iNHAllITlNG PAUT OF SOUTHEllN AFllICA. 209 
of Egyptian ; they liave even been compared to the Tro- 
glodytes or Pygmies of Herodotus, that dwelt in the de- 
serts to the south of Barca and Syrene. We shall presently 
see that the Kaffres are not Bedouin Arabs, and, moreover, 
that they cannot be traced to any European or Caucasian 
stock ; but the question of origin, as regarding the Bosje- 
man, is of far more difficult solution. It were highly de- 
sirable, as well for geographical science as for the natural 
history of Man, that the extent of country occupied by the 
Kaffre race, from the Keiskamma northwards and east- 
v/ards, — in other words, the boundaries of KafFraria Proper, 
— -v^ere correctly ascertained. We know that the race ex- 
tends on either side the mountain-country stretching from 
the sources of the Gariep towards the Equator, inhabiting 
the valleys and slopes of the mountains: their progress 
westward was probably arrested by the existence of great 
central deserts, and by their natural dislike to such coun- 
tries ; whilst eastward, that is, towards toe Indian Ocean, 
numerous Negro tribes were in possession of the country. 
That they have long been an inland race, is evident from 
their total ignorance of the use of boats or canoes : more- 
over, the Portuguese, in their ardent search after gold, re- 
ceived some severe checks from the black races inhabiting 
the mountains to the westward of their settlements : now, 
it is probable that these vv'ere Kaffre tribes, for Negroes are 
naturally timid, and easily subdued. 
It is much more difficult to guess with any shew of pro- 
bability at the extent of the Bosjeman nations, partly from 
their total dissimilarity to all surrounding tribes, and partly 
from the extremely defective state of our knowledge rela- 
tive to the geography of Central Africa. It is well known 
that they originally extended to Gape Point, and have been 
found to the northward as far as Europeans have yet pene- 
trated. Beyond this all is profound obscurity : How, then, 
VOL. V. o 
