New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-15


(which means THE Battle-Axe." and worthily
he wore it. For he grew up giant in stature
and strength. shrewd. cunning, ferocious. de-
lighting only in slaughter and as cold and hard
of heart as steel
So threatening did this Battle-Axe become even
In bovhood that his aged father took fright.
and thought il best to put him out of the
world discovering which sage intention the
lad fed with his brother. Umgartie, to the
kraal Of Tingiswaa, chief of the Umtatwas
There he found refuge until the old King dled
and was succeeded by one of his sons; upon
which he sent Umgartie back with the story
that T'Chaka had been slain The lie was be-
Neved, and Umgartie was received with favor
and made chamberlain of the royal kraal. This
was lust what he wanted, for it gave him
chance to murder the King, his brother and to
open the gate to TChaka who now took posses
sion of the throne. 1t was entirely characters
tic that this Battle-Axe's first achievement as
King was to crush the Umtatwas. VINO had
given him asylum and make them subject to
his rule.
Then the Battle-Axe surnamed "the Bloody"
began a career Of conquest scarcely rivalled In all
the annals of slaughter. He organized an army
of one hundred thousand men. half OF whom
we're constantly under arms. He abolished the
sender iayelin used for throwing and intro
duced the deadly assegai, short, stout stabbng
smear reminding one of the Roman plum. lie
forbade his soldiers to marry. fed them only on
raw meat and periodically sorted out the old
and infirm warriors and speared them 10 death
"Such cripples are only in the way, he said
land do but consume the meat which my young
men should have to make them STOUT ana
lustyr' His soldier literally had ito conquer or 10
die" for all who were defeated or who even re-
treated were promptly put TO death. lie had no
wives but innumerable concubines. whom ne
mt To death as soon as he grew tired OF them,
breaking their necks with his own hands lie
also slew his own mother, ana then massac'eu
all the people in seven villages, for the repose
Of her soul.' Finally, after triuinphs ihhunei
able and crimes unspeakabe, TINS monster Oh
vice and ferodty was speafed 10 dea'h py HIS
own brothers. Dingaan and Umsiuhgaahi'
MosELEKATsE. THE MATABELE.
Such then. were the antecedents of the Mata-
beles. or Amazuus. For the chief ana laVofi'e
officer of TChakas army was one Moseic-
katse a creature in strength anu IT,
rocity second only to the Battlo-Axe MIN
self And he at about the height OF i CEaNa ;
power "smelled blood; and not wishing 10 De
smitten by the Battle-Axe, and not daring MIN
self 10 strike took with him ten thousand Will
rors the best in the Zulu army, ana iid'ohe'
over the Drakensburg into the land Of the Ma
shonas This was in the year 1917, and Masho"a
land fair and pleasant country, was ihhap''e'
by 300 900 peaceful. pastoral folk; among WHO"
Mosclekatse and his men came as wolves !"
sheepfold They slew the men and boys Who'c
SALE sparing tic women only to make thei'
their wives and servants. Within gencrauo'
not more than 100 900 Mashonas remained awe
and the Matabele kingdom. as Moseieka'se
realm was known had taken the place OF TN
declining Zulu kingdom as the arbter OF i''o
In all South Africa. They bore their sway dowi
TO the Orange River and up far north OF I'M
Zambesi-a military rule scarcely less ruthies
than that of TChaka the Bloody.
A visitor to Moselekatse, when that monarch
was In the prime of life and the height OF nj
power has written of him thus THE expression
Of the despot's features though singularly Gun
ming. willy and suspicious is not altogether d'S
agreeable. His figure is rather TALL well turhe
end active. but through neglect OF exercise lean
Ing TO corpulency." CThe King himself Is the oni
Matabele who Is allowed to grow fat. The ot'er
must be lean, so as to run fast and night wei
any allow themselves to grow fat, the klh
Kills them) "Of dgnfcd and reserved man
nefs the searching quickness OF MS eye I"