affre tribes, which are those who have suffered from
being, as it were, pressed between encroachments from the north and the
south. The Caffre race is very numerous. The origin of the general
term Caffre, which means Infidel, and no more, is not known, any more
than is that of the term Hottentot."

"A proof of what we found out at school," observed the Major, "that
nicknames, as they are termed, stick longer than real ones."

"Precisely," replied Swinton; "our acquaintance is mostly with the more
southern Caffres, who occupy the land bordering on the east coast of
Africa, from the Cape boundary to Port Natal. These are the Amakosa
tribe, whose warriors have just left us; the Tambookies, whose territory
we have recently quitted, and to the northward of them by Port Natal,
the Hambonas. These are the Eastern Caffres.

"On the other side of the Mambookei chain of mountains, and in the
central portion of Africa, below the tropic, are the Bechuanas, who
inhabit an extent of country as yet imperfectly known to us. These may
be termed the Central Caffres.

"On the western side of the African coast, and above Namaqua-land, whose
inhabitants are probably chiefly of the Hottentot race, we have the
Damaras, who may be classed as the Western Caffres; with these we have
had little or no communication.

"All these tribes speak the Bechuana or Caffre language, with very
slight variation; they are all governed by chiefs or kings, and
subdivided into numerous bodies; but they are all Caffres. Of their
character I have only to observe, that as far as we have experienced,
the Caffres of the eastern coast, which we have just left, are very
superior to the others in courage and in every other good quality. Now,
have I made myself intelligible, Alexander?"

"Most clearly so."

"I nevertheless wish that we were sitting down in some safe place,
instead of travelling on horseback over this withering tract, and that I
had the map before me to make you understand me better."

"I will refer to the map as soon as I can," replied Alexander; "but I
have studied the map a great deal, and therefore do not so much require
it."

"All these Caffre tribes live much the same life; their wealth is in
cattle; they are partly husbandmen, partly herdsmen, and partly hunters;
and their continual conflicts with the wild beasts of the country
prepare them for warriors. The Eastern Caffres, from whom we have
lately parted, are the most populous;