Wild-fowl abundant.—The Great Bustard.—The Termites.—Wild
Bees.—Mushrooms.—The Chief Zwartbooi.—Return of Mr. Galton.—He
makes a Treaty with Jonker.—He visits Rehoboth.—Misdoings
of John Waggoner and Gabriel.—Change of Servants.—Swarm of
Caterpillars.—A reconnoitring Expedition.—Thunder-storm.—The
Omatako Mountains.—Zebra-flesh a God-send.—Tropical
Phenomenon.—The Damaras not remarkable for Veracity.—Encamp
in an Ant-hill.—Return to Schmelen’s Hope.—Preparations for
visiting Omanbondè.
We never fared better than at Schmelen’s Hope. Besides the larger
game mentioned, our table was plentifully supplied with geese, ducks,
Guinea-fowls, francolins, grouse, and so forth. The large bustard
(_otis kori_, Burch.), the South African _paauw_, was, moreover, very
abundant, but so shy that to kill it, even with the rifle, was considered
a dexterous exploit. One that I shot weighed no less than twenty-eight
pounds. I have since repeatedly killed African bustards of this species,
but I never saw a second bird that attained more than two thirds of the
weight just specified; usually they do not exceed fourteen or fifteen
pounds. The flesh is very tender and palatable; indeed, to my notion, it
is the best-flavored of all the game-birds found throughout this portion
of South Africa.
It being now the breeding season, the numerous flocks of Guinea-fowls in
the neighborhood afforded us a constant supply of fresh eggs, which, as
has been said elsewhere, are excellent.
Schmelen’s Hope swarmed with termites, or white ants.[18] My ideas of
ant-hills were here, for the first time, realized; for some of the abodes
of this interesting though destructive insect measured as much as one
hundred feet in circumference at the base, and rose to about twenty in
height! Termites are seldom seen in the daytime; but it is not an unusual
thing, after having passed a night on the ground, to find skins, rugs,
&c., perforated by them in a hundred different places.
In constructing their nests, the termites do not add to them externally,
as with the species of ant common to England, but enlarge them from
within by thrusting out, so to say, the wall. Their labors are commonly
carried on in the dark, and at early morn each night’s addition to the
building may be discovered by its moisture. “They unite,” says the
“English Cyclopædia,” “in societies composed each of an immense number
of individuals, living in the ground and in trees, and often attacking
the wood-work of houses, in which they form innumerable galleries, all
of which lead to a central point. In forming these galleries they avoid
piercing the surface of the wood-work, and hence it appears sound, when
the slightest touch is sometimes sufficient to cause it to fall to
pieces.” This is a clear, and, I have no doubt, a correct account. I
myself have often been astonished to find huge trees, apparently sound,
crumble to pieces on being touched by the hand.
Wild bees very frequently make their nests in the gigantic dwellings
of the termites. In some years bees are very numerous. The disposition
of these insects would appear to be unusually quiet and forbearing.
Indeed, I never knew a man to be stung by them when robbing their nests.
Commonly, these are smoked in the first instance, but just as often (as
I myself have many times witnessed) they are fearlessly approached, and
plundered by the naked savage without this precaution.
It is another interesting fact in connection with the dwellings of the
termites that, during the rainy season, mushrooms grow in great abundance
on their sides. In size and flavor these mushrooms are far superior to
any found in Europe. Care, however, must be taken in selecting them, for
other fungi of a poisonous nature are almost identical in appearance. Two
of the children of one of our Damaras were very nearly killed by eating
some of these instead of mushrooms.
On the 6th of February I received a visit from a great Namaqua chieftain
named William Zwartbooi, and found him a very agreeable old personage. He
had met Mr. Galton not far from Eikhams, who had sent him to Schmelen’s
Hope to wait his return.
At one time this chief had robbed and massacred the Damaras in precisely
a similar way as Jonker Afrikaner; but, thanks to the exertions of the
missionaries, he had been gradually weaned from his evil practices, and
was now living on excellent terms with his neighbors.
Jonker and Zwartbooi associated occasionally, but they were by no means
well disposed toward each other. On one occasion, when the latter had
expressed displeasure at his friend’s inhuman proceedings against the
Damaras, Jonker told him that if he (Zwartbooi) meddled with his affairs
he would pay him such a visit as would put a stop to his devotions and
make him cry for quarter.
