the Damaras invariably being the last awake. 

 It is a great mistake to suppose that " early to bed 

 and early to rise" is the rule among savages. All 

 those that I have seen, whether in the north or south, 

 eat and talk till a very late hour. I grant that they 

 get up early, but then they sleep half the day. 



When we outspanned a few hours from Barmen, I 

 rode on in the evening, very anxious to learn if any- 

 thing new had been heard from Jonker, It was all 

 very unfavourable. No actual attack had taken place, 

 but the Damaras were scattered, and bands of them 

 were prowling about their country. Not one of 

 my Damaras would go on with me. A guide that I 

 had picked up at Otjimbingue refused to proceed. 



