Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-08-26
MAJAJE, THE WHITE QUEEN.
Mysterious Woman of Caucasian Type
Who Ruled Africans.

south OF the ZamD6S1 river, IN SCUM
Africa, was Majaje, the White Queen
of the Makatese tribe, which lived in
| the woodbush in the northern part OF
the Transvaal. The Zulus, the Hot
| tentots, the Kafirs, the Basutos, and
scores of other tribes recognized her
as the great rainmaker, and whenever
there was a drouth in their provinces
| they sent their emissaries to her with
requests for rain.
The tales which white men heard
concerning her led them to believe
| that Majaje was myth, and Rider
Hagard elaborated the report in his
novel "She," which had for it's lead
ing character mysterious white woman
who ruled over a race of blacks some
where in central Africa. Haggard
wrote his novel in the eighties, while
he was in South Africa, and long be-
fore it was established that the white
queen was not a myth The fact that
such woman really lived was proved
by three white men who talked with
her. and one of these men, the late
Pet Joubert, ommander-general OF
the boer army, was authority for this
account of the woman.
Henning Pretorious, one OF the
Transvaals first commander-generals
and probably the most fearless boer
that ever lived, returned from one OF
his frequent Journeys into unknown
regions of the Transvaal in the latter
part of 1889 and reported to his gov
eminent that he had succeeded IN
seeing Majaje. In a voluminous re
port which he made of his journey ne
stated that the woman was queen OF
section of the Makatese tribe and that
her capital was surrounded by an al
most unpenetrable forest of small
thorn trees. On the outskirts of this
forest he was met by large number
! of well-armed tribesmen, who asked
him and his companions to depart
from the neighborhood Immediately.
Pretorius refused to leave and insisted
upon seeing the queen.
After a long discussion, during
which many messengers were sent to
the queens kraal Pretorious was
granted permission to visit the mon
arch. He was disarmed and his COM
panions were left behind under guard
of a large number of tribesmen. He
was led along a narrow winding path
through the bush and after a journey
of about 80 miles he came to the
queens royal kraal. In his report he
described the woman minutely and at
great length. He said she was abso-
Lutte monarch over her people and she
undoubtedly had the power of life and
death over them, and that she had es-
tablished a government that was far
in advance of any negro government
he had ever seen.
The most astonishing part of his re
port was that the woman was not a
negress. He described her as having
straight, soft hair of a light brown
color, thin lips and light blue. eyes
The color of her skin was not black,
but as white as that Of Portuguese
Pretorious stated that she refused to
tell her age, or anything concerning
her antecedents, and added that she
appeared to be more than 100 years
old-perhaps lis.
In 1894 the Makatese tribe formed
an alliance with Magoeba, the king OF
the woodbush Kaffirs, who lived near
the same district, and Majaje's people
were dragged into a rebellion against
the beers. Joubert, the commander
general Of the boer army was sent
against the rebellious natives and he
| r,;4I Ii n ri
Swazis, who had been driven into the
Transvaal from their native country
by Umbandine, the father Of the late
King Bunu, who acquired the fatal
habit of drinking five quarts Of cham
1pagne day.
When Joubert and his forces reached
the "betovert" (bewiched) bush the
warriors of Majaje and Magoeba at
tackled them and fought valiantly for
several weeks. The natives were de-
lfeated finally and fed into the bush
and mountains. The SwaZis then
asked Joubert for permission to follow
the rebels and it was granted. When
they returned, several days afterward,
the Swazis brought with them the
heads Of Magoeba and several OF MS
indunas, or headsmen, in order to
prove to the beers that they had really
been victorious.
The day after the return of the vic
torious Swazis several messengers
came from Majaje bringing peace Of
ferings in the shape Of two ivory
tusks and a beautiful white OK. The
emissaries declared that Majaje had
been mislead by Magoeba and that she
had no desire to be an enemy to the
beers. Joubert told the messengers
to tell their queen that if she would
surrender her arms Internationally and
permit some one to so to her kraal the
war would be ended. In her reply she
accepted the first condition, but de-
clined to allow any one to visit her
kraal, adding, however, that she would
! come out and grant an audience to
the boer leader.
The following morning the bush re-