WAR--_Concluded_.
DEFENSIVE WEAPONS, AND MODE OF FIGHTING.
BODY ARMOR NOT WORN -- THE KAFFIR’S SHIELD -- ITS SHAPE, MATERIAL,
AND COLOR -- THE SHIELD AS A UNIFORM -- CURIOUS RUSE -- HOW THE
SHIELD IS HELD AND USED -- THE SHIELD STICK AND ITS ORNAMENTS --
VALUE OF THE SHIELD AGAINST SPEARS AND ARROWS -- THE BLACK AND WHITE
SHIELD REGIMENTS -- DISTRIBUTION OF SHIELDS -- MILITARY AMBITION AND
ITS INCENTIVES -- CHIEF OBJECTS OF WARFARE -- DISCIPLINE OF KAFFIR
ARMY -- CRUELTY OF TCHAKA AND OTHER ZULU MONARCHS -- OBSERVANCES
BEFORE A CAMPAIGN -- SUPERSTITIOUS CEREMONIES -- HOW THE ARMY IS
MAINTAINED IN THE FIELD -- TRACK OF AN ARMY THROUGH AN ENEMY’S LAND
-- JEALOUSY BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT REGIMENTS -- ORGANIZATION OF THE
ARMY -- NUMBER OF REGIMENTS AND GARRISON TOWNS -- NAMES OF THE
DIFFERENT REGIMENTS -- GOZA AND SANDILLI -- DISTINGUISHING UNIFORMS
OF THE REGIMENTS -- THE REVIEW AFTER A BATTLE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
-- THE SHIELD BEARER AND HIS PERILOUS TASK -- THE ROYAL ATTENDANTS --
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT -- KAFFIR HERALDS -- VARIOUS TITLES OF THE KING
-- PANDA’S REVIEW COSTUME -- THE KING’S PROGRESS THROUGH HIS COUNTRY
-- INVENTION AND COMPLETION OF A MILITARY SYSTEM -- TCHAKA’S POLICY
COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE FIRST NAPOLEON -- TCHAKA’S RISE AND FALL
-- AN UNSUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION -- FAMILY QUARRELS -- A TREACHEROUS
CONSPIRACY -- MURDER OF TCHAKA, AND ACCESSION OF DINGAN.
The Zulu tribe have but one piece of defensive armor, namely, the
shield. The Kaffirs either are ignorant of, or despise bodily armor
of any kind, not even protecting their heads by caps and helmets,
but exposing their naked bodies and limbs to the weapons of the foe.
The shields are always made of ox-hide, and their color denotes the
department of the army to which the owner belongs. None but “men,”
who are entitled to wear the head-ring, are privileged to carry white
shields, while the “boys” on their promotion are furnished with black
shields. Some of them have their black and white shields spotted with
red or brown, this coloring denoting the particular regiment to which
they belong. It will be seen, therefore, that the shield constitutes a
kind of uniform, and it has more than once happened, that when the Zulu
warriors have got the better of their enemies, some of the more crafty
among the vanquished have contrived to exchange their own shields for
those belonging to slain Zulu warriors, and have thus contrived to
pass themselves off as victorious Amazulu until they could find an
opportunity of making their escape.
The double row of black marks down the centre of the shield (see
Goza’s, page 117,) is an addition which is invariably found in these
weapons of war, and serves partly as an ornament, and partly as a
convenient mode for fastening the handle. In ornamenting the shield
with these marks, the Kaffir cuts a double row of slits along the
shield while it is still wet and pliant, and then passes strips of
black hide in and out through the slits, so as to make the black of the
strip contrast itself boldly with the white of the shield.
The handle of the Kaffir’s shield is quite unique. Instead of being a
mere loop or projection in the centre of the shield, it is combined
with a stick which runs along the centre of the shield, and is long
enough to project at both ends. This stick serves several purposes, its
chief use being to strengthen the shield and keep it stiff, and its
second object being to assist the soldier in swinging it about in the
rapid manner which is required in the Kaffir’s mode of fighting and
dancing. The projection at the lower end is used as a rest, on which
the shield can stand whenever the warrior is tired of carrying it in
his arms, and the shield ought to be just so tall that, when the owner
stands erect, his eyes can just look over the top of the shield, while
the end of the stick reaches to the crown of his head. It will be seen
that the upper end of the stick has an ornament upon it. This is made
of the furry skin of some animal, which is cut into strips just like
those which are used for the “tails,” and the strips wound upon the
stick in a drum-like shape.
If the reader will refer to the illustration on p. 57, entitled
“Kaffirs at Home,” he will see three of these shield-sticks placed
in the fence of the cattle-fold, ready to be inserted in the shield
whenever they are wanted.
At each side of the shield there is a slight indentation, the object of
which is not very clear, unless it be simple fashion. It prevails to
a large extent throughout many parts of Africa, in some places being
comparatively slight, and in others so deep that the shield looks
like a great hour-glass. Although the shield is simply made of the
hide of an ox, and without that elaborate preparation with glue and
size which strengthens the American Indian’s shield, the native finds
it quite sufficient to guard him against either spear or club, while
those tribes which employ the bow find that their weapons can make
but little impression on troops which are furnished with such potent
defences. The Bosjesmans, and all the tribes which use poisoned arrows,
depend entirely on the virulence of the poison, and not on the force
with which the arrow is driven, so that their puny bow and slender
arrows are almost useless against foes whose whole bodies are covered
by shields, from which the arrows recoil as harmlessly as if they were
bucklers of iron.
As is the case in more civilized communities, the shields, which
constitute the uniforms, are not the private property of the individual
soldier, but are given out by the chief. Moreover, it seems that the
warlike chief Dingan would not grant shields to any young soldier until
he had shown himself worthy of wearing the uniform of his sovereign.
The skins of all the cattle in the garrison towns belong of right to
the king, and are retained by him for the purpose of being made into
shields, each skin being supposed to furnish two shields--a large
one, and a small, or hunting shield. Men are constantly employed in
converting hides into shields, which are stored in houses devoted to
the purpose.
