DUTCH AND KAFFIR WORDS--FRONTIER KAFFIRS--KAFFIR WOMEN--KAFFIR SOLDIERS
CATTLE-STEALING--BUSH-FIGHTING--COLONEL NAPIER'S OPINION--EQUIPMENT OF
ENGLISH SOLDIERS--A BRITISH SOLDIER IN THE BUSH--KAFFIR MANOEUVRES--
CORN-PITS--TREATMENT OF KAFFIR THIEVES--THE ASSAGY AND OTHER WEAPONS--
MORAL QUALITIES OF THE KAFFIRS--NATIVE MARKSMEN--POWER OF THE CHIEFS--
RELIGIOUS OPINIONS--HOTTENTOT SOLDIERS.
The different terms that I shall employ, viz., Kraal, Spoor, Kaffir, and
Assagy, are not known to the Kaffirs themselves, except through their
commerce with the white men; but as the words are in general vogue
through the colony, I am forced to use them.
Kraal is a Dutch term, and means an inclosure for animals. I fancy that
they call the Kaffirs' residences by this name to indicate their
contempt for the people; the Kaffirs call their villages "_umsi_."
Spoor is also Dutch: the Kaffirs speak of spoor as _umkondo_. The
footmarks of a particular animal are then named as _Amasondo injlovu_,
footmarks of elephants; _umkondo_ being the singular,--one footmark.
"Kaffir" is also a term unknown to the men so called; they speak of
themselves by the designation of the tribe. _Kosa_ is a frontier
Kaffir, _ama_, the plural, being prefixed, makes _Amakosa_ Kaffirs;
thus, _Amazulu, Amaponda_, etc. A Hottentot is called _Umlao_.
An assagy is called _umkonto_; the plural is here irregular, _izakali_
being assagies. A kaross is called by Kaffirs _ingubu_.
The frontier Kaffirs are fine athletic men, and stand generally about
six feet in height: they are nearly black, and have woolly hair,
although the features are in many cases almost European. The
_intombi's_, or young girls, are often quite pretty, with wild, free,
dark eyes, that may well plead as excuses for the young Kaffirs'
propensity for cattle-stealing, the decimal coinage of Kaffirland being
10 cows = 1 wife.
One very soon gets over the prejudice of colour, and after having looked
for some time on the rich black of a Kaffir belle, a white lady appears
bloodless, consumptive, and sickly in comparison. The hard work that an
_umfazi_, or wife, has to perform very soon spoils her girlish figure
and appearance, and she then becomes a haggard, wrinkled, repulsive old
witch. The coolness of all these women is often surprising. A skirmish
with the Kaffirs and our troops might take place on one day, and on the
next the women belonging to the Kaffir men engaged would come into the
camp and offer wood or milk for sale, calling to us to "_tenga_" (buy).
I suspect that these women are often sent in merely as spies.
There is a great mistake prevalent in the minds of most English people,
and that is, their habit of underrating the Kaffir as a foe. He is
looked upon as a naked savage, armed only with a spear, and hardly worth
powder and shot. But in reality the Kaffirs are a formidable race, and,
from their skill in many arts in which we are deficient, are much to be
dreaded. Nearly every frontier Kaffir is now provided with a gun,
thanks to the English traders, and very many have horses. The Kaffirs,
being also particularly active and always in excellent training, make
splendid light infantry. I believe it was Napoleon who remarked that
legs won as many battles as arms: should this be true, the Kaffirs
certainly have a great advantage over us, as they can go three miles at
least to our two.
Although indifferent marksmen, they are not inferior to the average of
our private soldiers, and they are fast improving. Their training from
childhood consists in a course of assagy-throwing and a cunning way of
approaching and surprising an enemy. As they are in such cases
destitute of clothes, they move through the thorny bush with great ease,
and are in such light marching order that their impediments are nothing
in comparison with those of our soldiers, heavily burdened and tightly
strapped. A Kaffir is also seasoned by hardship from childhood, and
keeps fat and sleek on the roots and berries which he picks up,
occasionally eked out with scraps of meat; while Englishmen rapidly lose
their form and flesh by living on the tough old ox that is killed and
immediately served out to them as rations.
The individual courage of the frontier Kaffirs is undeniable, and they
have given many proofs of it. One case I may mention, which will show
the great risk which they will run for their favourite stake, cattle.
It was related to me by an eye-witness.
