The Bayeye.—Their Country; Persons; Language;
Disposition; Lying and Pilfering Habits.—Polygamy
practiced among the Bayeye.—Their Houses; Dress;
Ornaments; Weapons; Liquors; Agriculture; Grain; Fruits;
Granaries.—Hunting.—Fishing.—Nets.—Diseases.—The
Matsanyana.—The Bavicko.—Libèbé.
For a considerable distance to the northward of the chief’s werft, the
banks of the Teoge are inhabited by Bayeye, and a few scattered Bushmen,
all acknowledging Lecholètébè as their chief. Cooley supposes that these
people came originally from the West Coast, and that they have been
established in their present abode for a long period. Formerly, and
before their subjugation by the Bechuanas, they must have possessed a
large territory, and even now the country they occupy is of considerable
extent, consisting, as I believe, of one continued plain, intersected by
rivers, with extensive marshes. The banks of the rivers are, in general,
very low, but wherever they rise a few feet above the level of the
water they are shaded by a rank and wild vegetation. The trees are of a
gigantic size, having their stems and branches interwoven with beautiful
parasitical plants and creepers.
In person, feature, and complexion the Bayeye appear closely allied to
the Ovambo and the Hill-Damaras.
The language of the Bayeye bears considerable resemblance to the
Ovaherero, and has, moreover, some affinity with the dialects of the East
Coast, though two or three “klicks” would seem to indicate a Hottentot
origin.[94]
The Bayeye are of a merry and cheerful disposition, and, like my friends
the Damaras, are the happiest of creatures, provided they have a pot full
of flesh and a pipe. These elements of human felicity are not, however,
peculiar to savages, as may be seen in the following stanza of an old
song, often chanted by our English rustic forefathers:
“What more can any man desire,
_Nor_ sitting by a good coal fire,
And on his knee a pretty wench,
And on the table a bowl of punch?”
In one respect the English clown has an advantage over the barbarian
of South Africa, inasmuch as the latter does not appear to make any
stipulation in favor of a female companion.
The Bayeye are much given to lying and pilfering, and are as suspicious
as they are deceitful. As an instance of their thievish propensities, I
may mention that, when ascending the Teoge, they deprived me gradually
of almost the entire stock of articles of exchange, consisting chiefly
of beads. These things constituted my only money, and being well aware
that without it I should not be able to get on, I determined to recover
my property at all hazards. But, before proceeding to extremes, I was
anxious to acquire positive proofs of the guilt of my treacherous
companions. Accordingly, I ordered my own men to mark carefully the
different parcels. As soon as the canoes arrived at night at the
appointed rendezvous (we ourselves, as I have mentioned, were walking)
we hastened to the shore, and, while Timbo was ransacking the baggage, I
stationed myself at the head of the canoe, in order to prevent the crew
from landing until we had ascertained if any pilfering had taken place
during our absence.
Scarcely had my servant opened the first pack before he exclaimed, “Oh
yes, master, the rascals have been there, sure enough!” Immediately
stepping up to the native who was in charge of the canoe, I presented my
gun, on cock, at his head, threatening to blow out his brains if he did
not instantly produce the stolen goods. A scene of the utmost confusion
now took place. The men appeared at first inclined to be hostile, many
seizing their arms, while the women were running to and fro, crying
and howling in a manner which baffles all description. However, I was
determined, come what would, to have my property back, and I quietly told
them that their menaces should be of no avail, for the first individual
who attempted to molest me would, to a certainty, be a dead man. And,
to give effect to my threat, I added, with a significant look at the
gun, that they well knew I was not much in the habit of missing my mark.
Conceiving that I was in earnest, they thought better of the matter,
and in a few seconds I had half a dozen of them at my feet, begging I
would spare their lives, and promising that if I would not mention the
circumstance to their paramount chief, Lecholètébè, they would forthwith
restore the missing articles.
Being but too glad to recover my property on such easy terms, I declared
myself satisfied, warning them, however, of the consequences, of any
future attempt on their part to steal, as I should certainly not again
trouble myself about inquiring who was the thief, but would simply shoot
the first man I came across. This had the desired effect; for they not
only left my property untouched for the future, but treated me with far
more civility than they had hitherto manifested.
