THE BECHUANAS.
THEIR NAME AND LANGUAGE -- THEIR DRESS -- SKILL IN THE ARTS OF PEACE
-- THE BECHUANA KNIFE -- SKILL IN CARVING -- THE BECHUANA ASSAGAI,
OR “KOVEH” -- INGENIOUS BELLOWS -- A METAL APRON -- DRESS OF THE
WOMEN, AND THEIR FONDNESS FOR METALLIC ORNAMENTS -- CHARACTER OF THE
BECHUANAS -- THEIR TENDENCY TOWARD LYING AND THIEVING -- DISREGARD
FOR HUMAN LIFE -- REDEEMING QUALITIES OF THE BECHUANAS -- MODE OF
GOVERNMENT -- THE NATIVE PARLIAMENT -- MR. MOFFAT’S ACCOUNT OF A
DEBATE -- CUSTOMS AFTER BATTLE -- THE ORDER OF THE SCAR, AND MODE OF
CONFERRING IT -- A DISAPPOINTED WARRIOR -- AN UNPLEASANT CEREMONY --
MODE OF MAKING WAR -- THE BECHUANA BATTLE-AXE.
We now leave the Hottentot race, and take a passing glance at the
appearance of a few other tribes. Chief among these is the very large
tribe called by the name of Bechuana, which includes a considerable
number of sub-tribes. Just as the Hottentot names are recognized by the
affix Qua, so are the Bechuanas by the prefix Ba. Thus, the Bakwains,
Barolongs, Batlapis, and Bahurotsi, all belong to the great Bechuana
tribe. It is rather curious that in this language prefixes are used
where suffixes, or even separate words, might be expected. Thus, a man
will speak of himself as Mochuana, _i. e._ a Chuana man; the tribe is
called Bechuana, _i. e._ the Chuana men, and they speak Sichuana, _i.
e._ the Chuana language. Nearly every syllable ends with a vowel, which
gives the language a softness of pronunciation hardly to be expected in
such a country. The love of euphony among the Bechuana tribes causes
them to be very indifferent about substituting one letter for another,
provided that by so doing a greater softness of pronunciation can be
obtained.
In appearance they are a fine race of men, in some respects similar to
the Kaffirs, with whom they have many customs in common. Their dress
is not very remarkable, except that they are perhaps the best dressers
of skins that are to be found in Africa, the pliancy of the skin and
the neatness of the sewing being unrivalled. They are good workers in
metal, and supply many of the surrounding tribes both with ornaments
and weapons.
Perhaps the Bechuana knife is the most common of all the implements
made by this ingenious tribe. The general form of this knife may
be seen from the two figures in the engraving No. 2, opposite, one
of which was taken from a specimen in my own collection. It is ten
inches in length inclusive of the handle, and the blade, which is
double-edged, is nearly flat, being a little thicker along the middle
than at the edges. In fact, it is simply a spear-head inserted into
a handle. The sheath is made of two pieces of wood, hollowed just
sufficiently to receive the blade tightly, and then lashed firmly
together with sinews. On one side of the sheath a kind of loop is
carved out of the solid wood, through which the wearer can pass the
string by which he hangs it to his neck.
The ordinary forms are simply a handle, sheath, and blade, all without
any ornament, but the ingenious smith often adds a considerable amount
of decoration. One favorite mode of doing so is to make the handle
of ivory, and carve it into the form of some animal. My own specimen
represents a hyæna, and, in spite of the rudeness of the sculpture,
no naturalist could possibly mistake the animal for which it is
intended. The handle is often cut into the form of the hippopotamus or
the giraffe, and in all cases the character of the animal is hit off
exactly by the native carver. Along the sheath is generally a pattern
of some nature, and in many instances it is really of an artistic
character, worthy to be transferred to European weapons. A thong of
leather passes along the opposite side of the sheath, and is attached
by the same sinews which bind the two halves of the sheath together.
