214 
TRAVELS IN 
here produced between an European and a Hottentot have 
ftrong curling hair, and are, except in color, very like the 
KafFers. 
So different are the opinions and the feelings of different 
nations concerning religion, and fo difficult do the moft civil- 
ized people find it to exprefs their notions clearly and confifl- 
ently of the " unknown God," that little fatisfa£tory inform- 
ation can be colleded on thofe points without a very familiar 
and extenfive knowledge of the language of the people among 
whbm the inquiry is made, which was far from being the cafe 
in the prefent inftance. The king being aiked if they had any 
belief in a fupernatural power, and, if fo, what were their no- 
tions concerning it ? replied, that they believed in the exiftence 
of fome invifible power that fometimes brought good and fome- 
times evil upon them ; it was this power that caufed men to die 
fuddenly, or before they arrived at years of maturity; that 
raifed the wind, and made thunder and lightning to frighten, 
and fometimes, kill them ; that led the fun acrofs the world in 
the day, and the moon by night ; and that made all thofe things 
which they could not underftand nor imitate. I then fhewed 
him my watch ; and from his great furprife it was clear he had 
never feen one before. On examining attentively the move- 
ments, and obferving that the motion was continued in his 
own hands, he looked at the furrounding fpeclators, and pro- 
nounced the word ftegas^ which was echoed back with a nod 
of the head from the whole crowd. Concerning this word the 
Hottentot interpreter could get no other information than that 
it was fome influence of the dead over the living in infligating 
and 
