Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Richard Prairie and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: HAND WRITTEN DEDICATION]
[Illustration: SWAZI MOTHER CARRYING HER BABE
Like most of the South African natives, the Swazis carry all burdens
on their heads, the women invariably being the beasts of burden.
Babies are the only things the women ever carry on their backs, this
being because they keep their children with them while doing the
housework. The splendid stature and erect carriage of Swazi women is
directly due to carrying all weights on their heads]
ADVENTURES
IN SWAZILAND
THE STORY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN BOER
BY
OWEN ROWE O'NEIL
WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS
[Illustration: Publisher's Mark]
NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1921
Copyright, 1921, by
THE CENTURY CO.
Printed in U. S. A.
TO MY FATHER
COUNSELOR, FARMER, AND WARRIOR
THIS HUMBLE RECORD IS DEDICATED
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I PAGE
HOW THE O'NEILS CAME TO THE TRANSVAAL--BOERS WITH IRISH NAMES--OOM
PAUL'S REFUSAL TO BUY DELAGOA BAY--THE BOERS BREAK FOR FREEDOM--THEIR
BLOODY BATTLES WITH THE SAVAGE TRIBES--THE GREAT TREK--DINGAANZULU'S
TREACHERY--THE DINGAAN DAY CELEBRATION 3
CHAPTER II
RIETVLEI, THE "VALLEY OF REEDS"--THE O'NEIL HOMESTEAD--PIONEER
HARDSHIPS--THE WAR AGAINST MALEUW, "THE LION"--"SLIM GERT" O'NEIL
BREAKS THE POWER OF THE MAKATEESE KING--JAFTA, KING OF THE MAPORS--MY
TROUSERS NEARLY COST ME AN EYE--OUR TOY FACTORY AND MIMIC BATTLES--OOM
TUYS GROBLER TELLS OF SWAZILAND AND KING BUNO, "THE TERRIBLE" 12
CHAPTER III
MY DESIRE TO VISIT KING BUNO--HOW I WON THE TRIP ON A BET--A BOER RACE
MEET--"BLACK HAND TOM," THE HOPE OF RIETVLEI--KLAAS'S RIDE TO SAVE HIS
SKIN--FATHER GIVES PERMISSION FOR MY VISIT--BELFAST CELEBRATES THE
BOER VICTORY 31
CHAPTER IV
I LEAVE FOR MY FIRST VISIT TO SWAZILAND--MOTHER WARNS ME ABOUT OOM
TUYS--WHY THE BOERS PAID TRIBUTE TO KING BUNO--QUEEN LABOTSIBENI, THE
BRAINS OF SWAZILAND--BUNO'S VISIT TO OOM PAUL KRUGER--OUR RECEPTION IN
SWAZILAND--EZULWENI, THE "VALLEY OF HEAVEN"--BUNO'S RIFLE--SIBIJAAN
AND I EXPLORE BY NIGHT 44
CHAPTER V
SHEBA'S BREASTS AND THE PLACE OF EXECUTION--ZOMBODE AND THE ROYAL
KRAAL OF QUEEN LABOTSIBENI--COMMON AND ROYAL GROUND--WE REACH KING
BUNO'S KRAAL AT LEBOMBO--GIN FOR THE KING--BUNO, THE REGAL SAVAGE--I
PRESENT A RIFLE TO THE KING--LOMWAZI TAKES ME TO LABOTSIBENI--THE OLD
QUEEN IS WORRIED OVER TUYS' ACTIVITIES--THE SHOOTING-MATCH WITH THE
KING--TUYS AND I MANAGE TO MISS A FEW HUMAN TARGETS 57
CHAPTER VI
TUYS ORDERS ME TO REMAIN IN CAMP DURING THE CELEBRATION--I VISIT THE
ROYAL KRAAL--FEASTING, DANCING, AND COMBATS TO THE DEATH--BUTCHERY OF
YOUNG WOMEN--BUNO AND TUYS WRESTLE FOR GOLD--HOW TUYS BECAME RICH--A
"LEGAL EXECUTION" IN SWAZILAND--THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE EXPIATES HER
SIN--HOW TUYS SHOOTS--FATHER GATHERS INFORMATION BY MENTAL SUGGESTION
73
