widows. 47 



their leaving "the hush, they then have to get new 

 karosses, &c. This custom is also attended to hy 

 the common people, an instance of which I witnessed 

 a few weeks ago. When the husband died, his wife 

 with her infant was driven into the large bush near 

 Mount Coke, where she continued five days and 

 nights without food, except a few roots she gathered, 

 which just kept her alive. When she came out of 

 the bush she came first to Mount Coke, but could 

 scarcely walk, in consequence of having been so long 

 deprived of proper nourishment while suckling her 

 child. The weather had been very cold during the 

 time, in consequence of heavy rains. The infant, not 

 having strength to endure such a trial, only lived a 

 day or two afterwards. When she came to our house, 

 she requested me to give her a sheepskin to screen 

 her from the inclemency of the weather." Whilst 

 in the neighbourhood of Fort Wiltshire, I met with 

 a poor old female Caffer who, having lost her hus- 

 band, had been stripped in consequence of all she 

 possessed. In this forlorn state of widowhood and 

 penury she was driven forth in the winter of her 

 days, a wandering outcast, to seek a miserable pit- 

 tance from casual bounty ; every tribe regarding her 

 under such circumstances as one bewitched, with- 

 holding from her therefore all sympathy, and not al- 

 lowing her to approach their dwellings. She had no 

 covering but the remnant of an old blanket, which 

 was scantily drawn across her waist. The weather 



