Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-14
THE NARENDA TRIBE.
A Curious Native Rite That Is
Practiced by 1t.
AN ODD AFRICAN SCHOOL,
Where Young Natives Are Taught
Queer Things in the Jungle.
OF SOME ASTONISHING DANCING.
That IA Traveller with srscd I'm
south African
iNrnnl.

The formulas pertaining to n native
"school." the rite which corresponds to
that which among whites Is vaguely
and politely alluded 90 as the Cove
nunt OF Abraham" vary In manner and
mode according to the costumes OF
each distinct tribe. As a rule the ma
lives are very Jealous Of admitting
strangers to witness the rites and GER
emouials with which they herald the
advent to manhood Of disciples of the
SCHOOL for not until they have passed
this school ana undergone the cd
deals II imposes are the youths OF the
tribe acknowledged TO have attained
TO mans estate, and worthy of the
privileges that state bostuws. Their
eNclusivcness In this rysu I. and the
secrecy with which lhseryances fol
lowing upon the school arc carried
out, has made II very difficult FOR any
student OF native customs to compile
"A complete history OF the rite. it's url-
gin, and the different forms which It's
celebration takes.
II has, therefore, boon loft to those
few individuals, who. either by chance
or privilege, have had the opportunity
Of witnessing one such celebration to
record for the benefit of the Eninitiuted
public thrlr Divers experiences Of ma
tive SCHOOL"
by chance. and perhaps more by
privilege, I had the rare fortune to be
"A spectator, some time back. to one of
these queer functions aH carried on by
an of shoot of the MnNendn tribe nndns
I cannot remember over 20 have seen
elsewhere any account ~ the purticu-
lar form Of cclcbruuuu--whl might
almost he regarded as equivalent to the
coming of-nEe celebrations which pre-
vail Ia more enlightened ana elegant
communities brief description of
what I saw may, perhaps, rrovc of in
tcrral, 90 not of instruction.
Not long ago l was responsibility con-
uoctud with an expedition which went
into the Interior of the s. a. Il, for the
purpose OF inspecting and reporting
upon "a group of farms belonging to an
English syndicate Of capitalists.
One uf the FIRST duties dcvolvlng
upon us was that of locating the bea-
cons of the vhrioug farms and IL was
while engaged upon this work that one
of Our party returned TO camp one
evening and cXcitedly announced that
in the course Of his wanderlnEs he
had come upon strange creature en-
yclopud from head to feet in reeds and
cock feathers. aud which, ON be-
holding him, set up an ununnuy sort
of whistle and then made headlouE
tracks, for an adjacent kraul Despite
the Chnu with which we were ut first
disposed 20 treat his narrative our man
stuck mantully to his story, Cross-eN-
animation, though It elected no other
particulars calculated 10 throw light
ON the mystery, could not battle him,
and when at length one Of our num-
Der, gentleman of Scoteh-Dutch OK
traction. nut forward a suggestion that
possibly our surprised companion had
come unwlttugly upon pcripntetiC
disciple of "a native school which he
chad heard OF but never seen. 1t was
forthwith decided TINT the whole camp
should resolve itself into committee
OF investigation and proceed on masse
TO the scene of the apparition for the
purpose Of getting 10 the bottom OF
things. ON the following day. guided
by the hero OF yestcPlnys adventure,
we made truclSs for the ueiEhhorhood
of tho spoollly ylgltant. We started at
~ tho morning, but our guides
knowledge nj the precise locality being
or somewhat haay order 1t was past
midday before we came TO Mahillas
Sop, which was the object OF our des-