CHAPTER VII
I VISIT SWAZILAND AGAIN--BUNO'S ILLNESS--AN APPEAL FROM THE KING--THE
RACE AGAINST DEATH--UMZULEK MEETS US--THE DYING KING--BUNO MAKES TUYS
GUARDIAN OF HIS PEOPLE--THE LAST ROYAL SALUTE OF THE IMPIS--THE
DEATH-DEALING PUFF-ADDER--BUNO DIES LIKE A TRUE SAVAGE KING--TZANEEN,
THE ROYAL WIDOW, SUSPECTS MURDER--THE QUEENS MEET--TUYS ESCAPES THE
FUNERAL SACRIFICE 92
CHAPTER VIII
THE ROYAL FUNERAL--THE "THUNDER OF THE SHIELDS"--NOT AFRAID TO
DIE--THE WITCH-DOCTOR'S BLOODY WORK--WHAT LABOTSIBENI WANTED--THE
BURIAL OF THE INDUNAS--RAIN-MAKING AND THE "RAIN STONE"--BUNO'S BURIAL
IN THE CAVES--WITCH-DOCTORS PREVENT OUR ENTERING THE CAVES--LABOTSIBENI
SENDS FOR GIN 110
CHAPTER IX
SIBIJAAN'S SPORTIVENESS ALMOST COSTS HIS LIFE--HOW TUYS BECAME THE
FRIEND OF BUNO--LABOTSIBENI ENDORSED AS REGENT OF SWAZILAND--UMZULEK
PLOTS TO SEIZE THE THRONE--THE BOERS INVADE SWAZILAND--TUYS DICTATES
PEACE BETWEEN THE QUEENS--UMZULEK GETS HIS LESSON 129
CHAPTER X
WAR WITH ENGLAND--SIEGE OF BELFAST--OUR BOYISH IMPI ATTACKS THE
BRITISH--GHOSTS DEFEAT US--JAFTA'S FRIENDSHIP--ENGLISH TROOPERS DO THE
"SPORTING THING"--UMZULEK STILL PLANNING DEVILTRY--DEATH OF KLAAS, OUR
JOCKEY--FATHER SENDS ME AWAY TO GET AN EDUCATION 150
CHAPTER XI
BACK TO RIETVLEI FROM HARVARD--I LOCATE IN ERMELO--TUYS BRINGS NEWS
THAT SEBUZA IS TO BE CROWNED KING OF SWAZILAND--I DECIDE TO MAKE A
PICTURE RECORD OF THE CORONATION--THE TREK TO ZOMBODE TO GET THE ROYAL
PERMISSION--SNYMAN PLAYS GHOST AND ALMOST GETS KILLED--VISIT TO
MBABANE, CAPITAL OF SWAZILAND 163
CHAPTER XII
I MEET LABOTSIBENI AGAIN--FLATTERING A SAVAGE QUEEN--EXPLAINING THE
"LITTLE BLACK MAGIC BOX"--CURING RHEUMATISM WITH TOOTH-PASTE,
VASELINE, AND HAIR OIL--WOMEN AS CURRENCY--GIN, GOLD, AND COWS PAY FOR
THE PICTURE RIGHTS--THE "FLU" STRIKES--JENNIE, THE "BLAAU APP," AND
THE PEACOCKS' TAILS 188
CHAPTER XIII
I START FOR NEW YORK--THE RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERE ON SHIPBOARD--"FLU"
ATTACKS THE JAVANESE--THE MISSIONARIES REFUSE TO HELP--SHARKS AS
SCAVENGERS--THE LITTLE MOTHER'S END--EVILS OF LIQUOR--ASSEMBLING OUR
PARTY IN NEW YORK--PASSAGE AS FREIGHT--ST. LUCIA AND A LITTLE
EXCITEMENT--THE THIN MAGISTRATE--RELEASED ON BAIL 206
CHAPTER XIV
OBSTINATE STOWAWAYS--FREE TOWN AND A FIGHT--BAY RUM AS A
BEVERAGE--SUGDEN LETS OFF SMOKE-BOMBS--CAPE TOWN, A PARTY, AND SOME
ANZACS--OOM TUYS ADVISES HASTE--THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA--AMERICANS AND
BOERS IN ERMELO--A HURRIED VISIT TO SWAZILAND FOR INFORMATION--MYSTERY
OVER THE CORONATION--ROYAL GIN FOR LABOTSIBENI--DEBESEEMBIE DRINKS AND
TALKS 226
CHAPTER XV
OUTFITTING FOR SWAZILAND--OUR COOK BECOMES "GUNGA DIN"--LOMWAZI'S
MESSENGER--OFF FOR ZOMBODE--ROSSMAN GOES HUNTING--TOO MUCH RAIN--THE
OXEN DIE AND ARE REPLACED BY DONKEYS--SNEAKING LIQUOR THROUGH
MBABANE--EZULWENI MOSQUITOES RIVAL NEW JERSEY'S--WE ARE UNPOPULAR IN
ZOMBODE--MANAAN'S DAMAGE SUIT AND SETTLEMENT 247
CHAPTER XVI
LABOTSIBENI REFUSES TO SEE ME--SUGDEN AND MY MEN ESCAPE
