. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . well a few pieces ofpolished iron become them, when worn as ornaments. The Damaras, speaking generally, are an exceedingly finerace of men. Indeed, it is by no means unusual to meetwith individuals six feet and some inches in height, and sym-metrically proportioned withal. Their features are, besides,good and regular; and many might serve as perfect modelsof the human figure. Their air and carriage, moreover, isvery graceful and expressive. But, though their outwardappearance deno
. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . well a few pieces ofpolished iron become them, when worn as ornaments. The Damaras, speaking generally, are an exceedingly finerace of men. Indeed, it is by no means unusual to meetwith individuals six feet and some inches in height, and sym-metrically proportioned withal. Their features are, besides,good and regular; and many might serve as perfect modelsof the human figure. Their air and carriage, moreover, isvery graceful and expressive. But, though their outwardappearance denotes great strength, they can by no meanscompare, in this respect, with even moderately strong Euro-peans. The complexion of these people is dark, though not en-tirely black; but great difference is observable in this , in their own language, they distinguish between theOvathorondu—the black individuals—and Ovatherandu, or redones. Their eyes are black, but the expression is rather soft. I never saw any albinos in Damara-land, though such aresaid to occur among the Caffi-es. TPIE DAIVIARAS. 63. DAMAEAS. 64 COSTUME. The women are often of the most delicate and symmetricalshape, with full and rounded forms, and very small handsand feet. Nevertheless, from their precarious mode of life,and constant exposure to the sun, &c., any beauty they pos-sess is soon lost; and, in a more advanced age, many becomethe most hideous of human beings. Both sexes are exceedingly filthy in their habits. Dirtoften accumulates to such a degree on their persons as tomake the color of their skin totally indistinguishable ; while,to complete the disguise, they smear themselves with a pro-fusion of red ochre and grease. Hence the exhalation hover-ing about them is disgusting in the extreme. Neither men nor women wear much clothing. Their ha-biliments consist merely of a skin or two of sheep or goats,with the hair on or off, which they wrap loosely round thewaist, or throw across the should
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