166 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
of the dwellings of these latter, "to look at 
some of their domiciles without the enquiry- 
rising, involuntarily, in the mind, Are these the 
abodes of human beings ? In a bushy country 
they will form a hollow, in a central position, 
and bring the branches together oyer the head. 
Here the man, his wife, and, probably, a child 
or two, lie huddled together on a little grass, 
in a hollow spot not larger than an ostrich's 
nest. Where bushes are scarce, they form a 
hollow under the edge of a rock, covering it 
partially with reeds or grass; and they are 
often to be found in fissures and caves of the 
mountains. When they have an abundance of 
meat, they gorge and sleep, dance and sing, 
by turns, till their stock is exhausted. But 
hunger, that imperious master, soon compels 
them to resume the chase. It is astonishing 
to what distance they will run in pursuit of 
the animal which has received the fatal ar- 
row. I have seen them, on the successful re- 
turn of a hunting party, the merriest of the 
merry, exhibiting bursts of enthusiastic joy : 
but this momentary happiness, contrasted with 
their real position, produced on my mind the 
deepest sorrow. Many suffer great distress 
when the weather is cold and rainy, during 
which their children not unfrequently perish 
from hunger. A most inhuman practice re- 