ASSASSINATION--A FRUITLESS CONFERENCE--WE FLEE TO LEBOMBO--OOM TUYS
TURNS UP--WE CONFER WITH QUEEN TZANEEN AND LOCHIEN--FIVE-AND-TEN-CENT-
STORE JEWELRY HAS PERSUASIVE POWERS--SUGDEN FALLS ILL--WE BUILD HIS
COFFIN--SEBUZA RETURNS FROM HIS SANCTIFICATION 268
CHAPTER XVII
L'TUNGA'S "MUTI" CURES THE SICK WHITE MAN--SEBUZA CHOOSES HIS WIVES--I
RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
SWAZILAND--A FLYING TRIP TO MBABANE--THE GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO
SANCTION SEBUZA'S CORONATION--HOW WITCH-DOCTORS SMOKE DAGGA 292
CHAPTER XVIII
WITCH-DOCTORS OF SWAZILAND--HOW THEY BROUGHT A FAMINE--L'TUNGA'S
SCHOOL OF WITCH-DOCTORING--THE "POISON TEST" TO SETTLE OWNERSHIP--THE
PROFESSIONAL WITCH-DOCTOR'S EQUIPMENT--L'TUNGA DECIDES A MURDER
CASE--SOME GENUINE CURES 310
CHAPTER XIX
WEARISOME DELAY IN CORONATION--WAR SUGGESTIONS FROM UMZULEK--MY PLAN
TO BLUFF LABOTSIBENI--THE BLUFF IS CALLED--A TICKLISH SITUATION--
LABOTSIBENI REFUSES TO SURRENDER THE THRONE--OUR DEMONSTRATION
FAILS--NIGHT MURDERS PROVOKE WAR 331
CHAPTER XX
LEBOMBO THREATENED WITH ATTACK--TZANEEN FLIES TO US FOR
PROTECTION--VICTORY FOR SEBUZA--LABOTSIBENI'S MYSTERIOUS
DEATH--LOMWAZI SPARED FOR EXECUTION LATER--FUNERAL SACRIFICE OF THE
OLD QUEEN--QUEEN TZANEEN IN STATE--WE ARE FORCED TO JOIN THE ROYAL
IMPI 355
CHAPTER XXI
OUR SANCTIFICATION IN EXILE--HARDSHIPS IN THE HILLS--OOM TUYS SAVES
LOMWAZI'S LIFE--THE CELEBRATION--LOMWAZI FORMALLY SURRENDERS THE
THRONE--WE ARE INDUCTED INTO THE ROYAL IMPI--MBABANE SENDS FOR
INFORMATION--WE ESCAPE THROUGH PORTUGUESE TERRITORY TO AMERICA 371
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Swazi mother carrying her babe _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
Map of Swaziland 32
Map showing section of South Africa 33
The result of the national sport 48
Interior of military barracks 49
Princesses and maid taking a morning bath 68
Young princesses amiably engaged in hair-dressing 68
Swazi girls 69
Pudana, favorite to the old Queen Labotsibeni 69
An actual combat in which the man on the left was slain 76
A type of dress worn by the royal executioner 77
Lomwazi, son and prime minister to the old Queen 77
Queen Tzaneen, mother of the crown prince 112
Queen Tzaneen with some Zulu princesses 113
Umzulek, a resourceful and influential exile 113
Swazi warriors and women dancing 128
Princesses of royal birth 129
Queen Labotsibeni, mother of King Buno 196
Lomwazi and his council of Indunas, or war chiefs 197
The stream that divides the royal from the common ground 204
Type of Afrikander cattle 205
Swazi women at home 205
On the way to the royal kraal at Zombode 256
The second trip into Swaziland 256
Mother feeding her baby 257
Maiden singing to the Crown Prince Sebuza 257
Dr. O'Neil and companions are received by Queen Tzaneen 282
Dr. O'Neil, Queen Tzaneen, Dr. Sugden, and Mr. Crespinell 282
Wives of the prime minister to Sebuza 283
Queen Tzaneen and Lochien 283
Princesses at the sacred bathing pool 304
