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HOOVER INSTITUTION
on War. Revolution, and Peace

ue/-

ADVENTURES
IN SWAZILAND

aWAZI MOTHER CARRVmG HER BABE
UJv moflt of the ttouch AlricaD niUivM, Che ^whdh cvry ■!! burd^DH on lb
wometi inwimbly beiu tbe beaitB of burdsti. Babicfl art tb« only thiDfn Ihi
euty on Ibdr backs, tUg bcinc bpcuiue they keep their children with them w
bouBework. The nlubdid Btkture uid erect euriue of 8»u women is dinctly d
•U valchti on tbair hewla

ADVENTURES
IN SWAZILAND

THE STOEY OF A SOUTH AFEICANBOEB

OWEN ROWE O'NEIL

VTTH HANT nXITSTftATIONB
FBOH PHOTOOSAFH8

NEW YORK

THE CENTURY CO.

1921

231292

Printed in U. a A.

• 1

TO MY FATHER

COUXSELOl, FA&MEB, AKD WAIBIOA
THIS HUMBLE RECORD 18 DEDICATED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

How THE O'Neils cams to ths Tranbyaal — Boers witb
Irish names — Oom Paul's refusal to but Delaooa Bay^-
The Boers break for freedom — Their bloody battles

WITH THE SAVAGE TRIBES ThE GrEAT TrEK DiNOAANZULU's

TREACHERY ThE DiNOAAN DaY CELEBRATION .... 3

CHAPTER II

RlETTLEI^ THE "VaLLEY OF ReEDS" ThE O'NeIL HOME-
STEAD— PiONEER hardships — The war against Maleuw^
"The Lion" — "Slim Gert" O'Neil breaks the power of
THE Makateese King — Jafta^ King of the Mapors — My
boyhood and "Jass" — Sibijaan, "The Skunk/' becomes my
PAL — My first trousers nearly cost me an eye — Our toy

FACTORY AND MIMIC BATTLES OoM TXTYS GrOBLER TELLS OF

Swaziland and King Buno^ "The Terrible" .... 18

CHAPTER III

My desire to visit King Buno — How I won the trip on
A BET — ^A Boer race meet — "Black Hand Tom/' the hope
of Rietvlbi — Klaas's ride to save his skin — Father gives
permission for my visit belfast celebrates the boer

victory 31

CHAPTER IV

I LEAVE FOR MY FIRST VISIT TO SWAZILAND MoTHER WARNS

ME ABOUT OoM TuYS ^WhY THE BoERS PAID TRIBUTE TO KiNO

BuNo— Queen Labotsibeni^ the brains of Swaziland —
BuNo's visit to Oom Paul Kruger — Our Reception in
Swaziland — Ezulweni, the "Valley of Heaven" — Bung's
rifle sibijaan and i explore by night 44

CHAPTER V
Sheba's Breasts and the Place of Execution — Zombodb

AND the royal KRAAL OF QuEEN LaBOTSIBENI CoMMON AND

CONTENTS

PAai

ROTAL GROUND— Ws REACH KiNO BuNO's KRAAL AT LebOMBO

— Gin for ths King — Buno^ ths regal savage — I present

A RIFLE TO THE KiNG ^LoMWAZI TAKES ME TO LaBOTSIBENI

The old Queen is worried over Tuys' activities — The
•hooting-match with the king tuys and i manage to

MISS A FEW HUMAN TARGETS 57

CHAPTER VI

Tuts orders me to remain in camp during the celebra-
tion 1 VISIT THE ROYAL KRAAL FeASTING, DANCING^ AND

combats to the death butchery of young women buno

and tuys wrestle for gold how tuys became rich ^a

"legal execution" in Swaziland — ^The unfaithful wife
expiates her sin ^how tuys shoots father gathers in-
formation by mental suggestion 7s

CHAPTER VII

I VISIT Swaziland again — Bung's illness — An appeal
FROM THE King — The race against death — Umzulek meets
us — The dying King — Bung makes Tuys guardian of his
PEOPLE — The last royal salute of the impis — ^The death-
dealing puff-adder — Buno dibs like a true savage kino
-^Tzaneen^ the royal widow^ suspects murder — ^The

QUEENS meet TUYS ESCAPES THE FUNERAL SACRIFICE • 98

CHAPTER VIII

The ROYAL FUNERAL ThE "tHUNDER OF THE SHIELDS*'

Not afraid to die — The witch-doctor's bloody work —
What Labotsibeni wanted — The burial of the indunas —
Rain-making and the "rain stone" — Buno's burial in the
CAVES — ^Witch-doctors prevent our entering the caves —
Labotsibeni sends for gin 110

CHAPTER IX
Sibuaan's sportiveness almost costs his life — How Tuys

BECAME THE FRIEND OF BuNO— LaBOTSIBENI ENDORSED AS
REGENT OF SWAZILAND ^UmZULEK PLOTS TO SEIZE THE THRONE

— The Boers invade Swaziland — Tuys dictates peace be-
tween THE Queens — Umzulek gets his lesson .... 129

CHAPTER X

War with England — Siege of Belfast— Our boyish impi
attacks the British — Ghosts defeat us — Jafta's friend-
ship — English troopers do the "sporting thing" — ^Umzu-

•••
TIU

CONTENTS

LEK STILL PLANNING DEVILTRY DeATH OF KlAA8, OUR

JOCKEY — Father sends me away to get an education 150

CHAPTER XI

Back to Rietylei from Harvard — I locate in Ermelo —
TuYs brings news that Sebuza is to be crowned King of
Swaziland— I decide to make a picture record of the
coronation — The trek to Zombode to get the royal per-
mission — Snyman plays ghost and almost gets killed —
Visit to Mbabane, capital of Swaziland 16S

CHAPTER XII

I MEET LaBOTSIBENI AGAIN FLATTERING A SAVAGE QUEEN

— Explaining the "little black magic box" — Curing

rheumatism with tooth-paste, vaseune, and hair oil

Women as currency — Gin, gold, and cows pay for the

PICTURE rights — ^ThB "fLu" STRIKES JeNNIE, THE "bLAAU

app," and the peacocks' tails 188

CHAPTER XIII

I start for New York — The religious atmosphere on
SHIPBOARD— "Flu" attacks the Javanese — The mission-
aries REFUSE to help — ShARKS AS SCAVENGERS ThE LITTLE

mother's end — Evils of liquor — ^Absembung oxtr party in
New York — Passage as freight — St. Lucia and a little
excitement — ^The thin magistrate — ^Released on bail 206

CHAPTER XIV
Obstinate stowaways — ^Free Town and a fight — ^Bay

rum as a beverage SUGDEN LETS OFF SMOKE-BOMBS CaPE

Town, a party, and some Anzacs — Oom Tuys advises haste
— Through South Africa — ^Americans and Boers in
Ermelo — A hurried visit to Swaziland for information —
Mystery over the coronation — Royal gin for Labotsi-

BENI DeBESEEMBIE DRINKS AND TALKS 226

CHAPTER XV

Outfitting f#r Swaziland — Our cook becomes "Ounga
Din" — LoMWAZi's messenger — Off for Zombode — Rossman

GOES HUNTING— Too MUCH RAIN ^ThE OXEN DIE AND ARE RE-
PLACED BY DONKEYS SnEAKING LIQUOR THROUGH MBABANE

EZULWENI MOSQUITOES RIVAL NeW JeRSEy's ^We ARE UN-
POPULAR IN Zombode — Manaan's damage suit and settle-
ment 247

CONTENTS

CHAPTER XVI

LaBOTSIBSNI RBFU8K8 TO BSE MB — SUODSN AND UY MKN
B8CAPE ASSASSINATION ^A FRUITLESS CONFERENCE ^We FLEE

TO Lebombo — OoM Tuts turns up — ^We confer with Queen

TZANEEN AND LoCHEIN FlYE-AND-TEN-CENT-STORE JEWELRY

HAS PERSUASIVE POWERS— SUGDEN FALLS ILL ^We BUILD HIS

COFFIN — SeBUZA returns FROM HIS SANCTIFICATION • • • 268

CHAPTER XVII

L'TuNOa's "mXTTI" CURES THE SICK WHITE MAN SeBUZA

CHOOSES HIS WITES 1 RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM HiS MajESTT's

High Commissioner for Swaziland— A flying trip to
Mbabane — ^The Government refuses to sanction Sebuza's
coronation — How witch-doctors smoke dagga • • • 292

CHAPTER XVIII
Witch-doctors of Swaziland — How they brought a

FAMINE L'TuNGA's SCHOOL OF WITCH-DOCTORING ^ThE

"PonoN Test" to settle ownership — The professional

witch-doctor's equipment L'TUNGA DECIDES A MURDER

CASE — Some genuine cures • • 810

CHAPTER XIX

Wearisome delay in coronation — ^War suggestions from
Umzulek — My plan to bluff Labotsibeni — The bluff is

CALLED ^A ticklish SITUATION LabOTSIBENI REFUSES TO

SURRENDER THE THRONE OuR DEMONSTRATION FAILS NiGHT

MURDERS PROVOKE WAR 881

CHAPTER XX
Lebombo threatened with attack — Tzaneen flies to

us FOR PROTECTION ViCTORY FOR SeBUZA LaBOTSIBENI's

mysterious death lomwazi spared for execution later

Funeral sacrifice of the old Queen — Queen Tzaneen in

STATE ^We are forced TO JOIN THE ROYAL IMPI . • . 855

CHAPTER XXI

Our SANCTIFICATION IN EXILE HARDSHIPS IN THE HILLS

OoM TUYS SAVES LoMWAZl's LIFE ThE CELEBRATION LoM-

WAZI FORMALLY SURRENDERS THE THRONE ^We ARE INDUCTED

INTO THE ROYAL IMPI MBABANE SENDS FOR INFORMATION

We escape THROUGH Portuguese territory to America • 871

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Swazi mother carrying her babe Frontitpieee

PACUra PAQB

Map of Swaziland 32

Map showing section of South Africa SS

The result of the national sport 48

Interior of military barracks 49

Princesses and maid taking a morning bath 68

Young princesses amiably engaged in hair-dressing ... 68

Swaxi girls 69

Pudana, favorite to the old Queen Labotsibeni . . • • 69

An actual combat in which the man on the left was slain . • 76

A type of dress worn by the royal executioner 77

Lomwaxi, son and prime minister to the old Queen . • • 77

Queen Txaneen^ mother of the crown prince 112

Queen Tzaneen with some Zulu princesses 118

Umzulek^ a resourceful and influential exile 118

Swaxi warriors and women dancing 128

Princesses of royal birth 129

Queen Labotsibeni^ mother of King Buno 196

Lomwaxi and his council of Indunas, or war chiefs . . . 197

The stream that divides the royal from the common ground . 204

Type of Afrikander cattle 205

Swazi women at home 205

On the way to the royal kraal at 2k>mbode 256

The second trip into Swasiland 256

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

VAcnra paoi

Mother feeding her baby 257

Maiden singing to the Crown Prince Sebuza 257

Dr. O'Neil and companions are received by Queen Tzaneen . 282

Dr. O'Neill Queen Tsaneen^ Dr. Sugden, and Mr. Crespinell 282

Wives of the prime minister to Sebuza 288

Queen Tzaneen and Lochien 283

Princesses at the sacred bathing pool 304

A scene at the royal bathing pool 305

Interior of the royal kraal 320

Chief witch-doctor of Swaziland 320

A school of witch-doctors 321

A Swazi seminary or school for young witch-doctors • • • 321

Crown Prince Sebuza in festival dress 336

Crown Prince Sebuza 337

Lochien, commander-in-chief of Prince Sebuza's impis . • 352

Warriors of Prince Sebuza's impis starting out to battle • • 352

One of the royal impis 353

Priests building the sacred fire 360

A view of the kraal 361

Mr. Crespinell at home among his black brethren . • • . 376

Dr. Sugden, Prince Lomwazi, and Dr. O'Neil 376

Dr. O'Neil, Mr. Crespinell, and Dr. Sugden after their in-
duction into the royal impi 377

I I

ADVENTURES
IN SWAZILAND

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

CHAPTER I

How the (yNeils came to the Transvaal — Boers with Irish names — Oom
Paul's refusal to buy Ddagoa Bay — ^The Boers break for freedom —
Their bloody battles with the savage tribes— The Great Trek— Din-
gaansulu's treachery — ^The Dingaan Day celebration.

I WAS bom only a few days trek, or march, from the
Swazi border and even as a youth made numerous
trips into Swaziland. Through my uncle, Oom Tuys
Grobler, known as "The White King of Swaziland," I
was practically adopted by the savage rulers of that
country and have always been received with the great-
est honor and consideration by the various members of
its royal family. My family have always been inter-
ested in Swaziland and there was seldom a time when
one of my ten brothers was not hunting or visiting
there. As one of the O'Neils of Rietvlei, which means
"The Valley of Reeds," any of us were welcome.

It may seem strange that Boers should bear the name
O'Neil, but this is not out of the ordinary in the Trans-
vaal. There are many Boer families, most of them
prominent in South Africa, who have Irish names.
My father's first wife was a Madden and our home-
stead at Rietvlei is only about seven miles from the
town of Belfast, which our family founded and named.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

The reccvd is not clear how these Irish names are found
among the Boers, but the fact that many Boers have
Celtic names refutes the statement that most of the
Iiish who fou^it against the Briti^ in the Boer War
were renegades from the United KingdcHn.

My father is Richard Charles O'Neil, known among
our people as "Slim Gert," or "Slick Dick" as it would
be Americanized, the title being a tribute to his astute-
ness and good business sense. He was for six years
minister of jfinance in the cabinet of the late 0(Mn Paul
Kruger, who has come to be regarded as one of the
really great South Africans, his fame being greater to-
day than at the time of his death. Father split with
Oom Paul over the Delagoa Bay question and resigned
from his cabinet. At that time the Portuguese offered
to sell Delagoa Bay to Oom Paul for twenty thousand
poimds. This was shortly before the Boer War.
Father strongly advocated the purchase, since it would
give our people an outlet on the coast, the Bay being a
fine harbor. Oom Paul, however, emphatically refused
to buy.

"It would only give our enemies, the English, a chance
to attack us from the sea,'' he said, ending the cabinet
conference. "Now they can 't get to us through Portu-
guese territory."

To-day Delagoa Bay could not be bought for twenty
million pounds.

My grandfather was John James O'Neil, a direct
descendant of the O'Neil who fled from Ireland in the

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

time of Oliver Cromwell, and it was he who chose
Rietvld as the family farm. When I say "farm," I
use the term in the Boer sense, since Rietvlei includes
more than 100,000 acres of the most fertile land in the
Transvaal and is quite large even for South Africa, the
country of vast distances.

As one of the survivors of "The Great Trek," my
grandfather had suffered the most intense hardships
and escaped dangers that are almost unbelievable to-
day. This trek was the wholesale migration of Boers
who were dissatisfied with British rule and had decided
to carve out a country for themselves in what was then
wildest Africa.

The original Boers were the descendants of the
Huguenots who were expelled from France to Holland
and eventually went overseas. They made their chief
settlement in what is now Cape Town, then a port of call
for the far-flung commerce of the Dutch, who were
at that time the dominant maritime nation. The British
took Cape Town from the Dutch in 1806, but returned
the colony to Holland a few years later. Finally, in
1815, the Dutch ceded Cape Town to the British for a
sum said to be six million pounds.

Up to that time the settlers of the Cape Colony had
only branched out as far as the Great Fish River.
This was the limit of safety, since beyond lay track-
less wastes and millions of savage natives noted for
their hostility and cannibalism. Practically all these
aettlers were the ancestors of the present Boers.

rS SWAZILASD

Af m ottausoaBf &e case jbl p i- Ms^w^ taaes. 2
the: iMMrwrnri wk> eacaed Oe tncUe t&at kdtotfe
bnaioi^^ ixp of &e old Boer bcmes 5ei C^ipe Coionj.
A mvmhrr of ttoe reSgxics gaskkszaoL ^■^wii^ out £ram
FiHSfawH jod fired for a diort tme m t&e CoiaBT. On
tktir ntam to I>jtidoii tf&er m^stepresoried facts to
tktlaog to fodi an cxtoit that a oombs of leUikti i c
lavi and regnJatioiis were pascd. Tbese made fife
mapcm&ie for tiie Bocn, who hare ahnTs been a free-
d^mhiariDg people.

TumUy about ten thnnsand of tiie bmgh e is got to-
getlKT and commenced tiidr exodus from Cape Colanj
into the unknown terrilorj- beyood the Great Fidi
Rirer* The Zulus and Basutus met the first party, tfaore
was a bitter fig^ and erery Boer man, woman and
duld was massacred. In many cases, when the men
realized that there was no hope, they killed thdr own
womenfolk so that they mi^it not fall into the hands
of the savages.

This bloody tragedy did not deter the determined
Boers. Other parties followed, and soon these picHieers
founded yarious settlements. Every foot of their ad-
vance was gained by fighting, and the Boer conquest
of the Transvaal and Orange Free State may well be
said to have been won by the blood of freemen. Some
of these expeditions settled in Natal and founded the
city of Fietermaritzburg, named after their great leader,
Pieter Maritz.

It was during the year 1880 that my grandfather

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

joined the Great Trek and left Cape Colony with a
large expedition led by Piet Retief and Piet Potgier.
The party had much trouble with the Zulus, its progress
being a continuous fight. On reaching the Vaal River,
Potgier and Retief came to loggerheads and agreed to
separate. Each had his own opinion as to where they
ought to go, and each followed his own idea. My
grandfather remained with Retief and thereby nearly
lost his life. With my grandfather was his brother,
Richard Charles O'Neil, after whom my father was
named.

Piet Retief was killed by the Zulus, and this massacre
is now history, ahnost sacred history, in the Transvaal.
It seems that Retief led his party into what is now Natal
and there undertook to come to some basis of peace with
the savages. A truce was declared, and he went to the
Zulu royal kraal and saw their great chief, Dingaanzulu.
The chief agreed to cede certain territory to Retief if
the Boer would recover for the Zulus certain cattle
stolen from them by another savage nation. This land
was to be the first of the new Republic of Natalia, which
my grandfather and Retief planned to found.

Retief recovered the cattle and with one hundred
burghers visited the Zulu royal kraal and returned than
to Dingaanzulu. After the cattle were driven in the
Zulu chief sent for the Boer leader, ostensibly to arrange
about the land grant. He insisted that the Boers were
now his friends and, as such, should leave their weapons
outside the royal kraal and enter unarmed. The nith-

ADVENTURES DT SWAZILAND

leu Zulu dnef nid tiiat tins would be ''an ewidoMOt of
tiie good hearts of tiie white men."

With great f ordmling Retief did as he was adced.
WiUi his hundred men he went into the kraal and f oand
Dmgaanznhi in tiie most friendly frame oi mind. After
fraternization the diief told the Boers that a great
celebraticm had been prepared in tiidr honor, and that
nigbt tiiere was feasting, dancing, and mudi speeds
making in front of the great fires.

I have often heard what happened next. It is history
with us and tradition with the Zulus, Swazis, and other
natives of our section of the Transvaal The story was
first told me by an old Zulu who was a sort of farm-
helper at our home when I was a little fellow. He
claimed to have been there, and from his evidaice I
believe he was.

^^There was a great feast and all the fires were
lij^bted,** he said. ""Many cattle had been kiUed and all
the royal impis (regiments) were in full costume.
These were the picked men of all Zululand, and they
danced for a long time before the fires.

^'Dingaanzulu sat with the white leader, and they
drank tswala (kaffir beer) together. Often they would
shake hands, and it was as though they were brothers.
All the other white men sat near the fires in front of
the king. They, too, had much tswala and plenty to
eat.

''When it was quite late and the moon shone through
the fiames of the dying fires, many of the royal impi

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

gathered behind those who were dancing and waited
for a sign from Dingaanzulu. Soon this came, and then
the killing! Dingaanzulu stood up and threw his leop-
ard-skin cloak about his shoulders. This was the sign.
The waiting warriors dashed through the dancers and
threw themselves upon the white men. Assegais flashed,
and the Boer leader dashed to his men. These held to-
gellier and fought the impis with bare hands. Some of
the white men were very strong and tore assegais from
the warriors and fought willi them, stabbing, and stab-
bing, and stabbing!

''But there were himdreds, even thousands, of Zulus
to eadi white man, and the fight could not last long.
All the white men were killed, and some were stabbed
scores of times before they died. I do not know how
their leader died, but we found him with a broken assegai
in his hand and seven dead warriors about him."

As soon as Dingaanzulu had murdered Retief and his
band, he sent his impis to kill all the remaining mem-
bers of the expedition. My grandfather and his brother
were in charge of the main encampment, or laager, at
Weenan, which means "Weeping," or "Place of Sor-
row." The wagons had been formed into a hollow
square, and the Boers finally drove off the Zulus after
a fight lasting several days. Hundreds of the savages
were killed, and the Boers lost a large number of men
who could ill be spared.

Then my grandfather and his party settled in the

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

district surrounding Majuba Hill. His brother founded
the place known as "O'NeiFs Farm" at the foot of
Majuba, while my grandfather established and named
the village of Belfast on the top of the hill. Following
this he moved to Potchef stroom, and from there north-
east, where he established the Republic of Lydenburg.
These various little republics were discontinued, or
rather merged into the modem form of government,
when the Boers became sufficiently numerous and com-
munications were established.

After the establishment of the Republic of Lyden-
burg my grandfather discovered Rietvlei, the "Valley of
Reeds," which has been the O'Neil homestead ever since.

The massacre of Retief and his devoted band is cele-
brated yearly by a three-day holiday in the Transvaal
and Orange Free State. The celebration is in the
nature of a memorial service, followed by rejoicing.
About every eighty miles throughout the Boer country
a spot is designated, and the burghers, with their fam-
ilies, trek to .this place. This trek is symbolic of the
"Great Trek" in which their ancestors died. On the
first day of the celebration there is a sham battle in which
the fight at Weenan is acted again, and the last two
days are given over to religious services and the festivi-
ties.

All self-respecting Boer families join in the Dingaan
Day celebration, many of them coming scores of miles
to do so. The children are taught the story of ''the

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

day" in the schools, and it is probably the most im-
portant civic celebration of the year.

Piet Potgier's party was entirely wiped out, none
surviving attacks made by the combined impis of the
Zulus and Basutus.

CHAPTER n

RkMei, the "^Okj at Rcedt^— TW <rXcfl

the paver cf the Makmtmt km^-Jafta, King of tiv Mapon— My
boflMiod awl "JtmrStmjmMm, -Tbe Sknk,* becomes hj p«l— 1^
first tronfm nearlj cost me an eye — Oar toj factorj and mimic bat-
Tmj% Grobfer tdb of Svanlaiid and King

RIETVLEI is one of the most beautifal sccidaits
of nature I have ever seen. To properly appre-
ciate this wonderful Valley of Reeds, it should be ap-
proadied across the high veldt. To reach it in this way
is to receive a thrill that is seldom f eh when viewing any
scene. It is set like a jewel in the wilderness of the veldt
and seems more like a sunken oasis than anything else.
Time and time again I have been almost startled when
I suddenly saw RietvleL

As you ride across the high veldt you are struck by
its utter barrenness and the thousands of ant-hiUs on
all sides. The wild grasses, browned by the sun, are
higher than your horse's belly and far in the distance
are the barren hills. The veldt, with its altitude of about
seven thousand feet, is much like the plains of Arizona,
New Mexico, and Texas. It is almost desert. Hun-
dreds of times I have crossed this veldt on my hairy
Boer pony and always the same thing has happened.
Several times, scxnetimes scores of times, springbok,

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

blesbok, or duiker, the antelopes of the veldt, have
jumped to their feet and scampered off through the
tall grass. My pony would give one leap and then dash
madly after them. If I was day-dreaming, I was likely
to find myself unhorsed and facing a chase after my
active steed. However, one gets used to such inter-
ruptions and it was seldom that I did not enjoy the
chase. It is no use to think that a Boer pony can be
prevented from pursuing these antelope; he is trained
to do it from the first time he feels a saddle, and his
quickness often makes it possible for the shot that pro-
vides fresh meat that night in camp.

After miles and miles of veldt, with the distant hills
seeming to recede as one goes on, the fascination of
space loses its grip and the fatigue of monotony follows.
About the time I would begin to feel like a sailor adrift
in mid-ocean the blessed relief would come — ^I would
reach Rietvlei!

My pony would come to a sudden stop on the rim of
a great precipice and thousands of feet below I would
see the Valley of Reeds with the settlement that meant
home. The high veldt breaks off abruptly, as though
cut with a giant knife, exactly like parts of the Grand
CaAon of the Colorado in America. Since the begin-
ning of time the little rivers of Rietvlei have worn down
the veldt until they have hollowed out thousands and
thousands of acres. From the cool high veldt to the
fertile green Valley of Reeds is a wonderful change,
and it takes a f uU hour to climb down the winding trail.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

My grandfather, John James O'Nefl, was the first
white man to see Rietvlei and he immediately decided
that he need look no further for his home. He at once
settled there and went through many hardships to found
his home. The natives inhabiting the valley were the
Mapors, then a powerful and hostile tribe. My father
built our present h(Mne, which is of white limestone,
iron, and wood, all of which had to be brought some six
himdred miles by ox-teams. It was many years before
the house was completed, but my father intended it as
the permanent home of the O'Neils and it will stand
for centuries.

The hardships endiured by my grandfather and father
were such as would have daimted less stem men, but
they were Boers and all Africa knows them to be the
greatest pioneers the world has ever seen. Jafta, king
of the Mapors, whose royal kraal was about forty-eight
miles from my home, was my family's greatest enemy.
Both my grandfather and father were constantly at war
with him and were forced to maintain a large force of
fighting men to repel his attacks. There was always the
threat that Jafta would overwhelm the little band of
doughty Boers in the valley, and the white men prac-
tically lived with their guns in their hands.

Those were anxious days for the womenfolk. All
supplies had to be brought in from the coast, and the
wagons were months on the way. Sometimes they
would be gone for nearly a year and diuring all this time
the women never knew but that some hostile native tribe

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

had overwhelmed the devoted burghers and killed all
their men. Dogged, dauntless, and determined, the men
won through time after time, until there broke out the
great war fomented by Maleuw, king of the Makateese.
He was known as "The Lion" and was a very able
savage, brave, cunning, and a bom leader of men.

Maleuw became obsessed with the idea that the white
men should be driven out, and with this object provoked
a war with Jafta, king of the Mapors. It seems that
Jafta, although he had been carrying on his private feud
against the white men, did not care to join Maleuw
and refused to aid him. The Makateese were the most
warlike nation at that time, probably owing to the in-
spiration of "The Lion," and they swept down on the
Mapors with the expressed intention of exterminating
them.

The war was most sanguinary. No prisoners were
taken, and it soon began to look as though the Mapors
would be wiped out. The white men made no eflfort to-
ward peace, taking the view that the more of their
enemies were killed the safer life would be for them.
Soon Jafta and his troops were in full flight, and then
the white men found themselves facing another and
more real danger. With Maleuw victorious he could
rally additional armies, and this meant he would be
powerful enough to drive the white men out and prob-
ably kill most of them.

Under my father. Slim Grert 0*Neil, a council of war
was called at Rietvlei and the leading Boers and some of

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

the British settlers attended. Chiefs of the Basuto and
Swazi nations were sent for, and it was decided to save
the remnants of the Mapor nation and in so doing break
the power of "The Lion*' and his Makateese armies.
Umbandine was king of Swaziland at that time.

King Maleuw found himself attacked by a large army
made up of Boers, British, Basutos, Mapors, and
Swazis, and there were several fierce battles. In some
manner the Makateese had obtained a number of rifles
and there was much loss of life on both sides. This war
ended with the utter crushing of Maleuw and his army,
and since then the Makateese have never threatened the
peace of the Transvaal. The final battle was the storm-
ing of Maleuw's kraal, which was a veritable fortress on
the top of a steep hill about five hundred feet high.

The hill is now known as "Maleuwkop," in memory
of the old "Lion." It was practically impregnable to a
native army using only savage weapons. The "palace"
proper was on the top of the hill and was entirely sur-
rounded by walls of thorn trees and prickly-pear
cactus. These thorn trees are most formidable, the
thorns being about three inches long and sharp as
needles. The Boers call them "haakensteek," which is
translated into "catch-and-stick." The British call them
"wait-a-bit" thorns, and under either name they are
equally dangerous.

Outside the thorn wall there was a row of huts in
which the picked warriors of Maleuw lived. Below the
huts came another thorn wall and another row of huts..

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

There were eight or ten such settlements, each guarded
by its own wall. I have heard many tales of the battle,
which lasted all day. Finally the white men broke
through the various thorn walls, and that was the end
of the Makateese peril. My father in telling of the fight
has often said, "If we had had one field-gun— -only a
little one — ^we could have blown *The Lion* out of his
lair and saved many lives."

Shortly after this war I was bom at Rietvlei. I was
the youngest of ten sons and spent my entire childhood
without white playmates, except for my sister, Ellen,
always my favorite. One of my earliest recollections
is of seeing King Jafta when he paid ceremonial visits
to my father. Under the conditions upon which the
Boers agreed to help him against the Makateese, Jafta
had ceded certain rich territories to Oom Paul Kruger.
This land President Kruger sold to my father, who
made an agreement with Jafta whereby the savage but
now king-in-reduced-circumstances was allowed to re-
main in possession for a certain length of time. It was
in connection with this agreement that Jafta would visit
Rietvlei at certain intervals.

I was only a little child then, but I can remember the
fallen king well. Owing to his lack of power he coidd
not make much of a showing, but it was necessary that
he maintain his kingly dignity on these visits. He would
be accompanied by the last of his officers and a small
impi, or regiment, and my father would treat with him
exactly as though he were the powerful chief of former

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

times. Jafta remembered this later and repaid us by
giving us valuable assistance during the Boer War, at
the time when the British were overrunning our lands.

The ceremonies attending Jafta's visits were always
about the same. His courier would come ahead to an-
nounce his arrival, and my father would send word that
he was pleased to see him and that his party should ap-
proach. Then Jafta, entirely naked except for an old
silk hat my father had given him, would stride into the
garden and when my father came out of the house would
make an oration. My father would listen most respect-
fully and then would reply, always addressing the de-
posed king as "Nkoos," which has the same meaning to
our kaffirs as "Your Majesty the King" has to the aver-
age Britisher.

The silk hat was very important in Jafta's eyes. It
meant much more than a mere personal adornment.
My father always wears silk hats, even when traveling
about the farm, and Jafta attached much significance
to the one he wore and always guarded it most carefully.
In fact, one of the greatest honors he could confer on
any of his oflBcers was to make one of them official guard-
ian of the hat when he was not wearing it. This was
the savage conception of the coveted post of "Keeper
of the Crown Jewels" that is found in some present-day
monarchies.

However, Jafta finally came on more evil days. Ow-
ing to certain outside infiuences which were brought to
bear upon him and to which he acceded, it became neces-

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

sary to take severe measures, and he and his small band
of followers were removed from the territory my father
had loaned them. This was rather sad, because this
land had been the site of the royal kraal of the Mapors
since time immemorial.

Nevertheless, we have continued to employ Mapors
cm the farm and have a number of families there now.
My old nurse was a Mapor woman. She was faithful-
ness personified, and I led her a merry dance. Her only
garment was a loin cloth made of a duiker skin, and on
account of her scant clothing my older brothers nick-
named her "Jass," which means "overcoat.'* Jass was
the mother of several little Mapors, the scars on her fore-
head showing their number. Like all the other savages
in the Transvaal, the Mapors practice scarification to a
great extent. The women are scarred either on the fore-
head or breasts, while the men are entitled to a scar on
the forehead for each enemy they have killed.

Until I was sent to boarding-school in Grahamstown,
that is, until I was well into my teens, my only com-
panions were little kaffir boys. My best pal was Sibi-
jaan, whose name means "The Skunk," and even to-day
he is my body servant when I am at home. How we
came to possess him is illustrative of conditions in the
district surroimding Rietvlei.

Sibijaan and two other little kaffir s were brought to
our home early one morning by a neighbor of ours who
had captured them on oiu* property. It seems they be-
longed to some tribe that had recently been wiped out

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

by the Zulus and had been fleeing north to get away
from the death that caught their people. I have never
seen so miserable a trio as these poor little natives. They
were almost starved and were unutterably dirty. In
addition, they were in a state of most pitiable terror.
They reg^-rded the white men with bulging eyes and
seemed only to want a place to hide.

Since they had been captured on our farm, they be-
longed to us. My mother was at home at the time, and
the neighbor and she had a pretty argument as to the
disposal of the captives. I listened to all of it, keeping
one eye on the little boys and wondering how I would
feel if I were in their place.

Finally my mother agreed that the neighbor should
have the largest of the three, since he was big enough to
be of some use in herding cattle and sheep. The two
little fellows were to belong to us, and subsequent events
proved that we had much the best of the bargain. The
one taken by our neighbor soon escaped, while our cap-
tives quickly became devoted to us and are with us yet.
The elder of the two was Sibijaan, and my mother gave
him to me for my own servant and playmate. Several
of my brothers happened to be spending a few days at
the farm at this time and they gave Sibijaan his name.
Dick did the naming when he said, "The little nigger
would make a skunk blush with envy. Let *s call him
The Skunk!"

Sibijaan and I soon had definite tasks assigned to us.
On a Boer farm no one rests — all have their work, even

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

to the women and children. We were sent out to mind
the sheep, of which my father had thousands, and were
given about a dozen other little kaffirs as assistants. I
was about seven years old at this time, big and strong
for my age.

During those years there was a great lack of traders
in our section of the Transvaal. This was due to the
continuous wars in which the native tribes fought one
another and now and then raided a Boer farm. Traders
had been killed and their goods stolen, and none ever
stopped at the Valley of Reeds. This meant that my
father had to outfit expeditions and make the long jour-
ney to the coast and back again, if we were to have any
of the civilized necessities or luxuries.

Our neighbors would join in these expeditions, and
often there would be a score of ox-wagons and several
score Boers in the parties. I remember these expedi-
tions well for many reasons — ^my mother used to spend
anxious months during my father's absence and about
this time there was an expediticm which brought me my
first pair of trousers. These, in turn, were the cause
of my receiving an injiuy to one of my eyes from which
I never fully recovered. My father had been away for
seven months this time and we had begun to fear that
hostile natives had attacked the caravan and done him
some harm. Many and many such an outfit had been
wiped out by the Zulus, Makateese, or other hostile
tribes, and there never was any assurance that the few

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

rifles of the Boers could stop the rush of the savage
impis.

On this occasion Sibijaan and I were minding a small
herd of sheep on the little plateau that overlooks the
heart of Rietvlei. We were quite busy trying to drive
the flock to a better feeding-ground when Sibijaan sud-
denly stopped and listened.

"Strangers coming!" he shouted. "I smell oxen and
wagons. White men coming up the Rietvlei !"

We looked in the direction he indicated and saw a
cloud of dust creeping along the rough road. A sec-
ond later a man in a silk hat, riding a familiar horse,
emerged from the dust. Even at that distance I could
see the rifle across his saddle. It was Slim Gert O'Neil,
my father.

Sibijaan and I, followed by all the other little kaf&rs,
raced to the wagons, where my father swung me on his
horse and greeted me most aflPectionately. A few mo-
ments later occurred the first really great event of my
life — ^I received my first trousers! My father took
me back to one of the wagons and presented me with a
stout pair of corduroys. I was overjoyed and danced
up and down, Sibijaan and the other little savages join-
ing me, as though at a celebration. Now, I felt, at last
I am a real white man, and the distance between my
black playmates and myself seemed to become inunense.

A little later I had slipped into the trousers and was
proudly marching at the head of my little impi. We
saw the wagons into the home kraal and then went back

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

to our sheep. I was the hero of the hour among my
playmates, and this led to the injury that has affected
my eye ever since.

Sibijaan, who had always shared with me the leader-
ship of our impi, lost caste when I donned the trousers
and instinctively became the kaffir. This hurt him, and
late in the afternoon he made me the following proposi-
tion:

"'Klein Baas (meaning 'Little Boss')/' he said, in his
pathetic earnestness forgetting to address me by my
native name, "Mzaan Bakoor," "you have been wearing
the trousers all day. Don't you think it is my tiu'n to
wear them? We are both indunas (leaders) of our
impi; it is not right that one should be better than the
other. Let me wear the trousers until sundown and
show oiu* men that we are brothers-in-arms !"

This seemed reasonable to me. Sibijaan and I had
shared our joys and woes for several years and there
was no reason for my refusing him the honor of wearing
the wonderful corduroys. We changed. I put on his
beads and he got into my cordiu*oys. Then came a per-
fect exhibition of the kaffir temperament. Sibijaan be-
came insufferably arrogant. He gave orders to our
impi, and for a moment I thought he was going to try
and command me. The more he lorded it over the
others, the more sullen and angered they became.

Of course the inevitable happened. Several of the
little lads demanded that they be allowed their turn at

ABTESmiS rS ^WAXILASD

Alt le i&l Tinf jis iniio^ was ^sk unrii^ Tke

X fijjurnmg 3xas if iisfc'S^ jss^ vtw

fttje ^^^r^g^ ecmpared co tne Less cc tSusse tzcnsexs.
Wk& tLe sgtt was cr^o* I itski beoi atibbei in the
ere, but I i^ tfee tpocatts! Pnctfcalh" e^ov Iwv had
St leMt ooe woGcd. azid cne of the Ettle f eflcpvs died be-
£r>re ve g«:A hrm bjck to the hoase where he couki hare
actta±foiL Owing to bck of proper medScil cmie mj
eje was alkwed to get well without expert atteotioQ and
win ahrajs show the effects of this titxiser-fi^it» From
tfaen CO, howerer, I wcve the trousers.

I ihall always remember my father's coomieiit oq
this happening. He asked me how the row had started
and who had stabbed the boy to death. It was prae-
tirrally impossible to determine the latter, and I ex-
plained why. He listened in his quiet way and then
gare me a talking to.

ours is the guilt for the death of that bc^,** he
^ You forgot you were a Boer and lowered yourself

#«

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

to the level of a Mapor! When you gave Sibijaan the
trousers you became as the dirt under his feet. White
men wear clothes ; kaffirs go naked. Does my son, the
son of Slim Grert O'Neil, want to be a nigger?"

Only in one other way did Sibijaan threaten my
supremacy as the imdisputed leader of our impi. This
was due to his extraordinary knack in handling clay in
the making of models of all kinds.

Not far from the house, along the bank of the river,
there was a large clay-bank. I established a toy fac-
tory there and we made all sorts of clay toys, including
idols, oxen, horses, and models of everything we handled
in our daily life. To make it a contest Sibijaan and I,
with our followers, used to compete with Klaas and his
in the excellency of our models. My sister, Ellen, was
the judge. Klaas, by the way, was the other little kaffir
who was captinred at the same time our neighbor brought
Sibijaan to us.

Klaas would make a number of things, and his fol-
lowers would duplicate them. Then he would challenge
us to do better, and we would get to work. Many and
many a day we spent in this toy factory, and the compe-
tition was keen. Soon, however, Sibijaan began to out-
strip all of us in the excellency of his models. He was
so much better at the play than I was that I soon found
myself ashamed to place my models against his.

I found myself again in danger of losing caste and
soon hit upon an idea that saved my face. Now the
Boers are a deeply religious people. In our home we

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

always had morning and evening prayers and the fact
that we were scores of miles from the nearest church
was the only reason that we did not attend one. Not
long before the toy factory began to be a sore spot
with me, a minister of the Dutch church had visited
RietvleL He was visiting the outlying districts of the
Transvaal and performing marriages and christenings.
Naturally, the minister held services, the most interest-
ing part being the sermon. He spoke with great force
and many gestures, all of them most emphatic. Like
all the Boers, he was bearded and had shaggy brows. I
found his sermon most entertaining, although I imder^
stood little of what he said.

However, the sermon gave me an idea. I decided I
would be a minister and the very next day commenced
preaching. There was a ruined kraal, formerly the resi-
dence of a long-dead cannibal chief, on a little hiU near
home. I simwioned Sibijaan, Klaas, and aU the others
of our impi to attend services there, and then pro-
ceeded to deliver a loud harangue to them. As I spoke
in Dutch, with now and then a Mapor phrase, they did
not understand much of what I said, but I made up f cm:
this by my forceful delivery. The natives are never
more happy than when delivering an oration, the words
illustrated with full-arm gestures, and I found my aud-
ience most appreciative. Religious services as I con-
ducted them appealed to the savage mind, and Sibi-
jaan's superiority as an artist faded to nothing.

Shortly after the minister's visit, my uncle, Oom

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Tuys Grobler, came to stay with us for a time. He had
come from Swaziland and brought wondrous tales of
battles there. I do not remember what war was going
on, but Oom Tuys made us believe that war was the
chief occupation of the Swazis. He used to while away
the long evenings by telling me about King Buno and
his mother, Queen Labotsibeni. To my childish mind
Bimo appeared as the embodiment of all things savage
and ruthless, while his mother was not much better. I
was fired with the desire to visit Swaziland and see the
great King Buno, and I asked Oom Tuys to take me
with him on his next trip. He did not refuse, but tried
to discourage me by relating weird stories of how white
boys were sacrificed and eaten by the Swazi warriors.
These tales did not impress me very much, since I felt
that I would be safe with my uncle, who was known
throughout the Transvaal as the cmly Boer King Bimo
trusted.

These tales of battle inspired Sibijaan, Klaas, and
myself with military ardor, and soon we prepared to
play the game of war. This was only the play of little
black boys led by a white, but out of it came my native
name. I am caUed ''Mzaan Bakoor" by all the natives
of our section of the Transvaal. The name means "He
of the Great Ears," or "He Who Hears Everything."
How I earned the name illustrates our method of war-
fare.

Klaas would lead one force, and Sibijaan and myself
the other. Our weapons were long reeds and pellets of

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

clay. The pellets would be fixed on the end of the reed
and thrown with a f ull-ann swing. They would travel
like a sbme from a sling, and after a short time we be-
came very pn^dent in ibeir use. We could hit our tar-
get more times than not, and I well remember that one
of these clay pellets made a dangerous missile.

The battle would start at Icmg range, and sometimes
would continue for hours before we got to grips. Whai
we were satisfied with the long-range executicm, we
would rush together and attack one another with our
hands. Sibijaan invented the method followed in this
close-range fighting. Adversaries would pair off, eadi
grasping the other by the ears. Then would ensue an
ear-puUing match which was only decided when cme of
the warriors cried quits. Because I se^ocied able to stand
any amoimt of this torture, they called me ''Mzaan
Bakoor," and the name has been mine ever since. This
method of ear-pulling was another tribute to Sibijaan's
cunning, for both his ears had been bitten off in the
trouser-fight and it was practically impossible for any
one to hang on to the remains I

In addition to herding the sheep, we boys were in
charge of a herd of about two hundred little calves. Our
chief work with these was to prevent them getting to
their mothers, the milch cows of the farm. Each morn-
ing and evening the calves were aUowed to spend half
an hour with their mothers, but the rest of the time they
had to go without milk.

Milking time was always a busy period for us. The

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

cows were kept in kraals, or open enclosures, and each
morning we would have to catch them for the milkers.
This was done with a rope-loop on the end of a long
stick. When the cow was captured the rope would be
passed around a post, the cow being drawn in and se-
curely tied. The suckling calf was then brought to its
mother, and this soothes the animal. As soon as the cow
was quiet, her hinds legs and tail were tied together and
she was ready for milking.

The milker would get ready, and then we would have
to drive the calf away and keep it away with a long stick
imtil the milking was finished. It was all a primitive
and strenuous performance, but these Afrikander cattle
are very wild and cannot be handled.

Another busy period for us would be during the sheep-
shearing season. The sheep are divided into lots and
classes, being ear-marked, and it used to be our work
to keep them together and make ourselves generally
useful. Another duty which fell to us was the leading
of the ox-teams, for, in fact, the boys of my impi could
be used for every service not requiring the strength of a
man.

During all these busy boyhood days I lived prac-
tically the outdoor life of a savage. My early education
was given me by my mother and my father's private
secretary, an Englishman with a university training.
I was quick to learn my lessons, chiefly because success
meant speedy escape to the wild pastimes of the little
savages who were my companions. Practically all our

ad\t:xtuiies in Swaziland

sports had to do with war and the hunt, so that I grew
up to regard death as CMily an incident in the life of a
warrior and not an event to be feared or worried about.
However, on my first visit to Buno, then king of
Swaziland, I saw death in a form that shocked me by
its needless brutality and utter wastefulness.

CHAPTER III

Mj dedre to visit King Buno — How I won the trip on a bet — ^A Boer race
meet— ''Black Hand Tom," the hope of Rietvlei — Klaas's ride to save
his skin — Father gives permission for my visit — Belfast celebrates the
Boer victory.

MY absolute conviction that no one in the world
owned a faster horse than ''Black Hand Tom/'
my father's favorite, earned me my first visit to Swazi-
land. This was during the summer after the Great
Drought, when the bloody rule of King Buno had be-
come the shame of South Africa.

Day after day I had heard tales about Swaziland
that fed my desire to go and see some of these things,
and Oom Tuys never forgot to make my hair stand
on end with his stories about his friend, Buno, and his
warriors. I was just in my teens and the desire to visit
Swaziland was the one thing I lived for. Whenever
Tuys came to visit my father I would get him aside and
beg him to take me with him on his next trip. Indeed,
I kept after him until I became a nuisance. Each time
he would promise, and then find a good reason for put-
ting me off until some time later. His evasions only
whetted my appetite for Swaziland, but it was a kind
fate, combined with a little boy's abiding faith in his
father, that finally won the day for me.

Like all the Boers, my father was a great horse

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

fancier and took pride in several fast animals that he
had bred at Rietvlei. Looking back, I realize that
these must have been very good horses, their forebears
being imported stock of the best European blood.

It was in the summer of 1897 that my father arranged
a race meet at Belfast, about eight miles from our home.
This was the nearest town, and the race was to be the
crowning event of a sort of festival lasting several days.
Previously my father had caused the word to get abroftd
that he had several of the fastest horses in the Transvaal,
but that he was keeping them under cover, hoping for a
chance to win some races ajt large odds. Of course all
Boers are good sportsmen and keenly interested in
racing; in addition, there were a number of sporting
Englishmen who noted the fact that Slim Grert O'Neil
was training horses in the Valley of Reeds.

The result was what my father anticipated. Word
was sent to him by the sporting crowd in Johannesburg
that they did not believe that any of his horses were
"worth the powder to blow them to hell" — ^as the mes-
sage was delivered by Oom Tuys. My father took this
to heart and sent back word that the Johannesburgers
were invited to bring their race horses, "if they had any
worthy of the name," to the race meet at Belfast. There
was a little further correspondence, which bordered on
insult on the part of the Johannesburgers, and the ar-
rangements were completed for the meet.

My father sent Mapor and Swazi runners to all the
Boer farms within a week's trek of Rietvlei, announcing

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

the races and invifdng his friends to '^come and see what
a country-bred can do against the pick of the Transvaal
and Orange Free State." It was a great day for aU
us little feUows when we moved on Belfast. All but a
few old women left Rietvlei, and we arrived in Belfast
to find thousands of strangers thronging the town.

Boer farmers had trekked in from almost a himdred
miles away, and I have never seen so many great
bearded men in my life. With their great slouch hats
and heavy boots, they could be seen swinging along the
streets in all directions. There were literally thousands
of kaffirs, Mapors, Swazis, Makateese, and Zulus, who
belonged to the various parties of Boers and who kept
close to them as they wandered about Belfast.

Some of the native tribes were af war at that time,
I remember, and there was some fear that there might
be an outbreak in the town. This fear was quelled, how-
ever, when word was passed that the first kaffir who
raised a hand would be shot on sight by the nearest Boer.
He would have been, too, because the Boers never hesi-
tate when dealing with the blacks. Always our people
have been firm in their dealings with the natives, with
the result that tbey have a wholesome respect for us. It
is the English, newly arrived in the Transvaal, who
make all the trouble with the kaffirs. Particularly do
the English and American missionaries create dissension
among them. They give the kaffirs mistaken ideas about
their importance in the scheme of things and lead them
to believe that they are as good as white people. Tak-

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ing it all in all, they have created more trouble than
they have done good. The missionaries seldom change
their teachings, but the Englishmen soon wake up and
after they have been in our country for about a year
know how to treat the natives.

There was no trouble in Belfast, although it was
said that there were several combats outside the town
in which about a score of blacks were killed and wounded.

Our arrival for the races must have been quite an
impressive event. My father on his great horse, wearing
his silk hat, led the procession. Then all his sons and
several of the girls followed, on horses also, and then
came my mother in a light road-wagon. After her came
our horses, led by Mapors, and behind them came several
hundred of our retainers, all decked out in their festival
costumes and carrying their short spears and knob-
kerries, or fighting clubs.

Oom Tuys met us at the edge of the town. He was
riding a great roan horse and was accompanied by a
number of father's friends. From his gestures I knew
that he was excited, and I slyly pressed my horse for-
ward until I could hear what he was saying.

"The Johannesbiu^gers have brought their best," he
told father. "Slim Gert, you will have to have all the
luck in the world to beat their horses. Never have I
seen better 1 They have also brought much money and
are waiting for you to bet. Will you bet with them?
I advise you not to. They have the best jockeys in the
TransvajJ, tool"

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"We shall see; we shall see/' was all father would
say.

"They are at the hotel and they wait for you," Oom
Tuys went on. "I told them that I would bring you
to them."

My father seemed to start at this, and I saw him look
sharply at Tuys. Then the color mounted in his cheek.

"Who are they that I should go to them?" he asked
indignantly. "Why should an O'Neil of Rietvlei wait
on these common gamblers from Johannesburg? If they
want to see me, let them come to my house 1"

My father had a house in Belfast where he transacted
business and often spent the night when it was too late
or too rainy to return to the Valley of Reeds.

Soon we reached the center of the town and found
thousands waiting to welcome us. All the Boers knew
Slim Gert O'Neil and his sons, and we received an
ovation. We passed through the town to father's house,
and the horses were placed in the small kraal at the
rear. He looked them over, Oom Tuys also being a
keenly interested observer, and then went into the house.
We boys remained outside, and it was one of the proud-
est moments of my life. So proud was I that I felt
impelled to tell all the town boys what I really thought
about father's horses and in particular about the speed
of "Black Hand Tom."

"He is so fast," I assured them, "that he outruns
bullets. Only the lightning can catch him, and I am
not any too sure about that !"

ADVENTURES IK SWAZILAND

Some of the boys jeered at my claim, and thereupon
ensued a small battle. My impi backed me up, and it
began to look as though some one would be badly hurt
when Oom Tuys dashed out of the house and scattered
us.

"Mzaan Bakoor, you little devil!" he shouted, catch-
ing me by the ears. "Why do you make so much fight?
Why do you tell such lies ? 'Black Hand Tom' will only
eat the dust of these Johannesburg horses. They are
race horses 1"

Now this was sacrilege. To hear my imcle, the great
"White King of Swaziland," say such a thing gave me
such a shock that I forgot to kick his shins for tweaking
my ears. Then came my inspiration! Brought up
among sportsmen, I seized my chance.

^'If 'Black Hand Tom' is so slow, then you bet against
him. I dare you!" I said.

Of course I will. I am no fool !" Tuys assured me.
All right, Oom Tuys, then you bet with me first," I
said. "If 'Black Hand Tom' wins his race, you must
take me with you to see King Buno the next time you
go. I dare you to make your promise good. If father's
horse loses, I '11 never ask you to take me to Swaziland
again I"

Tuys let me go and hesitated a moment. I taunted
him and dared him to take my bet, and he finally agreed.

"If 'Black Hand Tom' wins, you leave for Swaziland
with me in two weeks," he promised.

We went into the house and found several of the

<<i

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Johannesburg gamblers there, waiting to talk to my
father. They were drinking gin and whiskey, and I
remember marveling at their wonderful clothes. Never
before had I seen such waistcoats or such cravafs, and
their great, soft, lighf-colored hats were a revelation to
me. I particularly noticed that they all smoked long
black cigars, wore huge diamonds, and talked in loud
coarse voices.

Soon father^s secretary came into the room. In his
quiet English way he told them that his master did not
care to see them that night and would talk to them in
the morning. The races were to be next day and the
gamblers left the house quite disgruntled. As they went
out of the door I heard one of them say, "Never mind,
we Tl get his money to-morrow !"

Shortly before prayers that night I told my father
what this man had said, but he only smiled in his dry
way.

"Don't worry, Owen, my lad," he said. "Your father
is not always such a fool as he might look. To-morrow
night may have another tale to telll"

However, I went to bed much troubled that night.
We seemed such country people compared to these
flashy horsemen from the great city of Johannesbiu-g.
I tried to sleep though quite unhappy at the thought
that father might be mistaken, but his quiet confidence
s(xnehow reassured me to a certain extent. My father
was a very great man to me — ^the greatest in the world —
great even when compared to Oom Paul Kruger, our

ADVENTURES IX SWAZILAXD

idoL It sefTOfH impassible that his horse should not
be the best and, comforted br my fkith, I fioidty fell

Oh, the ^oiies of the next day, the day of the races!
Eren before breakfast we boys trudged to the race tradi^
and watdied several horses working oat. Two of tiiem
were from Johannesburg^ and even thdr blankets f afled
to hide the fact that they were fast. In additicm to their
white trainers, eadi horse seemed to have ahnost a daxexk
kaffirs in attendance, and all about the track were hun-
dreds of black and white men watdiing the trials.

On all sides of the track, also, could be seen the
wagms of the Boer farmers who had trekked in to the
meet Slender spirals of smoke were rising f rtHn each
group, showing that breakfast was being prepared.
There must have been hundreds of wagons, and the
whole territory about the race track was one great
camping-ground.