During the time that there was encamped on the Debe flats a force
consisting of upwards of two hundred men, the cattle were inclosed
nightly in a kraal, formed of bushes and trees cut down, and inclosing a
space of some forty yards in diameter. Sentries were placed round this
inclosure, in spite of whom, for two nights, the bushes had been removed
and two or three oxen taken away. There had been a slight disturbance
amongst the cattle each night, but upon inspection everything seemed
right. To prevent a third robbery, a number of Hottentots were placed
round the kraal and ordered to lie down under the bushes, and to keep
quiet. They remained nearly half the night without seeing anything,
when one wily fellow noticed a small black object on the ground at a
short distance from him, which he thought he had not observed before.
Keeping his eyes fixed upon it, he saw a movement when a sentry walked
away from it, and a stillness as he approached. The Hottentot remained
perfectly quiet until the black object was a few yards from him, when he
called out in Kaffir that he was going to shoot. The black object
jumped on its feet, whirling an assagy, but only in time to receive a
heavy charge of buckshot in the breast, followed up by a bullet, which
terminated the career of a Kaffir well-known for his daring and
cattle-stealing propensities.
That the frontier Kaffir is, in nearly every case, a rogue, a thief, and
a liar, no one will, I believe, deny; there is a great deal, however, to
be said in excuse for him. He is a savage, uneducated, and misled by
the bad example of his forefathers, and he is gradually encroached upon
by the white men, who, after a war, most unceremoniously appropriate a
certain number of square miles of territory, and tell the original owner
that he must either move on, or that he is only a squatter on
sufferance.
The Kaffir has had one or two severe lessons, showing him that he is no
match for the white man in fair open fights, and so, gathering
experience from these lessons, he now rarely runs an open risk, but
confines himself to attacks where he has every advantage of numbers and
position. His great stronghold is the bush, and without doubt he is
there a most dangerous animal. Active, unencumbered with clothing, and
his colour well suited for concealment, he glides about like a snake;
the knowledge he has gained in surprising the quick-sighted and
sharp-eared animals of his country, he now applies to the destruction of
his enemies. Hiding himself amongst the roots and underwood, he waits
patiently his opportunity, his gun in readiness and his assagies handy.
It is not at all remarkable that the raw soldier, whose early training
has been the plough or a shop, or some other occupation as little likely
to fit him for bush-craft, falls a victim to the hidden foe. The
scarlet coat of the British soldier makes him a capital target, while
his belts and other trappings retard his movements most effectually.
Lieutenant-Colonel E. Napier, in his work entitled "Excursions in
Southern Africa," has described the effect of the trappings of the
English soldier in so able a manner, that I am afraid to attempt any
further description, but must e'en pirate this author's words, and beg
his pardon for the theft:--
"The `Rode Bashees' of the party, as the Kaffirs denominate our gallant
red-jackets, to distinguish them from the `Amabula' (Boers) and the
`Umlaou,' or Hottentots, of the force, had previously, as much as
possible, divested themselves of those old-fashioned `pipeclay'
trammels, only calculated, when on service, to impede the movements and
check the brilliant valour of the British troops. Tight tape-laced
coatees (scarlet in leprosy) were cast aside, and shell-jackets, well
patched with leather, generally speaking, had become the order of the
day. Blue dungaree trowsers were substituted for white prolongations.
The heavy knapsack had been left at head-quarters, and was replaced by a
small canvas bag loosely slung across the right shoulder. Few stiff,
leather dog-collars,--most appropriately called `stocks,'--now answered
the roll; and the crown of that very essence of discomfort and
uselessness yclept the `chako' being kicked out, had made way for the
rather more sensible head-dress of the `forage-cap;' whilst, horrible to
relate! many a sunburnt, weather-beaten English phiz,--long a stranger
to razor or soap-suds, and spite of `whisker' regulations,--wildly
peeped through a bushy jungle of untrimmed beard and luxuriant
moustache, which, though rather, it must be admitted, brigand-like
appendages, were undoubtedly found more comfortable by the respective
wearers than an equal proportion of sores or blisters, with which the
`pale faces were sure to be covered if deprived in this fiery clime of
that protection so kindly afforded by Nature'.
"The above is, generally speaking, a correct representation of the
British soldier when on actual service; and only shows how completely
unfitted are his everyday dress and appointments (though perhaps well
enough adapted to the household troops) for the roughing of a campaign;
particularly such campaigns as he is most likely to be engaged in,
against uncivilised barbarians, under a burning sun, and amidst the
abrading effects of dense and thorny jungles.
