Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-04-17
QUEEN OF THE MARoTsE.
A woman who Has killed Six Husband

-
A Woman who Has Killed Six Husbands
and Is Now Living with the seventh.
This is a picture of an African queen,
and she is a very important person in
her way. Every explorer who has en-
tered the large country of the Marotse
in the upper Zambesi Valley within
the past few years has told of Queen
Mokwai. This picture of her is taken
from DR.. James Johnston's capital
book, Reality VS.. Romance" He met
the queen during his visit in 1899;
and Capt. A. S. H. Gibbons of the Brit
ish arm, who travelled in the Marotse
country last year, has given further de-
tails about this remarkable but not
particularly admirable woman. In DR..
Johnston's picture of her she appears
with twenty-five slave girls sitting in
a half circle around her.
Queen Mokwai derives her import
ance from an unwritten but time-hon-
ored law of her country. She is the
eldest surviving sister of the ruling
king and, according to the unwritten
constitution, without her advice and
sanction her brother. King Lewan-
ika, is debarred from giving effect to
any important measure. She holds the
veto power, and as she is a much more
determined character than her vacillat-
ing and pusilanimous brother. she is
the real power in the great Marotse
country. She lives at Nalolo, on the
Zambesi, about twenty miles below
Lialui, where the king resides, and
when she visits the capital of the king
dom she goes in state. When DR..
Johnston saw her she had come to
Sefula, near the capital, attended by
$50 women. to be present at the mar
riage of the kings eldest SON.; and
there was a great flourish OF trumpets
when she and her retinue OF the gentler
sex came into view.
While nothing car be done in all
important affairs of state without con-
sulting Queen Mokwai, she rules SUI
preme in the minor. local affairs of her
own district. Capt. Gibbons says that
she holds the power OF life OF death
over her subjects. She is at liberty to
wed or dispose of a husband whenever
she pleases, and she lives quite up to
her opportunities in these respects. The
ma she had honored by making him
her husband last year was No. Z. She
had killed all his predecessors, and
1t is therefore a. very precarious I'M
dertaking to become the husband OF
Queen Mokwai. No. 6 had earned for
himself the universal respect of the
people by his kind and Just treatment
of all. The people loved him, and the
queen could not stand that, for jeal-
ousy and envy are the womar's lead
ing passions. So she had him come to
her hut to drink beer, ami two young
men, armed with spears. were stationed
there with instructions 10 kill the poor
fellow when she gave the signal. She
gave the sign, but the young men, less
~hard-hearted than their mistress, heei
the woman seized a Portuguese saber
and ran her victim through. Az he fell
she remarked contemptaosisly: Thus
has a thorn been removed from BY
flesh"
This metaphor Gems 20 he generally
employed when the queen desires to
announce the violent death OF another
of her victims. Or. Johnston says that
on n occasion the Queen. after Kill
ing a man with her wi hand cum
moned her crier and ordered him % an
nounce to the town that the queen
has had a thorn removed from her foot
this morning lie adds that afokwai's
reign has been stained by many . cruel
act Of murder and bloodshec. and She
avenges herself particularly on those
who sse the objects OF her jealousy.