Captain Gardiner gives an interesting account of an application for
shields made by a party of young soldiers, and their reception by the
king. It must be first understood that Dingan was at the time in his
chief garrison town, and that he was accompanied by his two favorite
Indoonas, or petty chiefs, one of whom, by name Tambooza, was a
singularly cross-grained individual, whose chief delight was in fault
finding. After mentioning that a chief, named Georgo, had travelled to
the king’s palace, at the head of a large detachment, for the purpose
of asking for shields, he proceeded as follows:--
“Their arrival at the principal gate of the town having been notified
to the king, an order was soon after sent for their admission,
when they all rushed up with a shout, brandishing their sticks in
a most violent manner, until within a respectable distance of the
Issigordlo, when they halted. Dingan soon mounted his pedestal and
showed himself over the fence, on which a simultaneous greeting of
‘Byāte!’ ran through the line into which they were now formed. He soon
disappeared, and the whole party then seated themselves on the ground
they occupied. Dingan shortly after came out, the two Indoonas and a
number of his great men having already arrived, and seated themselves
in semi-circular order on each side of his chair, from whom he was,
however, removed to a dignified distance. Tambooza, who is the great
speaker on all these occasions, and the professed scolder whenever
necessity requires, was now on his legs; to speak publicly in any
other posture would, I am convinced, be painful to a Zulu; nor is he
content with mere gesticulation--actual space is necessary; I had
almost said sufficient for a cricket ball to bound in, but this would
be hyperbole--a run, however, he must have, and I have been surprised
at the grace and effect which this novel accompaniment to the art of
elocution has often given to the point and matter of the discourse.
“In this character Tambooza is inimitable, and shone especially on the
present occasion, having doubtless been instructed by the king, in
whose name he addressed Georgo and his party, to interlard his oration
with as many pungent reproofs and cutting invectives as his fertile
imagination could invent, or his natural disposition suggest. On a late
expedition, it appears that the troops now harangued had not performed
the service expected--they had entered the territory of Umselekaz, and,
instead of surrounding and capturing the herds within their reach,
had attended to some pretended instructions to halt and return; some
palliating circumstances had no doubt screened them from the customary
rigor on such occasions, and this untoward occurrence was now turned to
the best advantage. After a long tirade, in which Tambooza ironically
described their feeble onset and fruitless effort, advancing like a
Mercury to fix his part, and gracefully retiring as though to point
a fresh barb for the attack; now slaking his wrath by a journey to
the right, and then as abruptly recoiling to the left, by each detour
increasing in vehemence, the storm was at length at its height, and in
the midst of the tempest he had stirred he retired to the feet of his
sovereign, who, I remarked, could scarcely refrain from smiling at many
of the taunting expressions that were used.
“Georgo’s countenance can better be imagined than described at this
moment. Impatient to reply, he now rose from the centre of the
line, his person decorated with strings of pink beads worn over his
shoulders like a cross belt, and large brass rings on his arms and
throat. ‘Amanka’ (it is false), was the first word he uttered. The
various chivalrous deeds of himself and his men were then set forth
in the most glowing colors, and a scene ensued which I scarcely know
how to describe. Independent of his own energetic gesticulations, his
violent leaping and sententious running; on the first announcement of
any exculpatory fact indicating their prowess in arms, one or more of
the principal warriors would rush from the ranks to corroborate the
statement by a display of muscular power in leaping, charging, and
pantomimic conflict, which quite made the ground to resound under their
feet; alternately leaping and galloping (for it is not running) until,
frenzied by the tortuous motion, their nerves were sufficiently strong
for the acme posture--vaulting several feet in the air, drawing the
knees toward the chin, and at the same time passing the hands between
the ankles. (See illustration No. 2 on page opposite.)
“In this singular manner were the charges advanced and rebutted for
a considerable time; Dingan acting behind the scenes as a moderator,
and occasionally calling off Tambooza as an unruly bull-dog from the
bait. At length, as though imperceptibly drawn into the argument, he
concluded the business in these words:--‘When have we heard anything
good of Georgo? What has Georgo done? It is a name that is unknown to
us. I shall give you no shields until you have proved yourself worthy
of them; go and bring me some cattle from Umselekaz, and then shields
shall be given you.’ A burst of applause rang from all sides on this
unexpected announcement; under which, in good taste, the despot made
his exit, retiring into the Issogordlo, while bowls of beer were served
out to the soldiers, who with their Indoon were soon after observed
marching over the hills, on their way to collect the remainder of their
regiment, for the promised expedition.
“I am inclined to think that there was much of state policy in the
whole of these proceedings, particularly as the order for the attack
on Umselekaz was shortly after countermanded, and not more than ten
or twelve days elapsed before the same party returned, and received
their shields. At this time I was quietly writing in my hut; one of the
shield houses adjoined; and I shall never forget the unceremonious rush
they made. Not contented with turning them all out, and each selecting
one, but, in order to prove them and shake off the dust, they commenced
beating them on the spot with sticks, which, in connection with this
sudden incursion, occasioned such an unusual tumult that I thought a
civil war had commenced.”
* * * * *
Having now seen the weapons used by the Kaffir warriors, we will see
how they wage war.
When the chief arranges his troops in order of battle, he places the
“boys” in the van, and gives them the post of honor, as well as of
danger. In this position they have the opportunity of distinguishing
themselves for which they so earnestly long, and, as a general rule,
display such valor that it is not very easy to pick out those who have
earned especial glory. Behind them are arranged the “men” with their
white shields. These have already established their reputation, and do
not require further distinction. They serve a double purpose. Firstly,
they act as a reserve in case the front ranks of the “black-shields”
should be repulsed, and, being men of more mature age, oppose an
almost impregnable front to the enemy, while the “black-shields”
can re-form their ranks under cover, and then renew the charge. The
second object is, that they serve as a very effectual incitement to
the young men to do their duty. They know that behind them is a body
of skilled warriors, who are carefully noting all their deeds, and
they are equally aware that if they attempt to run away they will be
instantly killed by the “white-shields” in their rear. As has already
been mentioned, the dearest wish of a young Kaffir’s heart is to become
a “white-shield” himself, and there is no prouder day of his life than
that in which he bears for the first time the white war shield on his
arm, the “isikoko” on his head, and falls into the ranks with those to
whom he has so long looked up with admiration and envy.
In order to incite the “black-shields” to the most strenuous exertions,
their reward is promised to them beforehand. Just before they set out
on their expedition, the young unmarried girls of the tribe are paraded
before them, and they are told that each who succeeds in distinguishing
himself before the enemy shall be presented with one of those damsels
for a wife when he returns. So he does not only receive the barren
permission to take a wife, and thus to enrol himself among the men,
but the wife is presented to him without pay, his warlike deeds being
considered as more than an equivalent for the cows which he would
otherwise have been obliged to pay for her.
