138 SUPERSTITIONS ON FOOD, [chap. v. 



five or six different " eandas " or descents, and I had 

 men from most of them with me, I could hardly ever 

 kill a sheep that everybody would eat; many were 

 martyrs for a long time to their consciences, but 

 hunger converted them all at last. Goats are an abomi- 

 nation to every Damara, whatever his eanda may be. 

 Another superstition is that meat is common property. 

 Every slaughter is looked upon as a kind of sacrifice 

 or festal occasion. Damaras cannot conceive that 

 people should eat meat as their daily food. Their 

 chiefs kill an ox when a stranger comes, or half a 

 dozen oxen on a birth or circumcision feast, or any 

 great event, and then everybody present shares the 

 meat. When I stayed near werfts I could not at first 

 ensure my men getting food enough to eat, for the 

 strange Damaras came about them and begged their 

 share, " cursing " them if they refused. The cui'se is 

 supposed to have a withering and bhghting effect. 

 For this reason meat is never an article of exchange 

 at anything like its real value in Damara land. A 

 freshly killed ox would not buy a live sheep. Damaras 

 have a great respect, almost reverence, for oxen. 

 They keep them to look at, as we keep fallow deer ; 

 and though a nine-shilling gun will buy five fine oxen, 

 yet that is no proof of the cheapness of cattle with the 

 Damaras, but rather of the dearness of guns amongst 

 them. Any man, not himself possessed of cattle, 

 may be mm-dered without fear of the consequences, 

 if payment of two oxen be made to his relations, as 

 that by the custom of the country is amply sufficient 

 blood-money. Milk, the great article of diet among. 



