Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-05
THE MATABELE DANCE.
A SPECTACLE THAT EQUALS THAT
OF KING SoLoMoNS MINES.

Three Weeks I'm Each Year in Which Ev-
erything Gives Way to the Fete-Ten
Thousand Soldiers In the "Big Dance"
Some Interesting Details.
The "Big Dancen of the Matabele army,
held annually at Buluwayo, has been de-
scribed as the sight of South Africa by
those few travellers who have penetrated
into these hitherto almost unknown parts
of the interior.
The Small Dance" takes place when the
crops are two-thirds grown on the last day
of the moon, and is parade and dance of
the troops living in or near Buluwayo,
there being generally about 1900 to 1000
men present. During the three weeks
which follow the Small Dance Lobengula
retires from public business, and govern
ment is conducted by the three dance
doctors"
Lobengula invited the party to visit his
kraal and witness private dance of the
Imbizus. This regiment. numbered some
600 men, in undress, namely, they carried
no shields, assegais or ostrich feathers,
but wore their usual aprons of leopard,
gray monkey or tiger-cat skin, with a cir
Gle of jackal tails dangling from their
waist belts. Round their legs were coils
of brass and iron bangles, and most Of
them carried on their heads jackal tail,
so worn that it stood straight up on one
! side of the head.
The dance commenced by the warriors
rushing into the "Sigadhlo," or chiefs in
ner and private kraal, in three companies.
They then went through some curious
maneuvers which can be compared only
to certain figures in monster ballet One
division rushed from one side upon the re-
mainder, meeting in the centre of the
ground and then breaking away again
back to their own side, performing wild
fantastic motions with extraordinary regu-
larity.
They then formed one dense line with a
front of 100 men and six Deep and chanted
wild praises of their chief, stamping first
one foot, and then, after facing round, the
other, always in perfect time and waving
their arms andshands in unison. After an
hour of this incessant chanting and dane
ing their ''dance sticks" straight slaves
about three feet long) were given them by
| attendants in the rear, and then as one
man they kept waving them, first to the
right and then to the left, and from time
to time thrusting them furiously at the
ground in time with their tune, the leg
bangles giving loud crash as their feet
came down. Hardly a man was under six
feet in height many being taller. All were
in splendid condition and showed magnif-
cent physique. Every now and again some
would bound wildly into the air, always,
however, maintaining time with the re-
mainder.
They formed up in one large semicircle,
and, by special order, chanted the ''Up-
raised Shield, or war song, very seldom
allowed to be sung, and very plaintive in
I It's cadence. After this song was finished
three large Jumps of raw meat, the dis
membered joints of three royal bullocks,
were given to the men; in minute all the
beef was snatched up, but not without
many struggle over the prime pieces.
The next day Buzungwan, the head dance
doctor, arrived and fixed the following day
for the "Big Dance" Eight hundred bull
locks were distributed among the troops
and at once killed for use on the following
day. as on the "Big Dance" day, or feast
of Puriication," no shedding of blood is
allowed, and all the natives bathe in the
river early in the morning At noon the
troops, who were divided into seven large
divisions-Buluwayo Ikapa, Inxobo, Am
abuto, Amakuda, Manyama and Mahlope--
marched on to the grounds, in round num-
bers 5000 to 10000 men. They looked ex-
| tremely well with their large headdresses
of ostrich feathers, which covered the backs
of their heads like helmets and extended
over both shoulders. All had the national
kits formed of skins and tails hanging
from their waists, and above their calves
were fringes of long white hair. In their
left hands they carried the large elliptic
shields of OK hide and their assegais, in
their right the "dance sticks" with which
about every third step they struck their
shields, keeping time with their songs.
After marching round the ground they
formed one solid line, four deep and about
1000 yards long, the f1anks inclining like
an arc. The Induna of each division had
SO told off his men that they appeared to
be in companies, as distinguished by their
shields; first came q company with black
shields, followed by ones with black and
white, all white, nearly all black, and red
shields. The general effect produced was
excellent.
Presently thirty-six of Lobengula's wives,
gaudily arrayed in blue skirts and bright
orange shawls worn over the shoulder, APP
peared. Each carried many pounds weight
Of bright beads, and had the hair decked
out with the royal feathers of the blue jay.
They filed slowly from their own quarters
on to the parade, and then breaking up
into groups of four and five they slowly
paced up and down before the troops with
peculiar gait, all the time chanting and
waving supple wands. Lobengula was too
gouty to leave his bath chair and, covered
with streaks of medicine paint, sat facing
the center of the line. In the background
were thousands of native spectators. Then
the sacred black oxen were driven past,
and, at signal given by Buzungwan,
the whole line charged furiously up TO the
chief and the line of spectators.
According to national custom, all the
troops now moved TO drive the sacred oxen
| into the veldt and back again. While this
was being done the black clouds which had
threatened thunder burst into quite storm
and the spectators all retired for shelter.
But IN an hour out came the sun again,
and the troops, who had reformed line in
the heavy rain, chanted and brandished
their shields and sticks as before, and every
now and then some old warrior would rush
out Of the ranks, and feigning to kill foe
with his assegai would shout out his former
prowess in war This went on for-two
hours, when the men were dismissed to their
| camps to feast and make merry.
| The day after the dance is called the
slaughter day." when the chief selects 400
or 500 cattle from the national herds, To
which all fines are paid in oxen. Then fol-
! lows a wild scene, as the Induna of each
regiment sets to work stabbing with his
assegai the cattle given to the men under
his command. All the black hHllocks,
when killed, are set apart that night for
! the spirits, but on the following or "eating
! day" their flesh is distributed TO the troops.
Nrs44- =. 4 - ~