Within Zwartbooi’s territory was a mountain called Tans, where horses
might pasture throughout the year without being exposed to the “paarde
ziekte,” the cruel distemper to which these animals are subject. Almost
all the northern Namaquas, Jonker among the rest, are in the habit of
sending their horses here during the sickly season.
On one occasion, when Jonker was about to make a “raid” on the Damaras,
he sent an express to Zwartbooi for his horses; but this chief, having
been apprised of the cause for which the steeds were wanted, refused,
under some pretext, to give them up, and, while parleying, the favorable
opportunity was lost. It seems Jonker never forgave Zwartbooi this act of
treachery, as he called it, and determined, let the risk be whatever it
might, never again to put himself in another man’s power.
Two days after Zwartbooi’s arrival at Schmelen’s Hope Mr. Galton
returned. He had been successful beyond his most sanguine expectations,
for Jonker had not alone formally apologized to Mr. Kolbé for his brutal
behavior at Schmelen’s Hope, but had expressed regret at his past
conduct, and had faithfully promised, for the future, to live in peace
and amity with the Damaras. Several important regulations had, moreover,
been proposed by my friend and approved of by Jonker and his tribe, with
a view of upholding order and justice in the land, but how far they were
carried out the sequel will show.
Fresh messengers had also been dispatched to the respective Namaqua and
Damara chiefs, with a request that they would attend a general meeting in
order to secure to the country a lasting peace. We could not, however,
induce them to do this. The late attacks were too fresh in their memory
to inspire confidence in either party: each distrusted his neighbor.
Jonker gave Mr. Galton much interesting and valuable information
regarding the country northward. He had himself made two or three
expeditions in that direction, the last of which, as mentioned, was for
the purpose of plundering a vessel reported to have been wrecked off Cape
Cross.
In the course of his journey Mr. Galton visited Rehoboth, a Rhenish
missionary station, and the residence of William Zwartbooi. The mission
was here conducted by the Rev. Messrs. Kleinschmidt and Vollmer, and was
at this period the most flourishing establishment of the kind in the
country.
Here my friend learned with regret that John Waggoner, who, as the
reader may remember, was dismissed at Barmen, had afterward acted very
disgracefully and dishonestly. He began by selling the same sheep to
a trader three times over; and, just as Mr. Galton arrived, John had
absconded with several head of cattle, stolen from the missionaries and
the natives. My friend at once started off in pursuit; but, though he
followed on his track for a day and a night, he was obliged to return
without being able to overtake him.
Wherever John Waggoner went he represented himself as Mr. Galton’s
servant, and affirmed that he was intrusted with dispatches of moment
for the British government at the Cape. He added, moreover, that, under
such circumstances, they were in duty bound to assist and speed him on
his way. The most extravagant reports of our greatness and importance
had already been circulated throughout the length and breadth of the
land by the natives themselves. This, together with John’s impudent and
confident air, produced the desired effect. Horses, cattle, wagons, &c.,
were every where promptly placed at his disposal. Even the missionaries
were duped, and John is said to have reached his destination, enriched
with spoils, in an incredibly short time. His first act on arriving at
the Cape was to engage himself to a trader, who imprudently advanced him
a considerable sum of money, which he coolly pocketed and then decamped.
Our lad, Gabriel, also marked his road to the colony with many traits of
violence and insolence, but he had neither the cunning nor the impudence
of his associate.
Abraham Wenzel, the thief, had again behaved improperly, and Mr. Galton
found it necessary to give him his dismissal.
We had thus, in a short time, lost the services of three men; but,
fortunately, through the kindness of our friend Zwartbooi, we were able
to replace them by two others. The first of these was his own henchman,
Onesimus, who was a Damara by birth, but had been captured as a child and
brought up among the Namaquas. He spoke the language of these two nations
most fluently, and understood, moreover, a few words of Dutch. What
with his capacity as an interpreter, his even temper and general good
behavior, he became one of the most useful men of our party.
The other man, Phillippus, was also a Damara by birth, but had forgotten
his native tongue. He spoke, however, the Namaqua and the Dutch fluently.
He was appointed a wagon-driver.
