CHAP, v.] MEET KAHIKENE. 139 



the richer Damaras, though used in such profusion, 

 can rarely be bought, for there are some superstitions 

 about it also. Each Damara, who lives entirely or 

 chiefly on milk, the rest of his food being pig-nuts, 

 drinks from one to two gallons daily. Now it is 

 reasonable to suppose that a day's provision of meat 

 would be exchangeable for one of milk, especially as 

 meat is more prized, and the greater dainty of the 

 two ; but it is not so, nor indeed anytliing lilie it. If 

 a head of game be shot and bartered with the natives, 

 it will be found a difficult matter to obtain a single 

 gallon of milk for a whole gnu or zebra. Sweet mUk 

 can hardly be ever obtained, because Damaras, like all 

 other milk-drinking nations, use it only when sour, 

 and the cow is milked into the tainted vessels. They 

 firmly believe that a cow's milk will fail her if they 

 milk her into anything freshly washed and clean. 

 The milk of these cows actually does faU them if the 

 calf be taken away. It is the same with those in parts 

 of South America. 



March 12th. — We had arrived at the place where 

 Kahikene waited for us. He and about forty magni- 

 ficently made and well-armed Damaras were standing 

 under the trees. As the waggons came near, the men 

 ail fell into a single file, according to their usual 

 custom, wliich Kahikene headed, and they walked up 

 to me. He had quite the manners of a chief, and 

 received me very well. I gave him some gilt orna- 

 ments as presents, which, although he was in 

 mom-ning, he put on in compliment to me : the 

 Damaras strip off their ornaments when in mourning. 