All the Hottentot and Bosjesman tribes use this peculiar knife, as do
sundry other inhabitants of Southern Africa. They always suspend it to
their necks, and use it for a variety of purposes, the chief of which
is cutting up meat when they are fortunate enough to procure any.
[Illustration: (1.) KNIFE AND ASSAGAI HEADS. (See page 283.)]
[Illustration: (2.) BECHUANA KNIVES.
(see page 280.)]
[Illustration: (3.) APRON. (See page 283.)]
[Illustration: (4.) ORNAMENTS MADE OF MONKEYS’ TEETH. (See page 284.)]
The carved work of the knife, sheath, and handle is, however, not
done with this kind of knife, but with one which has a very short
blade and a tolerably long handle. One of these knives is shown in the
illustration No. 1 on page 281, and in this instance the handle is made
of the end of an antelope’s horn. With this simple instrument are cut
the various patterns with which the Bechuanas are so fond of decorating
their bowls, spoons, and other articles of daily use, and with it are
carved the giraffes, hyænas, and other animals, which serve as hilts
for their dagger-knives, and handles to their spoons.
Sometimes the bowls of the spoons are covered on the outside with
carved patterns of a singularly artistic character, some of them
recalling to the spectator the ornaments on old Etruscan vases. They
have a way of bringing out the pattern by charring either the plain
surface or the incised pattern, so that in the one case the pattern is
white on a black ground, and sometimes _vice versâ_. The pattern is
generally a modification of the zigzag, but there are many instances
where curved lines are used without a single angle in them, and when
the curves are traced with equal truth and freedom.
One of the best specimens of Bechuana art is a kind of assagai which
they forge, and which is equally to be praised for its ingenuity and
execrated for its abominable cruelty. Two forms of this dreadful weapon
are given in figs. 1 and 2 in the same engraving. The upper figure
shows the entire head of the assagai and parts of the shaft, while the
other are representations of the barbs on a larger scale. On examining
one of these weapons carefully, it is seen that the neck of the assagai
has first been forged square, and then that the double barbs have been
made by cutting diagonally into the metal and turning up the barbs
thus obtained. This is very clear with the upper assagai, and is still
better seen in the enlarged figure of the same weapon. But the other is
peculiarly ingenious, and exhibits an amount of metallurgic skill which
could hardly be expected among savage nations.
These assagais bear a curious resemblance to some arrows which are
made in Central Africa. Indeed, the resemblance is so great, that
an arrow if enlarged would serve admirably as an assagai. This
resemblance--unknown to Mr. Burchell--confirms his idea that the art
of making these weapons came from more northern tribes.
The use to which these terrible weapons are put is, of course, to
produce certain death, as it is impossible that the assagai can be
either drawn out of the wound, or removed by being pushed through it,
as done with other barbed weapons. As, however, the temporary loss of
the weapon is necessarily involved in such a case, the natives do not
use it except on special occasions. The native name for it is “kóveh,”
and it is popularly called the “assagai of torture.” It is generally
used by being thrust down the throat of the victim--generally a
captured chief--who is then left to perish miserably.
The bellows used by the Bechuana blacksmith are singularly ingenious.
In all the skin bellows used by the natives of Southern Africa there
is one radical defect, namely, the want of a valve. In consequence of
this want the bellows cannot be worked quickly, as they would draw the
fire, or, at all events, suck the heated air into their interior, and
so destroy the skin of which they are made. The Bechuana, however,
contrives to avoid this difficulty. The usual mode of making a bellows
is to skin a goat, then sew up the skin, so as to make a bag, insert
a pipe--usually a horn one--into one of the legs, and then use it by
alternately inflating and compressing the bag.
Bellows of this kind can be seen in the illustration No. 2 on page 97.
The Bechuana smith, however, does not use a closed bag, but cuts it
completely open on one side, and on either side of the slit he fastens
a straight stick. It is evident that by separating these sticks he can
admit the air into the bag without drawing the fire into the tube,
and that when he wants to eject the air, he has only to press the
sticks together. This ingenious succedaneum for a valve allows the
smith to work the bellows as fast as his hands can move them, and, in
consequence, he can produce a much fiercer heat than can be obtained by
the ordinary plan.