We returned to the house to find father and Oom
Tuys out in the kraal carefully examining our horses.
I remember how father ran his hands lovingly over the
sleek body of "Black Hand Tom." The horse would
allow few to approach him, but he nuzzled my father's
hand, as though to say, "I 'm fit for the race of my life.
I will not fail Slim GertP

After breakfast, instead of taking our horses to the
track, my father had them worked out along the road
which ran by the house. Later I learned that this was a
disappointment to the gamblers from Johannesburg.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

They had hoped to see "Black Hand Tom" on the track
before the race, so as to get a line on him.

Shortly afterward my father and Oom Tuys rode
over to the track, and we all trooped after. Early as it
was, crowds were beginning to gather and I never saw
so many people in my life. I was surprised at the nmn-
ber of white men there. I knew that there were millions
of blacks in our comitry, but was greatly astonished to
see so many of our color.

Father rode among the wagons surrounding the track,
greeting his friends and everjrwhere receiving a joyful
welcome. Each one asked him about his great horse,
and his answer invariably was, "He is ready to do the
very best he can. The rest is with God 1" This seemed
to satisfy the Boers, and I know it was all I wanted to
hear. I immediately announced to all the lads with me
that the race was as good as won.

Oom Tuys took occasion to remind me of our bet and
chaffed me, saying, "Now you will never see King
Bunol'* This made me wrathy. It was unspeakable
that he should doubt that father's horse could do any-
thing but win!

While at the track I remembered a little talk I had
planned to have with Klaas. Owing to an uncanny
knack with horses, the little beggar had been trained as
our jockey and was to ride "Black Hand Tom" in the
great race. Sibijaan and I returned to the house and
looked him up. We found him chumuming with the
horse, and called him out of the stable.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Now Klaas was smaller and lighter than either Sibi-
jaan or myself and stood no chance with us in combat
of any sort. We tocJt firm hold of him — Sibijaan by his
arms and I by his ears — and then I delivered my ulti-
matmn:

"You see all these white men, Klaas/* I said. "They
are thieves. They have come here to steal all the Ou
Baas's (Old Boss's) money. You Ve got to ride your
best to-day. ^Black Hand Tom' is the best horse.
He '11 win if you ride him right. If you lose, Sibijaan
and I will kill you 1 Won't we, Sibijaan?"

My fellow conspirator most emphatically agreed. He
made motions that illustrated a neat and expeditious
way of cutting Klaas's throat and of visiting other un-
pleasant deaths upon him. Klaas was properly im-
pressed.

"If I do n't win the race I am willing to die I" he said,
and with this understanding we returned to the track.
I found my father surrounded by the Johannesburg
gamblers, and squeezed my way into the group to find
much betting going on. With Boer shrewdness, father
was demanding and getting good odds. He took the
stand that "Black Hand Tom" had never been raced
and had never won a race, while the horses of the others
were tried campaigners of great reputation. The gam-
blers grumbled, but finally gave odds, until father stood
to win or lose thousands of pounds.

Finally race time came. I suppose there never was
such a crowd as swarmed about that track. It was about

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

three quarters of a mile around, and the entire circum-
ference was lined with people. The whites were all
grouped about the start and finish line, while all the re-
maining space was one deep belt of black men. There
were literally tens of thousands, among them many
women.

The distance of the race was four times around the
track. Excitement was intense when the horses came
out on the track. It was a perfect day, the sky cloudless
and the air like diamonds in its sparkling clearness.
''Black Hand Tom** was the last horse out, but the
minute he appeared, with Klass perched on his back and
aU decked out in the O'Neil colors, there was a roar from
the crowd.

I was at the starting-line, Sibijaan at my side, and
we were fairly dancing with excitement. A moment
later the horses — ^nine of them — ^were strung out along
the line and the starting began. Three attempts were
made, our horse always being the last over the line.
This was criminal in my eyes, and both Sibijaan and I
shouted threats of sudden death to Klaas.

On the fourth try they were oflF and the race was on.
If I live to be as old as Queen Labotisibeni, I shall never
forget the agony of that race I Round and round the
horses went, first one and then another in front. At the
end of the first lap "Black Hand Tom*' was last. We
shouted ourselves hoarse, hurling imprecations at Klaas;
At the end of the second lap our horse was next to last,

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

and then Sibijaan and I knew exactly how we would
despatch Klaas as soon as we could get hold of hiuL

Then came the sensation of the day, of the age I At
the first turn of the third lap '"Black Hand Tcnn" swung
wide and began to pass the other horses. One by one he
caught them and went by. Each time he passed one the
crowd fairly roared its head oflF. As they swept by on
the beginning of the last lap there were only two horses
ahead of ours, and they seemed tiring. At the first turn
"Black Himd Tom" passed one and then, on the back
stretch, went by the other! The crowd fairly split the
heavens. A moment later "Black Hand Tom," the
greatest horse in the world, tore over the winning line a
good three lengths in the lead! Absolute pandemo-
nium broke loose. I remember catching hold of Sibijaan
and dancing up and down like a lunatic. Every one
seemed to be doing the same thing.

We tore through the mob to where our horse stood
entirely surrounded by crazy Boers and as many natives
as could get close. There was father, quiet and self-
contained, with his silk hat on his head at the usual angle.
He was as undisturbed as though nothing had happened
imd seemed more anxious to get out of the crowd than
anything else. From all sides his friends crowded in on
him, shaking his hand and patting the great horse.
Klaas, still in the saddle, wore the air of a conquering
hero, and some enthusiastic Boer had presented him with
a lot of money which he held closely clutched to his thin
stomach.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Father spied me and smiled the ghost of a smile. He
reached out his hand, and when I took it said, "'Well,
you have won your trip to Buno's kraal !" This was the
first inkling I had that he knew about the bet, and later
I learned that he had agreed to my going because he
felt my faith in him and "Blaek Hand Tom" deserve4
the trip.

That night there was a glorious celebration in Belfast.
Great fires were lighted in the streets and much gin and
whiskey was consumed. The kaflSrs danced until the
small hours and their chants filled the air. We boys
were part of it all, and Klaas was the hero of the hour.
In fact, so great a hero was he that Sibijaan and I were
glad to bask in his reflected glory. The little beggar
fully enjoyed his hour of triumph and it was well he
did, for we soon took him down a few pegs when we got
him back to Rietvlei.

CHAPTER IV

I leave for my first visit to Swaziland — ^Mother warns me about Oom Tuyi—
Why ttie Boers paid tribute to King Buno— Queen Labotsibeni, the
brains of Swaziland — Buno*s visit to Oom Paul Kruger — Our reception
in Swaziland— Eiulweni, the •'Valley of Heaven"— Bono's rifle—
Sibijaan and I explore by night.

ABOUT a fortnight later Oom Tuys and I left for
Swaziland. I shall always remember getting
ready for the trip. For days and days I added to my
little outfit, until by the time Oom Tuys was ready to
start I had accumulated enough dunnage to fill a wagon.
When the blujff old man looked it over he turned to my
mother and said, "Well, you are going to lose your son.
Owen is going to spend the rest of his life in Swaziland ;
he is taking enough things to last him for the next him-
dred years 1'*

Then he calmly sorted out my kit, leaving me about
one tenth of what I had intended taking along.

"We travel light, my boy,*' he said. "We travel fast
and take but one wagon, and that a little one."

A day later we were off. Our caravan consisted of
Tuys and me on horses, a light cart drawn by six mules,
and half a dozen kafRr servants. Of course Sibijaan
went with us, and was elected to the job of driving the
mules. The other boys were foot-passengers, their job
being to keep the mules moving and do the camp work.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

My mother knew Oom Tuys of old and gave me a
serious talking to the night before we left.

"My son," she said, putting her arms about me, "you
must not follow Oom Tuys too closely. He is wild and
sometimes as bad as King Bimo himself. You will see
many things that we Boers would not permit here, and
you must not take these things too much to heart. Re-
member that you are an O'Neil, and take good care of
yourself!" Then she kissed me good-by with a fervor
that was quite unusual. We Boers are an unemotional
people — that is, on the surface.

Oom Tuys's periodical visits to King Buno had al-
ways been a mystery to me. I had heard that they con-
cerned some sort of a tribute to the savage king, but
my father never encoiu-aged my requests for details.
"That is Oom Tuys*s business," he would say. "Ask
him why he is the servant of Buno l"

I did, just as soon as we were well on our way. How-
ever, I did not use father's words. Even big men hesi-
tated to take liberties with Tuys, and I was only a boy.
It was a wonderful day, and as we rode across the veldt
into Swaziland Tuys told me the whole story of how he
became known as "The White King of Swaziland."

"Mzaan Bakoor, for I shall call you that while we are
in Swaziland, just as you shall call me 'Nkoos'," he said,
"I go each moon to pay King Buno the tribute. Oom
Paul sends me, and I always take two thousand gold
sovereigns and quantities of gin and champagne."

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

This explained the mysterious cases in the wagon, the
contents of which I had not yet dared to ask about.

"Buno is a very great man," Tuys went on. "He is a
great king and has as many warriors as the blades of
veldt grass. His impis are countless, and just recently
he has married Tzaneen, a princess of the Zulus.

"Here is how it happened that we Boers must pay him
tribute. His father, Umbandine, built up the Swazi
power until he had enough warriors to be dangerous
to us and to all the surrounding tribes. Even the Zulus
feared him. Now Buno, guided and advised by his
mother, Queen Labotisibeni, has kept the Swazi impis
up to the greatest possible fighting strength, and he is
the one savage chief we Boers have to reckon with. He
is my friend, and Oom Paul depends upon me to keep
him satisfied and prevent him from making war on our
people. According to the agreement between Oom Paul
and Buno, we pay Bimo the gold and gin each month,
and I am the one who brings it to him. Lately, how-
ever, he has objected to so much gold and wants more
gin. Buno says he can only look at the gold, but he can
drink the gin. This time I am taking an extra supply
of gin."

Tuys explained to me the politics of Swaziland and
seemed to think that Queen Labotisibeni was the brains
behind King Buno*s administration. The wanton cruel-
ties of which Buno was guilty were contrary to the
wishes of his mother, but she only mildly protested
against them, since they helped to maintain the king's

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

authority. According to Tuys, death was the punish-
ment for all oflFences, and Buno often butchered his peo-
ple for no reason at all.

A short time before our visit to Swaziland, Eang
Buno had gone to Pretoria to see Oom Paul. For some
time Bimo had been sending complaints and objections
about various matters to the President, and Tuys would
carry these to Pretoria. Finally Oom Paul became
exasperated and commanded Tuys to bring Buno to
him.

"Bring Buno here,'* said Oom Paul, "and I will talk
to him like a Dutch uncle. We pay too much now, and
if he does not soon behave himself, I shall send a com-
mando or two into his country and make a new king
in Swaziland!''

Buno's visit to Pretoria is a classic in the Transvaal
and shows the kind of man our old President was. Tuys
told Buno that Oom Paul was too ill to come to visit him
and that he begged that the king of Swaziland honor
him by coming to Pretoria. It took much persuasion
on the part of Tuys, for Buno thought he was too im-
portant a person to visit Oom Paul. Finally Tuys
soothed his royal dignity and they started out for Pre-
toria.

It was a remarkable party. Buno took with him ten
thousimd of the picked fighting men of the household
troops, and these wore all their savage finery. Being of
the royal impis, they wore the great white headdresses
and carried shields with the king's mark emblazoned

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

thereon. Their costumes were the last word in savage
gorgeousness. Each man was armed with the knob-
kerrie, assegai, knife, and shield.

At this time the railway from Pretoria to Delagoa
Bay was under construction and had already reached
Middleburg. The party found a special train waiting
for them at this place and Buno had his own private car.
None of the Swazis had ever seen a train before and
their astonishment at the great "iron horse," as they
immediately called the engine, was almost pathetic.
When they first saw the engine, seemingly breathing
smoke and fire, they were terrified, and Tuys had to re-
assure them to prevent a panic. Then a number wanted
to prostrate themselves before the engine and worship
it, so that it was a most difficult thing to prevent their
being run over. According to the various accounts of
these incidents Tuys had his hands full. Buno, how*
ever, refused to be much impressed with the engine or
train and complained bitterly because he was not given
enough gin.

It was a wonderful sight when the train pulled out of
Middleburg. Buno, with Tuys and the royal party, was
in the private coach behind the engine, and the tea
thousand warriors were packed in a score of open trucks
behind. Naturally they all stood, and it was extraordi-
nary to see the thousands of savages in full dress, with
wonderment and fear written on their faces, as the train
swept by. The trip lasted all night, and when morning
came the train pulled into Pretoria. At the station a

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

coach and pair of fine horses waited for King Buno and
Tuys. They got in, and then Tuys*s natural deviltry
asserted itself. He slyly poked the driver in the ribs
with his revolver and commanded him to drive as fast as
he could. A second later they were off at a gallop.

Now the doors of the trucks were not yet opened and
the warriors were gazing in awe at the station, the
largest building they had ever seen. Suddenly the cry
was raised that their king was being stolen ! They began
throwing themselves out of the trucks, shouting battle-
cries and brandishing their knob-kerries and assegais.
There was a wild rush to catch up with the galloping
carriage and more than a score of white railway em-
ployees and officials were killed in the melee.

Mad with fear that they were losing their king, the
whole ten thousand of them raced down the streets, and
Pretoria thought it was being captured by the savages.
Soon, however, they caught up with the carriage, and
shortly after fell into orderly array and marched on to
Oom Paul's house.

The old President had risen early, as he always did,
and was sitting on the stoop of his simple, flat-roofed
hcxne, drinking coffee and smoking his pipe. The car-
riage drove up and the warriors fell into regimental
formation as Buno and Tuys got out. As they started
for the little gate the ten thousand men gave the royal
salute, their feet coming down on the roadway with the
sound of thunder, their shrill whistle echoing from the
low eaves of the house.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Oom Paul did not move from his low chair. Pipe in
mouth, he looked beyond Tuys and Buno, just as though
they had been ordinary kaffirs. There was an embar-
rassing moment — ^that is, it was embarrassing to the
visitors — and then the old man slowly took his pipe out
of his mouth and spoke. I have never heard what he
said, but according to accounts he made good his threat
to talk to Buno "like a Dutch uncle*'.

"He gave us the very devil," is the way Tuys tells
about it. "Oom Paul told us both that we were chil-
dren, and bad children at that I He said that he was
minded to soundly spank us both, and he was so fierce
about it that I thought he was going to do it."

The outcome of the interview was that King Bimo
went home a chastened and contrite monarch and there
were no more complaints from Swaziland. This shows
the extraordinary character of Oom Paul and explains
why he was so highly regarded by all, Boers and English
alike.

Trekking with Oom Tuys was a thoroughly delightful
adventure. He had planned the trip into Swaziland so
that at night we made camp at some Boer farm, and
everywhere he was received with open arms. Each night
there was a little jollification in which Tuys was the
center of interest. He always pushed me forward, and
the simple Boers made much of me, all of them know-
ing my father and having the highest regard for him.
Although we traveled fast there was little hardship. It

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

was after the rains and the whole veldt was a bright
green, with the little thorn trees in bloom.

We found the Vaal River fordable and the going
was easy. Whenever we were unable to reach a farm-
house for meals, we fared well on our own biltong and
rusks. The biltong, so much eaten in the Transvaal, is
dried beef which is usually cut into strips and chunks
and eaten without cooking. Rusks are the biscuits all
Boers make, and we ate well, having enough of both.

Shortly before reaching the Swaziland border we
were met by several fine looking Swazi warriors. I
immediately noted their superiority to the kaffirs I had
known. They were about six feet tall, perfectly pro-
portioned, and carried themselves with a swinging dig-
nity quite imusual among the Mapors and other natives.

Oom Tuys introduced me to them and they met me as
man to man, giving me the same salute they had ac-
corded my uncle. They told Tuys that their king was
waiting for him and that he had planned a celebration
in our honor.

"You hear that, Mzaan Bakoor?" Tuys asked. "We
are going to be royal guests and you will see the real
Swaziland. Watch me and do as I do in all things, and
you shall have much to tell when we get back to
Rietvlei."

As we came up the wide trail to the border of Swazi-
land, I saw several hundred warriors at the top of the
hill. As soon as we came close to them they began to
wave their knob-kerries and shields. Down the slope

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

came the deep bass of their voices as they chanted a wel-
come, the sound being suddenly cut off short as they
brought their feet down in the heavy stamp they use
when dancing. They were our escort — ^all picked men
of the household impi — and their leader was a noted
warrior who was an old friend of Tuys.

After a short halt for this officer to deliver a brief ad-
dress of welcome, Tuys ordered our party to proceed,
I noted that he treated the officer with scant courtesy,
and he explained this by saying, ''Here I am a king;
he is lucky if I even look at him I"

A little later we dropped into the Valley of Heaven,
This is really the most delightful valley in Swaziland.
It is well watered, and thousands of the natives have
their kraals there. Swaziland is a broken country, alter-
nating between veldt of from two to five, and even six
thousand feet, and there are small rivers everywhere,
flowing from west to east. Each of these rivers has cut
out its own valley, but the Valley of Heaven is the most
fertile and beautiful of all. Trees, sometimes in clumps
but more often singly, are found along the banks of the
rivers and each kraal is practically surrounded by big
and little ones,

Our progress down the Valley of Heaven was prac-
tically a parade. At each kraal or village, a village be-
ing a collection of kraals, we would be greeted by hun-
dreds of warriors and children. The women would
usually remain in the background, but were quite in
evidence. Young as I was, I could not help noting that

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

they were the finest looking savages I had ever seen.
These women have perfectly proportioned bodies and
stand erect, with their heads thrown back. They are
the women of a proud nation, and they show it. I par-
ticularly noticed their splendid shoulders, these and
their erect carriage being due to carrying all burdens on
their heads.

At each village the local chief would offer us tswala,
or kaffir beer, and we were lucky to be important enough
to be able to refuse to drink. If we had taken all that
was offered, we would have been drowned long before
the end of the first day in the Valley of Heaven. The
fact that our escort consisted of picked warriors from
the royal troops and that Oom Tuys was known to be
the intimate of their king made it permissible for us to
refuse to associate with the little chiefs along the line
of march.

Camp on the last night before reaching the royal
kraal at Zombode was pitched in the valley, and we
saw the sun set over the plateau on which King Buno
made his headquarters. After supper that night Oom
Tuys confided to me a great secret.

''Buno has asked me a thousand times to bring him
a rifle," he said, "but always I have refused. As you
know, the Swazis, like other kaffirs, are not allowed to
have guns. Death is the punishment we deal out to
those who sell rifles to these savages. Now Buno has his
heart set on owning a rifle, and the last time I saw him
I promised that I would get him one.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"In the cart I have a Mauser with about five thousand
cartridges, and the outfit is for Buno. You will want
to come to Swaziland many times in the future, so I am
going to make Buno your friend for life. I am going
to allow you to present the Mauser to him 1

"No one will know how he got it and you will be as
big a man in Swaziland as I am, once you have given
the rifle to Buno. Now what do you think of your
Uncle Tuys?"

Naturally, I was very grateful, since I had already
begun to feel the lure of Swaziland and dearly wanted
to be a little king there myself.

That night was memorable for several reasons. Soon
after dark Sibijaan and I climbed up the trail a little
way and looked up the valley. Here and there we could
see fires burning at the various kraals and quite often
the wind brought us the pungent smell of wood-smoke.
The sky was clear as it only is in South Africa and the
stars glittered with all the hard brilliance of diamonds.
However, we did not remain long admiring the beauties
of the Valley of Heaven.

Down below us we suddenly saw what seemed to be-
a dark cloud of men coming up the road. Discreetly
we hid in the brush along trail and watched them go
by. They were warriors in full costume, their faces
hard and set in the dim light. There was only the sound
of their feet on the road and their silence was unnerving.
The Swazi warrior chanting and dancing in the sun-

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light is awesome enough, but when he becomes a silent
swift-moving shadow of the night, he is terrifying. Par-
ticularly is this true when you are only a small boy and
know that the shadow is fully armed and is deplorably
careless with his weapons I

Sibijaan was shaking with terror, and as soon as the
shadows passed on we started back to camp. Neither
of us spoke. We did n't need to. We knew that we
wanted Oom Tuys and without a word started for him.

A moment later we saw another band of warriors
coming swiftly up the trail, so again we hid. As we
dived into our little camp a third band passed. I was
very glad to find Oom Tuys smoking by the fire, and
for the first time in my life I realized that a fire is a
friendly thing.

Tuys noted that we had been hurrying and asked
the reason. I told him about the shadows on the trail.

"It is well that you hid," he said. "It would have
been better yet if you had not been so foolish as to
wander about at night. Don't you know that sudden
death is always walking abroad at night in Swaziland?
Have I not told you?"

Then he explained that practically all Swazis travel
at night, whenever possible, so as to avoid the heat.
He said that those we had met were going to Zombode,
as the king had issued a call for his warriors to attend
the celebration in our honor. That night I waked sev-
eral times, cold with an unnamed fear, and was com-

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forted by seeing the massive bulk of Tuys sleeping
nearby. His steady breathing seemed a guarantee of
safety and I would drift back to sleep feeling that the
shadows on the trail were far removed from me.

CHAPTER V

Sheba's Breasts and the Place of Execution— Zombode and the royal kraal
of Queen Labotsibeni — Common and royal ground — ^We reach King
Buno's kraal at Lebombo — Gin for the king — Buno, the regal savage —
I present a rifle to the king — Lomwazi takes me to Labotsibeni — ^The
old queen is worried over Tuys's activities — ^The shooting match with
the king — ^Tuys and I manage to miss a few human targets.

NEXT morning we waked to find several hundred
more warriors surrounding our camp. A more
important chief was in command, and when Tuys had
made a brief but leisurely toilet, he talked to him. Again
Tuys was given kingly honors, which he accepted with
marked condescension. This chief informed him that
King Buno was waiting for him and had sent greetings
to "his white brother." Many dramatic gestures ac-
companied this announcement, and I was quite im-
pressed with the manner of the chief. He was a fine
figure of a savage and had a great number of scars
on his forehead, showing that he had killed many
enemies.

We broke camp shortly after and started on the
short climb to the top of the plateau. With our escort
we made a party of about five hundred, and I felt very
proud to be riding with Oom Tuys at the head of so
imposing a procession.

When we reached the top, Tuys reined in and pointed

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barren brown country, we came to another stream. This
is about midway between Zombode and Lebombo. Le-
bombo came out of the ground exactly like Zombode
and was situated in exactly the same way at the foot
of a high mountain, facing the East. It was simply
another Zombode.

"That 's where Buno lives," said Tuys. "The big
kraal in the center is his, and all the little ones belong
to his indunas. Each of the indunas has a number of
wives and is the leader of an impi of about a thousand
men. King Buno has twenty-six wives and I don't
know how many children."

As we went on I could see the people coming out
to meet us, the small boys running swiftly and shouting
as they ran. Here also there was a little stream sepa-
rating the common from the royal ground. By the time
we reached this dividing line several indunas had come to
meet us, and we forded the water and pitched camp on
the royal ground.

Tuys went to the wagon and soon appeared with a
quart of gin. This he gave to the most imposing of the
chiefs, who seemed to be a sort of special representative
of the king.

"Tell the great king that his white brother comes with
presents and the tribute," he said. "Tell him that our
king, Oom Paul, sends greetings and prays that his
health is good and that he will live forever 1"

"Nkoos, it shall be donel" the induna answered, sa-
luting with his shield and knob-kerrie.

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Then he retired swiftly to the royal kraal.

Less than ten minutes later he came back and said,
"The great King Buno, ruler of Swaziland and leader
of countless warriors, bids you approach I''

Oom Tuys stepped into our tent and called me inside.
He gave me the rifle and handed Sibijaan a heavy bag
of cartridges. Then he loaded a dozen of our escort
with more cartridges and bottles of gin. Thus loaded
down, we set out to call on the most powerful and sav-
age king in South Africa.

After passing the triple walls of the kraal we foimd
King Bimo standing in front of the royal palace, or
rather, hut. He shook hands warmly with Tuys, who
handed him the gold. I noted how easily Buno handled
it. He was a strong man. While he talked with Oom
Tuys I had an opportunity to look him over.

King Buno was well over six feet and must have
weighed at least two hundred and thirty or forty poimds.
He was very deep chested and had a body like an ox.
His legs were well shaped and very muscular. Of
course he was too fat, but this was explained by the fact
that the Swazis consider corpulence a sign of aristocracy
and are proud to "carry weight."

Without doubt, Buno was the most powerful savage
I had ever seen. He was every inch a king, and he
knew it. While I was admiring him he suddenly turned
and looked at me. His eyes were the crudest I have
ever looked into, and it came over me with a rush that
he must be quite as black as he was painted. I was only

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a boy, but I could feel the cruel brutality of this savage
the minute he looked at me.

Tuys motioned me to come forward.

""O King, this is Mzaan Bakoor, my nephew, who has
come all the way from Rietvlei to bring you the rifle
you desire !'' Such was his introducticm.

Buno shook hands with a grip like a vise and took
the Mauser from me. He seemed to gloat over the
weapon for a moment, and then spoke :

''The king thanks you, Mzaan Bakoor, little white
chief," he said, and his voice was deep and melodious.
"You are the near relation of my friend; you shaU be
the friend of the king. All my subjects shall be your
slaves I"

Then he fondled the rifle a moment, throwing it to
his shoulder and going through the motions of shooting.

"It is a good rifle," he said, using the native term of
"mroer," "and to-day we shall try it. Already I know
how to shoot, and this afternoon we shall have a shoot-
ing match. I shall show you how the king can shoot P'

There was a little more conversation about the rifle
and Buno was much pleased at the quantity of cart-
ridges we had brought. He was as delighted with the
Mauser as a child with a new toy. Later that day I
found myself regretting that the weapon was not a toy.

At length Buno said something to Tuys that I did not
hear. The latter turned to me and said, "I have some
business to transact with the king. You go back to our
camp and wait for me."

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

I would have given much to know what this business
was. Tuys and Buno had been in some queer deals
together and I felt that they were planning another.
Both were reckless and lawless, and, backed by the thou-
sands of Buno's impis, they were able to do anything
they had a mind to, at least in Swaziland.

Tuys and Buno dropped to their knees and crawled
into the royal hut, and I returned to our camp. Sibi-
jaan was as curious as I was and made an attempt to
pass in the rear of the king's hut with the intention of
hearing something. He did not get far and came back
with speed, for he had run into a six-foot Swazi war-
rior with an evil eye who appeared to be on guard.

Boylike, I was hungry when we reached camp and
was glad to see that we were to have fresh-killed beef
for dinner. I was munching a rusk when Sibijaan
hopped into the tent, his eyes flashing with excitement.

"O Mzaan Bakoor, there is an imduna asking for you I"
he said. "He says he comes from Queen Labotsibeni
and must see you I"

Outside I found a young chief who looked very much
like Buno. He had the same great body and hard eyes
and carried himself with the same "swank" affected by
the king.

"Mzaan Bakoor, little white induna," he said in the
same nunbling melodious bass so common among the
Swazis, "I am Lomwazi, brother of the king and son of
Queen Labotsibeni. My mother would see you and

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

has asked that I beg you to visit her. She waits for
your

Realizing that it was not fitting that an O'Neil should
run at the conmiand of a kaffir queen, I told Lomwazi
that I would go when "the shadow of that tree strikes
the tent." I estimated this would be in about half an
hour, and I was right. Lomwazi, great induna that he
was, squatted outside the tent until I was ready. He
evidently expected that I might offer him gin or some
present, but I decided it would be poor policy to do so,
since I intended giving gin to Labotsibeni.

As soon as Sibijaan told me that the time was up I
went out and found Lomwazi with an escort of half a
dozen warriors waiting for me. Sure that Buno's
friendship would protect us, I foUowed Lomwazi with-
out hesitation. As we went along I noticed the defer-
ence paid us and realized that Lomwazi must be a power
in the land.

We found Queen Labotsibeni in a nearby kraal, which
she used when visiting Lebombo. It was a sort of
guest kraal placed at her disposal by King Buno. There
were huts suflScient for all her retinue, among which
were some of the other widows, whom she ruled with a
heavy hand.

Labotsibeni was very stout and tall, even when sit-
ting down, as she was when I first saw her. She had an
intelligent face, with the same eyes, though not so cruel,
as Buno and Lomwazi. Her beautifully shaped hands
were much in evidence, and I do n't recall having ever

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

seen cleaner or better manicured fingers. Like the other
women in Swaziland, she was practically naked, except
for a covering draped from the waist. Her hair was piled
high on the top of her head and was bound so that it
looked like a melon. When she spoke I noted that her
teeth were perfect. This, of course, is the rule in Swazi-
land, since these people take care of their teeth from
earliest childhood. They never finish eating without
carefully rubbing their teeth with carcoal or some fine
sand. If the Swazis have no fixed religious observances,
they certainly are religious in the care of their teeth.

Labotsibeni had not lost her sight this first time I
saw her, and she looked me over for a full minute before
speaking. Then she motioned to me to be seated and
addressed me:

"Nkoos, little white induna," she said, "y^^ come to
Pungwane (the native name for Swaziland) as the
friend of our great white leader. Oom Tuys is the
trusted friend of my son, the king, and you shall be
trusted likewise. Our friend always brings presents;
thus do we know that his heart is true to us I"

I accepted the hint and produced the quart bottle of
gin I had brought for her. She grasped it greedily,
and the interview was interrupted until she had gulped
down what I estimated to be nearly a pint. Her ca-
pacity for gin was extraordinary, I learned later, al-
though all the Swazis will drink alcoholic liquors with-
out restraint. They have absolutely no sense with gin

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

kraal for hundreds of yards. It was the first time I
had ever seen the impis of the king on parade and it
was a most impressive sight. There was a slight breesse
and the white plmnes on their heads danced in the sun-
light. What struck me most was the splendid build and
stature of these men. They were all six feet or more
and their black skins fairly shone. Most of them wore
leopard-skins caught about the waist and on one
shoulder.

My rapid inspection was broken by the king. He
greeted us vociferously, and I immediately saw that he
was on fire with the gin he had drunk. No sooner did
he raise his hand in salutation than the impis gave the
royal salute. Their deep shout ended with the crash of
twenty thousand feet brought down together. The
earth fairly shook.

I realize now that this salute was a tribute to the
cruelty of the ages. In just such a manner did the
gladiators salute Nero with their "Morituri te saluta-
mus I" A few moments after the salute I realized that
these men were also about to die.

"Come on, Oom Tuys, come and let the king see how
well you can shoot 1" Buno shouted. "I have provided
the only targets worthy of your skill — you who are noted
for your shooting among a race of white men who have
conquered all with their rifiesi I will shoot first, and
then you shall beat me 1"

Then he turned suddenly to me.

"And you, too, Mzaan Bakoor, little indunal You,

PRlNCESSEa AND THEIR MAID TAKING A MORNING BATH

1!^^

lTpi fffF i !!ff | iflf:ii;i |' i

YOUNG PRINCESSES AMIABI.V EMGAGED IN HArit-DRESSING

worth fifty be«d of Mttlesndpo , .. -,-_

woctb En bod of «tl]e!"'Th'i! prim of womra inrreu

PL'DA.VA. FAVORITE TO THE OLD QUEEN LABOTSIBENI

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND
too, shall shoot against the king I First I will shoot,

then Oom Tuys, and then you. Each will shoot this
many shots," and he held out four clips of five cartridges
eadb.

The indunas gathered about and I could see the hor-
ror in their faces. They knew what was coming, but
even thai I did not suspect. Tuys looked startled and
gazed at Buno as though he could not understand.
Down the lines the plumed heads still nodded and after
a moment there was silence.

The savage king slipped a clip into his Mauser, the
metallic click intensified by the silence. He raised the
rifle, sighting down first one line of warriors and then
the other. The next instant a shot rang out and a
plumed Swazi pitched forward and lay writiiing in the
sunlight. As Buno threw another cartridge into place,
two warriors stepped out and stabbed the fallen warrior.

Four more shots rang out, and at each a plumed head
came down, with shield and assegai crashing as they
struck the ground. Each warrior was stabbed as he
lay, the killers quietly stepping back into the ranks.

It was the most ghastly spectacle I had ever attended.
We Boers have always had to fight for our lives and
farms, so that sudden death was no novelty to me. But
such a slaughter as this I

Buno completed his twenty shots and made three
misses. These angered him and he shouted out the
equivalent of "I 'U get you next timel"

Thai came Tuys's turn. He had been thinking rap-

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idly and I had a faint hope that he would find some
way out.

''O King, it is not fitting that your warriors should
die by my rifle," he said hurriedly, "You are king and
their lives are yours ; I am but your guest and it is not
right that brave men should be killed by one who loves
only peace. Let us shoot at other targets. Let us kill
cattle so that there may be a feast to-night."

Buno's face darkened. His bloodshot eyes flashed
and for a second I thought he would strike Tuys.

"The king commands I Buno, king of the Swazis,
commands!" he shouted in a hoarse voice. "Shoot!
Shoot and kill more than I did, if you can!"

I was holding Tuys's rifle and he came over to where
I was standing. I was so sick with it all that I hardly
heard him when he spoke to me hurriedly in Dutch.

"We must go through with it," he whispered. "Kill
as few as you can. Shoot them in the head and they 'U
die quickly!"

A second later Tuys raised his rifle. Each shot that
hit meant death; there was no need of stabbing when
he shot. Buno taunted him at each shot, and in spite
of being the best shot in the Transvaal Tuys was able
to miss as many as possible without arousing the sus-
picions of the bloody king.

When he had flnished my turn came. I could hardly
hold the heavy rifle. Buno fairly abused me, for he was
raging by this time. One taunt I well remember.

"O Mzaan Bakoor, you of the great ears!" he shouted,

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his voice now a hoarse growl. ''Show the king that you
can shoot as well as you hear. Oom Tuys cannot shoot.
You be^t him I"

So unsteady was I that I could not have held the rifle
firmly if I had wanted to. I shot, and never were
twenty shot so many. My score was much worse than
Tuys's, but the memory of that murder match will
never diel

Buno was jubilant over his victory. He seemed to
think that he had shamed the white men before his peo-
ple and his indunas also gloried in his victory. I think
they were rather glad that they had not been asked to
serve as targets.

I thought we were done with killing for the time being
and wanted to return to camp and rest. I was suffering
from shock and felt that I must lie down. But this was
not the end. Buno was not yet satisfied. He challenged
Tuys to shoot at running targets! Tuys tried to talk
him out of the idea and suggested that they had better
go and get some gin. But Buno would not be put off.

He led the way to a point a short distance from the
kraal, where there were clumps of bushes and long grass.
Warriors were made to dodge in and out of these
bushes while their king potted them. This required
much better shooting, and the men turned and twisted
in and out of the brush like mad things. Buno found
that he could not kill enough to satisfy his brutish desire
and soon tired of the "sport." Tuys, however, had to
take his turn, and he was able to miss even more fre-

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back hurriedly and several warriors caught hold of the
girl and stretched her on the ground. Another man
joined the group and the girl began to shriek, her voice
seeming to echo from hut to hut. It was a shriek of
utter despair, and I could feel myself tremble.

The man stood high above the girl and raised his right
hand above his head. I could see the flash of steel, for
he held a great curved knife. A moment he stood thus,
the girl shrieking all the while. The crowd seemed to
catch its breath and I felt as though I should choke.
Down flashed the knife, and the victim shrieked louder
and more shrilly than ever. It was enough ! I turned
and fled blindly. I don't know how I got there, but
I blundered into camp shaking like a leaf and threw
myself on my blankets.

Next morning Tuys told me, quite casually, that
Buno had entertained him by having some girls cut open
while they still lived. I then knew that I had not been
dreaming. Despite Tuys's advice, I had seen scnnething
I "would not like to remember." Tuys told me of other
things that happened at the celebration, and I am thank-
ful I did not see them. They cannot be told, but for
utter cruelty, cruelty of the mos£ depraved and bestial
kind, they are without equaL

That day only the women were about until nearly
noon. The king and his warriors were sleeping oflF the
debauch of the night before. Shortly after midday
Tuys took me with him to the royal kraal, whfere we
found Buno showing little evil effects of the orgy. I

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noticed that Tuys wore his great leather hunting-coat
with wide pockets, and I was surprised at this because
it was a warm day. However, I soon learned the reason.

Buno was very agreeable and even joked with me
about my poor shooting of the day before. He little
knew how proud I was thai I had shot badly. Tuys and
he were on the best of terms and joked with one another,
each boasting of his strength. Finally Buno ended the
pleasantries with a challenge.

"Let us go to the rock, Oom Tuys," he said, "and
we 'U soon see who is the strongest man in Swaziland.
This time I know I can throw you, and you will make
small profit out of this trip."

"That remains to be seen, O King," Tuys warned
him. "I fed stronger than ever to-day, but it seems to
me that you are quite shaky. Don't you think you 'd
better wait a day or two before tackling me?"

"No, no I Now is the time!" declared Buno most
emphatically. "If you cannot wrestle any better than
you shot yesterday, I shall have little trouble in throwing
you."

This was all very interesting to me. I felt that I
would like to be big enough to wrestle Buno and break
his neck. However, he and Tuys seemed to be very
joyful over the coming match and there was no ill feel-
ing between them.

After Tuys and Buno had had several drinks, we all
started out for the rock. I had heard of this rock before.
It was a great flat-topped slab on yrldcli Buno was ac-

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customed to sleep during the hottest hours of the day.
The Swazis call it "The King's Couch," and Buno would
bask on it while the sun blazed down on his naked body
with all the fire of mid-summer.

Tuys had several of his servants with him, each one
carrying a small but very heavy canvas sack. I asked
him what these were, but he told me to wait and I would
see. The rock was about a quarter of a mile from the
royal kraal, and we soon reached it.

Then came the unexpected, which invariably hap-
pened where Tuys was concerned. We climbed upon
the rock and while Buno and the rest of us looked
on, Oom Tuys slit the canvas sacks and poured two
thousand sovereigns on the rock !

The gold made quite a large pile and shone brightly
in the warm sun. Tuys counted it, with Buno seeming
to keep careful check on him. Finally the count was
finished and they agreed that it was all there — ^two
thousand glittering gold pieces !

"Now we shall wrestle for it," said Buno, pointing to
the gold. "We '11 soon see who is the better man, who
is the strongest man in Swaziland. Come on, Oom
Tuys I"

Tuys waved to me to get ofi^ the rock, and we jumped
down to the ground. It was, perhaps, the strangest
sight I had yet seen. There stood those two great men,
waiting for an opportunity to get a favorable grip.
Presently they began to circle round and round, each

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trying to catch hold of the other. The pile of gold lay
between them.

Suddenly Buno rushed at Tuys, Tuys stepped to one
side and jostled him as he went by. Without changing
position, Tuys reached down and grabbed up two hand-
fuls of gold. He was shoving it into the pockets of his
leather coat when Buno was upon him. Buno forced
him back and grabbed up some of the gold, which he
shoved into his loin-cloth.

They were very strong men and the wrestling was
the roughest imaginable. Each time one gained an
advantage he would grab for the gold. I soon saw that
Tuys was getting the better of it. His pockets were
sagging with gold, while Buno, being practically naked,
had no place to store what he was able to seize. The
contest finally ended with both flat on the rock, locked
in each other's arms. They tussled for a time and, as
neither could gain the advantage, decided to quit. Both
were exhausted and hardly able to get to their feet.
However, they were the best of friends, although Tuys
had most of the gold.

Then I understood the saying among the Boers that
Tuys would soon be a rich man if Oom Paul continued
to send him with the monthly payments to King Buno.

There was only a small celebration that night, al-
though Tuys spent the evening with the king and much
gin was drunk. Tuys returned early to camp and told
me that we would visit the Place of Execution the next

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day and then return to Rietvlei. I went to sleep full
of anticipation.

We broke camp early next morning. I had expected
that we would accompany Buno to the cliff beyond
Sheba's Breasts, but Tuys told me that the king and
his impi had left during the night. All Swazis walk
whenever they travel, keeping up a steady pace that
covers much ground. When we started for the Place
of Execution, Buno and his warriors were at least fif-
teen or twenty miles ahead of us.

Tuys gave orders that our party should camp in the
Valley of Heaven while he and I pushed on and caught
up with the king. It was nearly noon before we saw
them climbing the slopes of Sheba's Breasts. There
seemed to be several thousand in the king's party. In
a little while, by hard riding, we caught up with them.
There were two full impis, in their midst a number of
naked savages without arms or headdresses. I asked
Tuys about these men.

"They are prisoners,** he informed me. "We are
going to see them die. That is why we are climbing
these infernal hills. Beyond Sheba's Breasts we have
another mountain to climb and then we shall reach the
Place of Execution. Let 's hurry and catch Buno I"

We found the king at the head of his impis, accom-
panied by several of the indunas, striding along over
ground that gave even our horses trouble. He greeted
Tuys affectionately as usual and had a pleasant word
for me.

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Tuys asked him why the prisoners were going to be
executed,

"They have had their trial/' he said, "and they are
all guilty. They must die I I have said it !'*

That seemed to settle the matter, and I asked Tuys
about the trial and how it had taken place. From his
long and intimate acquaintance with Swaziland and
its customs he was able to tell me all I needed to know.

"Every moon there is a court at Zombode," he in-
formed me. "The indunas are the jury and decide
whether the prisoner is guilty or not. Prisoners are
brought before them charged with stealing, non-pay-
ment of debts, disloyalty to the king, and countless
other things, including witchcraft. When the indunas
have heard a case they bring in a verdict of guilty or
innocent, and then the king passes sentence. My friend,
Buno, always decides that death is the proper punish-
ment, and allows the person bringing the charge to take
the possessions of the prisoner after he has had first pick.
Many of those who will be executed to-day would only
receive a whipping if they were in our country, instead
of Swaziland. But Buno has no sympathy with law-
breakers and I think he rather enjoys the executions."

After passing Sheba's Breasts we went down a steep
trail to a little valley, and then climbed the sharp ascent
to the Place of Execution. From the Breasts to the
top of the cliflF is almost a two-hour trek. On the top
is a small plateau. From this to the bottom is a sheer

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

drop of more than five hundred feet. At the bottom is
a short slope of broken rock.

The impis were drawn up in colunm facing the edge,
with Buno and his indunas in front. We had left our
horses at the top of the trail and now joined the king's
party. After pacing up and down for a few moments
Buno turned and addressed his warriors. He told them
that the prisoners had forfeited their lives on account
of their wickedness and it was only just that they should
die. He ended in this fashion :

"But the king is merciful. These jackals ought to be
killed by torture. Instead, I, Buno the King, have
decreed that they shall die after the time-honored cus-
tom of our people I"

While he spoke I watched the prisoners. There were
about forty of them, and every one held his head high,
as though not afraid to die. Each bore himself proudly,
more like a victor than one about to die a fearful death.

When Buno had finished there was a slight stir among
them and one was left standing alone. With his eyes
straight in front of him, his body erect, he walked swiftly
forward. In a second he had reached the edge. Throw-
ing up his arms, he leaped forward and was gone I

One after another the others followed. There was
no hesitation, no drawing back. It was terrible, yet
glorious! These savages, with no promise of a here-
after which included a Valhalla or Heaven, went to their
death like heroes.

When the last one had gone the silent tension was

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

broken by the rustling of shields and shuffling of feet.
The king then felt impelled to make another address. He
had got as far as, "Thus do I, the king, destroy the
enemies of my people — " when there came a violent
commotion and a woman's cry.

Through the warriors dashed a young and handsome
woman. She wore nothing, and in that brief moment
I could see from the lines in her face that she had suf-
fered much.

Tuys and the king leaped forward to intercept her,
but were too late. She threw up her hands with a shriek
end went over the edge I

Tuys and I were much excited by this, but Buno and
his indunas seemed to be rather annoyed. Buno ex-
plained that women had done this before and seemed
to regard their action as a desecration of the Place of
Execution. After many questions Tuys found out all
about it and explained to me.

"This was new to me,'* he said, as we climbed down
from the cliflF, "and I thought I knew all there was to
know about the Swazis. But I never before heard about
women throwing themselves off the Place of Execution.

^'Mzaan Bakoor, this is how it is. You know the
Swazis are very strict with their women. If a wife, no
matter if she be one of thirty or forty wives, has any-
thing to do with any man but her husband, her life is
forfeited. Also the child, if there be one, must die.
If there is no child, she dies alone. It is the husband's
right to kill the unfaithful wife. If he does so, no one

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

has anything to say and he is not held for murder. But
he can do worse than kill his wife. He can refuse to
kill her, and then she becomes an outcast and the prey
of any one. She may even be killed by her people, for
there have been cases where Swazi women have killed
an unfaithful wife when the husband refused to slay her.

"Always, if she can escape, the woman will take to
the hills. There her condition is as bad as it can be.
She has to live on berries and what game she can catch,
and her life is miserable. She is an outcast, and men
who are caught going to her in the hills share her degra-
dation.

"This woman who died to-day was the youngest wife
of a little chief who refused to kill her when he found
that she was faithless. She escaped to the hills some
weeks ago and lived the life of a hunted beast. Finally
she must have made up her mind to end it all. It is
fortunate for her that she had not been taught by the
missionaries that she had a soul!"

That is the moral code of Swaziland. In all the years
I have known the Swazis I have never heard of its being
broken without the death penalty. However, civiliza-
tion wiU some day reach into Swaziland and then this
code will disappear. That will be the end of the Swazis.

We reached camp to find the long shadows of the
setting Sim dropping across the Valley of Heaven. Buno
bade Tuys an affectionate farewell and the impis gave
us the royal salute as they started up the hiU for
Lebombo.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

This was the first time I saw King Buno, and he left
me memories that nothing can ever efface. I saw him
again next year and was in Lebombo when he died and
Queen Labotsibeni was appointed regent.

Nothing much happened on our return journey to the
Valley of Reeds, except that Oom Tuys showed me how
he could shoot. During the second day's trek we ran up
on the high veldt for a space and jumped some spring-
bok. They sprang up suddenly out of the brown grass,
as they always do, and went off like a streak of light.

After one or two had escaped, Tuys told me to kill
the next.

"Let's see if you can shoot like a Boer," he said,
bantering me. "Let 's see if you would starve to death
if you were lost on the veldt!"

A few moments later I had my chance. My Mauser
rested across my saddle when the antelope jumped, and
a second later I blazed away. I made three perfectly
clean misses.. Looking back, I realize that the heavy
military rifle was too much for me — it was too weighty.

Tuys said: "Poor Mzaan Bakoor, you will die
hungry. Now watch me get the next!"

And he did. His rifle was in its sheath, barrel under
his leg and stock alongside the pommel of the saddle.
I never saw quicker action. The unlucky springbok
seemed to rise with the motion of Tuys's arm as he
snapped his Mauser out of its case to his shoulder, all
in one motion. On its fourth or fifth jump the antelope

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

met the dum-dum bullet and dropped. Its back was
broken and the knife did the rest.

"That is the way a Boer shoots!" Tuys boasted. "If
you miss your meat, you go hungry. Your rifle must
follow the springbok when he jumps, and you get him
at the top of his leap. He cannot change direction in
the air and you pull your trigger softly so that your aim
is not broken. If you jerk, as you did a minute ago,
you miss. Remember that, lad !"

As we rode into Rietvlei on the last day Tuys gave
me a serious talking to. He was worried over what I
had seen at Lebombo.

"You know that we have seen some things at Buno's
kraal that must not be told," he cautioned me. "The
British, and even oiu* own people, would be much ex-
cited if they heard that you had given a rifle to Buno.
They would hold you and me accountable for the men he
killed in the shooting match. Also, they would ask
many questions about the women who were killed that
night I made you stay in camp. They would think that
the gin we gave Buno made him do these things, and we
would have much trouble.

'^ou must not know anything about these things.
When you tell about your trip, you must only tell
things that will not make trouble. If you don't, I will
never take you with me again. What 's more, I '11 tell
Buno, and he will kill you if you ever go to Swaziland
again I

"Slim Gert will ask you questions, and your mother,

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too. If any of your brothers are at home, they will
want to know about your trip. Now remember, you
must only tell the things that are safe to tell."

He also advised me to threaten Sibijaan with every-
thing under the sun if he talked too much. His own
servants he was not afraid of — they had been with him
before and knew what would happen to them if they
talked. I told Sibijaan what to expect if he talked, and
he promised to tell nothing. He kept his promise about
as well as might have been expected of a kaffir.

Mother and father were at home when we reached
Rietvlei, and were very glad to see me back. I was
glad to again look out on the peaceful green fields of our
wonderful farm, but keenly disappointed that I dared
not give a true account of our adventures. It was some
story for a small boy to have to bottle up !

After supper my father sent for me, and I went to
his oflSce in the wing of the house which he used for
administrative work. I had my doubts about the inter-
view that I knew was about to take place, because my
father has a way of getting the truth when he wants it.
He is not known as "Slim Gert" for nothing.

On the top of his desk lay a sjambok, or rawhide
whip. It caught my eye and he saw me look at it.

"Now, son, tell me about your trip," he said. "What
did you see? What happened? Yesterday a Swazi
came here and said that Buno had made a celebration for
Tuys and you." As he asked the question his keen eyes
searched my soul.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

I was in an awful pickle. If I told the truth, Tuys
would be my enemy for life. If I lied to my father,
he would never forgive me and I 'd hate myself forever I
The cruel whip did not enter into my calculations, be-
cause my father never struck us. It could not concern
me.

I hesitated for a moment only and then sacrificed my
further chances of going with Oom Tuys to Swaziland.
I told the truth. Father listened and seemed to be
checking up what I said. He asked one or two ques-
tions which refreshed my memory, and I told him every-
thing.

"Thank you for so accurate an account, son," he
said, when I had finished. ''I wanted to be sure that
what I had heard was so. Sibijaan was here a little
while ago and — " He picked up the whip and tossed
it into a drawer.

Next day I saw Sibijaan. I asked him why he had
told father about the killings at Lebombo.

"Ou Baas holds the sjambok in his hand when he
talks to me," he said quite simply. "He knew lots about
Lebombo already. I 'd sooner be killed by Oom Tuys
some day than by your father now. I could not lie to
Ou Baas."

Neither could I, but nevertheless I upbraided Sibi-
jaan for breaking the promise he had made to me that
he would not tell about our trip. In fact; I consoled
myself for losing my further chances of visiting Swazi-
land with Oom Tuys by giving Sibijaan a good beating.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

He could fight, but was not as strong as I, and the
thrashing made no difference in our friendship. Of
course the fight took place in private; it would never
have done to let our impi know that we had fallen out for
even a moment.

Later I found out that father had received some
pointed enquiries from the government in regard to
Oom Tuys's activities in Swaziland. He wanted to

know first hand, if possible, what the "White King of
Swaziland" really did when he made his periodical trips
to Buno's kraal. The information, however, was only
for his own benefit, since he would not betray one of our
people.

A month later Oom Tuys stopped at Rietvlei as usual
before making his regular trip to Lebombo. That
night I was with father when he sat talking with him.
I feared that father would ask questions about our trip,
but he approached the subject in quite another way.

"I have heard from various kaffirs that your last trip
to Swaziland was a bad business," he said to Tuys.
"The government also has asked me about it. Of course
I know nothing, since you have told me nothing," and
he eyed Tuys keenly.

"They say it was a bad business?" Tuys remarked in
a blustering way. "Well, they do n't know what they 're
talking about! Buno was only happy to receive the
tribute and he may have taken a little too much gin.
That 's about all there was to it. Who the devil are
those busybodies who don't mind their own business?"

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Then he looked at me, but I met him eye to eye. I
had expected the encomiter and was ready for him.
Father, however, realizing the situation, began talking
again.

''Kaffirs will lie," he said, "and there have been a
number of Swazis here during the last month. Of course
I don't believe them, but some of the officials who have
to create work to hold their jobs have been asking ques-
tions."

"Tell them to go to Swaziland and find out," said
Tuys, laughing heartily. "They dare n't go. If they
did, they 'd never come back. Buno would answer them,
and they wouldn't worry about making any long-
winded reports when he had done with them!"

Tuys knew that he was the only white man who dared
enter Swaziland then. He also knew that the stories
told by kaffirs did not carry much weight and would
never be accepted for action by the government.

"It would be well, Tuys," father said at the end of
the talk, "if you would induce Bimo not to make so
much noise when he gives his next party in your honor.
His hospitality is too bloody to be healthy for either you
or him."

Tuys did not question me about the matter when he
saw me alone next morning. He evidently refused to
entertain the thought that I might have betrayed him.
If I had not met his eye the night before, however, he
would have been sure I was guilty. He did not com-
ment on the matter, and I know now that, in his dare-

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devil way, he did not lose any sleep over it. In those
days, too, it must be remembered that it did not cause
much stir when a native chief killed a few of his fol-
lowers. It was much more serious if he killed the men
of another chief, since this might mean war and wars
were always disturbing.

Tuys had nothing to say on his return from Swazi-
land, but it must have been a successful trip for I saw
him hand my father a heavy canvas sack to put in his
safe imtil morning. He must have done well in the
royal wrestling match.

CHAPTER VII

I yisit Swasiland again — Buno*s illness — ^An appeal from the king— The
race against death — Umzukk meets us — ^The dying king — ^Bono makes
Tuys guardian of his people — ^The last royal salute of the impis — ^The
death-dealing puff-adder — Buno dies like a true savage king — ^Tsaneen,
the royal widow, suspects murder — ^llie queens meet — ^Tuys escapes
the funeral sacrifice.

IT was about a year later that I made my second trip
into Swaziland. Father was away in Pretoria on
business when Tuys arrived at Rietvlei. Very recently
we had heard a rumor that Buno was ill, and I was
very keen to go with Tuys on this trip. I felt sure that
my father would not allow me to, but I knew that my
mother could be persuaded to let me go. I therefore
asked Tuys to take me.

"I am almost a man now, Oom Tuys," I said, stand-
ing as erect as I could, **^and I want to go with you
on your visit to Lebombo. They say that Buno is sick,
but that ought not to make any difference, ought it?"

"Yes, Owen, it makes all the difference in the world,"
he answered. "You know what the custom is; if Buno
dies, his ten nearest friends will be sacrificed. I am
regarded as his friend and they will want me to die.
Much as I would appreciate the honor, I don't want to
die just yet. If they killed me, they would kill you,
too. Do you want to die?"

