Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South AfricaAnderson, Andrew A.
History
Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South Africa
Anderson, Andrew A.
Africa, Southern -- Description and travel; Anderson, Andrew A. -- Travel -- Africa, Southern
The Korannas had large kraals along the Vaal and Orange before diamonds
were found; since then they have gone more to the west into the Kalahara
desert. They are, as I have before stated, a dirty and dishonest tribe,
not to be trusted in any way; their main stronghold is at Maamuosa, on
the Harts river, under the chief Moshoen. The Bushmen also have
considerably decreased. When I first knew them, in 1864, these two
tribes lived together with scarcely anything to cover them. At the
present time they all wear clothes of some sort, and are in a better
position in consequence of the Diamond-Fields bringing money into the
country. I have had several of them for my servants at different times,
but could make nothing of them. Speaking to my Koranna boys about their
marriages, they tell me when a man and woman agree to be man and wife,
as soon as that is settled between them, without asking any one's
permission or going through any ceremony, they are then and there
married, so long as it suits them; if either wish to break off the
engagement, they tell the other party that he or she can go and get
another wife or husband, as the case may be; the children, if any, are
divided by agreement. In 1867 I had a Koranna boy, about twenty, who
got married when in my service; seven months after they got tired of
each other, so he took another girl, and his old wife married the other
boy I had. In 1877 I had another Koranna, who changed his wife three
times when in my service. The Hottentots and Bushmen do the same; they
never have more than one wife at a time.
All the other tribes can have as many wives as they are able to keep.
They belong to the Bechuana family, and live more in the northern part
of Griqualand West, near the Harts river, as all the lower parts are
occupied by English, Dutch, and others in farms, allowing small native
kraals to remain on them, that the occupiers may have the use of their
labour when required, and they are allowed a piece of ground to
cultivate and grazing for their cattle.
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