On the 281st page the reader may find an engraving that illustrates
the skill with which they can work in metals. It is a woman’s apron,
about a foot square, formed of a piece of leather entirely covered
with beads. But, instead of using ordinary glass beads, the maker
has preferred those made of metal. The greater part of the apron is
formed of iron beads, but those which produce the pattern are made of
brass, and when worn the owner took a pride in keeping the brass beads
polished as brilliantly as possible. In shape and general principle of
structure, this apron bears a close resemblance to that which is shown
in “Articles of costume,” on page 33, fig. 2. This specimen is in the
collection of Col. Lane Fox.
In the same collection is an ornament ingeniously made from the spoils
of slain monkeys. A part of the upper jaw, containing the incisive and
canine teeth, has been cut off, cleaned, and dried. A whole row of
these jaws has then been sewed on a strip of leather, each overlapping
its predecessor, so as to form a continuous band of glittering white
teeth.
As to dress, the Bechuanas, as a rule, use more covering than many of
the surrounding tribes. The women especially wear several aprons. The
first is made of thongs, like those of the Kaffirs, and over that is
generally one of skin. As she can afford it she adds others, but always
contrives to have the outside apron decorated with beads or other
adornments.
This series of aprons, however, is all that a Bechuana woman considers
necessary in the way of dress, the kaross being adopted merely as a
defence against the weather, and not from any idea that covering to
the body is needed for the purpose of delicacy. In figure they are
not so prepossessing as many of the surrounding tribes, being usually
short, stout, and clumsy, which latter defect is rendered still more
conspicuous by the quantities of beads which they hang in heavy coils
round their waists and necks, and the multitude of metal rings with
which they load their arms and ankles. They even load their hair as
much as possible, drawing it out into a series of little twists, and
dressing them so copiously with grease and sibilo, that at a few
yards they look as if their heads were covered with a cap composed of
metallic tags, and at a greater distance as if they were wearing bands
of polished steel on their heads.
They consider a plentiful smearing of grease and red ochre to be the
very acme of a fashionable toilet, and think that washing the body
is a disgusting custom. Women are the smokers of the tribe, the men
preferring snuff, and rather despising the pipe as a woman’s implement.
The Bechuanas can hardly be selected as examples of good moral
character. No one who knows them can believe a word that they say, and
they will steal everything that they can carry. They are singularly
accomplished thieves, and the habit of stealing is so ingrained in
their nature, that if a man is detected in the very act he feels
not the least shame, but rather takes blame to himself for being so
inexpert as to be found out. Small articles they steal in the most
ingenious manner. Should it be hanging up, they contrive to handle it
carelessly and let it fall on the ground, and then they begin active
operations. Standing near the coveted article, and trying to look as
if they were not aware of its existence, they quietly scrape a hole in
the sand with one of their feet, push the object of their desire into
the hole, cover it up again with sand, and smooth the surface so as to
leave no trace that the ground has been disturbed.
They steal each other’s goods, whenever they can find an opportunity,
but they are only too glad to find an opportunity of exercising their
art on a white man, whose property is sure to be worth stealing. A
traveller in their country has therefore a hard life, for he knows that
there is not a single article in his possession which will not vanish
if he leaves it unguarded for a few minutes. Indeed, as Mr. Baines well
observes, there is not an honest nerve or fibre in a Bechuana’s body;
from the root of his tongue to the tips of his toes, every muscle is
thoroughly trained in the art of thieving. If they merely sit near an
article of moderate size, when they move off it moves with them, in a
manner that no wearer of trousers can conceive. Even Mr. Moffatt, who
had a singular capacity for discovering good qualities which had lain
latent and unsuspected, writes in very forcible terms respecting the
utter dishonesty of the Bechuanas:--
“Some nights, or rather mornings, we had to record thefts committed in
the course of twenty-four hours, in our houses, our smith-shop, our
garden, and among our cattle in the field. These they have more than
once driven into a bog or mire, at a late hour informing us of the
accident, as they termed it; and, as it was then too dark to render
assistance, one or more would fall a prey to the hyænas or hungry
natives. One night they entered our cattle-fold, killed one of our
best draught oxen, and carried the whole away, except one shoulder.
