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145

at them. Yes, they are locusts. These Hottentots consider them a great dainty."

"The nasty wretches!" cried Nick, starting up and throwing away the viands he had been consuming. "To think I should live to sup on beetles! Hand us the bowl of milk there, Ernest. I suppose that's all right, isn't it? That comes from a cow, and not a crocodile, or something of the sort ?"

"Yes, that's all right, Nick," said Lavie, laughing; “and, after all, there are many other people who eat locusts besides these Hottentots."

"Every one to his taste," said Gilbert, setting down the bowl after a long draught. "Mine doesn't incline to roasted insects. However, that milk has pretty well And now, I suppose the next thing

taken the taste out.

is to go to bed. I was up very and have had a hard day of it. Frank?"

early this morning, What do you say,

"I shall just

"I say ditto to you," said Wilmore. roll myself up in one of these skins to keep off the flies, and shut up for the night. Good night, Lion, old boy; I wish you a sound repose."

The two boys accordingly wrapped themselves in the deer-hides which were scattered on the floor, and lay down, each with a roll of matting for a pillow. In two or three minutes their regular breathing announced that they were fast asleep. But Ernest and Charles did not follow their example. They sat near the entrance of the hut, smoking their pipes, and conversing on subjects which had but little interest for their companions.

"These Hottentots are a strange race," observed

L

Warley. "I suppose nothing is really known of their origin and history."

"Nothing, I believe, with any certainty," returned the doctor. "They seem to have no traditions on the subject, which is a rare circumstance in the history of any people. Their very name is uncertain. Europeans call them Hottentots, or Namaquas, but they themselves do not acknowledge either title. Neither word, in fact, exists in their language. They call some of their tribes 'Oerlams,' meaning new comers in the land, and others 'Topnars,' or the ancient aboriginal inhabitants. But the early history of these latter is quite unknown."

"And what do you imagine to be their origin, Charles? They look very much like Chinese or Tartars. They have been supposed to be of Chinese origin, have they not?"

"I believe so; but on no intelligible grounds that I ever heard. I have a theory of my own about them; but I don't suppose many would share it."

"What is your theory?"

"Well, I connect them with that strange story in Herodotus, of the circumnavigation of Africa, nearly 2500 years ago. You know the story, I suppose?"

"I remember reading it. I think Herodotus says that Necos, or Pharaoh Necho, sent some Phoenicians to circumnavigate Africa. They set out from the Red Sea, I suppose, and sailed throught the Straits of BabelMandeb. In the third year of their voyage, they returned through the Pillars of Hercules, along the northern coast of Africa to Memphis."

"Yes, that is right. They reported, if you remember

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147

as a circumstance accounted by Herodotus as incredible, that when they had sailed some distance along the eastern shore of Africa, they had the sun on their right hand.”

"Just so. And I have always regarded that statement as an unanswerable proof that they really did make the voyage as they asserted.”

"I quite agree with you. Well, their story was that in the autumn of their year, but the spring in South Africa, they went on shore, sowed some land with corn, and waited till the crop was gathered in, when they stored it on board, and resumed their voyage. They did this twice, but in the third year reached home."

"That was their report, exactly, I believe. But what then ?"

"Why, I think the Hottentots must be the descendants of some of the Egyptians who went on that voyage; for though the ships were navigated by Phoenicians, the crews were in all likelihood Egyptian. If you divide the coast-line from the Red Sea to Gibraltar into three equal parts, the spots which make one-third and twothirds of the distance, are the mouth of the Zambesi river, and the coast of great Namaqua land. Now, the Phoenicians and Egyptians, who made up the expedition, must have remained several months at each place. What more likely that they would intermarry with any native women they might find there; nay, is it improbable that some one or two remained behind, and became the progenitors of the Hottentots and Bushmen ?”

"It is what often happens in such expeditions, no doubt. But is there any resemblance between the old Egyptians and these Hottentots ? "

"Yes, several very curious resemblances. Their personal appearance is exactly like that of the ancient Copts, who still inhabit some parts of Egypt; and there is one very remarkable peculiarity, which anatomists say is to be found only in these two races. The Coptic nearly resembles the Hottentot language, a good many roots and some words being the same in both. They have several customs in common; as for instance, they will not eat swine's flesh, and they worship a kind of beetle, which I believe no other nations do. Lastly, the Bushmen, who are believed to be a more degraded branch of the same race, ornament walls and flat slabs of rock with mural paintings, in which travellers have recognised a likeness to those of ancient Egypt."

"Well, that is curious, certainly. I should like to see those paintings. But, supposing your theory as to the Hottentots being of Coptic descent to be true, they might have made their way southwards in successive ages through Central Africa, might they not?"

"Of course, and so might the Kaffirs, who also are like the old Egyptians in many things. But if that were so, surely some traces of them would be found somewhere in Central Africa. They would hardly have passed through a vast tract of country in the slow succession of generations, and left no mark of their residence behind."

CHAPTER XI.

A CHALLENGE-A STRATAGEM DETECTED-ASSEGAI VERSUS

RIFLE THE FEAST-THE DANCE-A

BOYS ESCAPE.

FORAY-THE

WO or three weeks now passed during which nothing of any importance occurred. Lion continued to mend, though very slowly,

and was unable to walk any distance. A messenger had been despatched southward, and his return was impatiently looked for. Spies also had gone out to track the Bushmen, but they too were still absent. Meanwhile the Englishmen were treated with all civility; Toboo every day supplying their table with Hottentot luxuries, and the chief, attended by Omatoko as interpreter, paying them continual visits. It was very amusing to the boys to watch the asides between their two visitors, which the latter supposed to be quite unintelligible to their guests, but which were always explained to them by the doctor, as soon as the Hottentots had departed.