140 HIS DIFFICULTIES. [chap. v. 



He had been in great distresses of late. After Jonker 

 had attacked him, and scattered his people at 

 Schmelen's Hope, Omagunde's son, who was encamped 

 two days in front of us, followed up the attack, and 

 killed some of his children, and took others prisoners, 

 leaving only one lad with him. The greater number 

 of his oxen were also taken, and he was left almost 

 destitute, with but the remnant of a tribe, and was 

 now about to make a last desperate attack upon his 

 enemy. A few years ago, Kahikene was the most 

 powerful chief in Damara-land, and, like Katjimasha, 

 had once allied laimself with, and afterwards had 

 separated from, Jonker. Subsequent to this separa- 

 tion, Jonker attacked him, and he made a bold 

 retaliation the next night. Ever since that he had 

 been a marked man with the Hottentots, and werft 

 after werft of his had been swept away, untU he was 

 reduced to the condition in which I found him. 



He was the only friend among the Damaras that the 

 missionaries ever had, and his friendliness and frank- 

 ness to me and my men interested all of us without 

 exception most thoroughly in his favour. 



He had brought his men together to make one quick 

 and last attack upon the werft of Omagunde's son, and 

 the usual superstitious ceremony was gone through of 

 dragging a berry bush after him wherever he went. I 

 offered to go to Omagunde's son and see if I could not 

 get his children and some oxen back for him ; for it is 

 a very common custom among the Damaras that when 

 one tribe has utterly ruined another they should then 

 give them back a part of what they had taken, as an 



