SOUTHERN AFRICA. 163 
guard their numerous herds ; to drive them from place to place 
in fearch of food and water, fometimes on plains which pro- 
duce not a flirub to fcreen them from the fcorching rays of an 
ahnoft vertical fun at one part of the year, or to afford them a 
fhelter from the cold winds, froft, and fnow that happen in the 
other, would ill agree with the temper or with the conftitution 
of the colonifts ; yet fhould the prefent fyftem of oppreffion 
continue, the time is not far diftant when their own children 
muft take upon them the charge now committed to Hottentots. 
Slaves are too expenfive. In the whole diftridl of GraafF Rey- 
net there are not more than fix or feven hundred blacks, which 
is about one to each family ; and the faid diftri£t contains about 
10,000 Hottentots great and fmall. The total number of this 
people in the whole colony may be about fifteen thoufand. 
Broken up and difperied as the tribes of this nation now are, 
few of their ancient ufages are retained among them. If they 
ever had a religion of any fort, all traces of it are now loft : 
they marry without any kind of ceremony, and inter their dead 
in the fame manner. One cuftom, however, ftill remained, 
which feemed to be pretty generally obferved : this was that 
of {having the heads of young girls as foon as the firft fytnp- 
toms of maturity began to appear ; at the fame time all the 
ornaments worn on the neck, legs, and arms are removed, the 
body for once in their lifetime clean wafhed and fcoured ; and, 
during the continuance of the periodical fymptoras, they are 
reftrided to a milk diet, and are not fuffered to mix in the 
company of men. 
Y 2 On 