One morning, to our surprise, we found the whole ground about our
encampment covered with larvæ of a dark-green color. Whence, or how they
came there, was to us quite a mystery. We at length conjectured that
at some previous period a swarm of locusts, in passing the place, had
deposited their ova in the sand, and, now that the green grass began to
spring up (which provided them with suitable food), their progeny emerged
in the shape of worms.
At the same time many thousand storks appeared, and evidently much
relished the rich and abundant repast.
Mr. Galton’s successful remonstrances with Jonker had pacified the
excited minds of our Damaras. It had inspired them with fresh
confidence, and they no longer declined to accompany us. The worst of
our Cape servants had been weeded out, and their places filled with
useful and competent men. Our stud of draft-oxen, moreover, had been
greatly increased, to say nothing of a large supply of live-stock.
Matters thus once more looked bright and cheering, and we no longer
hesitated to prosecute our journey. Nevertheless, before making the final
arrangements, it was deemed advisable to know something of the country
immediately in advance of us, and how far it was practicable for wagons.
Galton having just returned from an excursion, it was thought only fair
that I should undertake to ascertain this point.
Accordingly, I left Schmelen’s Hope on the 24th of February, on ox-back,
accompanied by Timbo, John St. Helena, and John Allen, perhaps the three
most trustworthy and useful of our servants, as also a few Damaras, who
were to serve me as guides and herdsmen.
On the first night after leaving Schmelen’s Hope we were visited by a
terrific thunder-storm, accompanied by a deluge of rain, which continued
without intermission till four o’clock the next morning.
With my legs drawn up under my chin, and the caross well wrapped round
my head, I spent this dreadful night seated on a stone, while the men,
strange to say, slept soundly at my feet in a deluge of water. The next
day, however, was bright and warm. The earth steamed with the sweet
odors of a tropical herbage, and the landscape looked so beautiful and
smiling that I felt my heart leap with joy and gratitude to the Giver of
all good. The misery of the night was soon forgotten, and we proceeded
cheerfully on our journey.
As we traveled on, we caught a glimpse of the beautiful cones of Omatako,
which rise about two thousand feet above the level of the plain. I
scarcely remember having ever been more struck or delighted with any
particular feature in a landscape than when these _two_ “Teneriffes”
first broke upon my view.
“Then felt I like some watcher of the skies,
When a new planet swims into his ken.”
We must have been fifty or sixty miles from these conical mountains, yet
there they were as distinct as if we had stood at their base. The immense
distance at which objects can be seen in these regions, in a clear
atmosphere, is truly marvelous.
With the exception of a single kraal of impoverished Damaras, we found no
inhabitants. On leaving Schmelen’s Hope, we had been led to suppose that
we should meet with several werfts of wealthy natives, from whom we might
obtain, in barter, an unlimited number of cattle. We foolishly enough
trusted to this chance, and started with only one day’s provision. Game,
it is true, we found very abundant; but the animals were very wild, and
I was pressed for time, and could not give chase to them. One evening I
fired at a zebra, but, not distinguishing the peculiar sound of the ball
when striking the animal (a power of ear acquired by much practice), I
supposed I had missed it, and, therefore, did not follow its tracks. On
passing, however, nearly by the same place next evening, we found that
the animal had been killed, and, excepting the head and part of the
neck, was devoured by vultures. The conical ball I used on the occasion
was found loose in the inside of the skeleton. Notwithstanding the
defiled state of what was left of the carcass, we hailed it as a perfect
god-send. For the two previous days we had been living on zebra-flesh in
a state of decay, which our Damaras had accidentally picked up. Indeed,
our guides had absconded from want of food.
One evening, when very much fatigued from the day’s march, and suffering
cruelly from thirst, our native servants, by way of consolation,
entertained us with the following interesting account of their
countrymen.
“The Damaras,” they said, “are now watching us from a distance; and, as
soon as we shall have gone to sleep, they will suddenly fall upon us, and
assegai us.”
Timbo, John St. Helena, and John Allen evidently believed them, and
looked wretchedly uncomfortable. As for myself, though there certainly
was nothing at all improbable in the story, I felt less apprehensive
than annoyed, well knowing the bad effect it would have on the timid and
superstitious minds of my men.
