TwootherEnglishgentlemencrossedandrecrossedtheDesertaboutthesametime，andnearlyinthesamedirectionOnreturning，oneofthem，CaptainShelley，whileridingforwardonhorseback，losthimself，andwasobligedtofindhiswayalonetoKuruman，somehundredsofmilesdistantReachingthatstationshirtless，andasbrownasaGriqua，hewastakenforonebyMrsMoffat，andwasreceivedbyherwithasalutationinDutch，thatbeingthelanguagespokenbythispeopleHissufferingsmusthavebeenfarmoreseverethananyweenduredTheresultoftheexertionsofbothShelleyandMacabeistoprovethatthegeneralviewoftheDesertalwaysgivenbythenativeshasbeensubstantiallycorrect。
Occasionally，duringtheverydryseasonswhichsucceedourwinterandprecedeourrains，ahotwindblowsovertheDesertfromnorthtosouth。
Itfeelssomewhatasifitcamefromanoven，andseldomblowslongeratatimethanthreedaysItresemblesinitseffectstheharmattanofthenorthofAfrica，andatthetimethemissionariesfirstsettledinthecountry，thirty-fiveyearsago，itcameloadedwithfinereddish-coloredsandThoughnolongeraccompaniedbysand，itissodevoidofmoistureastocausethewoodofthebestseasonedEnglishboxesandfurnituretoshrink，sothateverywoodenarticlenotmadeinthecountryiswarped。
TheverlsoframrodsmadeinEnglandareloosened，andonreturningtoEuropefastenagainThiswindisinsuchanelectricstatethatabunchofostrichfeathersheldafewsecondsagainstitbecomesasstronglychargedasifattachedtoapowerfulelectricalmachine，andclaspstheadvancinghandwithasharpcracklingsound。
Whenthishotwindisblowing，andevenatothertimes，thepeculiarlystrongelectricalstateoftheatmospherecausesthemovementofanativeinhiskarosstoproducethereinastreamofsmallsparks。
ThefirsttimeInoticedthisappearancewaswhileachiefwastravelingwithmeinmywagonSeeingpartofthefurofhismantle，whichwasexposedtoslightfrictionbythemovementofthewagon，assumequitealuminousappearance，Irubbeditsmartlywiththehand，andfounditreadilygaveoutbrightsparks，accompaniedwithdistinctcracks。
“Don’tyouseethis？”saidI“Thewhitemendidnotshowusthis。”
hereplied；“wehaditlongbeforewhitemencameintothecountry，weandourforefathersofold。”Unfortunately，Ineverinquiredthenamewhichtheygavetothisappearance，butIhavenodoubtthereisoneforitinthelanguageOttovonGuerrikeissaid，byBaronHumboldt，tohavebeenthefirstthateverobservedthiseffectinEurope，butthephenomenonhadbeenfamiliartotheBechuanasforagesNothingcameofthat，however，fortheyviewedthesightasifwiththeeyesofanox。
Thehumanmindhasremainedhereasstagnanttothepresentday，inreferencetothephysicaloperationsoftheuniverse，asitoncedidinEnglandNosciencehasbeendeveloped，andfewquestionsareeverdiscussedexceptthosewhichhaveanintimateconnectionwiththewantsofthestomach。
Verylargeflocksofswifts`Cypselusapus’wereobservedflyingovertheplainsnorthofKurumanIcountedastreamofthem，which，bythetimeittooktopasstowardthereedsofthatvalley，musthavenumberedupwardoffourthousandOnlyafewofthesebirdsbreedatanytimeinthiscountryIhaveoftenobservedthem，andnoticedthattherewasnoappearanceoftheirhavingpaired；
therewasnochasingofeachother，noranyplayingtogether。
Thereareseveralotherbirdswhichcontinueinflocks，andmoveaboutlikewanderinggipsies，evenduringthebreedingseason，whichinthiscountryhappensintheintervalsbetweenthecoldandhotseasons，coldactingsomewhatinthesamewayhereasthegenialwarmthofspringdoesinEuropeArethesethemigratorybirdsofEurope，whichreturntheretobreedandreartheiryoung？
Onthe31stofDecember，1852，wereachedthetownofSechele，called，fromthepartoftherangeonwhichitissituated，Litubaruba。
NearthevillagethereexistsacavenamedLepelole；
itisaninterestingevidenceoftheformerexistenceofagushingfountain。
