New-York tribune., 1899-07-30
LOBENGULA'S VIEWS.
THE MATABELE WARRIOR, NOW IN LON
DON, SAYS HE IS HAPPY.
From The London Daily Mail.

From The London Daily Mail
I'm my own country / was one day the kings
favorite son. and the next common 'colored
man, hogged by the Transvaal Government for
walking a sidewalk in Pretoria without hay
ing first asked permission"
The words were uttered in a soft, liquid voice
ard accompanied by smile. showing two rows
of white teeth which even prince might envy.
MY own country is good, but in the land Of
the umlunga (whte man / am quite iabula"
(happy).
Again the smile, and again the CLEAN Of daz-
zng teeth, and there remained on the ex-
pressive face Of Prince Lobengula a look which
might have been either a smouldering Of
sentful bitterness or philosophical and half
primitive cOntentment
The towering Matabele warrior in his pict-
uresque war garb, stared silently into space f0r
a second, and then laughed.
What does it natter" asked the son u one
Of our most powerful enemies conquered in late
times. II might day have ruled in South
Africa king. When my father fell lived IS
tending oxen on the roadside for the Dutch. Ia
London l am jabula' (happy).
The repetition was made abruptly a. i the
change Of subject afforded Prince Lobensula
theme upon which he would rather dwell than
upon the loss Of his country.
Suddenly, with the inevitable smile h. made
the remark:
If my father had known the size Of Great
Queens land he would not have fought lie
thought England a little floating island"
The question to whether the kings adj
visers had not given him some idea Of the vast
ness Of England and the British population
made Prince Lobengulas eyes travel, with an
other fash Of white teeth, toward the ceiling.
Devils talk" he said quietly He wouldn't
believe it, When | arrived in England. my first
thought was that the whole world was fun 4
white men, and that they had all come o. Lon
don to meet me.
When l got used to the people. the chief
thing that bothered me was the houses They
were black and so high. We build better in
my country, close to the ground, 50 that II
hut fall it hasn't far to go.
Later on, when tried to find out whore all
the white men in London slept I understood
better. Now
Clearly the problem of Londons over traffic
had given the prince almost as much worry as
it affords the London c. c., for he shook his
head with look of bewderment.
Il think" he said. some day all the people IN
the Great City will sleep under the land be-
cause there is no room on top
The princes soft. dreamy voice had no sug-
gestion Of humor in II. Any other solution ~
the difficulty he flouted as devils talk what
else could people do when the land became too
full to hold them but resort to a state of IN
derground existence?
1t is Lobengua's firm conviction that London
is destined beyond all question OF Doubt 70 be-
come vast city buried in the bowels of the
earth, for want Of space to remain above
ground
The prince talks gracefully and fascinatingly,
whether on the subject OF his own country AMI
the present strained outlook OF AFFAIRS ln ScutH
Africa, or some aspect Of the great white man
at home which has occurred TO him.
His quaint English, picked up before MS
fathers downfall is dignified and elegant while
his air is a mixture OF lordy m2Snhcchce anu
childish simplicity that is full of charm
He displays in his dress almost inordinate
love for jewery. trait which since the arriFa
Of the Matabefe nobleman in London several
women have discovered and encouraged hy pres
ents, which he proudly crowds upon his person
when dressed in full war paint-almost the only
vanity in which he INDUCES.