[Illustration: (1.) KAFFIR WARRIORS SKIRMISHING. (See page 102.)]
[Illustration: (2.) MUSCULAR ADVOCACY. (See page 110.)]
A curious custom prevails in the households of the white-shield
warriors. When one of them goes out to war, his wife takes his sleeping
mat, his pillow, and his spoon, and hangs them upon the wall of the
hut. Every morning at early dawn she goes and inspects them with loving
anxiety, and looks to see whether they cast a shadow or not. As long
as they do so, she knows that her husband is alive; but if no shadow
should happen to be thrown by them, she feels certain that her husband
is dead, and laments his loss as if she had actually seen his dead
body. This curious custom irresistibly reminds the reader of certain
tales in the “Arabian Nights,” where the life or death of an absent
person is known by some object that belonged to him--a knife, for
example--which dripped blood as soon as its former owner was dead.
Before Tchaka’s invention of the heavy stabbing-assagai, there was
rather more noise than execution in a Kaffir battle, the assagais being
received harmlessly on the shields, and no one much the worse for them.
But his trained troops made frightful havoc among the enemy, and the
destruction was so great, that the Zulus were said to be not men, but
eaters of men. The king’s place was in the centre of the line, and
in the rear, so that he could see all the proceedings with his own
eyes, and could give directions, from time to time, to the favored
councillors who were around him, and who acted as aides-de-camp,
executing their commissions at their swiftest pace, and then returning
to take their post by the sacred person of their monarch.
The commander of each regiment and section of a regiment was supposed
to be its embodiment, and on him hung all the blame if it suffered a
repulse. Tchaka made no allowance whatever for superior numbers on the
part of the enemy, and his warriors knew well that, whatever might
be the force opposed to them, they had either to conquer or to die;
and, as it was better to die fighting than to perish ignominiously
as cowards after the battle, they fought with a frantic valor that
was partly inherent in their nature, and was partly the result of the
strict and sanguinary discipline under which they fought. After the
battle, the various officers are called out, and questioned respecting
the conduct of the men under their command. Reward and retribution are
equally swift in operation, an immediate advance in rank falling to the
lot of those who had shown notable courage, while those who have been
even suspected of cowardice are immediately slain.
Sometimes the slaughter after an expedition is terrible, even under
the reign of Panda, a very much milder man than his great predecessor.
Tchaka has been known to order a whole regiment for execution; and on
one occasion he killed all the “white-shields,” ordering the “boys”
to assume the head-ring, and take the positions and shields of the
slain. Panda, however, is not such a despot as Tchaka, and, indeed,
does not possess the irresponsible power of that king. No one ever
dared to interfere with Tchaka, knowing that to contradict him was
certain death. But when Panda has been disposed to kill a number of his
subjects his councillors have interfered, and by their remonstrances
have succeeded in stopping the massacre.
Sometimes these wars are carried on in the most bloodthirsty manner,
and not only the soldiers in arms, but the women, the old and the
young, fall victims to the assagais and clubs of the victorious enemy.
Having vanquished the foe, they press on toward the kraals, spearing
all the inhabitants, and carrying off all the cattle. Indeed, the
“lifting” of cattle on a large scale often constitutes the chief end of
a Kaffir war.
Before starting on an expedition the soldiers undergo a series of
ceremonies, which are supposed to strengthen their bodies, improve
their courage, and propitiate the spirits of their forefathers in
their favor. The ceremony begins with the king, who tries to obtain
some article belonging to the person of the adverse chief, such as a
scrap of any garment that he has worn, a snuff box, the shaft of an
assagai, or, indeed, anything that has belonged to him. A portion of
this substance is scraped into certain medicines prepared by the witch
doctor, and the king either swallows the medicine, or cuts little
gashes on different parts of his body, and rubs the medicine into them.
This proceeding is supposed to give dominion over the enemy, and is a
sign that he will be “eaten up” in the ensuing battle. So fearful are
the chiefs that the enemy may thus overcome them, that they use the
most minute precautions to prevent any articles belonging to themselves
from falling into the hands of those who might make a bad use of them.
When a chief moves his quarters, even the floor of his hut is carefully
scraped; and Dingan was so very particular on this point that he has
been known to burn down an entire kraal, after he left it, in order
that no vestige of anything that belonged to himself should fall into
evil hands.
After the king, the men take their turn of duty, and a very unpleasant
duty it is. An ox is always slain, and one of its legs cut off; and
this extraordinary ceremony is thought to be absolutely needful for a
successful warfare. Sometimes the limb is severed from the unfortunate
animal while it is still alive. On one occasion the witch doctor
conceived the brilliant idea of cutting off the leg of a living bull,
and then making the warriors eat it raw, tearing the flesh from the
bone with their teeth. They won the battle, but the witch doctor got
more credit for his powerful charms than did the troops for their
courage.
Of course the animal cannot survive very long after such treatment; and
when it is dead, the flesh is cut away with assagais, and a part of
it chopped into small morsels, in each of which is a portion of some
charmed powder. The uncleared bones are thrown among the warriors,
scrambled for, and eaten; and when this part of the ceremony has been
concluded, the remainder of the flesh is cooked and eaten. A curious
process then takes place, a kind of purification by fire, the sparks
from a burning brand being blown over them by the witch doctor. Next
day they are treated to a dose which acts as a violent emetic; and the
ceremonies conclude with a purification by water, which is sprinkled
over them by the chief himself. These wild and savage ceremonies have
undoubtedly a great influence over the minds of the warriors, who fancy
themselves to be under the protection of their ancestors, the only
deities which a Kaffir seems to care much about.
As to the department of the commissariat, it varies much with the
caprice of the chief. Tchaka always used to send plenty of cattle with
his armies, so that they never need fear the weakening of their forces
by hunger. He also sent very large supplies of grain and other food.
His successors, however, have not been so generous, and force their
troops to provide for themselves by foraging among the enemy.
Cattle are certainly taken with them, but not to be eaten. In case
they may be able to seize the cattle of the enemy, they find that
the animals can be driven away much more easily if they are led by
others of their own kind. The cattle that accompany an expedition
are therefore employed as guides. They sometimes serve a still more
important purpose. Clever as is a Kaffir in finding his way under
ordinary circumstances, there are occasions where even his wonderful
topographical powers desert him. If, for example, he is in an enemy’s
district, and is obliged to travel by night, he may well lose his way,
if the nights should happen to be cloudy, and neither moon nor stars be
visible; and, if he has a herd of the enemy’s oxen under his charge,
he feels himself in a very awkward predicament. He dares not present
himself at his kraal without the oxen, or his life would be instantly
forfeited; and to drive a herd of oxen to a place whose position he
does not know would be impossible. He therefore allows the oxen that he
has brought with him to go their own way, and merely follows in their
track, knowing that their instinct will surely guide them to their home.
