SOUTHERN AFRICA. 209 
thread is the fibres of the tendons of the long dorfal mufcle 
taken from various animals ; thofe in a wild ftate are preferred, 
as furnifhing a much ftronger thread than fuch as are domefti- 
cated. The Hottentots few together their lheep-fl?:ins with the 
fame material ; and the colonifts, following the example of the 
natives, have recourfe to the fame article as a fubftitute for 
flaxen thread, which, when the Englifli took pofi'effion of the 
fettlement, bore an advance in price of a thoufand per cent. 
The progrefs of their agriculture, as obferved by the king, 
has lately been checked by internal diffentions, and the 
encroachments of a rival power. They feem however to 
be much more inclined to the paftoral than the agricultural 
life, — a circumftance which will retard their advancement in 
civilization. The one finds leifure to fit down and reflect ; the 
other is never ftationary, but wandering from place to place in 
fearch of food for the cattle. The chace employs the greateft 
portion of the time they have to fpare. In the Kaffer country 
the larger fort of game, particularly the elephant and the buf- 
falo, are become very fcarce ; and not an oftrich nor a fpringbok 
is now to be found there. Thefe two animals, keeping gene- 
rally upon the plains, and avoiding the woods, were eafily 
enclofed by the numerous hunting parties, and deftroyed. The 
elephant and the buffalo fell alfo in the woods by the Haflagai, 
but more frequently by deep pits made in the ground acrofs the 
paths that led to their ufual haunts. In this manner they fome- 
times took the hippopotamus ; but the ufual gait of this animal, 
when not difturbed, is fo cautious and flow that he generally 
fmelt the fnare that was laid for him, and avoided it. The 
E E more 
