by H. C. Adams
APPENDIX.
THE HOTTENTOT GOD.
The worship of the beetle by the Hottentots has been disputed. No doubtit has not been their practice during the last fifty years. But that itexisted in more ancient times, is (I think) abundantly proved by theevidence of trustworthy writers. Kolben, for example, has the followingexplicit statement, made from his own experience.
"The Hottentots adore as a benignant Deity, a certain insect, peculiar(it is said) to the Hottentot countries. This animal is of thedimensions of a child's little finger; the back green, the bellyspeckled white and red. It is provided with two wings and two horns.To this little winged Deity, whenever they set eyes on it, they renderthe highest tokens of veneration. If it honours their kraal with avisit, the inhabitants assemble round it with transports of devotion, asif the Lord of the Universe was come among them. If the insect happensto alight on a Hottentot, he is looked upon as a man without guilt, anddistinguished and reverenced as a saint and the delight of the Deityever after. They declared that if this deified insect had been killed,all their cattle would certainly have been destroyed by wild beasts, andthey themselves, every man, woman, and child of them, brought to amiserable end."--_Kolben_, vol 1, page 99.
KAFFIR PROPHETS.
The scriptural curse of the "false prophet" has never been morestrikingly fulfilled, than in the instance of the Kaffir nation in theyear 1656. A false prophet, named Umhlahaza, professed to have receiveda revelation from heaven through the visions of a girl, commanding theKaffirs to kill the whole of their cattle, and promising that, in theevent of their obedience, all their forefathers, together with theircattle, should rise to life again, that they should regain theirascendancy in the land, and live in plenty and prosperity for evermore.The object of this audacious imposture was to reduce the whole nation ona sudden to such a state of suffering that, in their desperation, theywould burst in upon the settlements of the white men, and everywhereexterminate them. It is strange that in a country where the flocks andherds constitute the sole wealth of the people, such an attempt shouldhave succeeded. But it did so to a considerable extent, at all events.Those who had contrived it, however, had made one fatal omission. Theyought to have concentrated the whole people on the English border, andthey forgot that men enfeebled by famine would be unfitted for warfare,or indeed for any lengthened travel. An attempt was made to remedy theblunder by postponing the day of the resurrection of the chiefs andcattle, but it failed. The people had discovered the imposture, thoughnot until they were reduced to the most frightful condition ofstarvation. The English colonists did all that lay in their power torelieve them, but they were wholly unable to remedy the mischief. Vastnumbers died everywhere by the most terrible of all deaths, and thestrength of the nation was so completely broken by the disaster, thatthey were rendered wholly incapable of continuing the warfare, for whichin former days they had been so renowned.
WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR.
All the particulars of the wreck of this ill-fated vessel have beengiven in the narrative. The whole of the crew and passengers, exceptseventeen, escaped safe to land, to the number of one hundred and fifty.In accordance with the proposal of the captain, they endeavoured tomake their way overland to Cape Town; but after a few days' travel,during which they were harassed by the Kaffirs with repeated attacks, afresh consultation took place. Forty-three able-bodied men perseveredin the attempt. Of these, some three or four, after terrible perils andhardships, succeeded in reaching Cape Town. What became of those whowere left has never been certainly known. Rumours, which are mentionedby Le Vaillant and others, declare that some women at all eventssurvived, and were compelled to become the wives of native chiefs. Anexpedition was even sent out to search for these, but failed, moreapparently from want of capacity in those conducting it than fromanything else. Under these circumstances the fate of those who remainedbehind may, not unfairly, be made the subject of fiction.
APPENDIX.
THE HOTTENTOT GOD.
The worship of the beetle by the Hottentots has been disputed. No doubtit has not been their practice during the last fifty years. But that itexisted in more ancient times, is (I think) abundantly proved by theevidence of trustworthy writers. Kolben, for example, has the followingexplicit statement, made from his own experience.
"The Hottentots adore as a benignant Deity, a certain insect, peculiar(it is said) to the Hottentot countries. This animal is of thedimensions of a child's little finger; the back green, the bellyspeckled white and red. It is provided with two wings and two horns.To this little winged Deity, whenever they set eyes on it, they renderthe highest tokens of veneration. If it honours their kraal with avisit, the inhabitants assemble round it with transports of devotion, asif the Lord of the Universe was come among them. If the insect happensto alight on a Hottentot, he is looked upon as a man without guilt, anddistinguished and reverenced as a saint and the delight of the Deityever after. They declared to me that if this deified insect had beenkilled, all their cattle would certainly have been destroyed by wildbeasts, and they themselves, every man, woman, and child of them,brought to a miserable end."--_Kolben_, volume one, page 99.
KAFFIR PROPHETS.
The scriptural curse of the "false prophet" has never been morestrikingly fulfilled, than in the instance of the Kaffir nation in theyear 1856. A false prophet, named Umhlahara, professed to have receiveda revelation from heaven through the visions of a girl, commanding theKaffirs to kill the whole of their cattle, and promising that, in theevent of their obedience, all their forefathers, together with theircattle, should rise to life again, that they should regain theirascendancy in the land, and live in plenty and prosperity for evermore.The object of this audacious imposture was to reduce the whole nation ona sudden to such a state of suffering that, in their desperation, theywould burst in upon the settlements of the white men, and everywhereexterminate them. It is strange that in a country where the flocks andherds constitute the sole wealth of the people, such an attempt shouldhave succeeded. But it did so to a considerable extent, at all events.Those who had contrived it, however, had made one fatal omission. Theyought to have concentrated the whole people on the English border, andthey forgot that men enfeebled by famine would be unfitted for warfare,or indeed for any lengthened travel. An attempt was made to remedy theblunder by postponing the day of the resurrection of the chiefs andcattle, but it failed. The people had discovered the imposture, thoughnot until they were reduced to the most frightful condition ofstarvation. The English colonists did all that lay in their power torelieve them, but they were wholly unable to remedy the mischief. Vastnumbers died everywhere by the most terrible of all deaths, and thestrength of the nation was so completely broken by the disaster, thatthey were rendered wholly incapable of continuing the warfare, for whichin former days they had been so renowned.
WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR.
All the particulars of the wreck of this ill-fated vessel have beengiven in the narrative. The whole of the crew and passengers, exceptseventeen, escaped safe to land, to the number of one hundred and fifty.In accordance with the proposal of the captain, they endeavoured tomake their way overland to Cape Town; but after a few days' travel,during which they were harassed by the Kaffirs with repeated attacks, afresh consultation took place. Forty-three able-bodied men perseveredin the attempt. Of these, some three or four, after terrible perils andhardships, succeeded in reaching Cape Town. What became of those whowere left has never been certainly known. Rumours, which are mentionedby Le Vaillant and others, declare that some women at all eventssurvived, and were compelled to become the wives of native chiefs. Anexpedition was even sent out to search for these, but failed, moreapparently from want of capacity in those conducting it than fromanything else. Under these circumstances the fate of those who remainedbehind may, not unfairly, be made the subject of fiction.