When the Kaffir soldiery succeed in capturing a kraal, their first care
is to secure the oxen; and if the inhabitants should have been prudent
enough to remove their much loved cattle, their next search is for
maize, millet, and other kinds of corn. It is not a very easy matter to
find the grain stores, because they are dug in the ground, and, after
being filled, are covered over so neatly with earth, that only the
depositors know the exact spot. The “isi-baya” is a favorite place for
these subterranean stores, because the trampling of the cattle soon
obliterates all marks of digging. The isi-baya is, therefore, the first
place to be searched: and in some cases the inhabitants have concealed
their stores so cleverly that the invaders could not discover them
by any other means except digging up the whole of the enclosure to a
considerable depth. Now and then, when the inhabitants of a kraal have
received notice that the enemy is expected, they remove the grain from
the storehouses, and hide it in the bush, closing the granaries again,
so as to give the enemy all the trouble of digging, to no purpose.
Panda, who refuses to send provisions with his forces, has sometimes
caused them to suffer great hardships by his penurious conduct. On one
occasion they discovered a granary with plenty of corn in it, and were
so hungry that they could not wait to cook it properly, but ate it
almost raw, at the same time drinking large quantities of water. The
consequence was, that many of them were so ill that they had to be left
behind when the march was resumed, and were detected and killed by the
inhabitants of the kraal, who came back from their hiding places in the
bush as soon as they saw the enemy move away. In one case, Panda’s army
was so badly supplied with provisions that the soldiers were obliged
to levy contributions even on his own villages. In some of these
kraals the women, who expected what might happen, had emptied their
storehouses, and hidden all their food in the bush, so that the hungry
soldiers could not even find some corn to grind into meal, nor clotted
milk to mix with it. They were so angry at their disappointment that
they ransacked the cattle-fold, discovered and robbed the subterranean
granaries, and, after cooking as much food as they wanted, carried off
a quantity of corn for future rations, and broke to pieces all the
cooking vessels which they had used. If they could act thus in their
own country, their conduct in an enemy’s land may be easily conjectured.
One reason for the withholding of supplies may probably be due to the
mode of fighting of the Zulu armies. They are entirely composed of
light infantry, and can be sent to great distances with a rapidity that
an ordinary European soldier can scarcely comprehend. The fact is,
they carry nothing except their weapons, and have no heavy knapsack
nor tight clothing to impede their movements. In fact, the clothing
which they wear on a campaign is more for ornament than for covering,
and consists chiefly of feathers stuck in the hair. So careful are the
chiefs that their soldiers should not be impeded by baggage of any
kind, that they are not even allowed to take a kaross with them, but
must sleep in the open air without any covering, just as is the case
with the guardians of the harem, who are supposed, by virtue of their
office, to be soldiers engaged in a campaign.
As to pay, as we understand the word, neither chief nor soldiers
have much idea of it. If the men distinguish themselves, the chief
mostly presents them with beads and blankets, not as pay to which they
have a right, but as a gratuity for which they are indebted to his
generosity. As to the “boys,” they seldom have anything, being only
on their promotion, and not considered as enjoying the privileges of
manhood. This custom is very irritating to the “boys,” some of whom are
more than thirty years of age, and who consider themselves quite as
effective members of the army as those who have been permitted to wear
the head-ring and bear the white shield. Their dissatisfaction with
their rank has, however, the good effect of making them desirous of
becoming “ama-doda,” and thus increasing their value in time of action.
Sometimes this distinction of rank breaks out in open quarrel, and on
one occasion the “men” and the “boys” came to blows with each other,
and would have taken to their spears if Panda and his councillors
had not personally quelled the tumult. The fact was, that Panda
had organized an invasion, and, as soon as they heard of it, the
black-shield regiment begged to be sent off at once to the scene of
battle. The white-shields, however, suspected what was really the case;
namely, that the true destination of the troops was not that which the
king had mentioned, and accordingly sat silent, and took no part in
the general enthusiasm. Thereupon the “boys” taunted the “men” with
cowardice, and said that they preferred their comfortable homes to the
hardships of warfare. The “men” retorted that, as they had fought under
Tchaka and Dingan, as well as Panda, and had earned their advancement
under the eye of chiefs who killed all who did not fight bravely, no
one could accuse them of cowardice; whereas the “boys” were ignorant
of warfare, and were talking nonsense. These remarks were too true to
be pleasant, and annoyed the “boys” so much that they grew insolent,
and provoked the “men” to take to their sticks. However, instead of
yielding, the “boys” only returned the blows, and if Panda had not
interfered, there would have been a serious riot.
His conduct on this occasion shows the strange jealousy which possesses
the mind of a Kaffir king. The “men” were, in this case, undoubtedly
right, and the “boys” undoubtedly wrong. Yet Panda took the part of
the latter, because he was offended with the argument of the “men.”
They ought not to have mentioned his predecessors, Tchaka and Dingan,
in his presence, as the use of their names implied a slight upon
himself. They might have prided themselves as much as they liked, in
the victories which they had gained under him, but they had no business
to mention the warlike deeds of his predecessors. Perhaps he remembered
that those predecessors had been murdered by their own people, and
might have an uneasy fear that his own turn would come some day. So he
showed his displeasure by sending oxen to the “boys” as a feast, and
leaving the “men” without any food. Of course, in the end the “men” had
to yield, and against their judgment went on the campaign. During that
expedition the smouldering flame broke out several times, the “boys”
refusing to yield the post of honor to the “men,” whom they taunted
with being cowards and afraid to fight. However, the more prudent
counsels of the “men” prevailed, and harmony was at last restored, the
“men” and the “boys” dividing into two brigades, and each succeeding
in the object for which they set out, without needlessly exposing
themselves to danger by attacking nearly impregnable forts.
* * * * *
We will now proceed to the soldiers themselves, and see how the
wonderful discipline of a Kaffir army is carried out in detail. First
we will examine the dress of the soldier. Of course, the chief, who
is the general in command, will have the place of honor, and we will
therefore take the portrait of a well-known Zulu chief as he appears
when fully equipped for war. If the reader will refer to page 117, No.
