lace, which looked extremely well amid so motley a group. The Regent wore, as a breast-plate, a very large lackered bed-nail cover, which I had sent him in the morning, with some other things, in consequence of his sending me a second elephant's tusk. He wore, sometimes before and sometimes behind, one of the handsomest tiger skins I had seen, and was loaded with beads. As Moeelway was returning to his seat from the dance, he was excessively applauded by all, beating their shields and shaking their assagais, accompanied with as much noise as they could make with their tongues." "Pelangye, the Matchappee captain who travelled with us, rose next, and commenced by giving three howls, pausing about half a minute between each. These Matchappee howls being somewhat different from those of Kurreechane, approaching nearer to yells or shrieks, highly diverted the female spectators, who burst into immoderate fits of laughter. After the howls, three or four of Pelangye's men rushed forth and danced for a few minutes in front of the assembly; one of these, when imitating an attack upon an enemy, fell flat on the ground, which raised a universal roar of laughter. Pelangye then addressed the meeting, first by taking credit to himself for having brought White men to them; he said we were men of peace, and hated theft. On his saying this, the people turned round and looked at us as if they had not seen us before undoubtedly they had never till now heard of people of that description. It was a heathen who bore this honourable testimony in our favour and in favour of the truth; and they were heathens who indicated by their con duct their appróbation: thus demonstrating that they had the outlines of God's law written on their hearts, and possess excusing and accusing con sciences. "As soon as Pelangye had concluded, the leader of the singing began a song, in which the whole assembly joined. Their singing between the speeches may be designed to give time for ano. ther speaker to come forward. While they were singing, Munameets our guide rose with his usual gravity, wearing one of my pocket handkerchiefs on his head. He began by giving three barks like a young dog, when four of his men burst forth from the ranks, and danced lustily, some of them being old, they were rather stiff in their movements, which afforded great amusement. After these had danced a few minutes, and exhibited their mode of attacking an enemy, old Munameets, and Pelangye, a man about six feet two or three inches high, stepped out and danced a little, on which Munameets proceeded to his speech. "He said, their rain-maker had been at Lattakoo, and had been kindly treated while there; but he was sorry that Salakootoo his relation, who was sent to protect him part of the way, had treated him ill: on which account the people of Lattakoo had considered the want of rain they had experienced as coming upon them; but when he came up the country, and found the drought had been general, he saw it was the hand of God, and exhorted them to seek rain from the Son of God, who could give it. "With the approbation of Mateebe he had brought these White men to them he now left them to their care, and hoped they would not allow them to starve. They came as friends, and were anxious to establish a friendship with the Marootzee. He assured them the Missionaries had behaved well at Lattakoo, had acted to them as fathers, and loved peace. They had not brought beads, because they were not traders: they came to tell them of the true God, and now that the path from Kurreechane to Lattakoo was opened, he hoped that communications between the two places would be so frequent that the path would never again become invisible." "In the time of the intervening singing, Sinosee, two of whose daughters were married to the Regent, rose and gave three shrieks, on which many of his people ran from the ranks, and danced, &c. for some time; after which he made a most warlike speech, urging them to go quickly against the nation that had stolen their cattle. I was afraid he would propose that we should accompany them with our muskets. "Another captain said they had no king (alluding to the government by a regent) to protect the cattle. He did not like to see young kings with thick legs and corpulent bodies: they ought to be kept thin by watching and defending the cattle. A chief from another town, who was very black, and wore a large hairy cap, made a long speech, warmly ex horting them to take vengeance on the Boquains. A blind chief, when exhort. ing to war, was cheered; on which he remarked, that what they had given was a weak cheer, they must clear their throats, and cheer such things with more force and heart. He laughed while he said this. "Another chief said, they could come to the peetso all well powdered; and they could talk much about commandoes: but it was all show; they did nothing. In his young days the captains were men of far more courage and resolution than they were