The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-08-25
From the Spectator.l
Gallons Explorations in South Africa.


broader sources of novelty and interest, it
contains much of freshness from the origin
atty of its action. Everything was tenta-
tive in Mr. Cations exploration from the
time he fairly began. His people, his cattle,
his routes, had all in measure to be extern
porized on the spot; which imparts Crusoe
like interest to the account. The narrative,
without being literal or devoid Of liveliness,
is very real Even in the midst Of scenes
where novelty, Imagination, and field-sports
unite in tempting to color, Mr.. Cation seems
exact and matter-of-fact. The Parisian CO.
temporaries of LIE Valiant ridiculed him for
the mingled dignity and sentiment he threw
into his interviews with savages or the king
Of beasts: my "first giraffe" or troops Of lions
and dhippopotamuses have been recorded with
empressment by English travellers in the
same region. Mr.. Cations narrrtive of
similar encounters is of more sober and
real-looking cast. fit were embodied in an
affidavit the most cautious solicitor would
hardly raise doubt.
There are numerous pictures of savage life
and character, in which closer test is often
applied than mere description of external fea-
lures. The following conveys good idea Of
1--WE had to trust to the guides, whose
ideas of time and distance were most pro-
vokingly indistinct; besides this, they have
no comparative in their language, SO that
you cannot say to them, (which is the longer
of the two, the next stage or the last one!'
but you must say, "The last stage is little;
the next is it great!" The reply is not, it
is a little longer or much longer, or very
much longer;' but simply, 'it is So or 1T is
not so.' They have very poor notion of
time. lfyou :ay, Suppose we start at sun
rise, where will the sun be when we arrive!
they make the widest points in the sky,
though they are something of astronomers,
and give names to several stars. They have
no way OF distinguishing days, but reckon
hy the rainy season, the dry season, or the
pig-nut season. When inquiries are made
about how many days journey off place
may be, their ignorance of all numerical
ideas is very annoying. In practice, what
ever they may possess in their language
they certainly use no greater numeral than
three. When they wish to express four
they take to their fingers, which are to them
as formidable instruments Of calculation as
a sliding-rule is to an English school-boy.-
They puzzle very much after five, because
no spare hand remains to grasp and secure
the fingers that are required for units
Yet they seldom lose oxen; the way in which
they discover the loss of one is not by the
number of the herd being diminished, but by
the absence of face they know. When
bartering is going on, each sheep must be
paid for separately. Thus, suppose two
sticks Of tobacco "a stick is about an ounce)
to be the rate of exchange for one sheep, 1t
would sorely puzzle Damara to take two
sheep and give him four sticks. have done
so, and seen a man put two of the SUCKS
apart and take sight over them at one Of
the sheep he was about to sell. Having
satisfied himself that that one was honestly
paid for, and finding to his surprise that ex-
actly two sticks remained in his hand to
settle the account for the other sheep, he
would be afflicted with doubts; the transac-
ton seemed to come out too pat to be cor
rect; and he would refer back to the first
couple of sticks, and then his mind got hazy
and confused, and wandered from one sheep
to the other, and he broke off the transaction
until two sticks were put into his hand and
one sheen driven away, and then the other
two sticks given him and the other sheep
driven away. When Damara's mind is
bent upon number, it is too much occupied
to dwell upon quantity; thus, heiter IS
bought from man for ten sticks OF tobacco;
his large hands being both spread out upon
the ground, and stick placed on each f1ng.
er; he gathers up the tobacco; the size OF
the mass pleases him, and the bargain is
struck. You then want to buy second
heifer; the same process is gone through,
but half sticks instead of whole ones are put
upon his fingers: the man is equally well sat
isiied at the time, but occasionally finds 1t
out and complains the next day. Once,
while / watched Damara foundering hope
Iessly in a calculation on one side of me,
observed Dina, my spaniel, equally embar-
rassed on the other. Sho was overlooking
half dozen other new born puppies, which
had been removed two or three times from
her; and her anxiety was excessive, as she
tried to find out if they were all present, or
if any were still missing. She kept puzzhng
and running her eyes over them backwards
and forwards, but could not satisfy herself.
She had vague notion of counting, but the
figure was too large for her brain. Taking
the two as they stood, dog and Damara, the
comparison reflected no great honor on the
man."
There are many sporting stories, but not
SO MANY as in some books of Southern Afrl-
ca, because game was comparatively rare
either in the country, or for that season, or
Mr.. Cation had other objects to think about
The book, howevea, is not deficient IN
of this kind, and they are given
without extravaganza either Of manner or
matter.
Hans, our travellers servant, had mar
row escape from lion, though, probably,
not more than African sportsmen, who cam
not write books, 60 through daily, and think
nothing Of"
"My servant, Hans, had very narrow es.
cane some time since. He was riding old
Frieschland (the most useful OK had, but
now worn out by the Ondonga journey
along the Swakop, when he saw something
dusky by the side Of camelthorn tree, two
hundred Yards off This was lion, that
rose and walked towards him. Hans had his
gun in his gun-bag by the side OF his saddle
and rode on; for there is no use in provoking
hostilities sngle-handed with lion, unless
some object has to be gained by it, as every
sportsman at last Acknowledges. Ihe cool
est hand and the best shot are never safe; tor
a bullet however we'll aimed, is not certain
to nut the animal hors de combat After the
lion had walked some twenty or thirty yards,
Frieschland, the OK, either saw or smelt hlm,
and became furious Hans had enough to
do to keep his seat; for a powerful long-hora-
4 nd hmm n