SOUTHERN AFRICA. 345 
it by the stomach or the blood. The farmers pull up the 
root and leaves wherever they find them growing. It was 
said that the juice of this bulb, mixed up with the mangled 
body of a certain species of spider, furnishes the Bosjesmans 
with poison for their arrows, more deadly than any other 
they are acquainted with. This spider should seem to be 
peculiar to the western coast of the country, at least I never 
met with, nor heard of it, on the other side. Its body, with 
the legs, which are short, is three inches in diameter, the 
former black and hairy, the latter faintly spotted ; the beak 
red. It lives under ground, constructing over its hole a cover 
composed of the filaments spun from its entrails, and earth 
or dung. This cover is made to turn on a joint. When the 
animal is watching for its prey, it sits with the lid half open, 
ready to sally out upon such insects as serve it for food. 
On the approach of danger it closes the cover, and in a 
short time cautiously opens it again to see if the enemy has 
retreated. 
The Namaaqua Hottentots seem well acquainted with 
poisonous substances, though they now make use of none. 
The bow and arrow, their ancient weapons, are become use- 
less. The country they now inhabit is almost entirely de- 
serted by all kinds of beasts that live in a state of nature, and 
the dread of Bosjesmans prevents them from ranging far over 
the country in quest of game. Formerly, however, the kloofs 
of the Khamies berg abounded with elands and hartebeests, 
gemsboks, quachas, and zebras, and were not a little for- 
midable on account of the number of beasts of prey that re- 
sorted thither. A few days before our arrival at the foot of 