NoonedaredtoentertheLohaheng，orcave，foritwasthecommonbeliefthatitwasthehabitationoftheDeityAsweneverhadaholidayfromJanuarytoDecember，andourSundaysweretheperiodsofourgreatestexertionsinteaching，Iprojectedanexcursionintothecaveonaweek-daytoseethegodoftheBakwainsTheoldmensaidthateveryonewhowentinremainedthereforever，adding，“Iftheteacherissomadastokillhimself，lethimdosoalone，weshallnotbetoblame。”ThedeclarationofSechele，thathewouldfollowwhereIled，producedthegreatestconsternation。
Itiscuriousthatinalltheirpretendeddreamsorvisionsoftheirgodhehasalwaysacrookedleg，liketheEgyptianThauSupposingthatthosewhowerereportedtohaveperishedinthiscavehadfallenoversomeprecipice，wewentwellprovidedwithlights，ladder，lines，&c。；
butitturnedouttobeonlyanopencave，withanentranceabouttenfeetsquare，whichcontractsintotwowater-wornbranches，endinginroundorificesthroughwhichthewateronceflowed。
Theonlyinhabitantsitseemsevertohavehadwerebaboons。
IleftattheendoftheupperbranchoneofFatherMathew’sleadenteetotaltickets。
IneversawtheBakwainslookingsohaggardandleanasatthistime。
MostoftheircattlehadbeensweptawaybytheBoers，togetherwithabouteightyfinedraughtoxen；andmuchprovisionleftwiththembytwoofficers，CaptainsCodringtonandWebb，toservefortheirreturnjourneysouth，hadbeencarriedoffalso。
OntheirreturntheseofficersfoundtheskeletonsoftheBakwainswheretheyexpectedtofindtheirowngoodsAllthecorn，clothing，andfurnitureofthepeople，too，hadbeenconsumedintheflameswhichtheBoershadforcedthesubjecttribestoapplytothetownduringthefight，sothatitsinhabitantswerenowliterallystarving。
SechelehadgivenorderstohispeoplenottocommitanyactofrevengependinghisvisittotheQueenofEngland；butsomeoftheyoungmenventuredtogotomeetapartyofBoersreturningfromhunting，and，astheBoersbecameterrifiedandranoff，theybroughttheirwagonstoLitubarubaThisseemstohavegiventhemainbodyofBoersanideathattheBakwainsmeanttobeginaguerrillawaruponthem。
This“Caffrewar“was，however，onlyinembryo，andnotnearthatstageofdevelopmentinwhichthenativeshavefoundoutthatthehide-and-seeksystemisthemostsuccessful。
TheBoers，inalarm，sentfouroftheirnumbertoaskforpeace！
I，beingpresent，heardthecondition：“Sechele’schildrenmustberestoredtohim。”IneversawmensocompletelyandunconsciouslyinatrapasthesefourBoerswereStrongpartiesofarmedBakwainsoccupiedeverypassinthehillsandgorgesaround；andhadtheynotpromisedmuchmorethantheyintended，ordidperform，thatdaywouldhavebeentheirlast。
ThecommandantScholzhadappropriatedthechildrenofSecheletobehisowndomesticslavesIwaspresentwhenonelittleboy，Khari，sonofSechele，wasreturnedtohismother；thechildhadbeenallowedtorollintothefire，andtherewerethreelargeunboundopensoresondifferentpartsofhisbodyHismotherandthewomenreceivedhimwithafloodofsilenttears。
Slaveryissaidtobemildandtender-heartedinsomeplaces。
TheBoersassertthattheyarethebestofmasters，andthat，iftheEnglishhadpossessedtheHottentotslaves，theywouldhavereceivedmuchworsetreatmentthantheydid：whatthatwouldhavebeenitisdifficulttoimagineItookdownthenamesofsomescoresofboysandgirls，manyofwhomIknewasourscholars；butIcouldnotcomforttheweepingmothersbyanyhopeoftheireverreturningfromslavery。
TheBechuanasareuniversallymuchattachedtochildren。
AlittlechildtoddlingnearapartyofmenwhiletheyareeatingissuretogetahandfulofthefoodThisloveofchildrenmayarise，inagreatmeasure，fromthepatriarchalsystemunderwhichtheydwell。
Everylittlestrangerformsanincreaseofpropertytothewholecommunity，andisdulyreportedtothechiefboysbeingmorewelcomethangirls。
Theparentstakethenameofthechild，andoftenaddresstheirchildrenasMamother，orRafatherOureldestboybeingnamedRobert，MrsLivingstonewas，afterhisbirth，alwaysaddressedasMa-Robert，insteadofMary，herChristianname。
