SOUTHERN AFRICA. 277 
fufion and hurry they had fcrambled among the rocks before 
they had time to adjiift this their only drefs, or whether they 
were indiiferent about concealing any particular part of their 
bodies, their aprons happened to be very carelefsly put on. 
The fringed part of fome was hanging behind ; of others, on 
the exterior part of the thigh j and fom.e had fallen down as 
low as the knee. Yet they were not entirely without fome 
notions of finery. A few had caps made of the fkins of afTes, 
in form not unlike helmets ; and bits of copper, or fhells, or 
beads, were hanging in the neck, fufpended from their little 
curling tufts of hair. Ail the men had the cartilege of the nofe 
bored, through which they wore a piece of wood or a porcu- 
pine's quill. 
Whether confidered as to their perfons, turn of mind, or 
way of life, the Bosjefmans are certainly a moft extraordinary 
race of people. In their perfons they are extremely diminu- 
tive. The talleft of the men meafured only four feet nine 
t inches, and the talleft woman four feet four inches. About 
four feet fix inches is faid to be the middle fize of the men, 
and four feet that of the women. One of thefe that had feve- 
ral children meafured only three feet nine inches. Their 
color, their hair, and the general turn of their features, evi- 
dently denote a common origin with the Hottentots, though 
the latter, in point of perfonal appearance, has the advantage 
by many degrees. The Bosjefmans, indeed, are amongft the 
uglieft of all human beings. The flat nofe, high cheek-bones, 
prominent chin, and concave vifage, partake much of the apeilh 
charai^er, which their keen eye, always in motion, tends not 
to 
