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Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
women reply ''da" (yes), and the deceased is praised even if there 
is no cause why he should be praised. All the women arise and walk 
towards the grave and sprinkle buchu-leaves (Barosma cremdata) on the 
body. These buchu-leaves, together with a skin of a rock-rabbit, are 
kept in a tortoise-shell, which is always worn at the belt by the women. 
The buchu-leaves are obtained from the mountains along the sea-coast. 
The body is then lowered down into the grave and placed in a sitting 
posture in a cave hollowed out left or right of the bottom of the grave. 
Large flat stones are placed in such a position that no ground can 
fall on the body. The grave is then filled in, and the Gemsbok horn 
and shovel are left on the grave in an upright position. In former 
years the Hottentots in some instances adopted the funeral ceremonies 
of the Damaras and Ovambos. In the case of a married man dying, 
the backbone of the deceased's wife was broken ; and in the case of 
a woman, that of a slave ; and the unfortunate victim was buried in 
its dying agony alongside the deceased. After the funeral, strangely 
enough, a dance is held, and the deceased's cattle and sheep are 
slaughtered, and festivities are indulged in all through the night. The 
music men (eight) have short reeds that are peculiarly pitched so as 
to emit some kind of tune. For a few weeks the male relatives of the 
deceased go to the grave every morning before sunrise, quite naked, 
and pray to the " thas " (ghost). The idea of visiting the grave in a 
nude state is that the ghost cannot catch them ! They talk to the 
grave and sprinkle buchu-leaves on it, and beseech the ghost to do 
them no harm and to leave them undisturbed at night-time. After 
a month or so they suppose that the ghost has left the grave and 
has entered an animal called by them " Thas jackals." The Hottentots 
say that this animal has never been caught, and that it could only 
be killed by a silver bullet!! According to them this "Thas jackals" 
leaves its shelter at night-time only, and glides along the ground like 
a shadow, and that this animal is the house of the ghosts of the 
deceased people ! It has also been described by them as having a very 
large head ; but as no one has ever actually seen it, the description 
cannot be given. They believe it is very strong and cannot die — 
and no attempt has been made to kill it. This, of course, may be 
mere superstition ; but at the same time it goes to show that the 
Hottentots do actually believe in the transmigration of souls ! When 
the animal makes a noise tha . . tha . . tha . ." (at night), the people 
cover themselves with their karosses ; and if the Hottentots happen to 
* This word jackals was of course introduced by the Dutch, but borrowed from the 
Turkish " tchakal," or the Persian " chaghal." 
f A belief distinctly traceable to contact with the early Dutch colonists, and appro- 
priated by the Hottentots. 
