The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-05-05

| the messengers to tell their queen that II
| she would surrender her arms uncondi-
! tionally and permit some one to go TO
her kraal, the war would be ended In
her reply she accepted the first condition,
| but declined TO allow any one 10 visit
her kraal, adding. however, that she
would come out and grant an audience
to the Boer leader. This was acceptable
to Joubert, and the following day he
made arrangements to receive her in
state. The army was drawn up in i'm
posing array, a conference-tent was con-
structed, and all the cannon and machine
guns were placed on nearby hills TO be
prepared for any treachery that might
be attempted.
The following morning the bush re-
sounded with the beating of drums and
shrill noises Of crude embellishments.
Forerunners emerged from the bush
and announced the coming CT the queen.
Joubert and several of his generals went
forward to meet her. and the Boer SOL
diers sang their national anthem At
the head of the procession which came
out of the bush were twelve native
priests dressed in magnificent skins and
bead-work. They walked slowly bearing
a huge paIanQuin, covered with rich
skins of lions, giraffes and leopards. The
handles Of the couch were small elephant
tusks, rudely carved, ana the sides and
top were fitted with tall stats Of highly
polished wood. Behind the palanqin fol-
lowed the members of the tribe, several
thousand magnifcenuy formed warriors
in spectacular war costume Of feathers.
shields, and bead-work. Each man car
fna rr-fTn trim
or a gun and a small skin-pouch con-
tanning ammunition.
When the head of the procession reach
ed Gen. Joubert, the priests deposited the
palanquin on the ground and drew aside
the curtains that concealed the queen
She reclined on a beautiful quagga skin,
and was clothed in a variegated costume
of skins, furs and bead-work. Joubert
observed her closely and found that
Henning Pretorius's description of her
was accurate in every detail. The woman
had light soft hair, thin lips, blue eyes,
and a complexion as light as that of the
majority of white persons who have lived
in the tropics for many years.
Through an interpreter she stated that
she was eager to conclude peace, and
that she be allowed to spend her days
under the protection of the Transvaal
physician, who had accompanied the ex-
pedition in order to see the queen, asked
her many questions concerning herself,
but she would give no satisfactory re-
plies. He estimated her age at one hun
dred and twenty years. She seemed to
be very weak and frail, and her voice
was scarcely more than a whisper. Gen.
Joubert found her to be very tactful in
her replies, and as a diplomat she was
far superior to any native chieftain with
whom he had ever come in contact. As
soon as the peace negotiations were con-
cluded she and her tribesmen returned
into the bush, having first extracted a
promise from the Boer general that she
was not to be followed. and that there
after she was to be allowed to live in
peace among her people. Three months
after this meeting a messenger came to
the Transvaal government. bearing the
information that Majaje had died.
Many persons have attempted to ex-
plain the mystery of the queens ances-
try, and the result has been that many
strange tales are current in the country,
each being heralded as the only true
solution. The most plausible theory is
the one that Commandant-General Jou-
bert advanced. From some old chieftains
he learned that there was d tradition
among the Makatese that many genera
tions ago a large number OF white men
had come into the Zambesi region TO dig
gold. These men incurred the enmity OF
the blacks, who massacred all except one
or two. Gen. Joubert believed, as did
the chieftains, that Majaje was the des-
cendant of one of these survivors, but
the native tradition does not explain the
process Dy which she rose to the position
of ruler of the tribe. Proof Of the fact
that gold was dug in that neighborhood
has been found in scores of places along
the Zambesi, where in recent years many
old shafts have been uncovered. A few
investigators have proved, to their own
satisfaction. at least, that Mashonaland
and the Makatese country were the Ophir
of olden days, and that Solomon's wealth
came from these mines. Another native
tradition is that the negroes ancestors
came from the north, where the waters
of the sea parted so that they might
escape from their oppressors. Whatever
be the truth or falsity OF these traditions.
there can be no doubt that Majaje was
queen of a tribe in Central Africa, and
that she was white woman. Joubert,
Pretorius and DR.. LaXton conversed with
her. and. their testimony would be suffi-
cient to dissipate all doubts even if the
five hundred Boer burghers who were
present at the peace conference had not
seen her.
HOWARD c. HTILFGAS