Page 540
An.1691
Their Food and Bartering.
Their common food is either Herbs , Flesh , or Shell-fish , which they get among the Rocks , or other places at low water : for they have no Boats , Barklogs , nor Canoas to go a fishing in ; so that their chiefest subsistence is on Land Animals , or on such Herbs as the Land na- turally produceth. I was told by my Dutch Land- lord , that they kept Sheep and Bullocks here be- fore the Dutch settled among them : and that the Inland Hottantots have still great stocks of Cattle , and sell them to the Dutch for Rolls of Tobacco ; and that the price for which they sell a Cow or Sheep , was as much twisted Tobacco , as will reach from the Horns or Head , to the Tail ; for they are great lovers of Tobacco , and will do any thing for it. This their way of trucking was confirmed to me by many others , who yet said that they could not buy their Beef this cheap way , for they had not the liberty to deal with the Hot- tantots , that being a priviledge which the Dutch East India Company reserve to themselves. My Landlord having a great many Lodgers , fed us most with Mutton , some of which he bought of the Butcher , and there is but one in the Town ; but most of it he kill'd in the night , the Sheep being brought privately by the Hottantots , who assisted in Skinning and Dressing , and had the Skin and Guts for their pains. I judge these Sheep were fetched out of the Country , a good way off , for he himself would be absent a day or two to procure them , and two or three Hottantots with him. These of the Hottantots that live by the Dutch Town , have their greatest subsistence from the Dutch , for there is one or more of them be- longing to every house. These do all sorts of servile work , and there take their Food and Grease. Three or four more of their nearest Relations sit at the doors or near the Dutch House , waiting for