The ruined cities of Mashonaland: Being a record of excavation and exploration in 1891 — John Shaqi
The ruined cities of Mashonaland: Being a record of excavation and exploration in 1891Bent, J. Theodore (James Theodore)
History
The ruined cities of Mashonaland: Being a record of excavation and exploration in 1891
Bent, J. Theodore (James Theodore)
Extinct cities -- Zimbabwe -- Mashonaland; Great Zimbabwe (Extinct city)
The two acts, however, which more than anything else display the power
of the man, and perhaps his intolerance, are these. Firstly, he forbids
all his subjects to make or drink beer. Any one who knows the love of a
Kaffir for his porridge-like beer, and his occasional orgies, will
realise what a power one man must have to stop this in a whole tribe.
Even the missionaries have remonstrated with him on this point,
representing the measure as too strong; but he replies, ‘Beer is the
source of all quarrels and disputes. I will stop it.’ Secondly, he has
put a stop altogether to the existence of witch doctors and their craft
throughout all the Ba-mangwato—another instance of his force of will,
when one considers that the national religion of the Sechuana is merely
a belief in the existence of good and bad spirits which haunt them and
act on their lives. All members of other neighbouring tribes are
uncomfortable if they are not charmed by their witch doctor every two
or three days.
Like the other Bechuana tribes, the Ba-mangwato have a totem which they
once revered. Theirs is the duyker, a sort of roebuck; and Khama’s
father, old Sikkome, would not so much as step on a duyker-skin. Khama
will now publicly eat a steak of that animal to encourage his men to
shake off their belief. In manner the chief is essentially a gentleman,
courteous and dignified. He rides a good deal, and prides himself on
his stud. On one occasion he did what I doubt if every English
gentleman would do. He sold a horse for a high price, which died a few
days afterwards, whereupon Khama returned the purchase money,
considering that the illness had been acquired previous to the purchase
taking place. On his waggons he has painted in English, ‘Khama, Chief
of the Ba-mangwato.’ They say he understands a great deal of our
tongue, but he never trusts himself to speak it, always using an
interpreter.
An instance of Khama’s system of discipline came under our notice
during our stay at Palapwe. Attracted by the sound of bugles, I
repaired very early one morning to the kotla, and there saw men in all
sorts of quaint dresses, with arms, and spades, and picks, mustering to
the number of about 200. On enquiry, I was told that it was a regiment
which had misbehaved and displeased the chief in some way. The
punishment he inflicted on them was this: that for a given period they
were to assemble every day and go and work in the fields, opening out
new land for the people. There is something Teutonic in Khama’s
imperial discipline, but the Bechuana are made of different stuff to
the Germans. They are by nature peaceful and mild, a race with strong
pastoral habits, who have lived for years in dread of Matabele raids;
consequently their respect for a chief like Khama—who has actually on
one occasion repulsed the foe, and who has established peace,
prosperity, and justice in all his borders—is unbounded, and his word
is law.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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