An account of the Bushmen shews how extremely primitive peoples may also observe the risings of the stars, may connect them with the seasons, and--which is indeed somewhat rare--may even worship them. The Bushmen perceive Canopus; they say to a child:--“Give me yonder piece of wood that I may put (the end of) it (in the fire), that I may point it burning towards grandmother, for grandmother carries Bushman rice; grandmother shall make a little warmth for us; for she coldly comes out; the sun shall warm grandmother’s eye for us”. About the same time as Canopus, Sirius appears, and a similar ceremony takes place. Sirius comes out: the people call to one another:--“Ye must burn (a stick) for us (toward) Sirius.” They say to one another: “Who was it that saw Sirius?” One man says to the other: “One brother saw Sirius.” The other man says to him: “I saw Sirius.” The other man says to him: “I wish thee to burn a stick for us towards Sirius, that the sun may shining come out for us, that Sirius may not coldly come out.” The other man says to his son: “Bring me the piece of wood yonder, that I may put it in the fire, that I may burn it towards grandmother, that grandmother may ascend the sky, like the other one”, i. e. Canopus. The child brings him the piece of wood, he holds it in the fire. He points it burning towards Sirius, he says that Sirius shall twinkle like Canopus. He sings; he points to them with fire that they may twinkle like each other. He throws fire at them[551]. Canopus and Sirius appear in winter, hence the cold is connected with them. The ceremony just described is obviously a warming-incantation. It is said also that it will make the stars rise higher, for the higher they stand above the eastern horizon at sunrise and the more brightly they twinkle, the more nearly winter draws towards an end. The Hottentots connect the Pleiades with winter. These stars become visible in the middle of June, that is in the first half of the cold season, and are therefore called ‘Rime-stars’, since at the time of their becoming visible the nights may be already so cold that there is hoar-frost in the early morning. The appearance of the Pleiades also gives to the Bushmen of the Auob district the signal for departure to the _tsama_ field[552].