A scene at the royal bathing pool 305
Interior of the royal kraal 320
Chief witch-doctor of Swaziland 320
A school of witch-doctors 321
A Swazi seminary or school for young witch-doctors 321
Crown Prince Sebuza in festival dress 336
Crown Prince Sebuza 337
Lochien, commander-in-chief of Prince Sebuza's impis 352
Warriors of Prince Sebuza's impis starting out to battle 352
One of the royal impis 353
Priests building the sacred fire 360
A view of the kraal 361
Mr. Crespinell at home among his black brethren 376
Dr. Sugden, Prince Lomwazi, and Dr. O'Neil 376
Dr. O'Neil, Mr. Crespinell, and Dr. Sugden after their
induction into the royal impi 377
ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND
CHAPTER I
How the O'Neils came to the Transvaal--Boers with Irish names--Oom
Paul's refusal to buy Delagoa Bay--The Boers break for freedom--Their
bloody battles with the savage tribes--The Great Trek--Dingaanzulu's
treachery--The Dingaan Day celebration.
I was born only a few days trek, or march, from the Swazi border and
even as a youth made numerous trips into Swaziland. Through my uncle,
Oom Tuys Grobler, known as "The White King of Swaziland," I was
practically adopted by the savage rulers of that country and have
always been received with the greatest honor and consideration by the
various members of its royal family. My family have always been
interested in Swaziland and there was seldom a time when one of my ten
brothers was not hunting or visiting there. As one of the O'Neils of
Rietvlei, which means "The Valley of Reeds," any of us were welcome.
It may seem strange that Boers should bear the name O'Neil, but this
is not out of the ordinary in the Transvaal. There are many Boer
families, most of them prominent in South Africa, who have Irish
names. My father's first wife was a Madden and our homestead at
Rietvlei is only about seven miles from the town of Belfast, which our
family founded and named. The record is not clear how these Irish
names are found among the Boers, but the fact that many Boers have
Celtic names refutes the statement that most of the Irish who fought
against the British in the Boer War were renegades from the United
Kingdom.
My father is Richard Charles O'Neil, known among our people as "Slim
Gert," or "Slick Dick" as it would be Americanized, the title being a
tribute to his astuteness and good business sense. He was for six
years minister of finance in the cabinet of the late Oom Paul Kruger,
who has come to be regarded as one of the really great South Africans,
his fame being greater to-day than at the time of his death. Father
split with Oom Paul over the Delagoa Bay question and resigned from
his cabinet. At that time the Portuguese offered to sell Delagoa Bay
to Oom Paul for twenty thousand pounds. This was shortly before the
Boer War. Father strongly advocated the purchase, since it would give
our people an outlet on the coast, the Bay being a fine harbor. Oom
Paul, however, emphatically refused to buy.
