SOUTHERN 
AFRICA. 
of religious ceremonies, many of which, as related among the 
fables of ancient voyagers, and revived by fome modern tra- 
vellers, were fo abfurd and extremely ridiculous as to create 
ftrong doubts of their exiftence, they have now fo completely 
loft; them that no one trace remains behind. The name even 
that has been given to this people is a fabrication. Hottentot is 
a word that has no place nor meaning in their language ; and 
they take to themfelves the name under the idea of its being a 
Dutch word. When they were fpread over the fouthern angle 
of Africa, each horde had its particular name ; but that by 
which the whole nation was diftinguifhed, and which at this 
moment they bear among themfelves in every part of the coun- 
try, is ^a'lquce. From living together in particular clans, and, 
in later times, from mixing with different people, the Hotten- 
tots of one diftrid differ very confiderably from thofe of an- 
other. The part of the country we now were in, being the 
iaft that was colonized, was inhabited moft probably by fuch 
as had retained more of their original charader than the others ; 
and it is thofe to whom the following remarks are meant to apply. 
Low as they are funk in the fcale of humanity, their charac- 
ter feems to have been very much traduced and mifreprefented. 
It is true there is nothing prepofTeiEng in the appearance of a 
Hottentot, but infinitely lefs fo in the many ridiculous and falfe 
relations by which the public have been abufed. They are a 
mild, quiet, and timid people ; perfedly harmlefs, honeft, faith- 
ful ; and, though extremely phlegmatic, they are kind and 
affedionate to each other, and not incapable of flrong attach- 
ments. A Hottentot would fhare his laft morfel with his com- 
panions. 
