FIRST JOURNEY, 
behaved very well, only making figns for tobacco, which I 
gave them; and they in return offered me fome honey which 
outfid'e It is bedaubed with an unftuous matter, that grows hard when dry. Both the quivers 
I brought with me, are lined about the aperture with a ferpent’s fkin; and, as I was told, with 
the fkin of the yellow ferpent, which is confidered as the moll venemous of any in that country, 
Eefides a dozen of arrow's, every quiver contains a llender hone of fand-ftone for whetting the 
iron head upon, and a brulli for laying on the poifon, together with a few w'ooden Hicks, dif¬ 
fering in thicknefs, but all of the fame length with the arrows. For v/hat ufe they are de- 
figned, I am entirely ignorant. The poifon is taken from feveral different kinds of ferpents, 
the more venomous the better; whether their arrov/s are to be employed againft their foes, or- 
are only defigned for fliooting game ; for, as I have obferved before, the Hottentots know very 
well, that taken internally it is quite harmlefs. 
The dwellings of thefe foes to a palloral life are generally not more agreeable, than their 
maxims and manners. Like the wild beads, bufhes and clifts in rocks by turns ferve them in- 
Head of houfes; and fome of them are faid to be fo far worfe than bealls, that their foil has 
been found clofe to their habitations. A great many of them are entirely naked ; but fuch as 
have been able to procure the Ikin of any fort of animal, great or fmall, cover their bodies with ■< 
it from the fhoulders downwards as far as it will reach, wearing it till it falls off their backs in 
rags. As ignorant of agriculture as apes and monkies, like them they are obliged to wander 
about over hills and dales after certain wild roots, berries and plants, (which they eat raw') in - 
order to fuftain a life that this miferable food would foon extinguifh and dedroy, were they ufed ^ 
to better fare. 
Their table, however, is fometimes compofed of feveral other didies, among which may be 
reckoned the larvae of infers, or thofe kind of caterpillars from which butterflies are generated j 
and in like manner a fort of white ants, (the termes) gradioppers, fnakes, and fome fort of fpi- 
ders. With all thefe changes of diet, the Bofliicfman- is neverthelefs frequently in want, and 
to fuch a degree, as to wade almod to a fhadow. It was with no finall adonidunent, that I 
for the fird time faw in Lange Kloof a lad belonging to this race of men, with his face, arms, 
legs and body fo mondroudy finall and withered, tlrat I could not have been induced to fuppofe 
but that he had been brought to that date by tlie fever that was epidemic in thofe parts, had I not 
feen him at the fame time run like a lapwing. It required but a few weeks to bring one of thefe 
darvelings to a thriving date, and even to make him fat; their domachs being drong enough to 
diged the great quantity of food with which they are crammed, as they may rather be faid to 
bolt than eat; it fometimes happens, indeed, that they cannot long retain what they have taken 
in ; but this circuindance, it is faid, does not hinder them from beginning again upon a frefh fcore. 
7die capture of daves from among this race of men is by no means a difficult matter, and is 
effefted in the following manner. Several farmers, that are in want of fervants, join together, 
and take a journey to that part of the country where the Bodiiefmen live. They themfelves, as 
W'ell as their Lego-Hottentots, or elfe fuch Bodiiefmen as have been caught fome time before, 
and have been trained up to fidelity in their fervice, endeavour to fpy out where the wild Bodiief¬ 
men 