"It would only give our enemies, the English, a chance to attack us
from the sea," he said, ending the cabinet conference. "Now they can't
get to us through Portuguese territory."
To-day Delagoa Bay could not be bought for twenty million pounds.
My grandfather was John James O'Neil, a direct descendant of the
O'Neil who fled from Ireland in the time of Oliver Cromwell, and it
was he who chose Rietvlei as the family farm. When I say "farm," I use
the term in the Boer sense, since Rietvlei includes more than 100,000
acres of the most fertile land in the Transvaal and is quite large
even for South Africa, the country of vast distances.
As one of the survivors of "The Great Trek," my grandfather had
suffered the most intense hardships and escaped dangers that are
almost unbelievable to-day. This trek was the wholesale migration of
Boers who were dissatisfied with British rule and had decided to carve
out a country for themselves in what was then wildest Africa.
The original Boers were the descendants of the Huguenots who were
expelled from France to Holland and eventually went overseas. They
made their chief settlement in what is now Cape Town, then a port of
call for the far-flung commerce of the Dutch, who were at that time
the dominant maritime nation. The British took Cape Town from the
Dutch in 1806, but returned the colony to Holland a few years later.
Finally, in 1815, the Dutch ceded Cape Town to the British for a sum
said to be six million pounds.
Up to that time the settlers of the Cape Colony had only branched out
as far as the Great Fish River. This was the limit of safety, since
beyond lay trackless wastes and millions of savage natives noted for
their hostility and cannibalism. Practically all these settlers were
the ancestors of the present Boers.
As is occasionally the case in present times, it was the missionaries
who caused the trouble that led to the breaking up of the old Boer
homes in Cape Colony. A number of these religious gentlemen came out
from England and lived for a short time in the Colony. On their return
to London they misrepresented facts to the king to such an extent that
a number of restrictive laws and regulations were passed. These made
life impossible for the Boers, who have always been a freedom-loving
people.
Finally about ten thousand of the burghers got together and commenced
their exodus from Cape Colony into the unknown territory beyond the
Great Fish River. The Zulus and Basutus met the first party, there was
a bitter fight, and every Boer man, woman and child was massacred. In
many cases, when the men realized that there was no hope, they killed
their own womenfolk so that they might not fall into the hands of the
savages.
This bloody tragedy did not deter the determined Boers. Other parties
followed, and soon these pioneers founded various settlements. Every
foot of their advance was gained by fighting, and the Boer conquest of
the Transvaal and Orange Free State may well be said to have been won
by the blood of freemen. Some of these expeditions settled in Natal
and founded the city of Pietermaritzburg, named after their great
leader, Pieter Maritz.
It was during the year 1830 that my grandfather joined the Great Trek
and left Cape Colony with a large expedition led by Piet Retief and
Piet Potgier. The party had much trouble with the Zulus, its progress
being a continuous fight. On reaching the Vaal River, Potgier and
Retief came to loggerheads and agreed to separate. Each had his own
opinion as to where they ought to go, and each followed his own idea.
My grandfather remained with Retief and thereby nearly lost his life.
With my grandfather was his brother, Richard Charles O'Neil, after
whom my father was named.
Piet Retief was killed by the Zulus, and this massacre is now history,
almost sacred history, in the Transvaal. It seems that Retief led his
party into what is now Natal and there undertook to come to some basis
of peace with the savages. A truce was declared, and he went to the
Zulu royal kraal and saw their great chief, Dingaanzulu. The chief
agreed to cede certain territory to Retief if the Boer would recover
for the Zulus certain cattle stolen from them by another savage
nation. This land was to be the first of the new Republic of Natalia,
which my grandfather and Retief planned to found.
