South Africa -- Description and travel; South Africa -- History -- 1836-1909; South Africa -- History -- To 1836
It is well that we should annex Kreli’s country;--but there is something
for the lovers of the picturesque to regret in that the Kafir should no
longer have a spot on which he can live quite in accordance with his own
habits, in which there shall be no one to bid him cover his nakedness.
Though by degrees the really independent part of Kafraria Proper has
dwindled down to so small dimensions, there has always been the feeling
that the unharassed unharnessed Kafir had still his own native wilds in
which to disport himself as he pleased, in which the Chief might rule
over his subjects, and in which the subjects might venerate their Chiefs
without the necessity of obeying any white man. On behalf of such lovers
of the picturesque it should be explained that in making the Kafirs
subject to Great Britain, Great Britain interferes but very little with
their habits of life. There is hardly any interference unless as an
introduction of wages among them may affect them. The Gaika who has been
subjugated has been allowed to marry as many wives as he could get as
freely as the hitherto unsubjugated Galeka. Unless he come into the
European towns breeches have not been imposed upon him, and indeed not
then with any rigorous hand. The subject Kafirs are indeed made to pay
hut tax,--10s. a hut in the Cape Colony and 14s. in Natal; but this is
collected with such ease as to justify me in saying that they are a
people not impatient of taxation. The popular idea seems to be that the
10s. demanded has to be got as soon as possible from some European
source,--by a week’s work, by the sale of a few fowls, or perhaps in
some less authorized manner. A sheep or two taken out of the nearest
white man’s flock will thoroughly indemnify the native for his tax.
But their habits of life remain the same, unless they be openly
renounced and changed by the adoption of Christianity; or until work
performed in the service of the white man gradually induces the workman
to imitate his employer. I think that the latter cause is by far the
more operative of the two. But even that must be slow, as a population
to be counted by millions can not be taught to work all at once.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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