Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-02-03
TRANSVAAL TIDBITS.
Some Very Delicate Dishes Devoured by the
Kafirs.

Some Very Delicate Dishes Devoured by the
Kaf1rs.
A German missionary, who has just
returned from South Africa, recently
delivered lecture before the Berlin
Geographical Society in which ne
brought forward the following partic.
ulars concerning the peculiar diet OF
the native savages of the Transvaal,
especially as noticed among the Basu-
tos. the tribe which is now threatening
to take up arms against the Beers.
One of their most characteristic hunts
is the mouse hunt. Twenty to thirty
Basutos gather together; they march
off carrying strips of nets made by
them for this purpose, and accompa-
MED by large number of their dogs,
about whose bodies different sized bells
are bound. The dogs make u big
sweep round The countryside, while the
Basutos attach their various strips OF
net into one long semi circular barrier,
the lower part of which is pinned TO
the ground. Then, crouching upon
the ground and holding their sticks
ready, they await the coming OF tne
mice. These, frightened by the bells
dangling from the dogs, gradually draw
nearer and nearer to the net, along
which they are at last found running
in vain effort to discover an openin
through which they may escape.
When the number of these victims Is
sufficiently great shrill cry Is emitted
by the chief, the netis pushed forward
all along the line and the struggling
creatures caught in the meshes OF the
net are numerically whipped to death
by the jubilant savages.
Monkeys constitute one OF their Ia
vorite tid-bits, which are all the more
appreciated as they are not so readily
caught.
snakes are simply killed with blows
from switch and are generally III
high favor. According to the mission
ary their popularity is we'll deserved.
He himself took part in a ueal III
which snakes formed the chief attrac-
ton, and found that this animal could
be favorably compared with prime
eel.
Most popular of all delicacies, how
ever, are the caterpillars. 1t is not
unusual to learn of quarrel which
has broken out among the natives for
their possession. Whereas we should
be thankful to any one removing cat
erpillars from any of our trees, this
act among the Basutos constitutes
serious larceny. The missionary fur
ther explained that a thief who had
been captured before he could dispose
of his booty was compelled by the
chief of the tribe to restore all the
caterpillars discovered in his posses
sion to their original position on the
trees of their rightful owners, where
they could acquire the necessary fat
ness for their appearance In the bill OF
fare. Equally valuable are the great
locusts. The most favorable time for
catching them are the early morning
and late evening hours, when their
wings are heavy with dew and they
are unable to see clearly. The chill
dren of the mission, numbering about
400, having organized locust hunt,
succeeded one day in capturing no less
than 100 pounds of these insects, which
were consumed with the greatest avid
ity before the day had passed.
At certain times of the year the
great, white winged ants leave the
earth and it is then that a most zeal
Gus competition arises between the
Kaffir children and the chickens of the
drop, for the possession of the priced
morsels. 1t is at such times that the
Kaffir youngsters may be seen running
about with their mouths stuffed full OF