1, he will see a portrait of Goza in the costume which he ordinarily
wears. The illustration No. 2, same page, represents him in full
uniform, and affords a favorable example of the war dress of a powerful
Kaffir chief. He bears on his left arm his great white war shield, the
size denoting its object, and the color pointing out the fact that he
is a married man. The long, slender feather which is fastened in his
head-ring is that of the South African crane, and is a conventional
symbol denoting war. There is in my collection a very remarkable war
headdress, that was worn by the celebrated Zulu chief, Sandilli, who
gave the English so much trouble during the Kaffir war, and proved
himself worthy of his rank as a warrior, and his great reputation as an
orator. Sandilli was further remarkable because he had triumphed over
physical disadvantages, which are all-important in a Kaffir’s eyes.
It has already been mentioned that a deformed person is scarcely ever
seen among the Kaffirs, because infants that show signs of deformity
of any kind are almost invariably killed as soon as born. Sandilli was
one of these unfortunate children, one of his legs being withered as
high as the knee, so that he was deprived of all that physical agility
that is so greatly valued by Kaffirs, and which has so great a share
in gaining promotion. By some strange chance the life of this deformed
infant was preserved, and, under the now familiar name of Sandilli, the
child grew to be a man, rose to eminence among his own people, took
rank as a great chief, and became a very thorn in the sides of the
English colonists. After many years of struggle, he at last gave in
his submission to English rule, and might be often seen on horseback,
dashing about in the headlong style which a Kaffir loves.
The headdress which he was accustomed to wear in time of war is
represented in “articles of costume,” page 33, at fig. 4. Instead of
wearing a single feather of the crane, Sandilli took the whole breast
of the bird, from which the long, slender feathers droop. The skin
has been removed from the breast, bent and worked so as to form a
kind of cap, and the feathers arranged so that they shall all point
upward, leaning rather backward. This curious and valuable headdress
was presented to me by G. Ellis, Esq., who brought it from the Cape in
1865. Sandilli belongs to the sub-tribe Amagaika, and is remarkable for
his very light color and commanding stature.
It will be seen that both Goza and his councillors wear plenty of
feathers on their heads, and that the cap of the left-hand warrior
bears some resemblance to that which has just been described. The
whole person of the chief is nearly covered with barbaric ornaments.
His apron is made of leopards’ tails, and his knees and ankles are
decorated with tufts made of the long flowing hair of the Angora goat.
Twisted strips of rare furs hang from his neck and chest, while his
right hand holds the long knob-kerrie which is so much in use among the
Zulu warriors. The portrait of Goza is taken from a photograph. The
councillors who stand behind him are apparelled with nearly as much
gorgeousness as their chief, and the odd-shaped headdresses which they
wear denote the regiments to which they happen to belong. These men,
like their chief, were photographed in their full dress.
It has already been mentioned that the soldiers are divided into two
great groups; namely, the married men and the bachelors, or, as they
are popularly called, the “men” and the “boys.” But each of these great
groups, or divisions, if we may use that word in its military sense, is
composed of several regiments, varying from six hundred to a thousand
or more in strength. Each of these regiments inhabits a single military
kraal, or garrison town, and is commanded by the headman of that kraal.
Moreover, the regiments are subdivided into companies, each of which is
under the command of an officer of lower grade; and so thoroughly is
this system carried out, that European soldiers feel almost startled
when they find that these savages have organized a system of army
management nearly identical with their own. The regiments are almost
invariably called by the name of some animal, and the soldiers are
placed in them according to their physical characteristics. Thus, the
Elephant regiment consists of the largest and strongest warriors, and
holds a position like that of our Grenadiers. Then the Lion regiment is
composed of men who have distinguished themselves by special acts of
daring; while the Springbok regiment would be formed of men noted for
their activity, for the quickness with which they can leap about when
encumbered with their weapons, and for their speed of foot, and ability
to run great distances. They correspond with our light cavalry, and are
used for the same purpose.
There are twenty-six of these regiments in the Zulu army, and they can
be as easily distinguished by their uniform as those of our own army.
The twenty-sixth regiment is the equivalent of our household troops,
being the body-guard of the king, and furnishing all the sentinels for
the harem. Their uniform is easily distinguishable, and is very simple,
being, in fact, an utter absence of all clothing. Only the picked
men among the warriors are placed in this distinguished regiment,
and neither by day nor night do they wear a scrap of clothing. This
seems rather a strange method of conferring an honorable distinction;
but entire nudity is quite as much valued by a Kaffir soldier as the
decoration of the Bath or Victoria Cross among ourselves.
The first regiment is called Omobapankue, a word that signifies
“Leopard-catchers.” Some years ago, when Tchaka was king of the Zulus,
a leopard killed one of his attendants. He sent a detachment of the
first regiment after the animal, and the brave fellows succeeded in
catching it alive, and bearing their struggling prize to the king. In
order to reward them for their courage, he gave the first regiment the
honorary title of “Leopard-catchers,” which title has been ever since
borne by them.
There are three commissioned officers--if such a term may be used--in
each regiment: namely the colonel, or “Indoona-e’nkolu,” _i. e._
the Great Officer; the captain, “N’genana,” and the lieutenant,
“N’gena-obzana.” The headman of any kraal goes by the name of Indoona,
and he who rules over one of the great garrison towns is necessarily a
man of considerable authority and high rank. The king’s councillors are
mostly selected from the various Indoonas. Below the lieutenant, there
are subordinate officers who correspond almost exactly to the sergeants
and corporals of our own armies.
[Illustration: (1.) GOZA, THE ZULU CHIEF, IN ORDINARY DRESS. (See page
115.)]
[Illustration: (2.) GOZA IN FULL WAR DRESS, ATTENDED BY HIS COUNCILLORS.
(See page 115.)]
In order to distinguish the men of the different regiments, a peculiar
headdress is assigned to each regiment. On these headdresses the
natives seem to have exercised all their ingenuity. The wildest fancy
would hardly conceive the strange shapes that a Kaffir soldier can make
with feathers, and fur, and raw hide. Any kind of feather is seized
upon to do duty in a Kaffir soldier’s headdress, but the most valued
plumage is that of a roller, whose glittering dress of blue green is
worked up into large globular tufts, which are worn upon the back of
the head, and on the upper part of the forehead. Such an ornament as
this is seldom if ever seen upon the head of a simple warrior, as it is
too valuable to be possessed by any but a chief of consideration. Panda
is very fond of wearing this beautiful ornament on occasions of state,
and sometimes wears two at once, the one on the front of his head-ring,
and the other attached to the crown of the head.