I frankly confessed that I did not. This explanation

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

of the situation placed a very different light on it and
I was curious to know what Tuys intended to do. He
told me he would wait a day or two before making up his
mind, and I had hopes that some way would be found
out of the difficulty.

Now Buno knew that Oom Tuys would be at Rietvlei
about this time. He nearly always was, as he seldom
started his trip from any other place.

Just at sunset, two days later, one of our Mapors
ran in and reported that a small impi of Swazis was
coming down the valley.

"I '11 wager that is a message from Buno," Tuys
said, and we went indoors to await their arrival. It
would not have done for us to be caught waiting for
them. In a little while, when dusk was falling over the
valley, we heard many feet come to a stop on the smooth
roadway. Sibijaan ran in to say that the impi had ar-
rived, and while he spoke we heard the cries and the
thud of feet that marked the royal salute.

Tuys sent one of his bodyguard out to see what was
wanted.

"It is a great induna from King Buno," the man
reported a moment later. "He says he comes bearing
a royal message to his white brother."

"Tell him that 'The White King' of his country will
see him in a little while," Tuys ordered.

It was almost dark before Tuys decided the "great
induna" had waited long enough to humble his pride.
Then he went out ; and, of course, I followed him. No

«(

it'

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

sooner was he framed in the light of the doorway than
the royal salute was repeated. He walked slowly to
the gate. There was the chief patiently waiting for him,
his men drawn up behind him, like so many shapes of
darkness barely visible in the night.

"Nkoos, White King of Swaziland," the induna be-
gan, "'I am the messenger of King Bimo. He sends a
message to you."

Then he stopped, awaiting permission to go on.
Speak!" ordered Tuys.

'Buno, our king, is sick unto death," the chief said,
with dramatic gestures, "He desires that his white
brother come to him. By me he sends word that your
life is safe and that he must see you before he dies I"

Tuys knew that Buno*s word was the word of a king
and could be relied upon. He waited only a moment,
therefore, and then said tersely:

"I will come. To-morrow's sun will see us on our
way." With that he made the gesture of dismissal.
The impi again gave the royal salute and a second later
had departed, swallowed up by the night.

"Get ready, lad," Tuys directed as soon as we entered
the house. "At sunrise to-morrow we start. We travel
fast and light, for I must reach Lebombo before Buno
dies I"

I was overjoyed, but immediately my joy was tem-
pered by the thought that my mother would have to
know and might object. Tuys, however, settled that
question for me. He went to her and told her that he

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would be responsible for my return safe and sound.
Tuys always had a way with him, and my mother sent
for me to tell me that I had her permission to go.

"However, you must obey Oom Tuys better this
time," she warned me. "I know that you were dis-
obedient on the trip last year and ran the risk of being
killed. You may go only if you promise me that you
will obey Tuys."

Naturally, I promised. I would have done more
than that if it had been necessary, for I was wild to ac-
company Tuys this time. With Buno possibly dying
there would be wonderful things to see, I felt sure. I
was not disappointed, as it turned out.

At dawn the next morning we were on our way. We
had about the same equipment as before, except that
I rode a bigger and faster horse and four speedy mules
were harnessed to our light wagon, instead of six. Sibi-
jaan drove the mules and swung his sjambok without
mercy. For once he was not called down for beating
the mules.

As Tuys predicted, we traveled fast. The induna
and his impi had left Rietvlei during the night and
started back toward Lebombo. We caught up with them
during the afternoon. They were hitting a smart pace,
with the induna in the lead. His plumes appeared to
mark the cadence of their steps and they must have
been making better than six miles an hour.

"Is the way prepared for us?" Tuys asked the chief.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"Does the king expect me? Are his men waiting for
mer

"Nkoos, the king waits!" the induna replied most im-
pressively. "He bade me to tell you to hurry. The
king dies, and must see you before he goes to the caves."

This seemed to satisfy Oom Tuys, so that he sent
home the spurs and we all broke into a new burst of
speed. The road was rough, and I would look back
now and then to see Sibijaan swaying to and fro as he
jerked up the mules and cut them with his sjambok*
Tuys's boys, or servants, with the exception of his body-
guard, ran beside the wagon, holding to it to help them
over the groimd.

Tuys seemed possessed with the idea that Buno was
really dying, and our trip became a race with death.
It was very exciting. Down through the Valley of
Heaven we ran, past kraals from which the Swazis
tumbled out to gaze in wonder at us. Several indunas,
knowing that Tuys was due on his monthly trip, tried to
halt us to offer tswala or food, but Tuys would throw
them a word and press on. This was on our second
day's trek. On the first night we had stopped shortly
before midnight, and then only to give our horses and
mules some much needed rest.

By the end of the second day both animals and men
were pretty well exhausted, so we camped a little earlier.
We were up at dawn, and Tuys estimated that we
would reach Lebombo by noon. During that last
night's camp a small band of witch-doctors stopped to

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talk to Tuys. It seemed that they had received word
that Biino was dying and were going to Lebombo to
be in at his death, so to speak.

"Vultures I Carrion-eaters I That 's what they are,"
Tuys remarked to me with disgust. "They are going to
Lebombo so that they will be there to bury the king,
if he dies. I wish Buno would fool them !"

As before, we passed Queen Labotsibeni's kraal at
Zombode. This time there were only women and chil-
dren there. All the indunas and warriors had gone on
to Lebombo. Tuys asked a curious woman how this

was.

Yesterday, O Nkoos, the command came from the
king that all warriors should go to Lebombo," she ex-
plained. "None but messengers remain, and these are
now going on to tell that you are near." While she spoke
we saw a small band of warriors swiftly running up the
trail ahead. In a moment they had passed the turn of
the road and were gone. In the brief glimpse I had of
them I saw that they wore the broad white band that
denotes a "king's messenger" in Swaziland.

We pushed on. Tired as our animals were, we made
good time, though not good enough to catch up with
the messengers.

As our party came round the bend into sight of Le-
bombo, we found three indunas and more than a thou-
sand warriors of the king's own impis waiting for us.
They were lined up on either side of the road and gave
us the royal salute as we passed between them. We did

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

not halt, and these splendid warriors formed behind us
and trotted along as our escort. It was a wonderful
sight. Their nodding plumes and bizarre shields, with
here and there the flash of sunlight from an assegai,
made a stirring picture.

While yet some distance away I could see that there
was an army gathered about the royal kraal. There
seemed to be tens of thousands of warriors, all more
or less in formation. When we came closer, a number
of indunas ran forward to meet us and Umzulek, a
brother of Buno, led us to the king. On each side of
the roadway where the infamous shooting match had
taken place the year before were solid lines of warriors,
three and even four deep. As we passed up the line,
impi after impi gave the royal salute.

Except for the exclamations of the warriors and the
stamp of their feet, there was a strange silence. There
seemed to be an air of foreboding, as though all were
waiting for something they dreaded.

We dismounted at the king's hut. Tuys motioned
me to come with him, and we stooped and went in. For
a moment we could see nothing in the dim light. My
first impression was that the hut was filled with people
and was stifling hot.

Then I saw the king stretched out on some mats,
with his head propped up on a small block of wood.
He was very changed. His great body was gaunt, his
face haggard, and his eyes shone with the fire of fever.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Buno gazed fixedly at Tuys for a moment and then
weakly raised his hands in salute.

"Welcome, Nkoos, white brother of the king," he said
in a thin old voice. "Welcome, white king of my people I
I knew you would come. You are a true friend!"

Even in the dim light I could see that Tuys was
moved. He fumbled his great beard and finally began
to speak.

"Come closer, Nkoos," came the royal command.
"Send my indunas away. I would speak with you
alone."

Tuys motioned to the indunas to go, and they filed
out. Then Buno saw me:

"Welcome, little induna," he said, his voice seeming
even fainter. "Welcome, Mzaan Bakoorl You are my
friend, too. You must remain with Oom Tuys and me,
for I have a request to make that you shall inherit from
him when he is gone."

Tuys and I sat close to Buno, and then I saw how
little life was left in his once powerful body.

"Gin I Give me gin," Buno pleaded. "I must have
strength to talk. Give me gin!"

Tuys poured out a large drink of the fiery liquid and
the king choked it down. He gasped for a moment,
and then went on in a stronger voice.

"Nkoos, my white brother," Buno said. "You are
not of our people and therefore cannot die with me.
You cannot have the joy and honor of joining the king

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in death. For I know now that I am dying. Perhaps
I shaU not live to see another sunrise."

I felt that he was right. One so weak and emaciated
could not live long. Undoubtedly Buno was dying.

'"But you can serve my people when I am dead," he
continued, ''by ccmtinuing to be their true friend, just
as you have been mine. I would have you make a paper
which would tell all the world that you are the guardian
of the people of Swaziland* When you die you can
make Mzaan Bakoor the guardian. He will be a man
th^i and will care for my poor people. Swaziland has
many enemies — the Boers, the English, the Zulus, and
others. All desire our land. You can prevent them
from taking it. Will you be their guardian when I am
gone?"

Tuys met the feverish eyes of the dying monarch and
then his deep voice rumbled. I remember noting how
different it was from that of Buno.

"O King, you have spoken 1" he answered. "Your
word is my command. So long as I live I shall guard
your people and shall protect them from their enemies !"

"It is well, Nkoos," Buno said, his voice scarce above
a whisper. Then he closed his eyes for a moment and
rested. In a little while he asked for more gin, and
then asked Tuys to call the indunas. They £Qed it and
stood on each side of the recumbent king. There were
ten or twelve of them, all the greatest chiefs in Swazi-
land. Umzulek, I remember, stood at Buno's feet«

After a brief silence Buno spoke.

100

ADVENTURES IK .SWAZILAND

•- . -

* • p ^ »

''Indunas, I am dying/' he said, EisVx^lcae jEtgain qmte

* • • •

clear. "Soon I shall leave you, never to retXirnV I go

to the caves from which none come back. Until rlo^ij- /.^

• • • * • .

have feared to die. I feared that enemies might bring' •••; /.;•
evil days to Swaziland. Now, however, I go in peace.
Oom Tuys, my friend, has promised to be the friend and
guardian of our country when I am no longer here. He
shall protect Swaziland from the whites and Zulus so
long as he lives, and when he is gone, Mzaan Bakoor,
who will be a man then and powerful, will act in his
place. O indunas, you must look to my white brother
for help when Swaziland needs it. This is my com-
mand 1''

Then he stopped. When Buno said "This is my
command!" his illness seemed to drop away from him
and he became the great king again. The indunas raised
their hands in token of acceptance of Buno's command
and then all together said, "The king's word is law!"

For some reason or other I glanced at Umzulek. He
made the same motion as the others, but there was an
intangible suggestion of revolt in his acceptance. I
had a sudden feeling that he would make trouble after
Buno was gone.

"Once again I shall see my impis," said Buno, his
voice again weakening. "Each day may be the last, but
each day my warriors must salute their king once more!"

Next came an extraordinary exhibition. All but four
of the indunas went out. Those remaining lifted Buno
up — ^and I noted that they did it with ease — ^and half-

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carried, halfHkagjB^ him throu^ the low opening of
the hut .to ^e clean air outside. There they laid him on
fr cotich, facing the thousands of warriors.

The whole affair seemed rehearsed. No sooner was
the king settled, his eyes sweeping the serried ranks of
the impis, than an imposing induna stepped out and
led them in the royal salute. Three times they gave it,
with the sound of thunder in the mountains, and at each
crash I could see a faint smile soften Buno's harsh fea-
tures. He had lived a king and like a king would die I

Then followed a sort of march past. It seemed to
me that untold thousands of these great warriors went
by, each raising his arms above his head ii% salute as he
passed. Before long Buno became faint again, and
Tuys gave him a little more gin. How he was able to
stick out this review was beyond me. I could not see
where he got the strength.

Down in my heart I had a fear that something would
go wrong and that Buno would show his savagery by
having some poor warrior killed, partly to satisfy his
blood-craving and partly to impress us. iHow^er,
luck was with us. No one blundered, and when the
impis had passed by they re-formed along the roadway
and gave the triple royal salute. That was the end,
and the indunas carried Buno back to his hut. He told
Tuys that he wanted to sleep and would send for him
when he awaked. This was our dismissal, and we went
to our wagon, which was at the usual place.

I was very hungry and was glad to find that Tuys's

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servants had prepared food. Tuys was eating and re-
marking on the condition of the king when suddenly
an induna came rmming in to us. He did not wait for
any of the usual formalities, but dashed right up to where
we sat on the ground, chewing our rusks and biltong.

"Come quick, come quick, Nkoos!" he gasped. "The
king is dying I A puff-adder has bitten him. Come
quick! He calls you!"

We dropped our food and followed the chief at a
run. In a few seconds we threw ourselves into Buno's
hut. A number of indunas were about him, all very
excited. He was breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the
smoke-hole in the roof.

Tuys stood by his head and said, "I am here, O
King!" This he repeated three or four times, the last
time in a fair shout, before Buno looked at him. For
a moment the king licked his lips and made as though
to speak. Finally the words came :

"I am going now, Nkoos! I am as good as dead!''
he cried, his voice shrill in its weakness. "The snake
has done what the fever failed to do — ^the snake has
given me release !"

Then he shook as though with a violent chill. His
hands opened and shut convulsively and his head rolled
from side to side. After a moment he became still and
began speaking again. I could see that his body had
begun to swell; he looked bloated.

"It is the end!" he croaked. "I die! I die! . . . The

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ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

king dies! But the king will die like a mani The king
will die on his feet, like a warriorr'

With superhuman strength he heaved himself up and
sat bolt uprij^t. Tuys and several of the indunas
sprang to his aid, and in a moment they had him on his
feet. His legs seemed perfectly stiff.

'"Let go I Let go!" he cried. "I am a man and will
meet death face to face I"

They took their hands off him, and he stood swaying
back and forth, his mouth working as he tried to speak.
The light from the smoke-hole struck him on the head
and deep^ied the lines of his face, throwing heavy
shadows under the eyes and chin. These shadows in-
tensified the cruelty of his face, and I felt a cold shud-
der. B.uno dying was even more terrible than Buno
killingl

He must have stood for a moment only, but it seemed
an age to me. His rolling eyes passed from chief to
chief and his shaking right hand tore an assegai from
the nearest. Then the end I

Raising himself on his toes, his body straight and
head thrown back, he threw both hands up and brought
the spear down with a vicious stabbing motion.

"'Soukbulalal Soukbulala!" he shouted, and pitched
forward dead. Tuys, I remember, almost caught him
as he fell. Later I learned that his last cry was the
war-shout of the S^wazis. It means "I *11 kill you I**

*'He died as he lived," Tuys said to me in Dutch out

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of tlie comer of his mouth, while he leaned down and
turned Bunp over. Then he assisted the indunas in
lajring him out with his head on the block and a won-
derful fur robe over his wasted body.

When this was completed the indunas stepped back
and gave their dead king the royal salute. A moment
later one of them stepped out of the hut and raised his
deep voice in a solemn shout.

''Nkoos ou pelelal E' Buno impela e baba amaswazi
oi^ pelela gutil" he cried. This he repeated over and
over until it became a sort of chant. It was the an-
nouncement of Buno's death and, translated, was about
as follows, "The king is dead! Buno the Great, the
father of his people, is dead !"

We got out of the hut as soon as we could, and found
the natives running from all directions. Soon there
was a great mob. They were quiet, but each seemed
apprehensive. Their voices rose in a subdued murmur.
As I watched, it occurred to me that I did not see Um-
zulek anywhere. It seemed queer that the king's
brother should not be there.

Then came cries of "The queen 1 The queen 1 Tzaneenl
Tzaneenl" and I could see the crowd split, leaving a
wide passageway. Down the alley came a score of
splendid warriors, in their midst the finest looking
woman I had yet seen. She walked with head erect and
steady tread, exactly as a queen should carry herself.

"It *s Tzaneen, the queen," Tuys said, catching me

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by the amL She is the que^i, and her unborn child will
be the ruler of Swaziland. Watdi closely now."

She stopped short in front of us and saluted Tuys.
She was about six feet tall and was a most imposing
figure.

"'Nkoos, is it true that Buno is dead?" she asked in a
level voice.

''Nkosikaas, the king is dead," Tuys replied. "'His
body lies within. A snake killed him."

''How did the snake come to his kraal?" Tzaneen
asked, eyeing Tuys keenly. ''Did that snake come on
two feet?"

This was a new idea. It had not occurred to me to
question the manner in which the snake had reached the
hut. With all the warriors about, even though they may
have been taking their midday sleep, it seemed very
peculiar that the puff-adder should have been able to
reach Buno without being seen and killed. Again I
found myself asking for Umzulek.

"I cannot tell how the snake came to the king," Tuys
said, in answer to Tzaneen's questions. "I was at my
camp when word was brought that Buno was dying."

Tzaneen then stooped and entered the hut, followed
by several other women whom I took to be her personal
attendants or maids. We remained outside. It was not
fitting that white men should see the Zulu princess,
queen of Swaziland, with her dead king.

No sooner had she entered the hut than the voices of
the crowd rose in expectancy. I looked around to see

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anollier party coming up the rapidly formed passage-
way. There were more warriors in this party than the
other, and again I could see a woman at the head of
several others. As she passed, the people saluted. They
had not done so before, and this struck me as queer.

When the party came closer I could see that it was
Queen Labotsibeni, the mother of the dead king. At
her ri^t hand was the missing Umzulek. She seemed
much agitated, but he strode along quite cheerfully.

Tuys stepped forward to meet the old queen. There
was the usual salutation, and she asked, ''My son, the
king, is dead?"

"Yes, Nkosikaas, ft is so," Tuys assiu*ed her.

They stood silent for a moment, and then quite sud-
denly Queen Tzaneen joined the group. I had been
watching Labotsibeni so intently that I did not see her
come out of the hut.

The two queens stood looking at one another, each
waiting for the other to salute. Umzulek, behind the
old queen, was watching Tzaneen, and I had a feeling
that something was about to happen. I could see that
Tuys was interested and saw him shift his feet, his right
hand carelessly resting on the butt of his revolver. He,
too, was watching Umzulek. FinaUy Tzaneen spoke.

"Queen Mother," she said, addressing Labotsibeni,
"Our king is dead I You have lost your son and I my
husband, the father of my unborn child, who is to be
king of Swaziland."

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"What if your child he a woman?" snapped back the
old queen, who had evidently been thinking along prac-
tical lines. "Who is to rule Swaziland until your child
is bom?"

"I am the queen!" said Tzaneen, drawing herself up
until she looked it and gazing fixedly at the old queen.

Labotsibeni met her eyes without flinching, and then
without another word pushed by her and entered the hut
where her son's body lay. Tzaneen, calling her people
to her, strode through the crowd. As she went, they
gave her the royal salute. It looked as though the
people were acknowledging her as their ruler.

Tuys and I stood back during tl)e brief exchange be-
hveen the queens. It was none of our business, of
course, but he was keenly interested and did not miss a
word. We decided that we were not wanted at the
royal kraal about this time and went back to our camp.
The day was dying, anyway, and Tuys said he thought it
would be dangerous to be abroad that night.

"When the fires are lighted to-night," Tuys told me as
soon as we reached camp, "the witch-doctors will kill
the ten indunas chosen to die with the king. We shall
not go and see this. When the council chose these men,
I was to be the first man killed, because I was a friend
of Buno. Umzulek was one of his council and I don't
trust him. Buno ordered that I was not to be killed
because I was white, but accidents happen in Swazi-
land, as you know, and I don't care to take any chances."

This seemed good sense to me. Now that Buno, our

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protector, was dead, I had begun to worry about our
safety. The fact that Buno had appointed Tuys as
""guardian" of his people might not carry as much weight
as he thought.

100

CHAPTER Vm

W£ had not been in camp more tlian a few mmutes
when an induna came to see Toys. He said he
came from Queen Labotsibeni and that she wanted him
to go and see her. Toys did not like the idea.

""Ten Queen Labotsibeni that I am heie,^ he said.
^If she wants to see me, let her come to me hereT

As the fires were beginning to glow in the dusk, tiie
old queen came. She was accompanied by only two or
three warriors and several women. Tuys gave her a
bottle of gin, and she took a very large drink before
they started talking. Like all the Swazis, she was in-
ordinately fond of spirits.

I sat close to Toys, feeling sure that I would hear
something interesting. Labotsibeni did not want to talk
while I was there and suggested that I go and see the
sacrifice. She said she would send her warriors with me
and thus I could see the ten indunas killed. This did not
appeal strongly to me, but Tuys seemed to think I ought
not to miss it.

""Mzaan Bakoor, you won't get another dbance soon
to see a Swazi king's burial ceremonies," he said. ""You

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

had better go/' Then he added in Dutch, "Don't be
afraid, boy. You are perfectly safe with her men. No
one dare touch them/'

So I reluctantly went. It was dark by this time, and
it seemed as though all Swaziland was going to attend
the sacrifice. We soon found ourselves in a great crowd,
every one armed and in full war costume. There were
no women, these being left behind to mind the fires.

The two warriors who acted as my escort were great
grim-faced savages, both of them a head taller than
me. They must have been well over six feet, and I had
to almost trot to keep up with them. Both were in-
dunas, and from what they said I gathered that a brother
of one of them was to be killed at the sacrifice. Both
spoke of his impending death as though it were a great
honor. It was not until the actual ceremony that I was
sure whose brother it was.

The fire in front of Buno's hut was a great blaze. It
lighted up the scores of huts nearby and revealed thou-
sands of warriors drawn up in rows, more than twenty
deep, about it. By using Queen Labotsibeni's name,
my escort forced our way through until we stood on the
very edge of the fire. All about me I could hear the
deep-throated voices of the warriors.

For fuUy fifteen minutes nothing happened, except
that those behind seemed to press closer. Then sud-
denly a number of men dashed into th6 open space, each
bearing a huge bundle of faggots. They waited,
bimdles on head, and an expectant hush succeeded the

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ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

hum of voices. The cmly sound was the cndde of the
fire.

From where we stood we could see the entrance to
Buno's hut, standing out like a black spot in the illumina-
tion. While we watched a strange figure came out He
was wearing furs and feathers and wore a hideous mask.
It was the head witch-doctor! Behind him came six or
seven lesser witch-doctors bearing the body of the king.
They straightened up, and a second later lifted their
burden above their heads. At this the head witch-
doctor threw up his hands and the entire multitude of
warriors gave the triple royal salute. The earth fairly
trembled when their feet came down. Then the faggot-
men threw their loads into the fire and the flames leaped
a score of feet into the air. The king's body was placed
on the mats in front of his hut, the witch-doctors form-
^g A guard on either side. This was the beginning of
the real ceremony. Led by the chief witch-doctor, the
dancing began*

Now the Swaziland idea of dancing consists of leaps
into the air and incessant stamping of the feet. Soon
thousands were dancing and the dust became a haze be-
fore the bright flames of the fire. I was probably the
only person within sight of Buno's body who was not
dancing. My two bodyguards were leaping wildly,
and I noted that they were most earnest in their exercise.

The dance must have lasted five minutes. It was
brought to a sudden stop by the chief witch-doctor, who
threw up his arms and called a halt. In just as short a

lis

QUEEN TZANEEN,

OF THE CROWN PRINCE

byDr. O'Nfil. No(e the boir. vlucllis *aric«d
tbja peculiar sbapa upon marriitffi

QUEEN -raANEEN WITH SOME ZDLC PRINCESSES
Thar had urivad to pmeBt tlmnielvn in muiun lo Ibe piincs. Tbey v
tba qimn. u ulie is ■ ZnlQ by birth

usJHarm for Sebuu in Dblaininc hig Itarone

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

time as they had gone dance mad, the entire assemblage
quieted down. The stirring ceased and I coidd feel
the air of dread expectancy that showed the end of
the drama was in sight.

The witch-doctor gave some sort of a conmiand, and
from behind Buno's hut came ten of the most splendid
savages I have ever seen. They were all indunas and
wore the full costiune of their rank. On their heads
were great plumes and each carried his shield, knob-
kerrie, and assegai. With steady tramp they passed
by their dead king and lined up, facing his body, in
front of the fire.

No sooner were they in place than they gave the
royal salute. Then t]:iey did something I had not seen
before. With steady rythmic strokes they beat on their
great shields with their knob-kerries. This lasted for
only a moment, but it was like the throbbing of a heart —
the heart of Swaziland, it seemed to me.

When the hollow roar died, the chief witch-doctor
stepped out and made an oration. We could not hear
him very plainly. However, I caught a few phrases.

''Indunas, great heroes of Swaziland,'' he shouted,
illustrating his words with extravagant gestures and
contortions, "You have been chosen of all our people
to die with our king. There is not one present who does
not envy you I Tens of thousands are here, and all
covet the honor that is yours.

"Buno, our great king, the saviour of Swaziland, has

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gone I Great indunas, you would not want to live with-
out your peerless leader — ^life would mean nothing I''

There was a lot more, but I did not get it. The ora^
tion must have lasted a good half hour, the condemned
men standing like statues all the while. I did not un-
derstand the last remarks of the witch-doctor, but the
instant he stopped the royal salute, repeated once,
crashed out.

Then the first of the ten indunas stepped out. He
raised his shield and knob-kerrie above his head and
saluted the dead king. Immediately came the ''thunder
of the shields.*' Every warrior in the entire crowd be-
gan striking his shield with his knob-kerrie. There was
no staccato to the blows — ^rather a rubbing, pulling
stroke that brought each blow out with repeated vibra-
tions. In a few moments a cadence was set up and the
strokes came all together at equal intervals. The effect
was terrific ; the air seemed to pulsate with the vibrations
and it seemed to catch me right in the pit of the stomach.

The steady drumming slowly rose in a crescendo,
and then the induna turned from the king's body and
with one far-flung moticm threw his shield and arms
into the fire. Next he turned, threw his head back, and
faced the body. Slowly and firmly he stepped forward
until he stood beside his dead king.

The chief witch-doctor stood a pace or two from him,
his right hand holding a great curved knife which
gleamed and shimmered in the bright light of the fire.
There was a tense mcmient, made doubly painfid by

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

the steady roar of the beaten shields. I was fascinated.
I knew what was coming and dreaded to see it. Yet I
found myself powerless to look away; my eyes were
riveted on that murderous knife I

Slowly the witch-doctor raised the knife above his
head. Then one step forward, a lightning thrust, and
the induna came down like a falling tree! He did not
stir ; there was no convulsive death struggle. The doctor
was an efficient butcher.

Each of the others went to his death in exactly the
same way. There was no flinching, no hesitation ; open-
eyed and unafraid these savages went like stoics to their
death. The witch-doctor did not bungle; each stroke
brought death and there was no need for the services of
his assistants who stood ready with stabbing spears.

The next to the last man to die was the brother of the
fiercest of my two bodyguards. This was evident from
the new energy with which my man beat his shield. If I
had not noticed this, his remark after the knife went
home would have enlightened me.

"A man I A br^ve man! A warrior!" he said to his
companion in a hoarse, dust-choked voice. "My brother
is a brave induna. He is a true son of my mother!"

When the last man was sacrificed, the witch-doctor
made another speech. It was about what heroes the ten
indunas had been and what a great king they had lost.
One sentence I remember.

''So long as warriors are willing to die for Swazi-
land," he shouted, ''our country is safe! So long as our

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best face death without fear, we need not fear the Zidus,
Boers, or British. The white men fear death. They
can never stand against our impis if our warriors are led
by such men as those who died to-night I"

The thought came to me that it was rather foolish to
kill indunas, leaders of warriors, in this fashion, but it
was the ancient custom and their brave death made for
heroism among those who lived. Each kraal to which
one of the sacrificed indunas belonged gloried in his
death and it became a tradition for the younger warriors
to live up to.

The doctor ceased speaking after a little and the
crowd began to move away. The king's body was taken
back to his hut and the fire allowed to bum low. When
we left, which we did as soon as we coidd, the chief
witch-doctor was marching up and down outside the
hut and accompanying his steps with a sort of chant.

My most distinct memory of the sacrifice is the sensa-
tion I suffered when the drumming of the shields reached
its height. I shall never forget this. Every time I hear
the bass drum stroked, bringing out all its bass vibra-
tions, memory jerks me back to the unerring slash of the
sacrificial knife at Buno's kraal in Lebombo. I know
that for months afterward I used to hear those shields
in that brief moment between wakefulness and sleep.

Labotsibeni had gone when I reached camp. Oom
Tuys was pacing up and down, smoking his great pipe
and waiting for me. He gave me a hug when I reached
the firelight and seemed quite relieved at seeing me,

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"I was worried, you were so long/* he said. "Buno's
death means trouble in Swaziland, and I was afraid you
might have been captured as a hostage or even killed.
Tell me, what did you see?'*

Then I told him all about the sacrifice. I found my-
self strangely tired and lay down while I talked. Tuys
listened without interruption until I had finished. Then
he asked, "Are you sure there were ten indunas
sacrificed?"

I told him I was sure, because I had mechanically
counted them when they stood before the fire.

"Then I am safe," he replied. "If ten have been
killed, there will be no more. Ten is the royal number,
and there must not be one more or less. Gkx)d !"

Then he told me about Queen Labotsibeni's visit. If
seems she had called on "The White King of Swaziland"
for his help in a matter of importance to the state.
Buno's death had left the throne vacant. Queen Tzaneen
could not reign because she was not a native-bom
Swazi. Her child, if a man, could not become king imtil
he became of age. Hence the throne was vacant, and
Labotsibeni wanted Tuys to use his influence to have
her recognized as queen by the British and Boers.

"The old lady is right," he said. "She is the only one
able to rule Swaziland. Every one knows that she
practically ruled as the royal queen of King Umbandine
and during Buno's reign she was always the power be-
hind the throne. Most of the time she was not very
far behind, either!

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"She is very keen. She demanded that I pay the
tribute to her in place of Buno! I told her that she
could have the gin, but that I coidd not give her the gold
without permission from Oom PauL She didn't like
that very much, but I was able to make her see that I
was right. To-morrow I shall take her the gin and
she '11 have to be satisfied with that.

"I shall recommend that Labotsibeni be appointed
regent imtil the right king is found. Umzulek, I hear,
thinks that he ought to succeed Buno, and there is talk
that he will take the throne by force. I shall have to
prevent that."

Exhausted as I was, I found sleep difiicult that night.
For some time I lay there listening to Tuys's regular
breathing and afraid that he might snore, as he did
sometimes. If he had, I know I could not have stood
it — each deep note would have started the shields drum-
ming again.

We were up at dawn next morning and never did that
first cup of coffee taste so good. Buno' was to be buried
that day and I hoped to see a ceremony. Before we had
breakfasted a score of Labotsibeni's warriors, led by a
lesser induna, arrived as our escort for the day. They
brought word that Buno woiJd be "taken to the caves
when the shadows were least," or at noon. The indunas
who had been sacrificed, however, were being buried
during the morning. So we decided to attend the
funerals.

I was much disappointed. There were no ceremon-

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lals. In fact, the most exciting thing that happened was
that one of the junior witch-doctors was bitten by a
snake and speedily died. The indunas were buried in a
tangled patch of brush and tall grass, with a few trees
breaking its monotony. This was set apart for indunas
only, the plain people being buried anywhere they hap-
pened to die. All the important chiefs of Swaziland had
been buried there ever since the days of King Umban-
dine, yet the place was absolutely unkempt and full of
snakes.

When we arrived at Buno's kraal, the bodies of the
indimas were laid out in a row. Near each stood witch-
doctors and warriors. Not far away were a number of
women and children. These were the wives of the dead
men.

As we came up an order was given and the warriors
lifted up the bodies. Each band of pall-bearers was led
by a witch-doctor, while the widows and children of each
induna fell in behind. There was no wailing or mourn-
ing — ^the women seemed as stoical as their departed
husbands had been when they faced the knife on the
night before.

All the women had their heads shaved as a sign that
their husbands were dead. This is their custom. From
her earliest girlhood the Swazi woman trains her hair
to grow in a sort of cone or pyramid. When her hus-
band dies the hair is shaved right up to this mound,
leaving much of the head bare. The daughters of these
widows had their heads entirely shaved. This also is

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the custom, so it is quite possible to tell for whom the
Swazi wcmien mourn and also how recent is their loss.

Tuys and I followed the procession to the burial
ground — ^**The Place of Indunas," they call it — ^and
saw the simple ceremonies. These only consisted of
placing the body in a shallow hole, scratching the dirt
over it, and then piling rocks on top.

Beside each grave was placed a pot of corn-meal and
some uncooked meat, so that the induna mi^t have
food if he shoidd come back. This was the only sug-
gestion of future life. The Swazi is a very primitive
savage; he has no hell or heaven and, under normal
circumstances, no god. Their only supernatural belief
is in a sort of evil spirit or deviL This devil, however,
is under the control of the ruler and usually is most
active in sending or holding back the rain so necessary
to the scanty crops grown by the Swazis.

In connection with this devil it is important to know
that Queen Labotsibeni was the "'rain-maker'' of
Swaziland. This gave her great power, since the natives
fully believed in her supernatural powers- How she
gained this control over the devil is an interesting chap-
ter in Swazi history.

In the old days the Zulu chiefs possessed this rain-
making gift, which was supposed to be vested in a small
round stone called the "rain stone." When Ama-Swazi
led the rebellion against the Zidus and broke away from
them, he captured this stone and took it with him.
Much of his ascendancy was based on its possession.

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Umbandine, his son, inherited the stone, and Queen
Labotsibeni promptly annexed it on his death. King
Buno never owned it, and during his entire reign his
mother provided the rain for Swaziland.

Labotsibeni was wise in her way and made the ''rain
stone" a source of revenue. Now and then dry spells
strike Swaziland, and the hot sun bums up the crops
and causes much suffering. At such a time the indunas
came to the old queen and begged her to make rain. She
always went through some incantation before assenting,
and then announced her price. It was usually a portion
of com from each kraal, the total amounting to many
bushels. When this was paid, she agreed to make rain.
It is peculiar that she was often successful and that rain
followed shortly after her promise.

If, however, the rain did not come, she would an-
nounce that one of her chiefs was plotting against her
and that she had surrendered the rule of the weather to
the devil so that he might punish her people. On such
occasions her wrath was terrible, and this is probably one
of the reasons why she was so feared. Tuys told me that
Labotsibeni in a rage was a "perfect she-devil'' and
that even her indunas would run to avoid her. She was
a wise old queen ; no matter how the weather acted, she
had it arranged so that she could not lose!

On the way out of the indunas' burying-ground, the
witch-doctor stepped on a snake. We came up to him
as he sat waiting for death, the body of the adder beside
him with its head crushed. He rocked slowly back and

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forth, looking straight ahead and making no sound. I
wanted to do something for him.

"What 's the use, lad?" Tuys said. "There is no cure
for the puff-adder*s bite, unless you have a drug-shop
along. He must die, and die soon, and he knows it.
Come on, unless you want to see him go?"

I most certainly did not, so we went along, keeping
our eyes on the ground lest we run afoul of a snake. I
looked back a moment later and saw that the stricken
man had laid down, and then I knew that his suffering
would soon be over. None of the other natives seemed
to give a second thought to him; under Buno's rule
they had grown more callous than ever.

It was almost noon when we reached Buno's kraal,
and there was a large gathering of witch-doctors about
his hut. The witch-doctors of our burial-party joined
them, and Tuys informed me that practically all the
witch-doctors in Swaziland were there.

"Now would be a good time for some target practice,"
he said grimly. "In about five minutes a few quick
shots could remove most of the sources of trouble in
this country. If those witch-doctors were all killed,
Swaziland would be a happier land."

Soon the head witch-doctor — ^the one who did the
butchering so well the night before — detached himself
from the group and began to look at the sun. He stood
his wand on the ground and studied its shadow. After
a time this seemed to satisfy him, and he sent two of the
others out of the kraal on the run. Shortly after came

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the sound of many feet, and soon the royal impi filed
into the enclosiire. The warriors ranged themselves on
either side of the pathway, just as I had so often seen
them do before.

When they were in place the chief doctor went into
Buno's hut. Out he came a few minutes later, with six
others carrying the body of the king. As they swung it
to their shoulders the impi saluted. After the third
thud of stamping feet the chief doctor started down the
lane of warriors. Behind him came those bearing the
body, with the other doctors following them. Last of
all came a number of unarmed men carrying fresh-killed
beef, com, and pots of tswala.

This was the king's funeral cortege proper. When
it reached the end of the impi, the warriors turned and
followed in marching order, acting as escort. Tuys and
I dropped in behind. I was very curious to see "the
caves" where Buno was to be buried. As we followed
the slow procession, Tuys told me about them.

**No white man has ever entered these caves," he said.
"They are a little distance up the mountain and are
said to be immense. The witch-doctors are the only
natives who ever enter them, and they tell queer tales
about what goes on. They say that there are rivers and
smoke and bright lights in some of the caves. I don't
believe this, of course, but they say it. I think that the
mystery of the caves is part of the foolishness practiced
by these witch-doctors and is only tnmiped up to keep
the people away. Not long ago when I asked a witch-

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doctor if he would show me King Umbandine's grave
in the caves, he pretended to be much frightened and
told me that the devil lived in the caves and woidd be
angry if a white man entered them.

"'Only the kings of Swaziland are buried in the caves.
Ama-Swazi was the first. His body was brought up
from his kraal in the low country. Umbandine is there,
and now Buno is going to join them. I suppose Labot-
sibeni will have the honor when she dies, although it is
quite likely that the witch-doctors will refuse to allow a
woman to be buried there."

The caves were about four miles from the royal kraal
at Lebombo and much of the trail was uphill. We
reached them in about an hour, and I saw that there
were a number of entrances, all fissures in the rocks.

The procession stopped and the bearers were relieved
by six others. The change was made without laying
the king's body on the ground. This was in accordance
with the ancient customs — ^a king's body must not touch
the ground from the time it starts on its last trek until
it is laid at rest in the caves.

The new bearers faced about and raised the body high
above their heads. While they held it there the royal
impi gave their dead king his last salute. Then the
witch-doctors took the food from the unarmed men and
a moment later the entire band of "priests" disappeared,
among the rocks. That was the last of Buno, rightly
called "The Terrible," the most powerful and cruel king
Swaziland has ever had. The impi turned and started

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down the trail at a smart pace, leaving Tuys and me
behind. These great warriors seemed glad that the
fmieral was over. They swrnig by us with light steps,
many of them grinning at the white men as they went
by.

Now I was very curious to know what was inside the
eaves. There was so much mystery about them that it
fired my youthful imagination. I spoke of this to Tuys
and was pleased to find that he also was curious.

"Yes, I 'd like to have a look at them," he said. "Buno
and Labotsibeni have told me some queer yams about
them, and they are the one thing in Swaziland that I
am not familiar with. Let 's see if we can't get into
them."

The witch-doctors had not come out yet, and we de-
cided to wait until they did. I suggested that they were
engaged in some ceremony, but Tuys, knowing the
native, would not agree with me.

"Those humbugs are probably eating the food and
drinking the good beer," he said, with a snort of disgust.
"I 'd hate to believe that they 'd let it go to waste. I *11
bet that Buno will go hungry if he comes back!"

Expecting that they would soon come out, we hid
behind some rocks, feeling sure that they would think
we had gone back with the impi. Our guess was good.
In a little while we saw them tramping down the trail.
As soon as they passed the bend from beyond which the
entrances to the caves could not be seen, we started on
our exploration.

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There seemed to be any number of ways into these
mysterious caves. However, Tuys's training led him to
follow the footprints of the witch-doctors. They must
have come out by another route, for all the prints faced
inward.

Tuys led, and I noticed that he was canying his
revolver in his hand, ready for instant use. We passed
between a number of great rocks, all of which seemed to
be split by some terrific force. But we did not go far.
There came a sharp turn to the right, and straight in
front of us was the entrance to the caves. In front of
it stood six witch-doctors with assegais drawn back,
ready to strike!

Tuys did not hesitate long enough to take one breath.
He wheeled in his tracks and we turned back. We did
not run or make unseemly haste, but we certainly moved
faster than we had come in. When we reached the out-
side, Tuys made but one remark.

''Serves us right I" he exclaimed. ''I ought to have
had sense enough to count those witch-doctors.''

I remember that it was a hot walk back to our camp.
Probably oiir chagrin added to the temperature.

To this day no white man has penetrated the caves.
I hope to do so the next time I visit Swaziland. I never
had a chance on my subsequent visits, but I shall cer-
tainly find a way the next time. The thought is fascinat-
ing, but I suppose I shall be disappointed if I ever do
explore this royal burial-place. Like most things in
^^<^, it will fail to come up to expectations.

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Not long after we reached our camp several indunas
and a small band of warriors called on Tuys. They
were part of the bodyguard of Labotsibeni and had
come on a special errand.

"Nkoos, White King/' the chief induna began with
much ceremony, 'Hhe great Queen Labotsibeni sends me
to you with a message. Even now she, the mother of
Buno, waits your answer.'*

I was interested to see that he spoke of Buno as
though that cruel ruler still lived. The thought came
to me that his infamy would keep him alive for some
time, at least in the memories of those who had witnessed
any of his bloody pastimes.

Tuys did not seem to understand what the induna
was driving at, and he asked several questions. The
chief said that the old queen had instructed him to ask
Tuys if her "white brother" did not remember his prom-
ise. She was waiting for him to fulfil what he had said
he would do. There was some more palaver, and then
Tuys suddenly woke up.

"Why, the old girl wants her gin V* he said, laughing.
Then he got out four small cases of it and presented
them to the induna.

"I 'd go along with him," Tuys said to me in Dutch,
"if I was not afraid that I'd have to lie to the old queen.
She wants the job of ruling Swaziland until the question
of the new king is decided, and she expects me to get the
British to acknowledge her as regent. I do n't know

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what III be able to do, and if I promise that she will
get the job, and she does n't get it, I '11 be in a fine
picklel I think 1 11 avoid her, and we 'd better get
going to-night and make a break for

128

CHAPTER IX

SMjMB't ^NirtiTenesB almost costs his life— How Tujs became the friend
of Bubo— Labotsibeni endorsed as regent of Swaziland — Umzulek plots
to fleiae the throne— The Boers invade Swaziland— Tujs dictates peace
between the queens — Umzulek gets his lesson.

THE midday siesta period was about over and the
kraals were beginning to show signs of life again.
The native women were going about their domestic
duties and the men» as usual, were resting in the shade
and furbishing their weapons. Our activity in breaking
camp did not attract much attention, except on the part
of the usual number of small boys, and before long we
were on the trail to the Valley of Heaven. We only
traveled about half as fast as we had come in and were
constantly being held up by crowds going in the same
direction. Thousands upon thousands had come to see
the sacrifice of the ten indunas and were now returning
to their homes.

Sibijaan nearly got us into a pretty row shortly be-
fore we struck the valley. He was driving the wagon
with its four mules, and began to get impatient over the
crowded roadway. He got careless with his sjambok
and flicked a tall Swazi warrior on a naked but impor-
tant part of his anatomy. Now the sjambok cuts like
a knife, and the savage gave a tremendous jump. In
fact, he seemed to me to jump twice — once straight up

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in the air and the second time toward the wagon, brand-
ishing his assegai and shouting.

Sibijaan dived into the wagon under the cover, and
the enraged induna dashed round to the rear of the
vehicle in the hope that its driver was trying to escape
that way. Then ensued a sort of merry-go-round, the
induna dashing madly from front to back of the wagon
and Sibijaan trying to keep one guess ahead of him.
Both were yelling, and Tuys and I hurried to stop the
trouble. However, we were too late I The induna sud-
denly stopped at the side of the wagon where he could
watch the front, his spear poised for murder. He was
the cat watching the rat-hole, the himter awaiting his
prey.

Tuys snatched his revolver from its holster and was
just aiming at the savage when we saw the flap of the
wagon-cover lifted just a little and a thin arm come out.
In the hand was a short knob-kerrie, and it caught the
irate chief on the back of the head with one fell sweep.
Down he came with a crash, his shield thudding as it hit
the ground.

A second later Sibijaan hopped out of the wagon,
knife in hand, evidently intending to finish the job.
Tuys reached down from his horse and swimg the little
beggar up before him, where he gave him a good spank-
ing. That was the end of the incident, since the induna
found himself looking into the business end of Tuys's
revolver when he woke up from his trance.

Late that evening we camped in the Valley of Heaven.

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We passed several kraals in our leisurely progress and
talked with some of the indunas. None of them seemed
very sorry that Buno was gone, but there was a gen-
eral expression of anxiety concerning the next ruler.
Most of them thought that Labotsibeni should get the
job, but not a few favored Umzulek — in fact, there
seemed to be quite a strong Umzulek sentiment.

During our next day's trek I asked Oom Tuys how
it happened that he and Buno were such good friends.
Tuys explained that he had originally befriended Buno
and the Swazis because the Boers wanted the Swazis as
a sort of bulwark against the British. On several oc-
casions Tuys had been able to save land for Buno when
certain of the English had tried to get it away from
him, and this had made the savage his good friend for
life. Incidentally, it helped the Boer cause.

The one great thing I did for Buno," Tuys went on,
was about two years ago when Oom Paul decided to
discipline him. One of my bodyguard had talked too
much in Pretoria and the President had learned about
the bloody atrocities Buno was conunitting. It seems
the story that really outraged Oom Paul's feelings was
one about Buno having some young girls cut open.

"Oom Paul sent for me and asked me about this. Nat-
urally, I knew nothing about it. How could I ? If I 'd
seen it, it was my duty to report it, was n't it? If I
had n't seen it, how could I know anything about it? Of
course I could n't tell Oom Paul that Buno and I had
an important business deal on at that time, could I ?

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^Somehow or other I doQ*t think Ocxn Paul believed
me. He sent word to Buno that he must bdiave and
stop killing people, and Buno sent word back that Paul
had better Qiind his own business, or words to that
general effect The foci thought that I would protect
him and that he could get cheeky with Oom Paul!

''Well, the old man had had enough of Buno's non-
sense and he sent a oMnmand of about five thousand men
into Swaziland to smash him. Instead of leaving me out
of it, our cunning President smt me along as second-in-
conmiand. I was the guide and all that sort of thing,
and had to practically assure Buno*s getting jolly well
licked, if not killed. After some days we got to within
twenty nules of Lebcxnbo and planned to attack the
royal kraal at dawn next morning.

''I did not like the idea of Buno bdng captured, be-
cause I knew that would be the end of Imn. Oom Paul
was not in the mood to stand further nons^ise. That
night I was in command of the sentries, and shortly after
dark I placed my sergeant in charge and sneaked off to
the kraal of a chief who lived near where we were
camped* He knew me, and from him I got a good horse.
Then I rode like the devil to Lebombo and warned Buno
what was going to happen.

''I got back to our camp just as *^e commando was
saddling up to move to the attack. We rode hard and
reached the kraal about four o'clock — ^to find the entire
place anpty. There was n't a single Swazi there I The
king and all his warriors had flown. So we were ordered

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to pursue him, and I led the way. Later I learned
that we had gone in exactly the wrong direction, so Buno
escaped.

''Oom Paul decided that Buno had learned his lesson
and would behave thereafter, since he had been shown
that the Boers would come and get him if he did not.
However, Buno felt that I would always pull him out
of any hole he might get into, so the lesson was lost on
him. One thing Oom Paul did accompUsh, however,
and that was to make Buno realize what a good friend
I wasi"

My mother was very glad to see us when we reached
Rietvlei. Father had returned, and he spoke sharply
to Tuys for taking me with him on so dangerous a trip.
Tuys told him that he had Buno's word for oiu* safety,
but that did not much impress my father.

**The word of a kaffir is good so long as he remem-
bers," he said, "but you know that the best of them
are children, and children forget. It was lucky you
came out as soon as you did. From what you have told
me and from what I Ve heard conditions are likely to
be bad in Swaziland until the government selects a
ruler."

Tuys and he then began discussing what should be
done about this. Father, I found, knew all about the
politics of Swaziland, and he agreed with Tuys that the
old queen was the right person to rule imtil a king was
set up. Their talk ended with my father writing a letter
for Tuys to take to Oom Paul. He recommended that

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Labotsibeni be recognized as regent for the time being,
or until Queen Tzaneen's child was bom. If the child
was a boy» he would be the next king of Swaziland ; if a
girl, arrangements would have to be made for one of
Bimo's brothers to take the throne,

Bimo had a number of brothers, amcxig whom were
Lomwazi, Umzulek, Debeseembie, and one other whose
name I have forgotten but who was known as a drunk-
ard and a generally disreputable character.

Oom Tuys left next morning to report conditions to
Oom Paul, and we heard nothing for several months.
Finally, on the new moon, about three months later,
messengers came to Rietvlei from Queen Labotsibeni.
Tuys was with us, having arrived several days before.

After the usual salutes and other ceremonial the head
induna spoke :

"Nkoos, the queen mother sends to you in her trouble.
Her son, the late King Buno, gave you guardianship
over Swaziland and Queen Labotsibeni wants your
counsel. Even now Queen Tzaneen, the royal widow,
gives birth. We do not yet know whether it will be a
man-child or not. Umzulek plots to take the throne by
force and is mustering his impis. Thousands are flock-
ing to his support and the impis of the queens are gath-
ering at Zombode. If you do not come quickly, there
will be war in our country. Queen Labotsibeni prays
that you come and prevent war."

This was the situation that father and Tuys had
feared. Tuys had his orders from Oom Paul and knew

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what he was to do. He told the induna what to expect.

"Tell your queen," he said, "that I am coming within
three days with a great army of white men. Tell her
that I shall see that the throne is preserved to the
dynasty and that none except the one to whom it right-
fully belongs shall become king of Swaziland."

With this message the induna withdrew, and we saw
him and his men leaving at top speed to carry these
words of cheer to Labotsibeni. Then came a hurried
mobilization of all the fighting Boers within a day's ride
of Rietvlei. Word was sent far and wide over the veldt
— ^to the outlying farms, to the small towns, to Belfast,
and to every place where men might be found.

Within three days the Valley of Reeds became an
armed camp. There were more than a thousand well
armed, hard-riding Boers waiting for the word to trek
into Swaziland. These people of ours were a hardy
lot. There were men of sixty and even seventy years,
and mixed in with them were their sons and grandsons,
many of the latter being boys of sixteen and seventeen.
All, however, were well armed and serious. They were
on a serious business and stood ready to die in the
service of their great leader, Oom Paul.

At dawn on the fourth day we started. From the
very beginning it was a hard ride. The burghers rode
in what was practically military formation, two by two,
with Tuys leading. I went along as his aide and rode as
close to him as the trails would permit. I have often
thought of that trek. The feeling between Boers and

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British was getting mare bitter every day, and these
Boer farmers were really taking a training march for
the daii^ days that were to come so soon. It was a heart-
ening sight to look back cm our cavakade and see the
great hats bobbing up and down, the lean, wiry ponies,
the ready rifles, and the grim faces, most of than
bearded.

We took no natives with us. Our food was biltong
and rusks, and each man carried enough to last him for
two weeks. Every Boer took care of his own horse and
did everything for himself. It was felt that there might
be trouble, and Tuys never trusted the kaflSrs in a tight
place.

During the morning of the second day's trek, not
long after we had passed the Vaal River, we were met by
several indunas and a small impL They stood in the
middle of the roadway making peace signs, and Tuys
brought our little army to a halt. Then he and I rode
forward and waited.

The chief induna came to meet us. I recognized him
as one of those whom I had seen in Queen Tzaneen's
train and knew that he came frcmi her.

"Nkoos, Queen Tzaneen sent me to you," he said
to Tuys, with all humility. "Yesterday she gave birth
to a prince, the rightful heir to the throne! She sends
you the message that she is afraid that Umzulek will
kill her son. Even now she is afraid to leave Lebombo.
Also, Queen Tzaneen asks that you protect her from

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Queen Labotsibeni and prevent the queen mother from
seizing the throne."

Tuys listened to his message and then asked what was
really going on in Swaziland. The induna told him that
Umzulek had gathered his impis together and it was
rumored that he would take the throne by force. Queen
Labotsibeni had gathered all her warriors, and it was
understood that she would fight to keep Umzulek from
becoming ruler. Queen Tzaneen, on her side, liad
mustered all the men who remained faithful to the mem-
ory of King Buno, and it was said that she would take
the throne if she could muster enough force to do it.
Taking it all in all, the stage was set for a bloody civil
strife in Swaziland.

"'It looks as though we had work ahead," Tuys said to
me in Dutch, after the induna had related these events.
"Well, we have our job to do and the sooner we get it
over the better."

Then he turned to the induna.

"Tell your queen that we have heard the story and
will take care of her," he directed him. Tuys then gave
the word to continue our march.

Unlike all other armies, our little force was truly
democratic and every man was entitled to know what
out task was to be. Tuys sent for several of the leaders,
men who headed the commandos of their districts, and
told them about the political situation in Swaziland.

"Oom Paul's orders are that we must secure the
throne for the rightful heir," he said. "Labotsibeni must

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be appointed regent until the new prince comes of age,
and it is our job to pacify the people and prevent war.
If, however, war there must be, we shall strike first
and strike hard! We must remember that death is
the only argument that a kaffir understands and must
make a clean job of it/*

I understood what a "clean job" meant — ^that every
native, chief or plain warrior, who did not like the con-
ditions Tuys laid down was to be killed. It began to
look as though we should have some hard fighting and
our devoted band of about a thousand would find them-
selves pitted against great odds.

We pushed our horses to their limit and made splen-
did time. The Boer pony or veldt-bred horse is almost
tireless, and oiu* mounts were extended to the utmost.
The result was that we reached Zombode early next
morning.

When we came in sight of the kraals our cavalry was
deployed in a double rank about five hundred horses
wide. We trotted to the kraals in this formation, every
man with his rifle on his hip, ready for anything. When
we had halted, Tuys acknowledged the indunas that
had come out to meet him. There was no formality
about Tuys this time. He represented the Boer Gov-
ernment and was there as conqueror to lay down the
law. The indunas noted the diflFerence, and I could see
the sullen glint in their eyes as they took their orders
from him.