"No; if the pipeclay martinets, the gold and tape-lacing tailors of the
army, cannot bring themselves to study utility and comfort a little
more, in the everyday dress of the _working_ part of the army, let them,
at least, when our brave fellows are called upon for such roughing as
that required in the last Kaffir campaign,--let them, I say, safely
deposit all these gingerbread trappings in store; rig out our soldiers
in a fashion that will afford _some_ protection against climate; not
impede the free use of their limbs; and give them a chance of marching
under a broiling sun, without a _coup de soleil_; or of coming out of a
thorny jungle, with some small remnants of clothing on their backs.
"What, with his ordinary dress and accoutrements, was often the result,
to the British soldier, of a Kaffir skirmish in the bush? Seeing his
Hottentot _compagnons d'armes_ dash into the dense thorny covert, and
not wishing to be outdone by these little `black fellows,' he sets its
abrading properties at defiance, and boldly rushes in on their wake.
His progress is, however, soon arrested; an opposing branch knocks off
the tall conical machine curiously balanced, like a milkmaid's pail, on
the top of his head. He stoops down to recover his lost treasure; in so
doing his `pouch-box' goes over his head, his `cross-belts' become
entangled. Hearing a brisk firing all around, and wishing to have a
part in the fun, he makes an effort to get on to the front, but finds
himself most unaccountably held in the obstinate grasp of an unexpected
native foe. The thick-spreading and verdant bush, under which the
`chako' has rolled, is the `_wacht-een-beetje_' and, to his cost, he
feels in his woollen garments the tenacious hold of its hooked claws;
for the more he struggles to get free, the more he becomes entangled in
the thorny web. He now hears `retire' echoing through the adjoining
rocks; and his friends, the `totties,' as they briskly run past, warn
him, in their retreat, that the enemy--who knows right well our
bugle-calls--is at their heels. Exhausted by his protracted struggle,
whilst maddened at the thought of falling into the power of his cruel
foe, the poor fellow makes a desperate effort at escape. In so doing,
the ill-omened `chako' is left to its fate; the _wacht-een-beetje_
retains in triumph part of his dress. As he `breaks covert,' the
Kaffirs, with insulting yells, blaze away at him from the Bush; and,
scudding across the plain, towards his party, with the ill-adjusted
pouch banging against his hinder parts, the poor devil,--in addition to
the balls whistling around him,--is also exposed, as he approaches, to
the jeers and laughter of his more fortunate comrades!
"Far be it to attempt here to detract from the efficiency and merits of
our gallant troops, whose services--spite of every obstacle raised in
their way--have been so conspicuous in every part of the globe; I merely
wish to point out how very much that efficiency might be increased, by a
little attention to the dictates of reason and common sense."
Lieutenant-Colonel Napier evidently does not consider a man who carries
weight ought to be matched against one unhampered by such a retarding
influence, and he appears also to believe a man would be able both to
fight and to march better, if he were not half-choked, or half-crushed,
by his accoutrements. In olden times, the armour of a knight, whilst it
so fettered him as to almost prevent him from injuring his enemy, still
protected his own person. The trappings of the British soldier of the
present day merely perform the former half of this service.
The Kaffir is accustomed to act on his own responsibility, is full of
self-confidence, and is a kind of independent machine in himself; the
common English soldier is trained _not_ to think for himself, but to do
what he is ordered,--no more, no less. When, therefore, he finds
himself separated from his companions, which frequently happens in
bush-fighting, surrounded by a dense thicket, a brier under his arm, a
mimosa-thorn sticking in his leg, and half a dozen wait-a-bits holding
his raiment fast, there is but little blame due to him if he is assagied
by his unseen dark-hided foe, who has been long watching for this
opportunity.
When provisions or stores are sent from one part to another, the
ox-waggon of the country is made use of. A convoy of twenty waggons,
and sometimes more, are sent together, an escort of fifty or one hundred
men accompanying it. These waggons, each with its team of oxen, cover a
great distance, and the road being frequently lined with bush,
impenetrable except to a Kaffir, several opportunities of course occur
for advantageous ambuscades, where overwhelming numbers can be at once
concentrated on any particular spot. To be completely guarded against
these Kaffir surprises is next to impossible, the whole thing being done
in a few minutes; and, perhaps, during that short time, two or three
spans of oxen are whisked off, which one might as well attempt to follow
as to chase clouds.
