Visit from Nangoro.—His extreme Obesity.—One must be fat to
wear a Crown.—His non-appreciation of Eloquence.—Singular
Effects of Fireworks on the Natives.—Cure for making
a wry Face.—Ball at the Palace.—The Ladies very
attractive and very loving.—Their Dress, Ornaments,
&c.—Honesty of the Ovambo.—Kindness to the Poor.—Love of
Country.—Hospitality.—Delicate manner of Eating.—Loose
Morals.—Law of Succession.—Religion.—Houses.—Domestic
Animals.—Implements of Husbandry.—Manner of Tilling the
Ground.—Articles of Barter.—Metallurgy.
We had been nearly three days at Nangoro’s capital before its royal
occupant honored our camp with his presence. This unaccountable delay
gave us some uneasiness; yet we could not but surmise that he had been
longing to see us during the whole time. I believe it, however, to be a
kind of rule with most native princes of note in this part of Africa,
to keep strangers waiting in order to impress them with a due sense of
dignity and importance.
If obesity is to be considered as a sign of royalty, Nangoro was “every
inch a king.” To our notions, however, he was the most ungainly and
unwieldy figure we had ever seen. His walk resembled rather the waddling
of a duck than the firm and easy gait which we are wont to associate with
royalty. Moreover, he was in a state of almost absolute nudity, which
showed him off to the greatest possible advantage. It appeared strange to
us that he should be the only really fat person in the whole of Ondonga.
This peculiarity no doubt is attributable to the custom that prevails in
other parts of Africa, viz., that of selecting for rulers such persons
only who have a natural tendency to corpulence, or, more commonly,
fattening them for the dignity as we fatten pigs.[26]
[Illustration: INTERVIEW WITH KING NANGORO.]
With the exception of a cow and an ox, Nangoro appeared to appreciate
few or none of the presents which Mr. Galton bestowed on him. And as
for my friend’s brilliant and energetic orations, they had no more
effect on the ear of royalty than if addressed to a stock or a stone.
It was in vain that he represented to his majesty the advantages of a
more immediate communication with Europeans. Nangoro spoke little or
nothing. He could not be eloquent because excessive fat had made him
short-winded. Like Falstaff, his “voice was broken.” Any attempt on his
part to utter a sentence of decent length would have put an end to him,
so he merely “grunted” whenever he desired to express either approbation
or dissatisfaction.
In common with his men, he was at first very incredulous as to the
effect produced by fire-arms; but when he witnessed the depth that our
steel-pointed conical balls penetrated into the trunk of a sound tree, he
soon changed his opinion, and evidently became favorably impressed with
their efficacy. As for the men of his tribe who had not yet seen guns,
and who had flocked to the camp to have a look at us, they became so
alarmed that, at the instant of each discharge, they fell flat on their
faces, and remained in their prostrate position for some little time
afterward. A few very indifferent fireworks which we displayed created
nearly equal surprise and consternation.
In another interview with Nangoro he requested us to shoot some
elephants, which were said to abound at no great distance, and which, at
times, committed great havoc among the corn-fields, trampling down what
they did not consume. However much we might have relished the proposal
under other circumstances, we now peremptorily refused to comply. We
reasoned thus: “Supposing we were successful, Nangoro would not only bag
all the ivory—an article he was known to covet and to sell largely to the
Portuguese—but he would keep us in Ondonga till all the elephants were
shot or scared away.” Neither of these results suited our purpose. The
cunning fellow soon had an opportunity of revenging himself on us for
this disregard of his royal wish.
On paying our respects to _his majesty_ one day, we were regaled with
a prodigious quantity of beer, brewed from grain, and served out of
a monster calabash with spoons (made from diminutive pumpkins), in
nicely-worked wooden goblets. Being unwell at the time, I was not in a
state properly to appreciate the tempting beverage. Nangoro, however,
who probably attributed the wry face that I made to the influence of the
liquor, suddenly thrust his sceptre, which, by the way, was simply a
pointed stick, with great force into the pit of my stomach. I was sitting
cross-legged on the ground at the time, but the blow was so violent as to
cause me to spring to my feet in an instant. Nangoro was evidently much
pleased with his practical joke. As for myself, I sincerely wished him at
the antipodes. However, for fear of offending royalty, I choked my rising
anger, and reseated myself with the best grace I could, but I tried in
vain to produce a smile.
