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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
by more powerful neighbours. To these Yaalpens, the name of 
Bechuana-Bosjesmans might very well be given. A character- 
istic feature of the Hottentot dialect is the use of ‘ dies/ of 
which the Korannas particularly make very frequent use. 
These dialects differ essentially from the Caffre dialects. 
Often, indeed, it has been believed (particularly in Cape Colony) 
that there existed a relationship between the two languages ; 
and some even considered the Hottentot as a modified Caffre 
dialect. But this opinion is altogether erroneous. Before 
1500 the Hottentots had seldom, if ever, come in contact with 
the Caffres. 
The origin of the error in question is easy to discover. 
When the Hottentots entered into relations with the Caffres 
there resulted the mixed races of the Gonaquas and of the 
Gonaquebis, which both of them, and particularly the latter, 
spread among the Galeka Caffres. Thus the ‘ dies ’ and some 
Hottentot words were introduced into the language of the 
Galekas. But these ‘ dies ’ are only met among those Caffres 
who border on some Cape Colony, and among the Basutos (in 
greater part Bechuanas), who about 1830 constituted a distinct 
people and admitted among them some fugitive Hottentots. 
Among the other Caffres, for example among those of 
Natal and Zululand, no trace either of the ‘ dies/ or of the 
other peculiarities of the Hottentot languages, are found. They 
are equally strangers to the language of the Bechuana, es- 
tablished to the north of the Transvaal. 
For some time, however, the ‘dies’ appear to have a ten- 
dency to spread particularly in the south of Natal. As the 
Gonaquas also moved amongst the Hottentots several Caffre 
words have obtained a footing in the Hottentot language. The 
Korannas, after their immigration into the Transvaal frequently 
mingled with Bechuana tribes (black), and this has also dimi- 
nished the purity of their language. 
In Cape Colony many, if not most of the Hottentots, speak 
nothing but Dutch, and no longer know their original language. 
This language is still spoken only and exclusively by the Bos- 
jesmans and the Namaquas. But these have likewise been 
in more and more frequent contact with the whites and other 
races. In fifty years their language will perhaps have entirely 
disappeared. 
I have made some researches on the question of the distri- 
bution of the races at the Cape, a question which interested me 
especially. Its study is rendered very difficult by the very fre- 
quent change of abode of the different tribes, and as besides I 
have only incomplete materials at my disposal, the results 
obtained must be looked upon as merely tentative. 
These results may be summed up as follows : — 1. The central 
