NUMB. XXI. Thursday, June 20, 1754. Studeo, bullatis ut mihi nugis Pagina turgefcat, dare pondus idonea fumo. PERSIUS. A tale in founding phrase I strive to tell, Twas QUASSOUW, the fon of KovusSOMO, was Konquer or Chief Captain over the Sixteen Nations of Caffraria. He was defcended from N'oh and Hingn'oh, who dropt from the moon; and his power extended over all the Kraals of the Hottentots. THIS prince was remarkable for his prowess and activity: his speed was like the torrent, that rushes down the precipice; and he would overtake the wild afs in her flight: his arrows brought down the eagle from the clouds; the lion fell before him, and his launce drank the blood of the rhinoceros. He fathomed the waters of the deep, and buffeted the billows in the tempeft: he drew the rock-fifh from their lurking. lurking-holes, and rifled the beds of coral. Trained from his infancy in the exercife of war, to wield the Haffagaye with dexterity, and break the wild bulls to battle, he was a stranger to the foft dalliance of love; and beheld with indifference the thick-lipped damfels of Gongeman, and the flatnofed beauties of Hauteniqua. As TQUASSOUW was one day giving inftructions for fpreading toils for the elk, and digging pitfalls for the elephant, he received information, that a tyger prowling for prey was committing ravages on the Kraals of the Chamtouers. He fnatched up his bow of olive-wood, and bounded, like the roe-buck on the mountains, to their affiftance. He arrived juft at the instant, when the enraged animal was about to faften on a virvirgin, and aiming a poifoned arrow at his heart, laid him dead at her feet. The virgin threw herself on the ground, and covered her head with duft, to thank her deliverer: but when she rose, the prince was dazzled with her charms. He was ftruck with the gloffy hue of her complexion, which fhone like the jetty down on the black hogs of Heffaqua: he was ravished with the preft gristle of her nose; and his eyes dwelt with admiration on the flaccid beauties of her breafts, which defcended to her navel. KNONM KNONMQUAIHA, (for that was the virgin's name) was daughter to the Kouquequa or Leader of the Kraal, who bred her up with all the delicacy of her fex. She was fed with the entrails of goats, fhe fucked the eggs of the oftrich, and her drink was the milk of ewes. After gazing for some time upon her charms, the prince in great transport embraced the foles of her feet: then ripping the beast he had just killed, took out, the caul, and hung it about her neck, in token of his affection. He afterwards ftripped the tyger of his fkin, and fending it to the Kouquequa her father, demanded the damfel in marriage. THE eve of the full moon was appointed for the celebration of the nuptials of TQUASSOUW and KNONMQUAIHA. When the day arrived, the magnificence, in which the bridegroom was arrayed, amazed all Caffraria. Over his shoulders was caft a Kroffe, or mantle of wild catfkins: he cut fandals for his feet from the raw hide of an elephant; he had hunted down a leopard, and of the spotted fur formed a fuperb cap for his head; he girded his loins with the intestines, and the bladder of the beaft he blew up, and fastened to his hair. NOR NOR had KNONMQUAIHA been lefs employed in adorning her perfon. She made a varnish of the fat of goats mixed with foot, with which she anointed her whole body, as fhe stood beneath. the rays of the fun: her locks were clotted with melted greafe, and powdered with the yellow duft of Buchu: her face, which fhone like the polished ebony, was beautifully varied with spots of red earth, and appeared like the fable curtain of the night befpangled with ftars: fhe sprinkled her limbs with wood-afhes, and perfumed them with the dung of the Stinkbingfem. Her arms and legs were entwined with the shining entrails of an heifer from her neck there hung a pouch composed of the ftomach of a kid the wings of an oftrich overshadowed the fleshy promontories behind; and before she wore an apron formed of the fhaggy ears of a lion. THE Chiefs of the feveral Kraals, who were fummoned to affift at their nuptials, formed a circle on the ground, fitting upon their heels, and bowing their heads between their knees in token of reverence. In the centre the illuftrious prince with his fable bride repofed upon foft cushions of cow-dung. Then the Surri or Chief Priest approached them, and in a deep voice chaunted the nuptial rites to the the melodious grumbling grumbling of the Gom-Gom; and at the fame time (according to the manner of Caffraria) bedewed them plentifully with the urinary benediction. The bride and bridegroom rubbed in the precious ftream with extasy; while the briny drops trickled from their bodies, like the oozy furge from the rocks of Chirigriqua. THE Hottentots had feen the increase and wane of two moons fince the happy union of TQUASSOUW and KNONMQUAIHA, when the Kraals were furprised with the appearance of a most extraordinary personage, that came from the favage people who rose from the fea, and had lately fixed themselves on the borders of Caffraria. His body was enwrapped with ftrange coverings, which concealed every part from fight, except his face and hands. Upon his fkin the fun darted his fcorching rays in vain, and the colour of it was pale and wan as the watry beams of the moon. His hair, which he could put on and take off at pleasure, was white as the bloffoms of the almond tree, and bushy as the fleece of the ram. His lips and cheeks resembled the red oker, and his nofe was fharpened like the beak of an eagle. His language, which was rough and inarticulate, was as the language of beafts; nor could TQUAS SOUW |