If Kaffirs are attacked in the bush, and they find that they are likely
to get the worst of the fight, they do not hesitate a moment about
retreating. There is no false delicacy with them, and they are away as
fast as their legs can carry them to a more secure and distant locality,
only to return again on the first convenient opportunity.
Attacking and destroying their villages inflicts no great loss upon
them, for their houses are rebuilt in a few days. The only time when
they are likely to suffer is near their harvest season, for their crops
then would be destroyed. If they once gather the corn, they soon have
it well concealed in holes made for this purpose, which are circular and
deep.
I was nearly terminating my career in a corn-pit at Natal, and was
therefore well acquainted with its construction. As I was riding round
amongst some old deserted kraals looking for bush-pigs, my horse
suddenly stumbled; he partly recovered, and then came down on his head;
I thought he had the staggers, and tried to jump off. I felt him
sinking behind me, and as he was struggling, I had great difficulty in
getting clear. I had just got my foot out of the stirrup and was
throwing my leg over him, when he fell down several feet, with me on the
top of him. The whole of this took place in a few seconds. The dirt,
dust, and an avalanche of broken sticks, came tumbling down, and blinded
me for a moment. Upon looking about me, I found that we had sunk into
an old corn-pit, about twelve feet in depth and seven in diameter. The
sides were as hard as stone, for a fire is always kept burning for a day
or so in the interior when the pit is first made.
Fortunately, during the fall I was uppermost, otherwise our mingled
bones might have been the only intimation that my friends would have had
of this misfortune, as the hole was in a very out-of-the way locality.
My pony struggled at first, but, being a very cool hand, soon became
quiet. His hind-legs were bent under him like those of a dog when he
squats down, his head resting against the side of the pit. I could not
reach the top to get out, so I set to work with my knife and cut some
holes in the side of the pit, and worked my way out as a New Zealander
gets up a tree. I then ran to the hut of a squatter about a mile
distant, and obtained the aid of half a dozen Kaffirs with spades and
picks. We set to work and dug a sort of ramp, which allowed my horse to
walk out. He was very much cramped and rather stiff; but after walking
about a little, seemed to be all right, and no ill effects followed from
the fall, with the exception of a quantity of hair rubbed away, and the
fracture of the saddle-tree. Some Kaffirs had covered this pit over
with sticks and turf in hopes of earthing some game. It was fortunate
there was no sharp stake driven at the bottom of this pit, as is
frequently the case; one, if not both of us, might then have been
impaled.
It is a difficult thing to surprise Kaffirs, for their spies are always
on the alert, and the movements of the main body are made with great
rapidity. If a large force invades their country, the Kaffirs will
retreat with their cattle to the most inaccessible places; if attacked
there, the men fight as long as is prudent, and then beat a retreat,
leaving some of their cattle and driving away others. Thus they harass
the attacking parties of their enemies during their return, lining every
drift (crossing of river) and every bit of cover, firing away like fury,
and ready for a rush should an opportunity occur.
After this the Kaffirs break into small bands and invade the colony,
burning, murdering, and cattle-lifting. They are sometimes gainers by
this system of reprisals, at least until a large force is raised, or
extra troops arrive from England. The Kaffirs then eat a little
humble-pie, pay a fine in cattle, which they most probably steal again
soon, and peace is once more restored. No great punishment is inflicted
on these rascals, they being difficult to catch. And when they are
caught, and such a lesson could be given them as would act as a caution
for years, the English authorities have great fear that any severe
punishment which they might inflict would bring the whole of the good
but mistaken peace-loving folks of Exeter Hall in full cry on their
heels. Moreover, although these philanthropists have a splendid field
in England upon which to exercise their feelings, such as prisoners in
Newgate who have committed crimes small by comparison with those of the
Kaffirs, still the far-off land of Africa must be chosen by them, and
the savage, whose great delight, from habit and taste, is to murder and
steal, must needs be protected, when he ought to be hung or shot without
mercy. If some of these misled and misinformed people were aware how
much harm they really did to the savage, and the vast number of lives
that have been sacrificed by a want of firmness and of _apparent_
cruelty on the part of those intrusted with Kaffir government, they
would cease to do wrong out of piety, and would leave the entire
management of these matters in the hands of merciful men, who may be on
the spot, and whose experience would lead them to discover that a few
lives taken without hesitation at the commencement of disputes would
eventually prevent the loss of many hundreds.