[Illustration: BEER-CUP AND BEER-SPOON.]
[Illustration: GUITAR.]
On another occasion we attended a ball at the royal residence. An
entertainment of this kind was given every night soon after dark, but
it was the most stupid and uninteresting affair I ever witnessed. The
musical instruments were the well-known African tom-tom and a kind
of guitar. We did not join in the dance, but amused ourselves with
admiring the ladies. What with their charms, which were by no means
inconsiderable, and the wonderful regard they evinced for us, these
damsels all but ruined our peace of mind.
The features of the Ovambo women, though coarse, are not unpleasing.
When young they possess very good figures. As they grow older, however,
the symmetry gradually disappears, and they become exceedingly stout and
ungainly. One of the causes of this is probably to be found in the heavy
copper ornaments with which they load their wrists and ankles. Some of
the ankle-rings must weigh as much as two or three pounds, and they have
often a pair on each leg. Moreover, their necks, waists, and hips are
almost hidden from view by a profusion of shells, cowries, and beads of
every size and color, which sometimes are rather prettily arranged.[27]
Another cause of their losing their good looks in comparatively early
life is the constant and severe labor they are obliged to undergo. In
this land of industry no one is allowed to be idle, and this is more
especially the case with the females. Work begins at sunrise and ends at
sunset.
The hair of both men and women is short, crisp, and woolly. With the
exception of the crown, which is always left untouched, the men often
shave the head, which has the effect of magnifying the natural prominence
of the hinder parts of it. The women, on the other hand, not satisfied
with the gifts nature has bestowed upon them, resort, like the polished
ladies of Europe, to artificial exaggerations. They besmear and stiffen
the hair with cakes of grease and a vermilion-colored substance, which,
from being constantly added to and pressed upon it, gives to the upper
part of the head a broad and flat look. The persons of the women are also
profusely besmeared with grease and red ochre.
[Illustration: OVAMBO.]
Besides ear-rings of beads or shells, the men display but few ornaments.
With regard to clothing, both sexes are far more scantily attired than
the Damaras. When grown up, they chip the middle tooth in the under jaw.
The Ovambo, so far as came under my own observation, were strictly
honest. Indeed, they appeared to entertain great horror of theft,
and said that a man detected in pilfering would be brought to the
king’s residence and there speared to death. In various parts of the
country a kind of magistrate is appointed, whose duty is to report all
misdemeanors. Without permission, the natives would not even _touch_ any
thing, and we could leave our camp free from the least apprehension of
being plundered. As a proof of their honesty, I may mention that, when we
left the Ovambo country, the servants forgot some trifles, and such was
the integrity of the people that messengers actually came after us a very
considerable distance to restore the articles left behind. In Damara and
Namaqua-land, on the contrary, a traveler is in constant danger of being
robbed, and, when stopping at a place, it is always necessary to keep the
strictest watch on the movements of the inhabitants.
But honesty was not the only good quality of this fine race of men. There
was no pauperism in the country. Crippled and aged people, moreover,
seemed to be carefully tended and nursed. What a contrast to their
neighbors, the Damaras, who, when a man becomes old, and no longer able
to shift for himself, carry him into the desert or the forest, where he
soon falls a prey to wild beasts, or is left to perish on his own hearth!
Nay, he is often knocked on the head, or otherwise put to death.
The Ovambo are very national, and exceedingly proud of their native soil.
They are offended when questioned as to the number of chiefs by whom they
are ruled. “We acknowledge only one king. But a Damara,” they would
add, with a contemptuous smile, “when possessed of a few cows, considers
himself at once a chieftain.”
The people have also very strong local attachments. At an after period,
while Mr. Galton was waiting at St. Helena for a ship to convey him
to England, he was told “that slaves were not exported from south of
Benguela because they never thrived when taken away, but became home-sick
and died.” This, no doubt, refers in part to the Ovambo. Moreover, though
people of every class and tribe are permitted to intermarry with them,
they are, in such case, never allowed to leave the country.
