198 COUNTRY OF THE HOTTENTOTS. 



hi. 



" This disgusting and execrable traffic is, however, still unknown 

 in the interior parts of the continent. The desert is really a desert; 

 and it is only at certain distances that we meet with a few hordes, 

 that are not numerous, and who live on the fruits of the earth, and 

 the produce of their cattle. After finding one horde, we must tra- 

 vel a great way to find another. The heat of the climate, the dry- 

 ness of the sands, the barrenness of the earth, a scarcity of water, 

 rugged and rocky mountains, ferocious animals ; and, besides these 

 the humour of the Hottentots, a little phlegmatic, and their cold tem- 

 perament, are all obstacles to propagation. When a father has six 

 children, it is accounted a phenomenon. 



" The country of the Gonaquas, into which I penetrated, did not 

 therefore contain three thousand people in an extent of thirty or for- 

 ty leagues. These people did not resemble those degenerated and 

 miserable Hottentots, who pine in the heart of the Dutch colonies, 

 contemptible and despised inhabitants, who bear no marks of their 

 ancient origin but an empty name ; and who enjoy, at the expence of 

 their liberty, only a little peace, purchased at a dear rate, by the ex- 

 cessive labour to which they are subjected on the plantations, and by 

 the despotism of their chiefs, who are always sold to government. I 

 had here an opportunity of admiring a free and brave people, valuing 

 nothing but independence, and never obeying any impulse foriegn to 

 nature. 



" Their huts, constructed like those of the Hottentots in the colo- 

 nies, were eight or nine feet in diameter, and were covered with ox 

 or sheep skins, but more commonly with mats. They had only one 

 opening very narrow and low; and it was in the midde of their hut 

 that the family kindled their fire. The thick smoke with which these 

 kennels were filled, and which had no other vent but the door, added 

 to the stench which they always retain, would have stifled any Euro- 

 pean who might have had the courage to remain in them two minutes ; 

 custom, however, renders all this supportable to these savages. 



" The two colours for which they show the greatest fondness are 

 read and black. The first is composed of a kind of ochery earth, 

 which is found in several places of the country, and which they mix 

 and dilute with grease ; this earth has a great resemblance to brick- 

 dust, or tiles reduced to powder. Their black is nothing else than 

 soot, or the charcoal of tender wood. Some women, indeed, are con- 

 tented with painting only the prominence of the cheeks ; but in gen- 

 eral they daub over their whole body, in compartments, varied with 

 a certain degree of symmetry : and this part of their dress requires 

 no small length of time. These two colours, so much admired by 

 the Hottentots, are always perfumed with the powder of the boughou, 

 which is not very agreeable to the smell of an European. A Hot- 

 tentot would, perhaps, find our odours and essences no less insup- 

 portable : but the boughou has over our rouge and pastes the advan- 

 tage of not being pernicious to the skin, of not attacking and injuring 

 the lungs ; and the female Hottentot, who is acquainted with neither 

 amber, musk, nor benzoin, never knows what it is to be oppressed 

 by vapours, spasms, and the head-ache. The men never paint their 

 faces, but they use a preparation made of both colours mixed to paint 

 the upper lip as far as the nostrils ; by which they enjoy the advan- 

 tage of continually inhaling the odour of the substance employed for 

 this purpose. Young girls sometimes favour their lovers so far as to 

 apply this paint for them under the nose ; and on this point they 



