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THE FUNEBAL CEEEMONIES OF THE HOTTENTOTS. 
By C. Leo. Biden and Eev. H. Kling. 
(Communicated by L. Peringuey, read March 15, 1911.) 
The Hottentots have their medical men who treat patients during 
illness. Like most South African tribes, witchcraft is practised by these 
men, and the sick are told that their enemies, bad relatives, and bad 
neighbours are the cause of the illness. The medicine-man prepares 
medicine from herbs, bark, shells of ostrich eggs, and even out of the 
dung of certain animals and the urine of rock-rabbits (Procavia cai)ensis). 
An incision is made in the skin of the afflicted person by means of a 
calf's horn, and the medicine is injected in the scarified part, the 
patient being told to believe in various omens. In the event of death 
following, the medicine-man attributes the disaster to the bad influence of 
certain parties — actually naming the persons whom he thinks are concerned. 
Formerly these ''responsible" persons were put to death, but since 
the Hottentots have become more civilised there is no imposition on 
such people, but the inevitable result is that such a practice causes 
much hatred and personal feeling among the Hottentots. The relatives 
of the deceased are told to comfort themselves in apathy — as a matter of 
fact they are extremely apathetic in their general life. The monotonous 
and poor country in which they live gives no incentive for development, 
and their dull and uninspiring life is typical of the weirdness of the country. 
Immediately after the death they prepare for the funeral. The body is 
sewn up in a skin or matting (at present in old bags, if obtainable), 
and a small amount of salt is placed on the chest of the body — a reason 
given for this is to prevent the body from decomposing ! There are no 
recognised graveyards or general burial-grounds, but a spot is selected and 
a hole is dug in the sand by means of a Gemsbok [Oryx gazella) horn 
and a roughly made wooden shovel. The body is carried to the grave 
by the deceased's relatives and friends, and the womenfolk sit round 
about. One woman is appointed to approach the body, and ask a 
relative of the deceased whether deceased gave drink to others when 
alive — this means whether he was a good person. Whereupon all the 