The Ovambo are decidedly hospitable. We often had the good fortune to
partake of their liberality. Their staple food is a kind of coarse
stir-about, which is always served hot, either with melted butter or sour
milk.
[Illustration: MEAT-DISH.]
Being once on a shooting excursion, our guide took us to a friend’s
house, where we were regaled with the above fare. But, as no spoons
accompanied it, we felt at a loss how to set to work. On seeing the
dilemma we were in, our host quickly plunged his greasy fingers into the
middle of the steaming mess, and brought out a handful, which he dashed
into the milk. Having stirred it quickly round with all his might, he
next opened his spacious mouth, in which the agreeable mixture vanished
as if by magic. He finally licked his fingers and smacked his lips with
evident satisfaction, looking at us as much as to say, “That’s the trick,
my boys!” However unpleasant this initiation might have appeared to us,
it would have been ungrateful, if not offensive, to refuse; therefore
we commenced in earnest, according to example, emptying the dish, and
occasionally burning our fingers, to the great amusement of our swarthy
friends.
Although generally very rich in cattle, and fond of animal diet, their
beasts would seem to be kept rather for show than for food. When an ox is
killed, the greater portion of the animal is disposed of by the owner to
the neighbors, who give the produce of their ground in exchange.
The morality of the Ovambo is very low, and polygamy is practiced to a
great extent. A man may have as many wives as he can afford to keep;
but, as with the Damaras, there is always one who is the favorite and
the highest in rank. Woman is looked upon as a mere commodity—an article
of commerce. If the husband be poor, the price of a wife is two oxen and
one cow; but should his circumstances be tolerably flourishing, three
oxen and two cows will be expected. The chief, however, is an exception
to this rule. In his case, the honor of an alliance with him is supposed
to be a sufficient compensation. Our fat friend Nangoro had largely
benefited by this privilege; for, though certainly far behind the King of
Dahomey in regard to the number of wives, yet his harem boasted of one
hundred and six enchanting beauties!
In case of the death of the king, the son of his favorite wife succeeds
him; but if he has no male issue by this woman, her daughter then assumes
the sovereignty. The Princess Chipanga was the intended successor to
Nangoro. My friend thought that his bearded face had made an impression
on this amiable lady; but, though experience has since taught us that
he was by no means averse to matrimony, he preferred to settle his
affections on one of his own fair countrywomen rather than marry the
“greasy negress” Chipanga, heiress of Ondonga.
We read of nations who are supposed to be destitute of any religious
principles whatever. If we had placed reliance on what the natives
themselves told us, we should have set down the Ovambo as one of such
benighted races. But can there be so deplorable a condition of the human
mind? Does not all nature forbid it? Do not the sun, the moon, the
stars, the solemn night, and cheerful dawn, announce a Creator even to
the children of the wilderness? Is it not proclaimed in the awful voice
of thunder, and written on the sky by
“the most terrible and nimble stroke
Of quick, cross lightning?”
Is it possible that any reasoning creature can be so degraded as not to
have some notion, however faint and inadequate, of an Almighty Being?
Such a conception is necessarily included, more or less, in all forms of
idolatry, even the most absurd and bestial. The indefinable apprehensions
of a savage, and his dread of something which he can not describe, are
testimonies that at least he _suspects_ (however dimly and ignorantly)
that the visible is not the whole. This may be the germ of religion—the
first uncouth approaches of “faith” as the “evidence of things not
seen”—the distant and imperfectly-heard announcement of a God.
May not our incorrect ideas on this head, in reference to the Ovambo,
be attributed to want of time and insufficient knowledge of their
language, habits, and shyness in revealing such matters to strangers?
When interrogating our guide on the subject of religion, he would
abruptly stop us with a “Hush!” Does not this ejaculation express awe and
reverence, and a deep sense of his own utter insufficiency to enter on
so solemn a theme? The Ovambo always evinced much uneasiness whenever,
in alluding to the state of man after death, we mentioned Nangoro. “If
you speak in that manner,” they said in a whisper, “and it should come to
the hearing of the king, he will think that you may want to kill him.”