"Tell Queen Labotsibeni that I am here," Tuys di-

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rected. "I shall wait for her only a short time and she
had better come as quickly as she can."

Without a word the indunas hastened into the royal
kraal, while we loosened up a bit and let our horses
breathe. The Boer knows how to take care of his mount,
and here and there could be seen men arranging their
girths and making their ponies more comfortable.

In the very shortest time Queen Labotsibeni came out
of her kraal, attended by Lomwazi, her indunas, and a
number of warriors. The second they came in sight
every man of our force was back again in his saddle, his
rifle at the ready. The old queen walked slowly and
seemingly with difficulty. She was very tall and quite
fat, but carried herself with pride. As always, she was
scrupulously clean, her black face shining in the early
morning sun.

Labotsibeni came to a halt about twenty feet in front
of Tuys and me, and her bodyguard ranged themselves
on either side of her. They were picked men and as fine
figures of savages as was their old queen. Tuys let her
wait for a moment and then got off his horse, motioning
to me to join him. We stepped forward, and this time
Tuys did not shake hands when greeting her.

"Nkosikaas, I have heard what is going on in Swazi-
land," he said, simply but very severely, "and I have
come with my army to see that justice is done. I come
from Oom Paul, our great king, and he has authorized
me to do as I see fit.

"My order to you is that to-morrow you meet me at

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the little river which lies between Zombode and LiC-
bombo. You will be there as soon as the sun shines on
fhe water. There will be a ccmf erenee and the peace of
Swaziland will be assured. I have spoken!"

Labotsibeni was a proud old woman and did not seem
to like to have to take orders in this f ashion« She looked
at Tuys for a moment in a very indignant way, but
dropped her eyes when they met his. She started to
speak, and I could see that she had a lot to say, too.
Tuys's glance cowed her, however, and after a moment
of ground-searching her eyes ran up and down the ranks
of our determined army.

A moment later she gave in*

''Nkoos, I shall be there," she said, quite humbly.
Then she gave a sign to her indimas and warriors, and
all together they gave Tuys the royal salute. This
ended the interview. Without another word Tuys
shouted the command for us to march, and we started for
Lfcbombo.

Our only stop was to water the horses at the little
river Tuys had mentioned, and then we pressed on to
Lebombo, arriving at the kraals in the same formation
as before. Evidently the word had gone ahead that we
were coming, for three full impis, or about three thou-
sand warriors, were lined up waiting for us.

As soon as we came close they gave us the salute,
showing that they were not arrayed for hostile purposes.
Had they been, they would have stood a poor chance,
for our little army would have wiped thooti out in short

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

order. As before, a number of indunas came out to
meet us and Tuys repeated his program.

"I am the law and this is my order," he said. "TeU
Queen Tzaneen I am here and wait for her to come to

me.

There was no hesitation on the part of the indunas.
The natives have an extraordinary method of getting
word to one another, and they knew that Tuys came
on a far different mission th&n usual. The indunas
bowed their heads submissively, and a short time after
accompanied Tzaneen to our presence.

However, she was inclined to be a little haughty and
carried herself proudly. Tuys hardly looked at her.
She, like Labotsibeni, was a finely-built savage, but not
so fat as the old queen. Her hair had grown out to
quite a length, showing that Buno had been dead for
some months.

Tuys gave her the same orders as he had given Labot-
sibeni, and she agreed to meet him at the river. Then
Tuys asked for Umzulek.

"Umzulek is at his kraal half a day's trek from here,**
she informed him. "He has gathered his impis there
and threatens to make war unless he is made king.
Also, word has come that he wiU kill my child, the infant
Prince Sebuza, so that none shall stand in his way."

"Your son, Nkosikaas, widow of Buno, shall be
safe," Tuys assured her. "You will send a messenger
to Umzulek bidding him to attend our conference at
the little river. That is my order!"

141

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

And so Tuys arranged the conference at which the
ftitUK p^sice of Swaiiland was to be secured. We rode
MsUy back to the little stream and there made our camp.
tt was tki? miiidle of the day when we unsaddled and,
exv^pk fvMT tbow on guard* we all went to sleep.

tuih^ that afternoon Tuys called a council of the
V^^mwoKK^ ktiiWr$ and prepared for next morning.
Tlmk lU(Chl ^^ \kHibk\i iHir guards and I stood watch
(Vmt ^'vvr^ Ikhu:^ U w;ii$ the first time I had ever done
HUh <uhI it w<i^ a wv^iderM experience. The bright
MHK^^ (uck^t ^Hik every v.>bjeet on the little plateau and
Ihe ^kve^uu ^^eiucd to be a streak of rippling silver. Our
CMi^V ^^ ^^ ^ small kopje^ w hill» with the river at
it« ba^» and with the Ursi^ streaks of dawn we awoke
vmruieu.

It was Ui>ue too soon. By the time it was fully light
we ciHild see thiHisauiU oJt warriors coming from either
ditei'tiiuu These were the iiupis oi the two queens. Our
Uien% UKHuUei) aui) ivhv)>\ t\>nued a double line around
Uh^ t\^p of the hill aiH) \vaited. The impis came closer
Mu) stoppeil on either siile of the stream. They were
Mil>' abiHit a hundreil yartU apart* ainl the thought came
tt) me that here was the setting for a fine battle. This,
however, it was inir duty to prevent*

Soon Tuys sent me* with a Kxlyguard, to give his
orders to the indunas who stixxl resting on their shields
in front of each arm}** These i>rders were simple* I
told them that their queen was to come to the conference
inunediately and that each should bring cuily her body-

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

guard with her. In a short time Tzaneen and Labot-
sibeni arrived and were seated facing Tuys and a num-
ber of the commando leaders.

There was no formality about the business whatever.
The first question Tuys asked was as to the whereabouts
of Umzulek.

"He sent my messengers back in haste," Tzaneen re-
ported, "to say that he was very sick and could not
come. When my induna said to him that it was an order,
he threatened to kill him, and so he came back without
further delay."

I could see that this annoyed Tuys. He ran his hand
through his beard in an aggravated fashion and then
spoke :

"Umzulek lies," he said decisively, "but he also
prophesies! He will be very sick. Perhaps he will be
so sick that he will die, if I go to see him. He will find
that I am a bad witch-doctor and will know that it is not
good to refuse an order!"

Then Tuys delivered his ultimatum, and it was the
arrangement by which peace was preserved in Swaziland
for nearly a score of years. It was a striking scene.
Each of the queens sat in front of her bodyguard, while
behind Tuys stood the keen-eyed Boer leaders. Except
for their plumes and colored trappings, the armies of the
two queens almost blended into the barren brown veldt.
Over all was the crystal-clear sky of South Africa, with
the bright sun throwing clean-cut shadows. The rocky
hills that surrounded the little plateau seemed to form

148

ADVENTUBES IN SWAZILAND

the irr^^ular walls of an amphiUieater, with our ooimdl
hill in the center.

Tuys first addressed Queen Tzaneen.

'^Nkosikaas, your son, the Prince Sebuza," he said,
^is fhe son of Buno, the grandson of Umbandine and
the lineal descendant of Ama-Swazi. Sebuza is the
rightful heir to the throne and shaD be king of Swazi-
land."

Tzaneen threw her head back and glanced triumph-
antly at the old queen, who was watching Tuys with
deep c(xicem«

'"And you. Queen Labotsibeni, mother of Buno and
grandmother of the infant Prince Sebuza,'' Tuys said,
turning to her, ''shall govern as queen regent until
Sebuza is a man and fit to become king."

Labotsibeni straightened up and a smile lighted up
her hard, old face. However, I noticed that she did not
even look at Tzaneen.

"Those are the orders of him who Buno made guard-
ian of Swaziland," Tuys said, talking to both, ''and Oom
Paul, the great induna of the Boers, has placed thou-
sands of white warriors at his command to see that these
orders are obeyed."

Tuys then asked each queen if she would obey, and
both promised they would. He told them that he would
come with a great army and take their country away
from them if he heard that they had broken their prom-
ises in the slightest degree. This was the end of the con-
ference.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

In this way the Boer Government recognized Labot-
sibeni as the regent of Swaziland until the proper time
for Sebuza to become king and thus showed the way for
a peace which lasted nearly twenty years. Shortly after-
ward the British also agreed to this arrangement, and
it is said that they did so after talking the matter over
with Oom Paul and Tuys.

However, this was not the end of our job. Umzulek
had to be reckoned with. If he was not taught his lesson,
it was quite likely that he would continue making trouble
and sooner or later bring on a civil war. When the two
queens had gone^ Tuys called into conference the com-
mando leaders and arranged a plan for Umzulek's
benefit.

Because he knew that some of Umzulek's men were
imdoubtedly watching us, we made a feint of starting
for home late that afternoon. We camped in the Valley
of Heaven, as though intending to return to Rietvlei.
The kaf&rs at the kraal near which we camped were
told that we expected to reach the Valley of Reeds in
about three days, and they undoubtedly passed the in-
formation on to Umzulek's scouts.

Not long after midnight we were in the saddle and on
our way to Umzulek's kraal. Tuys knows Swaziland as
well as he knows the Transvaal, and we went by a route
that did not take us near either Zombode or Lebombo.

When Umzulek's warriors came out of their kraals at
Stegla shortly after dawn they rubbed their eyes in
amazement to see us drawn up in battle array on two

145

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

sides of their village. Our men were so posted that they
could rake the kraals with rifle fire and not one kaffir
would be able to escape.

There was great activity in the kraals when Umzulek's
men found out what had happened* In a little while
several made attempts to get away in the direction of the
hills, sneaking out from the unguarded sides of the
kraals. They did not get. far. Burghers on fleet ponies
turned them back, and there were no further attempts to
escape.

Tuys knows how to handle natives. He knows that
they are more terrified when they do not know what
is going to happen than they are of an actual calamity.
For that reason he made no move to declare himself.
All that Umzulek's warriors knew was that they were
surrounded by a band of determined white horsemen
with rifles ready for action. I saw hundreds watching
us with apprehension, and there was almost a panic in
the village.

Finally some indunas came forward, waving their
shields and making all sorts of peaceful overtures. Tuys
was rough with them. He commanded that Umzulek be
brought before him without delay and said that his men
would open fire within a few minutes if he did not come.
The indunas fled into the main kraal with the orders,
and Umzulek came out with almost unseemly haste.

He was a masterful-looking savage. Much like Buno
in the face, he was not so tall, but seemed stouter. His
body was huge, his legs massive, and his fine head and

146

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

bulging forehead showed the cunning and brains for
which he was noted. Except for a short assegai,
Umzulek was unarmed and wore nothing, not even a
loin-cloth or plumes.

He came directly to Tuys and threw up his hands in
salute. There was nothing cringing about him, in spite
of the fact that he was trapped.

"Nkoos, you have sent for me?" he asked, his voice
sonorous and heavy. I noticed that he looked into
Tuys's eyes without flinching. He was not even nerv-
ous.

"I sent for you yesterday," Tuys answered slowly and
severely, "and you sent back the foolish word that you
were sick. You disobeyed my orders. For that your
life is forfeited! Shall I give the word that means
death, or will you listen and obey the order I now
give?

Umzulek showed no fear. He met Tuys's eyes with-
out a tremor.

"Nkoos, white brother of my brother, Buno," he re-
plied after a moment, "do your will ! I am not afraid
of death. If I live, however, I shall obey your orders."

Tuys then became very angry and talked to Umzulek
as roughly as he could. In spite of this, the savage chief
never lowered his eyes, although he promised obedience,
Tuys ended by telling him what he must do to avoid
trouble in the future. Previously he had informed him
of the arrangement by which Swaziland was to be gov-
erned.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"You will remain here at your kraal from now on/*
Tuys told him, ''and shall never go to Lebombo or Zom-
bode without my permission. You must not concern
yourself with the government of your country and must
keep peace here in your own district. If I hear that
you have broken your promise in the slightest degree,
I shall come with a great army and kill you and all yoiu:
people!"

Umzulek admitted that he understood this plain
speaking, and the interview ended with his curt dis-
missal. Even then, beaten as he was, he returned to his
kraal with his head up and dignity unruffled. I had a
feeling that he would keep his word, and he did until
years later, when Tuys sent for him to assist in saving

•

the throne for Sebuza, who, by the way, was his nephew.

The return trip to Rietvlei was made by easy stages.
Our horses were pretty tired and they were allowed to
rest as much as possible. There was a general feeling
of relief among the burghers, although some of the
younger ones did not hesitate to regret that there had
been no fighting. They expressed the opinion that it
would have taught the Swazis a lesson they would long
remember if an impi or two had been wiped out. Tuys
made one significant remark to me as we came in sight
of Rietvlei,

"With Labotsibeni on the throne for the next twenty
years," he said, "I 'm afraid that the tribute will cease.
Oom Paul will save two thousand pounds a month and
I expect that I won't make so many visits to Lebombo.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Labotsibeni must behave herself , and it looks to me as
though I won't have so much business in Swaziland as I
have had."

He was thinking of the wrestling matches with Buno
and mentally regretting the fact that his big pockets
would no longer bulge with gold. However, Tuys had
done rather well ; public report had it that these tussles
gave him the start toward his f ortune.

140

CHAPTER X

War with England— Siege of Belfast— Our boyish impi attacks the British-
Ghosts defeat us — Jafta*s friendship— English troopers do tlie ''sport-
ing things— Umxulek still planning deviltiy— Death of Klaas, our
jockey — Father sends me away to get an education.

AS soon as we reached Rietvlei my father and Tuys
closeted themselves in his office. Mother told
me that there was trouble between the British and Boers
and that my father had received certain orders from
Oom Paul Kruger. None of our little army had left
Rietvlei when Tuys came out of the house and sum-
moned its leaders.

"You are all to go to your homes,*' he said, "and there
wait for orders. There is serious trouble with the Eng-
lish and Oom Paul commands that all stand ready for
whatever may come. Gkni grant that this is not war.''

There seemed to be a divided sentimart about this.
Some of the leaders, particularly the younger ones, did
not appear to dislike the thought of war, but the old
men drew long faces and looked very grave. However,
they all mounted and before long the last had left. I
did not realize then that I would never see them all
again. The shadow of war was over the land and many
of our troop were later killed.

A short time after our return from Swaziland word
reached my father from President Kruger that he was

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

to visit the leading Boers of our district and get their
opinion regarding the suggested war with England.
War was practically inevitable at that time and my
father found the sentiment almost overwhelmingly in
favor of it. He counselled against fighting England,
because he knew of the unlimited resources of the empire
and how impossible it would be for us to win. Knowing
my father's astuteness, the old Boers listened to him and
were almost won over to peace, but just then word came
that war had been declared.

Immediately the whole country blazed up. Every
farm and settlement sent its men, all mounted and
armed with the best Mausers and hunting rifles, and in a
trice the Transvaal and Orange Free State were on
the war-path.

It was our misfortune that the British broke into
our part of the Transvaal first. When we heard they
were coming, we took everything of value and moved to
Belfast, which had been fortified and where we were pre-
pared to stand a siege. I shall never forget the excite-
ment of those days. My mother was in delicate condi-
tion and the whole thing was a terrible hardship for
her. For me, and for the rest of us boys, it was a great
and glorious lark !

The air was filled with stories of battles, and before
long streams of wounded men were sent from our field
forces to the improvised hospitals in Belfast. We boys
used to watch these caravans with intense interest and
would run errands for the wounded and bring them

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

presents. These farmer-soldiers were our heroes, and
we were proud of the saying, "For each Boer, five Eng-
lishmen,'" this being the ratio our fighters claimed was
about right.

However, it was not long before we began to find the
British could not be stopped and one morning, late in
1800, Belfast was besieged by forces under General
Paul Carew. We suffered many hardships and I soon
realized that war was a grim and earnest business. My
mother would pray continually that our peril in Bel-
fast be ended either by victory of our troops or their
speedy surrender to the British. She made the vow that
her unborn child should bear the name of the victorious
general, and when, on the eve of the triumphant entry of
the British into Belfast, a little daughter was bom,
she was given the name of Paul Carew, with the prefix
'*Impi," which, in addition to meaning a regiment, is
also the Zulu word for war.

My sister, Impi, certainly lives up to her name. De-
termination and fighting spirit are her chief character-
istics, and she is equaUy at home in handling wild horses
or obstinate kaffirs. In addition, she is one of the best
rifle shots in the Transvaal and can beat any one of her
sex when it comes to a race on foot.

General Carew constituted Belfast a British base, and
the countryside was raided and ravaged by the troops
making it their headquarters. Hardly a farm escaped*
and even to-day there are ruins that recall those dark
days. But two rooms of our home in Belfast were habit-

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

able and it was in these that we lived. The main British
camp was directly in front of our house, and the situa-
tion galled me. I hated the British for driving us out
of Rietvlei and for ruining our home, and before long I
declared war on them on my own account. What hap-
pened is a good example of the way the English treated
us,

I gathered all the boys of the town, that is, the dozen
white boys, and drilled them as my impi. Sibijaan, be-
ing black, was not allowed to take part in our war. I
considered it beneath me to let him fight with me against
other whites. We armed ourselves with stones and sticks
and late at night made a concerted attack on the British
headquarters, which had been established in the ruins of
the local hotel.

We smashed all the windows, and the officers and or-
derlies came tumbling out in great haste. The sentries
did not fire on us, but there was a general rush in our
direction which resulted in our capture. When we were
brought before General Carew, he asked what we
thought we were doing. None of us could talk Eng-
lish and the questioning was done through an inter-
preter. I informed him that we were loyal Boers and
had declared war on the English.

General Carew looked at me very severely and asked
me if I was ready to be shot for a treacherous attack
after the town had surrendered. This was a new thought
for me, but I stood to my guns and defied him. How-
ever, I did not like the idea of being buried in the local

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

cemetery where we boys had seen so many British and
Boer soldiers ahready put away.

After a few more questions, all of them with the
most serious face and a gravity that could mean nothing
but evil for us, the general delivered sentence. It was
that we were to be taken to the improvised mess-room
and fed all the jam, biscuits, tea, and sugar we could
eat! I remember that I was very proud to be given a
tin of jam for myself alone. My sister, Ellen, had been
one of our attacking party and she shared equally in
the spoils of our captivity.

But this treatment did not pacify us. Next night
we made another attack, and this time we were really
punished. We were captured and tied to the veranda
posts of some houses nearby. Now this would not have
been bad, if we had not been superstitious.

During the days following the victorious entry of
Grcneral Carew into Belfast, we boys had been intensely
interested in a number of wagons loaded with the bodies
of British soldiers. These wagons were driven down the
main street and the bodies buried in huge graves, often-
times eight and twelve to a grave, in the local cemetery.
The tale was soon started that the ghosts of these sol-
diers walked about the main street at night.

After we had been tied to the veranda posts it sud-
denly occurred to me that We would most likely see
these ghosts, and I mentioned this pleasant thought to
my fellow-prisoners. Immediately there arose a wail-

154

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ing and weeping; our brave little army cried to be al-
lowed to turn tail and depart to its beds.

Of course the British did not know what was the mat-
ter. Ellen, instead of being tied up like the rest of us,
had been taken into the mess-room and given more
crackers and jam. She came out in a hurry to see what
was the matter with us. I told her between gasps of
horror, and she ran in to the mess and through the inter-
preter told the colonel. She said later that he regarded
it as a huge joke for a little while, but then, when she
became anxious for us, gave orders that we were to be
freed. We scurried home with all speed as soon as the
hated "Tommies" turned us loose. This was the end
of our little war against the British. We might fight
them, but when it came to ghosts we lost our nerve.

In spite of stories that have been spread about the
Boer War, there was always a fine sporting spirit be-
tween our people and the British. A good example of
this was what happened to one of my older brothers.
Jafta, the Mapor king, was concerned in this.

My father had prospered greatly in the Valley of
Reeds, and when the war broke out owned inunense
herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. Soon after Belfast
was taken he decided that it would be a good thing to
move his stock into the northern and more remote parts
of the Transvaal. One of my older brothers, two uncles,
and a neighbor undertook the trek with the stock.

Such a trek is slow and tedious work, and shortly
after they started out a galloping outpost of about

155

ADVENTUBES IN SWAZILAND

thirty Britishers came upon them. The Boers fled.
Their horses were tired and trail-weary and they had
to leave the stock without a chance to obtain a remount
from the horses they were driving. They broke for the
mountains, and zigzagged about until they came to the
kraal of Jafta, the Mapor king.

They hoped to get fresh horses from him, but Jafta
had already been terrified by the British and feared he
would be shot if he helped or sheltered any Boers. He
explained his position to my brother and begged that the
party leave inunediately. His horses had already been
confiscated and he could give them no remounts.

But the Boers decided to rest awhile and ofi^-saddled
their worn horses, who soon found their way to the river
bank where they could drink and graze on the tender
grass. Jafta was very nervous and urged the party to
saddle and get away.

His anxiety proved justified, for while they were
arguing they saw the squadron of British horse coming
at a gallop less than a quarter of a mile away. It seems
that kaffirs had seen the Boers and betrayed them.

Jafta was in a quandary. The safe thing for him to
do was to order his impi to seize the Boers and then turn
them over to the English. While he was making up his
mind one of my uncles ordered his companions to pick
up their saddles, bridles, and rifles, and duck into Jafta's
royal hut. As they were doing this he shouted some in-
structions to Jafta.

A moment later the Britishers reached the entrance to

156

<i'

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

the kraal. Jafta, escorted by his indunas, went to meet
them. Their c^cer was impressed with his regal air
and recognized him as king of the Mapors. They shook
hands, and then, through his interpreter, the officer
asked about the four Boer fugitives.

"Yes, Nkoos, they were here," Jafta admitted, "but
I was afraid to give them any food or help. They were
very tired and their horses were tired also. But they
went on."

'How long ago was that?" the Englishman asked.
When the sun was over there," said Jafta, pointing.
He indicated a space of about an hour.

"Well, we must pursue them," said the officer.

"But you look tired," suggested the wily Jafta, "and
your horses are over-taxed. Won't you rest a while and
have some tswala and refresh yourselves? Already it
is the hour when there are no shadows (midday) and it is
time to sleep."

The Britisher let himself be lured from the stem
path of warlike duty and accepted. The horses were
turned loose to graze and drink, and the Englishmen
partook heartily of tswala and soon dozed off to sleep.
The Boers, inside the hot hut, could do nothing, so they
too went to sleep. It was a funny situation, had it not
been so serious. These enemies were peacefully asleep
within a few feet of one another.

About three o'clock there was a general stirring and
every one waked up. The British troopers had never
seen the inside of a royal kraal before, and they asked

167

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Jafta if fhey might be shown about. The king imme-
diately assented and appointed some of his indmias to
act as guides. It was all new and interesting to the
Englishmen and they were soon about fifty yards away
from Jafta's hut.

This was the chance the Boers were waiting for.
They slipped out and gathered up the Britishers' equip-
ment, including firearms, and stowed it in the hut. A
pistol was poked into Jafta's belly and he was also put
in his '"palace." A few moments later the Englishmen
returned and found themselves facing the Boer rifles.
They surrendered.

Everything was well with our party and they could
have made their escape, taking as many of the British
as they wanted as prisoners. But they knew that the
Mapor king would have to pay for his duplicity, and
thus decided that he must be protected.

Whereupon they opened a discussicm with the com-
mander of the British party. They informed him that
they would take all the Britishers as prisoners to their
own headquarters unless he agreed to the proposition
that they made It was this: First, the Enghsh must
swear not to give evidence against Jafta at their head-
quarters; second, they must allow the Boers to have
four fresh horses; thirds they must give the Boers a
certain start before again taking up their pursuit If
the British would agree to these conditions, the Boers
would call everjrthing square and each party would for-
get that it had ever met the other.

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ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

This proposal struck the British as a good sporting
chance, so they accepted it. Everything was agreed
to as demanded. Since there was no reason for further
hostility for the time being, the Boers returned their
arms and equipment to the British and both had a
merry feast that i>ight, during which they consumed all
of Jafta's tswala.

Next morning the Boers left at dawn and did not
see these Britishers for some time. Strange as it may
appear, these same parties later met in a battle not far
from Jaf ta's kraal and one of my uncles was shot. The
same British officer was in command of the troops who
captured him and saw that he was treated with every
consideration, making him feel more like an honored
guest than a wounded prisoner-of-war. This officer, by
the way, remained in South Africa after the war, and he
usually visits Rietvlei every Christmas and is regarded
as one of the best friends the O'Neil family has.

During the Boer War, Oom Tuys was held account-
able for the peace of Swaziland by both our people and
the British. It was contrary to agreements to use kaffirs
in the war, and Tuys made several trips to Zombode, the
seat of Labotsibeni, to make sure that the Swazis were
keeping out of the conflict. Later I heard him tell my
father that he kept both Labotsibeni and Tzaneen quiet
by pointing out to them that a word from him would
bring the war to their country.

On one of his trips Tuys dropped in to see our old
friend Umzulek and came back with the report that the

159

JkDVEXTTBES IN SWAZILAND

biAr dkKf «:ttf ■M'fc'^^'y his own business and obeying
iM^lier& Howf^nar. ke mside Tuys a proposition that
dk>w<^ bun to b^ :$till willipg to make trouble, if it were

"Tbe old r;i:$cal suggested that he make a demonstra-
tiott wLkh alt bis impis against our borders.^ my uncle re-
porttfd. ^If he made a great enoo^ showing, he
thought, and news of it reached Oom PanL our Presi-
dent would be willing to pay him tribute to keep the
peace. It seems he has been thinlnng about Buno's
monthly gift of two thousand pounds and the gin that
went with it. He has a sort of feeling that it is a shame
to kt this money get out of the family I The crafty beg-
gar only hinted at his scheme at first, but I finally
soH^ed him out and he admitted what was in his
mind.^

^^What did you tell himf my father asked, glancing
at Tuys keenly. Father remembered the days of Buno,
when ugly rumors used to float out ccmceming Tuys's
activities in Swaziland.

"I told him to go to heU," Tuys exclaimed, "or I
would come with many rifles and send him there!"

Inasmuch as Umzulek could have no conception of
what my uncle meant by "hell", since the Swazis have
no such place in their daily thought, it is safe to assume
that Tuys was using a figure of speech. Nevertheless,
he gave Umzulek to understand that it would be un-
healthy for him to start a row along the border.

We were still living in Belfast when the war came to

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

an end. Our home at Rietvlei was in ruins and it was
almost a year before my father was able to get a portion
of it rebuilt. However, before returning there we lived
for a time in Potchefstroom, where my father had in-
terested himself in some gold properties. Prospecting
was always fascinating to him and he was usually suc-
cessful in these ventures.

His English secretary remained in Belfast, safe-
guarding his interests there and making frequent visits
to the homestead in the Valley of Reeds. Our kafiir
farmers and servants had been widely scattered by the
war, but soon began to drift back. Each told a different
tale of his wanderings, and many of these were quite
harrowing. A number of our people had escaped to
Jafta's kraal and not a few had gone into Swaziland
until the war ended.

Klaas, our old jockey and one of my dearest play-
mates, had disappeared during the second year of the
war, but one day my father told me that he had returned
to Rietvlei. Father was about to make one of his
periodical trips to Belfast and the Valley of Reeds, and
he promised to bring Klaas back with him to Potchef-
stroom.

He drove out to Rietvlei from Belfast and found
Klaas very glad to see him. The little fellow was thin
and worn-looking, but scrupulously clean. Father in-
stalled him again as his driver and next day started back
for Potchefstroom. A mile or so from the old house
father got out of the wagon to inspect a plantation.

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He was about seventy-five yards from the wagon
when a threatening thunder-storm broke and a single
bolt of lightning killed Klaas and both horses! This
was a great blow to all of us, because we had ccxne to
regard the little black boy with genuine affection.

Not long after we returned to Rietvlei — such a happy
homecoming as it was I — my father decided the time had
come for me to get an education. Many of the old Boers
frowned upon the thought of sending their sons abroad
to be educated, feeling that they would never care to
return to the farms their ancestors had founded in the
wilderness with such bravery and determination. My
father, however, was different. He believed that his
sons should be abreast of the times, and he sent me to
boarding-school and later to universities in Scotland and
America, where I received my training as a physician.

162

CHAPTER XI

Back to Rletvlei from Harvard — I locate in Ermelo — Tnys brings news
that Sebuza is to be crowned king of Swaziland — I decide to make a
picture record of the coronation — ^The trek to Zombode to get the royal
permission — Snyman plays ghost and almost gets killed — Visit to Mba-
bane, capital of Swaziland.

SOON after my graduation from Harvard Uni-
versity I returned to the Transvaal. I had been
away for years and it was good to get back to the Valley
of Reeds. Years in Scotland and the United States had
left their stamp on me, and my family and old friends
chaflFed me about being an "outlander," telling me that
now I was an American. I may have had some of the
externals, such as the clothing I had had made in Cam-
bridge, but my heart was still the heart of a Boer and
I was glad to get back to my own people.

Father was proud to have a son who was a physician
and arranged a reception at Rietvlei to which all his
friends and acquaintances came. I was the hero of the
hour, and it seemed strange when Tuys and some of the
old men who had known me as a boy called me "Mzaan
Bakoor." I had not heard my native name for years,
and it brought back my boyhood and the little playmates
of the toy-factory days.

Sibijaan was a grown man and a fine figure of a
savage. He greeted me with effusiveness and saluted
me native-fashion as soon as we had shaken hands,

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Father told me that he had been very useful about
the house and was well trained. Then he told me that
Sibijaan belonged to me and was to go with me wher-
ever I went. When I spoke of this to my old playmate,
he was surprised that I should mention it.

"Nkoos, what the ou baas says is so," he said. "I have
never thought it would be otherwise. When we were
children your mother gave you into my charge. Now
that you are a man and I am a man, again I take up the
trust r

This suited me. I realized I would have to have some
dependable boys and I knew that Sibijaan was faithful,
honest, and more intelligent than any kaffir I had ever
met.

Meeting Tuys again brought back the several visits
we had made to Swaziland, and I asked him how things
had gone with our friends, the royal family. He said
that the old arrangement was still in effect and that
Umzulek had settled down for good and was behaving
himself.

"Queen Labotsibeni is blind now, but she still rules as
regent," he said, "and Tzaneen is taking good care that
no harm comes to her son, Sebuza. This young savage
is growing into a man and already has gathered about
him several impis. He is an insolent cub and will be
hard to manage when he becomes king. As the crown
prince he is running wild, and it seems he has been im-
pertinent to the British Resident at Mbabane."

Tuys then told me that he expected to make a short

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trip to Lebombo and Zombode and asked me if I wanted
to go along. My father, however, seemed to think I had
"better get over that foolishness*' and settle down, so I
told Tuys I would go with him some other time.

Next came the question where I was to practice medi-
cine. There was a good doctor in Belfast, who was a
friend of our family, and it was suggested that I join
him. This, however, did not please me. I wanted to
be "on my own" and make my own career. This de-
lighted my father, and after some discussion we decided
that I should locate in Ermelo.

This was a little town of about fifteen hundred whites
and several thousand kafiirs, in the heart of a fine farm-
ing and grazing section in the southeast section of the
Transvaal. It has an elevation of about a mile and is a
delightful spot. However, I must admit that the fact
that Ermelo is only a little more than fifty miles from
the border of Swaziland finally decided my choice.

After a few weeks with my family I started for Er-
melo. Instead of making an attempt to get there by
rail, Sibijaan, Tuys, and I trekked overland and had a
most delightful trip. Seldom a night but we met with
friends of my father, and they always gave a warm wel-
come to "the O'Neil from overseas." It seems that these
simple people had wondered over my absence, feeling
that I would be too learned to ever want to associate
with them again. They were intensely interested in the
Um'ted States, and many an hour I spent telling them
about its wonders. I happened to have pictures of New

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York among my dumiagey and I dug these out and
showed them. Naturally, the towering "skyscrapers"
were a most wonderful thing to these Boers, many of
whom had never seen a building of more than two
stories. I always remember the remark made by one
bearded patriarch when he looked at the photograph
of the Flatiron Building.

"This is a modem Tower of Babel," he said, pointing
at the structure with a stubby forefinger. "These Ameri-
cans must be good and religious people or Gkxl would
throw down such a tower 1"

When I explained to him that it was built of steel
covered with stone and told him that there were many
other greater buildings, he was impressed, but not
astonished.

"If it is God's will, these Americans will conquer the
world," he concluded.

I then told him that war had been forced on America
and her armies were even then in France fighting the
Germans. He knew a good deal about the war and was
naturally an enemy of England, which meant that he
was friendly to the Germans. The fact that America
had been forced into the confiict carried great weight
with him, however, and I had a feeling that his pro-
Germanism was much weakened by this knowledge.

I quickly found a home in Ermelo and settled down to
practice medicine. My work there was hard but inter-
esting. Its chief delight was the fact that I spent most
of my time outdoors. A round of visits soon meant that

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I would be gone several days, spending most of the time
in the saddle. Many trips could be made by motor,
particularly the periodical ones to the mines, but most
of my Boer patients lived where motors could not travel.
Except for the mining companies which had appointed
me their resident physician, my patients were all white
people. The Boers are a hardy lot and hate to admit
that they are ill. Hence, when I received a call to a
Boer farm, I always expected the worst and was seldom
disappointed.

Bit by bit my practice increased, and I began to re-
gard Ermelo as my permanent home. There were a
number of pleasant people there, both English and
Boers, and we lived a very contented busy life. Sibi-
jaan turned out to be a valuable servant and did every-
thing for me that he could. Of course I made bun head
boy about my place, and he kept the other servants in
good order and saw that all things went right.

Oom Tuys stayed with me frequently, and his visits
were always welcome. He wandered about the Trans-
vaal a great deal and was a source of information of
all sorts. It was in December, 1018, that he brought
me news that interested me deeply.

"I have come from Zombode,*' he said, "and there is
hell to pay in Swaziland. Old Labotsibeni tells me that
Tzaneen and her right-hand man, Lochien, are plotting
to have Sebuza made king and are making preparations
for his coronation. Lomwazi, who is a son of the old
queen and acts for her, tells me that Labotsibeni will

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not give up the throne. She will have to die if she does.
As you know, it is the Swazi custom to sacrifice any
ruler who loses the throne, and the old girl does n't want
to be killed.

"It looks to me as if there is going to be trouble.
I talked to Lomwazi and his mother and told them it
was the agreement that she was to remain regent until
Sebuza came of age, and that the Boers and British
both would protect her when the young man was made
king. This seemed to reassure them, but I do n't think
Labotsibeni and her crowd want to lose control. Yes,
Owen, I think there is going to be trouble in Swaziland."

We talked the matter over, and I agreed with him
that things were going to happen soon in Swaziland.
The Swazis had been at peace too long a time for such
a warlike nation and it would not take much to start
a war of some sort. The fact that Prince Sebuza was
to be made king stood out above everything else, and
I made up my mind to see the ceremonies.

About this time I had become interested in the cine-
matograph. Moving-pictures were a hobby of mine,
and it suddenly occurred to me that it would be a fine
thing from an historic and educational standpoint to
take some reels of Sebuza's coronation. Tuys told me
that this would probably be the last affair of its kind,
and it seemed to me that a cinematograph record of it
would be most valuable and instructive.

I suggested this to Oom Tuys, and he agreed with
me.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"But you *d better arrange to take the pictures," he
cautioned me. ''It would be just a waste of time to
rush into Swaziland with a camera and take a chance.
We don't know when the coronation is going to take
place, and what 's more, we don't know that the Swazis
would stand for your taking pictures of it. The witch-
doctors might tell them that you were putting some sort
of a curse on them, and then where would you be?"

This put another light on the matter, and Tuys finally
advised me to see Labotsibeni and get her permission
to film the ceremonies when Sebuza was made king.
I was afraid that I might not be able to get what I
wanted from Labotsibeni, so I asked Tuys to help me.
This he agreed to do, arranging to meet me in Zom-
bode. This meant quite a trip for him, because the
British objected to his going into Swaziland, owing
to certain activities there in the past, and he had to go
in through Portuguese territory. I have forgotten what
reasons the government had for not wanting Tuys to
visit Swaziland, but the officials evidently had not for-
gotten — Britishers seldom do, particularly when the
matter aflFects one of their principalities.

So it was arranged that Tuys should slip into Swazi-
land through Komatipoort, a town on the border be-
tween Portuguese East Africa and Labotsibeni's coun-
try. I was to leave as soon as I could, and we would
meet at Zombode and there transact our business with
Lomwazi and the old queen.

I arranged for another doctor to handle my patients

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

while I was away and then set about making prepara-
tions for the trip. News of my venture soon got about,
and I was deluged with requests to take friends along.
If I had given in to them all, I would have invaded
Swaziland with an impi. As it was, I took Laurie
Snyman, a cousin of mine, and Joel Biddy, the account-
ant of the little bank in Ermelo. Snyman had some
years before been postmaster at Mbabane, the govern-
ment seat of Swaziland, while Biddy had been a useful
friend on many occasions.

We had some interesting adventures on the trip, but
suffered intensely from the weather. Heavy storms
dogged us all the way and made life miserable. We
traveled light, but the rains prevented us making good
time. Our outfit consisted of a wagonette, drawn by
mules, in which we had intended to ride. Sibijaan was
our cook and general handy man, while the mules and
wagonette were in charge of Tuis, a half-breed Basuto
bushman.

The rains made the roads so heavy that it was all the
mules could do to drag the wagonette. Hence we had
to walk practically the entire way, and it was "foot-
slogging" of the hardest. Tuis was a very obstinate
kafiir and made a nuisance of himself on every opportu-
nity. If we had not needed him so badly, I would have
either killed him or sent him back.

One of the features of the trip was the fact that both
Sibijaan and Tuis were constantly ilL That is, they
said they were. The only medicine which seemed to help

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them was gin, and they would frequently feign illness
to get some. Now and then I would refuse, and then
Tuis would give an exhibition of sulking that was won-
derful. Of course it is strictly against the law to give
alcohol to kaSirs in the Transvaal, but the fact that
it was administered as "muti," or medicine, made the
act less criminal. Those boys of mine, however, needed
"muti" frequently, but the rain was a sort of justifica-
tion, for I know that we white men were only able to
keep going by using it.

On the second day out of Ermelo we ran into the
Scottish section of our country. The little villages
there have such names as Lochiel and New Scotland,
and the people are quite as Scottish as these names.
In fact, we were able to get some oat cakes at one of
the farm-houses. These would have been rusks, had
the people been Boers.

Although our trek had been miserable enough so far,
we did not have any real trouble until we reached the
Masuto River. It was swollen by the heavy rains and
the ford was washed out. Instead of the usual clear
rivulet, it had become a raging torrent of muddy water.
We had to cross it or go back, so we made camp on
its bank and held a council of war. All our blankets
and supplies were soaked through, and a fire could not
be started. We were just about as imcomfortable as
we could be.

Just when we were beginning to despair, a Scotch
civil engineer showed up. He was building a bridge

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over the Masuto, his entire working force consisting of
kaffirs. He proved a cheerful person and made light
of our troubles. This was well enough for him, since
he had a good camp a short distance away, while we
were marooned on a desert of dampness. I suggested
to him that we would appreciate some hot tea or coflFee,
but he carefully refrained from inviting us to his camp
to have some. Instead, he told us that we could get
what we wanted from Oom Van der Merwe, who had
a farm not far distant. The Scotch are a careful and
canny people I

We trudged over to the Boer farm and received a
cordial welcome. They received us with open arms and
insisted that we remain there for a few days, or at least
until the rain stopped. This we could not do, since
I had made the Zombode appointment with Tuys and
did not want him to have to wait so long that he would
give us up and leave Swaziland.

The farmer's womenfolk gave us all the hot coflFee
we would drink, and then supplied us with bread, butter,
milk, and the hind quarter of a sheep. We returned
to our thoroughly soaked camp very reluctantly and
passed a most miserable night.

Next morning we tackled the problem of getting
across the Masuto, which had risen further during the
night. The Scotch engineer came to our assistance
with good advice, and this is all he would have oflFered
had I not discovered that he had several cables stretched
across the river. After much argument he agreed to

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let us use one of the cables to get the wagonette and
supplies across. This was done, although with great
difficulty.

Knowing we would have to swim for it, we white
men had put our clothes in the wagonette. The kaffir
boys did not wear enough to matter. The Scotchman
consoled us by telling us that we were a ludicrous sight,
and we must have been! There we stood, naked, cold,
and disgusted, our entire possessions on the far bank
and facing the prospect of swimming the turbulent
river, driving the mules across at the same time. How-
ever, it had to be done, so we plunged in. The current
was strong and we crawled ashore a full half mile below
the wagonette.

True to his bastard breed, one of the mules turned
back in midstream and proceeded calmly to the take-
off bank of the river. We had to swim back and get
him, but it was adding insult to injury when he tried
to run away and we had to chase him through the long
grass and imdergrowth of, the river's edge. Finally we
captured the brute and then swam the river for the
third time as his watchful escort.

We were dead tired when we reached the wagonette
and faced the stiff climb to the top of a little mountain.
The road was in the worst possible condition, so we de-
cided to camp for a day or two until the weather became
better. As things were, we could not have gone on,
anyway.

As soon as camp was pitched, we looked about a bit

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and discovered the ruins of an old Boer farm-house a
little way up the river. There was a trickle of smoke
coming out of the chimney and this encouraged us to
visit the place as soon as possible. The thought of fire
was heartening; it meant hot things to drink and pos-
sibly warm food. When I came close to it I saw that
there were two rooms, badly roofed over, but the black-
ened walls showed that the old house had been quite
an imposing building.

My knock was answered by a young Boer with wild,
hunted eyes. He looked us over as we stood there in
the pouring rain, and a moment later smiled graciously
and invited us in. When the door closed he ceremon-
iously extended his hand and we shook hands all around.

"Strangers seldom come during the storms," he said,
"and I was surprised to hear your knock. I was cook-
ing some coffee in the back room and now I shall add
enough for all of us.'*

This was a welcome thought to us, and in a little
while our drooping spirits were revived by the hot drink.
Then we cooked the food we had brought with us and
had a merry party. It seems the young fellow was
quite bucked up over having visitors and he did well
by the gin we had brought with us.

But still it rained outside! It came down as it only
can in the Transvaal, and that means a steady, relent-
less downpour which looked as though it would last
for days. We decided to make ourselves as comfortable
as possible, and our host insisted that we take over his

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND t

house. He was a very pleasant fellow and before long
we were good friends.

It seems that the old house had been the home of
his parents and grandparents. It was a pioneer home-
stead and had been burned by the British during the
Boer War. Both his parents had died there and the
place had never been rebuilt. He had been born in
the room in which we rested and he told us that he hoped
some day to rebuild and make his thousands of acres
profitable.

Bit by bit we got the story of the place from him.
It had been destroyed in retaliation for some act of
treachery, for which, he assured us, his parents were
not responsible. I asked him if he did not get lonesome
living there by himself and suggested that he ought to
get a wife to keep him company. My question opened
up a queer side of his character, and then we under-
stood the hunted look in his eyes.

"By day," he said slowly, "I don't mind being here
alone. In good weather people cross the river and
come to me to buy things. I have a store, you know,
and sometimes as many as five or six come each week."

This was news to us. We did not see any evidence
of a store, but this probably explained the small boxes
and bundles in the back roomi.

"It is the night that is terrible," he went on, lowering
his voice as though afraid of being overheard. "Those
who died here come back and look into the windows
and cry out with awful voices. They cannot rest, and

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must come back to this place where they were killed.
Some of them are our people and others the British, and
sometimes they fight the battle over again!"

For a moment I thought he was guying us, but a
glance at his eyes told me that he was in deadly earnest.
Snyman and Biddy caught his spirit and egged him
on to tell more ghost stories. Now the ignorant Boer
is very superstitious, so that it was not long before
we had all kinds of ghosts loose about the place. The
young Boer took the stories seriously, and those two
rascals soon had him quite terrified. A sudden burst
of thunder made him jump as though he had been shot.

Well, we told ghost stories and tales of other super-
natural visitations for some time. Then, the rain let-
ting up a bit, we went back to our camp, to find that
Sibijaan had finally succeeded in getting a fairly decent
fire going. Before leaving we had bought the store out.
It only contained quantities of "flag" cigarettes, coffee,
and yellow sugar, but we took all we could get. The
Boer assured us that he had sent to Ermelo for a large
stock of goods which would be at our disposal as soon
as the roads allowed it to be brought in.

Late that afternoon it looked as though the stormy
weather was breaking away, and this cheered us up.
We planned to start at dawn next morning and make
up for lost time by forced marches. Shortly after dark
Snyman announced that he was going to visit the young
Boer again. He went out, leaving Biddy and me smok-
ing our pipes in the tent.

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Snyman had been gone for about half an hour when
the stiUness of the night was shattered by a succession
of rifle shots. They came from the direction of the
ruined house. We could hear some one shouting, also,
and each outburst was followed by more shots.

With one motion I snuffed our candle and dived to
the wet floor of the tent. Biddy was almost as quick,
and swore softly when his face hit my heels. We neither
of us could imagine what was taking place, but our
training taught us that the ground was the safest place
when people began shooting wildly.

We had hardly got our breath when Snyman dashed
into the tent, falling over us and almost pulling it down.
He had been running hard and was fairly gasping for
breath. Presently he recovered sufiiciently to loose a
volley of profanity in Dutch and English. When he
calmed down a little — the shooting had stopped by this
time — we asked him what all the shooting was about and
why he had returned in such haste.

"Why, that poor ignorant fool thought he could
shoot a ghost!" he said, beginning to laugh. "I went to
see if there were any ghosts around his old house, and
when I did n't find any, I felt that he ought not to be
disappointed, so I played ghost for him. I sneaked
about the house and hid in the old ruins, making all
sorts of creepy noises. I must have scared him until
he went crazy.

"I was just beginning to enjoy myself when his light
went out. Then I thought I had scared him off the

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map. But I was wrong, very wrong I He must have
opened the door quietly, for when I started out of the
ruins he opened up with his Mauser. I dropped flat,
but it seemed to me that a volley of bullets crawled
down my back. A moment later he started shooting
in another direction, and then I got up and ran. I 'U
bet the springbok does n't live that could have caught

So this was the explanation of the sudden firing.
We examined Snyman and found that two bullets had
gone through his coat, showing that even in his fear the
young fellow had shot like a true Boer. Snyman did
not seem much upset over being shot at, but was quite
indignant at the fact that the ''ghost hunter" had used
a rifle.

"It just shows the ignorance of these back-country
Boers," he said, ruefully examining his torn coat. "This
damned fool spends his nights quaking because he
thinks his old farm is full of ghosts, and then he takes
down the ancestral rifle and goes out and tries to kill
them. As though he could shoot a ghost!"

Before dawn the next morning the young Boer ar-
rived at our camp. While he was taking coffee with us
he related his adventure of the night before. He seemed
to have no suspicion of Snyman, who must have done
a wonderful job. According to his story a whole bat-
talion of British ghosts had attacked his stronghold.
He described their wailing and threatening cries, and

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then told how he had finally driven them off with his
father's rifle.

He was so earnest and pathetic that we all felt sorry
for him. His ignorance was extraordinary, even when
his isolation was considered. We were sorry to leave
him, and I remember looking back as we climbed the
hill road to see him looking wistfully after us.

The roads were so bad that we had to walk, and it
was not until the third day that we reached Mbabane,
the official capital of Swaziland. This is about fifteen
miles over the border, and the village is on the top of
a low mountain. Mbabane is the new capital of Swazi-
land and was founded in 1904. The old capital, Brem-
ersdorp, was destroyed by our people during the Boer
War.

The long slopes leading up to the village are nearly
all covered with plantations, which have been laid out
by Robert L. Dickson, head of the Swaziland Trading
Company. The settlement is a most picturesque and
charming place, and there are a number of pleasant
English people dwelling there. These white families
live very well, and I can safely say that Mbabane is the
most delightful place in that whole section of the Trans-
vaal.

Mr. Dickson is a remarkable character who has lived
in South Africa practically all his life. He is now about
sixty-five years old, and no visit to Mbabane is complete
without at least one cup of tea with him and his wife.
Mrs. Dickson is a lovable old lady whose chief worries

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seem to consist of guarding her vegetable plantation and
finding her glasses.

The morning we called on Mr. Dickson, she came in
and asked if he had seen those errant glasses. His eyes
twinkled when he answered, "No, my dear, but I 'm
sure you '11 find them in the cabbage patch!" She had
been there during the morning and his guess was cor-
rect, for one of the black boys found the glasses draped
over a young and hopeful cabbage.

Of course Mr. Dickson invited us to dinner, and this
led to a typical and amusing incident. Mrs. Dickson
ordered her cook to prepare some chickens for the meal,
and the cook sent some of the Swazi servants to get the
fowls.

Now a friend of mine, John Pythian, engineer at
the tin mines nearby, lived next door to the Dicksons.
He was a chicken fancier and had some very fine birds.
As luck or indolence would have it, Mrs. Dickson's
servants caught some of his chickens instead of her own.
Pythian's servant reported this to him — he was still in
bed at the time — and he instructed his boy to tell Mrs.
Dickson's Swazis to return the chickens.

Stronger in courage than judgment, the boy attacked
the enemy and there was a battle. It was short, how-
ever, because Mrs. Dickson heard the row and chased
Pythian's boy away. By the time he reported to his
master, the chickens were slain. Pythian then sent his
boy to get the native police, and these soon arrived.

Mrs. Dickson protested and argued that her boys

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were innocent, but about this time, Mr. Honey, Britisli
Royal Commissioner for Swaziland, came on the scene
in all his majesty. He held an impromptu court and
heard both sides of the cjtse. After deliberation, in
which we all tried to assist him, he delivered his verdict.

"From the evidence I judge that Mrs. Dickson's boys
are innocent in that they did not realize they were kill-
ing Mr. Pythian's chickens," he said. "However, the
chickens have been killed on the order of Mrs. Dickson,
so I think the only thing to do is to arrest Mrs. Dick-
son!"

Whereupon Mrs. Dickson became indignant and de-
manded that the conmiissioner carry out his sentence.

"If he does," she said threateningly, "I can guarantee
that the High Commissioner for Swaziland is going to
feel very low in his mind before I invite him to dinner
again !"

Thus the chicken-stealing ended in a joke, and
Pythian was one of the gayest at dinner that night.
He remarked, however, that it was no wonder that the
roast chicken was so choice, since the birds had been
imported all the way from some place in India!

During the meal I sat next to the Commissioner and
brought up the question of the crowning of the new
Swazi king. I wanted to find out what the government
thought about it before I made final arrangements at
Zombode.

"There seems to be a diflFerence of opinion regarding
this pup, Sebuza," he said. "It looks as though there

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might be a row either before or soon after he is made
king. Of course he is the heir to the job, so there can
be no good reason for keeping him out. However,
Labotsibeni has been a steady old girl and has kept
fairly good order around Zombode, and it's a shame we
can't keep her. But she 's over one hundred years old,
and now Lomwazi seems to be fairly running Swazi-
land. Sebuza will have to be king some day, but it
will be good policy to maintain present conditions as
long as possible. We have peace now, and I 'd dislike
to see anything happen that might start a war."

I could see that the Commissioner was none too
anxious to have Sebuza take over the throne. This
suited me, for I knew that it would be some time before
I was equipped with the right outfit to take the pictvu*es
I was after. If Sebuza*s coronation could be put oflf
for a year, it would suit me even better.

All the white residents of Mbabane treated us with
the greatest kindness and hospitality. They could not
do too much for us. There are a number of interesting
things about the settlement. It is essentially a little
English village set down in the heart of the most primi-
tive and savage principality of the empire. Like all
the rest of the English who exile themselves from home,
these people had brought a little bit of the motherland
with them.

The jail, or "gaol," as they insist on writing it, is
an institution in Mbabane, but I must say there is not
much punishment about it. The prisoners wear the

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convict garb, but you meet them all over the village.
They are usually working in the gardens, and I have
often run across them three and four miles from their
penitential abode. No prisoner has ever been known to
escape; perhaps the regular food has something to do
with this.

There are a nimiber of interesting characters who live
in Mbabane year in and year out. One of these is
Allister Miller, a man of remarkable personality, energy,
and business ability. He has several immense ranches
and owns more than fifty thousand head of fine cattle.
His bulls have been imported from all over the world
and his cattle have made him a very rich man. Swazi-
land is an ideal stock-raising country and it is estimated
that the Swazis themselves own more than three hun-
dred thousand head of cattle.

Probably the most interesting character in Mbabane
is known to every one as "Matt." He is an accountant
by profession. His nose has made him famous, and I
am sure there is not another like it in the whole world.
It is immense in size and has all the vivid tints of the
"rum-nose" that distinguishes the confirmed tippler. All
strangers are advised to see Matt's nose or count their
visit to Mbabane a rank failure.

There are a number of stories about him, one of the
best being about his experience as an inmate of the
gaol. It seems that he was accountant for a trading
company and had made a mess of its books. Money
was missing and he could not account for it. Although

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it was felt that he had not taken it, yet he was respon-
sible and was sentenced to gaol for six months. Now
the warden of the gaol trusted Matt and put him to
work on the books. In addition, he used to loan Matt
to do little jobs of carpentering and painting at houses
in the village. This led to trouble. The little tin shanty,
by courtesy "The Hotel," was much like some of the
saloons in the "cow towns" of the old West in the
United States. Ranchers, traders, and adventurers
would congregate there and tell stories while they drank
gin, whiskey, and combinations of the same. Matt was
m the habit of passing the "hotel" each evening on his
return to the gaol, and soon the roisterers began in-
viting him in to have a drink or two.

One night there was a particularly joyous party, and
Matt drank so much that he forgot to return to the
gaol on time. It was midnight before he got there,
and the jailer had already gone to bed. Matt went to
his house and woke him, and this annoyed the official
very much. So much so, in fact, that he refused to
get up and let Matt into the gaol. Matt was reduced
to the ignominy of returning to the hotel and bunking
there. Next morning he made a charge against the
jailer for not allowing him to serve out his sentence I
Commissioner Honey discharged him and reprimanded
the jailer for neglect of duty.

