The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-01-03
THREE CI3N1L =,
a Kaff1r Queen Who Is Said To
Have. Lived That Long.
Tho Peoplo Whom She Rules HIVE Navop
Known Any Othor Monarch and Think
Bho Has tho Gift OF Per-
petunl Life.

England has lately taken captive q
woman who, It is claimed, is three. hun.
dred yeare old. She is Queen Natalie,
tho ruler OF q tribo OF Kaffirs, whose
ege Is vouohed for by the reputed ira.
ditions Of her tribe, and who has been
famous among tho snvages Of southern
Afrioa 9or her admitted great age.
aenerations have spoken Of her as be-
Ing blessed with the gift of perpetual
life, and her fame has extended
throughout tho uncivilized regions as
Sar north as Egypt
While 1t Is not for n moment to be
believed that tho woman could hayo
reached this marvellous ago, snys IL for
eign exchange, the English govern
ment admits that 1t has authoritativcly
traced the history of Queen Maiaiic's
tribe back for ono hundred and ten
years, during which timo it has been
under her rule. Previous to that period
no authentic records exist, but The tra-
ditions of tho Kafflra credit this queen
with having reigncd many generations
before.
IA missionary, ROY. Mr.. Ruttcr, who
has lived for twenty-five years among
these savnges, has informed tho British
government that his inveytirations
satsfy him tho queen hus absolutely
been tho head OF her tribo since l7s0.
and he could find no trace of any pro-
vious ruler In fact, the legends Of tho
people are identified entirely with tho
present queen nnd mako no mon ton Of
any other head Of their government.
The qucen is described by English
men who have seen her as Of light cop
per color, with IL frizzy wool on her
head. She wears Il dress made Of tipcr
skins, which has large hood that
usually covers her fncc.
There is suggestion Of 'She" ubout
this savage queen, fort has been n law
OF the tribo that none should look upon
her face except her indunas and throe
woment Her indunas are tho generals
and leaders Of her army, and thoy
number ninetytwo. The head indunn.
or commander in chief, is named Jonas.
and he is q man Of considcra bio nge.
supposed to be In tho neighborhood of
eighty. Tho other nincty-ono are be-
tween the ages of thirty and sixty,
and all OF them have been prominent
IN savage warfare.
The three women are remarkable
from tho fact that they ore freaks. Ono
Is exceedingly tall, another Is unusunl-
ly stout, and tho third' wears n lonp
beard. These women occupy TIA no.
sition Of advisers. They all live S,.
gether IN what Is known ns tho Sacred
Kraal, the queen occupying all apart
Ihent some thirty feet square, while
the three women are in small rooms
opening into this.
Around this l1raal are nurnberles.
wooden images, representing every M
ton Of Knfflrland and all sorts Of ani
mails. These images arc beautiful,
and adroitly carved from wood. Sc
numerous are these figures that they
form veritable forest nbout the l1raul
Rnd winding paths nre made amonp
thom loading UP to tho entrance. The
images are colorcd SO that they ap.
proach very closely to tho flesh tints OF
tho different tribes, and they are
made the. height Of the human
beings represented.
Oncc ycnr tho queen has been In
tho habit Of personally supervising the
slaughter Of 40 oxen, which ceremony
constitutes one Of the religious fetes
OF the people. Even upon this occasion
she Is not seen, for she Is carried by
tho indunas in n covered chair to the
place where the ceremony occurs. Sho
also was required to go at stated peri-
| ods to an enormous tree in tho forest,
which was known rs tho medicine
tree, and there, with certain ccre-
monies, tho health Of hor people was
guaranteed for the time being.
The English general who took pos
session of tho queens capital and Of
her has permitted tho members of her
tribe to SEQ her, and they como with
tho greatest curiosity and from many
miles around to look upon tho face Of
their ruler, one whom they have been
taught nll their lives to consider as q
goddess. The English show her every
attention, but it Is feared she will not
long survive.
Another attempt is to be made to re-