We were compelled to use much meat, from the great scarcity of grain
and vegetables; our sheep we had to purchase at a distance, and very
thankful might we be if out of twenty we secured the largest half for
ourselves. They would break their legs, cut off their tails, and more
frequently carry off the whole carcass.
“Tools, such as saws, axes, and adzes, were losses severely felt, as
we could not at that time replace them, when there was no intercourse
whatever with the colony. Some of our tools and utensils which they
stole, on finding the metal not what they expected, they would bring
back beaten into all shapes, and offer them in exchange for some other
article of value. Knives were always eagerly coveted; our metal spoons
they melted; and when we were supplied with plated iron ones, which
they found not so pliable, they supposed them bewitched. Very often,
when employed working at a distance from the house, if there was no one
in whom he could confide, the missionary would be compelled to carry
them all to the place where he went to seek a draught of water, well
knowing that if they were left they would take wings before he could
return.
“The following ludicrous circumstance once happened, and was related
to the writer by a native in graphic style. Two men had succeeded in
stealing an iron pot. Having just taken it from the fire, it was rather
warm for handing conveniently over a fence, and by doing so it fell
on a stone, and was cracked. ‘It is iron,’ said they, and off they
went with their booty, resolving to make the best of it: that is, if
it would not serve for cooking, they would transform it into knives
and spears. After some time had elapsed, and the hue and cry about the
missing pot had nearly died away, it was brought forth to a native
smith, who had laid in a stock of charcoal for the occasion. The pot
was further broken to make it more convenient to lay hold of with the
tongs, which are generally made of the bark of a tree. The native
Vulcan, unacquainted with cast iron, having with his small bellows, one
in each hand, produced a good heat, drew a piece from the fire. To his
utter amazement, it flew into pieces at the first stroke of his little
hammer. Another and another piece was brought under the action of the
fire, and then under the hammer, with no better success. Both the thief
and the smith, gazing with eyes and mouth dilated on the fragments of
iron scattered round the stone anvil, declared their belief that the
pot was bewitched, and concluded pot-stealing to be a bad speculation.”
To the thieving propensities of these people there was no end. They
would peep into the rude hut that was used for a church, in order to
see who was preaching, and would then go off to the preacher’s house,
and rob it at their ease. When the missionaries, at the expense of
great labor, made a series of irrigating canals, for the purpose of
watering their gardens, the women would slyly cut the banks of the
channels, and divert the water. They even broke down the dam which led
the water from the river, merely for the sake of depriving somebody of
something; and when, in spite of all their drawbacks, some vegetables
had been grown, the crops were stolen, even though a constant watch
was kept over them. These accomplished thieves have even been known
to steal meat out of the pot in which it was being boiled, having
also the insolence to substitute a stone for the pilfered meat. One
traveller found that all his followers were so continually robbed by
the Bechuanas, that at last he ceased from endeavoring to discover
the thieves, and threatened instead to punish any man who allowed an
article to be stolen from him. They do not even spare their own chief,
and would rob him with as little compunction as if he were a foreigner.
Dr. Lichtenstein, who certainly had a better opinion of the Bechuanas
than they deserved, was once cheated by them in a very ingenious
manner. He had purchased three ivory rings with some tobacco, but when
he left the place he found that the same ring had been sold to him
three successive times, the natives behind him having picked his pocket
with the dexterity of a London thief, and then passed the ring to their
companions to be again offered for sale.
