Notebooks

Story: Dorothea Bleek - Book BC151_A3_015

Title

Dorothea Bleek - Book BC151_A3_015

Collection

Summary

A manuscript book. Auen and Naron notebook, volume IV. Words and sentences, mostly the latter. Some interesting descriptions and notes on relations with others, customs and names for things, mention of history of the peoples of the region, cultural practice, markings on the body, birth, death, and so on.

Comments

1) Inside front cover: 21.1.21., p.1: same date. ||axas; 2) p.198v: 221.1.21. |kwi |kais & |nu kaib, 12.12.21. ||axas; 3) p.199v: on bringing on birth, throwing away children whether stillborn or otherwise, burying them; 4) p.200v-204v: ≠nuku. 4.12.21 & 12.12.21: Naron[?] methods of making net & riempie, artefacts & dress, making weapons (spear) & selling/exchanging, reference to Saul's name (p.204v); 5) p.205: p.204v continued (12.21), on eating a nut; 6) p.206-7: About a chief (captain)at Olifantskloof and reference to land rule, succession & coming of Hottentots, 'work for them, do not make war'; 7) p.206v: 16.11.21. ||oba, married to Anni u, 13.12 on same page; 8) p.208: 11.12.21. ≠nuku; 9) p.209: some names of people and relations/terms for relations; 10) p.309v&210v: 11.12.21. Auen. Anni u, reference to place Kurikas; 11) p.211-: 'the Missus [DB] speaks for the Missus came to learn to talk', description of eating a cucumber, description of eating foodstuffs, sewing a sjambok, flowers; 12) p.213v: 13.12.21. Anni u; 13) p.216v: 23.1.21. Anni u; 14) p.217v: ||kweb & !nu kweb, 2 Naron boys, making a bullroarer and dancing rattles; 15) p.218v&19: making & using a digging stick, other artefacts, a description of when 'Hartebeest' was about and the making of markings on arm and between eyes, cutting of index finger, a related dance, a description of hunting ie things seen by the contributor; 16) p.219v: 'page 225 [or 8?]' and references to porcupine's hole, water bull, Mantis and rainfall; 17) p.221: Names of captains, places; 18) p.222v: 24.1.21. !nukwib & |ßkweb [same as |kweb & !nu kweb?], mention Namaqua language & Naron speech; 19) p.223 & 4&224v: making fire, cutting & piercing parts of the body; 20) p.225: on poisoning an arrow, cooking mieliemeal; 21) p.225v: on Bushman coffee, a reference to 'Hartebeest'; 21) p.227v: Saul and |kwi |kais (Naron), refer to 'Hartebeest'; 22) p.229v&230: 25.1.21. !nu kweb & Saul (Naron) describe hunting, collecting/carrying ostrich eggs, fetching water & wood; 23) p.231&v: on making a house & fire in it, Hartebeest comes and sits down; 24) p.232-233v: On hunting springbok & duiker; 25) p.233v: ||au||en. |uixamab (husband of Anni u?), making fire and bow, hunting; 26) p.235v: 26.1.21. !nu kai (previously !nu kwib) & Saul. Iron spear heads and bartering ostrich eggshell beads (for them?) as Auen do not work them; 27) 236v-40v: personal history and names of relations of !nu kweb (!nu kai), making and using a buchu preparation (possibly medicinal), eating a snake after removing the poison, flower necklaces which smell nice on the neck, reference to many children that have died and other personal history, making a kaross, how his leg broke in his mother's body [?]; 28) p.240v: 27.1.21 |kukurib. On ostrich & their eggs & habits, hunting ostrich, cooking & eating their eggs, carrying eggs with nets; 29) p.242v-244v: ≠nukai. Sentences including the making of iron spears by Auen but not Betchuana etc, personal history, how he is a cripple, where he used to live 'a thirsty land'; 30) p.245: 28.1.21. ≠nu kai. Working bones into implements, poisoning arrows; 31) p.244&v. ||axas. Putting flowering buchu around neck by maidens to dance, the eland dance; 32) p.248v&249v: 29.1.21. ≠nu kai. Animals of his land, cooking and eating anteater & porcupine 'nice meat it is', who eats what part; 33) p.249v: |kukurib. Personal history - his father's revenge on the Naron, killing many, he witnessed this war near Rietfontein; 34) p.250v: a description of an 'extraction' or 'doctoring' ritual using mouth, drawing bad things out, spitting, medicine etc - 'things much I give goods of all sorts presents I give doctorwomen there are extractors they are the men they work with, and the women they also work with'; 35) p.252v: Games played by Bushmen. Snake game, a description, the Ox dance; 36) p.253v&4: elephants & ostrich fight over water; 37) p.255v: 31.1.21. ≠nu kai. On lions, leopards and their prey, their habits; 38) p.257v: ||axas. On courting, game playing [?]; 39) p.258&v&259: On playing a game with a melon, on nursing & weaning milk-drinking and bigger children, their growth, on gathering food, eating; 40) p.259-60: |kukurib. When he was a boy he killed an eland, on hunting & getting cut from his personal experience, 'having cut you can shoot springbok well'; 41) p.261v: weather & seasons in his land, names of winds; 42) p.262v: Reference to Sand Bushmen (|xwabba kwen); 42) p.263v-265v: digging & grave and burial practices, actions of widow & his family; 43) p.265v-266v: 2.1.21. |kwi |kai. More about cutting (scarrification), greetings; 44) Inserts (10) in between 261v&262 on language.

Contributors

||kweb, !nu kweb (|ßkweb & !nukwib), Anni u, ||oba, |kwi |kai & |nu kaib, ≠nuku, Saul, ≠nu kai, |kukurib

Date

1921

Story Pages

197-266

The Digital Bleek & Lloyd