The policy of showing mercy to the frontier Kaffir murderer is similar
to that of allowing a mad dog to run at liberty and bite people rather
than to commit the cruelty of knocking it on the head. At the present
time, the prompt and decided conduct of the able governor of the Cape
appears to have checked a most threatening demonstration of the frontier
Kaffirs. The Dutchmen, who are far up in the interior, keep their black
neighbours in better order. When there is any just cause for going to
war, such a severe punishment is inflicted by them on the Kaffirs, that
a score of years will not wipe out the moral effect of the dread that
these Dutchmen have inspired. I am convinced that by this apparent
severity lives are eventually saved.
Almost all the disasters that we have met with in Africa have been
caused by underrating the enemy, or fancying security where there was
danger. Perpetual caution and watchfulness are the only safeguards.
Many people under English dominion have a desire for war, on account of
the advantages which they thereby derive, their waggons and oxen being
frequently let for months at a time to the commissariat, etc., and
standing idle, but well paid for. The more troops there are in the
colony, the more money is brought to the inhabitants.
The unfortunate individuals who are settled on the outskirts of the
colony, or in situations liable to be attacked, are the great sufferers
during war time. In each successive war the Kaffir tribes are found to
be better armed and more formidable. Young Kaffirland likes excitement,
and having little to lose and everything to gain, trusts to his luck for
a _coup_.
The assagy is a formidable weapon in the hands of a Kaffir: it is a
light spear about five or six feet long; an iron blade, of nearly two
feet in length, is fixed in the wood while the iron is red-hot, and the
socket is then incased with the fresh sinews of some animal, which hold
all firmly together as they contract. When preparing to throw the
assagy, the Kaffir holds it about an inch on the wood end of the
balance, the back of the hand down, the first finger and thumb grasping,
and all the other fingers resting on the wood. He continues jerking the
assagy about, to give it the quivering motion that renders it difficult
to avoid; while he occasionally pretends to throw it, to put the man
aimed at off his guard. All this time he continues jumping about,
rushing from side to side, but getting gradually nearer.
Having generally five assagies, he launches them, one after the other,
with great rapidity and certain aim, and with sufficient force to drive
the iron through a man when thrown from fifty to eighty yards' distance,
while some experts can throw them a hundred yards. An assagy may be
dodged when it comes singly, and is seen, but a Kaffir prefers throwing
it when your back is turned, and generally sends a shower of them.
Fortunately the Kaffir nations consider that to poison spears is
despicable. When an assagy is quivering in the hand of a Kaffir, it
appears to be alive: the quivering motion given to it just before
casting continues to affect it during its aerial course.
The _knob-kerries_ (sticks with large heavy knobs on the end) are also
very favourite weapons, and are thrown with great precision. It is a
frequent practice for a dozen or more Kaffirs to go out after quail, and
to knock over great numbers of birds with their sticks.
The Kaffir men assume a vast amount of dignity, and look down upon the
Hottentots, Fingoes, etc., as a very inferior race to themselves.
Gratitude they scarcely seem to know, and charity is looked upon as a
weakness.
I saw a Kaffir come into the commissioner's residence one day to sell
some horses; he made out a most miserable story of his distress, stating
that his cattle had been taken by our soldiers, although he was a most
peaceably disposed man: he was in consequence very hungry, having really
little or nothing to eat.
Trading at this time was forbidden between the Kaffirs and the
colonists, and this man wanted to go into the colony to turn his horses
into cash. The commissioner, thinking the Kaffir's account was untrue,
refused him this permission, although the applicant talked most
eloquently for two hours in support of his case, frequently complaining
of his hunger. He was told, at length, by the commissioner, to eat his
horses if he were starving. The Kaffir, giving with his tongue a loud
click (always expressive of disgust and indignation), sat silent for
nearly a minute, he then stood up to his full height, and wrapping his
blanket round him, told the commissioner, with a grand air, that he was
not a Hottentot: he here referred to the practice these men have of
eating the _quagga_, or zebra.
Finding all the talking of no avail, the Kaffir at length squeezed out a
few tears; they appeared so genuine that an officer who was present gave
him a shilling to get some meat. The Kaffir quietly pocketed it, and,
looking round to one of his followers, said, in a low tone, "What does
this fool of an Englishman expect to get from me?"