Altogether, the character of the Bechuanas does not seem to be an
agreeable one, and even the missionaries who have gone among them, and
naturally are inclined to look on the best side of their wild flocks,
have very little to say in their favor, and plenty to say against
them. They seem to be as heartless toward the infirm and aged as the
Namaquas, and if one of their number is ill or wounded, so that he
cannot wait upon himself, he is carried outside the camp, and there
left until he recovers or dies. A small and frail hut is built for him,
a portion of food is given to him daily, and in the evening a fire is
made, and fuel placed near so that it may be kept up. On one occasion
the son of a chief was wounded by a buffalo, and, according to ancient
custom, was taken out of the camp. The fire happened to go out, and in
consequence a lion came and carried off the wounded man in the night.
It was once thought that this cruel custom arose from the fear of
infection, but this is evidently not the case, as persons afflicted
with infectious diseases are not disturbed as long as they can help
themselves. Superstition may probably be the true reason for it.
They have but little regard for human life, especially for that of
a woman, and a husband may kill his wife if he likes, without any
particular notice being taken of it. One traveller mentions that a
husband became angry with his wife about some trifling matter, seized
his assagai, and killed her on the spot. The body was dragged out by
the heels, and thrown into the bush to be devoured by the hyænas, and
there was an end of the whole business. The traveller, being horrified
by such an action, laid an information before the chief, and was only
laughed at for his pains, the chief thinking that for any one to be
shocked at so ordinary an occurrence was a very good joke.
Still, the Bechuana has his redeeming qualities. They are not
quarrelsome, and Burchell remarks that, during all the time which
he spent among them, he never saw two men openly quarrelling, nor
any public breach of decorum. They are persevering and industrious
in the arts of peace, and, as has been seen, learn to work in iron
and to carve wood with a skill that can only be attained by long
and careful practice. They are more attached to the soil than many
of the neighboring tribes, cultivating it carefully, and in this
art far surpassing the Kaffirs. Their houses, too, are of elaborate
construction, and built with a care and solidity which show that the
inhabitants are not nomads, but residents on one spot.
The government of the Bechuanas is primarily monarchical, but not
entirely despotic. The king has his own way in most matters, but his
chiefs can always exercise a check upon him by summoning a parliament,
or “Picho,” as it is called. The Picho affords a truly wild and
picturesque spectacle. The artist has illustrated this on page 287. The
warriors, in their full panoply of war, seat themselves in a circle, in
the midst of which is the chair of the king. The various speakers take
their turns at addressing the assembly, and speak with the greatest
freedom, not even sparing the king himself, but publicly arraigning
him for any shortcomings, real or fancied, and sometimes gaining their
point. As to the king himself, he generally opens the parliament with a
few sentences, and then remains silent until all the speeches have been
delivered. He then answers those that have been made against himself,
and becomes greatly excited, leaping about the ring, brandishing his
spear and shield, and lashing himself into an almost frantic state.
This is the usual procedure among savages, and the more excited that a
man becomes, the better he is supposed to speak afterward.
An extract from Mr. Moffatt’s account of a Picho will give a good idea
of the proceedings:--“Although the whole exhibits a very grotesque
scene, business is carried on with the most perfect order. There is but
little cheering, and still less hissing, while every speaker fearlessly
states his own sentiments. The audience is seated on the ground (as
represented in the engraving), each man having before him his shield,
to which is attached a number of spears. A quiver containing poisoned
arrows is hung from the shoulder, and a battle-axe is held in the right
hand. Many were adorned with tiger-skins and tails, and had plumes of
feathers waving on their heads. In the centre a sufficient space was
left for the privileged--those who had killed an enemy in battle--to
dance and sing, in which they exhibited the most violent and fantastic
gestures conceivable, which drew forth from the spectators the most
clamorous applause.
“When they retire to their seats, the speaker commences by commanding
silence. ‘Be silent, ye Batlapis, be silent, ye Barolongs,’ addressing
each tribe distinctly, not excepting the white people, if any happen to
be present, and to which each responds with a groan. He then takes from
his shield a spear, and points it in the direction in which the enemy
is advancing, imprecating a curse upon them, and thus declaring war by
repeatedly thrusting his spear in that direction, as if plunging it
into an enemy. This receives a loud whistling sound of applause. He
next directs his spear toward the Bushman country, south and southwest,
imprecating also a curse on those ‘ox-eaters,’ as they are called.