IhaveexaminedseveralcasesinwhichagrandmotherhastakenuponherselftosuckleagrandchildMasinaofKurumanhadnochildrenafterthebirthofherdaughterSina，andhadnomilkafterSinawasweaned，aneventwhichusuallyisdeferredtillthechildistwoorthreeyearsold。
Sinamarriedwhenshewasseventeenoreighteen，andhadtwins；
Masina，afteratleastfifteenyears’intervalsinceshehadsuckledachild，tookpossessionofoneofthem，appliedittoherbreast，andmilkflowed，sothatshewasabletonursethechildentirelyMasinawasatthistimeatleastfortyyearsofageIhavewitnessedseveralothercasesanalogoustothisAgrandmotherofforty，orevenless，fortheybecomewitheredatanearlyage，whenleftathomewithayoungchild，appliesittoherownshriveledbreast，andmilksoonfollows。
Insomecases，asthatofMa-bogosing，thechiefwifeofMahure，whowasaboutthirty-fiveyearsofage，thechildwasnotentirelydependentonthegrandmother’sbreast，asthemothersuckledittoo。
Ihadwitnessedtheproductionofmilksofrequentlybythesimpleapplicationofthelipsofthechild，thatIwasnotthereforesurprisedwhentoldbythePortugueseinEasternAfricaofanativedoctorwho，byapplyingapoulticeofthepoundedlarvaeofhornetstothebreastofawoman，aidedbytheattemptsofthechild，couldbringbackthemilkIsitnotpossiblethatthestoryinthe“CloudofWitnesses“ofaman，duringthetimeofpersecutioninScotland，puttinghischildtohisownbreast，andfinding，totheastonishmentofthewholecountry，thatmilkfollowedtheact，mayhavebeenliterallytrue？Itwasregardedandisquotedasamiracle；
butthefeelingsofthefathertowardthechildofamurderedmothermusthavebeenasnearlyaspossibleanalogoustothematernalfeeling；
and，asanatomistsdeclarethestructureofbothmaleandfemalebreaststobeidentical，thereisnothingphysicallyimpossibleintheallegedresult。
TheillustriousBaronHumboldtquotesaninstanceofthemalebreastyieldingmilk；and，thoughIamnotconsciousofbeingover-credulous，thestrangeinstancesIhaveexaminedintheoppositesexmakemebelievethatthereisnoerrorinthatphilosopher’sstatement。
TheBoersknowfromexperiencethatadultcaptivesmayaswellbeleftalone，forescapeissoeasyinawildcountrythatnofugitive-slave-lawcancomeintooperation；theythereforeadoptthesystemofseizingonlytheyoungestchildren，inorderthatthesemayforgettheirparentsandremaininperpetualbondageIhaveseenmereinfantsintheirhousesrepeatedly。
Thisfactwasformerlydenied；andtheonlythingwhichwaswantingtomakethepreviousdenialofthepracticeofslaveryandslave-huntingbytheTransvaalBoersnolongernecessarywasthedeclarationoftheirindependence。
InconversationwithsomeofmyfriendshereIlearnedthatMaleke，achiefoftheBakwains，whoformerlylivedonthehillLitubaruba，hadbeenkilledbythebiteofamaddogMycuriositywasstronglyexcitedbythisstatement，asrabiesissorareinthiscountry。
Ineverheardofanothercase，andcouldnotsatisfymyselfthateventhiswasrealhydrophobiaWhileIwasatMabotsa，somedogsbecameaffectedbyadiseasewhichledthemtorunaboutinanincoherentstate；butIdoubtwhetheritwasanythingbutanaffectionofthebrainNoindividualoranimalgotthecomplaintbyinoculationfromtheanimals’teeth；andfromallthatIcouldhear，theprevailingideaofhydrophobianotexistingwithinthetropicsseemstobequitecorrect。
ThediseasesknownamongtheBakwainsareremarkablyfew。
Thereisnoconsumptionnorscrofula，andinsanityandhydrocephalusarerare。
CancerandcholeraarequiteunknownSmall-poxandmeaslespassedthroughthecountryabouttwentyyearsago，andcommittedgreatravages；
but，thoughtheformerhassincebrokenoutonthecoastrepeatedly，neitherdiseasehassincetraveledinlandForsmall-pox，thenativesemployed，insomeparts，inoculationintheforeheadwithsomeanimaldeposit；inotherparts，theyemployedthematterofthesmall-poxitself；andinonevillagetheyseemtohaveselectedavirulentcaseforthematterusedintheoperation，fornearlyallthevillagewassweptoffbythediseaseinamalignantconfluentformWheretheideacamefromIcannotconceive。