Lake Ngami/Chapter 39
CHAPTER XXXIX.
For a considerable distance to the northward of the chief's werft, the banks of the Teoge are inhabited by Bayeye, and a few scattered Bushmen, all acknowledging Lecholètébè as their chief. Cooley supposes that these people came originally from the West Coast, and that they have been established in their present abode for a long period. Formerly, and before their subjugation by the Bechuanas, they must have possessed a large territory, and even now the country they occupy is of considerable extent, consisting, as I believe, of one continued plain, intersected by rivers, with extensive marshes. The banks of the rivers are, in general, very low, but wherever they rise a few feet above the level of the water they are shaded by a rank and wild vegetation. The trees are of a gigantic size, having their stems and branches interwoven with beautiful parasitical plants and creepers.
In person, feature, and complexion the Bayeye appear closely allied to the Ovambo and the Hill-Damaras.
The language of the Bayeye bears considerable resemblance to the Ovaherero, and has, moreover, some affinity with the dialects of the East Coast, though two or three "klicks" would seem to indicate a Hottentot origin.[1]
The Bayeye are of a merry and cheerful disposition, and, like my friends the Damaras, are the happiest of creatures, provided they have a pot full of flesh and a pipe. These elements of human felicity are not, however, peculiar to savages, as may be seen in the following stanza. of an old song, often chanted by our English rustic forefathers:
"What more can any man desire,
Nor sitting by a good coal fire,
And on his knee a pretty wench,
And on the table a bowl of punch?"
In one respect the English clown has an advantage over the barbarian of South Africa, inasmuch as the latter does not appear to make any stipulation in favor of a female companion.
The Bayeye are much given to lying and pilfering, and are as suspicious as they are deceitful. As an instance of their thievish propensities, I may mention that, when ascending the Teoge, they deprived me gradually of almost the entire stock of articles of exchange, consisting chiefly of beads. These things constituted my only money, and being well aware that without it I should not be able to get on, I determined to recover my property at all hazards. But, before proceeding to extremes, I was anxious to acquire positive proofs of the guilt of my treacherous companions. Accordingly, I ordered my own men to mark carefully the different parcels. As soon as the canoes arrived at night at the appointed rendezvous (we ourselves, as I have mentioned, were walking) we hastened to the shore, and, while Timbo was ransacking the baggage, I stationed myself at the head of the canoe, in order to prevent the crew from landing until we had ascertained if any pilfering had taken place during our absence.
Scarcely had my servant opened the first pack before he exclaimed, "Oh yes, master, the rascals have been there, sure enough!" Immediately stepping up to the native who was in charge of the canoe, I presented my gun, on cock, at his head, threatening to blow out his brains if he did not instantly produce the stolen goods. A scene of the utmost confusion now took place. The men appeared at first inclined to be hostile, many seizing their arms, while the women were running to and fro, crying and howling in a manner which baffles all description. However, I was determined, come what would, to have my property back, and I quietly told them that their menaces should be of no avail, for the first individual who attempted to molest me would, to a certainty, be a dead man. And, to give effect to my threat, I added, with a significant look at the gun, that they well knew I was not much in the habit of missing my mark. Conceiving that I was in earnest, they thought better of the matter, and in a few seconds I had half a dozen of them at my feet, begging I would spare their lives, and promising that if I would not mention the circumstance to their paramount chief, Lecholètébè, they would forthwith restore the missing articles.
Being but too glad to recover my property on such easy terms, I declared myself satisfied, warning them, however, of the consequences of any future attempt on their part to steal, as I should certainly not again trouble myself about inquiring who was the thief, but would simply shoot the first man I came across. This had the desired effect; for they not only left my property untouched for the future, but treated me with far more civility than they had hitherto manifested.
The men, excepting when hunting and fishing, in which pursuits they show great activity, usually lead a very idle life at home. All the drudgery falls on the women, who till the ground, reap, and afterward cleanse and grind the corn, &c.
