Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/46

 26 SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA, dangerous savages, although really a timid people, living in the caves and fissures of the mountains, and retreating step by step before the advance of the Europeans and of the other Negro populations. In their eyes the European is almost a divine being, whom they would not dare to resist. Hence, they are ever on their guard against strangers, and creep stealthily down to the coast, where they venture amongst the breakers in quest of fish, and of the flotsam and jetsam of all kinds cast ashore by the waves. This is their only food, for they have no arms or missiles with which to pursue the game in their forests. Amongst them the social state has not developed beyond the family circle, each little group of closely related kinsfolk keeping together and wandering about under the guidance of the elder or patriarch. Other fugitive peoples, such as the Ba-Kulabes (Caba^), and the Ba-Koroka, probably of mixed origin, roam the western slopes of the hills, being also utterly powerless to offer the least resistance to the European or native invaders. On the opposite side of the mountains dwell the Ba-Kankalas, a dwarfish tribe with large paunch and yellowish complexion, who would seem, like the Ba-Kwandos and Ba-Kwisses, also to represent the Bushman stock amongst the surrounding Bantu peoples. The descendants of these aborigines have held their ground most successfully in the southern districts of Angola, where they are still concentrated in the largest numbers. But here also the ever-advancing Bantu populations have acquired possession of the land, and the Bunda language has already become the prevalent form of speech. On the right or Portuguese side of the Cunene, the chief nation are the Ba-Simbas (Ba-Ximba, Ba-Shimba), the Cimbebas of Duparquet and other ethnologists Tlic upper basin of the Caculovar, chief affluent of the Cunene, belongs to the various tribes of the Ba-Nhaneka family, while the banks of the main stream itself are here occupied by the Ba-Nkombis. According to Nogueira, these two nations jointly comprise a population of over a hundred and forty thousand souls, all of Bunda speech and evidently of the same race as the northern Bundas. The local traditions attest that they formerly dwelt in the region about the head- waters of the Cuanza, whence they were expelled by the Ba-Nanos. Their customs, especially of the Ba-Nkombis, in some respects resemble those of the Arabs. Thus they shave the head, leaving only a tuft of hair on the crown, and respectfully remove their shoes before entering a friend's house. The houses " themselves resemble the dwars of the Mauritanian Beduins, and the commune is governed in the same way. Most of these tribes are independent, and even those paying a small tribute to some suzerain chief enjoy complete local self-govern- ment. Not even the hamba, or chief, literally the " more than man," can assert his will in all things, for he is surrounded by councillors, with whom all weighty matters have to be discussed, and whose views he has frequently to accept. When a hunter strikes down an elephant he presents the hamba with one of the tusks, but no other taxes are levied, except perhaps the fees exacted from suitors who come to plead before the tribunal of the "father." Although servi- tude exists, care is taken not to apply the name of slave to those in bondage, who