The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-02
MATABELE WITCHCRAFT.
How King LObGngula Consulted the
0menS.
War Songs and Mummeries-A South
African Pioneers Account of the
Barbaric Customs of the People
Now at War With the whites.

war Songs and Mummeries-A South
African Pioneers Account of the
Barbaric Customs Of the People
Now at War With the Whites.
The excitement in England over the
war in South Africa still continues. The
newspapers are full of accounts and des-
criptions of the Matabele people and Gus
toms, and the illustrated papers follow
the rest and give numerous pictures char
acteristic of the country and its inhabi-
tants. A South African Pioneer" has
been giving his experiences to the Lon
don Daily Graphic.
From his account it appears that King
Lobengula is in the habit of consulting
the "ornens' before going to war or
making raids. His chief medicine man is
the yarn spinner. In big bowl are the
entrails of some slaughtered animal The
soothsayer, in fantastic robes-some-
times the robe is an old European quilt or
dilapidated English army blanket
kneels before this and, like other hum
bugs of his class all over the world and
In all ages, looks wise, mumbles incanta-
tlOns and tells his royal dupe what he
thinks will be the result Of the cOntem
plated action. These medicine men are,
as rule, very shrewd, and know all that
Is going on in the country and seldom
make big blunder.
REVIEW BEFORE THE QUEEN
Here is the s'Pioneer's' story of a re-
view at thegreat military kraal, Gululu-
wayo:
early in the morning all the English
at the station walked up to Sthe kings
kraal to see about as novel 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 Dobengula's encampmC.-J
and the native huts. There are sew
eral thousand of these closely packed to-
gether On arriving near the kings
entrance we found the king, as
usual in close consultation over a dead
OK, with two of his medicine doctors and
a rainmaker. The different regiments
formed an immense circle, eight and ten
deep, about 1000 in all. They were
dressed in their war dress of black ostrich
feathers, a profusion of these hanging
over their shoulders. Wildcats and
tigers tails reaching to the ground,
clothed their loins and they had on other
skin ornaments. OF course, all carried
shields, assegais and knobkerries. They
were divided into regiments, each sixty
strong, the whole forming a very pict-
uresque and novel sight.
WAITING FOR LoBENGULA TO COME OUT.
"For some time the men remained
mute, not a sound being heard bucoc-
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
ftai1a
Occasionally one or two would come out
into the center and go through the per-
formance of fighting the enemy, now add
vancing, now retreating, now in close
combat, making as many stabs as if they
were killing foe. Others then came
out and went through the same perform
ance, jumping high into the air, aud
striking their shields with both ends Of
their short stabbing assegais, all this in
the air before touching the ground, the
springer knocking his knees and feet
together. Then came the kings's wives,
old and young, and all the young royal
| daughters, wearing black gOatskin kits
down to the knees. They We're dressed
out with yellow handkerchiefs, the royal
color, with a profusion Of many-coIored
beads, colored ribbons, with long sashes
of broad yellow ribbons around their
shoulders. They advanced into the arena
lent time, chanting native songs. after
hich.they returned and retired. All this
time the king was not to be seen. He
was in the cattle kraal with his medicine
men. After they had at length consulted
over the intestines the chief medicine
doctor, enveloped in long OK tails that
completely concealed his tall figure, and
wearing little jockey cap with fur in
front and long crane feather, marched
up and down in the center of the enclo-
sure, singing the kings praise.
THE KINGS CoRPULENT SISTER.
"Then came forth the king himself
Lobengula had on his towering head
dress of black ostrich feathers and an
immense cape of the same, and a kilt of
Wildcats tails. He carried an assegai
He advanced with slow, measured step
into the center of the arena his sister
Nina by his side--a lady as fat and corpu-
lent as her brother-dressed in long
kilt profusion of yellow kerchiefs, rib
bons. gold chain and watch, and blue Jaw
feathers in her woody hair. Then the five
royal daughters began to chant native
tunes, advancing twos and threes at time,
and again retreating in the same order
The warriors followed and began singing
their war songs, keeping time with their
feet The scene soon became quite ex-
citing.
AT length the king called for silence.
and the order was given for each regl-
ment to march out onto the open plain
and have sham battle. Each regiment
was commanded by the chief induna, the
king being attended by his own particular
regiment as body guard The dress and
shields of these were all black, each sol
- At