From the Cape to Cairo: The First Traverse of Africa from South to NorthGrogan, Ewart Scott
History
From the Cape to Cairo: The First Traverse of Africa from South to North
Grogan, Ewart Scott
Africa -- Description and travel; Grogan, Ewart Scott, 1874-1967
The Watusi, who are practically identical with the Wahuma, are the
descendants of a great wave of Galla invasion that reached even to
Tanganyika. They still retain their pastoral instincts, and refuse to
do any work other than the tending of cattle; and so great is their
affection for their beasts, that rather than sever company they will
become slaves, and do the menial work of their beloved cattle for the
benefit of their conquerors. This is all the more remarkable when one
takes into consideration their inherent pride of race and contempt for
other peoples, even for the white man. They are most jealous of their
descent, and no Mtusi woman ever marries any one but a Mtusi. A Mtusi
man will take another woman as a working wife, but his true wife is
invariably of his own stock, and her children alone can succeed to his
position.
The half-castes, and individuals with any trace of Mtusi blood, form a
medium between the full-blooded Watusi and the aborigines, whom they
call Wahutu, but associate only with the upper class, or are the
paramount chiefs of insignificant districts. Many signs of superior
civilization, observable in the peoples with whom the Watusi have come
into contact, are traceable to this Galla influence.
The hills are terraced, thus increasing the area of cultivation, and
obviating the denudation of the fertile slopes by torrential rains. In
many places irrigation is carried out on a sufficiently extensive scale,
and the swamps are drained by ditches. Artificial reservoirs are built
with side troughs for watering cattle. The fields are in many instances
fenced in by planted hedges of euphorbia and thorn, and similar fences
are planted along the narrow parts of the main cattle tracks, to prevent
the beasts from straying or trampling down the cultivation.
There is also an exceptional diversity of plants cultivated, such as
hungry rice, maize, red and white millet, several kinds of beans, peas,
bananas, and the edible arum. Some of the higher-growing beans are even
trained on sticks planted for the purpose. Pumpkins and sweet potatoes
are also common; and the Watusi own and tend enormous herds of cattle,
goats, and sheep. Owing to the magnificent pasturage, the milk is of
excellent quality, and they make large quantities of butter. They are
exceedingly clever with their beasts, and have many calls which the
cattle understand. At milking-time they light smoke-fires to keep the
flies from irritating the beasts.
All the dairy utensils are of wood, and are kept scrupulously clean; but
they have an unpleasant method of repairing cracked jars by filling up
the crevices with cow-dung, and of using the urine as the cleansing
medium.
They are tall, slightly-built men, of graceful, nonchalant carriage, and
their features are delicate and refined. I noticed many faces that,
bleached and set in a white collar, would have been conspicuous for
character in a London drawing-room. The legal type was especially
pronounced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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