Some years before Snyman had been postmaster at
Mbabane and had made many friends, with the result
that he had a most enjoyable visit. The morning we

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left to continue our trek to Zombode he was approached
by Manaan, an old Swazi chief, who wanted to shake
hands with him. Manaan was a typical kafBr, and Sny«
man told me a story about him which well illustrates
the characteristics of the breed.

"When I was at the post-oflSce here," Snyman said,
"Manaan and some of his sons went to the Transvaal
to work in the gold mines. According to the law, their
money was deposited for them in the savings-bank at
Johannesburg, and the whole amount was put in the
name of the old chief. I was still postmaster when
Manaan and his sons returned to Swaziland.

"One morning I was very busy when I saw Manaan
standing at the door. Of course he would not enter
until I spoke to him. I grunted at the old boy and he
came in, with the usual 'Nkoos!' and his hands flimg
up. He stood at the counter for a while, waiting for
me to speak to him.

"Finally I asked, 'Ou funaan?' which means 'What
do you want?'

" 'Ou f una mali 1* he answered, meaning 'I want some
money.*

"Then the old boy walked over to the comer of the
room and sat down. From the top of his majuba, or
loin-cloth, he produced a little bundle wrapped in an
abundance of dirty rags and tied with some leather
thongs. Then he knelt down, as is the custom of the
Swazis, and proceeded to spread out the contents of the
bundle.

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"When he unwrapped the outer cover there was
another and yet another, the last covering being the
hide of some small animal. After this was undone there
was a paper wrapping, and inside this was his savings
account deposit bookl This he presented to me with
pride.

" 'Ou shiai intzinga; ou funa mali/ he said, which
meant 'Telegraph to the place where this money is de-
posited; I want to draw it/

" XungUi/ I replied ; 'wati nalie e'lali bapa ou buia
mfigo uti zouk mali/ which meant, 'When the sun is
over there come back and I will give you the money/

"I thought I would get a reply by sunset, and Manaan
arrived promptly after I had heard from Johannesburg.
He entered on my recognition, stacked his knob-kerrie,
shield, and assegai in the comer, and came up to the
coimter.

"I counted out the money to him. There were
twenty.four pounds, and ten shillings for interest. This
I had to explain to him, and when he understood that
it was a gift he spent the next ten minutes in praising
the white men. He was so accustomed to being taxed
and paying for everjrthing that to get these extra ten
shillings was a shock.

"Manaan then went over to his comer, knelt down,
and counted the money over six or seven times. He
would take it up, examine it, and put it down again and
again. He seemed fascinated by the sovereigns. Finally

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he gathered it up and walked over to the counter. Piling
it up in front of me, he said :

" 'E'musla implea mene bonela e^begga panzil* which
means 'Very nice indeed! I have had a look at it; it is
wonderful 1 Now please put it away again!'

''I felt like a fooL I had cancelled his account, and
now the old nuisance wanted to re-open it and put his
money in the bank again. But of course I did it. All
Manaan wanted was to see and feel his money, so that
he would be sure it was still there 1"

187

CHAPTER XII

I meet Labotsibeni again — Flattering a savage queen — Explaining the
**little black magic box" — Curing rheumatism with tooth-paste, vase-
line, and hair oil — ^Women as currency — Gin, gold, and cows pay for
the picture rights— The ^^flu** strikes— Jennie, the ''blaau app", and
the peacocks' tails.

FROM Mbabane it is only a short distance to the
top of the mountain from which the descent is
made into Ezulweni, the beautiful Valley of Heaven.
As we reached the top I pointed out Sheba^s Breasts
and the Place of Execution to my companions. These
peaks could be seen far off to the right, where the sun
picked them out in the early morning mist.

Coming down the mountain was hard work, the grade
being one in four at many places. We walked, because
it would only have made it harder for the mules if we
had kept our seats in the wagonette. At the bottom of
the steep trail stands the place of Harry Niles, an old-
time trader who has settled down there. He has a pic-
turesque little home and has surrounded the house with
banana trees, papayas, and semi-tropical fruits. Niles
is a charming old man who retired from active business
to live out his remaining years in this garden spot. He
has no interest in outside affairs and lives an ideal
existence, if one likes that sort of thing. His likes and
dislikes are quickly expressed, and this is probably one

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of the reasons that make him contented with his life
of isolation. If he likes you, however, he can be more
hospitable than any one I know. He will feed you with
the most delicious salads, fresh meat, and other delica-
cies, and there is always something rare to drink. His
salads are famous, so that his few friends in Mbabane
often make the hard trek to his little home to share one
of them.

Coming into the Valley of Heaven from Mbabane,
instead of from Rietvlei, made it a much shorter dis-
tance to Zombode. We wanted to get there as soon as
possible, since we had already been delayed by the
wretched weather, so we only had a drink with Niles and
then pushed on. He told me that he had heard that the
Swazis were getting ready to acknowledge Sebuza as
king, but he had no definite information about it.

"What's more," he added, "I don't give a danml
Just so long as these royal niggers keep out of my way
I 'U keep out of theirs. They know better than to bother
me, and it makes no difference to me who is king!"

Shortly before we came in sight of Zombode, Oom
Tuys came riding down the trail. A Swazi runner had
brought word that we were coming, and my uncle had
come out to meet me. I was very glad to see him and
he was as cheerful as ever. He told me that he had had
no difficulty in getting into Swaziland, as he had come
in through Komatipoort, but he understood that word
had gone to Mbabane that he was at Zombode and he
wanted to cut his stay as short as possible.

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^'It is a shame that the great British Empire should
hound one poor lone Boer trader,'* he said, his eyes
twinkling, "and I feel very much afraid. I hate to dis-
turb the peace of mind of the High Commissioner, so
I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."

Then he began to plan with me how to get our busi-
ness over as quickly as possible. I had not been to
Swaziland since my youth, and things were different
now. Instead of our being met by a welcoming party
of indimas, only a few curious savages and a horde of
children came out to watch us arrive. The former proud
formality of the royal kraal seemed lacking, and when
I asked Tuys about it he explained that since Queen
Labotsibeni had become blind ''the old customs had
gone to seed,"

There was still one formality about seeing her, how-
ever. This consisted of announcing your presence by
sending her a bottle of gin and then waiting until she
sent for you. Tuys explained to me that the old queen
was terribly vain and desired, above all things, to be
flattered. She liked to pretend that she could still see,
and Tuys warned me under no circumstances to admit
that I thought she could not.

"You want to look out for Lomwazi, my boy," he
added. "He has more brains than all the rest put to-
gether and is a very wily devil. He never leaves the
side of the old queen, and she can't say a word that he
does n't hear. Look out for himl"

He also advised me to keep my eye on Debeseembie,

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a brother of Lomwazi and the favorite son of the old
queen. Debeseembie was another faithful watchdog of
the royal hut and was always somewhere around.

This was the first time I had seen Labotsibeni since
I was a little boy, hence I was keenly interested in her
apart from the fact that I hoped to obtain her permis-
sion to take pictures of Sebuza's coronation. It is
well to observe here that I use the word "coronation"
for lack of a better term. The Swazi king wears no
crown, and I suppose the right but awkward phrase
would be to speak of Sebuza's "induction as king."

Lomwazi came out to meet us as we entered the royal
kraal and readily agreed to convey the gin-present to
his royal mistress. When I slipped him a bottle for
himself, his haughty expression immediately became one
of joy. A little gin goes a long way with the Swazis.

In a very short time he returned and said that the
queen would see us. In addition to the present sent
ahead when an interview is desired with the queen, it is
also proper etiquette to leave a present when the inter-
view is over. Knowing this, I took along a present —
that is, another bottle of gin.

Now the royal kraal at Zpmbode was built with a little
kraal inside the main one, and in the middle of that was
Labotsibeni's reception hall or audience chamber. This
was the most unusual building in Swaziland. It had
brick walls about four feet high and was about ten by
fifteen feet in size. The arched grass roof was about
head high in the middle, but one had to stoop low to

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enter, because the three openings were only the height
of the brick wall. No one has ever explained how these
bricks came to Zombode. There are no bricks in Swazi-
land and it struck me as extraordinary that I should
see them there.

Liomwazi led us to the reception hut and we waited
for him to announce us. I could see Labotsibeni lying on
a mat in the center of the floor with a nimiber of her
women and warriors about her. She seemed very fat
and huge, and very very old.

^'Nkosikaas! All powerful Queen of SwazUand/*
Lomwazi chanted. ''Oom Tuys and Mzaan Bakoor,
great white indunas, have come to see you. They bring
presents and would be overjoyed forever if you would
look upon them and accept their great tribute!"

Some of this was true, but all of it was the proper
sort of thing at Zombode. Labotsibeni listened intently,
and when her vizier finished she spoke in her old cracked
voice :

''Tell my white sons that I am proud to welcome them
to Swaziland and will grant them an audience."

Thereupon we entered the hut. There were at least
a dozen maids-of-honor attending the old queen, and
several of these spread mats for us to sit on. Some
of these women were working on freshly tanned hides
from which they were fashioning skirts, and the odor
of the skins tainted the air of the hut. I am accustomed
to this smell and do not find it unpleasant, but both
Snyman and Biddy soon had all of it they could stand.

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The old queen lay on her stomach with her head
propped up by her hands. Within easy reach was a
pile of leaves, and at intervals she would take one of
these, wipe her lips and fingers with it, and thrust it
through the open doorway. Her hands were small and
beautifully shaped and her nails were spotlessly clean
and perfectly manicured. Later I learned that her
maids spent hours taking care of her hands, their only
tools for manicuring the royal nails being bits of broken
bottle-glass.

Remembering Tuys's warning, I complimented her
on her looks, beautiful hands, and the cleanliness of her
hut and kraal. I told her that her royal abode was an
example for all the other native kings of the Transvaal
and generally explained to her what a superior person
she was. She listened intently to my flattery and appre-
ciated it greatly.

Near her was the bottle of gin we had sent ahead. It
was more than half finished and she took a drink while
I was delivering my flattering oration. She reached for
the bottle and Debeseembie assisted her to get the drink
by pouring out more than half an earthen mug full of
the fiery liquid. With one swallow she gulped it down,
and then almost choked. This gave me my cue, and I
told her how moderate she was and how refined in her
way of drinking gin.

"Why, Nkosikaas, if I were to give Jafta, king of
the Mapbrs, a bottle of gin,*' I said, "he would n't stop
drinking until he had finished it, and then he would soon

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ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

become drunk. Whereas, you, with your royal dainti-
ness and delicacy, drink your gin like a queen!**

This thought pleased her much and she thereupon
took another drink, which practically emptied the bottle.
Of course I do not know that she had ccmsumed the first
half of that bottle, but she certainly drank enough in
our presence to intoxicate any normal person. It was
strange, but it did not seem to have much effect on her.
When she spoke and drank, I noticed that her teeth
were perfect. This, at the age of more than one hun-
dred years, is a great tribute to the Swazi custom of
cleaning the teeth with charcoal or sand after each meal.

There was nothing private about our interview.
While we talked indunas came and went and the wcxnen
were always in the hut. In addition, both Lomwazi
and Debeseembie were on hand all the time. After we
had exhausted all our compliments and small talk, Tuys
broached the subject of permission to take pictures of
Sebuza's coronation.

Here we ran against what seemed to be an insuperable
obstacle. It was impossible to make either the queen or
Lomwazi understand what I wanted* They had no con-
ception whatever of what a photograph meant and
motion-pictures were entirely beyond their comprehen-
sion. Both Tuys and I tried in every way to make them
understand, but it was hopeless. Finally I decided that
the only thing to do would be to take a picture of Lom-
wazi or the old queen and show Lomwazi what I was
talking about.

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I persuaded him to get Labotsibeni to allow herself
to be carried outside the hut into the sunlight, and there
I took a picture of her. Then I photographed Lorn-
wazi, Debeseembie, and a group of others. I explained
to them that I would show them the pictures the next
day, as I hoped to have them developed and printed
by that time. After the picture-taking we went back >
inside the hut, and then the old queen became more
friendly and told me her troubles. It seems she suf-
fered with rheumatism in the shoulders and back. This
was due to the fact that her upper body was usually
bare and that she laid in the draught between the open-
ings of the hut. When cold, she would cover herself
with a magnificent fur rug, but this did not help her
rheumatism much.

On hearing of her aches and pains, Tuys's evil genius
gave him an inspiration and he proceeded to get me into
a pretty pickle.

''Nkosikaas, you are in great good luck that we came
to see you," he told her. "Mzaan Bakoor is a great
white witch-doctor and makes the muti (medicine) that
cures such pains as you have. He will make the muti for
you and will cure youl"

Labotsibeni appeared much cheered by this sugges-
tion. I was not, however. I had no medicines with me
and would gladly have kicked Tuys for making the
offer. Shortly after this we left the queen, with the
understanding that I was going to make the medicine

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that would cure her rheumatism and would bring it to
her as soon as it was ready.

When we got back to our camp I blessed Tuys with
a real Boer outburst of profanity.

"Why, Tuys, we '11 make the old lady think that we
are the worst sort of fakirs," I told him. "She won't
grant me the right to take the pictures when she finds out
that we have fooled her. You have made a fine mess
of things!"

But Tuys laughed and laughed and laughed. He
thought it was one of the funniest situations he had ever
seen. Looking back at it, I can see the humor of it,
but at that time I did not find it amusing. Tuys told me
I would have to go through with it and produce medi-
cine that would at least make his word good. So I went
to work. All I had with me were some toilet neces-
sities. The "muti" was compoimded at length, and this
is the way the prescription read: Two oimces each of
tooth-paste, vaseline, and hair-tonic. These I beat up
until they were a loose paste and then placed them in a
glass jar bearing a very vivid label. This jar had held
my photographic chemicals.

With impressive solenmity we returned and presented
the muti to the queen. Then I explained the treatment.
Her maids were to take doth soaked in hot water and
apply it to the aching parts until she could stand it no
longer. Then small portions of the muti were to be
thoroughly rubbed in until the pains departed.

Ail this impressed Labotsibeni, but she insisted that

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the "great white witch-doctor'* Apply the treatment. I
had to do it — ^that is, if I wanted to keep her favor.
For an hour I massaged the old woman, and when the
last of the muti was rubbed in she announced that her
pains were gone and promptly fell asleep. The hot
cloth, as I had guessed, took the aches out of her shoul-
ders and back and the villainous muti bluffed her into
a cure, which was good for the time being at least. It
was a fine piece of chicanery for a graduate of two of
the greatest medical colleges to have to practice, but
it did the trick !

Next morning we went to the royal hut as soon as
we were sent for. The same gin ritual had to be fol-
lowed, and we found the old queen quite happy and a
trifle under the influence of the liquor. The pictures
had turned out well, and Lomwazi was amazed to see
himself in all his barbaric beauty. He is one of the
strongest men in Swaziland and is very vain concerning
his athletic prowess. One of his greatest sports is to
wrestle with any one who will stand up to him, and he
seldom loses. Hence, when he saw himself in the pic-
tures, he felt very proud. Immediately he christened
the camera "the white man's magic" and told Labotsi-
beni all about it. I watched this talk, and it was
pathetic. Lomwazi explained as best he could what we
had done and then handed his mother the picture of her-
self, telling her to look at it. She held it close to her
eyes, and then said :

"The white man's little black box is very wonderful 1

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It must be a good magic or my son would not recom-
mend it so highly/'

If she had been able to see, she might have remarked
that the picture was a remarkably good likeness. It
was the only time she was ever photographed, and it
seemed a shame that the old queen could not appre-
ciate it.

Again we brought up the question of permission to
take the coronation pictures. I explained that we
wanted to do the same with Sebuza as we had done with
them. This seemed to be all right, and we were getting
nearer our goal when Lomwazi brought up the question
of paying for the royal permission. He knew that the
white man was not asking this favor for fun, and it
came to him that we ought to be made to pay for it.

"Nkoos, you have come far to ask this permission,"
he said. ''You have trekked through the rain and sun
and it has cost you time and money to get here. You
would not have done this if the queen's permission was
not of great value to you, would you ?"

I had to admit that I was not there entirely for my
health, but minimized the importance of the pictures to
myself personally.

"These pictures will show the glory of Swaziland to
the whole world," I protested. "I shall carry them over
the great waters to all the countries and there show the
people what a wonderful land this is. I will show the
English, the Boers, and all others that Sebuza is a real
king. I will show the entire world that the son of Buno

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and the grandson of Queen Labotsibeni rules one of
the greatest nations in the whole of Africa!"

This oration flattered the vanity of the old queen and
practically settled the question. Even the primitive
Swazi values publicity. Labotsibeni agreed that we
should have the royal permit to take the coronation pic-
tures, and the next question was what I would pay.
This was debated for some time. I tried to make Lom-
wazi set a price for the permission, while he, cunning
beggar, tried to get me to make an offer.

Now the Swazi has only a few standards of value.
He recognizes the fact that women, gold, gin, and cattle
have values that are stable everywhere. These values
are about as follows:

One gold pound buys one cow;

Five cows buy one woman ;

One quart of gin buys whatever it will, according
to the degree with which it is desired by a Swazi.

Five cows, however, are not a standard price for all
women. Only the women of the plain people are valued
at so low a figure. If the women to be bought are of
good family, that is, if they are the daughters of in-
dunas, they are worth more than five cows. I have
known princesses to be bought for as much as fifty
cows. These were the exception, however, since these
girls were the daughters of a high chief.

I was prepared to offer cattle, gin, and money, and
had brought along a certain amount of the latter. Lcnn-

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wazi, however, started the deal with women as his
coimters.

'"How many young wcxnen, all maidens, are you pre-
pared to give?'' he asked«

"'It would take too long a time to get the women,"
I objected, ''and I don't wish to trade women for the
permission. I am ready to pay a small amount of gin
and money, and perhaps some cows, but I cannot get
women now."

"Can't you get ten or fifteen women, Nkoos?" Labot-
sibeni asked in her husky voice. "My son, Lomwazi, has
but few wives and I have so few maids. It would be
very agreeable if you could get a small number of
women."

LfOmwazi agreed with her in this, and I had to argue
for some time to get out of the woman phase of the
bargaining. Oom Tuys, although he knew it was
against the law for white men to buy and sell women,
pooh-poohed my scruples and told me to turn him loose
and he would get me all the women I wanted. How-
ever, I remained firm in my refusal and the dickering
took another tack.

"Well then, we '11 buy the women we need," Lom-
wazi said. "Mzaan Bakoor, you will have to give much
gin and money, and also cows. The queen has decided
that one thousand pounds, one thousand quarts of gin,
and one thousand cows shall be the price."

The old queen nodded her approval. I had not seen
her confer with her vizier and realized that he was acting

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on his own authority. This showed me his power and
how much the old lady trusted him. I then set out to
get the price down to where we could really talk busi-
ness. I had an idea that Lomwazi did not know how
many there were in a thousand, but had used that figure
as a basis for the deal.

When I suggested that the thousand figure was pre-
posterous, he reminded me that it was only as many as
there were men in the royal impi, thus proving that he
actually knew what ''one thousand'' meant.

We talked back and forth, Labotsibeni every now
and then putting in a word. The upshot of it all was
that I agreed to pay five hundred gallons of gin, five
hundred gold pounds or sovereigns, and five hundred
cows for the right to take the pictures.

Oom Tuys thought I was a fool to give them so much.

"That is a tremendous price to pay for a few reels of
these savages," he said; "particularly, when there is a
good chance that you will not be ready to take the pic-
tures before the coronation takes place. To protect
you, I shall make them promise to keep you informed
as to when the show will take place, so that you can get
on the job."

He then pinned down the old queen, Lomwazi, and
Debeseembie to a solemn promise that they would send
me word as soon as preparations were under way to make
Sebuza king. It is a point of honor among the royalty
and high chiefs of the Swazis that their word is good,

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started a preposterous yam about bow I bad stolen
^Jennie'' from old Queen LabotsibenL Tbey said tbat
the monkey was ber conscJaticm in cJd age and tbat I
had decoyed it away, tbus breaking tbe aged queen's
heart.

This was not tbe last of "'Jennie,'' bowever. Tbe
young doctor wbo bad taken over my practice was carry-
ing on well, and be adopted tbe monkey. She bad tbe
run of tbe place and was quite contented in ber new
home until one morning we were awakened by a fearful
row. Tbe peacocks next door were screeching at tbe
top of their lungs and their owner, a gruff old English-
man, was out on tbe lawn using very bad language.

I ran out — ^and found '"Jennie" up a tree with ber
hands full of the long tail-feathers from several of the
proudest peacocks ! It took me some time to pacify tbe
Englishman, who demanded her life and was calling
for his shotgun. Finally I smoothed tbe troubled
waters, but '"Jennie" was not allowed to run loose after
tbat.

Having obtained the picture rights, I was anxk>us
to have them taken properly. I scouted about, but could
not find the equipment or camera-men I needed, so I
decided to go to New York and get them. Oom Tuys
agreed to watch things in Swaziland and delay tl^
coronation until I could get back* I felt I could trust
him to protect me, so I started to make arrangements
for my overseas trip.

This was not any too easy, because tbe war bad dis-

204

,i^=««ft.

LL^^\

Fashion ii ax infleiil

:^J-: : _£„

SWAZI WOMEX AT HOME

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

arranged sailings and there were not many ships touching
at Cape Town. However, I soon saw in the paper that
there was a freight steamer in port which was to sail
direct to New York. I knew the skipper and tele-
graphed him that there was an emergency that required
my sailing with him.

"If you care to take a chance," he wired back," join
the ship, as soon as you can."

Just as I was leaving, Tuys reached Ermelo with a
message from Lomwazi that Sebuza would be crowned
within the next two months. This made me all the more
anxious to be gone, and I left Tuys with the understand-
ing that he would do his best to delay the coronation
until I got back from New York.

205

CHAPTER XIII

I start for New rork — ^Tbe religioos atmosphere on shipboard — ^''Fla'*
attacks the Jayaoese — ^Tlie missionaries refuse to help — Sharks as
scavengers — ^The little mother's end^ — Evils of liquor — Assembling my
party in New York — Passage as freight — St. Lucia and a little excite-
ment— The thin magistrate — Released on balL

WHEN I reached the ship I found the reason for
the captain's peculiar telegram. He had more
than three thousand Javanese on board whom he was
taking from the East Indies to Paramaribo, Dutch
Guiana. From there he would go on to New York.
These people were practically deck cargo, since there
were no accommodations for them inside the ship.

While making arrangements for my cabin, I found
that there was a woman who also had to go to New York.
Although my friend, the captain, objected, I gave up
my cabin to her and agreed to share the cabin of an old
Javanese gentleman who was supposed to be in charge
of the others. He was very primitive and ignorant,
but spoke Dutch fluently, and I learned a great deal
about Java and the East Indies — ^that is, while he lived,
which was not long.

The first night out of Cape Town there were twenty-
foiu* of us at the long table in the saloon. All the
officers ate with us, and there must have been sixteen
or seventeen passengers all told.

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Most important of the passengers were seven Amer-
ican missionaries returning from their godly work in
the waste places of Africa and the East Indies. They
were most conspicuous at all times and did everything
possible to keep table conversation confined to religious
topics. I chummed with a Canadian who represented
an American agricultural firm in South Africa, and
we soon became weary of religion at all meals.

"Theit 's a place for everything in this world," he
said one morning after breakfast, "but I '11 be damned
if I want to combine kippered herrings with my soul's
salvation!'*

It was not long before both of us were in the bad
graces of the missionaries, who did not hesitate to mur-
mur that "it was no wonder that the savages did not
heed the call of Christ when the white men of their
country were so irreligious!"

About the third day both the Canadian and I had
had our fill of the missionaries. We were thinking of
asking the captain to allow us to eat at another hour
when something happened that changed the whole
aspect of the ship. I had gone to my cabin to get some
"smokes" when the little old Javanese crept in. He
answered my cheerful greeting very quietly and then
shut the door. I could see that something had hit him
and that he wanted to talk. So I sat down on my
bunk, wondering what the trouble was.

"Doctor, there is great trouble among my people,"
he said in a low voice. "Last night eleven of them died,

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and now they are dying all the time. Some terrible
plague is among them and they die, they die!"

This startled me. I had not noticed that there was
anything amiss forward, but then I remembered I had
spent practically all my time aft. Instantly there came
to me the recollection of the sudden deaths of my friends
at the ford of the Masuto River. I asked him what form
the disease seemed to take and he gave me a lot of
rambling details, none of which made much sense. He
was plainly in a blue funk. I told him to stay where he
was and then went to the captain's cabin.

"I was just about to send for you, Doctor O'Neil,"
he said in greeting. ^* Something has broken loose
among those Java coolies and they are dying like flies.
As you know, we have no doctor on board. Will you
go and see what's the matter?"

Then he told me that the first oflScer had buried more
than a dozen the first thing that morning and that he
would have to throw another lot overboard by noon.

"Why, they 're dying like flies," he continued, "and
we 've got to do something to stop it. I shipped a full
three thousand of them, but at the rate they 're going
I won't have a thousand left when I reach Paramaribo!"

So the captain and I went into the forecastle, taking
with us the little Javanese head man. It took me about
five minutes to find out what was the trouble.

"They 've got the *flu' and got it bad," I told the skip-
per. "It looks as though we are in for a bad time."

I was right. Here we were in the midst of nearly

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three thousand ignorant people who had no idea of what
was the matter. All they knew was that the man who
was sick now would be dead in a short time. They sat
about, perfectly quiet, waiting for death. I have never
seen such resignation. In the scuppers there were six
or seven bodies waiting for the first oflScer and his burial
crew. No one paid any attention to the dead; they just
sat about as though stupefied by what was happening.

"There 's just one thing to do," I told the captain
when we got back to his cabin, "and that 's to organize
a life-saving corps and get to work. Let 's get all
the medicine you have and as much brandy as there is
on board and make a fight."

He agreed with me, and we overhauled the medical
stores, finding little of any use in the present crisis.
I have forgotten now what there was, but I remember
thinking that we would have to put our trust in God and
alcohol. I told the captain how inadequate his medi-
cines were and he threw up his hands.

"Who 'd ever expect to get the *flu' on board, any-
way," he asked, as though it were my fault. "X Ve got
all the medicines I need for the usual ailments and
brandy will cure most of the sicknesses that occur on
this ship. I '11 give you all the brandy, rum, and gin
there is, and then you go to it !"

He was panic-stricken and practically told me I was
to take command of his ship, except that he would take
care of the navigation and discipline. I told him the
first thing I wanted was assistants, and asked him to

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summon all the passengers to the saloon. When they
were assembled, I got up and told them what it was all
about.

"These poor devUs of Javanese are dying like rats in
a hole," I said, "and I want volunteers to help me save
them. There is n 't much we can do, and every time
you go among them you stand a chance of catching the
*flu.' They may not be good Christians, but they are
certainly our fellow men and it is our duty to help them !
I want volunteers and want them now. Who will join
my life-saving crew?"

Instantly the lady to whom I had given my cabin
and my Canadian friend volunteered. The others fol-
lowed one by one, with the prominent exception of the
missionaries. I was astounded that they were not
among the first, and turned to them.

"What 's the matter?" I asked, by that time annoyed
at their holding back. "Don 't you want to practice a
little practical Christianity? Are none of you going
to give us a hand in this fight?"

They did not deign to answer. Instead, they looked
at their leader, a tall gentleman with lean jowls, and
he calmly turned and left the saloon. They trooped
after him, and then our captain exploded.

"Of all the yellow dogs!" he exclaimed. "So that 's
the sort of people they send out as missionaries I I 'd
like to throw them all overboard I Why, they '11 hoodoo
my shipl I was brought up to believe a parson put a
curse on a ship, and now I know its sol"

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Well, we pitched in and laid out our fight. It was
a seemingly hopeless job. These Javanese did not ap-
pear to want to help themselves. Their only idea was to
die, if they were called, and there was never a peep out
of any of them.

Men died and were sent to the sharks, leaving their
women mute in their agony; wives and mothers died,
and their men never turned a hair ; children died in their
mother's arms and were cast into the sea without the
least outward sign.

I mention the sharks, but even now I hate to think
of them. They loafed along beside the ship, their
great bodies slipping easily through the water, with now
and then the flash of a white belly as they turned to meet
the falling body. The Javanese were dying at a rate
of between fifteen and twenty a day, and we soon ran
out of weights for their bodies. The sharks increased
in niunber until it seemed as though word had been
sent out that there was a **death ship" on the sea. Be-
fore long they were fighting for the bodies. I watched
one such conflict, but one was quite enough.

My volunteers and I worked day and night to stem
the tide of the "'flu,'' and through it all the ship plugged
along across a sea that was more like beaten brass than
copper. It was hot, very hot, and at night the decks
seemed to steam. Always the impi of sharks kept pace
with us, their bodies throwing up streaks of phosphor-
escence as they lunged for their food. The whole thing

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was like a living nightmare and it seemed as though it
would never end.

Out of the haze of those ghastly days there comes to
me one vivid incident. One of the Javanese women, a
mother of seventeen or thereabouts, had a child of less
than a year in her anns. I first noticed her when she
held up her baby to me as I was going among the suf-
ferers. The look in her eyes was so pleading, so trust-
ing, that I took the little boy from her and examined
him. The baby was as good as dead already. I gave
it a sip of the stuflF I was carrying, and the poor little
thing opened its eyes and looked at me. I knew it could
not live, but smiled encouragement as I gave it back
to the outstretched arms.

It was about sunset that night when the little mother
realized that her son, her first-born, had gone. I was
standing on the companionway, looking down on the
fore-deck and wondering how long the plague would
last, when some of the crew began picking bodies out of
the scuppers and throwing them overboard. The glory
of the sunset seemed a mockery and the thought came to
me that I would be fortunate if I saw many more such
sights. Slowly the young Javanese mother got to her
feet and stood swaying as she wrapped her baby in a
gay shawl. This done, she pressed it to her breast and
began to walk to the rail.

"She is going to bury her son herself,** I thought,
and I was partly right.

She stood at the rail for a moment and then, the dying

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sun bright on her wistful face, turned and smiled at me.
I smiled back, but the smile died aborning, for with one
motion she rolled over the rail and was gone I

I rushed to the place and looked over. The shadow
of the ship was broken by some swirling streaks of
phosphorescence, and that was all. There was no sign
of the little Java wife who could not live without her
baby.

That night I asked the old Javanese chief about her.
In his clear Dutch he told me that she was the wife of
a Javanese who had gone to Guiana some months be-
fore. She was to join him and bring his son, of whom
he was very proud, when he had established their home
in the new land.

"Now, how can I tell him about this?" the old fellow
asked. "He will want his wife and child, and I will only
have a sad story for him."

But he was spared this. Early the next morning I
noticed that he was ill, and in spite of all I could do
he passed away before noon. Shortly before he lapsed
into unconsciousness he sent for me.

"I must go with those who have already gone,'* he
said. "They need me and have sent for me. I can only
go if I know that you, the great white doctor, will
guard and care for those whom I leave behind. Will
you do this?"

Naturally, I promised, and that was the last I saw of
him. He was a kindly, simple, old soul and the misf or-

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AD\^XTUIIES IX SWAZILAND

tune of his people would have broken his heart, had he

In a little while the "flu*' began to lose its grip.
Fewer and fewer died each day, and I had begun to
think that the end was in sight when the white lady who
was going to America came down with it. She had been
tireless in her efforts to help in caring for the Javanese
and I was not surprised when she fell ill. She was the
only white perscm aboard to catch the "flu.*' We
did everytiiing possible for her, but she died on the
second day.

As her body went overboard the captain read aloud
from the Bible, choosing the passage, "Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends." This struck me as particularly appro-
priate, since she had truly given her hf e for those Jav-
anese. After her death the "flu" devil seemed satisfied
and abandoned us. Before the end, however, we had
lost more than twelve hundred of the Javanese I

The missionaries kept close to their cabins during the
whole "flu" visitation, only appearing now and then on
the afterdeck. They even gave this up as soon as the
captain suggested that the wind might carry "flu" germs
to them. In spite of their protestations, they had to eat
with the rest of us or go hungry. The captain insisted
on this point, since he felt that they deserved no con-
sideration and it was also highly entertaining to watch
their indignation when we all took a stiff nip of brandy
with our meals. They spoke of what a great thing pro-

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hibition was for the United States, and every time they
said it they would look meaningly at the Canadian and
me. In fact, after the "flu" left us the missionaries
varied their religious conversations by giving table-talks
on the evils of liquor. I remember how shocked they
professed to be when I told them how much old Labotsi-
beni liked her toddy and how we always brought it to
her when we visited Swaziland.

When we reached Free Town, in the Barbadoes, an
incident happened which was very amusing, but which
these fanatics used to point out the evils of liquor. I
knew some people there, and the Canadian and I went
ashore and called on them. Of course there was "'a
party," and we enjoyed ourselves in free and easy
fashion.

Now the ship lay about a mile off port, because there
was not sufiicient water to allow her to dock. We went
ashore in rowboats and came back in the same way. The
deck was reached by a thirty-foot ladder, which is not
the safest sort of footing at best. On our return from
the party my friend missed his step at the top of the
ladder and fell plump into the sea. There were a num-
ber of boats about and he was fished out without diffi-
culty. The captain and I regarded the mishap as a good
joke on the Canadian, but at dinner that night the mis-
sionaries used it as the text for an extended discoiurse
on the evils of strong drink.

One female missionary told us a story which led to a
retort that is worth repeating.

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"Forty-odd years ago three prominent Philadelphia
doctors decided that drink and tobacco were the two
great evils of the world," she said, "so they agreed never
to touch either as long as they lived. They agreed that
they would all meet after forty years and see how they
compared with their drinking, smoking, dissipating
friends. All lived up to the agreement faithfully. Then
they met in Philadelphia as before, and were amazed to
see how energetic, health-perfect, and generally superior
they were to those who remained of their friends. They
were now between seventy and eighty years old and yet
were as active as men scores of years younger.

"This proves conclusively," she concluded, "that all
the ills of old age are directly due to drink and tobacco."

Naturally, we agreed with her. This, of course, we
should not have done, since the fanatic gets no pleasure
unless able to argue for his creed. My Canadian friend,
however, could not contain himself.

"Dr. O'Neil told me a similar case this morning," he
said quite seriously. "It was about his uncle. This
uncle is now one hundred and five years old and is be-
ginning to worry about his health. Not long ago he was
talking about drink and tobacco and told the doctor here
that he had smoked steadily since he was seven years old ;
also that since he was fourteen he had drunk like a fish.
'And look at me,' he concluded; look at me! I know
this whiskey will get me in the end !' "

There was a roar of laughter about the table, but the
seven missionaries did not join in it. Instead, we went

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out of their lives forever, and in the long days that fol-
lowed, the skipper, the Canadian, and I spent most of
our time together.

The remainder of our voyage was uneventful and we
finally reached New York. Here I found a cable from
Oom Tuys saying that the coronation was to be held soon
and advising me to return as quickly possible.

I realized that no time could be lost and rushed about
the city getting my equipment and party together. I
engaged Dr. Leonard Sugden, the arctic explorer, as
art and field director, William T. Crespinell as technical
expert, and Earl Rossman as camei'a-man. Since they
were to do the work, I had them buy the equipment. A
feature of this was the manner in which the reels of film
were packed. Knowing the difficulties of the Transvaal
climate, Crespinell had them soldered in tins which were
again placed in other tins. These were also soldered and
the air exhausted between the outer and inner tins, so
that the films practically traveled in a thermos bottle.

After assembling my party and equipment, the next
step was to get the whole outfit to Swaziland. This
was a terrific undertaking. The war had so disar-
ranged the world's shipping that I spent days on the
docks of Staten Island and South Brooklyn trying to
find a ship that would take us to Cape Town. Finally,
after almost despairing, I was able to book passage for
Crespinell and Rossman on the steamer "City of Buenos
Aires,*' which went direct to Cape Town. A day later
the captain of a freighter for the same port was induced

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ADVEXTUKES IX SWAZILAND

to include Dr. Sugden and myself in his cargo. He
did not know when he would start, but assured me that
it would be socm.

This was on a Saturday, and I told Sugden to stand
by and wait for word to go on board. I saw that our
equipment was stowed in the forward hold of the ship,
and then went up to Fairfield, Connecticut, where some
friends of my Harvard days were living. They invited
me to stay until I had to sail, and I settled down to
have a pleasant visit. They have a fine farm and a
barbecue was arranged in my honor. This barbecue was
held in the woods, and we were in the midst of it when
a servant came from the house with a telegram from the
captain of the ship. He said that he would sail at eleven
o'clock the next morning!

At once commenced a mad rush. I got Sugden's hotel
on the long distance telephcHie, but they only knew that
he had gone somewhere in the country to spend the
week-end. I hurried back to New York and looked up
every address where I might get information about
him, but was unable to locate him. I kept trying up to
the last moment, but finally could only leave word at his
hotel that I was sailing. I went aboard very low in
mind because his duties with my proposed expedition
were of great importance.

But Sugden is one of those mortals who seldom gets
left. As we swung down the bay past the Statue of
Liberty, I spied a tug c(xmng after us with great speed.
In addition, she was whistling and generally acting as

218

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

though she was trjring to catch our freighter. We were
going slowly, so that in a short time the little craft fussed
up alongside — and there was Sugden waving his hand
from her forward deck! A rope-ladder was lowered,
and a moment later I was gleefully shaking hands with
him.

Now this was to be one of the most memorable voy-
ages of my life — and I have traveled a good deal. To
begin with, we had the worst accommodations I have
ever endured on any vessel. Our ship was only a cargo
boat and there were no passenger-cabins whatever. We
slept in a sort of steerage in the hold, in company with
twelve of the crew. It was the most filthy hole I was
ever in and reeked with vermin, including rats of the
largest and most ferocious kind. The crew were the usual
scum found on such boats and were the dirtiest human
beings I have ever seen. They disapproved of us — and
we of them — ^to such a degree that I often expected they
would try to do us harm. Sugden, however, took all
this as part of the game, and his sporting spirit made
it possible for us to exist. His experiences in the Far
North had made him familiar with all sorts of white
men, but I had never seen such as these. People now
and then speak slightingly of the kaffir, but the Swazi,
with his daily ablutions, is a very superior person when
compared with these so-called "white men.*'

When our ship reached the warmer latitudes our hole
became unbearable and we moved our pallets to the
poop-deck, where we managed to get some sleep in spite

219

ADVEXTCRES IX SWAZILAND

of the terrific raunstomis we ran iiita We f eh that it
was better to be drowned by clean rainwater than to
suffocate and die slowly in our steerage bunks. How-
erer, our miserable existence used to get on our nerves
now and then and we would drown our sorrows with
whaterer liqucn* we could obtain.

There was cxie other passenger on the boat. He was
a typical American of the western type who had lived
in South Africa for years. Every year he made a trip
to the United States and brought back blooded stock
of various kinds. He was the slap-dash, breezy kind of
big-hearted soul and soon became chmnmy with us.
Owing to the fact that he was a regular tripper on this
boat, he was able to share accommodations with one of
the officers.

It soon became his custom to visit us. He would sing
out, 'Xook out below!" and then would creep down the
shaky ladder which was the only means of entry to our
place of misery. Always he brought a bottle, and the
excellent ''hootch," as he called it, did much to make our
lives bearable. He was a good story-teller and would
always introduce a preposterous yam with the preface,
"Now this is true!" We gave him quite a run for his
money when it came to yarning, as both of us had been
about a bit, Sugden in the north and I in the south of
the world.

The first break in the monotony of this dreadful voy-
age came when we reached St. Lucia, in the British West
Indies. This is a gorgeous bit of the tropics set in an

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

opal sea, with cloud-covered mountain-tops that seem to
rake the sky.

■ _

When the ship tied up in the roadstead, Sugden and
I felt that we were due to go on the loose a bit and went
ashore with the express purpose of forgetting our
troubles. We certainly succeeded in doing so, but ended
by j umping out of the frying pan into the fire. Several
of the ship's officers went with us, as they felt there were
events at hand which they must not miss. Our "party"
started at the first hotel we entered. This, it seems,
was exclusively for the colored section of the popula-
tion, for the place fairly reeked with blacks.

After we had had several drinks, Sugden turned to
me and asked :

"Well, what are we here for? What do we want!**
"Excitement I" was my answer, and we proceeded to
get it.

There was a billiard-table in the room, and this, witK
its torn green baize, suggested a battle-ground. We
started a series of fights between the blacks, with a
prize of five shillings to each winner. The conditions
of the battles were that the two blacks should fight on
the billiard-table, the loser being the one knocked off.
There were some gallant battles, and every winner
fairly earned his crown.

The noise of the cheering drew a crowd, and soon the
large bare bar-room was jammed with black boys and
a sprinkling of whites. We whetted our interest by

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ADVEXTUKES IX SWAZILAND

betting (m the combatants, and I was doing quite nicely
when the police broke in and stopped the fun.

There was a squad of these funny black pc^cemen,
led by what I took to be a sergeant. They carried
authority, and the blacks seemed to regard them with a
great deal of respect.

The sergeant wanted to know what I was doing. I
told him that I was conducting a boxing tournament for
the benefit of something or other. He asked if I had
"'official permission/' and I admitted that I had over-
looked this formality.

"Then you are inciting riot and rebellion," he said in
his clipped English. "I arrest you in the name of the
Kingr

At this, Sugden conmienced to laugh. This was a
great mistake, since the black sergeant seemed to think
that we were scoffing at the king. Without more ado,
he invited us to accompany him to the court.

"This, my dear sirs," he said severely, "is a very seri-
ous matter. It is not allowed to stir up strife in His
Majesty's colonies."

The court was in an old-style Spanish house, and the
room was vacant except for buzzing flies. These zoomed
like infant meteors through the narrow streaks of sun-
light from the long windows. The benches were worn
and comfortable, and I remember dropping off to sleep
with the thought that even these flies had more luck
than we did, since they had sunlight and fresh air, while
our home was that dreadful steerage hole.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

I was awakened by Sugden*s elbow. There on the
high bench sat a thin old gentleman all in white. He
had a thin hooked nose much like an eagle's beak, and
his eyes were of the well-known gimlet type. As I
took him in, the sergeant was reciting the charge against
us.

**These are desperate men," I heard him say, "from
the ship now in the harbor. They were in the St. Lucia
Hotel and were — "

"Yes! Yes!" interrupted the thin magistrate in a
voice as sharp as his nose. "But what is the charge?
What have they done? Never mind the oration; get to
the charge!"

By this time I was wide awake. I suddenly came
to a full realization that I was one of those "desperate
men" and found myself deeply interested.

"They were inciting riot and rebellion," the sergeant
went on, undaunted by the magistrate's impatience.
"A boy ran to the police-station and said murders were
being done at the hotel. I called out all the police and
went there as fast as we could run. Inside the billiard-
room were hundreds of whites and blacks, all shouting
with their desire for blood. On the billiard-table were
two black men trying to kill one another. As I watched,
one struck the other. He fell from the table and the
crowd cheered.

"Then this man," he went on, pointing at me, "hands
money to the man on the table and says, ^You win!'
After this he takes money from the other white man"

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— ^pointing at Sugden — "and tells him that he is rotten
at picking fighters."

"What next? What next?** the magistrate snapped.

"Then the first man demands that more men come
and fight/' continued the sergeant, "and there was a rush
by the blacks to see who could get on the table. Then I
brought my men in and arrested them both. Entirely
unashamed at being arrested, this man" — again indi-
cating Sugden — "laughs out loud when I say the name
of the king!"

It seemed that we were guilty of disturbing the peace
and quiet of His Majesty's island of St. Lucia and
were very reprehensible characters. The lean magis-
trate regarded us with severe eye, and I am not sur-
prised that he looked at us with suspicion. The voyage
had not improved our looks much and we had come
ashore in much-worn "ducks.** In fact, we must have
looked like a couple of beach-combers.

"You have heard the charge?'* he snapped at us.
"Guilty or not guilty?"

We were as guilty as could be, of course. Therefore
we answered in one voice:

"Not guilty!"

The magistrate raised his eyebrows at our effrontery
and then cleared his throat again.

"Then you 'U have to stand trial," he said. "I shall
admit you to bail. Five pounds each !"

We promptly produced the bail, and I think the "thin
dash of vinegar," as Sugden christened him, was sur-

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

prised that we had it. Certainly we did not look as
though we had a shilling between us. After our pedi-
grees were taken, we were informed that we would be
tried at "ten o'clock next Thursday morning."

Outside the court-room we found one of the ship's
officers in a state of frenzy. It seems that he had been
sent to get us, as the ship ought to have sailed several
hours before.

"She 's been blowing and blowing and blowing for
you I'* he informed us in an aggrieved tone. "The old
man is fair beside himself with rage."

"Oh, that 's what all the noise is about, "Sugden in-
nocently remarked.

Then he suggested that we take our time and stop at
several places. He argued that so long as we kept the
officer with us the captain would not dare to sail. But
I vetoed this proposition, feeling that we had already
run afoul of "His Majesty the King" and not caring
to take another chance.

225

CHAPTER XIV

Obstinate stowaways — Free Town and a fight — Bay rum as a beverage—
Sugden lets off smoke-bombs — Cape Town, a party, and some Aniacs
— Oom Tuys advises haste — ^Through South Africa — Americans and
Boers in Ermelo— Hurried visit to Swaziland for information —
Mystery over the coronation — Royal gin for Labotsibeni — ^Debeseembie
drinks and talks.

WE were certainly unpopular with the skipper
when we got back on board. The officers who
had attended our fistic tournament had returned slightly
the worse for wear, and, of course, their condition was
laid at our door. In fact, we retired to our pallets on
the poop-deck feeling that we had not one friend on the
ship, outside of the gunner, who was heavily subsidized.
It was his job to feed us, and we tipped him liberally
to get us the best there was. He earned his money,
however.

At dawn the next morning there was a fine explosion
— ^the captain fairly blew up. The chief officer had dis-
covered two stowaways, and we were wakened by his
marching them up to the captain's cabin. It seems it
was the duty of the commanding officer of the ship to
return these stowaways to the port where they slipped
on board, and the rules made him responsible for their
cost until he did so. This annoyed our worthy captain
exceedingly and his language was more sultry than
the weather, and that is saying a great deaL In his tor-

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rent of profanity the skipper included Dr. Sugden and
myself, for it seems that he held us responsible for the
stowaways getting aboard the ship.

While he relieved himself of all that bad language,
the two stowaways, both negroes, stood silent, although
there was a baleful gleam in their eyes. They were
finally told off to do some work, but flatly refused to lift
a finger. Then food was denied them until they did
work, and the matter reached a deadlock. The captain
finally decided to put into Free Town, in the Barbadoes,
and turn them over to the authorities there after making
arrangements for their return to St. Lucia.

When the ship reached Free Town the captain gave
strict orders that no one should be allowed ashore,
adding, "particularly those two doctors!" We did not
like this, as Free Town is a pleasant place and we could
have found relaxation there that would have broken
the tedium of the voyage. We needed the break, too,
for the captain had ordered that we should not be al-
lowed to buy any more liquor after the events at St.
Lucia.

However, we had commissioned the gunner to see
what he could do for us and he had gone ashore with
''the old man.'' In a little while a busy motor-launch,
with the Union Jack flying free, came chugging along-
side with our worthy captain and six of the Free Town
police.

They tumbled on board and announced to the stow-
aways that they were under arrest.

227

ADVEXmtES Df SWAZILAXD

''We are, «e wer tbcse warthus asked. 'TV^ell then,
eooie and gtt asf*

Tbej tore off diexr coots azid ddris azid waited for
the attack. Tlie police made do more, and I did not
Uame tfacm. Hiese two outcasts were the fiocst speci-
mens at "^fighting n^gers*^ I hare erer seen. Their tor-
sos were ribbed with nmade and tbcr looked fit to figfat
for tfacir fires. What was more, they seemed anxioos
to b^^in!

The police sbuflkd diexr feet, and I saw that tiicy were
afraid to tackle them. The stowaways saw it, too, and
became cod^. They tmned on the captain and c^Bcers
of the ship and let loose a flood of damaging language
quite as strong as tiieir splendid bodies. Expurgated,
it ran something like this:

"^ You wiiite folks think 'cause you Ve got scxne gol'
braid on yer coats that yu' kin run oTer us! Come cm
an' get us! If yu' wanter arrest us, come an' do it!
Yu' aint got th' nerve! Yu 're afraid, that 's wot yu'
are! Come on an' fight, white men, come on r

Not one of the officers or police moved. The stow-
aways were right; they were afraid. Then Sugden and
I broke the tension by cheering the stowaways. Like
us, they were the under dogs and we were for them.
We cheered and applauded their defiance, and this
proved too much for the forces of law and order.

There was a wild rush, and after a few sturdy blows
the stowaways were overwhelmed by sheer force of
numbers. When the flailing arms stopped, they were

228

ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

flat on the deck with about six men sitting on each.
The irons were brought and clapped on them, and the
last we saw of them was when they were hustled on
board the launch.

While this party was going on the gunner had been
busy on our behalf. He had been unable to sneak away
from the captain's gig when ashore, but made up for it
by doing business with the bimiboat men who came
alongside. From one of these he bought two cases of
bay rum, paying twenty cents a quart for it. This he
smuggled down into our steerage and told us about it
as soon as the smoke of battle had cleared away.

Now this bay rum is not meant for drinking, although
the blacks of that part of the world ccmsume great
quantities of it. I have heard that it makes them wild,
and I am not surprised. It did worse than that to
Sugden and me.

We started drinking it as soon as we could, and
before long we reached the semi-conscious state that
made life bearable. From this we went into the second
stage — ^that of hallucinations. We went practically
crazy. Sugden insisted that he was a red squirrel and
I believed that I was a wild cat. We became violent ^nd
were locked in the steerage. However, they did not take
our bay rum away.

Now the captain never visited oiur quarters, so he
did not know of our plight until the end of the second
day. Then he ordered that we be released. No sooner
was the hatch taken off than Sugden tore up the ladder,

229

AD\T1XTUKES IX SWAZILAND

crying out that *^tlie wild cat'' was after him. I was!
Belieriiig his assertion that he was a red squirrel, I
chased him all over the boat, intent on killing him.

We dashed through the (Peers' quarters, the captain's
cabin, across the decks, up on the bridge and down again,
and even got into the engine-room in our mad diase.
Every one on the ship followed us, roaring with laugh-
ter. It was the funniest thing they had ever seen.
Finally they captured us and brought us back to earth
with buckets of sea-water.

The captain was so amused that he forgave our pre-
vious sins and became our friend. He confiscated the
balance of the bay rum and put us on an aUowance
of one stiff drink of whiskey each evening. This helped,
but it was not very much under the circumstances.

The next afternoon Sugden made a hit with the cap-
tain« The World War was not long over and the ship
had a number of smoke-bombs which were supposed to
be used in foiling U-boats. The gunner was in charge
of them. Since they were no longer needed, the captain
gave orders that they be thrown overboard.

The gunner, however, proved inexpert. He lighted
several, and then dropped them over the stem so quickly
that the fuse was extinguished without the homh explod-
ing. Sugden watched these manoeuvers with extreme
disgust. At each failure his remarks became more in-
sulting. Finally he could stand it no longer — ^he had
not yet fully recovered from the bay rum — ^and stag-
gered up to the gunner.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"You 're a fine gunner," he snorted. "Who ever
heard of a gunner who could n't make a smoke I Stand
back and let an expert let 'em o£Pl"

I was deathly afraid that he might have an accident,
that one of the bombs would explode and kill him.
The gunner had the same idea and hurriedly withdrew.
The captain called to Sugden, but he paid no attention.
He lighted the first bomb, held it for an interminable
time, and dropped it over. It "boomed" as it struck
the water and threw out the smoke-screen in most ap-
proved navy fashion. We all cheered, partly from re-
lief that there had been no accident. Then Sugden let
off all the rest of the bombs without a failure.

"Well, you 're a little bit of all right, after all," the
captain said. "Come down to my cabin and I 'II give
you a real drink!"

From then on we had a pleasant trip. Our captain
let bygones be bygones and we enjoyed the few remain-
ing days enough to partly make up for the misery that
had preceded them.

Crespinell and Rossman had arrived in Cape Town
when we reached there, and came out in a motor-boat to
meet us. We introduced them to our new friend, the
captain, and he gave them a brief resume of our activities
during the thirty-odd days of the voyage. He gave us
credit for being two of the "rarest specimens" he had
ever encountered.

"The next time I ship two such wild men as these,"
he said, "I 'U move into the forecastle and give 'em my

231

ADVENTURES IX SWAZILAND

oifain! What ^s marc^ fronn nam oq I 'm goin^ to finut
mysdf to one doctor a trip, and he woo^t be a Boer,
either. These two derfls did e i er>Uu ng from start a
menagerie oo one case of bay nm to instigate a muLiuy
iriien we had some ^^iting stowaways oo boanL"

Then he gare a romantic and none too flattering ac-
count of how we had been arrested in St. Luda, and
ended by informing my men that we were ^fugitiTes
from justice.'^ This had not occurred to me; perhaps it
IS so and I shall find the funny blad^ polioeinan waiting
for me the next time I risit the isUnd.

We were glad to get ashore. It is cne tiling to race
across the Atlantic in fire days on a floating palace and
quite another and none-too-pkasant experience to spend
more than a month on a frei^iter in the warmer lati-
tudes. The solid earth welcomed our feet and we found
Cape Town very gay.

After getting settled at the hotel, we started out to
enjoy ourselTes. Of course we chartered a motor, and
our trail could easily be followed by the familiar fumes
of gasoline and alcohoL The town was full of ''An-
zacs/' Australian and New Zealand soldiers, returning
from the war. They were great big reckless devils,
glad to be going home and glorying in the fact that they
had won the war. This led to an argument and to my
taking a short and sad cruise in the '"Mayflower," this
being the highflown name of a typical Cape Town hack.

