Damaraland. South Central Africa.
The boundary of this region, adjoining Great Namaqualand, Kalahara, and Ovampo, is very undefined. The natives are unacquainted with the true divisions, and as each nationality is not confined to any particular line, living in a kind of mixed community, it is difficult to say where one country begins and the other ends; but from accounts of the people, it appears that the extinct river Kuisip, which enters Walfish Bay, is the correct boundary, and the coast-line to the north reaches to the Cunene river, which is also the Portuguese boundary of Bengulo, the distance being nearly 400 miles.
The first and only harbour is Walfish Bay, being an important trading-station, belonging to the Cape Colony. This port, where there are two trading establishments, supplies the whole of the northern part of Great Namaqualand, and also all Damara and Ovampolands, the central and northern Kalahara, as far as Lake N’gami. The great drawback to its prosperity is want of fresh water. In many cases the people are supplied with water in casks from Cape Town, but I believe if proper means are taken by sinking wells, a good supply can be procured. At present a considerable trade is carried on with the natives, and is on the increase. On the north of this bay the river Swakop enters the Atlantic, which is the main and principal stream that drains the eastern division of Damaraland, upon which are situated many natives’ wherfs. Some of the principal are Oekiep, thirty-six miles up the river, then Tineos, Oijimbinque, Otjimonjebba, Okandu, Little Barmen, Great Barmen, Otjithebba, Gous, Eikham Hot Springs, and Thames Mission Station. The distance of this last station by road to Walfish Bay is about 231 miles, which is one of the roads to Lake N’gami, and is on the north of Awas mountain, that attains an elevation of 6400 feet. The scenery in this region is wild and grand, and eastward of these points the Ealahara comes in, and is drained by the Black and White Nosops, Elephant river and branches. South of Swakop are several native kraals and wherfs; Wittwater, Reed Fontain, Tjobis, Platklip, Onanis Mission Station on the Kuisip, and others. The country is fearfully sandy and dry. The Canna river, a tributary of the Swakop, branches off thirty miles from the coast. It rises in the spurs of the Ketje mountains and flows south-west through a deep valley between some picturesque scenery. Upon and near this river are several Damara wherfs: Omaruru, Omapyu, and Evonga. A few miles inland from the junction of these rivers is the Canrans Quanwas, or Colquhoun Mount, 3100 feet above sea-level, a conspicuous object from the sea. Copper is found in its vicinity.
Forty miles along the coast, to the north of Swakop river, is the mouth of the Omaruru river, which evidently at some seasons must have a powerful current; the washing away of the banks of sand, and large timber trees brought down and left on the bank, is a good proof. Extensive copper works have been worked here for some time, but they do not seem to pay the company, long since abandoned. Twenty miles inland the lofty and barren hills give a desolate appearance to the country. The sea-coast to the north is bold, and has many projecting headlands. Inland, from Cape Cross, the land rises to an elevation of 3700 feet. All this hilly district is inhabited by Berg Damaras, who are rather scantily dressed. The women have a band round the head with lappets falling behind, a profusion of beads round their necks, with a band and large square apron folded round their loins, and bracelets. The men have a broad belt, leather apron, with parts of tails suspended behind; they have large bows five feet in length, and long arrows tipped with iron. Few iron utensils; wooden bowls are mostly used.
The upper source of the Amaruru rises in the Eshuamen mountains, which is a dense bush, and separates Damaraland from the Ovampo region. The river Omuramba, already described in the Kalahara, rises in the same mountain, Eshuamen, and also Mount Ketje, taking a north-east course, then flowing east, leaving the lofty range of the Omureraoom on the west. The upper part of the Swakop has many stations, and is thickly populated.
Limestone prevails over an extensive area; the peaks, which are composed of this rock, are 4444 feet high. The region to the east is the Kalahara desert and a thick bush country.
The principal road from Barmen Mission Station to Ovampoland runs along by the Omuramba river, between which and Damara the country is divided by an immense thorn district. Beautiful and picturesque scenery is to be found in Damaraland, where the granite hills stand out in bold and massive peaks. The mineral wealth of this region is little-known; copper, lead, and silver, also iron, abound in the mountains. The natives speak the Otjiherero language. There are many mixed races spread over the country, and great numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats are kept by them. Several mission stations are established in the country: Barmen, Otjimbinque, Schmelin’s Hope and others. The climate is very healthy. All the large game are found in these regions. The Damaras hunt them with the bow and arrow, but of late years guns have been introduced into the country. They are a stout and powerful people, very dirty in their habits, and seldom remain long in one locality, being pastoral, cultivating no corn, and always at war with the Berg Damaras, being of a different tribe, using the Hottentot language.
The Rhenish Missionary Society hold most of the stations, and have been great sufferers by these lawless tribes, being plundered, and several of them ruined, which has destroyed the trade of the country. (Illustrative of which, one of the missionary’s goats was being constantly milked. One Sunday evening he caught a man at it, who ran away, and he threw a piece of wood at him; and complained to the chief, who decided that the man was sufficiently punished by that, and the missionary was fined a goat for breaking the Sabbath.) Many English traders were robbed and some wounded. The mission stations were established about 1830, but scarcely anything has been done in civilising the people. The Namaquas live by plundering their neighbours, the Damaras. This was the state of affairs when I first visited that region. Since then they have been robbing the Damaras of their cattle. Several mission stations have been destroyed. Their store at Walfish Bay was broken open and everything stolen, and the manager, Mr Toerson, murdered. The Europeans in the country, numbering about thirty, made application for assistance at Cape Town. The governor sent a man-of-war to Walfish Bay, which returned without landing. Since then several British subjects have been murdered, and so things have gone on from bad to worse, and not until 1875 were any steps taken; then a commissioner was despatched to endeavour to settle matters, but his influence had little effect in restoring order, and eventually he returned to Cape Town. It is of the highest importance to the Cape Colony that Walfish Bay and the coast-line for fifty miles north and south of it should be annexed to that colony as being the principal outlet for the native trade of the interior. If it should fall into foreign hands an immense injury would accrue by the taking away the greater portion of that trade which rightly belongs to the Cape Colony. The chief, Kamaherero, is almost paramount in the country. The population of the Hereros is estimated at about 40,000, and the Berg Damaras nearly 30,000.
The importance of Walfish Bay is its having the command of all the interior trade of Ovampoland, the Kalahara desert, and also that extensive region at Lake N’gami, a great portion of which is brought across the desert, therefore its importance as a British port cannot be overrated. There is no field for emigration, as the country is too dry for agricultural purposes, and the natives at present are too lawless for any settled community to remain there; but as a trading-station to collect the produce of the interior, and barter with the natives, it is all important that it should be retained.
In the latter part of 1879 the country was in a lawless state. The Gobabis have been robbing waggons; the Gobabis are Hottentots. They robbed a Boer, one Van Zyl, of all he had, and he had to fly with one of his sons, leaving his wife and another woman with seven waggons, with horses, oxen, guns and ammunition in the hands of the Gobabis, who had taken all except the two women. Van Zyl went to Mr Palgrave, the Commissioner, for help, to get his wife and waggons from the Gobabis Hottentots, but Mr Palgrave did not assist him, which has caused some comment, and Mr Palgrave started away from Walfish Bay. The Hottentots released the two women who were prisoners, and kept everything. Nothing has been done to bring peace to the country, as where so many petty chiefs have separate rule in a country like this, it is impossible to have law and order. Mr Van Zyl was afterwards shot, and also his son some time later.