The men, excepting when hunting and fishing, in which pursuits they show
great activity, usually lead a very idle life at home. All the drudgery
falls on the women, who till the ground, reap, and afterward cleanse and
grind the corn, &c.
Respecting their mythology and religion I am so much in the dark that
it would not be worth while to communicate to the reader the little I
know. It is always difficult to obtain information on these subjects from
savages; and, besides, it requires both time and a knowledge of their
language. This applies also, though not to as great extent, to their
superstitious notions, which are numerous, and, as may well be supposed,
often ridiculous.
Polygamy prevails among the Bayeye, and one not unfrequently finds the
more wealthy consoling themselves with half a dozen wives.
They live in large round huts, covered with matting made of rushes, and
constructed in the same manner as those of the Namaquas.
The men have adopted, as in many other things, the dress of their
conquerors, the Bechuanas, which consists simply of a piece of skin,
broad in front, tied round the waist, with a tassel attached to it on
each side falling down over the hips; and, in addition to this, they wear
a skin, or light caross, which they accommodate to the body according to
the state of the weather.
The women dress very much like those of the Damaras, viz., with a short
skin skirt, which, as well as their own persons (when they can afford
it), is profusely bedecked with beads and various brass, copper, and iron
ornaments. But the plate facing this page will give a far better idea
of the appearance, attire, &c., of these people than can be conveyed in
words.
They are fond of the dance, which is a mimic representation of the
playful sports and courtships of the different wild animals surrounding
them.
The only weapons in use among the Bayeye are light javelins, having
sometimes two or three barbs. In addition to this, the elders of the
nation carry a shield, nearly oval in form, made of a single fold of
ox-hide; but they have only become acquainted with this means of defense
since they were subdued by the Bechuanas. To the want of shields they
entirely attribute their own defeat.
With regard to their habits, customs, manners, &c., much of what has
already been said of the Bechuanas may be applied to the Bayeye—a natural
consequence of subjugation.
Like most dark-colored nations, they are addicted to intoxicating
liquors. They understand how to brew beer, on which they frequently
become inebriated.
The men are inveterate snuff-takers, and the women “dacka” smokers.
[Illustration: BAYEYE.]
In former times the Bayeye possessed numerous herds of cattle, but these
passed into the hands of the Bechuanas upon their assuming the mastery
over the country. They are permitted, however, to rear a few goats, which
they do less for the sake of the milk and flesh than for the skins, which
are converted into sleeping rugs, and carosses for wear. They also keep a
few barn-door fowls, but apparently of a very ordinary breed.
They derive their chief subsistence from the produce of the soil, which
is fertile, yielding the necessaries of life in abundance, and with
little labor. A month or two before the rainy season the ground for
cultivation is selected, cleared, and slightly worked by a small, short
hoe, the only agricultural implement I have seen used by the Bayeye
in tilling. After the first heavy rains they begin to sow the corn,
of which there are two kinds indigenous to the country, namely, the
common “Cafire,” and another sort, very small-grained, and not unlike
canary-seed—a description which is akin, as I am informed, to the
“badjera” of India. This is more nutritious than the other, and, when
well ground, makes excellent flour. Tobacco, calabashes, watermelons,
pumpkins, beans, and small peas are also grown, as well as different
kinds of edible earth-fruits, of which the oiengora (motu-o-hatsi of the
Bechuanas, I believe) may be mentioned in particular. This is a sort of
bean, having its pods under ground. It is well known to the Mozambiques;
is extensively grown by the black population in Mauritius, and is, I am
told, no uncommon article of importation at the Cape of Good Hope.