The horses which the Kaffirs use are small, underbred, but hardy
animals. A Kaffir soon ruins them, as he surely gives the horse a sore
back, and always rides at full gallop. He considers a horse to be of no
use unless it is ridden fast, as he can go along on foot at six miles an
hour.
These Kaffirs think that it is vulgar to appear in a hurry to talk about
any subject, however important it may be to them. A party coming in to
see the interpreter on business, rush up at full gallop, their blankets
flying out behind them, and their whips busily at work. They pull up
close to the talking-house, jump off and fasten their horses to a bush,
or turn them out to graze, they themselves quietly sitting down to
smoke. In about an hour the chief man gets up, stretches himself, as
though much fatigued and lazy, and quietly walks to the house of the
interpreter, giving him the usual salutation, and talking at first on
indifferent subjects. When the Kaffir considers that there is a good
opening, he broaches the matter for which he came, but with an assumed
air of indifference and carelessness. When it has been fully discussed,
he quietly walks out and sits talking the whole matter over with his
councillors; all the black party then mount, and dash off with the same
reckless speed.
The Kaffirs are most daring riders. They will ride at full speed down
the steepest and most dangerous hills. It is true that they frequently
get most fearful "_purls_" but their neck-joints appear to be more
firmly constructed than ours.
Some of the friendly Kaffirs who came in to see us were very good shots.
Kona, one of the chiefs, fired at a quart bottle stuck up at a hundred
yards, sending all his bullets within a few inches, and at last knocked
the neck off. He sat down on the ground, and aimed by resting his left
hand on the ramrod, which he stuck in the ground for a support; this
sort of shooting would be quite good enough to annoy troops in a thick
bushy country.
I think that the next Kaffir war, which is now nearly due, will be a
very severe one, unless some individual out there thinks of "_burning
the bush_" that these black fellows hide in; a method that was suggested
by some wise head in England, who condemned the stupidity of the Capites
for not having done it before. Surely there has been enough intellect
in South Africa to have thought of this long ago, had it been possible.
Unfortunately, the greater part of the trees are evergreen, and
therefore rather unfit for a blaze. Let the wise proposer try his
success on his boxwood hedges, or his rhododendrons, and then imagine
patches of forty square miles of similarly constituted vegetation; he
will at once see that burning is not so very simple a process.
It is scarcely to be wondered at that in civilised countries, man should
bow to his fellow-man, and quietly submit to be his slave, as very many
are compelled thus to cringe for their daily bread. But it does appear
extraordinary that amongst savages this same submission and obedience
should be practised, as the chief is frequently undistinguishable from
his commonest man, and the latter is independent of the former as
regards food, clothing, or any other of the world's goods. Yet no
clansman in Scotland yields half the homage to the head of his clan that
the African savage does to his chief. This feeling of obedience would
render almost useless any attempt to employ the Kaffirs as our soldiers,
a plan that appears now to have some supporters in England. We might
give our orders to these black troops, but if a chief winked his eye, or
held up his finger, not a man would obey us until he had received his
chief's permission.
The Kaffir's ornaments are simple, but characteristic; such as strings
of beads interspersed with the teeth of wolves, lions, or hyaenas, while
necklaces made of the claws only are generally worn by chiefs of
distinction. The white beads and teeth contrast strongly with the dark
skins of these people, and produce a very good effect. Bound their
wrists they wear rings of brass, which are welded firmly on, and extend
sometimes nearly to the elbows; higher up the arm rings of ivory are
worn, which are punched out from the tusks of elephants. Both the teeth
necklaces and the ivory rings are much valued, and cannot readily be
purchased. I possess a specimen of both ornaments; the former I with
great difficulty obtained for eight shillings, a sum nearly equal in
value to a cow.
There appears to be great doubt, even amongst the best-informed, as to a
Kaffir's religion; that the Kaffirs have a belief in the future state,
there is, however, no doubt; but in what way they really look on this
state it is difficult to determine. They believe in apparitions and the
return of the spirits of their departed friends after death. _Shulanga_
is the term which they use to express this idea, and a Kaffir attributes
most of his successes and escapes to the thoughtful watchfulness of a
friendly spirit. They are believers in witchcraft to an unlimited
extent; but what they understand by the term is very difficult to say.
I once obtained the character of a wizard by mixing a seidlitz-powder,
and drinking it off during effervescence, for the spectators took for
granted that the water was boiling. The rain-makers have enormous
control over the tribes at times; but acquaintance with the white man
lessens the faith in these wizards.