now. "The Regent Liqueling then rose, which caused considerable stir. He remarked, that much had been said about expeditions against those who had stolen their cattle. Though he was not a tall man, yet he considered himself a match for any who had stolen the cattle, and was not afraid of them, but he had his reasons for not attacking them at present. You come before me,' said he, powdered and dressed, and boast about commandoes, but I believe you are unwilling to go on them: you can talk bravely before the women, but I know you too well to take you against those nations.' He added, that he had had various conversations with the strangers; and there was no occasion to fear, and to run from them. They loved peace, he said, and came to make known to them the true God, and his Son, who had come into the world. He then explained the reason why we had no beads, which had caused so much dissatisfaction. "His brother concluded the meeting by a long speech, at one part of which both the Regent and Mocelway, follow ed by many, ran forward and danced for some time. On returning to their seats, he proceeded in his speech; and the instant he concluded, the whole meeting rose as one man, with tumultuous noise, and departed with such speed, that in one minute the square was cleared. The meeting lasted about four hours." Vol. I. pp. 258-265. Our readers may be amused with the costume and manners displayed on this occasion. "There were a great diversity of dresses at the peetso. They all resembled each other, however, in having their bodies painted with pipe-clay from head to foot, and in wearing a kind of CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 245. white turban, made from the skin of the wild hog, the bristles of which are as white as the whitest horse-hair. Many wore tiger's skins, and several were ornamented with eight or ten coverings resembling fur tippets, hanging from their shoulders, and others wore them depending from the middle of their bodies. There were a great variety of skin cloaks without the hair. Yet, notwithstanding all this finery, few scenes could be conceived more completely savage, almost bordering on the frightful: but the tones of voice and the actions of most of the speakers were oratorical and graceful, and they possessed great fluency of utterance. None seemed to have the smallest timidity, nor were they reluctant to express their minds with freedom. In fact, they exhibited a singular compound of barbarism and civilization. The utmost latitude of speech seems to be allowed on such occasions. The women, who stood about twenty yards distant from the assembly, sometimes cheered, by pronouncing the letter r in a loud musical tone. An elderly woman very frequently applauded in that way, while the Regent was speaking: I concluded she was his mother or sister." Vol. I. pp. 268, 269. We cannot help thinking that these scenes, notwithstanding occasional folly and absurdity, exhibit traits of spirit, liveliness, and good humour, which do not tell amiss for the understandings and dispositions of the natives of this part of Africa. The liberty of speech allowed at these public meetings seems unbounded, and will doubtless form a subject of envy to some of our own popular orators. "Such," says Mr. Campbell," is the freedom of speech at these public meetings, that some of the Captains have said of the King, that he stupifies his mind by smoking tobacco, and is not fit to rule over them." Vol. II. p. 157. The rain-maker, mentioned in a preceding extract, is a sort ofquack, or impostor, who gains a livelihood by pretending to procure rain, through the force of certain charms which he employs. He is hired for this express purpose; and when 2 R his arts happen to prove unsuccessful, he has recourse to evasions, for saving his credit, similar to those resorted to by the quacks of more civilized countries. This is almost the only instance of superstitious belief or practice which occurs in Mr. Campbell's account of the people he visited; and it seems to arise from the occasional droughts which occur in that region, and which are greatly dreaded as the prelude to famine. There are, perhaps, hardly any uncultivated nations who have fewer ideas of a religious nature than these tribes of Southern Africa. Mr. Campbell was unable to collect with certainty whether they had any real belief in a Supreme Being, or in the immortality of the soul. Their replies to some of his questions on these subjects, betray the most deplorable ignorance and stupidity. At the same time, they practise no idolatry, and have, to all appearance, no rites or ceremonies of a pagan superstition. How lamentable soever their present state may be, perhaps it may be found, humanly speaking, less unfavourable to the diffusion of sacred truth than the circumstances of some more civilized nations, where the Christian Missionary meets with formidable impediments from the distinctions of cast, and from the influence of long-established