Respecting their mythology and religion I am so much in the dark that it would not be worth while to communicate to the reader the little I know. It is always difficult to obtain information on these subjects from savages; and, besides, it requires both time and a knowledge of their language. This applies also, though not to as great extent, to their superstitious notions, which are numerous, and, as may well be supposed, often ridiculous.
Polygamy prevails among the Bayeye, and one not unfrequently finds the more wealthy consoling themselves with half a dozen wives.
They live in large round huts, covered with matting made of rushes, and constructed in the same manner as those of the Namaquas.
The men have adopted, as in many other things, the dress of their conquerors, the Bechuanas, which consists simply of a piece of skin, broad in front, tied round the waist, with a tassel attached to it on each side falling down over the hips; and, in addition to this, they wear a skin, or light caross, which they accommodate to the body according to the state of the weather.
The women dress very much like those of the Damaras, viz., with a short skin skirt, which, as well as their own persons (when they can afford it), is profusely bedecked with beads and various brass, copper, and iron ornaments. But the plate facing this page will give a far better idea of the appearance, attire, &c., of these people than can be conveyed in words.
They are fond of the dance, which is a mimic representation of the playful sports and courtships of the different wild animals surrounding them.
The only weapons in use among the Bayeye are light javelins, having sometimes two or three barbs. In addition to this, the elders of the nation carry a shield, nearly oval in form, made of a single fold of ox-hide; but they have only become acquainted with this means of defense since they were subdued by the Bechuanas. To the want of shields they entirely attribute their own defeat.
With regard to their habits, customs, manners, &c., much of what has already been said of the Bechuanas may be applied to the Bayeye—a natural consequence of subjugation.
Like most dark-colored nations, they are addicted to intoxicating liquors. They understand how to brew beer, on which they frequently become inebriated.
The men are inveterate snuff-takers, and the women "dacka" smokers.
In former times the Bayeye possessed numerous herds of cattle, but these passed into the hands of the Bechuanas upon their assuming the mastery over the country. They 
BAYEYE.
are permitted, however, to rear a few goats, which they do less for the sake of the milk and flesh than for the skins, which are converted into sleeping rugs, and carosses for wear. They also keep a few barn-door fowls, but apparently of a very ordinary breed.
They derive their chief subsistence from the produce of the soil, which is fertile, yielding the necessaries of life in abundance, and with little labor. A month or two before the rainy season the ground for cultivation is selected, cleared, and slightly worked by a small, short hoe, the only agricultural implement I have seen used by the Bayeye in tilling. After the first heavy rains they begin to sow the corn, of which there are two kinds indigenous to the country, namely, the common "Caffre," and another sort, very small-grained, and not unlike canary-seed—a description which is akin, as I am informed, to the "badjera" of India. This is more nutritious than the other, and, when well ground, makes excellent flour. Tobacco, calabashes, watermelons, pumpkins, beans, and small peas are also grown, as well as different kinds of edible earth-fruits, of which the oiengora (motu-o-hatsi of the Bechuanas, I believe) may be mentioned in particular. This is a sort of bean, having its pods under ground. It is well known to the Mozambiques; is extensively grown by the black population in Mauritius, and is, I am told, no uncommon article of importation at the Cape of Good Hope.
Moreover, the country, as before said, produces a variety of wild fruit-trees, which serve no less to beautify the scenery than to afford good and wholesome sustenance to the inhabitants. Among the most handsome and useful trees, the moshoma stands, perhaps, pre-eminent. On account of the great height, the straightness of the trunk, and the distance at which it begins to branch out, the fruit can only be gathered when it falls to the ground. It is then exposed to the sun for some time, and, when sufficiently dried, is put into a hollow piece of wood (a sort of mortar) and pulverized. It is fit for use at any time by simply mixing it with water, when it is not unlike honey in appearance, and has a sweet, agreeable flavor. Strangers, however, must use it cautiously at first, for if eaten in any large quantity it is apt to derange the stomach. The moshoma invariably grows on the banks of rivers, or in their immediate neighborhood, and may, with the greatest facility, be conveyed down the Teoge to the Lake. The Bayeye use the timber extensively for canoe-building and in the manufacture of utensils. I found the moshoma growing in Ovambo-land, and I am also given to understand that it is common throughout the countries west of the Portuguese settlements on the East Coast.