In one of the many places we visited during the course
of our rambles, we ran into a number of ''Aussies'* cele-

232

ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

bratmg the downfall of the Boche. They immediately
noted Dr. Sugden's somb]:ero and greeted him as a
''Yank.'* This was all right, but soon they added a
familiar remark, "The Yanks won the war; oh yes,
they did!" and Sugden became indignant. The usual
argument ensued. Words ceased when Sugden
slammed his hat on the ground and offered to lick them
all. A second later we were in the center of a fine melee,
which was ended by the military police breaking in.

Sugden was badly used up and some of the rest of
us were severely bruised. The nearest vehicle was the
"Mayflower," so we piled the "fighting Yank" into it
and took him back to the hotel. He had been badly
damaged, so that it was a week before we were able to
travel.

In the meantime Oom Tuys had sent me several
telegrams in which he urged me to hurry. In one there
was the phrase, "Tzaneen making trouble; maybe war,"
and this sounded as if we were in for an interesting
time when we reached Swaziland. I did not understand
how she could do anything unless she tried to take the
throne for Sebuza by force, but the situation looked
as though there was some excitement ahead.

Sugden was still recuperating from his battle with
the Australians and expected to remain in bed for a
few days more when this wire reached me. I showed
it to him and he inmiediately became excited.

"Come on, let's go" he said, getting out of bed.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"We 're wasting time here. Let *s get into Swaziland
and see what 's doing."

We left next day for the Transvaal. It is a long
journey, but to one who has not made it before there
is much of interest.

After leaving the coast there come the beautiful
mountain passes of the Cape Colony. Then the train
drops to the Karoo Desert, with its endless brown
stretches broken only by dry rivers, near which can be
seen great herds of sheep. Kimberley, with its bar-
renness and huge dumps of dark, diamond-washed soil
comes next, and finally the Great Fish River is crossed
to the grassy plains of the Orange Free State. Across
these plains the train runs for himdreds of miles, and
then comes the Vaal River, after which the veldt of the
Transvaal is reached. After a while the huge smoke-
stacks and great white ore-dumps of Johannesburg
loom, and the journey is practically ended.

My companions were keen to hear all about this coun-
try, so new to them, and I was kept busy running from
side to side of the car supplying their thirst for informa-
tion. Dr. Sugden, I found, was well up on the history
of the country and would often supply a missing date
when I related the romantic story of the Boer and
British conquest of South Africa.

We spent several days in Johannesburg, and my com-
panions were delighted with it. They frequently com-
mented on its being like an up-to-date American city,
as they found practically everything there that they

234

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

would expect in the United States. In fact, Sugden
was loud in his praises of the telephone service, which
he insisted was ''almost as good as that at home." The
city has developed extensively during the last twenty
years and now has buildings, hotels, and streets of the
most modern type. The great contrast lies in the char-
acter of the street traffic. There are hundreds of motors
of all kinds, but there are also innumerable rickshaws
drawn by Zulus, thousands of kaffirs, and not a few
horse-cabs.

Then, of course, the huge mine-dumps right in the
heart of the city struck my companions as extraordi-
nary, but it must be remembered that the city grew up
after the mines were sunk. There are miles and miles of
smoke-stacks, and the crushing of the ore mills can al-
ways be heard. My party was much impressed by
Parktown, the millionaires' suburb to the north of the
city. Here there are libraries, a zoological garden, and
all things essential to a thoroughly equipped and pros-
perous city. I have many friends in Johannesburg and
my companions had a pleasant time visiting them with
me.

They had their first view of a real Boer village when
we landed in Ermelo a few days later. The morning
we reached there we saw several score of Cape carts
loaded with farmers and their wives coming to town
to shop. Then there were several of those great canvas-
topped freight wagons, drawn by seven or eight span
of wide-homed oxen and driven by a number of kaffir

235

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

boys. These walk alongside with their long goads, and
the entire progress of the caravan is one long shout.
With the yelling of the kaffirs, the creaking of the great
wagon, and the frequent lowing of the oxen, the noise
of such an outfit is as striking as is its picturesque
appearance.

Sugden was intensely interested in these great freight
trains, and reminded me of their similarity to those
which made the overland trail in the States during the
days of the forty-niners. The heavy-set men riding
beside the wagons particularly impressed him.

"Why, they are the same men that settled the West
of my country," he exclaimed. "Their steady eyes and
great beards remind me of the days of Crockett and
Boone. Their rifles, ready for instant use, carry out
the picture. Fred Remington would have been crazy
over these oxi-teams !"

I noted that the interest was not all on our side;
these farmer Boers were quite as curious about us as
we were about them. They called each other's attention
to our strange clothes, and not a few looked with envy
at Dr. Sugden's sombrero. He was right about these
men. They are the true pioneer breed, the men who
foimd and make empires!

Oom Tuys was not in Ermelo. One of his boys was
waiting for me, however, with a message that prepara-
tions were being made for the coronation at Lebombo,
but that Labotsibeni had made no sign as yet. He

236

ADVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

assured me that I need not worry and that he would
join me at Ermdo in a day or two.

I commenced assembling our expedition, and while I
was so occupied my companions visited about and made
many friends among the Boers. None of them had ever
seen any Americans, although they had heard much
of the United States, and they were greatly interested
in everything the latter said and did. In fact, word
reached the outlying districts that some Americans
were in Ermelo and several hundred Boers trekked in to
see them. Of course my companions could not talk
Dutch and it was seldom that an interpreter could be
found. It was no imusual thing for several great,
bearded Boers to shake hands with them and say,
''Hello, America 1" this being the extent of their English.
Sometimes conversations would take place in very
broken English, the Boers always wishing to get news
from the outer world.

I remember one such talk. The Boer was a sort of
preacher and was fairly well read. He spoke English
of a kind — ^that is, it was understandable. He caught
Sugden and me when we were returning from looking
over some oxen and asked us a question that had been
perplexing him. I translate his words into ordinary
language, as otherwise they would be difficult to imder-
stand.

"The war is over, yes ?" he asked. "And America sent
more than two million men and spent hundreds of mil-
lions of pounds. England, France, and the others wiU

287

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

take much from Germany and Austria, but America
says she will take nothing. Is this so?"

"Yes, that 's right," Sugden answered.

"Why is America so foolish?" he asked in a puzzled
way. "She loses thousands of men and millions of
money, and yet wants nothing from G^ermanyl Why
did she go into the war?"

This question was not asked so often in those days,
and I was curious to hear Sugden's reply.

"America went into the war to save herself," the doc-
tor answered positively. "If Germany had won, she
would have had to fight her alone, so she went in to
avoid such a war,"

This satisfied the greybeard, but he went oflF mutter-
ing, "America wants nothing 1 America wants nothing 1
Such a foolishness!"

Naturally, he could not understand this. Every time
the Boers made war they gained territory, as did the
British, and he judged from his own experience. I was
glad that Sugden had stated the facts, instead of the old
cant about America fighting to "save civilization." I
know the old Boer would not have understood that and
would have regarded it as what Sugden called "bimk."

I had about finished assembling our outfit when Tuys
came. He brought word that the coronation was in-
definitely postponed, so we settled down to wait a bit
before starting for the wilds of Swaziland. As usual,
the imexpected happened. One of Tuys's men came

288

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

to Ermelo in hot haste, bearing word that the coronation
was to take place as soon as possible.

This was disconcerting information, and Tuys and
I held a council of war,

"I don't believe that they intend having the coro-
nation right away," he said. "I don't think that Sebuza
has been properly consecrated yet."

"Well, you know what we've just heard," I said.
"I wish we could get some first-hand information about
it. I 'd hate to lose out after all the trouble I Ve taken."

"Owen, lad, there 's just one thing to do— let us
make a quick trip to Zombode and find out about it,"
my uncle advised.

We talked the matter over for some time, and that
seemed to be the only solution. There were still a few
details of our expedition to be attended to, but I tinned
these over to Sugden and made up my mind to leave
next morning.

Dawn saw Oom Tuys and me on the trail. We rode
fast ponies and went unattended. What food we needed
we carried in saddle-bags, and the most weighty part
of our load consisted of several bottles of gin. These,
of course, were a necessity.

The trip proved uneventful. The weather was good
and we were able to sleep out comfortably. We skirted
around Mbabane, since it would not do for Mr. Com-
missioner Dickson to know that Tuys was going into
Swaziland.

When we reached Zombode we found Lomwazi on

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

guard at the royal kraal. He came out to meet us and
received our gift of gin with rather poor grace. He
seemed uneasy and not at all glad to see us. We asked
to see Queen Labotsibeni.

"'Nkoos, the queen is not well and cannot see you/'
he answered, lying badly.

''But she sent for me" Tuys said, catching his eye
and meeting lie with lie. With the assured air of the
white man, he was able to tell his lie convincingly.

We knew that we would be caught if we allowed
Lomwazi to return to the old queen alone, so we dogged
his footsteps and arrived at her hut with him. Tuys
fairly pushed in ahead of Lomwazi, and a moment later
was talking to Labotsibeni.

''Nkosikaas, mother of Buno the Great," he said, ''I,
the White King of Swaziland, am here to do your bid-
ding. Your son, Lomwazi, told me that you are not
(well and I have brought Mzaan Bakoor, the great doctor,
to cure you.''

I could see the old woman seemed very feeble.
She nodded approval as Tuys finished and answered
by asking for gin. Lomwazi pulled out the glass stop-
per and a moment later held the earthenware cup to
his mother's lips. She gulped and choked, then repeated
her action, and finally finished the drink, gasping for
breath.

We sat and watched and saw a transformation. As
the alcohol went down we saw her strength return. In
a few minutes she was the same old queen I had known

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

before. Lomwazi squatted behind her with sullen look.
When he glanced our way there was murder in his
eyes, and I did not like it. Tuys, always reckless and
utterly fearless, gave him glance for glance, and the
black man's eyes always fell.

''I am cured, Nkoos," Labotsibeni began in quite
a strong voice. "I am well. The *muti' of the
white man cures all ills of the body, even when it nimi-
bers the years as the leaves of the trees. Why have you
come to see me?"

''I wish to know when you plan to make your grand-
son, Sebuza, the son of Buno, king of Swaziland,'' Tuys
answered without fencing. He thought that a direct
answer might get the truth.

"When all is ready Sebuza will be made king,'' she
answered without hesitation, and it seemed to me there
was the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Tuys then asked her how soon that would be, but she
said she did not know. This time I was sure she smiled.
I had a feeling that we would get no information out of
her and that Zombode was not any too anxious for the
coronation.

Tuys then asked for Sebuza and wanted to know
where he was. The blind old queen let Lomwazi answer
us, and the wily vizier said he did not know, but that he
thought the crown prince was in the mountains being
consecrated.

According to the ancient customs, before the new
king takes office he must go through a lengthy cere-

241

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

monial in the mountains. This usually lasts for two
months, or "two moons," and the priests, or witch-
doctors, are in charge of the rites. In the case of Sebuza
the sanctification was also the celebration of his attain-
ing manhood.

After Lomwazi's evasive reply — for I felt that he
was lying — Labotsibeni began to ask questions. I knew
that we must answer them in detail if we wished to get
any further information, so we did so. She became
quite peevish when the effect of the gin wore off and
was nothing but a querulous old woman. But she asked
the most extraordinary questions! I realized more
than ever that she had brains, for she went from one end
of the world to the other. Of course she had no educa-
tion as we know it, but she asked about the Boers and
British and how they were getting along together,
"lying in the same bed," as she put it.

She had heard that all the white men were at war
with one another, and she asked question after question
about the world conflict. It seems that aeroplanes had
flown over parts of Swaziland during the war, and she
was curious about these. They had been described to
her as great birds carrying men and guns, and she
wanted to know how it was done.

Tuys and I kept our patience and answered every-
thing we could, always trying to get a stray bit of
information concerning Sebuza's coronation. She had
several drinks of gin during the talk, which ended after
about three hours with our being no wiser than when

242

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

we came. Once or twice we thought the news was
coming, but each time the watchful Lomwazi stepped
into the breach and turned the subject. We were com-
pletely baffled.

Finally we gave it up. As we made our farewell
speech, in which we wished the old queen ''long life and
good health," I offered her the "going-away present."
Then ensued an incident that showed how keen she was
in spite of her great age and lack of sight.

The gin bottle was an unusual shape; that is, it was
long and tall, instead of being squat and square. When
I handed it to her she passed her hands over it with
rapidity and then asked what it was, for she had never
had a bottle like it before.

"It is royal gin," I assured her. "It is gin that is
made only for kings and queens. It is the gin that the
queen of the English drinks. It is the only gin worthy
of you, Nkosikaas 1"

This satisfied her and she accepted our farewell, so
we went back to our horses. Tuys was amused at the
old queen's keenness and told me I had committed
treason by making the Queen of England drink gin
to placate a Swazi potentate. Lomwazi came with us
to do the honors, though really he wanted to make sure
we did not talk to any one and get information. He
was still sullen and suspicious, and we pointedly did
not present him with the gin he hoped for, although he
saw that we had several bottles left.

"It 's no use, Owen," Tuys said, as we rode down the

243

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

trail to the Valley of Heaven. "They are planning
something, and I fear it means trouble for that cub,
Sebuza. I have a feeling that we ought to get our
outfit here and sit tight and watch events. Something
is going to happen. It may be a new king or a dead
crown prince. I can't tell which.''

That night we camped near a kraal of one of the
minor indunas and noted that there was less cordiality
than usual. Tuys strolled over to the great fire and
talked for some time with the warriors. In a little
while he came back quite excited.

"Debeseembie, Lomwazi's brother, is over there," he
said. ''He is inside the kraal, but some of his men let out
the fact that he was there. I wonder what he is doing?
Suppose we try and find out."

This seemed a good idea, and Tuys went about it in
his own cunning way. He strolled over to the fire and
told one of the warriors that he had a bottle of gin for
Debeseembie, but that he would only deliver it to him
personally. Then he came back to where I was stretched
on my blankets.

Now a Swazi, like all other kaffirs, will do anjrthing
for alcohol, even to the sacrifice of his royal dignity.
Debeseembie was the son of a queen and the brother of
the late King Bunp; nevertheless, he was standing
respectfully nearby within a few minutes.

"Nkoos, you have a present for me?" he asked, and
I could see his eyes flash in anticipation.

''Yes, if you will sit and talk a while," I told him,

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

and then produced a bottle. Tuys poured out a gener-
ous drink and gave it to him. Debeseembie choked it
down, just as the kaffirs always do, and then gasped
for breath for a moment.

Then Tuys began talking about many things, none
of them with much bearing on the information we
wanted. In a little while Debeseembie had another
drink. He is the most sincere of all the royal family
and I have always found him to be very trustworthy.
He is not a good liar and seems to know it.

Gradually we led the conversation to the coming
coronation and finally asked him the leading question:
How soon will it be? He was not angered and gave
us the first direct intimation of the trouble we had
suspected.

"My brother, Lomwazi, doesn't want it to take
place," he said ; "and he has great power over our mother.
He frightens her by telling her that she will have to die
when Sebuza is crowned. All the people of Swaziland
want to have a king and are tired of Labotsibeni and
Lomwazi, and Tzaneen is working for her son's corona-
tion. No one can tell when Sebuza will be made king.
It may be never 1"

That was what we wanted to know. Debeseembie,
always at the old queen's elbow, ought to know what he
was talking about and we felt that he had told the truth.
A few moments later I gave him our last bottle of gin
and he stumbled back to his kraal.

Next morning we were up at dawn, striking back to

245

Df SW^iZILAXD

> zs fast IS w* siiiH ^v Agifr '^^ ii

fccrt

rery tfcrjc^tfii dicin g snut of tise trfp, and I cumot
rw2Kni?>a' t£at fee bad anytHng fc «y irrtfT wc cazne in
sfgbt of Ermdo.

""WdL rt kr/ki as if ocr frerA m §waz£biid need
Mme ocie to make up tftrfr nfiTyfe for trffTT," he sud in
a mriiing way. ""However. I den't wmnt to h^re to do

itr

I giaiiced at tike cnnnine old man. but he was kioking
into tiie dust ahead and did not amplify his remark.
It was an interesting tboagfat, howeTa*, and it did c^er
one way out of oar difficulties^

246

CHAPTER XV

Outfitting for Swaiiland — Our cook becomes **Gunga Din" — ^Lomwaii's
messenger — Off for Zombode — Rossman goes liunting — ^Too much rain —
The oxen die and are replaced bf donlceys — Sneaking liquor through
Mbabane — Esulweni mosquitoes rival New Jersey's — We are very un-
popular in Zombode — Manaan's damage suit and settlement

DR. SUGDEN and the others were waiting for
me at the house. They were all ready to start
and impatient to be off. The novelty of Boer life in Er-
melo had worn away and they now were keen to be out
among the Swazis.

"Let's gol" was Sugden's chant. "Come on, let's
start ! All the things are packed, the wagon 's set, and
the oxen are eating their heads off. Come on, let 's go I"

I assured him that we would be off as soon as possible,
and added that he would find plenty of hard walking
to use up his surplus energy once we started trekking.
Tuys and I, as the old-timers of the party, made a thor-
ough inspection of the wagon and outfit. We had
trekked practically all over the Transvaal and Orange
Free State at various times and our equipment was all
that could be needed for the job in hand.

The wagon was one of the great freight-carriers used
so extensively in South Africa. It was along the lines
of the old American "prairie schooner," except that it
was much bigger and heavier in every way. It was
about eighteen feet long by ten wide and could safely

247

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

be loaded up to three or three and a half tons. Its wheels
were squat and heavy, with broad tires built to prevent
their cutting into soft roadways and to roll over the
dust of dry weather without sinking into it. The rear
half of the wagon was covered with a top, or tent, imder
which a permanent bed was built. This bed was of the
primitive plain-board kind, but saved us from having to
sleep on the wet earth on many occasions. When we
started out the wagon was drawn by eleven span, or
twenty-two oxen. Three Swazi boys were in charge of
it and were responsible for its animals.

Then, chiefly for our personal convenience, I had
pressed the wagonette into service, and this was drawn
by six mules. Sibijaan and Tuis were in charge of this
part of the outfit.

I must not forget our cook. He was a most important
member of the expedition and came through it in a most
remarkable manner — always on the job and always
ready to work a little harder. He was an Indian, that
is, a native of India who had come to the Transvaal as
servant to a British officer during the World War. His
right name became lost early in our association. It was
a long, three-barreled sort of name, quite melodious, but
not handy for trek use. When I was inspecting our
equipment I asked him his name again, and he calmly
answered, "Gunga Din, Sahib."

"Since when? When did you change your name?"
I asked, surprised that he had relinquished his proud
paternal patronymic.

248

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"Yesterday, Sahib. The sahib with the large hat
says that he can't remember my name and tells me
that from now on I shall be known as *Gimga Din/ "

Investigation showed that Sugden became fed up on
the long, beautiful name of our cook and had firmly
given him one that was easy to remember.

"Gunga Din's easy to remember," he explained.
"Gunga Din and Rudyard Kipling go together, and
you surely can't forget them both. G. Din made R. K.
famous, and it 's a cinch to remember the cook's name
that way. Anyhow, we 'U be calling him 'Din' as soon
as we get going 1"

And he was right. The chef with a name like a
great poet became "Din" and remained "Din" until
we returned from Swaziland.

The great wagon was heavily loaded with all the
dunnage and impedimenta needed for our expedition,
among which were gin and a number of mysterious cases
I had personally seen packed in New York. My com-
panions did not know what was in them until late in
our expedition, but when they found that I had nearly
one hundred poimds of glorious five-and-ten-cent-store
jewelry they realized that I knew a bit about the kafiir
character.

Of course we had all the weapons we could use. The
best sporting rifles and revolvers were part of the
equipment, though I hoped that we should not have
occasion to use them except for pot-hunting. Things

249

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

will happen in Swaziland, however, and Tuys was a
great believer in foresight.

After our rigid inspection of the outfit we returned
from the kraal to the house, where the whole party as-
sembled for dinner. During the meal a discussion arose
as to whether it would not be a good idea to start imme-
diately and work our way into Swaziland on the chance
of being able to get action. Tuys maintained that we
ought to start at once and hinted mysteriously that the
coronation might be arranged whether Labotsibeni
liked it or not. Knowing his propensity for taking
chances and his liking for trouble, I hesitated to en-
courage this idea. Sugden, of course, wanted action
and rather welcomed the thought of trouble. Crespi-
nell was neutral, taking the stand that anjrthing was
better than "sticking around Ermelo," while Rossman
said he did not care whether he took pictures of peace
or war. But the matter was taken out of our hands.

At about dawn next morning Sibijaan came hammer-
ing on the door of my room. I jumped up and let
him in.

"Mzaan Bakoor, there is a messenger outside from
Zombode," he announced. "He came in the night and
would not wait any longer. He says he must see you
now."

I had the man in. He was one of the old "king's mes-
sengers," but without his distinguishing sign. His
lean, hard body and muscular legs would have singled
him out, though.

250

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"Nkoos, Lomwazi sends me to bring you a message,"
he said, with his hands outstretched in salute. "He says
that Sebuza will be made king at the next new moon."

Looking back, it seems to me that we must have
made a peculiar tableau there in the bedroom dimly
lighted by the coming sunrise. The savage, with his
great shield, knob-kerrie, and assegai, and the white
man in his pajamas! I will admit that the white man
had his finger on the trigger of a little 44-caliber bulldog
revolver during the first part of this interview. One
does not take foolish chances in South Africa.

I asked the messenger for further details about the
coronation, but all I could learn was that Sebuza had
been in the moimtains undergoing sanctification for the
last six weeks and would return to Lebombo before the
new moon.

Sibijaan took care of the Swazi and saw that he was
fed and given a little drink. After which he took to the
trail again, and I saw him fade into the distance at a
dog-trot just about the time we were finishing breakfast.

His news decided the argument of the night before.
The oxen were inspanned, the mules also, and about
noon we started off on our trek for Zombode. The ex-
pedition had been the talk of Ermelo for some time, and
practically every white man and most of the kaffirs were
on hand to cheer and give us a rousing send-off. Many
of our friends walked with us until we crossed the little
bridge and were lost in the willow-groves along the river
trail.

251

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

This first day the roads were excellent and we made
the best speed of any day of the trip. Before night we
had gone a full twenty miles, stopping at the fine farm
of an old-fashioned Boer. Inslead of camping in the
open, as we had to do for practically all the rest of the
expedition, we stopped with the farmer. I did this be-
cause I wanted my American associates to see how real
Boers live. We had a regular Boer supper, consisting
of grilled meats, such as chops, hearts, liver, kidneys,
and Boer bacon ; crushed mealies, rye bread, and coffee.
There was an abundance of all this and it was cooked
to the queen's taste. The twenty-mile frek, during
which we walked every foot of the way, had given us
wonderful appetites and we were able to do more than
justice to the quantities of food set out.

Following supper the old Boer became solemn, as is
the custom after the evening meal, and led us in re-
Ugious services. No matter how poor or how himible,
the true Boer never forgets his "night prayers." This
is his heritage from those Huguenot ancestors. It was
impressive to see my American companions bow their
heads silently as the old farmer recited his devotions.

Prayers over, we went to the "parlor," whose chief
ornaments were almost priceless relics and skins, and
staged an amateur musicale. There was a good piano
and we had our ukelele. What moie could be desired?
All the kaffirs in the neighborhood gathered outside and
fairly wept for joy. It was a splendid concert, con-

252

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

sidering the talent, and made a great hit with the farmer
and his wife.

Next morning we were inspanned and on our way
by dawn. It was raining, and this made it look like bad
going all day. The farmer and his wife were up as soon
as we, and had rusks and hot, strong coffee for us. It
was chilly, and the coffee was a good "pick-me-up"
before a day's trek. Before we left the Boer made us
promise to stay a week with him on our return from
Swaziland. He said he would arrange a feast for us and
we would be able to play our "hand-fiddle" for all his
neighbors.

By ten o'clock we had made about seven miles, and
camped for breakfast on the shores of a ^mall lake.
Our progress had been much delayed by the rain, and
this made the walking disagreeable as welL We were
very himgry for breakfast and Din performed wonders,
considering that the rain continued until an hour after
we had finished. After a short rest we started on again,
and by four o'clock we had reached the banks of the
Masuto River. Here we made a good camp, pitching
two additional tents, so that we would have a mess-room
and cook-house with which the rain could not interfere.
This camp was chiefly memorable for the fact that
Rossman almost had an "adventure." While Din was
getting supper ready the camera-man took a rifle and
went along the river with the intention of shooting some-
thing. He had been gone only a few minutes when we
heard a shout, followed by a shot. Sugden and Cres-

253

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

pinell rushed to Rossman's assistance, each with a rifle.
They reached his side to find him gazing f earsomely at
a large snake whose back had been severed by his bul-
let. It was a dramatic moment — especially when Sug-
den picked up the snake and pointed out the fact that
it must have been dead for a week or more 1

That night we were all very tired and went to sleep
as early as possible. Next morning, true to my Boer
upbringing, I was up and about before dawn. Coff*ee
and rusks were ready soon after, and my companions
were awakened to face their third day's trek. Of course
we could walk faster than the oxen, so I pushed ahead
as I knew that there was a Mapor kraal a short distance
away. We reached the kraal about five miles ahead of
the wagons, and this gave me time to show the others
their first native settlement.

All the men were away, only women and children
being at home. These all seemed to belong to a small
chief of the tribe, and they informed me that he was
away on a hunting trip. Sugden and the others were
intensely interested in everything they saw and I ar-
ranged for them to inspect the interior of a nimiber of
the huts.

I soon noticed that all the women were much taken
with Rossman ; in fact, they could hardly keep their eyes
off him. I found by questions that they were fascinated
by his great horn-rimmed glasses. The upshot was that
we allowed a certain few of these dusky Eves to try the
glasses on, and they were much amused thereat. We

254

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

distributed about five shillings among them and they
treated us to tswala and brought us a number of fresh
eggs.

In a little while the wagons hove in sight and camped
near the kraal for breakfast. Scraps of wood and "buf-
falo chips" made our fire, and presently Din had a good
"feed" ready. While the cooking was going on the little
kaffirs gathered about the camp in numbers. Some of
them even drove their goats close so that they might see
the white men eat. By the time we began breakfast
there were more than forty of these little beggars squat-
ting on their haunches near the table. They watched
every motion most intently and followed each morsel
to its destination. Every now and then I would take
a piece of lump sugar and, without looking, throw it
in their direction. Instantly there would be the fiercest
sort of a scramble for the tidbit. They were rough be-
yond reason, and every now and then one of them would
be hurt and crawl away for a few minutes until he
had recovered. Never, however, would he cry out or
show that he felt the pain. No sooner did our wagons
leave the spot than there was a wild rush to where we
had been. They fought furiously over every scrap in
the hope of finding food that the white men had thrown
away.

We kept steadily on until five o'clock that night, and
then made camp. When Din gave the supper-call at
about eight o'clock, Sugden and I went to the mess-tent
to find Crespinell and Rossman sound asleep on the

255

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

floor. They were worn out by the steady walking and I
did not blame them for taking it easy. After a "shot"
of Picardy brandy, we all sat down to the best supper
Gunga Din had yet given us. There was soup, chicken
ciury, rice, vanilla pudding, canned fruits, and coffee.
Truly, a feast for a trek supper I

That night Sugden and the others were kept awake
for some time by the howling of several jackals. They
suggested that they take their rifles and go out and
' "get some of those infernal beasts!" I had to explain to
them that it would be exactly like trying to shoot the
shadow of a ghost, and they went back to bed grumbling
heartily.

The next day was a bad one, rain making our prog-
ress slow and miserable. I wanted to reach a certain
point, and we forced the oxen until noon before stop-
ping. This trek had been too long and hurt the brutes
so that their spirit seemed broken. We camped among
some very rugged hills, and here Dr. Sugden showed
us all how to handle tents and ropes in wet weather.
The ease with which he tied and untied knots in the
ropes astounded our kaffirs and filled the rest of us with
envy.

The rain increased, and soon everything became
soaked. It was such a downpour that we decided to
wait for it to slacken and ended by remaining in this
camp for two days. Our only amusement was to watch
Tuis, the Basuto-Bushman kafiir, in his perpetual con-
flict with the other boys. Being of a different breed,

256

ON THE WAY TO THE ROVAL KRAAL AT ZOMBODE
Dr. VNcD tud pwty KoiiiK (hrough Iba VaEtev of Heaven.
lustuice show the niued Dalure of tli

mouatuiu id tbe

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

he did everything in a way all his own and, in addition,
was naturally antagonistic and sulky.

In spite of the picturesqueness of this camp, we were
very glad to leave it. We were now in the wild country,
with no farms, and the only break in the monotony was
a little wild goose shooting shortly before we reached
the Swaziland border. Our real troubles began about
this time. The oxen began to die, and it was not long
before we were absolutely stalled. We were then in
camp on the border, and it looked as though we would
stay there unless I was able to get some other animals
to pull the wagon.

Finding further progress impossible, I scouted about
and ran into a kaffir living on the border who had a
horse. I hired this steed — a sorry one it was — ^and,
following a tip given me by its owner, rode twelve nules
to see if I could talk business with a small Swazi chief
who was said to have a number of donkeys.

At first this old chief did not want to talk about don-
keys at aU, and it was not until I began to talk pajmient
first and donkeys last that he consented to get down to
business. We finally made a deal, and it was this: I
was to pay him the equivalent of one pound sterling in
gin for every day I used his donkeys. This was not
such a bad bargain because I had to have about forty
of the little animals to make up for the oxen I had lost.

The most interesting part of this transaction was to
see the chief's men harness the donkeys to our big wagon.
They used bits of weed-rope, rawhide, and a stout grass

267

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

rope that they make themselves. The harnessing took
a long time and we were delayed until I began to grow
impatient, but there was nothing else to do but wait.
Finally we were oflF, but it was a funny looking cara-
van. It had been raining hard for some days and we
presently came to a little stream which was much
swollen. Here we had a terrible time. The "harness"
kept breaking, and the way the natives thrashed those
poor donkeys was frightful. It seemed to be the only
method, though, and eventually we took a hand in the
punishment ourselves.

The night of the second day saw us camped at the
foot of the mountain that leads to the village of Mba-
bane. We found several other transport wagons there,
with three white traders whose occupation was to carry
goods from Ermelo and Carolina, the two rail stations,
to Mbabane and vice versa. These traders were much
interested in our outfit, and by treating them to drinks,
fresh food, and the payment of one pound sterling I
was able to hire twelve donkeys from their caravans to
assist us to the top of the mountain. We started at
dawn next day, and by noon had reached the summit.
There we rested for the balance of the day.

My object in delaying there all the afternoon was
mainly on account of the great load of liquor in the big
wagon. I did not want to bring this through Mbabane
in daylight because I had no permit to bring it into
Swaziland and I did not want to get caught doing sa
I thought that I could get by practically unobserved

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

if I waited until after dark and then went through the
village with other wagons. Our camp at the top of the
hill was about three miles from Mbabane, and I or-
dered Sibijaan to inspan and start on again at five
o'clock. This would bring him to the village at about
eight o'clock, or shortly after dark.

We went ahead and called on Mr. and Mrs. Dickson,
who gave us tea. It was real English tea and we en-
joyed it immensely. The Dicksons had heard of our
expedition and were much interested. Mrs. Dickson,
however, was greatly amused at our capacity for tea,
since we each drank between five and six cups. But we
were dead tired and it was wonderful to shut out the
whole of Swaziland and sit down in this cozy English
home to drink decent tea poured by a white woman I

After thanking the Dicksons, I went to the little store
and bought some supplies. I also went to the hotel and
bought some liquor, this being merely for camouflage,
as I wished them to think I needed it. The supplies and
liquor I gave to a native carrier, telling him to take it
to the place where we expected to camp for the night.
There were six packages in all, weighing about forty-
five pounds, and it was amusing to see this kafiir summon
five others to help him. Each Swazi, carrying his shield,
knob-kerrie, and assegai, started for our camp with a
little parcel on his head.

The wagon was late. I began to be worried, for I
had estimated that it would arrive in the village about
eight o'clock. I spent a nervous hour or so waiting for

259

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

it to show up, but it did not do so till about 9 :80. I told
Sibijaan to proceed to the camping place about two
miles further on, and we pushed ahead to be on hand
when it arrived.

Soon we ran into a typical wonder-sight of that part
of the country. I had noticed a red glow in the sky off
to the left, and on turning a little hill we saw that the
whole side of a mountain was one tremendous fire.
While this was at its worst, or most glorious, height,
the great red African moon came up over the moimtain
like a huge ball of flame. The whole scene was so
striking that Sugden insisted we ought to take a picture
of it. We hurried back to the wagon and found a num-
ber of Swazis trailing it out of curiosity. With the aid
of a box of cigarettes, I pressed twelve of them into
service and got the cameras to the spot from which we
wanted to take the picture. While we were doing this
little Swazis seemed to spring up out of the ground,
and before we had finished there must have been at least
four score of them wondering what the white men were
trying to do.

Sibijaan saw a chance to air his superior knowledge
and I heard him telling these little fellows a prepos-
terous yam.

"You see those black boxes?" he said, pointing to the
cameras. "Well, those are the magic boxes of Nkoos
Mzaan Bakoor, the great white witch-doctor. He will
look at the fire through them and soon it will go out. If

260

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

he is offended, he can make the fire bum up the whole
country and kill aU the Swazis 1"

I was afraid to look back and note the effect of this
beautiful lie, but I heard the kaffir exclamation of won-
der — "Oul Oul" — from a dozen throats and decided
that my trusty henchman had gotten away with it.

By the time we had packed our cameras again the
wagons had caught up with us and we went on. The
spot I had picked for the camp was under a small grove
of palm trees across a little stream, and we arrived there
to find that the six carriers had started a fire. It was
about midnight when our wagons reached camp, and
soon after we rolled up in our blankets and dropped
off to sleep just where we stood.

Next morning we started down the steep slopes into
the Valley of Heaven. This was a very dangerous
descent for the wagons, so that it was after midday be-
fore we reached the floor of the valley. The poor don-
keys were completely exhausted, and we camped there
until next day.

The Valley of Heaven was certainly living up to its
name. It was never so lovely, and my companions were
enthusiastic in its praise. I pointed out to them the
Place of Execution and Sheba's Breasts as we came
down the mountain, and they inmiediately decided they
would visit both before returning to Ermelo.

Although I remember the beauties of the Valley of
Heaven as though it were yesterday, still the difficulties
that befell us there made me at that time regard it as

261

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

the "Valley of Hell." We had come down about two
thousand feet and the climate was hot, moist, and un-
comfortable. Our energy was sapped, the donkeys were
worn out, and our kafBr boys were lazy beyond all use.

The trail ahead consisted of a succession of low
hills cut by little streams. Many of the inclines were
steep, and I estimated that we would be lucky if we
made five or six miles a day. It was practically impos-
sible to judge distance, and this led me into error. I
had picked out a camping spot seemingly about six
miles away, and Sugden and I started to walk to it.
The grass was six feet high in most places and full of
deadly snakes. Few of the little streams were fit to
drink, and the farther we walked the farther the chosen
spot seemed to recede. Finally we saw a fair-sized
stream which we thought was two miles away, but which
turned out to be nearer four. When we reached it we
drank, after straining the water through our handker-
chiefs. We were very hot and uncomfortable, and were
made supremely unhappy by the realization that the
wagon could not reach us for at least two days.

There was nothing to do but go back, and we finally
reached the outfit at sunset. The donkeys were cpm-
pletely exhausted, so we camped right there. I realized
that for the last thirty miles before reaching the royal
kraal at Zombode we would be lucky if we made three
or four miles a day.

Because of this experience I changed our trek time.
Instead of trying to make it in daylight, we did most

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

of our traveling by dark. This helped a little, but we
failed to make more than a mile every two hours, even
when the going was good. To add to the misery of the
trek, the mosquitos tormented us continually. How-
ever, these pests introduced a little comedy into our
suffering, for my companions would recall the mos-
quitoes of New Jersey, U. S. A. and compare them
with those of South Africa.

Crespinell summed up the comparison when he said:

"For brutality and ruthlessness these *skeeters take
the biscuit, but the New Jersey breed have got *em
skinned a mile when it comes to technique!"

At the end of five days of untold hardships we climbed
out of the Valley of Heaven and reached the stream that
divides the royal from the common ground at Zombode.
We arrived there at about nine o'clock at night.

Fires were burning in front of many of the huts and
there was a hum of life in the air. The sounds were all
the more noticeable because no one appeared to have
any intention of meeting us or giving us a welcome. We
pitched camp and Din prepared the evening meal. By
this time we had a score of little visitors, all Swazi chil-
dren of about ten or twelve years of age. Usually these
little beggars are in bed at this time of night, but the
noise of our wagons had aroused them and they had
sneaked out of the huts to investigate.

None of the indunas, warriors, or women came near
us, and I soon realized that we were in disfavor for some
reason or other. Only a direct command from Lomwazi

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or the old queen would have made the people avoid us
in this manner. However, it was not fitting that I
should visit the royal kraal without invitation, so I did
not stir from our camp that night. In the morning I
annoimced my arrival to Labotsibeni without the in-
dignity of supplicating an interview. This came about
in a peculiar manner.

Shortly after dawn I was awakened by the deep bass
of a native who seemingly was greatly annoyed. The
voice was strangely familiar, but I could not place it for
the moment. In a little while Sibijaan came into the
tent with my coffee and announced that I had a visitor.

''Ou Baas, there is a great induna outside," he said,
"and he wants to see you. He says he is very angry.
Shall I tell him to go to hell?"

Thirsting for information regarding things at the
royal kraal, I bade Sibijaan send him in. This my old
plajmiate did with poor grace, since he would have pre-
ferred to be cheeky to the chief.

To my surprise, Manaan — ^he of the savings-bank ac-
count — strode in. He was carrying his war tools and
stood facing me for an instant in quite a belligerent
attitude. I was wearing only a thin bathrobe and for
a second or two the angry black man faced the white.
Then the age-old supremacy of race asserted itself and
Manaan dropped his eyes with the familiar "Nkoosl"

"What the devil is the matter with you ?" I demanded
angrily. "Why do you make all this row so early in
the morning?"

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"Peace, Nkoos, peace!" the old induna answered.
"I did not know that it was you. I would not have made
talk if I had known."

Then he went on to explain that our donkeys had
strayed across the stream during the night and had
ruined his com patch. He insisted that the poor beasts
had eaten all the young com and that he and all his
wives faced starvation during the coming year. What
he really was worried about, it developed, was that
there would be no com to make tswala and in conse-
quence he would have to go without his beer until a
new crop came in.

I sympathized with him and told him that I would
go over and see the damage as soon as I was up and
about, agreeing to pay him for it. I felt sure that he
was lying, but did not want to make an enemy of him,
since I knew that he was said to be close to Labotsibeni.
In the olden days he was leader of one of Buno's crack
impis and was a noted warrior.

In a little while I accompanied him to look at the
ruined crop, and, as I suspected, found he had lied like
a kaffir. The damage was about three shillings worth,
and I told him so and offered to pay him the money.
He became very indignant.

"This is not right, Nkoos 1" he almost shouted. "I am
a great induna and cannot be treated in this way. I
am one of the queen's most important chiefs and I shall
report this injustice to her."

Now this threat suited me. If the old fool reported

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that I was robbing him, he would also be notifying
Labotsibeni that I was in the neighborhood.

"I am willing to abide by what the queen decides,"
I said. "You tell her that I await her word. I shall
state my side to her, and you can state yours 1"

This was what I really wanted. It would bring me
before the old queen and allow me to ask her about the
coronation. With this understanding Manaan left for
the royal kraal, while I went to breakfast. Shortly
after we had finished, Manaan returned.

"I have seen the queen," he announced in an impor-
tant manner, "and she is much offended because you
have treated Manaan so unjustly. She says that you
must pay me five shillings and a bottle of gin, and then
the debt will be satisfied."

To make the payment seem greater I protested for
a moment and then gave it to the old fellow. I asked
him how the queen was, but he answered evasively. This
brought the suspicion that he had not seen Labotsibeni
at all and had concocted the story about her decision
as to the pajmient. Manaan would have been quite
capable of this because he had lived for some time among
the whites in Johannesburg and had been schooled in
guile.

Nevertheless, I was satisfied that he had brought
word to the royal kraal that I was there, and I expected
that I would soon receive a message from the queen
to come and see her. When the sun showed that it was
nearly noon I decided to force her hand and sent Sibi-

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jaan with presents, which means gin, to the royal kraal.
He returned presently, saying that Lomwazi had taken
them from him and that they had been accepted by the
queen.

Sunset came and yet there was no word from the old
lady, and I began to grow anxious. I sent for Manaan
and cultivated him in an attempt to get some informa-
tion. He soon became drunk and told me many little
things, none of which threw much light on my problem.
One statement, however, was important.

"All the people, except Lomwazi and a few of those
close to the queen, want Sebuza to be king," he said.
"They are tired of being ruled by a queen, and Lomwazi
asks too much. He always wants more cattle and corn
from each kraal, and the people are dissatisfied. Even
now they are waiting for Sebuza to come down out of
the mountains and it is said they will demand that he
be made king then!"

Part of this was very interesting. I was glad to know
that the people wanted Sebuza, but I doubted that they
would dare to ask for him to be appointed king. The
Swazis are subservient to their rulers and it was un-
thinkable that they would assume to ask Labotsibeni
to abdicate. They were very afraid of the old queen;
she seemed to exert some sort of extraordinary influence
over them. It was cheering, however, to know that I
had public opinion on my side.

267

CHAPTER XVI

LaboCiflKiit refuses to

A frmUesm etmferraot — ^We fktt to Lfhomho— Oom Tojs tarns
We confer with Queen Txaneen and Locfaiai — FHe-^od-ten-ceiit-store
jewcliy has penaasHe powers — Sogdcn fmlls iQ — We ImiU his
l e imus from his sanctificstiaii.

NEXT morning I got up, pocketed my pride, and
decided to call on Queen Labotsibeni. When I
reached the entrance of the royal kraal I was met by
Lfomwazi. He was furtive in manner and did not look
me in the eyes. His voice, as usual, was quite low, and
for once his dramatic gestures were lacking.

I demanded to be allowed to see Labotsibeni. Liom-
wazi shook his head and spread out his hands depre-
catingly.

"The queen will not see you, Nkoos," he said, "and she
sends word that you are not to camp on the royal
ground."

"But why won't she see me? I bring her presents and
much gin," I protested. "She promised that I should
attend the coronation of Prince Sebuza I"

"She is very, very old, but still she does n't want to
die," added the wily Lomwazi, glancing at me out of
the comer of his eye.

At last I understood. Lomwazi had let the cat out
of the bag and the delay in the coronation of Sebuza ex-

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plained itself. Tempted by the great price I had offered
for the picture rights — ^five hundred cattle, five hundred
gallons of gin, and five hundred pounds in gold — ^the old
queen had overlooked the fact that Sebuza's accession
to the throne meant her death. At the time I made
the bargain with her, or with Lomwazi as her agent,
she had consoled herself with the thought that the British
Government would be able to save her life. Now she
was afraid that the government might not be able to do
so and wanted the coronation delayed indefinitely, or
put off for good.

Labotsibeni and Lomwazi were in an uncomfortable
position. They faced either the certainty of being sacri-
ficed when Sebuza mounted the throne or the breaking
of their contract with me. In addition, the sentiment
of the people of Swaziland was against the old ruler
and Lomwazi must have known it. Under Labotsibeni
there had been more than twenty years of peace, and
there had grown up a feeling that the nation was be-
coming decadent without a war, if only a little one
against some inferior tribe. The British had backed
the old queen in all her moves toward keeping peace
within her borders, and the fighting men of Swaziland
were unhappy at not having any opportunities to show
their mettle. From the days of Ama-Swazi the Swazis
had been a warlike people, and the bloodthirsty Buno
had developed their ferocity by frequent raids and
forays on neighboring tribes. The accession of Sebuza,
yoimg and warlike, made the Swazis feel that they would

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have a real leader again, and the fact that the crown
prince was the son of Biino added to their desire for him
to reign.

I had left Oom Tuys in Ermelo with the understand-
ing that he would join us in Zombode. I began to wish
he would show up, since I seemed to be butting my stub-
bom Boer head against a brick wall and my imcle was
the one white man in all the Transvaal in whom old
Labotsibeni placed her trust. I knew that she would
not refuse to see him and there was a chance of his
getting her to agree to the coronation.

Realizing that we were in for a delay that might last
several months, Dr. Sugden and his companions decided
to study the Swazis at close range and compile data
concerning the tribe. To me was left the politics and
"wangling" of the expedition, while they started out
blithely one morning to catch Swazis.

Their expedition was abortive, to put it mildly. Of
course Sugden would only be content with Swazi life
as exhibited in the royal kraal, and it was there that he
decided to begin. I did not know this, and thought
that he was going to visit some of the little kraals where
the indunas lived.

I was sitting in my tent thinking about sending a man
to find Tuys, when Sibijaan came running in very much
excited.

''Ou Baas, Mlung Emantzi Eenui, Makofa, and the
other white man are going to be killed at the royal
kraal 1" he cried.

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Now Sugden was called Mlung Emantzi Eenui —
"The Man of Living and Burning Words" — ^by the
kaf&rs, and Crespinell was given the name of Makofa,
which means "The Small Alert One." The other white
man was Rossman, of course.

I sprang out of the tent, across the little stream, and
ran to the royal kraal. There I found my companions
surrounded by a full impi of warriors who had hemmed
them in with their assegais. The white men had drawn
their revolvers and were ready to use them. It only
remained for some one to make a sudden break and
there would be a killing.

"Make way I Make way I" I yelled, diving through
the throng.

In a second or two I reached Sugden, who had the
grim look that means fight. He had Lomwazi covered
with his revolver and I could see that the induna would
be the first to go if the shooting started.

"What 's all this trouble?" I demanded, as though
I were the chief of all. "Why are these warlike man-
oeuvers? Why have these warriors stopped my men?"

Lomwazi hesitated for a moment, during which I
could see the tension relax and the Swazis begin to drop
their spear-points.

"It is forbidden that white men enter the royal kraal,"
the chief said. "These men tried to force their way in.
They said they wanted to see all things in the kraal.
The queen sent her own impi to stop them and gave

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orders that they were to be killed if they did not go
away !"

Sugden was much disgusted, and gave his side of the
affair.

"I only wanted to take a look around," he said. "We
were just inside the kraal when these men came run-
ning from every direction and surrounded us. I thought
we would have to fight our way out and would have
popped some of them off if Lomwazi had not come up.
He told us to get out, and here we are !"

That seemed to be all there was to it. However, it
was a bad affair, as it put me in the position of trying
to break into the queen's kraal without permission.
Later I realized that it did not make much difference,
since we were out of favor at Zombode anyway.

I was well nigh desperate now. It seemed as though
nothing could be accomplished through Labotsibeni or
Lomwazi, but I decided to make one last appeal to him.
I sent him a present by Sibijaan and asked that he come
and see me at my camp.

My boy brought back word that Lomwazi would see
me next morning, but would meet me at the crossing
of the little stream. "When the sun reaches the royal
kraal" was the time set, which must have been about
seven or seven-fifteen o'clock.

The stream was only a short distance from our camp,
and I watched until I saw Lomwazi coming to the ren-
dezvous. I had expected that he would arrive with four
or five of his indunas, and I had arranged that all my

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white companions should accompany me to the inter-
view. Instead, Lomwazi brought practically the whole
royal impi with him. The savages were in full war
costume and made a splendid picture as they marched,
the sun reflecting from their black shoulders and asse-
gais. It was the first time that Sugden and the others
had seen a whole impi in all its glory and they were
much impressed. The warriors were drawn up in a
sort of regimental formation at the meeting-place, with
Lomwazi waiting in front, by the time I decided we
should leave our tents.

Since they had come armed to the conference, my
companions and I shouldered our rifles — ^we always
wore revolvers — and walked in a leisurely manner
toward the little stream. As we came close Lomwazi
raised his arms in greeting and the impi gave us the
royal salute. It was the first time in some years that
I had been thus honored. The shrill whistle follow-
ing the heavy stamp of the thousand feet gave the
Americans a real thrill.

Lomwazi and I shook hands in a formal way and
then sat down to talk things over. I little thought that
this would be the last friendly conference I would have
with him. Behind me sat my three companions, while
behind the vizier sat four or five of his high men, all
lesser indunas and leaders of warriors. It was an im-
posing gathering, much like many out of which peace
has come during the various savage wars between the
whites and kaffirs in the Transvaal.

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After the necessary conventional amenities, which
have to do with health and the condition of wives, I came
to the main question, but from a widely different angle.

"Lomwazi, you and Queen Labotsibeni made a paper
with me that shows I gave you five hundred cows, five
hundred gallons of gin, and five hundred pounds in
gold for the right to take pictures of the coronation
of Sebuza," I began. "Now the queen will not see me
and you will not tell me the truth when I want to know
about the coronation. Other indunas have told me that
you and the queen have plotted to prevent Sebuza be-
coming king — *'

"Nkoos, that is not so!" Lomwazi returned hotly, in-
terrupting me. "We wish Sebuza to become king and
will do nothing to prevent it. It is the government
that does not wish him to become king ; it is the govern-
ment, and not my mother, Labotsibeni I'*

This I knew to be partly true, but I felt sure that
the government would be willing that Sebuza should
reign if the change in rulers was accomplished without
bloodshed.

"Then if the government refuses to let Sebuza be
king," I went on, "you and the queen have obtained
much wealth from me for something you knew you could
not give. There is only one thing for me to do — ^that
is, to hold you and the queen liable for the price of the
rights she granted me. I shall notify the government at
Mbabane and ask that it collect the money value of
what you received from me. I am a friend of the gov-

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ernment and close to the Commissioner, and he will
send to Johannesburg for troops who will come and
collect from you. If you do not care to have me do this,
you can make restitution now by giving me the price in
cows."

Now this meant that Lomwazi would have to round
up at least two thousand head of cattle and turn them
over to me. This I knew he could do, but I also knew
that he would not do it without such compulsion as I
was unable to bring.

He glanced keenly at me while I laid down the terms
of my ultimatum and saw that I was in dead earnest.
With his great cunning, Lomwazi is a keen judge of
human nature, and he watched me to see if I was bluffing
or not. He decided that I was not and listened in silence
to the end. Then he raised his eyes and spoke in the
same low, level tone he always used.

"Nkoos, what you ask is unjust," he said. "Labotsi^
beni gave the word of a Swazi queen and her word can-
not be broken. You will have the opportunity you have
bought and I shall see that it is so !"

"Yes? Then how soon will Sebuza be crowned?"
1 asked.

"When Queen Labotsibeni, mother of Buno, gives the
word the ceremonies will take place," he said, and this
ended the interview.

Lomwazi threw his leopardskin doak about his
shoulders and rose, and I got to my feet also, feeling
that I had gone as far as I could, but had gained noth-

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ing. The indunas shook hands and the impi gave their
salute as he raised his arms with the salutation,
"Nkoosl" Then he turned and went back to the royal
kraal followed by the great warriors, their plumes nod-
ding in the sunlight.

I realized that I had come to the end of my string at
Zombode. The old queen would not give the word for
the coronation to take place and undoubtedly Lomwazi
was behind her refusal. Looking back, I do not blame
them very much; the coronation would be their death
warrant and the government was not prepared to send
troops to protect them.

That night I had a little talk with Sugden, who was
feeling ill, explaining to him what we were up against.

"It looks as if we are out of luck," was his comment,
"but there must be some way to beat the game. I *d
hate to lose out, now that we 're here. It seems to me
that you ought to be able to find a way to prevent
Lomwazi from sitting on the lid much longer. Let 's
see if we can't get action by talking to the other indunas."

This did not seem a good plan to me. Sugden did
not know these people and underestimated the power
of the old queen. She represented the established order
of things, and the government always objected to any-
thing new, particularly in the way of rulers.

"No, I can't agree to that scheme," I told him; "but
I believe I will have a look at the other side of this game.
Queen Tzaneen is reported to be much incensed because

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Labotsibeni doesn't allow the coronation and I think
I will have an interview with her."

Having taken this decision, I made arrangements to
start for Lebombo, the royal kraal of Queen Tzaneen
and her son, the next morning as soon as it was light
enough to trek. That night the donkeys were all driven
in, so that they would be ready when wanted. During
the weeks we had spent at Zombode these poor animals
had greatly improved. There was good feed and water
there, and they looked sleek and fresh again.

Dawn saw us on the road to Lebombo. Camp for
breakfast was made on the bank of the little river that
separates the land belonging to the two villages, and we
came in sight of the kraals after about two hours.

Oiu* reception here was very different. Lochien, who
was the vizier, or secretary of state, of Queen Tzaneen,
and one of the sons of King Buno, her late husband,
came out to meet us. He had a number of indunas with
him and was most cordial. His first words gave me
great pleasure.

"Welcome, Nkoos," he said. "Welcome to Lebombo I
Last night the White King of Swaziland came to
Lebombo and waits for you at the royal kraal."

This was good news, indeed. Oom Tuys had arrived
and was waiting for me! I thanked my stars that he
had not gone to Zombode and thus missed me. At last
it began to look as though we would get some action.

A few minutes later, our great wagon creaking and
the boys shouting to the donkeys, we approached the

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kraals and I saw a solitary figure coming out to meet us.
It was a tall heavy white man, long bearded and wide-
hatted, with the rolling gait of one whose only home is
the saddle — Oom Tuys Grobler, my uncle, the *White
King of Swaziland.*'

He threw his great arms about me and gave me a
"bear hug," and then held me at arms' length and looked

me over.

So you are all right, Mzaan Bakoor?" he asked in
his gruff voice. "This morning a kaffir came and said
that last night a plan was made to stop you from coming
here, and I was anxious. I only heard about it a few
minutes ago, and was on the point of starting for Zom-
bode when the runners came and said you were near."

This was news to me. I did not know that Lomwazi
had decided to prevent me from going to Lebombo. It
showed that he was afraid to have me learn the truth
from Tzaneen and Lochein. I was thankful that we
had not had trouble, for our patience was well nigh ex-
hausted and there would have been a battle if Labotsi-
beni's men had tried to bar our path.