On the third day, about noon, we reached the northern side of Omatako,
where we struck a small periodical river of the same name. To our dismay,
however, we found it perfectly dry; and, as we had then already been
twenty-four hours without a drop of water, I was afraid to proceed any
further. Just as we were about to retrace our steps, the river, to our
inexpressible delight, came down with a rush. To those of my readers
who are not conversant with the mysteries of a tropical climate, it may
appear almost impossible that a dry water-course should in the space of
five minutes, and without any previous indication, be converted into a
foaming torrent; yet, in the rainy season, this is almost an every-day
occurrence. Not a cloud obscured the transparent atmosphere at the time,
but on the preceding night there had been vivid lightning and heavy
thunder in the direction of the source of the river, which sufficiently
accounted for the phenomenon.
On this river I saw for the first time the gigantic footprints of
elephants. The natives told me that these animals come here in great
numbers in the winter-time, and when the water begins to diminish they
return slowly northward. Hans assured me that their tracks are still to
be seen as far south as the River Swakop, close to its embouchure.
From this point we had a very good prospect of the country. Several
interesting mountains presented themselves to the view. To the north, the
Konyati, Eshuameno, Ia Kabaka, and Omuvereoom, stood out in bold relief.
Some of these were similar to that of Erongo, and, like it, inhabited by
Hill-Damaras, as also a few Bushmen.
I was particularly anxious to learn something of the country toward
the north, in which direction—as before said—our route to Omanbondè
lay; but it was in vain that I endeavored to get any thing like correct
information from the natives, notwithstanding some had actually been
living there. I was excessively annoyed, and imagined that their
conflicting accounts were purposely invented to deceive and frighten
me; but, as I became more intimate with the Damara character, I found
that they lied more from habit than for the mere sake of lying. Indeed,
a Damara would believe his own lies, however glaring and startling
they might be. Thus, for instance, they informed me that the mountain
Omuvereoom, which was distinctly visible, lay ten long days’ journey off,
and was inhabited by Hill-Damaras and Bushmen, whom they represented
as perfect devils; moreover, that the intervening space was entirely
destitute of water, and that any one attempting to traverse it would be
sure to perish. At a subsequent period, we not only reached this mountain
after fourteen hours’ traveling, but found an abundance of water; and the
natives, instead of being monsters, were the most timid and harmless of
human beings.
This, however, is only one of the hundred instances that might be
mentioned of the difficulty of eliciting truth from the Damaras. The
missionaries had been living for several years at Barmen and Schmelen’s
Hope before they were aware of the existence of either “Buxton” or Okandu
fountain, and yet these places were within a very short distance of the
stations, and they had made repeated inquiries after springs.
With regard to the distance and situation of Omanbondè, the chief object
of our journey, they could not say whether one or ten weeks would be
required in order to reach it. One man told Galton that if he started at
once for this place, and traveled as fast as he could, he would be an
old man by the time he returned.[19]
Returning homeward, we pursued a somewhat different course. The first
night, the men, for the sake of variety it is presumed, thought fit to
encamp in the middle of an ant-hill! I was absent at the time, and on
returning, all the arrangements had been made for the night. Tired as we
were, I could not well think of moving. The result may easily be imagined.
The next day, in the more open parts of the country, we met with a very
great abundance of a kind of sweet berry, about the size of peas, which
afforded us a most delicious feast.
Early in the morning of the sixth day we found ourselves back at
Schmelen’s Hope, having been sixty hours on the move, or, at an average,
twelve hours daily. Allowing three miles per hour at the lowest
estimation, we had gone over a tract of country fully one hundred and
eighty miles in extent, the greater part of which, moreover, had been
performed on foot. Under ordinary circumstances, we should, perhaps, have
thought nothing of the performance; but, what with bad living, previous
long rest, and so forth, we were in poor condition for such sudden and
severe exertions. Indeed, before we were at the journey’s end, both man
and beast were completely knocked up.
The object, however, had been gained. We had ascertained that the
country, for several days’ journey, was tolerably open and traversable
for wagons; that grass abounded; and that (the most important point of
all) we should be sure of water for ourselves and cattle.
No time was now lost in making ready for a final start. An American,
who had long been in Mr. Hahn’s service, was about to travel to the
Cape by land. Although the journey was supposed to last at least six or
seven months, communication was so rare in these parts that we deemed it
advisable to benefit by it. Letters were accordingly written to friends
and acquaintances, as also dispatches for the British government at the
Cape.