“The king, on this, as on all similar occasions, introduced the
business of the day by ‘Ye sons of Molchabanque’--viewing all the
influential men present as the friends or allies of his kingdom, which
rose to more than its former eminence under the reign of that monarch,
his father--‘the Mantatees are a strong and victorious people; they
have overwhelmed many nations, and they are approaching to destroy us.
We have been apprised of their manners, their deeds, their weapons,
and their intentions. We cannot stand against the Mantatees; we must
now concert, conclude, and be determined to stand. The case is a great
one.... I now wait to hear what the general opinion is. Let every one
speak his mind, and then I shall speak again.’ Mothibi manœuvred his
spear as at the commencement, and then pointing it toward heaven, the
audience shouted, ‘Pula’ (rain), on which he sat down amidst a din of
applause. Between each speaker a part or verse of a war-song is sung,
the same antics are then performed, and again universal silence is
commanded....
“When several speakers had delivered their sentiments, chiefly
exhorting to unanimity and courage, Mothibi resumed his central
position, and, after the usual gesticulations, commanded silence.
Having noticed some remarks of the preceding speakers, he added: ‘It
is evident that the best plan is to proceed against the enemy, that
they come no nearer. Let not our towns be the seat of war; let not our
houses be the scenes of bloodshed and destruction. No! let the blood of
the enemy be spilt at a distance from our wives and children.’ Turning
to the aged chief, he said: ‘I hear you, my father; I understand you,
my father; your words are true, they are good for the ear; it is good
that we be instructed by the Makoöas; I wish those evil who will not
obey; I wish that they may be broken in pieces.’
“Then addressing the warriors, ‘There are many of you who do not
deserve to eat out of a bowl, but only out of a broken pot; think on
what has been said, and obey without murmuring. I command you, ye
chiefs of the Batlapis, Batlares, Bamairis. Barolongs, and Bakotus,
that you acquaint all your tribes of the proceedings of this day;
let none be ignorant; I say again, ye warriors, prepare for the
battle; let your shields be strong, your quivers full of arrows, and
your battle-axes as sharp as hunger.... Be silent, ye kidney-eaters’
(addressing the old men), ‘ye are of no farther use but to hang about
for kidneys when an ox is slaughtered. If your oxen are taken, where
will you get any more?’ Turning to the women, he said, ‘Prevent not
the warrior from going out to battle by your cunning insinuations. No,
rouse the warrior to glory, and he will return with honorable scars,
fresh marks of valor will cover his thighs, and we shall then renew
the war song and dance, and relate the story of our conquest.’ At the
conclusion of this speech the air was rent with acclamations, the whole
assembly occasionally joining in the dance; the women frequently taking
the weapons from the hands of the men and brandishing them in the most
violent manner, people of all ages using the most extravagant and
frantic gestures for nearly two hours.”
[Illustration: (1.) BECHUANA PARLIAMENT. (See page 286.)]
[Illustration: (2.) FEMALE ARCHITECTS. (See page 298.)]
In explanation of the strange word, “kidney-eaters,” the reader must be
made aware that kidneys are eaten only by the old of both sexes. Young
people will not taste them on any account, from the superstitious idea
that they can have no children if they do so. The word of applause,
“pula,” or rain, is used metaphorically to signify that the words of
the speaker are to the hearers like rain on a thirsty soil.
In the last few lines of the king’s speech, mention is made of the
“honorable scars upon the thighs.” He is here alluding to a curious
practice among the Bechuanas. After a battle, those who have killed
an enemy assemble by night, and, after exhibiting the trophies of
their prowess, each goes to the prophet or priest, who takes a sharp
assagai and makes a long cut from the hip to the knee. One of these
cuts is made for each enemy that has been slain, and some distinguished
warriors have their legs absolutely striped with scars. As the wound
is a tolerably deep one, and as ashes are plentifully rubbed into it,
the scar remains for life, and is more conspicuous than it would be in
an European, leaving a white track upon the dark skin. In spite of the
severity of the wound, all the successful warriors join in a dance,
which is kept up all night, and only terminates at sunrise. No one is
allowed to make the cut for himself, and any one who did so would at
once be detected by the jealous eyes of his companions. Moreover, in
order to substantiate his claim, each warrior is obliged to produce his
trophy--a small piece of flesh with the skin attached, cut from the
body of his foe.
