Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-12-02
THE MATABELE.
THEIRM ANNERS AS DESCRIBED
SOUTH AFRICAN.
King Lobengula's Chief Medicine Man
Great Army Review-COnsulting
the Omens.


Great Army Notwithstanding
the Omens.
The excitement in England over the
war in South Africa was intense. The
English newspapers have been full of ac
counts and descriptions of the Matabele
people and customs, and the illustrated
papers follow the rest and give numerous
pictures characteristic of the country and
its inhabitants. A "South African
Pioneer" has been giving his experiences
to the London Daily Graphic.
From his account it appears that King
Lobengua is in the habit of consulting
the "omens" before going to war or
making raids. His chief medicine man
Is the yarn spinner. In a big bowl are
the entrails of some slaughtered animal.
The soothsayer, in fantastic robes
sometimes the robe is an old European
quilt or a dilapidated English army
banket-kneels before this and, like
other humbugs of his class all over
the world and in all ages, looks wise,
mumbles incantations and tells his royal
dupe what he thinks will be the result
of the contemplated action. These med
icine men are, as rule. very shrewd, and
know all that is going ON in the country
and seldom make big blunder.
Here is the 'Pioneer's" story.of a
review at the great military kraal Gulu-
luwayo:
'Early in the morning all the English
at the station walked up to the Kings
kraal to see about as novel a sight as
could be witnessed in any part of the
world. The Kings private residence,
which comprises number of buildings,
several of them built in European fashion,
are enclosed together with his private
cattle kraal, in a strong stockade of
about two acres, leaving an open space
of great extent between Lobengula's en-
campment and the native huts. There
are several thousand of these closely
packed together. On arriving near the
Kings entrance we found the King, as
usual, in close consultation over dead
OK, with two of his medicine doctors and
a rainmaker. The different regiments
formed an immense circle eight and ten
deep, about four thousand in all. They
were dressed in their war dress of black
ostrich feathers, profusion of these
hanging over their shoulders. Wildcats
and tigers tails reaching to the ground
clothed their loins, and they had no
other skin ornaments. OF course all
carried shields, assegais and knobkerries.
They were divided into regiments, each
sixty strong, the whole forming very
picturesque and novel sight.
''For some time the men remained
mute, not a sound being heard, but 90
casionally they would burst forth with a
war song in their deep bass voices, keep.
ing time by stamping on the ground
with their feet and striking their shields
with their assegais. The effect was i'm
posing. Occasionally one or two would
come out into the center and go through
the performance of fighting the enemy,
now advancing, now retreating, now in
close combat, making as many stabs as il
they were killing a foe. Others ther
came out and went through the same
performance, jumping high into the air,
and striking the shields with both ends
of their short stabbing assegais, all this
in the air before touching the ground
the Splinter knocking his knees and feet
together. Then came the Kings wives
old and young, and all the young roya
daughters, wearing black goatskin kits
down to the knees. They were dressed
out with yellow handkerohiefs, the
royal color, with a profusion of many
colored beads, colored ribbons, with long
sashes of broad yellow ribbons round
their shoulders. They advanced into
the arena with slow, measured step
keeping excellent time, chanting native
songs, after which they returned and re
tired. All this time the King was not
to be seen. He was in the cattle kraa
with his medicine men. After they haC
at length consulted over the intestine
the chief medicine doctor, enveloped il
long oxtails that completely concealed
his tall figure and wearing a little joke,
cap with fur in front and long cram
feather, marched up and down in tn
center of the enclosure singing tn
Kings praise.
"Then came forth the King himself
Lobengula had on his towering head
dress of black ostrich feathers and a
immense cape of the same and kilt Q
wild cats tails. He carried an assegai
He advanced with slow, measured ste
into the centre of the arena, his siste
Nina by his side--a lady as fat and col
pulent as her brother-dressed in Ion
kilt a profusion of yellow kerohief:
ribbons, gold chain and watch, an
blue jay feathers in her woody hail
Then the five royal daughters began t
chant native tunes, advancing twos an
threes at time and again retreating j
the same order. The warriors followe
and began singing their war songs
keeping time with their feet. The seen
soon became quite exciting.
cat length the King called for silenc
and the order was given for each reg
ment to march out onto the open plat
and have a sham fight. Each regimen
was commanded by the chief induna
the King being attended 10y his ow
particular regiment as body guard Tn
dress and shields Of these were a
black, each soldier not less than 81
feet.
A DEADLY CAREER.