The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in KaffirlandWard, Mrs.
History
The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in Kaffirland
Ward, Mrs.
South Africa -- History -- Frontier Wars, 1811-1878
destructive assegais at their feet [these are used when compelled to
close with the enemy], the warriors of the Amatola, unsubdued in spirit,
haughtily await the "word" of the "White-headed Chief of the children of
the foam," to which Sandilla vouchsafes no reply. Apart, a young Gaika,
Anta (Sandilla's brother), speaks words of bitter scorn. Eye and hand
sweep round the glorious territory, and at each pause in his vehement
harangue, a low and solemn sound, like the distant roar of many waters,
rolls through the circle of his auditors. No notice of what is passing
is vouchsafed by the Amakosa Chief. At last, drawing his robe of
tiger-skin around his withered limb, he moves slowly and, in spite of
his lameness, with dignity, from the council-ground, and is lost in the
deep recesses of the "bush."
All this, I say, presents a mournful image to the mind, and many a
romance has been formed on poorer incidents; but we must remember when
we hear the broad assertion of philanthropists at home, that we are not
justified in taking from the Kaffir, "the land of his fathers," that the
country is only his by might--no more his than ours, he having driven
the aborigines from the dwelling-place God originally led them into.
Where are these poor Bushmen now? Far up the country, among the steep
recesses of the mountains, where they form a link between the animals of
the wilderness and human nature. Thither civilisation may follow them
when the land of their forefathers shall be under British rule!
It may here be remarked that the Zooluh tribes, near Natal, now punish
witchcraft among themselves with death. Umwangela, a chief, lately
ordered a Zooluh wizard to be destroyed by one of the tribe, named
Nomgulu; both the chief and his subject were seized by the British
authorities, and tried for murder. Umwangela's defence was, "I was
dead; I had lost my family by the wizard, and determined to have his
life in return." Nomgulu pleaded that he was "only the dog of
Umwangela; that witchcraft was a crime punishable by death." Umwangela
and his "dog" were found guilty of murder on the British territory, and
sentenced to death; but the sentence was not carried into effect. The
witnesses who discovered the prisoners arrested them when returning from
bathing, it being the custom of the Zooluhs to wash after an execution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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