institutions and opinions. What real Christian can refrain from pouring forth a prayer that these poor creatures may speedily have their eyes and hearts opened to the reception of that Gospel which has brought life and immortality to light, and which is made the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth? It is a singular fact that the practice of circumcision prevails among the Bootshuana and Morolong nations; but it is unknown among the Corannas, a tribe in their immediate neighbourhood. Mr. Campbell considers the Corannas to be quite a different race from the Hottentots and the ad joining Bushmen. Mr. Barrow, we recollect, supposes the Damaras, who lie to the north of the Orange River, in about the same latitude as the Marootzee nation, to be a people of Arabian origin. It seems, indeed, by no means improbable, that some colony from the opposite shores of Arabia, may have penetrated thus far into the south of Africa; but circumcision prevails so extensively throughout the whole of Africa, that it is not necessary to resort to this hypothesis in order to account for it. The following are among the strange customs of these nations. The greater part of the Corannas have a joint taken from the little finger, the amputation being made with a sharp stone. When a friendly connexion is formed between two individuals of the Bootshuana tribes, the ceremony is to take each other by the nose*.Mr. Campbell observed five cuts across the left side of one man; an honourable distinction, which marked that he had killed five of his fellow-creatures. This was probably in war, as assassination does not appear to be common. Some of their customs, however, are dreadfully unnatural; such as putting to death one of the infants, when a woman has twins. An old female was allowed to starve at Lattakoo, for want of food; and an old man, in the same place, was, from total neglect, actually devoured by dogs. "Yet," adds Mr. Campbell," though the Matchappees treat the aged, and those who * We are unwilling to withhold from our readers the following very curious and interesting piece of intelligence respecting the children at Lattakoo: "Their infants," observes Mr. Campbell," cry or weep exactly as they do in England; but those, who are above, three or four years of age, bawl ont, Vol. I. p. 90.-Who would have supyō-yŏ-yŏ-yŏ-yō, — yō-yō-yö-yötyō.' posed that the children of South Africa were so skilled in prosody, as to blubber in a regular series of longs and shorts! "The legs and feet of the rhinoceros, being of a huge size, require to be cooked in an oven, and the following curious method is adopted for the purpose:-The ants' nests are composed of hard clay, shaped like a baker's oven, and are from two to three feet in height Several of these were excavated by the are very poor, like brutes, they are quantity, they never consider a friendly to each other, affectionate meal to be finished till all be eaten to their children, and sincerely up." The following is a specimen lament the death of relatives." of their culinary skill. This may seem surprising; but similar anomalies exist among nations far more advanced in civilization than the Matchappees or Marootzees. The Hindoos, who put to death their aged relations, and the Chinese, who strangle their new-born infants, are examples, no less striking, of the degree of wretched depravity to which hu man nature may be sunk, and of a state of society, comparatively civilized, in which, while many kindly affections are undoubtedly exercised, yet those very individuals whose circumstances most loudly call for pity and assistance, are the marked objects of neglect and cruelty. Nay, it has been our lot to have known not a few, born and educated in Christian Europe, who have combined an unfeeling perpetration of all the atrocities of the Slave Trade, and the merciless infliction of torture on the slave, with strong attachment to their relations, and with a readiness, from whatever motive, to perform acts of generosity and beneficence towards others. Doubtless the cause of these anomalies is in all cases the same, the want of true Christian principle; and the only effectual cure for them is the diffusion of Christian light, which would put to shame such deeds of darkness, even if it failed of its grand object, the conversion of the heart to God. Its softening and harmonizing tendencies would render that religion a boon and blessing to mankind, even if it opened no certain prospect of immortal happiness beyond the grave. The progress of the Matchappees and Marootzees in the art of cookery, will, probably, be not a little undervalued by our European gourmands, whom, however, they clearly excel in their capacity of eating; for "their stomachs being capable of receiving almost any people early in the morning, and their innumerable population destroyed. The space thus obtained was filled with lighted fuel, till the bottom and sides became red hot within. The embers of the wood