The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-24
THREE CENTURIES OLD.
EafIlr Quoon Who ID sand to
Havo Livod That Long.
INC People Whom Sho Rules uayo Novcr
Known any Other Monarch and Think
Sho Has the GIFT of Pcr-
pctual Life,

England has lately taken captive q
woman who, it is claimed, is three hum
ured years old. She is Queen Mniajio,
inc ruler of tribe of Kaflirs, whose
age Is vouched for by the rcputed trn-
ultlons OF her tribe, and who has been
famous among the savages of southern
Africa for her admitted great age.
generations have spoken of her as be-
ing blessed with the gift of perpetual
me- and her fnmc has extended
throughout the uncivilized regions as
lar north as Egypt.
While it is not for moment to he
believed that the woman could have
reached this marvellous age. says for
elgn exchange, the English govcrn-
mcnt admits that it has authoritativclv
traced the history of Queen NIaiaiic's
tribe back for one hundred and ten
years, during which time it has been
under her rule. Previous to that period
no authentic records exist, but the ira
dltlons of the Kaflirs credit this queen
Win having reigncd many generations
before.
Ia missionary, Rev. Mr.. Ruttcr, who
mas lived Tor twenty-five years among
these savaGcs, has informed the British
government that his investigations
satisfy nm the queen has absolutely
been the head Of her tribe since 1850
and he could find no trace of any Pre-
vlous ruler. In fact, the legends Of the
people are identified entirely with the
present queen and make no mention of
any other head of their government.
The queen is described by English
mon who h1t-n ho,. C
per color, with frzzy wool on her
head. She wears dress made of tircr
skins. which has large hood that
usually covers her face.
There is suggestion of "Shc" about
TINS savage queen, for it has been law
OF the tribe that none should look upon
her face except her indunas and three
women! Her indunas are the generals
and leaders of her army, and they
number ninety-two. The head induna,
or commander in chief, is named Jonas,
and he is Il man of considerable are.
supposed to be in the neighborhood of
eighty. The other nincty-onc are be-
tween the ages of thirty and sixty,
and all of them have been prominent
in savage warfare.
Tho three women are remarkable
from the fact that they are freaks One
is exceedingly tall, another is unusual
~ stout, and the third wears q long
beard. These women occupy the po-
sition of advisers. They all live to-
Ecthcr in what is known as the Sacred
hraal, the queen occupying an apart
ment some thirty feet square, while
the three women are in small rooms
opening into this.
Around this l1raal are numbcrless
wooden images, representing every ma
ton of Kntlirland and all sorts of ami
mails. These images are beautifully
and adroitly carved from wood. So
numerous are these figures that they
form n vcritable forest about the lzraal.
and winding paths are made among
them leading up to the entrance. The
images arc colorcd so that they ap-
proach very closely to the flesh tints of
the different tribes, and they arc
made the natural height of the human
beings represented.
once year the queen has been in
the habit of personally supervising the
slaughter of 140 oxen, which ceremony
constitutes one of the religious fctcs
of the people. Even upon this occasion
9iiS 10 hoC oechi 1or Sllc is carried by
the lndunas in covered chair to the
place where the ceremony occurs. She
also was required to go at stated peri
ods to an enormous tree in the forest.
which was known us the medicine
tree, and there, with certain cere-
monies, the health of her people was
guaranteed for the time being.
The English general who took pos
session of the queens capital and Of
her has permitted the members of her
tribe to see her, and they come with
the greatest curiosity and from many
miles around to look upon the face of
their ruler, one whom they have been
taught all their lives to consider as q
goddess. The English show her every
attention, but it is feared she will not
long survive.