The Search for Nitre and the True Nature of Guano, Being an Account of a Voyage to the South-West Coast of Africa; Also a Description of the Minerals Found There, and of the Guano Islands in That Part of the World (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1846 Excerpt: ...P. 147. might perhaps be conveniently made along the course of the Orange river, and from it towards the coast as well as from the coast towards the river. A native interpreter, who, I presume, might be obtained at the Cape, would be a desirable companion. No opposition need be apprehended from the chiefs, but rather encouragement, provided they are satisfied that the objects of the travellers are not inconsistent with their interest. They are much alarmed lest their rival neighbours, the Damaras, should come into the possession of firearms; but when satisfied upon this point, there seems to be no danger of personal violence in travelling through their country. Two or three missionaries, I believe are stationed amongst them, and it would be desirable to carry letters of recommendation to them. The natives manifest anything but a repugnance to an intercourse with Europeans. Upon our taking to the boats at Elizabeth Bay and other places, after a day's excursion, they would assist in pushing them off, and then jump in themselves with the exclamation 'ship ship 1' and it was with difficulty that they could be got out. It seems that they had been so well treated on board the ships that they eagerly embraced an opportunity of revisiting them: one of them was so enamoured of a sea-faring life that he left home and friends, and I found him on board a vessel at St. Helena, on his passage to England, apparently well contented with his lot, and with his new name of Ichaboe John; he had been regularly entered into the list of the ship's company, and had signed articles with ' his mark.' This man was about forty years of age. He much amused me with a dance, performed on the knees, and accompanied by the noise of two sticks hammered one against the other, and with the e...