Moreover, the country, as before said, produces a variety of wild
fruit-trees, which serve no less to beautify the scenery than to afford
good and wholesome sustenance to the inhabitants. Among the most handsome
and useful trees, the moshoma stands, perhaps, pre-eminent. On account
of the great height, the straightness of the trunk, and the distance at
which it begins to branch out, the fruit can only be gathered when it
falls to the ground. It is then exposed to the sun for some time, and,
when sufficiently dried, is put into a hollow piece of wood (a sort of
mortar) and pulverized. It is fit for use at any time by simply mixing
it with water, when it is not unlike honey in appearance, and has a
sweet, agreeable flavor. Strangers, however, must use it cautiously
at first, for if eaten in any large quantity it is apt to derange the
stomach. The moshoma invariably grows on the banks of rivers, or in their
immediate neighborhood, and may, with the greatest facility, be conveyed
down the Teoge to the Lake. The Bayeye use the timber extensively for
canoe-building and in the manufacture of utensils. I found the moshoma
growing in Ovambo-land, and I am also given to understand that it is
common throughout the countries west of the Portuguese settlements on the
East Coast.
The Bayeye store their corn and other products of the soil in large
baskets, not unlike those of the Ovambo, manufactured from palm-leaves
and other fibrous and tenacious substances.
The Bayeye are fond of hunting, and as the country abounds in game, the
spoils of the chase contribute materially to the support of the people.
They are, moreover, expert fishermen. They either strike the fish with
a barbed spear, or, more commonly, capture them in nets. These are made
from the fibrous stalks of a species of aloe, which is found in abundance
throughout the countries of the Namaquas, Damaras, the Ovambo, and others
lying to the eastward, but only grows to perfection about the Teoge.
The fibres are of great tenacity, apparently stronger and more flexible
than hemp, though requiring less labor and attention in its growth and
manufacture. Could this plant be naturalized, it would no doubt prove
a valuable acquisition to any country. I believe the nets are also
occasionally manufactured from fibrous and tenacious leaves, rushes, and
grasses. The meshes are knotted the same way as in Europe.
From the humid nature of the country, the Bayeye, although, generally
speaking, a healthy race, suffer at times from rheumatism and other
similar affections. Ophthalmia is also of frequent occurrence; and many
of the natives bear marks of the small-pox. Like the Lake district, the
Teoge and the surrounding country is visited by a dangerous fever, which
carries off many of the natives.
North of the Bayeye country we find the Matsanyana, but I have not been
able to ascertain whether these people form a distinct nation.
Still further north, that is, beyond the Matsanyana, we hear of the
Bavicko (or Wavicko) nation, whose capital is called Libèbé, from which
also the chief derives his name. The Griquas, whom I mentioned when
speaking of the water-sheds of the Lake, and whom I met and conversed
with on the subject, say that the country about Libèbé is flat and
thickly overgrown with bush, occasionally relieved by large isolated
trees, and that the Teoge is there of great width and studded with
beautiful islands, on which the natives chiefly dwell.
The Bavicko are represented as an industrious and honest people of
agricultural habits. Their mode of dress resembles that of the Moviza
(a great trading nation in the interior of the East Coast, and west of
the Portuguese settlement). Timbo, who was well acquainted with the
appearance of the Moviza, on hearing a description of the Bavicko,
mistook them for the former nation. The latter have some slight knowledge
of metallurgy. Iron they procure easily and in abundance from their
neighbors; but, from all I can gather, this ore does not seem to be
indigenous to their own country.
Libèbé appears to be the centre of a great inland trade. Among other
tribes that repair here for the purpose of commerce are the Mambari, a
race probably resident in the vicinity of the new Portuguese settlement,
Little Fish Bay. A strong argument in favor of this supposition is,
that the Griquas, lately alluded to, and who found a party of these
men at Libèbé, were informed by them that their tribe was visited
by two different white nations: by one of them—meaning probably
the Portuguese—chiefly for the purpose of purchasing slaves; by the
other—most likely the English or Americans—to obtain, by barter, ivory
and other valuable productions of the country. The Mambari bring to
Libèbé, as articles of exchange, blue and striped cotton, baize, beads,
and even cattle.
Again, we find the Ovapangari and Ovapanyama also visiting Libèbé
for trading purposes. These nations, as before mentioned, occupy the
country north of Ovambo-land. On a visit to the latter in 1851 (Galton’s
expedition), we found the tribes above named likewise trading with
the Ovambo. The Bavicko have, moreover, intercourse with Sebetoane,
Lecholètébè, and others.