I asked Tuys about the lay of the land at Tzaneen's
kraal, and he told me that she was very much excited
over the situation.

"The queen mother is very angry at Labotsibeni," he
said. "It is another case of the mother-in-law over
again. Tzaneen feels that the old lady will hang on
to the throne as long as she lives, and as she is now in
her second hundred years that is likely to be a long time.

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Only last night Tzaneen reminded me of the Swazi say-
ing, *If you live to be a hundred, you live forever,' and
she spoke of Labotsibeni with bitterness.

"Sebuza will soon return from the mountains and it
will be a national scandal for him to have to wait for his
kingdom. His mother is frantic over the situation and
even talks of taking the throne by force. Of course
such things have been done," — and he smiled — "but I
told her that the government would not stand for such
action."

Lochien then told us that the sanctification ceremonies
were about ended and Sebuza would return within the
next week. As these ceremonies also included the com-
ing of age of the young crown prince, he was attended
»by the chief witch-doctors and made to undergo scari-
fication and circumcision. He had to live on the barren
slopes of the mountains, his only food being wild ber-
ries and the game he killed himself. Only the witch-
doctors could visit him, and their visits were official
and hedged about with much flimunery and hocus-pocus.

Tzaneen was waiting to see us when we reached the
royal kraal, and I immediately sent her the regulation
presents. A little while later Lochien ushered Tuys and
me into her presence. She is a remarkable woman and
has a very sweet and charming personality. Tall and
splendidly formed, she is an ideal Swazi queen, just as
she was the pick of the Zulu princesses at the time she
became the royal wife of Buno. Her head is large and
well shaped, and she has an active brain. With educa-

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tion, Tzaneen would have been a leader anynrhere in
the world.

Her greeting to us was gracious and cordial. She
asked if we had brought our wagons and camp outfit,
and said she would send an impi to get them and bring
them to Lebombo from Zombode if we had not. This
gave me a clue to the feeling between the two queens,
because I knew that Labotsibeni must have been an-
noyed when she learned that our entire outfit had left
for the rival camp. After I had assured Tzaneen that
we had arrived bag and baggage, Lochien introduced
the subject of our mission to Swaziland. In this he
seemed to have the approval of Tzaneen, who listened
closely to my answers.

I told them that I intended staying in the country
until I had seen Sebuza crowned, and this statement
met their approvaL But there was a fly in the ointment,
I found.

"Queen Tzaneen is the rightful ruler of Swaziland,"
Lochein announced, "because she is the royal widow of
King Buno. She is the mother of Prince Sebuza, who
will soon be king. You want to see Sebuza made king
and wish to look at the ceremonies with the black boxes
on legs that you have with you. Is this not so?"

Evidently he had heard about the cameras we had
brought with us.

"Yes, that is so," I assured him. "These black boxes
make all things live again so that everybody may see

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them, and we want to show all people that Swaziland
has a son of Biino for king/'

"Then, Nkoos, why did you pay Lomwazi and Queen
Labotsibeni all the money, cows, and gin for the right
to use the black boxes?" Lochien asked.

The truth was out. They were jealous because
Labotsibeni and Lomwazi had received the purchase
price of the picture rights, while they had been ignored.
I was thinking quickly and was about to smooth matters
over, when Oom Tuys broke in.

"Mzaan Bakoor has not yet paid you for your per-
mission to do this thing he desires," he assiu*ed them.
"He could not come to Lebombo before, but now he
is ready to pay you even more than he gave Labotsibeni
and Lomwazi."

"The white king speaks truly," I added. "Even now
I have in my wagons more precious and more beautiful
presents than I gave to them. These presents I brought
from America, across the great water of which you have
heard. I bought them in the greatest city of the world
and have carried them here for you, Nkosikaasl"

This was a tall statement, but I knew that I could
make good on it. Tzaneen was much interested and
her curiosity was whetted. We dickered a little more,
and I agreed to pay them a large amount of gin and
a certain sum of money. Then, to avoid any further
demands, I ended by going to the wagon and getting
one of the mysterious packing-cases. This I opened
before Queen Tzaneen. Very slowly I began taking

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from it quantities of the five-and-ten-cent-store jewelry.
It fascinated her beyond words. She put it on, draping
the tawdry necklaces about her full throat and loading
her fingers with the gaudy rings. She was completely
won over, and Lochien also was deeply impressed. So
peace was restored on the subject of the price of the
picture rights. Now the road was clear for taking the
pictures, that is, if we could find the place of coronation
of the savage king.

Tuys motioned to me to leave soon after the jewelry
episode, and we went back to our wagons.

"One thing at a time, Owen," he said. "You wanted
to ask about the coronation, I know, but we 'd better
wait until to-morrow. I want to see how the land lies
and find out what is going on before we force that issue.
To-morrow we'll see Tzaneen again and find out what
she plans to do about Sebuza.''

Lochien soon came to the wagons and told us that it
was the queen's pleasure that we camp a few hundred
yards from Sebuza's kraal, which adjoined that of his
mother. The spot chosen was in a small grove of tall
trees among which were buried indunas who had died
at Lebombo ever since the village was founded. This
was a great honor to us, since it was sacred ground, the
most sacred in the land with the exception of "The
Caves" near Zombode, where only kings and queens are
buried.

That night I became greatly worried over Dr. Sug-
den's condition. The water he drank in the Valley of

282

DH. O'NEIL AND COMPANIONS ARE RECEIVED BY QUEEN TZANEEN
Tb«y had conn lo digcuH Che poaribilily of cttaot boatililiN. Aa ii Um eiuMm, ihe
tmlel tlwTn M Umila and drank Gnt from the oBlkbaafa to ibow that it mmtaiwd DO potoon

DR. O'NEIL, QUEEN TZANEEN, DR. SOGDEN, AND MR. CRESPINELL
WhiJe SebuiB, tbe crovD priooe, wu still in tbe moufitaiiu confomiinc Hilh the religjout
n on Blluning hia minhood Dr. O'Neil WBliifd that both the British Ooverameot and Queen
.botaibeoi werv antajfomstio to Sebuia and wished to repudiate his riabt to the throofl

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Heaven had caused fever and violent dysentery, and he
had rapidly grown worse during the last forty-eight
hours. The heat during the day was severe, and it
seemed to affect him so that he was hardly able to recover
at night. I had given him medicine and done everything
I could for him, but nothing seemed to help much. It
was very discouraging to have him ill, because his un-
failing optimism and ready wit had helped us over
many a hard place.

Next day Tuys and I called on the queen, and were
received as cordially as before. As usual, she was sur^
rounded by maids and other women of her kraal, and
it was interesting to note how affectionate they were
toward her. She is the best liked woman in Swaziland
without a doubt, and this is strange, since it is seldom
that these savage women display any affection for aae
another.

We asked her how soon Sebuza would be made king.
Her face darkened at the question and I could see that
it touched a sore spot.

''Until my son, Sebuza, returns from the mountains
this matter is in the hands of Queen Labotsibeni, wh(»n
the government recognizes as regent," she answered.
"But when the prince is a man and is ready for the
throne, perhaps there will be a change!"

I asked her what she meant, but she refused to be
drawn out. Instead, she told us about her last attanpt
to arrange for the coronation.

"Only seven days ago," she said, ''I sent men to see

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the old queen and ask her how soon she would be ready
to surrender the throne. She refused to see them, so
they gave their message to Lomwazi. He told them
that Labotsibeni would let them know when she was
ready, and then dismissed them."

"When they left the royaJ kraal at Zombode many of
the warriors made menacing gestures toward them, and
they came back glad to escape with their lives. That is
Labotsibeni's answer to the mother of the rightful king
of Swaziland and the royal widow of King Bunol"

She was very indignant. After a little conversaticm,
during which we complimented her, as was proper, we
withdrew. I noticed that there was a gin-bottle in the
corner of the royal hut and realized that Tzaneen was
not different from other kaffir royalty.

Sugden was very low when we returned. He was
the finest sort of patient, however, for the worse became
his physical condition, the more determined he was that
he would live. He kept murmuring, "Don't give up the
ship!" but I could see that he would hardly last until
morning.

I called Crespinell and Rossman into my tent and
explained how sick the doctor was, telling them that I
feared he did not have a chance. His cheery way of
looking at things had fooled them, and they were
shocked when I told them that I did not expect we would
have him with us much longer.

"I Ve done everything for him that I can," I ex-
plained, "but I can't get his fever down or stop his

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dysentery. He is so weak now that it is only a question
of hours before he leaves Swaziland for good.

"There is something I want you fellows to do, how-
ever. I shall remain with him all night and will call
you if he wants to make a will or say anything. We Ve
got to bury him like a white man, and I want you to
knock a cofSn together. Take some of the boards from
the packing-cases and the big wagon and fix a decent
sort of box. Don't do any hammering where he might
hear you, because he 's keyed up and might suspect
what you were doing."

A few minutes later I saw them sneaking off among
the trees, with several of the black boys loaded down
with boards. We were all blue over Sugden's illness
and the thought that he was dying cast a gloom over the
party that nothing could lift.

That was a bad night. Sugden seemed to get weaker
and weaker, and soon I was keeping him alive with
brandy. Tuys and I sat beside him in turn, and the old
Boer was as distressed as the rest of us.

"He is such a fighting devil," he said in a whisper,
when I came to relieve him shortly before dawn. "A
few moments ago he opened his eyes and croaked that
he was going back to New York when this expedition
was over and have 'one hell of a time.' I told him that
I 'd go with him, and he began to tell me what we 'd do.
Right in the middle of a sentence he fainted through
weakness. When I brought him to with brandy, he
opened his eyes and smiled at mel"

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Dawn found Sugden still hanging on. I marveled at
the vitality of the man. His body was wasted to a mere
shell, but his courage burned bright and undiminished.
Shortly after sun-up I realized that he was likely to
live another day, but that seemed the most we could
hope for.

While I was at breakfast an induna came from
Lochien with word that Sebuza had left the mountains
and was on his way to Lebombo. This was exciting
news, and I went over to the royal kraal to get details.
Lochien told me that the sanctification ceremonies were
over and that the crown prince was to arrive that
morning.

"We are almost afraid to see him, Nkoos," he said.
"He is now ready for the coronation and will expect
us to have all things waiting for him."

I could see that Tzaneen and her trusted vizier were
in a nervous condition. Sebuza was a reckless, impatient
young savage and would be much put out at any delay.
The royal kraal was in a ferment of excitement, and
the warriors in Sebuza's kraal were chanting and danc-
ing in preparation for the welcome to their conmiander.

I returned to the wagons, realizing that, being a white
man and an outsider, I was not wanted at the royal
kraal when Sebuza arrived. I would see him when he
sent for me, but until then I must remain quiet and
control my impatience.

Shortly before noon I saw the impis of both Tzaneen
and Sebuza forming in lines outside the kraals. They

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were dressed in their most gorgeous costumes. The in-
dunas and leaders wore the leopardskin cloaks, and all
had on their great plumed headdresses. I felt that
Sebuza must be close at hand, and it was not more than
fifteen minutes before both impis began to dance. This
they continued for a short time, and then came to a
sudden stop. There was utter silence and at length I
saw the crown prince striding down the road, followed
by at least a dozen witch-doctors. These halted some
distance behind.

Sebuza came to a stop in front of his impi and raised
his hands. Instantly the thousand warriors raised their
shields and war-clubs above their heads and the deep-
throated shout "Nkoos!" rang out. This was followed
by the thunder of their feet and then the air was split
by the shrill whistle. Three times they gave the royal
salute, Sebuza standing like a statue.

Then, strutting like a turkey-cock, the young prince
passed through his men into his kraal. The witch-
doctors followed, and then the indunas went in. Finally
his warriors broke ranks and this concluded the home-
coming of the son of Buno.

The impi of Tzaneen stiU remained on duty in front
of the royal kraal, and I waited to see what they would
do. In a little while I saw Lochien go into the prince's
kraal, and shortly after he and Sebuza came out to-
gether. Sebuza pointed to our wagons, and I could see
Lochien telling him about us. Then they went to the
queen's kraal and her warriors gave Sebuza the royal

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salute, which he received in the same manner as before,
standing motionless before them.

After Sebuza had entered the kraal the impi dis-
persed. I returned to Sugden's side, to find him wide
awake and talking faintly. He seemed weaker than
before, and I expected he would cease speaking forever
any moment. Crespinell and Rossman were with him,
and he was trying to tell them some of the stories of
the Far North which he had seen acted out when he was
a surgeon in the Northwest Mounted PoUce. His grip
on life was extraordinary. Here he was living over in
spirit the wild days in the frozen North, while his body
was practically dead and his cofSn lay behind the wagon 1

I was standing thus, quite overcome by the situation,
when Sibijaan pulled my sleeve.

"Ou Baas, Lochien is here and wants to talk to you,"
he said. ''He has a message from the queen."

Outside I found the induna dressed up in his war
costume and carrying his arms. He greeted me very
formally and then told me that Tzaneen wished me to
attend a conference between Sebuza and herself, asking
me to bring Oom Tuys along. After deUvering his
message Lochien unbent and we had a few words to-
gether concerning Sebuza. He informed me that the
prince was much annoyed that his throne was not ready
and was eager to pay an armed visit to Labotsibeni.

Tuys and I were received with royal honors when we
reached the queen's kraal. There was the usual delay
in observing the proper formalities, and then we entered

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the i^yal hut, to find Sebuza sitting by his mother.
Tzaneen was as cordial as usual and seemed proud to
have the future king by her side.

Sebuza, whom Tuys told me later was the perfect
picture of Buno in his youth, was hau^ty and seemed
suffering acutely from a sense of his own importance.
He was wearing a peculiar headdress and several strings
of the five-and-ten-cent store beads I had given his
mother.

Since we were in the presence of royalty, it was nqt
fitting that we begin conversation, except to receive and
give the usual greetings. Tzaneen started the baU
rolling.

""My noble son," she said, turning to the prince, '"these
are the white men who were the friends of your father,
the great King Buno. The big one with a beard is
Oom Tuys, whom Buno called *The White King of
Swaziland' and whom your father made the guide and
guardian of our people when he died. The other, he
of the shaven face, is Mzaan Bakoor, who makes won-
derful magic with little black boxes on thin legs. The
white men are our friends and come to Lebombo to assist
in your coronation."

During this introduction Sebuza regarded us keenly,
and his scrutiny seemed to satisfy him. When Tzaneen
had finished Oom Tuys made a little speech.

''Sebuza, son of Buno and of Tzaneen, rightful Queen
of Swaziland," he said impressively, ''your father at his
death made me your guardian, and I promised him that

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I would watch over and protect you. I am *The White
King of Swaziland' and the government holds me re-
sponsible for all that takes place here. With my nephew,
Mzaan Bakoor, I have come to see you placed on the
throne of your father. We have pledged ourselves
to assist you in every way, except to provoke war. We
shall remain here until you have been made king/*

Tuys said much more than this, but what I have trans-
lated is about the sense of all of it. Sebuza thawed
quickly, once he had foimd out what we were in Le-
bombo for, and then we all had a pleasant talk. He
asked innumerable questions and was much interested
in what had happened at Zombode.

His answer to one of my questions was very typical.
I had asked him how many people were his subjects in
Swaziland. He thought for a moment, and then an-
swered, "Mzaan Bakoor, can you count the blades of
grass in a field?"

The interview ended immediately after we informed
Sebuza that we had presents for him in our wagons.
He said that he wanted to see our outfit and would go
with us, and a few moments later we all left for the
camp.

Several indunas accompanied us, and the stately head
witch-doctor, L^Tunga, also went with us. I regarded
this as rather impertinent, but was very glad of his
presence shortly.

Crespinell and Rossman were much interested in Se-
buza and were only too willing to gratify his curiosity

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concerning the "little black magic boxes on thin legs."
They took a number of pictures of him, some of which
filled him with awe when they were given to him next
day. I produced a box of the "jewelry" and presented
it to him with a great flourish. He was fairly over-
come by its gorgeousness. Soon he had bedecked him-
self much after the fashion of a Christmas tree and
strutted about like a peacock* Tuys told me to "go
slow with the gin," so I only gave him a few bottles.
Strange as it may appear, Sebuza was not enthusiastic
about the liquor, and later I found that L'Tunga had
taught him that it was a kind of "white man's poison."

291

CHAPTER XVII

LTunga's **inati'' cures the sick white man — Sebuxa chooses his wives — ^I
receive a message from His Majesty*s High Commissioner for Swaii-
land — ^A fl3ring trip to Mbabane — ^The Government refuses sanction to
Sebusa's coronation — How witch-doctors smoke dagga weed.

SUGDEN was wide awake when we reached the
camp and despite his condition was overcome with
curiosity. He could see nothing, being shut in by the
tent-walls, and was too weak to get up and look out.
Suddenly, while we were watching Sebuza enjoy his
ornaments, I saw the side of the tent being feebly
punched from within. I raised the flap, and there was
Sugden regarding us with his fever-bright eyes. He
hated to be left out of the party and had signaled for me
to count him in. I went to him, but my heart sank. He
was the sickest man I have ever seen. Except for his
blazing eyes, he had all the look of a dead man.

Every one looked at us, and a second later L*Tunga
leaned over me and asked what was the matter with
the "sick white man.*' I held Sugden's poor head in my
arms as I told him. The witch-doctor nodded and then
straightened up.

"Nkoos, I will cure him!" he said. "I will make a
magic that will make him well. I go, but I will come
back soon and bring the muti."

He left, and I laid Sugden down and pulled the tent

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flap. He was exhausted by his effort to join the party
and was nodding with the sleep that was. nigh unto
death.

Now I was very curious about the "muti" of the
witch-doctor. I knew that their rites and rituals were
all humbug dressed up in feathers, but every now and
then they did something that was quite amazing. It was
certain that they knew things about the herbs of their
country that we white men did not, and I never felt
sure that they were the fakirs we thought them to be.

In a few minutes L'Tunga returned, and this time he
carried a wand tipped with feathers. He stood for a
moment regarding us, and then went to the side of the
tent and drew up the flap, showing poor old Sugden
asleep but barely alive. Then L'Tunga motioned me
to help him move the cot out into the sunlight.

Carefully, for this savage was as gentle as a woman,
we placed Sugden with his head facing the sim, and then
L'Tunga got busy. We stood back to give him room,
and he certainly needed it. He started to dance and
chant, circling the sick bed and waving his wand round
and round. I could not imderstand what he chanted,
but it seemed to be something about it being time for
the "devil" to leave the sick white man, since he,
L'Timga, had come.

This ceremony must have lasted fully fifteen minutes,
and Sugden slept through it all. I watched his breath-
ing, for I was afraid that he would not live. The show
ended with the witch-doctor picking up a handful of

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dust and holding it to Sugden's nostrils. After a moment
he threw the dust to the winds and then drew from his
loin-cloth a small package wrapped in skin. This he
undid, and then asked for ''emantzi, emantzi/' meaning
water. Crespinell brought him a little mug full of it,
and he poured all but a few tablespoonfuls on the
ground. Then he took some of the contents of the little
package and mixed it with the water in the mug.

I had been thinking rapidly. He could not hurt
Sugden, since the white man was beyond all human
aid, and was only living through sheer will power.
There was a faint chance that he might do him good,
and I made up my mind to let the witch-doctor alone.

A moment later L'Tunga had forced Sugden to drink
the contents of the mug. Immediately he dropped off
to sleep, as though drugged. After watching him a
moment L'Tunga turned to me and said:

"At sunrise to-morrow I will come and give him
more muti. In three or four days he will be well I"

Then, with all the dignity of a great civilized special-
ist, he shouldered his magic wand and withdrew.

Sebuza and the rest of us had watched his operations
with great interest, and the young prince left shortly
after, his indunas carrying the "jewelry" and gin.

We were all curious to see the effect of the witch-
doctor's prescription, and had quite an argument about
it. I found that Tuys was sure that it would cure Sug-
den, and both Crespinell and Rossman were inclined
to agree with him. I remained skeptical and sent for

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Sibijaan to ask him what he thought. I knew that my
old playmate was in touch with many things that a
white man could not know and I asked him about the
"muti" that L'Timga had given Sugden.

''Ou BaaSy it is a magic leaf/' he told me, ''and only
the head witch-doctor knows where it grows. They say
it is found in only one place, and that is near Sheba's
Breasts. He gets it when the moon dies, and always
goes alone. But it will cure 'Mlung Emantzi Eenui.
The *muti' is only for royalty and some of the great in-
dunas. L'Tunga would not give it to the common
people."

He was so certain that the medicine would save Sug-
den that I began to find myself half -believing that it
would. That night I sat by the latter's bedside for many
hours. He never stirred. All night long he slept as
though heavily drugged, never once making a move.
Next morning the fever had much abated and his pulse
was nearly normal. He did not awake, however, and
when L'Tunga arrived to give him another dose, he only
came to enough to swallow it. I noted, though, that
the dysentery had stopped.

Four days later Sugden was well. He was weak as a
cat, but food soon remedied that, and within ten days
he was on the job and as cheerful as ever. I made up
my mind from that time on not to scoff at witch-doctors.
I tried to get L'Tunga to give me a little of his "muti,"
but this he resolutely refused to do, even when I offered
to buy it with all sorts of things dear to the savage heart.

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Some day I am going to get some of that "muti" and
have it analyzed ; it may be a drug that will be of value
to all of us who live in that section of South Africa.

During Sugden's recuperation Tuys and I had visited
the royal kraal every day and had always had pleasant
talks with both Sebuza and his mother. But we did not
succeed in getting any nearer to the coronation. The
queen was entirely at a loss what to do and Sebuza kept
growing more impatient every day. As he was a man
now, he felt entitled to start housekeeping, and his
mother set about procuring wives for him. Lochien as-
sisted in this delicate operation, and it was rather an
interesting event. The Swazis follow about the same
procedure in this business as their civilized white breth-
ren. The only difference is that the Swazi method does
not employ so much camouflage.

The fact that Sebuza had reached manhood and would
soon become king was known throughout practicaUy
all the savage tribes of South Africa, though it naturally
was of paramount interest in his own country. All the
indunas and his relations, such as Umzulek, Debeseem-
bie, Vilakazi, and others, knew that he would have to
have wives. Their children were logical candidates for
this honor, so that there were many conferences at Le-
bombo between Tzaneen and those who had daughters
to sell.

Now the Swazi, from the highest to the lowest, sells
his women. Women are the ''pound sterling" among all
the savage tribes, and the unit of value is five cows for

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an average maid who is young, sound in limb and wind,
and trained to the primitive duties of her race. These
consist chiefly in ability to do a decent day's work in
the fields, the making of tswala, and the cleaning of a
hut or kraal. Of course the care of children is con*
sidered important.

A Swazi's wealth is measured by the number of wives
he has. The number of his cows and other livestock is
secondary. For instance, Umzulek is regarded as a
miUionaire because he has sixty wives and more than
two hundred and forty children. The average Swazi
induna has five or more wives, and some have many
more.

The price of a woman depends greatly on her birth
and beauty. All the Swazi women have fine bodies, and
many are very handsome, according to the native stand*
ard. Princesses sell for as much as fifty cows apiece,
and a wife is always proud if she brings more than the
market price. In fact, her importance as a wife is
usually based on her purchase price.

When the time arrived for Sebuza to choose some
wives, there were quite a number awaiting his inspection.
The morning that he looked them over they were as-
sembled in the "Sacred Bathing Pool," a sort of mar-
ket-place. Their owners, mostly parents, stood beside
the crown prince and extolled the virtues of their off-
spring. The maidens were lined up along the banks
of the pool and the prince examined them most minutely.

It was almost pathetic to see how these dusky belles

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bore up under his inspection. Each looked appealingly
at Sebuza, much after the fashion of a dog that hopes
to be pettedy and ahnost quivered with the hope that
she would be selected. The thought came to me that
the rejected ones must face a hard life when they were
brought back to their home kraals.

Sebuza chose five of the girls, and they were straight-
way sent to his kraal. The rejected ones were imjne-
diately clothed and their owners took them away. Later
in the day Lochien told me that all the girls selected by
Sebuza were exceptionaUy high caste and that between
forty and fifty cows had been paid for each.

My companions were sadly disappointed over Se-
buza's wholesale marriage. They had expected a wild
ceremony and much savage celebration, but I explained
to them that the Swazis did not go in for that sort of
thing. There are no marriage ceremonies whatever —
the man pays for his wife and she belongs to him from
that hour until he dies. He may accumulate other
wives, and this custom is so old that all the wives live
together in peace, such a thing as jealousy of the white
kind being unknown. From what I have seen of the
toilsome lives of these wives, it would seem to me that
their contentment is based on the old saw which sagely
observes that "misery loves company." Another advan-
tage of plural wives is that each additional wife lessens
the labors of the others.

Although there are no marriage rites beyond pay-
ment for the wife, there are very strict customs in re-

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gard to widows. If the deceased husband is an induna
of importance or a connection of the royal family, it
is customary for the king to take his pick of the widows.
If, however, he has no interest in them, the nearest male
relation who can afford to keep them inherits as many
as he wishes. Of course, when a husband dies all his
wives shave their heads in token of mourning. As they
have trained their hair to grow in a sort of pyramid,
the hair is shaved clean up to this structure. Daughters
of the dead man have their hair shaved right off ; if they
are already wives, this does not apply, since the claim
of the husband is greater than that of any other relative.

We did not pay our usual visit to Tzaneen the day
Sebuza married his first installment of wives. Instead,
Tuys and I remained in camp planning some way to
accomplish our mission and my companions made good
their threat to learn something first-hand about Swazi
life.

Next morning trouble of another kind occurred. A
government messenger arrived with a communication
for me. He had located me at Zombode, where they told
him that I had gone on to Lebombo. This messenger
was a Swazi induna with six warriors, and he carried
himself with a good deal of swank. Evidently he was
impressed with his importance. I know he snubbed
Sibijaan, and my boy was breathing fire when he came
to announce this arrival.

The messenger waited for me in front of the tent,
with his warriors drawn up behind him. It was quite

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a military turnout, and he saluted me with gravity and
impressiveness. Across one shoulder he had a small
despatch-case on which were the arms of Great Britain
in well-polished brass. From this he took an official
looking envelope and handed it to me with a flourish.

It was a communication from His Majesty's High
Commissioner for Swaziland, and it ''begged most re-
spectfully to call to your attention" the fact that I had
passed through Mbabane without acquainting the gov-
ernment officials with the details of my expedition into
British territory. At once I realized my mistake, and
could have kicked myself for not calling on the Com-
missioner and telling him about my project. I knew
how these British officials work. First they are puncti-
liously polite and request information. If they do not
get it speedily, they remain polite but make certain defi-
nite demands. If still unsatisfied, they become annoyed
in a polite manner and take "proper measures." These
latter oftentimes consist of a "flying column," which
makes it decidedly uncomfortable for the object of their
well-bred attentions.

I read the missive from the Commissioner and for a
moment intended replying to it. Then I realized that
any reply would seem impolite and possibly evasive,
so I decided to make a quick trip to Mbabane and make
the laggard call on the Honorable Mr. Honey. I gave
directions that the messenger and his men should be
fed, and then had Sibijaan inspan the six mules and
prepare the wagonette for the trip.

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Oom Tuys was missing and I suspected that he had
gone to the royal kraal. I went over there and found
him sitting with Lochien outside the royal hut. The
queen was asleep inside and several of her maids were
busily engaged in hairdressing, a most important func-
tion among high class Swazi women.

I told Tuys what I intended doing and he agreed
that it was the right and proper thing. One caution he
gave me, however.

"Forget I am here, Owen," he admonished. "The
British don't like it, as you know. If Honey asks about
me, you will have to lie. I am not here I"

We talked in Dutch, and he told me that he would
keep the kettle boiling while I was away and try to
gain a step or two in my absence. He seemed quite
happy and enjoying himself with Lochien, so I left
him after he had reminded me that it would be a good
thing to get the messenger and his men out of the camp
as soon as possible.

We all started together for Mbabane. I had prac-
tically nothing in the wagonette and the mules were in
fine fettle after their long rest. Sibijaan drove, and
it was not long before we left the messenger and his
escort far behind. The Valley of Heaven was as beau-
tiful as ever and the trip a pleasant one. We arrived
at Mbabane on the evening of the second day, having
made better than twenty miles a day.

I stopped at the little hotel and the mules were turned
into the kraal of the livery-stable across the way. After

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

washing the travel stains away, I reported to the Com-
missioner's office. Owing to the midday rest, or siesta,
he usually remained at his desk until about seven o'clock,
and I caught him shortly before he closed up shop.

The interview was typical of governmental business
as conducted by such officials. My name was taken in
by his clerk and shortly after I entered the comfortable
office with its large screened windows. Mr. Commis-
sioner Honey sat at his English desk writing with a
scratchy pen. After a moment he looked up.

"Well, Doctor O'Neil?" he said with a rising in-
flection.

It was j ust as though he had reminded me that I was
guUty and was waiting to hear me plead. There were a
dozen other ;meanings, all impleasant, in that little
word "well." I never realized before that one mono-
syllable could mean so much. I knew that he had me
right, as it were, and I decided to act as innocent as
possible.

Mr. Commissioner, I received your letter," I said,
and I considered it would be best and more polite to
reply to it in person than to send an answer by your
messenger."

"Very good. Doctor, very good," he answered. "Now
will you be so kind as to tell me what you are doing at
Zombode?"

I did so. I told him all about the plan to take pic-
tures of the corcHiation of Sebuza and how I was meeting
obstacles which appeared insuperable. I told him that

802

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

I had moved my outfit to Lebombo and gave him satis-
factory reasons for the change. I could see that my
candor impressed him favorably. There was no reason
why it should not. What I told him was the truth. Of
course I related how L'Tunga had saved Dr. Sugden's
Hf e, and this impressed him deeply. He let me talk for
some twenty minutes, and then leaned back in his chair
and gave me some advice.

"If I were you, Doctor," he said, "I would not waste
more time waiting for Sebuza's coronation. It is my
opinion that this will not take place for some time, pos-
sibly a year or so. You may not know it, but the young
gentleman is not in the best graces of His Majesty's
Government and it may mean a long delay before official
permission is granted for him to reign.

"Your expedition is costing you a lot of money and it
seems a shame for you to remain in Swaziland with no
chance of fulfilling your mission. If you will take my
advice, you will return to Ermelo and wait until I send
you word that the coronation has received the official
sanction of our government."

This was a blow to my hopes. I had no idea that
Sebuza would not be recognized by the authorities and
it began to look as though my expedition were a wild
goose chase after all. We talked a little while longer,
but I was not able to find any specific reason for the gov-
ernment's dislike of Sebuza. Apparently there was a
general feeling that he would try to follow in the foot-
steps of his father, Buno the Terrible, and the govem-

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ment regarded Swaziland as a sleeping dog that it would
be unwise to awaken.

Our talk ended when Mr. Honey rose to his feet
with the remark, "Of course you are dining with me to-
night?"

I assured him that I would be most pleased, and he
told me that eight o'clock was the hour. This barely
gave me time to get back to my hotel and dress, but I
made it. I got into my dinner-coat and fresh linen
while I cursed the habits of the English. They wiU
take civilization — particularly of the "dinner** kind —
with them no matter where they go I

Dinner proved a delightful affair. There were half
a dozen people there, including several of the minor offi-
cials and their wives. It was a gay party and the food
was excellent, being served in London fashion by several
silent-footed Indians. The thought came to me that
British officials certainly "do themselves well." We
talked about many things, none of them concerning
Swaziland or its coronations, and it was a pleasure to
have my worries banished for a few hours.

After dinner we played "bridge," and then I went
back to my hotel feeling as if I had stepped out of an
English drawing-room into the heart of Swaziland. At
his door the Commissioner shook hands and gave me a
parting word.

"Better come back and avoid trouble. Doctor," he said.
"There is n*t likely to be any coronation this year and
you always run the change of getting into a fight. If

804

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

you stay, be careful 1 His Majesty's Government is
interested in the peace of Swaziland. Goodnight and
cheerio 1"

I was rather blue that night as I went to sleep. It
looked as though my voyages, privations, and trouble
had all been for nothing.

Next morning Sibijaan and I set off bright and early.
He told me that a kaffir had chummed with him at the
kraal and had enquired whether Oom Tuys was with
my expedition. Sibijaan had lied, as he knew he must,
and then I understood why the Conmiissioner had care-
fully refrained from making me perjure myself. My
only hope was that Sibijaan had been a convincing liar.
Otherwise, the fact that Tuys was with me would make
the Commissioner watchful of my activities.

On the way back through the Valley of Heaven I
came to the conclusion that something had to be done,
and done quickly, if Sebuza was to be made king. What
this something was, however, I only had a vague idea.
I wanted to talk it over with Tuys before taking any
action, since his help would be necessary.

My uncle was waiting for me when I reached camp
and seemed anxious to know what the Commissioner had
said about him. When I told him that he had not men-
tioned his name, his pride seemed hurt, but he cheered
up when I related how the kaffir spy had tried to pump
Sibijaan.

"'I would hate to think that the British have ceased to
worry about me,*' he said. ''I have had a good deal of

805

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

fun by teasing them, and I 'm not ready yet to settle
down and become a farmer all the time!"

There was not much harm in Tuys, but he was Boer
enough to enjoy worrying the British and the fact that
he was not wanted in Swaziland made his sojourns there
all the more enjoyable.

Next day we visited Tzaneen, and I found that she
was much interested in my sudden trip to Mbabane.
Her indunas had told her that I had received a sum-
mons to visit the Commissioner and she was ciu'ious to
know all about it. I told her why Mr. Honey wanted
to know about me and then repeated his advice.

"Yes, Mazaan Bakoor, I know all about the govern-
ment opposition to my son becoming king/' she said.
''He has so many followers that they are afraid of him.
The British fear Sebuza because they would sooner have
a weak old woman hke Labotsibeni in Swaziland than
a strong man and a son of Buno."

"How many followers has Sebuza, Nkosikaas?" I
asked, for this was part of what I was thinking.

''Mzaan Bakoor, you of great magic, can you count
the blades of grass in the field?" she replied.

Then she assured me that all Swaziland was behind
the young prince. She further told me that this was the
chief reason why Sebuza was disliked by the govern-
ment and added that he had been impudent to some
British officials. I had heard rumors of this, but had
placed small weight in them. Now, it seemed, Sebuza
must have over overstepped the mark and no recon-

306

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ciliation was possible for some time. This, added to
what I had heard in Mbabane, made me despair of ac-
complishing the object for which I had come toLebombo.
There was more talk along the same line and we treated
the queen to a bottle of gin. This led to a peculiar
incident.

That night Sebuza came to our camp and asked to see
me. I thought he might have something of importance
to communicate, but all he asked was that I stop giving
gin to his mother! This, of course, was impossible.
She was in authority until he became king and her re-
quest for liquor was a command we dared not disobey.

Sugden had spent the afternoon with L'Tunga and
had watched the witch-doctors smoke dagga weed. I
had forgotten to tell him about this and he was much
excited over the discovery. With his faculty for ob-
servation, he had made a serious study of how the Swazi
uses the weed and was much interested in its effects.

**L'Tunga took me to his witch-doctors' school," he
told me, "and I watched them smoke dagga. It is a
small leaf that must be something like tea before it is
dried. Believe me, it has a *kick.' There were about
twenty of these witch-doctors sitting in a circle in their
kraal, all hitting the pipe. They have a crazy way of
smoking it, too. You Ve seen the pipe, have n't you?
It 's a great long thing, very badly made, and it takes a
strong man to make it draw.

''The way they smoke is this. The first man takes a
calabash of water and then drops a coal into the pipe,

807

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

thus lighting it. He next sucks on the pipe until he
gets his mouth full of smoke. Then he atempts to fill
his mouth with water, all the while trying to prevent
any of the smoke from escaping. When he can no
longer hold the smoke and water in his mouth, he blows
them out together. It is a sort of smoky shower-bath !

"Most of them could only do it once. Almost before
they could pass the pipe on to the next doctor, they would
keel over and go sound asleep. For scxne reason or
other the smoke did not affect them all in the same way.
Some of them became happy and began to chant, but
they, too, soon grew drowsy. For plain unadulterated
'kick,' the dagga weed has it over anything I Ve ever
seen, though it resembles hemp in its action."

It seems that L'Tunga did not join this smoke-party,
but took Sugden to where he could see the common
Swazis indulge in the same pastime. Not being allowed
the great pipe of the witch-doctors, they had a method of
their own.

First they dig a little hole in the ground. Next a
narrow trench is scraped out of the earth leading from
this hole to another of about the same size. At the bot-
tom of this trench is placed a freshly cut stick, and this
is buried in the hard soil by covering it with wet clay.
When the clay is firmly packed the stick is drawn out,
leaving a little tunnel. Then clay is used to build a
small mound over the second hole, through which an
opening is made which connects it with the little tunneL

808

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

This is the mouthpiece of the pipe, the tunnel is the
stem, and the first hole is the bowL

"The Swazis filled the hole with dagga weed and
lighted it with a hot cinder from the fire in front of the
kraal," Sugden concluded. "Then, one by one, they
sucked the smoke through the mouthpiece. They used
the water method, also. It was an amazing sight ! One
after another they would fall over, the next man at the
pipe usually having to drag the body of the last one out
of the way."

I had seen these dagga orgies before and knew what
they were like. Sugden, however, thought it a most
unusual spectacle and would have taken a whiff of the
d&gga himself if he had been urged. His interest was
purely scientific, of course, and he succeeded in obtaining
a few leaves of the plant which he proposed to have
analyzed when we reached civilization again.

800

CHAPTER XVIII

Witch-doctors of Swaziland — How they brought a famine — ^LTiing^*8
school of witch-doctoring — The "Poison Test" to settle ownership —
The professional witch-doctor's equipment — L'Tunga decides a murder
case — Some genuine cures.

DAGGA weed was Sugden's most interesting dis-
covery up to that time and it whetted his appetite.
I pointed out to him that the witch-doctors' craft would
be a good thing to investigate and he went after this
like a bloodhound on a hot scent. We all became in-
terested, and I soon found myself whiling away the
tedium of waiting for the coronation by running down
evidence of the art of "witch-doctoring."

What we discovered made me realize the wisdom of
the government, which had recently passed strict laws
against the witch-doctors. For a time L'Tunga re-
garded our curiosity as a great impertinence and did
everything possible to prevent our getting more informa-
tion than was readily available. Finally, one night, he
grew confidential and told us why the government had
set its foot down on his brothers of the craft. He did
this chiefly because Dr. Sugden and I had shown him
that we were "white witch-doctors" and thus had estab-
lished a sort of fraternity among fellow practitioners.

"The bad witch-doctors caused all the trouble," he
said, "and it was their own fault that the government

310

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

made laws against them. None of the doctors in my
lodge' were guilty of these oflFenses, but we have to
suffer with the rest. Like you white doctors, I cure
the sick and drive out evil spirits."

I had not claimed to drive out spirits, but I am not
sure that Sugden had not made such a statement. He
always did things in a thorough manner and L'Tunga
might have misimderstood him when he told him what
healers we were.

"The trouble began a little while ago," the witch-
doctor went on," when a number of strange doctors came
among us. They were from the gold country to the
west and they had many queer tales to tell. They told
our people that they were fools to work for the white
men and that they ought to rise up and drive them out
of the country.

"I do not know where they received their learning,
but they said that our people were as good as the white
men and told them that they were fools to let white
men govern them. Our people hstened and became
much excited. They talked of making war and there
was much unrest. The warriors began to gather, and the
Boers and other white men sent messengers and spies
to find out what was going on.

"However, these strange witch-doctors talked too
much and made too many promises. Soon they began to
tell our people that they need not grow any more com
nor breed any more cattle. They promised that there
would be a great rain of com and that millions of cows

811

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

would ccHne into the country for any one who wanted
them. The people were convinced and sat about in idle-
ness, waiting for the free food. The end of this was
that there was much hunger in our land and many of
the people starved to death.

"I went about when these strange witch-doctors told
these lies and warned our people that starvation would
come. But they scoflFed at me and would not even bow
to my most sacred charms. They said I belonged to the
old order and that the new witch-doctors were the only
ones worth following. For some time — ^too long a time
— I had no honor and it was not until starvation came
that the people again listened to me.

"Then the government learned of all these things and
sent food to the people, so that not so many died. Some
of the strange witch-doctors were caught and killed, but
most of them escaped.

"Making starvation was not the only crime they did.
So foolish were the people that they believed in them
and for a time would do anything they said. Some of
the doctors told them to conunit murders and sold them
charms that were to prevent them from getting caught.
A number of killings took place and many women were
stolen. When the murderers were caught and brought
to court, they told how the doctors had advised them
to kill and even named the number of cows they had paid
for the charms that were supposed to protect them.
When the government heard of this they became very
angry and passed laws against witch-doctors."

812

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

L'Tunga was full of this invasion of Swaziland by
these strange witch-doctors and told us stories about it
for several hours. One was as amusing as it was illu-
minating. It seemed that two young indunas had a
diflFerence of opinion over a woman. They both tried
to buy her and bid against each other, so that the success-
ful one had to pay three or four times her market value.
This hurt the purchaser's feelings, while the loser was
angry because he had been outbid. The result was that
the latter went to one of the witch-doctors and bought
a charm to protect him while he unostentatiously mur-
dered his rival. At about the same time the other induna
bought a charm from another of these witch-doctors and
started out to slay his enemy. Before they could meet
the two witch-doctors compared notes and decided it
would be a bad thing for them if there was a killing.
The doctor whose charm proved valueless would lose
prestige in the villages he was plundering. So they
agreed to prevent bloodshed, and did so by proving that
the woman in question was bewitched and thus only fit
to serve them ! One of them took her, and the indunas
decided to forget their difi'erences. However, when the
crash came, after the starvation episode, they hunted
up these witch-doctors and promptly killed them.

"I have never heard what became of the woman,"
concluded L'Tunga, "but I fear she is no longer in
danger of being bewitched."

Before leaving us that night L'Tunga agreed to tell
us everything about his profession-^with reservations,

318

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

I suspected. He invited us to visit his school where he
trained the young witch-doctors, and we decided to do
so next day. His invitation, he explained, included only
Sugden and myself, as he knew that none of the rest
of my party were "white witch-doctors." He was ex-
tending to us a sort of "professional courtesy," as it were.

We learned more about witch-doctoring at the school
in a short hour than we had during all the weeks we had
been in its proximity. The school was in a small kraal
set apart from the others, and we foynd about a score
of would-be "doctors" in attendance. We must have
arrived at a slack moment, for they were all smoking
dagga weed and enjoying it to the full. L'Tunga,
nevertheless, showed us all over the place and pains-
takingly explained everything of interest. One smaU
hut, however, was forbidden to us. He explained that
it was the sanctuary where the charms were kept, and
that if white men entered it, none of the charms would
ever be of any use. "We 'd put a curse on 'em I" Sugden
tersely put it.

It was at the end of this tour of inspection that we
received a practical demonstration of how a regular
witch-doctor works. We were beginning to examine
L'Tunga's professional equipment when one of the neo-
phytes approached and with the utmost respect informed
him that he was wanted. Of coiu-se we went along, and
found quite a gathering at the gate of the kraal. In
the center were two large and indignant warriors. They
were all chattering away at a great rate, but all talk

814

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ceased immediately when L'Tmiga stepped out of the
gate. He was absolute master of the situation, and
the deference with which these common people treated
him showed that they knew it.

"Why do you disturb L'Tunga and his white friends?"
he demanded. "Do you not know that these are white
witch-doctors of great magic and are too great to even
look on such lowly people as you?"

Properly rebuked, the crowd dropped its eyes, and
then L'Tunga quickly found out what was wanted. It
seemed that the two warriors each claimed to own a
certain cow. Instead of fighting over its possession,
they had decided to ask L'Tunga to find the rightful
owner by means of the "Poison Test." I had often
heard rumors of this test, but had never seen it per-
formed. L'Tunga talked with them a little while and
arranged that the loser was to pay him one cow for his
services in determining the ownership of the animal.
After this was decided, each of the warriors sent one
of his people to get a cow. While these cows were being
brought L'Tunga prepared himself for the test.

We went to his hut and he allowed us to squat nearby
and watch him dress. Two of the would-be witch-
doctors acted as valets for him, and when he had fin-
ished he was certainly a striking and awesome figure.
First, he was plentifully smeared on the forehead, face,
and body with a sort of red-and-white clay pigment.
With his black skin, this gave him a weird appearance.
When sufficiently painted, he put on a magnificent head-

815

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

dress consisting chiefly of porcupine quills some fourteen
inches long. This headdress is known as the '"ekufue"
and is only worn by witch-doctors who are masters of
the craft. The white pigment is known as '"ocikela,"
while the red is called '"onongo." Both have other
uses which we were soon to learn.

To complete his costume L'Tunga wound a wide strip
of antelope skin about his middle. This contains a large
pouch and is known as the ''uya." In it are carried a
number of medicines and some charms. When fully
dressed for his work our friend locked every inch a
leader of his profession.

On our return to the kraal gate we found the two
cows waiting. L'Tunga looked them over and said they
would do, although he was far from enthusiastic.
Sugden and I thought they were fine beasts, but it
would not have done for the witch-doctor to have ad-
mitted this.

Then came the test. The warriors were told to stand
together in* front of L'Tunga, who knelt on several
small but fine skins which his assistants had placed on
the ground. When aU were in place an assistant handed
L'Tunga a small hoUow gourd, or "okapo," partly filled
with water. In this he mixed several drugs the nature
of which we learned later. First came a form of
"'ombambu," which is said to be so deadly that birds
die when they light on the limbs of the tree from which
it is obtained. Then came another drug of the same
nature, said to be obtained from the roots of the tree.

816

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Lastly L'Tunga dumped "onsunga** — a mixture of
powdered herbs the ingredients of which we were never
able to ascertain — into the gourd. Then he stirred the
mess with the foot of an antelope. While he stirred it
he chanted in a low voice.

During all this performance the crowd remained
absolutely silent, as were we. The only noise was the
lowing of one of the cows who seemed to disapprove
of the proceedings.

When the "hellish brew," as Sugden called it after-
ward, was thoroughly mixed, L'Tunga handed it to one
of the warriors and told him to drink it. Without hesi-
tation the man did so, and it seemed to me he took a
good half of the mixture. L'Tunga then retrieved the
gourd and passed it to the other warrior, who drank
the remainder.

Next came the climax of the test. Both warriors
appeared to grow violently ill. L'Tunga chanted in
a louder tone, while the crowd pressed close. Sugden
and I did not know what was going to happen and
watched anxiously. The warriors swayed back and
forth and there was an air of tense expectation that
became constantly more acute. Suddenly Sugden
caught my arm.

"Look, look I He 's going to vomit I" he said, point-
ing at one of the warriors. He was right. A second
later the man retched and vomited. As he did so, the
crowd cried out so loudly that I caught the words,
"He is the loser I It is not his cowl"

317

ADVEXTUKES IN SWAZILAND

L'Tunga immediately stepped to the man and
smeared him with red pigment, placing it mainly on his
forehead and arms. Next he tmned quickly to the other
and smeared him in similar manner with the white pig-
ment. Then with all haste L'Tunga mixed '"asangu"
and gave some to each man. This, we learned later, was
a powerful emetic and it certainly acted without delay.

When the warriors had calmed down they were rather
weak and weary. L'Tunga directed an assistant to take
the cow of the man who became sick, and we thus under-
stood that he had lost in the "Poison Test." While
L'Tunga was divesting himself of his ceremonial trap-
pings he explained to us that there was no doubt that
this man was wrong about the ownership of the cow
over which the dispute began — if he had owned the
animal, he would not have vomited!

"This is no country for a man with a weak stomach/*
Sugden remarked to me. "It looks as if a strong con-
stitution counts even more here than in the U. S. A."

L'Tunga also explained that both warriors would
have died forthwith, had he not given them the emetic.
The mixture he had compounded caused sure death after
a short time. He told us that he considered the cow
he had received in payment not much of an animal and
adopted the pose that his talents had been poorly re-
munerated.

By s}rmpathizing with him in these complaints we
made L'Tunga feel that there was a further professional
bond between us» and he became even more willing to

818

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

assist us in our study of witch-doctoring. When he
had removed his paint and other marks of his prof ession,
he offered to show us the stock-in-trade of a real witch-
doctor.

"We must use many wonderful and powerful charms
in our work among the poor and ignorant people," he
said. "Many of them have come down to us from the
old witch-doctors who knew much more than I do, and
I know more than any other in the whole of South
Africa. My father was a witch-doctor, and his father
was one, too. He was the head witch-doctor for King
Ama-Swazi, and his word was law with the king as well
as the people. In his day there was much honor for a
real witch-doctor and he had many wives. He was very,
very rich. He was also very powerful, so that the king
was glad to have him with him when he made war and
governed his people."

I had already heard tales of his respected ancestor,
but I regret to say that few of these reflected credit on
him. It seems that Ama-Swazi allowed him the right
to inflict the death penalty, and it was his habit to remove
any induna whose wives he coveted or who might possess
anything else he could use. In addition to these civic
activities, this old devil added a number of new charms
to the outflt carried by a professional witch-doctor and
L'Tunga was proud of the fact that he had some of the
original ones his ancestor had invented.

One of ilie most interesting things that L'Tunga
showed us was his charm-case, or "uhamba," which all

819

iSTnrma* Df sw^^jilasd

laei ▼!& I ^gnrrf^ ^srii-^-x 7a,*fiiP^ :!ni«|m7r

2- 1 f ^ r:

»re ^ca. ttsij*- cTif f-»Tia> sai *«rt Tsed to

^♦:mi --

a j^>tttr ^^nie ciiickecrcciiea^ a r^* feet, aai tbe boof
of m ox. )L^r*r 5QSscsiCZ4? liuizi t&eie were a ftifkrn' s
bead drxd wr± tie zxcnii c^fssi, mHA was Hied to
SfTCi!trjtie a g^jSKp. asd tee dncd nose of a Ijvna. wiudi

were a nr.Tnher of rjdusr odi§ and cxKk^ bet tfaey had
rir> ^0t€i2l Kgcfficazkce. AH these diarms played a part
in Tar>jcu rft^ak, and LTonga totd us tbtt nooe of the
frould-tK: fSTtdwkictors in his school woe allowed to
practice until they were aUe to use each and erery one
orrectly.

Xext he showed as a nnmbcr of other charms of a
different character. One of these was the "ombii^ga,''
which was the horn of an or, fall of medinnrs herhs*

320

CHIEF WITCH-DOCTOR OF SWAZILAND

He i* holding thf liwit addition io hi* lamily. He is ■ rery iafluenliBl mu ■ud is tba

persoul doctor to ihp qarto and the priore. He hu itunnn vivee and nity ehiMnn

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

and drugs. This was a very valuable and potent charm,
and only kings and great indunas were allowed to pos-
sess it. It was supposed to prevent lightning or disease
from striking the owner, and its wonderful power also
extended to his family and possessions. In addition, it
was supposed to prevent wild animals from attacking
those under its protection.

"That is some charm, believe me," Sugden said, when
L'Tunga had reverently explained it. "It is a combined
lightning-rod and accident policy, and must cost a lot."

L'Tunga assured us that the "ombinga" cost many
cows, and this was the reason why only kings and chiefs
could afford to own it. Following this, he showed us
a rain wand, but refrained from demonstrating its power.
This he called an "ocifungo." It was made of the tail
of an ox, with two small deer horns inserted in the end.
There were some magic oils in the tail, also, and he
explained that he could drive rain away by blowing the
little horns and waving the tail at the rain. Sugden
asked him in all solemnness if the wand worked, and
L'Tunga assured him that it was infallible, provided
the right payment had been made. The payment, it
seems, consisted of a number of cows, and young women
would not be refused. Sugden remarked that we ought
to get one of these rain-dispellers and have it around
all the time so that we would not have any further
trouble with wet weather.

Last of all, L'Tunga unwrapped a bundle of skins
and produced a number of neck-charms, known in the

321

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

singular as an '"umbanda." These were for the use of
any one willing to buy them, and were most potent as
a protection against injury in battle. The ''umbanda''
consists of two bottle-shaped objects about four inches
long and is made of woven grass-string. Frcnn the end
of each there protrudes a tuft of feathers about two or
three inches long, and each cme contains magic medi-
cines. The Swazi warriors wear the "umbanda** around
the neck and believe that they stand a poor chance in
battle unless they do so. However, I had seen natives
wearing them at times when there was no war, and this
prompted me to ask L'Tunga about it.

''There is always a reason, Mazan Bakoor," he said.
''When a warrior puts on his 'umbanda,' he fears that
he may meet the assegai of an enemy. Then again, he
may be going to destroy an enemy and wishes to be
protected."

Further development of his explanation showed that
when a Swazi appeared wearing his "umbanda," it was
generally understood that he was off to a killing. They
always go armed, so that weapons mean nothing, but
when they put on this charm there is bloody work afoot.

After inspecting L'Tunga's equipment we strolled
over to the school, where a class was in session. The
details of this we missed, however, as the instruction
halted as soon as we came in sight. L'Tunga talked for
a moment with the "professor" and then tcJd us that
the fact that we were white men would prevent us from
seeing the novices receive their instruction*

822

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"But it would not be worth your time to see these
young men at work," he added to console us. "They
are only learning certain rituals. First the instructor
explains the charm to be used, and then he shows them
how it is done. They try to do as he does, and when
they have learned he explains another charm."

Sugden and I were sorry not to see this class at work.
It would have been entertaining to watch them, and I
wondered how they would have compared with my
classes in the Harvard Medical School. Of one thing
I felt certain — these savages were just as much in earnest
as any of us back there in Cambridge.

It appears to take a long time to make a bona-fide
witch-doctor. The course given in L'Tunga's school is
most thorough — at least, that is what he said — and no
candidate receives his "uhamba" until he knows aU the
tricks of the trade. It astonished us to find this intd-
ligent savage taking his profession so seriously; it all
seemed such frightful nonsense to us. Still, the thought
came to me that L'Tunga might think the same about
some of our most sacred medical practices. When we
left him he promised that he would send for us the next
time he was to work.

