Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-10-02
Mstabeleland.

The newest EnSlsn acquisition III
South Africa lMatabeleland) bids fair
to have an interesting history before
it is fully amalgamated into the Col
onial Empire That it is an exceed
ingly valuable territory there Is no
doubt. although the climate will prove
irving 10 Europeans. But its King l.
bv all odds the ablest native African
monarch since T'Chaka, and its nu-
merouS inhabitants are among the
noblest and bravest OF all the hafiir
people.
King Lobengula is really fine
specimen Of barbarian royalty. He
is about fiftv-seven years old, of su-
perb physical proportions and OF dig
nified and courtly bearing He never
is seen in passion, a so many saw
iage chieftains are, but when either
administering justice or meeting
foreign euvoyS always preserves
diguifed composure and calm, cool
demeanor. He is extremely temper
ate. and altogether abstains from
spirit, beer he drinks, but when, as
IL not uncommon, traders make him
n present of champagne, he always
gives it 10 lis wives His abstinence.
however. does not save him from gout,
from which he suffers greatly. lie ls
a man OF liberal and advanced ideas,
and possesses no small degree OF states
mauship His subjects comprise
number of tribes, whom he governs
with rare skill, doing wonders to make
them all one in interests, language,
customs and laws. His administra-
ton Of Justice would do credit 10 IA
much more civilized commonwealth.
The great court consists OF Lobengula
himself and six Of his chief lndunaS.
/ Cases are brought from all parts ot
! the country, and are impartlally tried
and decided. The lndunaS act as
counsel for the parties and take
technical points with an ingenuity
which would do credit TO British
Oueen's Counsel. and debate the cases
with great eagerness. Indeed IN
many WAYS the Matabele litigation Is
similar TO that of England, Tor al
though the Indunas tiercely urge the
claims of a client while the case lasts,
/ their differences disappear the mo
ment the Kings decision l. given.
/ During the pendency OF II case, more
over the Indunas keep religiously
away from the parties concerned ana
their friends, but as soon as the case
is over they approach the successful
! or defeated party as il there had been
no dispute. The King very prudent
" draws his assessors IN turn from
various parts of the country, and does
not allow any set Of men from long
habit to become his masters or too
experience advisers.
The King lives mostly in big OK
wagon. Before he succeeded to the
throne he wore European clothes,
and spent much Of his time travelling
about the country with an English
teauster. But since his accession he
has resumed his native costume, and
makes his people do likewise. Still
he sticks to his OK wagon, for which
he has given up all his other resi-
dences. This is in some respects u
great convenience TO him, for 1t gives
him n traveIin. court and capital.
From time to time he moves his head
quarters. "inspanning' his oxen and
going of without any warning. II
asked where he is going he replies,
Follow my wheel tracks and see.
This is probably partly policy to pre-
vent 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 tho King any son, and il is
probable that when he dies there will
be fighting between the various sons
of the other wives, each being sup
ported by the district from which his
mother came. The wives are scat
tered over the country in the various
kraals and when IA royal progress
takes place the queens do not go with
their lord, but await him AT the kraal
to which he is going. GubuIawyo,
the capital, may be taken as speci-
men Of large kraal. la the centre
is the Kings wagon aud round it his
wives huts all circular, built OF mud
bricks and rooted with reeds. Round
the central cluster Of huts il an open
space OF grass four hundred yards
wide. and round this space ars the
habitations Of warriors-said 10 mum
ber four thousand-and their families;
beyond these, again, is the stockade'
which il several miles in length.
Matabeleland, as already stated, Is
a rich country, but not healthy. 1t
j. tropical in climate. and fevers
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 in
tense. the thermometer standing from
1O2 to l0l Fahrenheit in the shade.
Then for "A month the rain il quite
continuous. and nothing can be done;
after that again there is intermittent
rain for another two months. From
the middle Of January to the begin
ming OF November no rain falls, and
the country depends entirely upon
the rivers, which, however, are nu-
merous and constant. The soil is in
places sandy, but is rich, aud supplies
the natives with all the Kaffir corn