THEIR OPINION OF EUROPEANS MENTAL CAPACITY. 559 
and, by turning their view to some Asiatic nations, may be made to 
confess that in vanity and arrogance, they are there out-done. 
White-men are called mdkwd mashu- which appears to be a 
literal translation of the English word, if I may thus venture a con- 
jectural explanation. The first man whom the Bachapins ever saw 
wearing the European dress, were some Colonial Hottentots, who 
about twenty years before the date of my visit, began to find their 
way into this country, and to whom the first discovery of the Briquas 
(Bachapins) is attributed. * These latter, adopting then, according 
to this supposition, the Hottentot term qua or kwa, for * men,' and 
adding their own prefix m«, called their new visitors makwd : but 
afterwards, finding that another nation also wore the European 
clothing, who differed widely from these ' makwa' by the white color 
of their skin, they distinguished these second ' makwas' by the word 
shu (white), adding to this also, as the proper idiom of their lan- 
guage requires, the prefix ma ; thus forming the term makwd-mashu. 
Of the mental capacity of the Bachapins, I have given an ex- 
ample when explaining my method of gaining some knowledge of 
their language f ; but this is, perhaps, the most unfavorable speci- 
men ; and in many affairs, connected with their own mode of life, 
where necessity has gradually developed the faculty of reflection, 
they exhibit considerable shrewdness. In forming our judgment 
respecting the degree of intellectual power which may exist in men 
of uncivilized habits and untutored minds, we must not pronounce 
absolutely on the evidence before us, but must endeavour to imagine 
what it would be capable of effecting by due care and cultivation. 
The Bachapins are unable, or seldom make an attempt by words, 
to numerate above ten, which they call sumi \ (soomy) ; and denomi- 
* The name of Briqua occurring in Sparrman's map, proves that the existence of 
this tribe, was known at least by name, so early as forty years before ; and the word 
Houswana in Le Vaillant's, ten years afterwards, is most probably intended for Muchuana 
or the same people (see the note at page 303.) : but in both maps they are placed not 
far fi-om the western coast, very distant from their true situation, and where, it is said, no 
Briquas or Muchuanas have ever resided. 
f See page 295. 
% Sometimes pronounced shumi. 
