Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/56

32 is much deeper, and hence ensue the most disagreeable nasal tones. The speech ends with a sort of singing sound, which dies away by degrees, and is often some seconds before it wholly ceases.”

The reverend Thomas Arbousset, of the French mission in Basutoland, has also given a vocabulary, seven pages in length, but unfortunately he confused Hottentots with Bushmen, and his list contains many words adopted even from Sesuto. It was prepared about the year 1837. In his vocabulary he did not attempt to introduce any symbols whatever to represent the clicks, so that to the philological student it is valueless. His remarks upon the language, as he heard it spoken, are, however, to the point. He says:

“Their language is harsh, broken, full of monosyllables, which are uttered with strong aspirations from the chest, and a guttural articulation as disagreeable as it is difficult. … It is not without reason that it has been said of them that they cluck like turkeys. … The clucks are especially found at the recurrence of a letter which is of a harsh guttural pronunciation. … As this horrible aspiration recurs incessantly in the mouth of the Bushmen, one is inclined to say that they bark rather than speak.”

In 1862 the late Dr. W. H. I. Bleek, a man of great learning patience, and industry, was appointed custodian of the Grey Library in Capetown. In that capacity he had much to do, but he found time out of office hours to carry on the philological studies for which he had been specially trained, and in which pursuit he was an enthusiast, though his judgment was clear and even cold. At first his only opportunity of acquiring any knowledge of the Bushman language was by visiting Robben Island and picking up words and short phrases from prisoners there, but after a time the government allowed him to take to his home two decrepit men of that race whose terms of imprisonment had nearly expired, and when they were liberated two others were