They, moreover, hinted that similar questions might materially hurt our
interest, which was too direct a hint to be misunderstood. To speak of
the death of a king or chief, or merely to allude to the heir-apparent,
many savage nations consider equivalent to high treason.
As already said, the Ovambo surround their dwellings with high
palisades, consisting of stout poles about eight or nine feet in
height, fixed firmly in the ground at short intervals from each other.
The interior arrangements of these inclosures were most intricate.
They comprised the dwelling-houses of masters and attendants, open
spaces devoted to amusement and consultation, granaries, pig-sties,
roosting-places for fowls, the cattle kraal, and so forth.
[Illustration: DWELLING-HOUSE AND CORN-STORES.]
Their houses are of a circular form. The lower part consists of slender
poles, about two feet six inches high, driven into the ground, and
farther secured by means of cord, &c., the whole being plastered over
with clay. The roof, which is formed of rushes, is not unlike that of a
bee-hive. The height of the whole house, from the ground to the top of
the “hive,” does not much exceed four feet, while in circumference it is
about sixteen.
They store the grain in gigantic baskets, generally manufactured from
palm-leaves, plastered with clay, and covered with nearly the same
material and in the same manner as the dwelling-houses. They are,
moreover, of every dimension, and by means of a frame-work of wood are
raised about a foot from the ground.
The domestic animals of the Ovambo are the ox, the sheep, the goat, the
pig, the dog, and the barn-door fowl. The latter was of a small breed, a
kind of bantam, very handsome, and, if properly fed and housed, the hens
would lay eggs daily.
[Illustration: VIEW IN ONDONGA.[28]]
The wet season in these latitudes commences about the same period as in
Damara-land, that is, in October and November. When the first heavy rains
are over, the Ovambo begin to sow grain, &c.; but they plant tobacco
in the dry time of the year. Both sexes assist in tilling the ground,
which, near the surface, consists of a flinty sand-soil. A short distance
beneath blue clay appears. The land must be rich and fertile, as manure
is seldom made use of. The only farm-implement we saw in use among the
Ovambo was a kind of hoe of very rude workmanship. Instead of cultivating
a whole piece of ground, as with us, they simply dig a hole here and
there, in which they deposit a handful of corn. When a little above
ground, those seedlings which are too thick are transplanted. The process
of reaping, cleaning, and grinding falls almost exclusively on the women.
The grain is reduced to flour by means of a stout pole in a kind of
mortar or hollow wooden tube. While the females are thus employed, some
of the men tend to the herding of the cattle, and the rest make trading
excursions to the neighboring tribes.
The chief article of export is ivory, which they procure from elephants
caught in pitfalls. In exchange for this they obtain beads, iron,
copper, shells, cowries, &c.; and such articles as they do not consume
themselves they sell to the Damaras. As far as we could learn, they make
four expeditions annually into Damara-land, two by the way of Okamabuti,
and two by that of Omaruru. The return for these several journeys, on an
average, would seem to be about eight hundred head of cattle. Since we
were in the country, however, it is probable that great changes may have
taken place.
Next to their cattle they prize beads; but, though they never refuse
whatever is offered to them, there are some sorts that they more
especially value, and it is of very great importance to the traveler and
the trader to be aware of this, as, in reality, beads constitute his only
money or means of exchange. Thus, throughout Ondonga, large red (oval
or cylindrically-shaped), large bluish white, small dark indigo, small
black (spotted with red), and red, in general, are more particularly in
request.
The Ovambo have some slight knowledge of metallurgy. Though no mineral
is indigenous to their own country, they procure copper and iron ore in
abundance from their neighbors, which they smelt in fire-proof crucibles.
The bellows employed in heating the iron are very indifferent, and stones
serve as substitutes for hammer and anvil. Yet, rude as these implements
are, they manage not only to manufacture their own ornaments and farming
tools, but almost all the iron-ware used in barter.
[Illustration: BLACKSMITHS AT WORK.]