288 TRAVELS IN 
When fuccefsful in bringing to the horde a herd of cattle, they 
Hay them in fiich numbers that the kraal foon becomes a mafs 
of putrefaction, and the whole air tainted with the fmell. The 
number of vultures that are attra£led by the remains of the 
dead carcafes are frequently the means of difcovering to the 
colonifts the kraals of Bosjefmans. Like thefe voracious birds, 
they are equally filthy and gluttonous. The three who accom- 
panied us to our waggons had a fheep given to them about five 
in the evening, which was entirely confumed by them before 
the noon of the following day. They continued, however, to 
eat all night, without fleep and without intermiffion, till they 
had finifhed the whole animal. After this their lank bellies 
were diftended to fuch a degree that they looked lefs like 
human creatures than before. Accuftomed to food of a ftrong 
and pungent quality, fimple water feemed to have no relilh for 
them : they prepared a beverage that was exceflively difguft- 
ing : having cut the throat of the fheep, they opened the belly 
to let the blood run among the entrails ; then cutting thefe 
with a knife, and pouring in a quantity of water, they ftirred 
up all together, and drank the naufeous mixture with an appe- 
tite that fulEciently fhewed it to be fuited to their tafte. 
It did not appear that they were in the habit of applying 
unftuous fubftances to the body any farther than wiping their 
greafy hands on their fkin ; but the hair and faces of many of 
them had been rubbed with red ochre after the manner of the 
Kaffers, and a few had the face painted black, in the fhape of a 
mark : this they do with the kernel of a fmall nut burnt in the 
fire. The oil exprefied from this nut is confidered by them as 
a pre- 