The raw hide is stripped of its fur by being rolled up and buried for a
day or two, and is then cut and moulded into the most fantastic forms,
reminding the observer of the strange devices with which the heroes
of the Niebelungen decorated their helmets. Indeed, some of these
headdresses of the Kaffir warriors might easily be mistaken at a little
distance for the more classical though not more elaborate helmet of the
ancient German knights. The soldiers which are here represented belong
to two different regiments of the Zulu army, and have been selected as
affording good examples of the wild and picturesque uniform which is
adopted by these dusky troops. In some headdresses the fur is retained
on the skin, and thus another effect is obtained.
The object of all this savage decoration is twofold: firstly, to
distinguish the soldiers of the different regiments, and, secondly to
strike terror into the enemy. Both their objects are very thoroughly
accomplished, for the uniforms of the twenty-six regiments are very
dissimilar to each other, and all the neighboring tribes stand in the
greatest dread of the Amazulu, who, they say, are not men, but eaters
of men.
Beside the regular regiments, there is always a body-guard of armed men
whose duty it is to attend the chief and obey his orders. Each chief
has his own body-guard, but that of the king is not only remarkable
for its numerical strength, but for the rank of its members. Dingan,
for example, had a body-guard that mustered several hundred strong,
and every member of it was a man of rank. It was entirely composed of
Indoonas from all parts of the country under his command. With the
admirable organizing power which distinguishes the Kaffir chiefs,
he had arranged his Indoonas so methodically, that each man had to
serve in the body-guard for a certain time, until he was relieved
by his successor. This simple plan allowed the king to exercise a
personal supervision over the ruling men of his dominions, and, on the
other side, the subordinate chiefs were able to maintain a personal
communication with their monarch, and to receive their orders directly
from himself.
It has already been mentioned that, after a battle, the king calls his
soldiers together, and holds a review. One of these assemblages is a
most astonishing sight, and very few Europeans have been privileged
to see it. This review is looked upon by the troops with the greatest
reverence, for few of them know whether at the close of it they may
be raised to a higher rank or be lying dead in the bush. As to the
“boys,” especially those who are conscious that they have behaved well
in the fight, they look to it with hope, as it presents a chance of
their elevation to the ranks of the “men,” and their possession of the
coveted white shield. Those who are not so sure of themselves are very
nervous about the review, and think themselves extremely fortunate if
they are not pointed out to the king as bad soldiers, and executed on
the spot.
The review takes place in the great enclosure of one of the garrison
towns, and the troops form themselves into a large circle. It is a
curious fact that not even in military matters has the Kaffir an idea
of forming in line, and that the evolutions, such as they are, are
all carried out in curved lines, which are the abhorrence of European
tacticians. The white and black shield divisions are separated from
each other in each regiment, and the whole army “stands at ease,” with
the shield resting on the ground, and the whole body covered by it as
high as the lips. They stand motionless as statues, and in death-like
silence await the coming of their king.
After the customary lapse of one hour or so, the king, with his
councillors, chief officers, and particular friends, comes into the
circle, attended by his chair bearer, his shield bearer, his page, and
a servant or two. The shield bearer has an honorable, though perilous,
service to perform. He has to hold the shield so as to shade the royal
person from the sun, and should he happen, through any inadvertence, to
allow the king to feel a single sunbeam, he may think himself fortunate
if he escape with his life, while a severe punishment is the certain
result.
The chair is placed in the centre of the circle, in order for his sable
majesty to repose himself after the exertion of walking nearly two
hundred yards. Large baskets full of beer are placed near the royal
chair, and before he can proceed to business the king is obliged to
recruit his energies with beer and snuff, both of which are handed to
him by his pages.
He next orders a number of cattle to be driven past him, and points
to certain animals which he intends to be killed in honor of his
guests. As each ox is pointed out, a warrior leaps forward with his
stabbing-assagai, and kills the animal with a single blow, piercing it
to the heart with the skill of a practised hand. Much as a Kaffir loves
his oxen, the sight of the dying animal always seems to excite him to
a strange pitch of enthusiasm, and the king contemplates with great
satisfaction the dying oxen struggling in the last pangs of death, and
the evolutions of the survivors, who snuff and snort at the blood of
their comrades, and then dash wildly away in all directions, pursued by
their keepers, and with difficulty guided to their own enclosures. The
king then rises, and, with the assistance of his attendants, walks, or
rather waddles, round the inner ring of warriors as fast as his obesity
will permit him, resting every now and then on his chair, which is
carried after him by his page, and refreshing himself at rather short
intervals with beer.
Next comes the most important part of the proceedings. The chief
officers of the various regiments that have been engaged give in their
reports to the king, who immediately acts upon them. When a warrior has
particularly distinguished himself, the king points to him, and calls
him by name. Every man in the army echoes the name at the full pitch
of his voice, and every arm is pointed at the happy soldier, who sees
his ambition as fully gratified as it is possible to be. Almost beside
himself with exultation at his good fortune, he leaps from the ranks,
“and commences running, leaping, springing high into the air, kicking,
and flourishing his shield, and going through the most surprising and
agile manœuvres imaginable; now brandishing his weapons, stabbing,
parrying, and retreating; and again vaulting into the ranks, light of
foot and rigid of muscle, so rapidly that the eye can scarcely follow
his evolutions.” Sometimes six or seven of these distinguished warriors
will be dancing simultaneously in different parts of the ring, while
their companions encourage them with shouts and yells of applause. Many
of the “boys” are at these reviews permitted to rank among the “men,”
and sometimes, when a whole regiment of the black-shields has behaved
especially well, the king has ordered them all to exchange their black
for the white shield, and to assume the head-ring which marks their
rank as ama-doda, or “men.”
Next come the terrible scenes when the officers point out those who
have disgraced themselves in action. The unfortunate soldiers are
instantly dragged out of the ranks, their shields and spears taken
from them, and, at the king’s nod, they are at once killed and their
bodies thrown into the bush. Sometimes they are beaten to death with
knob-kerries, and sometimes their necks are twisted by the executioner
laying one hand on the crown of the head and the other under the chin.
The wretched sufferers never think of resisting, nor even of appealing
for mercy; and to such a pitch of obedience did Tchaka bring this
fierce and warlike nation, that men guiltless of any offence have been
known to thank him for their punishment while actually dying under the
strokes of the executioners.
