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。