When the ceremony of investiture with the Order of the Scar takes
place, a large fire is made, and around it is built a low fence, inside
which no one may pass except the priest and those who can show a
trophy. On the outside of the fence are congregated the women and all
the men who have not been fortunate enough to distinguish themselves.
One by one the warriors advance to the priest, show the trophy, have it
approved, and then take their place round the fire. Each man then lays
the trophy on the glowing coals, and, when it is thoroughly roasted,
eats it. This custom arises from a notion that the courage of the
slain warrior then passes into the body of the man who killed him, and
aids also in making him invulnerable. The Bechuanas do not like this
custom, but, on the contrary, view it with nearly as much abhorrence as
Europeans can do, only yielding to it from a desire not to controvert
the ancient custom of their nation.
It may well be imagined that this ceremony incites the warriors, both
old and young, to distinguish themselves in battle, in order that
they may have the right of entering the sacred fence, and be publicly
invested with the honorable scar of valor. On one such occasion, a
man who was well known for his courage could not succeed in killing
any of the enemy, because their numbers were so comparatively small
that all had been killed before he could reach them. At night he was
almost beside himself with anger and mortification, and positively
wept with rage at being excluded from the sacred enclosure. At last
he sprang away from the place, ran at full speed to his house, killed
one of his own servants, and returned to the spot, bringing with him
the requisite passport of admittance. In this act he was held to be
perfectly justified, because the slain man was a captive taken in war,
and therefore, according to Bechuanan ideas, his life belonged to his
master, and could be taken whenever it might be more useful to him than
the living slave.
In war, the Bechuanas are but cruel enemies, killing the wounded
without mercy, and even butchering the inoffensive women and children.
The desire to possess the coveted trophy of success is probably the
cause of their ruthlessness. In some divisions of the Bechuana tribes,
such as the Bachapins, the successful warriors do not eat the trophy,
but dry it and hang it round their necks, eating instead a portion of
the liver of the slain man. In all cases, however, it seems that some
part of the enemy has to be eaten.
The weapons used in war are not at all like those which are employed
by the Kaffirs. The Bechuanan shield is much smaller than that of the
Kaffirs, and on each side a semi-circular piece of leather is cut out.
The reader may remember that in the Kaffir shield, as may be seen by
the illustration, page 21, there is a slight depression on each side.
In the Bechuanan shield, however, this depression is scooped out so
deeply that the shield is almost like an hour-glass in shape. The
assagai, which has already been described, is not intended to be used
as a missile, but as a weapon for hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, the
amount of labor which is bestowed upon it renders it too valuable to be
flung at an enemy, who might avoid the blow, and then seize the spear
and keep it.
The Bechuanas have one weapon which is very effective at close
quarters. This is the battle-axe. Various as are the shapes of the
heads, they are all made on one principle, and, in fact, an axe is
nothing more than an enlarged spear-head fixed transversely on the
handle. The ordinary battle-axes have their heads fastened to wooden
handles, but the best examples have the handles made of rhinoceros horn.
A remarkably fine specimen of these battle-axes is now before me. It is
simply a knob-kerrie made of rhinoceros horn, through the knob of which
the shank of the head has been passed. The object of this construction
is twofold. In the first place, the increased thickness of the handle
prevents, in a great measure, the liability to split when a severe
blow is struck; and, secondly, the increased weight adds force to the
stroke. In some of these axes the knob at the end of the handle seems
disproportionately large. The axe is carried, together with the shield,
in the left hand, while the right is at liberty to hold the assagai.
But, if the warrior is driven to close quarters, or if his spear should
be broken, he snatches the axe from the shield, and is then armed anew.