The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-04-04
THREE CENTURIES OLD.
y EaAnr 0neon VINO b said 20
Il Hoye Lived Tha4 Long.


~
England has lately taken captive =
woman who, II h claimed, II three hum
dred years old. She h Queen Majajie,
the ruler Of = tribe Of Kahlrs, whose
age Is vouched for by the reruted tra-
ditions Of her tribe, and who has been
famous among the savages Of southern
Africa for her admitted great age.
Genera atious have spoken Of her as be-
ing blessed with the gift Of perpetual
life, and her fame has extended
throughout the uncivilized regions as
i1rnorth Is Egypt.
While 1t is not for moment to be
believed that the woman could have
reached this marvellous age. says for
eign exchange, the English govern
ment admits that it has authoritatively
traced the history Of Queen Majajies
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 tra-
ditiops of the Kaf1rs credit this queen
with having reigned many generations
before.
"a missionary, Rev. Mr.. Rutter, who
has lived for twenty-five years among
these savages, has informed the British
government that his Investigations
satisfy him the queen has absolutely
been the head of her tribe since 1850,
and he could find no trace of any pre-
vious 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
men who have seen her as of light cop
per color, with frizzy wool on her
head. She wears dress made of tiger
skins. which has q large. hood that
usually covers her face.
There is suggestion of "She" about
this savage queen, for it has been q 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 man of considerable age,
supposed to be in the neigh borhood Of
eighty. The other ninety-cne arc be-
tween the ages of thirty and sixty,
and all of them have been prominent
in savage warfare.
The three women are remarkable
from the fact that they are freaks. One
is exceedingly tall, another is unusual
ly stout, and the third wears long
beard. These women occupy the po-
sition Of advisers. They all live to-
gether in what is known rs the Sacred
Kraal, the queen occupying an apart-
ment some thirty feet square, while
the three women are in small rooms
opening into this.
Around this kraal are nnmberless
wooden images representing every ma
tion OF Kafirland and all sorts of ami
mals- These images are beautifully
and adroitly carved from wood. So
numerous are these figures that they
form veritable forest about the kraal,
and winding paths are made among
them leading up to the entrance. The
images are colored SO that they ap-
proach very closely to the flesh tints Of
the different tribes, and they are
made the natural height of the human
beings represented.
Once a year the queen has been in
the habit of personally supervising the
slaughter of 140 oxen. which ceremony
constitutes one of the religious fetes
Of the people. Even upon this occasion
she il not seen, for she is carried by
the indunas in q covered chair to the
place where the ceremony occurs. She
also was required to go at stated peri
DDS to an enormous tree in the forest,
which was known as 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 10 see her, and they come with
the 8reatest curiosity aad from many
miles aropad to loek upon the face Of
thei ruler, ode whom they have bean
taught all their lives to consider q
goddess. The English show her every
attention. but It is feared abe will not
long survive.