, 1889-06-01
MaShuTRaland.

ty who are popularity supposed to be so
rich that they do not themselves know
how much they are "wOrth" are objects
of natural envy. 1t would not be at all
difficult, however, to prove that every
man, woman, and child in the United
Kingdom is at the present moment in
the same delightful condition of owning
a great deal more than he or she is aware
of. Much ignorance prevails as to the
extent, value, and resources of our lat
est acquisitions in South Africa. Beyond
Bechuanaland, far to the north of the
Orange Free State and the TranSvaal
and Zululand there stretches q country
called Mashunaland, which has recently
been proclaimed to be ''within the sphere
of British influence" It will be SatiSfac.
tory to all BritOnS to know that this latest
jewel in the British Grown is by no means
made of paste or other spurious materi-
al, but is a gem of the finest water. This
is vouclIed for on the au hority of Mr..
SelOuS, the African traveller and hunter,
who contributes al article on the cOun-
try and it's inhabitants to the May mum
Der of she "FOrtnishtly Review" from
which it would certainly seem that, in
the general scramble for South Africa,
England has at last put her hand on a
NOli(ouIS SOOA ChIuS' AAO 4dSu(IdS
themselves are a peaceable folk, on whom
their neighbours, the warlike M~atabples,
make perpetual raids. In consequence
the former carry on their existence in u
state of a0ject terror, and build their hutS
and StOrehOuseS on the highest cragS Of
the hllls, 80 rs an to be AS much AS pos.
lille out of the reach of peril. The pre-.
SeHce OF the ErOpean settler would be not
merely tolerated, but cordially welcOm-
ed. When Mr.. Selous was %iOurneying
through the country he and his little
band were often mistaken for a Matabele
timpi," the result of which was that the
people fed shrieking from their villages,
and the buying of food WAS an impossible
ity. In many respects these MaShuna
natives. are q more respectable and amia-
ole set Of barbarians than any in South
Africa. They are to begin with, peace,
ably inclined: even in their intertribal
quarrels blood is rarely shed and n man
accused of witchcraft is not sentenced to
the usual African punishment of death,
but is merely banished from his tribe.
Then in religious beliefs, although these
are somewhat vague, they are free from
the oppressive fear of malicious demons
AMI evil spirits which is nearly univer-
sal in Africa. The habit of tattooing
is very much practiSed, thereby detracting,
to the European eye, from the beauty of the
human face and form divine but the au-
thor of the article states that the women
are "particularly stout and sturdy-loek-
Ing" and that most of them "have merry,
cheerful faces, and seem very good.temper
ed.D
Such being the character of the people,
as described by one who has travelled
among them constantly, and who knows
more about the country than any other
European, what is to be said for theirs soil and
climates 1t must be remembered that the
whole Nashua plateau is over four thou
sand feet above the sea level. Owing to this
elevation "the nights are cool through the
entire year." From September to March
the sun is hot during the day, though the
excessive heat is always tempered by the
south east breeze. During the winter
months the climate is perfection, a trife
bleak and cold perhaps during June and
July-mid. winter in South Africa-but
every healthy and bracing." There are
plenty of forests, so that fires can be OBJ.
tanned in winter time-a luxury in South
Africa, where, as most travellers know,
great tracts of territory In the TransvaSl,
the Free State, and other parts are almost
entirely t~reeless. AR Mr.. Selous Justly
observes, the time to judge of this part
Ofthe world is in not the spring of the year,
when the rain has just fallen, but In
autumn, after q period of drought. It ia
then that South Africa appears to the