Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-08-14
MATABELELAND.
A NOTABLE KING AND A NOTA.
BILE PEOPLE.
An African Monarch of Advanced
Idcas-How Justice is Admins
tered-An Ox-Wagon For
Home--A Rich Country.

The newest English acquisition In
South Africa (Matabeleland) bids fair to
have an interesting history before it is
fully amalgamated into the Colonial
Empire. That it is an exceedingly val
! liable territory there is no doubt, although
the climate will prove trying TO Euro
peans. But its King is by all odds the
ablest native African monarch since
T'Chska, and its numerous inhabitants
are among the noblest aud bravest of all
the Kafiir peoples.
King Lobengula is really fine spcci.
men of barbarian royalty. He is about
fifty-seven years old, of superb physical
proportions and of dignifed aud courtly
bearing. He never is seen in passion, as
SO many savage chieftains are, but when
either administering justice or meeting
foreign envoys always preserves a digni-
fed composure and calm, cool C:emeanor
Hell extremely temperate, and altogether
abstains from spirits; beer he drinks,
but when, as it not uncommon, traders
make him present of champagne, he
always gives it to his wives. His absti-
nence, however, does not save him from
gout, from which he suffers greatly. lie
isaman of liberal and advanced ideas,
and possesses nc small degree Of states
mauship. His subjects comprise anumber
of tribes, whom he governs with rare
skill, doing wonder0 to make them all
one in interests, language, customs aud
laws. His administration of justice
would do credit to a much more civilized
commonwealth The great court con-
sists of Lobengula himself and six OF his
chief Indunas. Gases are brought from
all parts of the country, and arc i'm
partially tried and decided. The In
dumas act as counsel for the parties and
take technical points with an ingenuity
which would do credit to British
Queens Counsel, and debate the cases
with great eagerness. Indeed, in many
WAYS the Matabele litigation is similar to
that of England, for although the In
dumas ferccy urge the claims Of client
while the case lasts, their differences dis
appcar the moment the Kings decision
is given. During the pendency OF
case, moreover, the Indunas keep relig-
iously away from the parties concerned
and their friends, but as soon as the case
is over they approach the successful or
defeated party as if there had been no
dispute. The King very prudently
draws his assessors in turn from various
parts of the country, and does not allow
any set of men from long habit to be
come his masters or too experience ad-
visers.
The King lives mostly in a big OK
wagon. Before he succeeded to the
throne be wore European clothes, and
spent much of his time travelling about
the country with an English team'ter.
But since his accession he has re-
sumed his native costume, and
makes his people do likewise. Still
he sticks to his ox-wsgon, for which he
has given up all his other residences.
This is in some respects great convent
euce to him, for it gives him travelling
court and capital. From time to time
he moves his headquarters, "inspannlng
his oxen and going of without any warn
ing. II asked where he is going he re-
plies, "Follow my wheel tracks and
see" This is probably partly policy to
prevent combinations against him and
partly early habit of imitation OF his
father, who did the same before him.
He has seventy. eight queens, OF whom
ten are royal, but by none OF his royal
wives has the King any son, and 1t is
probable that when he dies there will be
fighting between the various sons OF the
other wives, each being supported by the
district from which his mother came.
The wives are scattered over the country
in the various haals, and when a royal
progress takes place the queens DO not go
with their lord, but await him at the
kraal TO which he Is going. Gubulawayo,
the capital, may be taken as a specimen
of large kraal. In the centre is the
Kings wagon and round it his wives
huts, all circular, built of mud bricks
and rooted with reeds. Round the cen
tral cluster of huts is an open space of
grass four hundred yards wide, and round
this space are the habitltions OF warriors
said to number four thousand--and
their families; beyond these, again, is the
stockade, which is several miles in length.
Matabeleland, as already stated, is a
rich country, but not healthy. 1t is
tropical in climate, aud feyers abound.
The rains last for three months, and
during that time come down in tropical
torrents. For three weeks before the
rains the heat is intense, the thermomc-
ter standing from 102 to 104 Fahrenheit
in the shade. Then for a month the
rain is quite continuous, and nothing
can be done after that again there Is in
termittent rain for another two months.
From the middle OF January to the be-
ginning of November no rain falls, and
the country depends entirely upon the