The Hottentots are certainly the ugliest race on earth, and the first
view of them causes a feeling of almost horror. Men they are, without
doubt, but many look more like baboons; their high cheek-bones, small
eyes, thick lips, yellow mummy sort of skin, with a few little crumbs of
hair like peppercorns stuck over their heads and chins, give them a most
ridiculous appearance. Their short stature, rarely over five feet, and
frequently less, with the rough costume of untanned leather breeches,
etc., would make but a sorry spectacle were they to be paraded in
Regent-street on their rough-looking Cape horses beside a troop of
Life-guards. But still greater would be the ridicule were a troop of
the latter to be transported to Africa, and then told to follow these
active little Hottentot soldiers through the bush, and to attack the
band of Kaffirs hidden in the dark kloof above: each is good in his
calling.
The Cape corps is almost entirely composed of Hottentots, and they are
right well fitted for the work of fighting the Kaffirs. Courageous and
cunning, endowed with a sort of instinct that seems superior to reason,
they can hear, see, and almost smell danger in all shapes, and are ever
on the watch for suspicious signs. No footmark of Kaffir, wolf, lion,
or elephant is passed unnoticed; no bird is seen to flit away from a
distant bush without apparent cause, but a careful watch is at once set
up; not a dog lifts up his ears, but the Totty--as the Hottentot is
familiarly called--is also suspicious.
The wild life led in Africa causes even one lately removed from
civilisation to feel his instincts become rapidly keener.
A man who has been born and nurtured in the wilderness, therefore, must
be far superior to the freshly transplanted European, who finds that he
has to commence the A, B, C, under these very men whose appearance would
at first produce only a feeling of contempt for their prowess.
A deadly hatred exists between the Kaffir and the Hottentot, and both
are equally expert in the bush, where an Englishman is so rarely at
home.
In fair fighting the British soldier has proved that no country produces
men fit to cope with him; but let him be cautious of ambuscades and
bush-fighting.
A naval officer, who was in a fort on the west coast of Africa, happened
to be attacked by the natives, but as his fort was a stronghold that the
barbarians could make nothing of, they were easily repulsed. Elated
with his successful defence, he sallied out, and gave them a good
drubbing on some open ground near. But not contented with this triumph,
he must needs follow them up into the bush, where he was defeated with
great slaughter. His jaw-bones are now said to be beating the big drum
of Ashantee.
Our victories over the barbarians of Africa have not been so very great,
but that we might condescend to take a useful lesson from these men,
savages as they are.
Any man who has seen the Kaffirs or Hottentots approach dangerous
game,--their perseverance, courage, activity, and hardihood, combined
with caution and cunning, may easily understand that they could employ
these gifts in a manner that would make them anything but despicable
enemies.
There is a recklessness about the Hottentot which the Kaffir does not
possess, the former being a thorough spendthrift. Give him ammunition
for his defence, and he will blaze away at tree or bush, air or ground,
until it is all expended, and with no other object or reason than for
amusement, or thinking that a Kaffir _might_ be near.
I had the following story from a Kaffir, one of the actors, who remarked
to me the great quantity of ammunition that had been wasted in a
skirmish.
Three Kaffirs were hidden behind some rocks on a hill, watching the
advance of a party of the Hottentots who were sent out to take cattle.
As this party entered a ravine below the Kaffir spies, one of the latter
crept down in the bush, and, taking care to get a safe place, fired a
shot. A volley from the Hottentots was the response, and they continued
firing into the bush, from which no return came, until the whole of
their ammunition was expended. The Kaffir remarked to me that, had his
party been larger, he could then have attacked the lavish invaders at a
great advantage.
I always admired the neat little double-barrelled carbine of the Cape
corps; it is light, effective, and, being double-barrelled, is far more
destructive where snap-shooting is all the chance one gets. I never
thoroughly understood why the whole army should not have
double-barrelled guns.
It is a difficult matter at first to tell the Fingo from the Kaffir, but
after a little practice one soon sees many distinctions. The Fingo, for
instance, always bores holes in his ears, and frequently carries things
in them, which is not the case with the Kaffir.
The frontier hush is principally composed of the mimosa and wait-a-bit
thorn; the fish-hook-like shape of the latter, and the long spears of
the former, make a journey through the bush very destructive to clothes:
one ought to have a suit of armour to get on comfortably.