Retief recovered the cattle and with one hundred burghers visited the
Zulu royal kraal and returned them to Dingaanzulu. After the cattle
were driven in the Zulu chief sent for the Boer leader, ostensibly to
arrange about the land grant. He insisted that the Boers were now his
friends and, as such, should leave their weapons outside the royal
kraal and enter unarmed. The ruthless Zulu chief said that this would
be "an evidence of the good hearts of the white men."
With great foreboding Retief did as he was asked. With his hundred men
he went into the kraal and found Dingaanzulu in the most friendly
frame of mind. After fraternization the chief told the Boers that a
great celebration had been prepared in their honor, and that night
there was feasting, dancing, and much speech-making in front of the
great fires.
I have often heard what happened next. It is history with us and
tradition with the Zulus, Swazis, and other natives of our section of
the Transvaal. The story was first told me by an old Zulu who was a
sort of farm-helper at our home when I was a little fellow. He claimed
to have been there, and from his evidence I believe he was.
"There was a great feast and all the fires were lighted," he said.
"Many cattle had been killed and all the royal impis (regiments) were
in full costume. These were the picked men of all Zululand, and they
danced for a long time before the fires.
"Dingaanzulu sat with the white leader, and they drank tswala (kaffir
beer) together. Often they would shake hands, and it was as though
they were brothers. All the other white men sat near the fires in
front of the king. They, too, had much tswala and plenty to eat.
"When it was quite late and the moon shone through the flames of the
dying fires, many of the royal impi gathered behind those who were
dancing and waited for a sign from Dingaanzulu. Soon this came, and
then the killing! Dingaanzulu stood up and threw his leopard-skin
cloak about his shoulders. This was the sign. The waiting warriors
dashed through the dancers and threw themselves upon the white men.
Assegais flashed, and the Boer leader dashed to his men. These held
together and fought the impis with bare hands. Some of the white men
were very strong and tore assegais from the warriors and fought with
them, stabbing, and stabbing, and stabbing!
"But there were hundreds, even thousands, of Zulus to each white man,
and the fight could not last long. All the white men were killed, and
some were stabbed scores of times before they died. I do not know how
their leader died, but we found him with a broken assegai in his hand
and seven dead warriors about him."
As soon as Dingaanzulu had murdered Retief and his band, he sent his
impis to kill all the remaining members of the expedition. My
grandfather and his brother were in charge of the main encampment, or
laager, at Weenan, which means "Weeping," or "Place of Sorrow." The
wagons had been formed into a hollow square, and the Boers finally
drove off the Zulus after a fight lasting several days. Hundreds of
the savages were killed, and the Boers lost a large number of men who
could ill be spared.
Then my grandfather and his party settled in the district surrounding
Majuba Hill. His brother founded the place known as "O'Neil's Farm" at
the foot of Majuba, while my grandfather established and named the
village of Belfast on the top of the hill. Following this he moved to
Potchefstroom, and from there north-east, where he established the
Republic of Lydenburg. These various little republics were
discontinued, or rather merged into the modern form of government,
when the Boers became sufficiently numerous and communications were
established.
After the establishment of the Republic of Lydenburg my grandfather
discovered Rietvlei, the "Valley of Reeds," which has been the O'Neil
homestead ever since.
The massacre of Retief and his devoted band is celebrated yearly by a
three-day holiday in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. The
celebration is in the nature of a memorial service, followed by
rejoicing. About every eighty miles throughout the Boer country a spot
is designated, and the burghers, with their families, trek to this
place. This trek is symbolic of the "Great Trek" in which their
ancestors died. On the first day of the celebration there is a sham
battle in which the fight at Weenan is acted again, and the last two
days are given over to religious services and the festivities.
All self-respecting Boer families join in the Dingaan Day celebration,
many of them coming scores of miles to do so. The children are taught
the story of "the day" in the schools, and it is probably the most
important civic celebration of the year.
Piet Potgier's party was entirely wiped out, none surviving attacks
made by the combined impis of the Zulus and Basutus.