(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s
Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 34, 35.)
It is said that when Heitsi Eibip was travelling about with his family,
they came to a valley in which the raisin-tree was ripe, and he was
there attacked by a severe illness. Then his young (second) wife said,
“This brave one is taken ill on account of these raisins; death is here
at the place.” The old man (Heitsi Eibip), however, told his son
ǃUrisip [26] (the whitish one), “I shall not live, I feel it; thou
must, therefore, cover me when I am dead with soft stones.” And he
spoke further, “This is the thing which I order you to do:—‘Of the
raisin-trees of this valley ye shall not eat. For if ye eat of them I
shall infect you, and ye will surely die in a similar way.’”
His young wife said, “He is taken ill on account of the raisins of this
valley. Let us bury him quickly, and let us go.”
So he died there, and was covered flatly with soft stones according as
he had commanded. Then they went away from him.
When they had moved to another place, and were unpacking there, they
heard always from the side whence they came a noise as of people eating
raisins and singing. In this manner the eating and singing ran:—
“I, father of ǃUrisip,
Father of this unclean one,
I, who had to eat these raisins, and died,
And dying live.”
The young wife perceived that the noise came from the side where the
old man’s grave was, and said, “ǃUrisip! Go and look!” Then the son
went to the old man’s grave, where he saw traces which he recognised to
be his father’s footmarks, and returned home. Then the young wife said,
“It is he alone; therefore act thus:—
“Do so to the man who ate raisins on the windward side,
Take care of the wind that thou creepest upon him from the leeward;
Then intercept him on his way to the grave,
And when thou hast caught him, do not let him go.”
He did accordingly, and they came between the grave and Heitsi Eibip
who, when he saw this, jumped down from the raisin-trees, and ran
quickly, but was caught at the grave. Then he said:
“Let me go! For I am a man who has been dead that I may not infect
you!” But the young wife said, “Keep hold of the rogue!” So they
brought him home, and from that day he was fresh and hale.
40. ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE IN MODES OF LIFE BETWEEN HOTTENTOTS AND
BUSHMEN.
(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C.
Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 7, 8.)
In the beginning there were two. One was blind, the other was always
hunting. This hunter found at last a hole in the earth, from which game
proceeded, and killed the young. The blind man, feeling and smelling
them, said, “They are not game, but cattle.”
The blind man afterwards recovered his sight, and going with the hunter
to this hole, saw that they were cows with their calves. He then
quickly built a kraal (fence made of thorns) round them, and anointed
himself, just as Hottentots (in their native state) are still wont to
do.
When the other, who now with great trouble had to seek his game, came
and saw this, he wanted to anoint himself also. “Look here!” said the
other, “you must throw the ointment into the fire, and afterwards use
it.” He followed this advice, and the flames flaring up into his face,
burnt him most miserably; so that he was glad to make his escape. The
other, however, called to him: “Here, take the kirri (a knobstick), and
run to the hills, to hunt there for honey.”
Hence sprung the race of Bushmen.