A KAFFIR HUNT--A BATTUE--FIRE-MAKING--A LUNCH AL FRESCO--TROUBLESOME
INVADERS--FLIGHT OF LOCUSTS--CROWS OUTWITTED--ALLIGATOR SHOT--A LION
CHASE--STRENGTH OF THE LION--A SLIGHT MISTAKE--SNUFF-MANUFACTURING--A
PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE--KAFFIR KINDLINESS.
One morning, Inkau told me that some large buck were in plenty not far
from his kraal, and he thought that, with my help, he and his people
might be able to have some very good sport. Being most anxious to
witness a grand battue amongst the Kaffirs, I urged him to get all the
men together who felt disposed for the expedition; and about a hundred
assembled, all armed with either spears or knob-kerries.
I determined to be an observer of the proceedings rather than an actor,
and not to shoot at anything unless I saw it must otherwise escape, and,
by thus leaving the Kaffirs entirely alone, to watch their particular
devices.
The country was open, and of that park-like, description so common in
Africa; the covers being about ten acres in extent. These were, at a
given signal, surrounded by men, whose assagies or kerries were held in
readiness for throwing. Two or three Kaffirs, who were told off as
beaters, would then go inside and beat the bushes and grass.
Some of these woods had been drawn blanks, when, on entering a thick
patch of reeds and bush, a "Tally" was given by a beater, which was
responded to by a grand flourish of assagies from the ring of men
without. A couple of the wild bush-pigs broke out of the cover, and had
scarcely shown themselves for a second when an avalanche of spears and
sticks came down upon them. The swine immediately presented the
appearance of ruffled porcupines, as the assagies were sticking in
numbers into their hides, and pointing in all directions. Still they
made a bold rush for their lives: it was of no use, however; for twenty
stabbing-spears were driven deep into them, and piggy was soon made
pork. The savages seemed to take great delight in the single act of
drawing blood, several spears being thrust into the pigs long after they
had ceased to move. I thought it a piece of wonderful forbearance when
I found that four men received directions to take the pork home. I
fully expected to see the pigs eaten then and there; delays in these
things the Kaffirs seem to consider as dangerous; and having an appetite
always in readiness, they find but little difficulty in accommodating
themselves to time and place.
Our next find was a couple of black bush-buck, male and female. They
broke out of the cover gallantly, and the ram, lowering his horns,
charged straight at the line of Kaffirs. A shower of missiles which
were hurled at him failed in checking his career, and he dashed forward,
leaving his partner on the ground. The Kaffirs quickly cleared the
road, and allowed him to rush through, giving a grand volley of assagies
as he passed; half-a-dozen remained in him, and his fate was then
decided. He stopped once or twice, and tried with his mouth to pull out
an assagy that was stacking in his shoulder, but could not manage it.
The Kaffirs, by keeping wide on each side, had run on ahead, and were
now gradually inclosing the gallant stag again, delivering their
assagies as they approached him. The buck seemed undecided where to
charge; he was once or twice driven back by the yells of the Kaffirs and
the rattling and shaking of their oxhide shields; he soon fell under the
blows and stabs that were freely given to him.
The idea of dining off these two bucks was too great a temptation for my
black companions to resist; they were now bent on eating, and I saw
preparations made for lighting a fire, for which neither lucifer nor
flint-and-steel were used.
Two dry sticks, one being of hard and the other of soft wood, were the
materials used. The soft stick was laid on the ground, and held firmly
down by one Kaffir, whilst another employed himself in scooping out a
little hole in the centre of it with the point of his assagy; into this
little hollow the end of the hard wood was placed and held vertically.
These two men sat face to face, one taking the vertical stick between
the palms of his hands, and making it twist about very quickly, while
the other Kaffir held the lower stick firmly in its place; the friction
caused by the end of one piece of wood revolving on the other soon made
the two pieces smoke. When the Kaffir who twisted became tired, the
respective duties were exchanged. These operations having continued
about a couple of minutes, sparks began to appear, and, when they became
numerous, were gathered into some dry grass, which was then swung round
at arm's length until a blaze was established; and a roaring fire was
gladdening the hearts of the Kaffirs with the anticipation of a glorious
feast in about ten minutes from the time that the operation was first
commenced.
I joined the party as usual on these occasions, and did great credit to
an Englishman's eating powers. I was much amused at the cool manner in
which Inkau treated some of the men present, who seemed to be considered
amongst the lower class of Kaffirs. He cut up the bucks with his own
hands, thereby securing the best and most choice bits for himself and
me; while every now and then he would look round the circle of black and
expecting faces, and chuck the common pieces, or tough bits, to these
poor wretches, who snatched them up, and after half-cooking them, bolted
piece after piece, like hungry curs.
