Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-06
NEW People IN AFRICA.
A Race like the AngIO-Sax0ns of Astat =
ic Origin---Their Religion Spiritual

In tue southwestern portion OF Africa
is a tract about 500 miles in breadth,
from north to south, and between 400
and 500 miles in length, from east to
west, laid down on the maps as Herero
Land or Dramara Land. 1t extends
fiom the Cnnene river, on the north, TO
the WaIfisch Bay, on the south, and from
the coast to Lake Ngami, in the interior,
Very few Europeans have visited IT;
three hunters only. between 1857 and
1864, Anderson, whose works on "i.ake
Ngami," &C., are so well known, Green
and SHUTS. Anderson was so much
pleased with the country that he purchas-
ed a large tract of land there and raised
some thousands of cattle. He died there
in the early part of the present year.
There are two races inhabiting the
country, the Bechuanas, who occupy
some kraals or villages in the central and
northern part, but who are in a depend
.ent condition, and the Ovas of several
tribes, a red race, with long hair, curly,
but never woolly, regular features and
fine forms. These are the ruling race,
and exhibit high degree of intelligence,
aud many characteristics which indicate
their Asiatic origin. They are governed
by kiug-Tjikongo-of the Ovambo
race, who resides at Ondonga. He is
assisted in the government by council,
without whose consent he cannot execute
any measure. Each tribe has its prince
and its territory, and the princes are sub
jeet to the king and council, By whom,
for any offense against the laws, they
may be deposed or put TO death. Each
principality is divided into districts, gov
erned by chiefs who are amenable to the
princes, but have an appeal to the king
and council. Their roads are excellent,
and each has an inspector, whose bust
ness it is to see that every person coming
into the kingdom is stopped and enter
tanned until his name and purposes can
be forwarded to tho king, and permission
obtained for him TO travel through the
country. In the case of hunters and ex
plorers, there is usually little difficulty,
but traders are required to procure some
responsible citizen of the country to be
their guarantee that they shall deal hon.
orably and pay all the debts they con-
tract.
The religion of the country is, in
many respects, so much like the Parsees,
as to induce the belief that the Ovas be.
long to that race, or have been under its
tuition. They are not idolators, but be.
lieve in a Supreme Being, the Creator,
who is omnipresent, omnipotent and on
nicient, and whose symbols are the sun
and the fire, and to these they pay hon.
aye as bis representatives, but offer no
sacrifices to them. They keep the sacred
fire constantly burning, and the princes,
who are also priests, intrust to their
daughters and sometimes to their wives,
the duty Of experimenting these sacred
fires. The Ovas also believe in the ex-
is!ence of very powerful evil spirit,
who is not, however, omnicient nor ON
nipresent; and to bis interference they
attribute all their misfortunes and acct
dents, but they offer no sacrifices to him.
They are said to be an honest, industri-
Gus and temperate people, far moro re-
gardful of their word and more observ-
ant of good morals than most of the
African races.