The Bayeye store their corn and other products of the soil in large baskets, not unlike those of the Ovambo, manufactured from palm-leaves and other fibrous and tenacious substances.
The Bayeye are fond of hunting, and as the country abounds in game, the spoils of the chase contribute materially to the support of the people. They are, moreover, expert fishermen. They either strike the fish with a barbed spear, or, more commonly, capture them in nets. These are made from the fibrous stalks of a species of aloe, which is found in abundance throughout the countries of the Namaquas, Damaras, the Ovambo, and others lying to the eastward, but only grows to perfection about the Teoge. The fibres are of great tenacity, apparently stronger and more flexible than hemp, though requiring less labor and attention in its growth and manufacture. Could this plant be naturalized, it would no doubt prove a valuable acquisition to any country. I believe the nets are also occasionally manufactured from fibrous and tenacious leaves, rushes, and grasses. The meshes are knotted the same way as in Europe.
From the humid nature of the country, the Bayeye, although, generally speaking, a healthy race, suffer at times from rheumatism and other similar affections. Ophthalmia is also of frequent occurrence; and many of the natives bear marks of the small-pox. Like the Lake district, the Teoge and the surrounding country is visited by a dangerous fever, which carries off many of the natives.
North of the Bayeye country we find the Matsanyana, but I have not been able to ascertain whether these people form a distinct nation.
Still further north, that is, beyond the Matsanyana, we hear of the Bavicko (or Wavicko) nation, whose capital is called Libèbé, from which also the chief derives his name. The Griquas, whom I mentioned when speaking of the watersheds of the Lake, and whom I met and conversed with on the subject, say that the country about Libèbé is flat and thickly overgrown with bush, occasionally relieved by large isolated trees, and that the Teoge is there of great width and studded with beautiful islands, on which the natives chiefly dwell.
The Bavicko are represented as an industrious and honest people of agricultural habits. Their mode of dress resembles that of the Moviza (a great trading nation in the interior of the East Coast, and west of the Portuguese settlement). Timbo, who was well acquainted with the appearance of the Moviza, on hearing a description of the Bavicko, mistook them for the former nation. The latter have some slight knowledge of metallurgy. Iron they procure easily and in abundance from their neighbors; but, from all I can gather, this ore does not seem to be indigenous to their own country.
Libèbé appears to be the centre of a great inland trade. Among other tribes that repair here for the purpose of commerce are the Mambari, a race probably resident in the vicinity of the new Portuguese settlement, Little Fish Bay. A strong argument in favor of this supposition is, that the Griquas, lately alluded to, and who found a party of these men at Libèbé, were informed by them that their tribe was visited by two different white nations: by one of them— meaning probably the Portuguese—chiefly for the purpose of purchasing slaves; by the other—most likely the English or Americans—to obtain, by barter, ivory and other valuable productions of the country. The Mambari bring to Libèbé, as articles of exchange, blue and striped cotton, baize, beads, and even cattle.
Again, we find the Ovapangari and Ovapanyama also visiting Libèbé for trading purposes. These nations, as before mentioned, occupy the country north of Ovambo-land. On a visit to the latter in 1851 (Galton's expedition), we found the tribes above named likewise trading with the Ovambo. The Bavicko have, moreover, intercourse with Sebetoane, Lecholètébè, and others.
- ↑ As perhaps many of my readers are interested in philology, I may mention that in the "Geographical Journal" of this year I have introduced a short vocabulary of the Bayeye language. The words, though necessarily few in number, have been selected with a view to their utility, and consist chiefly of those denoting family relations, names of the different parts of the body, familiar objects, numerals, &c. I have, at the same time, given the corresponding terms in the Otjiherero (Damara) and the Chjlimanse (a tribe inhabiting the country west of the Portuguese settlement on the East Coast) to show the striking analogy existing between these languages. The nations here mentioned occupy a narrow strip of territory extending obliquely across the continent from the West Coast almost to that of the East.