When the double business of rewarding the brave soldiers and punishing
the cowards has been completed, the professional minstrels or praisers
come forward, and recite the various honorary titles of the king in
a sort of recitative, without the least pause between the words, and
in most stentorian voices. Perhaps the term Heralds would not be very
inappropriate to these men. The soldiers take up the chorus of praise,
and repeat the titles of their ruler in shouts that are quite deafening
to an unaccustomed ear. Each title is assumed or given to the king
in commemoration of some notable deed, or on account of some fancy
that may happen to flit through the royal brain in a dream; and, as
he is continually adding to his titles, the professional reciters had
need possess good memories, as the omission of any of them would be
considered as an insult.
Some of Panda’s titles have already been mentioned, but some of
the others are so curious that they ought not to be omitted. For
example, he is called “Father of men,” _i. e._ the ama-doda, or
married warriors; “He who lives forever”--a compliment on his
surviving the danger of being killed by Dingan; “He who is high as
the mountains”--“He who is high as the heavens”--this being evidently
the invention of a clever courtier who wished to “cap” the previous
compliment; “Elephant’s calf;” “Great black one;” “Bird that eats other
birds”--in allusion to his conquests in battle; “Son of a cow;” “Noble
elephant,” and a hundred other titles, equally absurd in the mind of a
European, but inspiring great respect in that of a Kaffir.
When all this tumultuous scene is over, the review closes, just as
our reviews do, with a “march past.” The king sits in his chair, as a
general on his horse, while the whole army defiles in front of him,
each soldier as he passes bowing to the ground, and lowering his shield
and assagais, as we droop our colors in the presence of the sovereign.
In order to appear to the best advantage on these occasions, and to
impress the spectators with the solemnity of the ceremony, the king
dresses himself with peculiar care, and generally wears a different
costume at each review. The dress which he usually wears at his
evening receptions, when his officers come to report themselves and to
accompany him in his daily inspection of his herds, is the usual apron
or kilt, made either of leopard’s tails or monkey’s skin, a headdress
composed of various feathers and a round ball of clipped worsted, while
his arms are decorated with rings of brass and ivory.
[Illustration: (1.) PANDA’S REVIEW. (See page 120.)]
[Illustration: (2.) HUNTING SCENE. (See page 135.)]
It is easy to see how this custom of holding a review almost
immediately after the battle, and causing either reward or punishment
to come swiftly upon the soldiers, must have added to the efficiency
of the armies, especially when the system was carried out by a man
like its originator Tchaka, an astute, sanguinary, determined, and
pitiless despot. Under the two successive reigns of Dingan and Panda,
and especially under the latter, the efficiency of the Zulu army--the
eaters of men--has notably diminished, this result being probably
owing to the neighborhood of the English colony at Natal, in which the
Zulu warriors can find a refuge when they fear that their lives are
endangered. Formerly, the men had no possible refuge, so that a Kaffir
was utterly in the power of his chief, and the army was therefore more
of a machine than it is at present.
Reviews such as have been described are not only held in war time, but
frequently take place in times of peace. It has been mentioned that the
king of the Zulu tribe has twenty-six war-kraals, or garrison towns,
and he generally contrives to visit each of them in the course of the
year. Each time that he honors the kraal by his presence the troops are
turned out, and a review is held, though not always accompanied by the
lavish distribution of rewards and punishment which distinguishes those
which are held after battle.
The vicissitudes of Kaffir warfare are really remarkable from a
military point of view. Originally, the only idea which the Kaffirs
had of warfare was a desultory kind of skirmishing, in which each
man fought “for his own hand,” and did not reckon on receiving any
support from his comrades, each of whom was engaged in fight on his own
account. In fact, war was little more than a succession of duels, and,
if a warrior succeeded in killing the particular enemy to whom he was
opposed, he immediately sought another. But the idea of large bodies of
men acting in concert, and being directed by one mind, was one that had
not occurred to the Kaffirs until the time of Tchaka.
When that monarch introduced a system and a discipline into warfare,
the result was at once apparent. Individual skirmishers had no chance
against large bodies of men, mutually supporting each other, moving as
if actuated by one mind, and, under the guidance of a single leader,
advancing with a swift but steady impetuosity that the undisciplined
soldiers of the enemy could not resist. Discipline could not be turned
against the Zulus, for Tchaka left the conquered tribes no time to
organize themselves into armies, even if they had possessed leaders
who were capable of that task. His troops swept over the country like
an army of locusts, consuming everything on their way, and either
exterminating the various tribes, or incorporating them in some
capacity or other among the Zulus.
In truth, his great policy was to extend the Zulu tribe, and from a
mere tribe to raise them into a nation. His object was, therefore, not
so much to destroy as to absorb, and, although he did occasionally
extirpate a tribe that would not accept his conditions, it was for
the purpose of striking terror into others, and proving to them
the futility of resistance. Those that had accepted his offers he
incorporated with his own army, and subjected to the same discipline,
but took care to draught them off into different regiments, so that
they could not combine in a successful revolt. The result of this
simple but far-seeing policy was, that in a few years the Zulu tribe,
originally small, had, beside its regular regiments on duty, some
twelve or fifteen thousand men always ready for any sudden expedition,
and at the end of five or six years the Zulu king was paramount over
the whole of Southern Africa, the only check upon him being the
European colonies. These he evidently intended to sweep away, but was
murdered before he could bring his scheme to maturity. Tchaka’s system
was followed by Moselekatze in the north of Kaffirland, who contrived
to manage so well that the bulk of his army belonged to Bechuanan and
other tribes, some of whose customs he adopted.
The military system of Tchaka prevailed, as must be the case when
there is no very great inequality between the opposing forces, and
discipline is all on one side. But, when discipline is opposed to
discipline, and the advantage of weapons lies on the side of the
latter, the consequences are disastrous to the former. Thus it has been
with the Kaffir tribes. The close ranks of warriors, armed with shield
and spear, were irresistible when opposed to men similarly armed, but
without any regular discipline, but, when they came to match themselves
against fire-arms, they found that their system was of little value.
The shield could resist the assagai well enough, but against the bullet
it was powerless, and though the stabbing-assagai was a terrible weapon
when the foe was at close quarters, it was of no use against an enemy
who could deal destruction at the distance of several hundred yards.
