The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-08-01
Observation-Disclosures

Observation-Disclosures
Stupid as Hottentot ;" " Wild as q
Hottentot :" Black as Hottentot >
so we say, and yet we know very little
of these people, how stupid or wild OF
black they are.
The Hottentots are living in the
southern part of Africa, although proba-
bly, it was not their original home.
They are surrounded by black people on
every side, yet do not mix with the
black people, but keep quite to them
selves. They are of queer, ugly, yell
lowish color, have wool for hair all III
knobs or knots over their heads, their
eyes are small and far sunken i'll their
heads, their noses fiat, their lips thick !;
in fact they are as ugly as can well be
imagined. A negro, or any other black
man, is beauty compared to Hot
tentct. Their language is n sort of
noise, not unlike the cracking of nut
shells as one might walk on them break
ing and crushing them under foot.
They are not, however, 80 very Wild,
and truer simile would be, " AS wild
as Bushman.
The Hottentots are supposed to be
akin to the Bushmen Cor Bosjesmen) in
origin, yet this is not known definitely.
Now, the most of them speak Dutch,
which they learn from the Beers,
descendants of Dutchmen, who long
ago emigrated TO South Africa. They
overspread the country in many parts,
and have quite forgotten their own
country. Many of the young Hotten-
tots speak Dutch only, and know moth
ing of their own language. Most Of
them wear some sort of garments, be
they ever so old or ragged, and they live
in settlements, with chiefs of their own,
also partially civilized, or else they set
tie as retainers on the land owned by
the Beers or English people. They are
awfully lazy no other word but aaCfully
will tell how lazy they are they are
perpetual smokers, are drunk whenever
they can find any liquor, and are ex-
tremely dishonest. This is the charac-
ter of Hottentot, yet he is neither
wild nor stupid, as usually quoted in
books. The men can do various things
if they take fit of industry, and the
women also can work.
Now as to the Bushmen, they look
just like Hottentots, except that they
are smaller, yellower, have less wool,
smaller eyes, hatter noses, and, in fact,
are hideous.
The men are about four feet six
inches to five feet high, the women from
three feet six inches to four and half.
Their heads are nearly bare, a small
oasis of wool appearing here and there
on shiny bald head. The Bushmen
live in holes and caves, have no chief,
no laws, no homes, and no wives of their
own. Indeed, they are but very slightly
removed from animals. Their food is
roots and flesh, often eaten raw, their
occupation to shoot, with arrows
poisoned with snake poison, any ami
mails they can find. They can talk a
queer iargon of breaking, nut
cracking sounds, worse than any other
language under heaven, and they are
wild beyond description. If captured,
they die in being kept in one place. and
even when caught young, the children
ordinarily die. They are in the habit
of making inroads on the territory Of
men, white or black, and driving off
horses, cattle and sheep, stealing and
disappearing with them, into their wild,
out-of-the-way places Of abode. Their
sharp little poisoned arrows are sure
death, and they will shoot herd of cat
tie from pure mischief.
The one peculiar accomplishment of
the Bushmen is to paint and colorsd
paintings, blue, red, green and other
colors, are found in caves and among
rocks where they have dwelt. These
paintings are some of them really fine,
and all are very interesting, as the
figures they are intended to represent
are by no means bad, but very easily
recognized. No attempts have been
made to teach or to civilize the Bush
men. They are unapproachable, their
language is unlearnable, and they flee
from other men like the widest deer.
Occasionally Dutch Boer shoot. q
man or woman, considering he is doing
no more harm than if he shot an ami
NAL. Occasionally large number of
Bushmen come together from their
caves and wild homes on mountains,
where no other mortal or immortal could
live, and steal cattle until it becomes
necessary to brighten them away by
firing few guns at them. Then the
whites or blacks sally out against them,
and send them flying away, that is. if
they can find them. This is all the
communication held with the Bush
men and all they have to do with other
races is to steal from them and be fired
on in return.
There is no doubt the Bushmen are
the lowest human beings in the world.
An old missionary, who had spent his
life in teaching other African tribes,
and who knew the Bushmen well, once
remarked that " to send missionary
to the Bushmen would be as useless as
to tie Bible to a crows leg and send
the crow among them. "-Christia,,
Weekly.