These two bucks, although each weighed about 120 pounds, were only
sufficient for a light luncheon for the Kaffirs; although to me the men
seemed to be crammed like boa-constrictors. They showed a great
disinclination to move after their repast, although they complained that
they were still _lambile_ (hungry). An immense quantity of snuff was
consumed, the tears coursing each other down the cheeks of many of the
party, from the strength and rapidity of the doses. Seeing so great a
disinclination on the part of the Kaffirs to use any exertion now that
they were full of meat, I went by myself to have a look for a sea-cow,
as the colonists call the hippopotamus, the Kaffir name for which is
"imvubu." I was told that they were to be found in the Imvoti river,
and they were not very frequently disturbed in this part. The Kaffirs
near the river frequently suffered very much from the depredations of
this game, corn-gardens being sometimes nearly destroyed and trodden
down by the sea-cow during one night. Other animals also persecuted
these unfortunate people. A herd of elephants might quietly walk
through their fences some night, with the same ease as though the
barricades were cobwebs, crush to the ground the nearly ripe crop, and
leave the whole Kaffir village with but a poor chance of obtaining a
winter supply of corn. These Kaffirs were rarely possessed of a gun,
and did not like to venture too near these savage intruders; and the
shouting and beating of shields did not always produce the desired
effect on the elephants. Sometimes a venturesome Kaffir would get
himself smashed by attempting to drive away a savage troop, and this
would act as a warning to other Kaffirs; and they therefore frequently
preferred being pillaged to being squashed. Sometimes a party of bucks
will get the habit of sneaking into the corn of a night, when it is
green and young, and will enjoy a good feed at the expense of the
kraal's crop of mealeas.
The worst visitation, however, is a flight of locusts; and no idea can
be formed of the destruction which these creatures will accomplish in
even a couple of hours. I saw several heavy flights during my residence
at Natal, the heaviest of which came upon the country at the back of the
Berea, and extended about four miles inland. I can only compare its
appearance to that of a heavy fall of snow, where each flake is
represented by a locust. My horse would scarcely face them, and I was
often nearly blinded by a great brute coming into my eye with a flop. I
did not practise the same refined cruelty on this delinquent that a
gentleman of South-African reputation told me he had one day done when a
locust flew into his eye. Although blinded momentarily in one eye, he
still kept the other on the rascal, who sought escape by diving amongst
the crowd on the ground. After dismounting and capturing it, he passed
a large pin through its body, and placed it in his waistcoat-pocket.
Whenever the damaged eye smarted, he pulled the locust out of his
pocket, and passed the pin through it in a fresh place: so hard-lived
was this poor wretch, that I was assured the eye became quite well
before the locust died.
Birds also frequently annoy the Kaffir gardens; and these people's power
of defence against them is so limited, that it is absurd to see the
importance they will sometimes place upon their destruction.
I once won the heart of an old Kaffir and all his wives, by lulling two
birds that had persecuted him for a considerable time.
He came from a great distance to request my aid, and I rode out with him
and shot two crows that had made a regular joke of him for several
weeks. These two birds had established their quarters near his kraal,
and were going to build a nest in a large tree. The Kaffir would soon
have destroyed their eggs, but in the mean time the birds took every
opportunity of stealing any mealeas that might be put out to dry, or
bits of meat that might be left in the sun, and were for a moment
unwatched; his gardens, also, were examined occasionally for seed. When
the old Kaffir rushed out at the birds with his knob-kerries, they would
fly away quickly, giving an ironical sort of "caw," and settling high up
in the tree, look down upon him and continue their jokes. I witnessed
this proceeding on first arriving at the kraal, and laughed immoderately
at the old women's expressions, as they shook their fists with rage at
the birds, and told me the crows were so cunning, that they would not
walk into a trap, and that they always served the man in the same manner
in which I had seen them behave. I walked quietly down to the tree on
which the birds were perched, they little suspecting the new dodge that
was going to be practised on them: they gave some very jocular caws as I
came near them, and eyed me with a sort of supercilious bend of the
head. The excitement of all the Kaffirs was intense, as they looked on
from a distance to witness the effect of my attack.
I walked round the tree until both birds were nearly in a line, they
meanwhile watching all my proceedings most carefully, and I have no
doubt flattering themselves that they were not going to be humbugged by
me. Suddenly a charge of shot rattled through the branches, and down
the crows both dropped, fluttering, to the ground.
