South Africa and the Boer-British War, Volume I: Comprising a History of South Africa and its people, including the war of 1899 and 1900Halstead, Murat
History
South Africa and the Boer-British War, Volume I: Comprising a History of South Africa and its people, including the war of 1899 and 1900
Halstead, Murat
South African War, 1899-1902
Of these natives--Bantu, or Kaffirs, or whatever their local names
might be--much has been written and much might be said here. The race
has produced some great men. Merciless in war they generally were, but
it is a question whether the cruelties perpetrated by Matabele or Zulu
chiefs have not been excelled by leaders of Christian nations without
the aggravation of continuous warfare or the excuse of natural
savagery. The religious strife of mediæval Europe, or the fire and
sword and tortures of Spain in Mexico and Peru, will occur to every
mind. Bravery was an almost universal quality amongst the Bantu,
though it varied in degree. Tshaka, the founder of the Zulu nation,
possessed boundless ambition, a powerful and ruthless will, a genuine
genius for military organization and rule. He was emphatically the
native Napoleon of South Africa. Dingaan, his successor, had a few of
his qualities; Cetywayo enough of them to constitute him an interesting
figure and to give him a permanent place in history. Had he not been
obliged to contest his supremacy with the firearms and cannon of the
white man, he might have extended his sway up to the Zambesi and been a
greater warrior than Tshaka. Moselkatze, until he came into conflict
with the emigrant farmers, was a savage potentate of considerable
ability. Like Tshaka with his Zulus, he organized the Matabele into a
strong military power and ruled the west and north with a rod of iron
for many years. His successor, Lobengula, resembled the Zulu Cetywayo
in many respects, and in none more than in his final overthrow by the
white man. Had conditions been otherwise the two chiefs might have
disputed the primacy of South Africa; and it is hard to say which would
have won. These men were all warriors by nature and environment and
generals by instinct. Moshesh the Basuto was, however, a statesman as
well, and his rise and progress and career afford most striking
evidence of the natural ability which a savage may possess. Of a
somewhat similar character is Khama, the present Chief of the
Bechuanas. So much for the greater names among the Bantu.
[Sidenote: Native Bravery]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account