Moreover, the close and compact ranks, which were so efficacious
against the irregular warriors of the country, became an absolute
element of weakness when the soldiers were exposed to heavy volleys
from the distant enemy. Therefore, the whole course of battle was
changed when the Zulus fought against the white man and his fire-arms,
and they found themselves obliged to revert to the old system of
skirmishing, though the skirmishers fought under the commands of the
chief, instead of each man acting independently, as had formerly been
the case.
We remember how similar changes have taken place in our European
armies, when the heavy columns that used to be so resistless were
shattered by the fire of single ranks, and how the very massiveness of
the column rendered it a better mark for the enemy’s fire, and caused
almost every shot to take effect.
Tchaka was not always successful, for he forgot that cunning is often
superior to force, and that the enemy’s spears are not the most
dangerous weapons in his armory. The last expedition that Tchaka
organized was a singularly unsuccessful one. He had first sent an army
against a tribe which had long held out against him, and which had
the advantage of a military position so strong that even the trained
Zulu warriors, who knew that failure was death, could not succeed in
taking it. Fortunately for Tchaka, some Europeans were at the time in
his kraal, and he obliged them to fight on his behalf. The enemy had,
up to that time, never seen nor heard of fire-arms; and when they saw
their comrades falling without being visibly struck, they immediately
yielded, thinking that the spirits of their forefathers were angry
with them, and spat fire out of their mouths. This, indeed, was the
result which had been anticipated by the bearers of the fire-arms in
question, for they thought that, if the enemy were intimidated by the
strange weapons, great loss of life would be saved on both sides. The
battle being over, the conquered tribe were subsidized as tributaries,
according to Tchaka’s custom, and all their cattle given up.
The success of this expedition incited Tchaka to repeat the experiment,
and his troops had hardly returned when he sent them off against a
chief named Sotshangana. This chief had a spy in the camp of Tchaka,
and no sooner had the army set off than the spy contrived to detach
himself from the troops, and went off at full speed to his master.
Sotshangana at once sent out messengers to see whether the spy had told
the truth, and when he learned that the Zulu army was really coming
upon him, he laid a trap into which the too confident enemy fell at
once. He withdrew his troops from his kraals, but left everything in
its ordinary position, so as to look as if no alarm had been taken.
The Zulu regiments, seeing no signs that their presence was expected,
took possession of the kraal, feasted on its provisions, and slept in
fancied security. But, at the dead of night, Sotshangana, accompanied
by the spy, whom he had rewarded with the command of a regiment, came
on the unsuspecting Zulus, fell upon them while sleeping, and cut one
regiment nearly to pieces. The others rallied, and drove off their
foes; but they were in an enemy’s country, where every hand was against
them.
Their wonderful discipline availed them little. They got no rest by day
or by night. They were continually harassed by attacks, sometimes of
outlying skirmishers, who kept them always on the alert, sometimes of
large forces of soldiers who had to be met in battle array. They could
obtain no food, for the whole country was against them, and the weaker
tribes, whom they attacked in order to procure provisions, drove their
cattle into the bush, and set fire to their own corn-fields. It is said
also, and with some likelihood of truth, that the water was poisoned
as well as the food destroyed; and the consequence was, that the once
victorious army was obliged to retreat as it best could, and the
shattered fragments at last reached their own country, after suffering
almost incredible hardships. It was in this campaign that the soldiers
were obliged to eat their shields. At least twenty thousand of the Zulu
warriors perished in this expedition, three-fourths having died from
privation, and the others fallen by the spears of the enemy.
What would have been Tchaka’s fury at so terrible a defeat may well
be imagined; but he never lived to see his conquered warriors. It is
supposed, and with some show of truth, that he had been instrumental
in causing the death of his own mother, Mnande. This word signifies
“amiable” or “pleasant,” in the Zulu tongue, and never was a name more
misapplied. She was violent, obstinate, and wilful to a degree, and
her son certainly inherited these traits of his mother’s character,
besides superadding a few of his own. She was the wife of the chief of
the Amazulu, then a small and insignificant tribe, who lived on the
banks of the White Folosi river, and behaved in such a manner that she
could not be kept in her husband’s kraal. It may be imagined that such
a mother and son were not likely to agree very well together; and when
the latter came to be a man, he was known to beat his mother openly,
without attempting to conceal the fact, but rather taking credit to
himself for it.
Therefore, when she died, her family had some good grounds for
believing that Tchaka had caused her to be killed, and determined on
revenge. Hardly had that ill-fated expedition set out, when two of her
sisters came to Dingan and Umhlangani, the brothers of Tchaka, and
openly accused him of having murdered Mnande, urging the two brothers
to kill him and avenge their mother’s blood. They adroitly mentioned
the absence of the army, and the terror in which every soldier held
his bloodthirsty king, and said that if, on the return of the army,
Tchaka was dead, the soldiers would be rejoiced at the death of the
tyrant, and would be sure to consider as their leaders the two men who
had freed them from such a yoke. The two brothers briefly answered, “Ye
have spoken!” but the women seemed to know that by those words the doom
of Tchaka was settled, and withdrew themselves, leaving their nephews
to devise their own plans for the murder of the king.
This was no easy business. They would have tried poison, but Tchaka was
much too wary to die such a death, and, as force was clearly useless,
they had recourse to treachery. They corrupted the favorite servant of
Tchaka, a man named Bopa, and having armed themselves with unshafted
heads of assagais, which could be easily concealed, they proceeded to
the king’s house, where he was sitting in conference with several of
his councillors, who were unarmed, according to Kaffir etiquette. The
treacherous Bopa began his task by rudely interrupting the councillors,
accusing them of telling falsehoods to the king, and behaving with an
amount of insolence to which he well knew they would not submit. As
they rose in anger, and endeavored to seize the man who had insulted
them, Dingan and Umhlangani stole behind Tchaka, whose attention was
occupied by the extraordinary scene, and stabbed him in the back. He
attempted to escape, but was again stabbed by Bopa, and fell dying to
the ground, where he was instantly slain. The affrighted councillors
tried to fly, but were killed by the same weapons that had slain their
master.
This dread scene was terminated by an act partly resulting from native
ferocity, and partly from superstition. The two murderers opened the
still warm body of their victim, and drank the gall. Their subsequent
quarrel, and the accession of Dingan to the throne, has already been
mentioned. The new king would probably have been murdered by the
soldiers on their return, had he not conciliated them by relaxing the
strict laws of celibacy which Tchaka had enforced, and by granting
indulgences of various kinds to the troops. As to the dead Mnande, the
proximate cause of Tchaka’s death, more will be said on a future page.