iil] SOUTH AFRICAN TRIBES. 103 



thing, consists in certain spots being the choice of the race 

 or family. So when we see certain characters assembled on 

 particular spots, it may be more precise to say that we see 

 the antecedent disposition manifested in the selection, rather 

 than that the part chosen produced a subsequent disposition. 

 This may be evident when I say that, in the case of the 

 Bakalahari and Bushmen, we have instances of compulsion 

 and choice. The Bakalahari were the first body of Bechuana 

 emigrants who came into the country. They possessed large 

 herds of very long-horned cattle, the remains of which are 

 now at Ngami. A second migration of Bechuanas deprived 

 them of their cattle and drove them into the desert. They 

 still cleave most tenaciously to the tastes of their race. 

 While, for the Bushman, the desert is his choice, and ever 

 has been from near the Coanza to the Cape. When we see 

 a choice fallen on mountains, it means onty that the race 

 meant to defend itself. Their progenitors recognised the 

 principle, acknowledged universally, except when Caffre 

 police or Hottentots rebel, viz. that none deserve liberty 

 except those who fight for it. This principle gathers 

 strength from locality, tradition develops it more and more, 

 yet still I think the principle was first, foremost, and alone 

 vital'." 



With reference to colour, our traveller makes some re- 

 markable statements. He says that heat alone does not 

 produce blackness of skin, but heat and moisture com- 

 bined. 



He suspects that five longitudinal bands of colour run 

 across the South African Continent : " Apart from the in- 

 fluences of elevation, heat, humidity, and degradation, I have 

 imagined that the lighter and darker colours observed in the 

 native population, run in five longitudinal bands along the 

 southern portion of the continent. Those on the seaboard of 

 both the east and west are very dark; then two bands of 

 1 Letter dated Tet^. 