A yell of delight from the expecting Kaffirs was the result of the
success, as they rushed down towards their formerly triumphant, but now
humbled enemies. Half a dozen hands eagerly seized on each bird, and in
a few seconds their bodies were torn into the smallest pieces and
scattered to the winds, whilst a shower of thanks and great praise fell
to my share.
I walked quietly up the banks of the Imvoti for nearly three miles, but
saw no signs of Hippo himself, although the spoor was very plentiful.
The day was very hot, and, seeking a shady tree, whose branches overhung
the stream, I sought shelter from the sun's rays and rest for my legs.
I was soon interested in watching a colony of the pretty little yellow
orioles, which were building their nests in the trees near the river.
They had selected those branches that were pliant and overhung the
stream, a little additional weight on which would have lowered them into
the water; they were thus secure from the depredations of birds-nesting
monkeys, whose egg-hunting attempts might have resulted in a ducking.
These birds seemed to be excellent weavers, and knit the grass in the
most ingenious way. Their nests were made in the shape of a glass
retort, the necks pointing downwards.
Upon casting my eyes on the water below the tree near which I was
sitting, I saw a small black snout just above the water: it was
perfectly still, not a ripple showing that it possessed life. Watching
it attentively for a few moments, I saw it begin slowly to rise, and
then recognised the head of an alligator: aiming between the eyes, I
lodged a bullet there, which struck with a crash. The alligator sank
instantly, but I could see that the water was agitated, as though the
monster were having a tussle for his life among the mud and reeds below
the surface. I kept a sharp look-out at different shallow parts near
the pool, but could not see him rise anywhere. After waiting for some
time, I returned to Inkau's kraal, which I reached just before dark. A
party went the next day on my trail, and examined the river, and found
the scaly monster floating and quite dead in the pool where I had left
him.
On the following morning, a Kaffir came to Inkau in breathless haste to
say that the evening before one of his cows had been killed, as it was
returning home, by a lion, that had paid no attention to the shouting of
the boy who attended the cattle, but had carried her away right before
his eyes. Inkau was the great Nimrod of these parts, and at once agreed
to go in search of the lion. He went into his kraal and brought out a
very large necklace of charmed medicine, which he fastened round his
neck, and with powder-horn, belt, and musket, and a very large
snuff-gourd, he announced himself ready to depart. I thought my horses
might be safer where they were, than if I took one to ride to the kraal
of the strange Kaffir, who was named Maqueto. I therefore directed my
own Kaffirs to look after them, and to watch them from place to place as
they grazed.
A walk of nearly twelve miles up the river brought us to the scene of
the lion's depredation on the previous night. All the women and
children kept close in their kraals, and shouted to us, "_Hambani
gathle_," (Go on well); while some men, who did not seem at all inclined
to leave the protection of their palisades, complimented us as we
passed, and said, "_Inkosi wena_," (You are chiefs). Inkau did not make
a boast of his courage, although he said, "_Abantu saba naye_," (The
people are afraid of him, i.e. the lion). Inkau looked at the print of
the lion's foot, and pronounced him very big; he then followed quietly
on, while Maqueto was now for making his adieu; but Inkau seemed
indignant, and asked him why he left us. Maqueto said he had no gun.
Inkau pointed to his assagies, which, however, Maqueto explained, were
as nothing for attacking a lion. The controversy was getting warm, when
I interfered, and said that we should not want Maqueto's company, but
should be better without it.
We then went on with the spoor, which took us over some freshly-burned
ground, and down towards a deep kloof, with high square rocks sticking
up round the edges. We found that the lion had scarcely allowed the
cow's body to drag on the ground, but had apparently carried it along
quite easily, and as though of no weight. The Zulu breed of cattle are
smaller than the English, the cows not being even so large as an
Alderney; still it was a good weight to jog along with in his mouth. We
went down the kloof with great care, listening after each dozen steps;
but there was not a sound to be heard, no crunching of cow's bones, or
other indication of the lion's presence. We soon came to the remains of
the cow, very little, however, being left; for a lion had dined first,
wolves and jackals afterwards, and vultures had then cleared up the
scraps. I proposed to Inkau that we should lie in wait for the
cow-slayer's return, and, if necessary, sleep on the ground; but to this
he seemed to have a great objection, as, like most Kaffirs, he disliked
to work all night if he could avoid it. We cautiously walked through
the long grass, and examined the kloof to the extreme end: as we came
back, and got near the remains of the carcass, we threw some stones into
a bush that we had not passed near. Just as we did so, something jumped
out of the bush, and rushed through the long grass. I could only see a
brown back occasionally showing over the long Tambokie grass, but fired
where the movement was. Inkau instantly bolted like a shot, while I
followed him with equal rapidity, and we stopped behind a tree at about
sixty yards from where I had fired. I loaded, and was then all ready
for any creature that might charge.