were then removed, the leg or foot of the rhinoceros introduced, and the door closed up with heated clay and embers. Fire was also made on the outside over the nests, and the flesh was allowed to remain in it for several hours. Food cooked in this way is highly relished by all the tribes." Vol. I. p. 205. Cookery, however, is not the only art in which the Marootzees have made considerable attain ments. "The Marootzees are confidently reported by other nations to smelt cop. per: they profess the same themselves, and they abound in copper articles more than the other nations. They asserted also that copper furnaces were behind the houses of some of their cap tains, but we never could obtain a sight of them. They did not flatly refuse, but put it off from time to time. Perhaps they acted thus on the principle of the Birmingham and Sheffield manufacturers, being jealous lest others should obtain a knowledge of the art. Moeelway married one of his father's widows, who is a clever, goodlooking woman, about ten or twelve years older than himself". "The following articles of trade are manufactured at Kurreechane : - Of Iron - Pick-axes, adzes, battle-axes, knives, assagais, razors, awls, drillbores, or bits, smith-tongs, hammers, introduction of this important article of • We were somewhat surprised at the intelligence at this particular place; nor can we, after much reflection, discover the relation which it bears to the manufactures of Kurreechanę, "They grow much tobacco, both for their own consumption and as an article of trade. In preparing it they boil the leaves, which greatly reduces its strength, and renders it insipid to those accustomed to tobacco otherwise rings, beads. Of Ivory-Knife-handles, His claws are so firmly fixed, that whistles, arm and leg rings. Of Copper the flying and terrified animal sel-Neck, arm, leg, and ear rings, beads. dom succeeds in freeing himself Of Rushes-Baskets, bonnets. Of Lea from his rider, till the lion himself ther-Cloaks, caps, sandals, shields. Of chooses to dismount." We cannot Wood-Various kinds of dishes, spoons. well conceive a more uncomfortOf Clay, &c.-Various sizes and patterns of pots, jars, goblets. Of Stoneable place for any rider, than the Pipes. back of a cameleopard.-Mr.Camp. bell has given a drawing of the head of an animal he calls a unicorn, which appears to differ considerably from the common rhinoceros. It has a horn, nearly straight, springing about ten inches jecting upwards to the length of above the tip of the nose, and prothree feet. Behind this is a very short horn, hardly visible at a distance*. The artifice of the jackall is worth relating, under this head of observation. The field mouse, when pursued by this aniwhich is a cell under ground, with mal, escapes to his hiding-place, two holes or openings. In order to secure his prey, the jackall prepared; yet such is the power of habit that they preferred it greatly to ours, though much stronger. "They have iron, found to be equal to any steel. A cutler at Kurreechane would be able to support the mission almost without any expense to the Society, if a disinterested man. Every knife he manufactured, though without being made to shut, would be worth a sheep, and many of these he could make in a day. He would instantly find cus. tomers among the inhabitants of the town, and those from other nations. A rough-made axe is worth an ox." Vol. I. strikes with his tail against one pp. 275-277. South Africa is rich in wild animals. The lion, the tiger, the buf. falo, the rhinoceros, the guacha, or wild ass, striped like the zebra, the cameleopard, the jackall, and the ostrich, with many other varieties of natural history, seem to abound in these countries; though the gradual introduction of firearms among the natives, will doubtless soon reduce their number. Twenty-eight lions were killed, upon a single farm, at the northern extremity of the colony, in one month. The guachas travel in flocks, of several hundreds at a time, and those who hunt them generally endeavour first to kill their leader, which throws all the rest into confusion. A very curious account is given of the lion and the cameleopard, "The lion can seldom kill this animal, owing to the thickness of his skin. He has been known to jump upon the back of the cameleopard, and to be carried a distance of twenty miles. hole, to frighten the little animal, The following description of a of three or four miles circumference, "At five P. M. the bed of a salt lake, suddenly presented itself to our view, covered with a thick crust of salt, but destitute of water. scended, and travelled along its side to Our waggons dea small spring of fresh water, near its southern extremity, during which we walked upon the hard surface of the salt. The whole resembled a large level field of deep snow, where a fall of rain had extraordinary animal is preserved in the Museum of the London Missionary Society, in the Old Jewry. The skeleton of the head of this |