The record-union., 1896-04-26

wayo was surprised by the Undwandwe
| tribe and killed. Demoralized by the
| death of their chief the Umtetwa We're
| Immediately afterward utterly defeated
| by the same tribe the survivors taking
refuge with Chaka. By this accession
| the Amazulu became powerful enough
| to risk battle with the conquering IND
wandwe. Chaka's skill won the victory
| against heavy odds. At once he in
| augurated the policy ever afterward
carried out by the Zulus. All women.
female children and aged men were
| killed, and the young men spared only
on condition that they would join the
| Zulu army. They did so willingly, and
soon became more Zulu than the Zulus.
With scarcely breathing spell Chaka
burst like q storm on the neighboring
| tribes. One after another was "eaten
| up and the survivors incorporated into
| the army of the victors The Zulus'
| losses, although heavy, were more than
compensated for by these means. The
army was soon remodeled by Chaka.
| He took the six throwing assegais
| from his soldiers and gave them a stab
| ing assegai instead, thus forcing his
troops to come to close quarters. A
warrior who returned from battle with
out his own weapon or that of his enemy
was put to death.
| Chaka'S career of conquest continued
| until 1923, when he was murdered by
| his brothers, Dingaan and Umlanghana.
In his career of conquest he had utterly
| destroyed 800 tribes, and directly
caused the death of over 100000 per
| sons. At his death his sway extended
| over country as large as France, and
his army was more than 100000 strong.
Among his generals was one Mosili-
katie, who in military talent was in
| ferior only to his mighty leader. Burn
| ing to form a nation for himself, he took
advantage of Chaka's murder to stir up
a great revolt AT the head of an army
that deserted with him he crossed the
mountains into what is now the Trans
vaal. Resisted furiousIy by the natives
| dwelling there, he turned toward the
| north, crossed the Limpopo River,
crushed the Mashona and Makalaka
tribes living beyond it and founded the
Matabele Empire.
1t was many years before any white
| man penetrated into this district. In
the meantime the remaining Zulus
fought war after war with the whites.
At last in 1879 they We're beaten by the
British and their empire destroyed. But
the Matabele still remained Hidden
in the interior, their very existence
would have been forgotten except for
| the reports of few faithful mission
aries. In 1880, Mosilikatze died, and
his son, Lobengula, the present chief,
assembled the throne.
-Four years ago the prevailing rush of
European nations to obtain footholds on
African soil caused serious attention to
he turned to Mashonaland. a province
lying to the east of the Matabele, and
ruled by them, and which was reported
to be very rich in gold. Negotiations
were begun with Lobengula, resulting in
MS ceding Mashonaland to what is now
the British South African Company,
better known as the chartered com
pany.p
1t seems probable that the Matabele
chief supposed that he was merely per-
hitting the ingress of a few miners.
whom he could easily dominate. But
instead of this the company sent large
force of police and soldiers to take pos
session, built forts and prepared for de-
Tense, if the necessity should arise
The manners and customs of the Mat
abele may now be observed by whites
without any great difficulty A visit to
the royal kraal is easy and very inter-
esting. The King himself lives in an OK
wagon. Before coming to the throne he
had Travelled much in these vehicles and
has retained his liking for them
Around the wagon are the huts of his
wives, circular. in shape, built of mud
and rooted with reeds. LobenguIa has
nearly hundred wives at the royal
kraal. Others are scattered over the
country and await him when he chooses
to travel. He has 300 sons The eldest
Of these is supposed to be his heir but
only the witch doctors know which is
the eldest. This really enables them to
place on the throne any one of half a
dozen of the Kings sons, and naturally
gives them great influence among the
possible heirs.
Close by the Kings wagon is a small
Enclosure known as the buck-kraal 1t
serves as a yard for the Kings cattle at
night and private royal drawing room
by day. The huts of the wives are sur
rounded at a distance of some 400 yards
by a village, in which live about 1000
warriors with their families. Surround
ing all this is a stockade several miles
in length.
The King spends nearly the entire
day sitting in front of his wagon. adj
ministering justice. He is probably the
hardest worked man in all Matabele-
land Every thing that occurs in his
dominions must be reported to him
The destruction of an army and the
death of a calf are alike communicated
ic no MI u
pays for the despotic power he exer-
cises.
The King is assisted by six indunas or
counselors, who might more accurately
be called lawyers. They act as counsel
for the disputing parties and argue
technical points with skill. When they
have finished the King renders SEN
tence, from which there is no appeal
If death should be decreed it is execut-
ed at once. AS there is no imprisonment
among the Matabele the death sentence
is more common than in more civil
ICED coutries. Otherwise the Kings de-
cisions are usually in close accordance
with our own ideas Of what is Just and
| merciful.
Lobengula is now about 63 years
of age and is a man of commanding
presence Very tall and very stout he
| moves slowly and heavily He is not a
| very great lover of warfare himself,
| and if he should make war on the
whites it VIII be because he is unable
| to resist the pressure of the younger
| men,
1t is impossible for the present condi-
| ton of affairs long to continue The
Matabeles themselves appear to know