I asked Inkau at what animal I had fired. He said, "Don't you know?" I
told him that I was not certain, but fancied it might be the lion. He
acknowledged that he saw so little of the animal that he really could
not say: thus we had fired at a something, but neither of us, although
by no means novices, could tell what this was.
We were most particular in our approach to the spot, and threw several
stones in advance, but saw nothing until we came right on the body of a
hyaena lying dead. The shot had been a very lucky one, for, aiming well
forward at the moving grass, I had struck the hyaena with the bullet
under the ear, and it had passed through the skull, dropping him dead in
his track. We looked round the top of the kloof for spoor by which to
trace the lion; none was to be found, and we had to return without even
the satisfaction of a shot.
I won an old lady's heart by a present of tobacco on my return to
Inkau's kraal. She had been frequently looking at me very attentively,
and paid me some neat compliments; had she been young, and more like
Peshauna, I should have been flattered; but unfortunately her appearance
was not one that would be at all likely to inspire the tender passion.
Her face was thin and wrinkled, while her whole body looked as though it
were covered with a skin that had been originally intended for a very
much larger person. She had also suffered from sickness, as was shown
by the scars all over her body,--signs of the cupping and bleeding that
had been performed on her by some Kaffir doctor, with an assagy in lieu
of a lancet. Still she did not seem to be much displeased with
herself,--a circumstance for which I can only account by the absence of
looking-glasses in this village.
I did not feel much inclined to move after my long walk this day, so I
took a seat near the door of the hut, and watched the old lady turn my
tobacco into snuff. She first cut it up into little bits with an
assagy, and brought two large stones to the hut; into the lower stone,
which had a well-worn hollow, she put all the bits of tobacco, and with
the other, which was nearly circular, and about the size of an
ostrich-egg, she commenced grinding the tobacco: it seemed very hard
work, as she pressed heavily on the stone during the operation. After a
time she added some water, which made the mess into a sort of paste,
something like a child's dirt-pie. After a great deal of grinding and
scraping, the composition began really to look like a snuff-powder. She
then got a wooden spoon nearly full of white wood-ashes, and mixed them
with the tobacco. More grinding seemed to amalgamate the two
compositions, when she tried a pinch herself, and pronounced that it
wanted drying in the sun, and would then be good.
During the whole time that she was at work she was uttering disjointed
remarks to me, and at length proposed, in the most shameless and
barefaced manner, that I should marry her daughter. I requested to know
which of the damsels then present was the proposed bride, and was shown
a young lady about twelve years old, who had very much the appearance of
a picked Cochin-China fowl. I concealed my laughter, and told the old
lady that when this lassy became taller, and very fat, I might then
think more seriously of her proposition; but as at present I had not six
cows (the required price) handy, I could not entertain the subject. The
old lady told me she would get the skin and bone adorned with fat by the
time I came on another visit; and, for all I know, this black charmer
may be now waiting in disappointed plumpness. I stayed seven days at
this kraal: after the third day I had no bread or biscuit, but merely
roasted Indian corn and meat, with the _amasi_ and _ubisi_ (sour and
sweet milk). I therefore felt the want of bread, butter, and a bed, and
bidding my shooting companion farewell, I distributed beads and tobacco
to the women and some lucifers to the men, and then took my departure.
I should wish to testify to the manner in which I, a perfect stranger,
unknown by name or reputation to these savages, was treated during this
visit. They were kind, civil, and really hospitable. It was pleasing
to see a young Kaffir girl come each evening with a bowl of milk and
some corn, and, putting them down quietly beside me, look with her wild
black eyes into my face, and musically say, "_Ar ko inkosi_," (Yours,
chief).
A clever and good missionary was settled near here, and all the Kaffirs
spoke very highly of him. His good influence might have done something
in turning these Kaffirs' minds in the right direction, but all their
civility and good feeling appeared as though natural and not by tuition.
I do not look to the cause, I merely state what was really the case.
They might have murdered me, and concealed the fact with sufficient
cunning to prevent its discovery; but their only idea seemed to be that
of simple honest-dealing.