Three days later he did so. One of his students came
to tell us that his chief was about to make a divination
and that we could witness it if we wished. Naturally,
we accepted. We had been eager to see a divination,
which we understood to be a ceremony where the witch-
doctor really went through his paces.

323

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

L'Tunga was waiting for us in his hut. He was
cordial, but very soIenuL

''This is a serious case/' he said. ''I am about to ask
the spirits to decide the life or death of an induna. He
is accused of murdering another induna, and there is no
way of proving his guilt or innocence except through the
spirits who work for me. To-day you shall see the most
important work I do I"

We were properly impressed. Sugden, in fact, was
so interested that he forgot to make his usual caustic
comment. It struck me as the most barbaric thing we
had yet encountered that this witch-doctor with his fool-
ish bag of tricks should be called upon to decide the fate
of a fellow-being.

L'Tunga dressed himself as before, the only diflFerence
being that he put on his paint and ornaments with more
care. When he was dressed he called out, and several
of the young witch-doctors entered. These he loaded
with various queer things the nature of which developed
at the ceremony. When we were all ready, our party
solemnly marched out to the entrance of the kraaL

There we found a large crowd of people, the great
majority being warriors and indunas. Standing apart
from the rest, facing the gate, was the induna whose fate
was to be decided. He was a tall, heavy-set man of
middle age, and his face was that of a killer. He looked
as if he might be accused of a dozen murders, instead
of only one.

824

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"'If looks count for anything, that gentleman ought
to be shot on sight!" was Sugden's remark.

L'Tunga halted just outside the entrance of the kraal,
and an old witch-doctor stepped out of the crowd and
addressed him.

"O L'Tunga, greatest of witch-doctors," he began,
**you are called upon to decide the guilt or innocence
of Makeza, this induna, the owner of many cows and
women. Three days ago an induna was found dead
with many wounds. Makeza was his enemy, and the
people of their village say that Makeza killed him in
the night. Oktela was his name, and now Makeza has
taken his wives and there is much outcry in the village.
Makeza says that he knows nothing about Oktela's death,
but you, L'Tunga the Great, can decide I"

While he stated the case against Makeza the induna
stood gazing defiantly at L'Tunga, and I had a feeling
that he was not helping his case.

"My spirits will decide whether Makeza is guilty or
not I" L'Timga announced in a loud voice.

The witch-doctor waited while the little skins were
placed and then knelt down facing Makeza, who also
knelt at a sign from L'Tunga. Next the assistants
placed two roughly carved wooden figures, about a foot
high, in front of the witch-doctor. These are known
as "ovitakas" and are supposed to represent the spirits
that are to be invoked for the divination. It was plain
to see that the figures were male and female. L'Tunga
then put on a necklace which was handed him by an

825

ADVENTURES IX SWAZILAND

assistant. This seemed to be made of teeth of Tarious
wild animals, those of the lion being most noticeable.
He next picked up a gourd and handed it to Makeza,
who immediately commenced to shake it. It was full
of seeds of some kind and made a loud rattle. L'Tunga
produced a similar gourd and also started to shake it.

This rattling was really the beginning of the cere-
mony. After a short time L'Tunga commenced blow-
ing on a whistle, which gave a loud shrill sound. It was
a horn of a small deer set in the end of an ox-tail which
was wrapped with broad bands of red, black, and white
beads. The whistle was to call the spirits and we noted
that the people seemed to get much excited when they
heard it. After a few mcxnents L'Tunga b^an to vary
the whistling with a sort of chant in a minor key. The
sound of his voice struck terror into the audience, and
I could see that they were terribly afraid. Makeza
showed his fear by rattling his gourd with what almost
amounted to frenzy.

The whistling, rattling, and chanting went on and on,
all the time rising in a crescendo. The excitement of
the crowd became more and more intense, until it seemed
to me that something must happen soon. L'Tunga ap-
peared to be quite mad, and Makeza shook his gourd
as though his life depended on the noise he made.

At the exact moment when the situation became un-
bearable, and when I felt as though I would go mad also,
L'Tunga stopped his noise. A second later there was
silence, broken only by the deep breaths of the audience.

826

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

The sudden silence came with such a shock that it quite
unnerved one.

Presently L'Tunga raised his empty hands above his
head and slowly brought them down over his "uhamba,"
which lay on the ground in front of him. He held his
position for a moment, Makeza's eyes riveted on him*
Then L'Tunga slowly waved his hands back and forth,
and I could see Makeza following their every movement.

This must have lasted for a few moments only, but
it seemed an age. Suddenly the hands stopped, re-
mained still for the space of a breath, and then swooped
down on the "uhamba." With one motion L'Tunga
picked up the charm-case and shook it above his head.
Three shakes, and he held it motionless!

Slowly, very slowly, he brought it down and laid it
on the ground. Makeza watched, his eyes bright and
big with dread. L'Tunga looked at him fixedly for
a brief space, and then slowly lifted the top of the
"uhamba" and glanced into it.

"Guilty I Guilty r' he shouted in a ringing voice.
"The red horn stands! The spirits have decided!
Makeza is guilty!'*

The induna seemed stunned for a second, and for
about the same space the crowd remained quiet. Then
everything broke loose at once. Excited cries rose from
the warriors; Makeza sprang to his feet; L'Tunga
jmnped up and back to where we stood. The con-
demned man looked wildly about and then, snatching

327

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

properly accredited witch-doctors carry. This corre-
sponds to the familiar little black bag carried by white
physicians when making their calls. The ''uhamba" he
used was a tightly woven basket, roughly one foot broad,
two feet long, and perhaps ten inches high. In this was
a queer collection of charms. The chief thing, however,
was the "ongombo'\ or small gourd used in divination.
This was very sacred and L'Tonga would not allow us
to touch it. In it were the most potent charms, and
he exhibited these to us one by one.

There were a few rough images of wood, very crudely
made but yet unmistakably representing human beings.
They were both male and female, and were used to
symbolize persons who were doing business with the
witch-doctor. Then there was a lion's tooth, a horn of
a goat, some chicken-bones, a pig's foot, and the hoof
of an ox. More interesting than these were a chicken's
head dried with the mouth open, which was used to
symbolize a gossip, and the dried nose of a hyena, which
L'Tunga used when he "smelled out*' crime. There
were a number of other odds and ends, but they had
no special significance. All these charms played a part
in various rituals, and L'Tunga told us that none of the
would-be witch-doctors in his school were allowed to
practice until they were able to use each and every one
correctly.

Next he showed us a niunber of other charms of a
diflFerent character. One of these was the "ombinga,"
which was the horn of an ox, full of medicines, herbs,

820

He ia boMiDi Itie laint

doctor to Ihc queen And Ibe prince. He hu thirteeo wives And ■:

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

L'Tunga gives his patient "asangu"; for rheumatism he
prescribes "amatoli" and sometimes "ovihata," and the
distress of a mother in labor is greatly lessened by giving
her "oluvanga" to chew. This is a leaf, while the rheu-
matism "cures'' are both powders, as is the emetic.

One stock remedy of which L'Tunga was very proud
greatly amused us both, but we concealed our amuse-
ment lest he think we were making fun of him. This
was "ekulo," a love medicine which he said was most
potent.

"When a wife wishes to be preferred above all other
wives of an induna," he explained, in telling of its use,
"she comes to me and I give her *ekulo.' This she mixes
with the food of her husband, and from that time on he
cannot resist her and she becomes his favorite wife and
is mistress of all the others."

L'Tunga explained other uses of "ekulo," but these
are "too intimate," as Sugden said, to be set forth here.

After our investigation of witch-doctoring as it is
practiced in Swaziland, Sugden and I came to the ccm-
clusion that the British knew what they were doing when
they placed a ban on it. Even LTunga, kindly soul
that he was, ought to be suppressed.

880

CHAPTER XIX

Wearisome delay in coronation — ^War suggestions from Umsulek — ^Mj plan
to bluff Labotsibeni— The bluff is called— A ticklish situation— Labot-
flibeni refuses to surrender the throne — Our demonstration fails—
Night murders provoke war.

DURING the next two months Tuys and I had
ahnost daily interviews with Tzaneen and Se-
buza, but we got no nearer the coronation. The
situation was becoming a scandal in Swaziland and was
hurting the prestige of the royal family at Lebombo.
Indunas kept coming in from the outlying districts and
asking how soon the coronation would take place. With
them came their warriors, and there was much murmur-
ing because of the delay.

We, too, were growing more and more impatient, and
to add to our distress Rossman, my camera-man, became
HI. I could do little for him, and he was thoroughly
disgusted with the lack of action. Finally, on his
urgent request, I sent him out through Portuguese ter-
ritory to Delagoa Bay, where he caught a steamer for
his home in America. Oom Tuys took him to the coast
and was gone nearly two weeks. He returned to find
us just where we had been when he left, except that
the population of Lebombo was increased by several
hundred more expectant warriors. These had all come

881

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

for the coronation and were unable to understand why
Tzaneen did not go ahead with it.

Tuys brought word from some one he had talked to
at Delagoa Bay that there was a general understanding
among the Portuguese that Sebuza intended taking the
throne by force. In fact, traders were warned not to
go into Swaziland for fear that they might get mixed
up in the impending civil war. Rumors of war always
lead to "gun-running" in South Africa, just as they did
in Cuba in the old days, and I asked Tuys if he had
heard whether anything of this nature was taking place.

"The authorities there are not taking any chances,'*
he said. "They are not anxious to become embroiled
with the British and have posted extra guards at many
places along the border. If anyone tries to get guns
to the Swazis, he will have to be very clever or he '11 be
caught.''

It is absolutely forbidden to sell guns to the kaffirs
anywhere in the Transvaal, but there are always ven-
turesome traders who find it impossible to overlook the
chance of making a big profit, for a gun is worth more
than its weight in silver to any native able to pay for it.
I remembered my experience with King Buno years
before, when Oom Tuys allowed me to present him with
a Mauser rifle.

The monotony of the delay in the coronation was
hard to bear. As already stated, we visited Tzaneen
and Sebuza nearly every day, but it was weeks before
anything happened.

332

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

It was about four months after we came to Lebombo
that Tzaneen sent for us one day. We found her sur-
rounded by a number of strange indunas who seemed
to be friendly with Vilakazi, one of the sons of Buno
and therefore an uncle of Sebuza. It seemed that we
had been smnmoned to attend an important conference.
I was glad of this, for it might mean that some action
was about to be taken. We entered the royal hut with
the usual formalities, and the strange indunas saluted
respectfully.

"Nkoos, these great chiefs have come from Stegea,"
the queen said. **They have been sent with a message
from Umzulek. They are the leaders of his impis and
he has directed them to counsel with me for the purpose
of taking the throne by force. Umzulek has talked
much with Vilakazi, who has explained to him all the
difficulties that surround us. Umzulek declares he will
send all his warriors to our assistance, if we will drive
Labotsibeni from the throne and make my son king."

During this speech Tuys watched me keenly. I could
feel that there was war in the air. The people of Swazi-
land had come to the end of their patience and were
determined to set up their king whether Labotsibeni and
Lomwazi liked it or not. On my part, I was practically
pledged to keep peace in Swaziland and could not be
party to a war, even if it meant the success of my enter-
prise. Keeping this thought in mind, I addressed the
queen before Tuys could reply.

''Nkosikaas, Mother of the King," I said as impres-

833

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

sively as I could, "this is talk of warl We must not have
killing. Your son must not gain his throne through
bloodshed.

"This would be a poor business, Nkosikaas. The
government would not sanction his taking the throne by
force and he would be driven out by the rifles of the
English. War must be avoided at all costs, since Sebuza
would lose, even if he won!"

I went on at length, pointing out the foolishness of
war and trying to get the queen and the indunas to
change their minds. I could see that the indunas were
set on war, and they had convinced Tzaneen that it was
the only way. Down in my heart I had a sort of
feeling that they were right.

Tuys also backed me up and talked of the mistakes
made by the Swazis when he was young. He explained
that they must obey the government and told them how
impossible it would be for them to wage war against
Labotsibeni without its consent. He made a good argu-
ment against killing and practically converted the queen.

Then Sebuza came in ! With him was Lochien and a
number of the younger indunas. Immediately the
debate became heated. Lochien took our side, but
Sebuza and his men sided with the indunas from Stegea.
The queen remained neutral, though I felt she would
have liked to come out for war. It was Sebuza who
made the deciding speech.

"Who am I that I am kept out of my kingdom?" he
almost shouted. "I, the son of Buno and grandson of

834

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Umbandine ! I have thousands and thousands of war-
riors, and all the people of my country wait for me to
become king. All my indunas and warriors wait for me
to give the word, when they will sweep over the land
and crush Labotsibeni and Lomwazi!

"I call for war I I call to my people to come to me
and destroy those who hold the throne from Sebuza,
son of Bimol"

With this kindly thought the prince sat down, and I
could see that practically all the indunas were in favor
of his suggestions. It looked as though we were to
have a civil war whether we wanted it or not. But I
thought of Conmiissioner Honey's remarks and decided
to make another effort to avoid a conflict.

I suggested to the queen that the indimas be dis-
missed and that we hold a conference to decide the
question of whether or not there should be war. When
the indunas had gone, there was a sort of "executive
session" attended by the queen, Sebuza, Lochien, Vila-
kazi, Oom Tuys, and myself.

Tuys and I brought up the question of what would
happen to all present if the indunas of Tzaneen and
Sebuza were allowed to precipitate war. We told them
of the misery it would cause their people, and finally
reminded them that the British Government would take
a hand and that they would either be driven out of their
country or executed. This last thought struck home.
Nevertheless, they were so exasperated at the state of

835

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

a£Pairs that it loked as though they were ahnost willing
to take a chance.

"But we have more than five thousand warriors here
now/' Sehuza objected. "These brave men are loyal
to me and came here to see me crowned. They are
willing to -die for me, and I dare not send them home
to their kraals to say that I, the son of Buno, am afraid
to take my throne. Labotsibeni has few warriors, and
I have heard that these will desert her if there is a war.
We could seize the throne with little killing. Only
Lomwazi, perhaps, need be killed!"

That last statement came from the heart. I could
see that Sebuza had hard feelings for his uncle and he
looked as if he would enjoy the job of removing Labot-
sibeni's able counsellor.

His remark about there being so many warriors at
Lebombo gave me an idea. It flashed through my
troubled head that it might be a good idea to ^'puU a
bluflf" on Labotsibeni, as the Americans say.

"You say you have more than five thousand warriors
here waiting for you to give the word for war," I said^
turning to Sebuza. "Are you sure that Labotsibeni has
few warriors and that these will not remain faithful?'*

Sebuza repeated his statement, and both Lochien and
Vilakazi agreed with him.

"Then let us make a demonstration on Zombode,"

•

I went on. "Let us get all the warriors of Sebuza and
the queen, and also those of Umzulek, and march on
the royal kraal of Labotsibeni. When we arrive there,

836

CROWN PRINCE SEBUZA IN FESTIVAL DRESS

Th« headdr«g conBiata of anything that ifl foloT^d. perhapt a few col
cotored paper (probably removed from a jam-tin). The necklace conaiMa el b
vanoiu ornamentB anif pHllerni. The anklets are made (rem tbe hides of »il(

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

let the impis deploy so that their number is so many
that it cannot be eomited.

"When all is ready, the warriors will dance as though
for war. After a little we shall send messengers to
Labotsibeni and demand that she abdicate. Lomwazi
will see that we have an overwhelming force and will
advise her to do so, and thus Sebuza will receive the
throne of his father!"

My suggestion met with the unqualified approval of
all the Swazis, particularly Sebuza and his mother.
Oom Tuys, however, spoke quickly to me in Dutch,

"Remind them that this is only a demonstration,
Owen, and that there must be no killing," he said.

I turned to the others again.

"Nkosikaas, you must instruct your indunas that this
is to be only a peaceful demonstration," I told the queen.
"You must tell them that the warrior who makes an
attempt to kill will be executed. There must be no
mistake about this. Prince Sebuza must also tell his
indunas this, and they must understand fuUy that this
is not war — it is only make-believe."

All promised to see that these instructions were
carried out, and then we arranged the details of the
demonstration. It was set for the day after the next
new moon, or about ten days hence. In the meantime
all the warriors that could be notified were to be rallied
at Lebombo, so that the impis of the queen and Sebuza
would be as large and imposing as possible. At the
time I did not realize that this last suggestion was a

837

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

mistake. I ought to have remembered that it would be
impossible to muster the warriors loyal to our faction
without those of the opposite persuasion knowing about
it.

The day of the demonstration dawned bright and fair.
It was also very hot. Tuys and the rest of our party
were up early, and even then the kraals of Lebombo
seemed alive with fighting men. Lochien came over
before breakfast and said that they would set out so as
to reach Zombode before noon. This meant about half-
past nine, since Labotsibeni's kraal was about a two
hours' march distant.

It was an imposing spectacle to see the various impis
assemble in such formation as they knew. Tzaneen and
Sebuza each had their own impis, wearing a distinguish-
ing headdress. In addition, the men from Stegea wore
plumes that showed they were the "household troops"
of Umzulek. The other impis were more or less non-
descript, but their warriors were picked men. Every
man had on his full war costume and they made a brave
array. The indunas could be distinguished by their
more splendid regalia and bearing, and even I was sur-
prised to see what fine types of savages these were.

Sugden, Crespinell, Tuys, and I bore our rifles and
side-arms so as to carry out the semblance of war, and
we four marched at the head of the army. The impis
were strung out along the roadway, and when I looked
back I felt certain that we had many more than five
thousand fighting men behind us. With us at the

338

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

head of the troops went L'Tunga, Vilkazi, Lochien, and
Makets, the latter the head indiina of Umzulek's impi.

We halted at the little stream that marks the dividing
line between Zombode and Lebomo and I took occasion
to again impress on the indunas the fact that we were
about to make a peaceful demonstration. I knew that
word must have reached Lomwazi that we were coming,
and I hoped his spies had exaggerated our numbers so
that he would realize how hopeless it was to resist.

Sebuza had remained with his mother at Lebombo.
This was to show that he had nothing to do with our
warlike strategy. He was to stay there until sent for
by his people to take over the throne.

I had one bad moment when we deployed in front
of Zombode. We were stretched out for more than
a quarter of a mile — ^it must have been nearer a half —
and the formation was made while we were at least five
or six hundred yards from the kraals. With my field-
glasses I could see great numbers of warriors lying or
sitting in front of the village. The grass was high, so
that I could make no actual estimate of how many there
were. I could glimpse thousands of headdresses above
the grass, however, and there appeared to be a bank of
men on the ground siurrounding the kraals.

Now it had been planned that our army should ad-
vance in solid formation right across the little plain
until it came within about two hundred yards of the
huts. When it halted a signal was to be given, and then
the war dancing would begin.

889

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

We went forward, our little party between the impis
of Tzaneen and the prince, and I could feel the excite-
ment growing. On both sides of me grim warriors
fingered their weapons and their eyes flashed. I had the
feeling that I was on top of a powder-magazine with
lightning striking all around.

Lochien was several paces in the lead, and it was he
who was to give the signal. On we went, until I began
to think he had lost his head and forgotten the orders.
Suddenly he threw up his hands, his shield gleaming
dully in the sun, and halted. Instantly the whole army
stopped — and then came my bad moment!

Diamond-points of sunlight flashed from a thousand
spearheads as impi after impi rose from the ground
around Zombode. In that brief moment there seemed
to be countless warriors, fully armed, standing guard
at the old queen's kraal.

We fairly gasped with astonishment. Tuys threw
his rifle forward and I heard the breech-lock click. He
was as amazed as the rest of us, and his instinct warned
of trouble.

"What a surprise!" he said, turning quickly to me.
"Now we 're in for it ! Keep close, lad, and we 'U win
through!"

Before I could reply, Lochien began dancing. In
another moment oiu* entire army was chanting and
springing up and down like madmen.

"Soukbulala! Soukbulalal — I will kill you! I will
kill you!" they shouted. From individual shouts this

840

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

quickly fell into a sort of rude rhythm, its heavy bass
rolling away across the plain.

Immediately the warriors at the kraals commenced
their dance, and their shouts reached us with the snap
of gunshots. Our men waved their knob-kerries, asse-
gais, and shields in the air, and Labotsibeni's home guard
did the same. The air was full of murderous tools and
we were surrounded by giant savages who seemed to
have suddenly gone mad.

This awful bedlam lasted for some time. Actually,
it was six minutes by my watch, but such a six minutes !
Every second I expected to see some of our warriors
dash forward and attack the enemy.

L'Tunga came to himself first. He sprang out to
Lochien, who still danced in front of us all, and caught
him by the arms. Lochien stopped dancing, and a
second later he turned to our army and threw up his
arms. Like a statue he held the great shield above his
head, standing there as though suddenly turned to
bronze.

This was a signal for the dance to cease. In a little
time our warriors saw him and quieted down, only their
agitated plumes showing that their excitement was not
wholly dead. Labotsibeni's warriors caught the change,
and soon they, too, became quiet. They swayed to and
fro in front of the kraals, but remained as silent as our
impis.

L'Tunga and Lochien came back hurriedly to us for
a conference.

841

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

"Nkoos, this is not what we expected," Lochien said
to me in an anxious tone. ''We did n't believe Labotsi-
beni could muster so many men. What shall we do
now? Shall we go through with the plan, or fight?
Perhaps it is better to fight. We have more than five
thousand warriors, and they cannot have more than
about three thousand. Shall we fight?"

"No ! No !" I replied most emphatically. "CJo through
with the plan as arranged. Tell Labotsibeni that you
have many more warriors than she has. TeU her that
you don't want to have any killing, but that she must
surrender the throne."

"Would n't it be better to fight?" Lochien insisted,
and I could see that the blood-lust had him.

I threw my rifle to my shoulder with the muzzle
dangerously close to his head.

"I shall kill the first man who tries to fight," I said.
"If he is a warrior, I '11 shoot him once; if an indumt,
twice ; and if he is one of the royal blood, I '11 fill him
full of holes!"

This settled the question. Lochien thought my threat
was real — and he was not fooling himself much, either.

L'Tunga, who had a wide reputation throughout
Swaziland as a witch-doctor, then went forward, accom-
panied by Lochien, Makets, and several others. They
made the peace sign and went halfway across the de-
batable ground between the two armies. Here they
waited for a few moments only, and then Lomwazi and
half a dozen indunas came to meet them. I would have

842

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

given much to have heard that conversation. After a
short talk Lomwazi led our envoys into the village.

No sooner were they out of sight than Labotsibeni's
men again began dancing and shouting their war-cries.
I could feel our warriors tightening up, and shouted for
Vilakazi. I told him to watch closely and prevent any
warrior from breaking ranks, and demanded that he
stop them from dancing. He went along the ranks and
spoke to the indimas, who turned and yelled at their
men. In spite of this, I could see the plumes beginning
to sway and felt that it would not be long before they
were at it again. This time I doubted whether we could
stop them if the "enemy" began taunting them.

Labotsibini's men shouted and jumped, and presently
one or two began running forward a short distance. A
warrior would seemingly be overcome by his emotions
and would make a quick dash into the ''No Man's Land"
between the forces, using up his energy by a particularly
violent fit of dancing. When this was spent he would
hop back to his place near the kraal, yelling all the while.

I realized the danger of this sort of thing. If these
enthusiastic savages came far enough, they would tempt
some of our men to dance out and meet them. This
would mean a killing. There would be some rapid blows
with the knob-kerries, accompanied by the hollow thud
when the shields caught the strokes, and finally one blow
would go home and the victim would drop. Like a flash
would come the stab of the assegai and there would be a
dead man on the ground 1

843

ADVENTURES IX SWAZILAND

Our TfMhmM knew this better tium I did, and tiiey
walked up and down before their excited warriors
watrfiing for the first man to break ranks. Tinrs and
I hdd oar rifles ready, fully intending to shoot the first
warrior who started for ibe middle grouiML It was a
ticklish position and my white companions stood ner-
Tousty waiting for the break they felt was coming.

At the moment when it seemed as thou^ the dam
must burst and our men get beyond contrc^ a sudden
silence came over the shouting lunatics at the kraals.
I understood tiie reason when I saw our envoys coming
out of tiie royal kraal, still escorted by Lomwazi and
his indunas. Amid deep silence they walked slowly to
the spot where they had met before and stopped long
enough to ceremcmiously salute each other. Then Lom-
wazi and his bodyguard returned to the village and
L'Tunga and the others came to where we stood.

They appeared angry and worried. Lochiai also
looked dejected, and Tuys and I listened while L'Tunga
made his report.

"Queen Labotsibeni sends word that she will not sur-
render the throne, Nkoos," he said. "She told me to tell
our queen that she must die before the throne passed to
Sebuza, and not after."

Evidently the old queen had made up her mind that
the government could not protect her from the sacrifice
if she allowed Sebuza to become king.

"When I told her that we had many more warriors
than she had/' the witch-doctor went on, "she declared

844

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

that her indunas would fight to the death, that so long
as she held Zombode she was Queen of Swaziland!"

I could picture the old queen when she delivered this
defiance. Blind, too weak to stand, and more than one
hundred years old, her spirit was still unbroken, her
coiu'age undiminished! She had lived like a queen and
evidently had made up her mind to die like one.

Both armies remained quiet while we held a council
of war. Makets insisted that we attack Zombode; he
thought we could rush the village and take it. I could
see that he was carrying out instructions that Umzulek
had given him when he sent him to Lebombo. His ad-
vice was given in a torrent of words that I had difficulty
in stopping. He had the attack all planned.

"Attack with fire!" he almost yelled, for he was much
excited and in deadly earnest. "First the impis of
Tzaneen, Sebuza, and Umzulek will attack those on
guard. After them will come the others, carrying fire.
While we fight, the torch-bearers will break through and
bum the kraals!"

He had it all planned out and I could perceive the
cunning mind of his chief at work. Makets wanted a
bloody holocaust that would bring back the old days
with a vengeance. I had heard of such attacks when the
Boers and British wiped out offending tribes, and I
knew what such a thing meant — a massacre, with the
women and children burned to death!

I finally silenced Makets, but barely in time. He had
almost fired the others with his bloodthirstiness, and for

345

ADVEXTUKES IX SWAZILAND

I was afraid tfaev would hctt and start the

later Lociiien joined the anti-war party wfaicfa Tuys and
I headed. Our aigomcnt lasted a long time, but finally
we prevaned*

**Indnnas and leaders of the true king's impis,'' I said
at the conclusion of our coundL ^^We hare shown
Queen Labotsibeni and Lomwazi that their nonsense
must end. They know now that a majcHity of the loyal
warriors of Swaziland are bdiind the s<mi of Buno and
they are afraid! Let us take our impis bac^ to Le-
bombo, and to-morrow we will send to Labotsibeni and
demand that she give up the throne. She is afraid that
she will be killed, according to the ancient custom^ and
for that reascm refuses to abdicate. We white men will
pledge ourselves to guard her and escort her to Portu-
gese territory, where she wiH be safe. When she hears
this, she will have no hesitation in permitting Sebuza to
be crowned."

This reasoning seemed good to Lochien, L'Tunga,
and the others, except Makets, who grumbled a bit and
still wanted to end the business then and there. I sus-
pect that he hated the thought that he would hare to
report to Umzulek that there had been no fighting and
that Lomwa^ had escaped.

Our warriors were squatting on the ground when the
command was given for the return to Lebombo. They
rose at once, and Labotsibeni's watch-dogs also sprang
to their feet. These expected that we were about to at-

346

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

tacky and so were greatly puzzled when our army turned
about and started oflF slowly for Lebombo. Their silence
lasted only a few minutes, however. Then they broke
out into revilings and taunts that would have made a
saint fight. Our impis grew more and more sullen un-
der this volley of insults, and went away from Zombode
with murder in their hearts and the feeling that they
would have many explanations to make when they re-
turned to the home kraals.

I was sorry that our bluflF had failed, but very thank-
ful that we had pulled through without bloodshed. Tuys
walked along beside me, silent and thoughtful. When
Lebombo's kraals came in sight he told me what was
on his mind.

"Owen, my lad, I know these people," he said, "and
I 'm af riad that your peaceful ruse will cause trouble.
The Swazi warrior is a proud man and does not like to
be called names. I pray that we may get through the
next few days without an explosion."

I made light of his forebodings, though probably my
attitude was due to our having withdrawn without a
battle. Had I known what was going to happen, I
would not have been so lighthearted.

Tzaneen and Sebuza were angry at our failure. The
prince, of course, was indignant that we had accepted
the insults of Labotsibeni's troops and was quite rude
to Oom Tuys and me for preventing the capture of
Zombode.

"It would have all been over by this time,*' he said,

847

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

'"and I would be king! My impis have lost faith in me
for permitting you white men to do this thing. I shall
lose my warriors. They will go over to Labotsibeni
and Lomwazi because they are not afraid.*'

Then I explained to him and his mother about our
plan to send a message to Labotsibeni on the following
day. When they heard that we white men would guard
the old queen and escort her to safety, they thought that
it might succeed. Sebuza, though, very pointedly men-
tioned the fact that according to custom the old queen
ought to die. I protested that she was too old and
feeble to do him any harm after he became king, and
he agreed that I was right.

He was insistent, however, that Lomwazi should die.
He felt that Lomwazi would be a menace to the throne
and, it seems, had some old scores he wanted to pay off.
We argued over this for some time, and Sebuza, on
the urging of his mother, finally came aroimd to our
point of view. Yet I had the feeling that we would have
to move fast to prevent an accident happening to
Lomwazi.

I httle realized that all this talk was for nothing.
My nice little plan, which sounded so simple, would
never even be tried 1

That night Tuys and I arranged the details of the
next day. We planned to take the wagonette and use
it to transport Labotsibeni and Lomwazi to Portuguese
territory. We would walk beside it with our rifles ready
and protect the old queen with our lives. We both

348

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

felt that the safest thing to do with Lomwazi would be
to hide him inside and we spent some time arranging
the vehicle so that he could be concealed within. Of
course he would be found easily if the wagonette was
searched, but we intended to prevent that, even if we
had to fight off ciu'ious kaiiirs.

In high hopes that we had reached the end of the
trail and that the coronation was at last in sight, we
went to bed. Sugden and Crespinell were ^lad, too,
since they had had their fill of Swaziland and wanted
to go home.

But our real tro^ibles were only beginning.

Tuys waked me roughly next morning before day-
break. He was much excited, and I could see that he
was fully dressed and had his rifle in his hand.

"Get up! Get up at once, Owenl" he said hoarsely.
"There is the devil to payl War has broken out and
there has been killing already!"

I jumped out of bed and into my clothes in one
motion. While I pulled them on he told me what had
happened.

"Some of Sebuza's indunas started for their kraals
last night," he said. "They went by way of Zombode,
and when they passed the little hill just before you
reach the plain they were attacked by several score
of Labotsibeni's warriors and every one of them was
killed! It was cold-blooded murder. They must have
been outnumbered about ten to one!"

It seems that an induna and his men had lagged be-

349

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

hind the others and had seen the ambush. From their
description it was a most unexpected and brutal attack.
Sebuza's indimas tried to put up a fight and resisted for
a short time. Then the enemy overpowered them and
stabbed them to death.

So it was war after all! In spite of my efforts to
prevent it, the question of who should be ruler of S wazi-
land was to be settled in the old-fashioned way.

Tuys and I went to the royal kraal and found
Tzaneen and Lochien already up. Thousands of war-
riors and scores of indunas were on guard and the whole
place was in whirl of excitement. As we forced our way
to the royal hut, Sebuza came marching in surrounded
by his young indunas, all of whom were officers in his
impis. The prince pushed by us into his mother's hut
and a second later LfOchien came out and beckoned us
to enter.

As soon as she saw us, Queen Tzaneen motioned us
to her side.

"It is war now/* she said decisively. "There is no
other way I Our indunas have been murdered and my
warriors cannot be restrained. You white men did
everything you could to keep peace, but Labotsibeni
makes war against us and we cannot help oiu'selves.
It is war I"

The others echoed the word "war," and I could see
that they were all pleased at the prospect. Even Lochien,
peace-loving though he was, realized that there was no
help for it and counselled quick action to secure the cap-

350

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ture of Zombode. Makets was in his glory and I knew
that the smell of blood was already in his nostrils.

But I would not give up. I could not see these people
go to war and I made one last attempt to prevent it.

**The government will avenge the murder of your
indunas, Nkosikaas," I declared. "The government will
send rifles to Zombode and will hang all those who did
the killing. There is no need for you to meet murder
with murder — ^then you will be also punished by the gov-
ernment's rifles! Thousands will be killed, and need-
lessly, for those at Mbabane will send white troops to
catch the murderers and hang them."

They listened while I spoke, but I could feel that I
was talking against a flood that was irresistible. Tzaneen
answered me, and her words met the hearty approval
of all the others.

"We do not need the government to avenge our dead,"
she said, holding her head erect with pride. "Our
dead are our own and their blood cries to us for revenge I"

That seemed to settle it. They asked us to take part
in the war, but we flatly refused. We told them that it
was not a "white man's war" and that we would have
nothing to do with it. Then Sebuza, with his customary
impudence, asked me to lend him my rifle. I refused,
and he grew quite huflFy about it.

"You gave my father. King Buno, a rifle," he re-
torted. "I shaU soon be as great a king and then you
will be sorry you refused 1"

I realized he might be speaking the truth, but never-

851

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

theless would not let him have the gun. I would have
felt guilty of any killing he did with it and I know the
government would have taken the same view.

When Tuys and I got back to our camp we imme-
diately held a council of war. Our position was dan-
gerous. If Labotsibeni's men attacked Lebombo, we
might have to fight for our lives. We were known as
friends of Tzaneen and Sebuza, and our taking part in
the "demonstration" of the day before had shown all
Swaziland that we were not friendly to Labotsibeni and
Lomwazi. Realizing that we might have to fight and
not caring to take advantage of the slim protection of
the kraals, we built up the sides of the great wagon so
that it became more like a fort than anything else. In
addition, we arranged for night watches, so that there
would always be at least one white man on guard, with
several of the black boys to assist him. Of course I had
Sibijaan assigned to my watch, while Tuis was to watch
with Oom Tuys, with whom he had become a favorite.
Crespinell and Sugden each had their boys, and we fett
that there would be little chance for a surprise attack on
the wagon, if matters worked out as planned.

An interesting development in our preparations for
defense was the sudden discovery that ^'Gunga Din**
was a soldier. He came to me, asked for one of the
spare rifles, and handled it like a veteran. Like all
Indians, he had a great contempt for negroes, and he
seemed delighted over the prospect that he might have
a chance to shoot a few Swazis. Instead of being wor-

352

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

ried about the turn of affairs, Din was bucked up by it
and produced a large crooked knife from among his
effects, sticking in his belt where it could be readily
reached. It developed that our chef was a fighting
man, after all.

All that morning excitement prevailed at the kraals.
There was much dancing, and the chanting was con-
tinuous. I could see thousands of warriors on hand and
during the afternoon a fresh impi arrived from the direc-
tion of Stegea. These, however, did not look like
Umzulek^s men, for they wore no distinguishing mark.

We were all curious to know what was going to
happen. I made another visit to the royal kraal late
that afternoon and was met by Vilakazi. He was friend-
ly enough, but professed to be ignorant of what was
planned and ended by advising me to return to my
camp. He gave me to understand, politely but firmly,
that only those who intended fighting were desired at
the royal kraaL Finding that I was not wanted, I took
his advice and returned to camp to tell Tuys about it.

"Vilakazi has more sense that you have, Owen," he
commented. "You said that this was not a white man's
war and you'd better live up to that. Don't worry
about what 's going to happen ; it will be bad enough
when it gets here."

So I decided to mind my own business and try to
meet whatever trouble was coming our way when it
arrived. It was as well that I did. I could do nothing
except hope that the conflict would be as short and

853

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

bloodless as possible. I had done everything possible
to keep peace.

Late that afternoon I saw a number of small impis
— bands of warriors nmnbering about one hundred and
fifty men — Cleave the kraals and take to the hills in the
general direction of Zombode. These, Tuys explained
to me, were ambush parties whose work it was to lie
in wait for warriors who might be rallying to the assist-
ance of the old queen.

"They are murder parties," he repeated, calling them
by their right name, "and they will also act as scouts
and spies. If they can waylay parties of inferior num-
bers, they will do so and kill every one of them. Of
course there are undoubtedly a number of such parties
abroad now who belong in Zombode. There will be a
carnival of murder and assassination until one side gets
up nerve enough to attack the headquarters of the other.
All I hope is that Tzaneen's indunas screw their courage
to the attacking point first. I 'd prefer to have this
war fought out at Zombode, and not here!"

We all agreed with him and turned in that night **all
standing." I did not go to sleep until very late, and
it seemed only a few minutes before Tuys routed me out
to take my watch. I was on duty from about midnight
until dawn, but nothing disturbed us.

854

CHAPTER XX

Lebombo threatened with attack — Tsaneen flies to us for protection —
Victory for Sebuza — Labotsibeni's mysterious death — Lomwazi spared
for execution later — Funeral sacrifice of the old queen — Queen TsanccB
in state — ^We are forced to join the royal impi.

THERE must have been important developments
during the night. Shortly before sun-up I saw
several thousand warriors leaving Lebombo in the direc-
tion of the enemy. They marched swiftly and silently,
and when they had gone the kraals appeared deserted.
I wanted to send Sibijaan over to find out what this
movement meant, but was afraid to do so for fear that
he might be mistaken for an enemy.

When Tuys waked, I told him about the impis leav-
ing for Zombode. At once he became intensely in-
terested.

"That is the end!" he declared. "Well know who
wins the war by noon. Tzaneen's impis have gone to
attack Zombode, and I hope they take it. The sooner
this business is ended, the better for all of us."

Shortly before noon a kaffir came out of the royal
kraal and shouted in our direction. He waved bis
shield, and I sent Sibijaan to see what he wanted.
Through my glasses I recognized him as one of the few
old indunas I had seen in Swaziland. There are prac-
tically no old men or women in the country. This is

355

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

due to the rigid belief in the doctrine of the survival of
the fittest, the old ones usually being removed when
unable to protect themselves. This old induna was some
sort of an officer for the queen and acted as a tutor for
Sebuza. His age prevented him from taking part in
active warfare.

Sibijaan talked with him for a few minutes, and then
turned and raced back to me. He was terribly excited
and could hardly deliver the message.

"Ou Baas, there is great danger !" he gasped. "Queen
Tzaneen sends to you for help, She has received word
that the impis of Labotsibeni are coming to attack Le-
bombo. Thousands of warriors are now in the hills and
will soon attack!"

Tuys and I were puzzled what to do. Sugden de-
cided for us. With his ready Yankee wit, he hit upon
the solution.

"You have n't any chips in this game," he said, "and
you Ve got to keep out of this war. But there *s nothing
to prevent you from offering sanctuary to a fugitive
king, queen, ace, or jack! Send to Tzaneen and tell her
to come over here, and we 'U take care of her if the
enemy comes I We *11 have to fight for our own lives
anyway, and it won't matter much if we add her to our
responsibility."

I sent Sibijaan running with this message, and it was
only a short time before Queen Tzaneen arrived with
quite unseemly haste at our camp. In spite of her pre-
carious position she kept her dignity, and we helped

356

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

her up into the big wagon, where she hid under the
cover with four of her maids-of-honor. To cahn her
nerves we gave her a bottle of gin.

Then followed one of those periods of suspense that
seem as though they would never end. I searched the
hills vith my glasses, scanning every tree and boulder
for the oncoming enemy. Every now and then I would
start when I saw a movement, but invariably it turned
out to be caused by either a cow or a sheep. We prac-
tically held our breath for about four hours, waiting for
an enemy which might wipe us out. That was a long
long afternoon I

About the time the shadow from the barren mountain
fell across the royal kraal, which means shortly after
five o^clock, our suspense came to an end. It ended with
a shock that I will never forget.

Tuys and I were still searching the hills when Sibi-
jaan suddenly gripped my arm, his hand trembling so
that I almost dropped my field-glasses.

"Look! Look, Mzaan Bakoorl" he cried, pointing
down the road which led to Zombode. "There they
comel Shoot quick I Shoot!"

Through the glasses I could see what looked like sev-
eral impis straggling up the road. They marched fast,
but without much attempt at formation. As I watched
I could see that many of the warriors were dancing.

I felt myself grow cold and hot by turns. Our time
had come I It was the army of Labotsibeni advancing to
attack Lebombo and kill Tzaneen and her white friends.

857

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Tuys had the same thought, and he lowered his glasses
and looked at me. A veteran campaigner, nothing
flustered him, but he wanted to see how it affected me.
A second later he put out his great hard hand and I
shook it solemnly.

"Well, Owen, we 'U show them how white men can
fight — and die, if need be," he said gruffly. "It has
been a good game and we have done our best!"

Sugden and Crespinell were watching the oncoming
impis and coolly comparing the sights on their rifles,
trying to agree on the proper distance to set them. This
spoke for their courage, and I turned my glasses on the
impis again. Tuys was studying them, and suddenly
he began to laugh in that deep bass way he has when
he is highly amused.

"We 're danm fools, Owen, damn fools!" he rumbled,
with a chuckle. "Those niggers are the impis of
Tzaneen and Sebuza. The war is over! They are
dancing with joy ! They must have taken Zombode and
are coming home to tell us about it!"

My glasses told me that he was right. My eyes are
not so good as his or I would have known this before.
Now I could see that the warriors were drunk with
triumph and were dancing to celebrate their victory.
As they drew closer I could distinguish Lochien and
Makets at their head.

I called to Queen Tzaneen to come out, and informed
her that her army was victorious and approaching. She
climbed down from the wagon, lend a moment later

858

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

we all went forward to meet the impis. We reached the
royal kraal shortly before Loehien and Makets, and
we white men stood back while she received them.

Seeing the queen awaiting them, the indunas halted
the warriors and they fell into formation. Loehien
paused until all were in place and then raised his arms
in salute. The impis followed his lead and three times
the royal salute was given, with the shrill whistle at its
conclusion. Tzaneen acknowledged the salute, and then
Loehien and Makets stepped forward.

''Nkosikaas, Zombode is ours! Labotsibeni is dead
and the war is won 1" Loehien cried. "Even now Sebuza
is king in Zombode and throughout all Swaziland. King
Buno's son is king and our work is over!"

"Loehien, faithful induna and counsellor," Tzaneen
replied, "Is my son, the king, wounded or hurt in any
way? And did he carry himself in battle as should the
son of Buno?"

Lochien's answer satisfied her and she beamed with
pride and joy. There were a few more leading questions
and presently we went into the kraal. It was only then
that I noted Makets closely. He staggered as he walked
and I was startled to see that he was bleeding from
several wounds in the breast. I turned to help him,
but he would have none of it.

"Nkoos, I am a warrior! I am an induna and a leader
of warriors !" he boasted in a tired voice. "These wounds
are nothing! To-day I have won seven scars of honor.

859

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Seven of Labotsibeni's warriors, great fitting men,
fell before me!"

He seemed much pleased with himself and had not
fully recovered from his slaughter madness. I knew that
he could take care of himself and paid no more atten-
tion to him. There were important things to be learned.
I wanted to know how Labotsibeni came to be killed
and what had happened to Lomwazi.

Tzaneen was almost beside herself with curiosity and
began questioning Lochien as soon as we were seated.

"How was Labotsibeni killed?" was her first question.

"Nkosakaas, I cannot answer that/' Lochien replied,
and I could see that he was telling the truth. "Strict
orders were given that she be spared, so that the gov-
ernment might not hold King Sebuza to account for her
death. Sebuza told the indunas that the man who
harmed the old queen would die! All our warriors
understood this.

"When we came to her hut, however, she was dead.
I think that some enemy in her own kraal stabbed her
when we broke in and they all fled. Perhaps some
woman she had offended did it. Labotsibeni was help-
less and could be easily killed."

It seemed a pitiful thing to me that Labotsibeni, after
ruling Swaziland for so many years, should be murdered
in this way. I was thinking about her when Tzaneen
asked about Lomwazi.

"Lomwazi is a prisoner, Nkosikaas," Lochien an-
swered. "He will be killed after he has officially sur-

360

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

rendered the throne. These are King Sebuza's orders,
and Lomwazi is under guard in Zombode until the
coronation celebration is held."

That settled the cunning Lomwazi. Clever as he was
reputed to be, he had not been been able to escape his
fate. It later transpired that it was Lomwazi who had
sent the false alarm that Lebombo was to be attacked.
Evidently he thought that the impis of the enemy would
be kept on guard there and that he would be able to in-
crease his army by delaying the attack he knew would
be made on Zombode. However, his word reached
Tzaneen too late, as the impis were already on the war-
path.

Lochien next gave us an account of the taking of
Zombode. The old queen^s opinion concerning the fight-
ing quality of her impis was not far wrong. It seems
there had been several hundred single combats, after
the custom of the Swazi warriors, and finally a rush
upon the kraal. Of course Lochien exaggerated a great
deal — ^no kaffir can tell the exact truth — but there must
have been between four and five hundred killed. There
were practically no wounded; there never are when
Swazis fight. As soon as a warrior woimds his enemy
so that he is unable to fight back, he kills him.

It developed that there had been an attempt to bum
the kraals, but Sebuza stopped it. It was he, also, who
intervened to save Lomwazi^s life after that good fighter
had killed several of Sebuza's own men. Lomwazi was
not spared, however, through any mistaken sense of

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

mercy ; he was kept to be executed as part of the coro-
nation ceremonies. When I heard this I made up my
mind to save him if I could. If there was no other way,
I would buy his life. This is often done, and it might
be possible in Lomwazi's case.

Lochien gave us many other details of the fight, re-
marking that there were many women in Zombode and
much loot. Sebuza was to decide on the disposition of
all enemy property and would have his hands full for
some time to come. When Lochien had finished Queen
Tzaneen praised him highly for his loyalty and general-
ship, and, realizing that the story was told, we went back
to our camp. I felt thankful that the war was over so
quickly, and said as much to Ochu Tuys. He quickly
undeceived me.

"'Maybe it is over in Zcnnbode and Lebombo," he said,
''but it is only b^inning in the outlying districts. It
won't be over for some time, perhaps for months. The
news of this war will not reach lots of places for days,
and when it does the factions will clash. Wherever there
are any indunas or warriors who are loyal to Labotsi-
beni, there will be killing. It will be bad killing, too, -
mostly murders done at night. It takes a long time to
end a war in Swaziland ; that 's one reason why the gov-
ernment is so set against it. By the way, I wonder what
His Majesty's Royal High Conmiissioner for Swaziland
thinks of things now?"

This idea had occurred to me several times, but I
always put it away because I had a feeling that the Com-

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ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

missioner would place much of the blame for the war
on my shoulders. Tuys prediction about war continuing
proved only too true. For weeks after the fall of Zom-
bode there were killings in the neighboring districts.
The only battle of any importance took place at Stegea,
the kraal of Umzulek. Needless to say, the forces of
that much-married potentate were victorious. Of course
many of these killings were due to personal feuds, the
war being only an excuse for them. It is safe to say
that Swaziland was in a ferment for some time after
Sebuza siezed the throne, and this came to the notice
of the authorities in Mbabane and Johannesburg.

The following day we went to Zombode. Word had
come that the body of the old queen was to be burned on
the sacrificial pyre and we wanted to witness the cere-
mony.

There was not much to it. The burning took place
shortly after dark and L'Tunga arranged the ceremony.
During the day we saw the huge pyre of dry wood on
which the body was to be laid and the witch-doctors were
still adding to it late in the afternoon.

Soon after sunset the impis of the king and his mother
gathered about the great pile, which had been built up
in a regular pattern. We were with Lochien and Vila-
kazi and were beginning to get bored when there came
a commotion and King Sebuza arrived with his body-
guard. There were a number of fires near the kraals
and these were beginning to light up the darkness.

After standing about a little l(»iger it was dark

363

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

enough to suit Sebuza and he sent one of his indunas
away in the direction of Labotsibeni's brick-walled hut.
Shortly after there arose the cry "Make way! Make
way I" and I saw the warriors draw back and leave a
lane to the pyre.

A moment later six witch-doctors arrived, two and
two, bearing a rude stretcher on their shoulders. On
this was a large bundle roughly resembling a body. It
was the remains of Queen Labotsibeni, the most extra-
ordinary native ruler South Africa ever knew.

L'Tunga was waiting at the pyre and directed the
wrtch-doctors how to place the body on its sunmiit.
When this was done, he stepped back and moved to the
nearby fire, where he picked up a flaming brand in each
hand. These he raised above his head with wide sweep
and held them steady for a moment. Then swiftly he
brought the torches down and the warriors gave the
royal salute — ^the last tribute to the murdered queen!
This salute was repeated three times, and then L'Tunga,
assisted by the other witch-doctors, lighted the funeral
pyre. The wood was dry and burned fiercely, and soon
the leaping flames met over the body of the queen.

That was the last of Labotsibeni.

Next day we tried to have a talk with Sebuza, with
the idea of finding out how soon he planned to be offi-
cially installed as king. This was very important to
me, since his coronation would mean the attainment of
the object for which I had come to Swaziland. I would
be able to make an historical record of ceremomes which

364

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

would be valuable as a vivid page out of the life of old
South Africa — ^the life that is passing so quickly now
that white men are coming into the country in such
nimibers.

Sebuza sent word to us that he would see us in Le-
bombo in two days, and we went back there to our camp.
While we were finishing lunch Lochien came with a re-
quest from Queen Tzaneen that we visit her. Thinking
that she was probably more interested in a bottle of gin
than in us, I gave Lochien one for her. He caught my
thought and explained that the queen really wanted
to see "all the white men."

"She has important business to talk over with you,
Nkoos," he said, "and desires that you come to her at
once."

Tuys thought it would be a good thing to do, since
we were so near the coronation ceremonies, so we all
put on our hats and followed Lochien to the royal kraal.
There was a noticeable change in manners there since
Sebuza had become kyig. Instead of the former in-
formality, we had to go through the salute and all the
other rituaL Tzaneen had revived the formal glories
of old Labotsibeni and I was amused to see how she en-
joyed being kowtowed to. She had at least fifteen
maids-in-waiting about her and had set up quite a court.
Even Lochien was on his best behavior and went through
the ceremony of presenting us to her with a neat little
speech in which he made it appear that we had come as
suppliants for her favor. I caught Tuys*s eye while this

865

AD\TEXTURES TS SWAZILAND

was going oo and there was an amused twinkle in iL
The wise c^ burgher had seen sarages of all sorts and
nothing they did astonished him so kxig as they coa-
tinued to bdiare like grown-up diildren.

When we were finally seated Tzaneen explained tiie
^'important business." After we heard it we realized
that LfOchien had spoken truly.

''3Izaan Bakoor, '3Ilung 'Smantzi Eenui, and Ma-
kofa/' she said, addressing me, Sugden, and CrespineU
by our native names, "you have seen a queen die and a
king made in Swaziland. You know much about how
these things are dcxie. You know many things about
the war that Labotsibini made against me and of which
you were a part, for did you not carry out the demoor
stration that led to the killing f'

I attempted to take her up on this statement, but
Tuys signaled me to keep quiet. Nevertheless, I mainr
tain that she was not just in blaming the first killings
on us.

"Now you know that the government has set its face
against my son, King Sebuza," she went on, "and it
may be scxne time before it will recognize him as the
rightful king. When the news reaches Mbabane that
Sebuza has seized the throne, the white chief there, who
belongs to the government, will ask many questions.
He will want to know much!

"When you go to Mbabane, or to your own home,
the government will question you and ask how Labotsi-
beni came to be killed. Perhaps the government will

866

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

want the truth, when a little lie would work much less
harm here in Swaziland. Is it not so?"

I began to see what she was driving at. Tzaneen
was afraid that the government would get after Sebuza
for taking the throne by force and she wished to make
sure that we would protect her son as much as possible.
She had been talking at me, but now she turned to
Tuys.

"Nkoos Tuys, you are the brother of Buno," she
said, "and Buno gave his people into your care. You
are the white king of my country and you will protect
us from the government if need be. I need not ask
you to be careful when they question you. I only ask
that you advise Mzaan Bakoor and his men how to
avoid rousing the government against us."

"Nkosikaas, I will answer for Mzaan Bakoor and his
men with my life," Tuys answered. "Mzaan Bakoor is
blood of my blood and inherits my trust as guardian of
the Swazis when I die. Buno decreed this as he died."

Tzaneen nodded her approval at this brave speech
of Oom Tuys and then was thoughtful for a time. I
could see that she was still doubtful and that the fear
of the long, slow, but dreadfully sure arm of the govern-
ment was still upon her. Presently she raised her head
and looked at me, and her eyes flashed a sudden resolve.

"There is one way that I can be certain of your
loyalty, Mzaan Bakoor," she said, without mincing
words, "and that is by making you an induna of the
Swazis. You and your two men shall become indunas

867

ABVENTUKES IN SWAZILAND

in the royal impL Never before has a ^rtiite man been
worthy to be taken into a Swazi impi, and you shall be
the first r*

This Tcu. a de gdgd ahockr I had never thought I
would like to be a Swazi, even if I were an induna. In
fact, I would not have enjoyed being King of Swazi-
land, with all the power that Buno had. But here we
were face to face with the proposition of being forced
to become indunas in the crack impi of the new King of
Swaziland. Even the distinction of being the first white
men to be admitted did not lessen the blow.

I was at a loss what to say to Tzaneen. She had
the air of having ccmf erred the highest possible honor
on us, but I sat there speechless, wondering how to
avoid becoming a Boer-SwazL It was good old
Tuys who saved the situation, but ruined us.

^'Nkosikaas, you have done Mzaan Bakoor and
men the greatest honor," he said, "and they will gladly
become indunas of your impi. They will go to their
homes proud to say that they are your indunas I"

Then the wily old Boer poured out a lot more flat-
tery which Tzaneen swallowed without blinking an eye.
While he talked I thought the matter over. It looked
like a hopeless case; I could see no way out of it. If
we wished to see Sebuza crowned, we would have to go
through with this induna business.

"Oom Tuys has spoken for us," I told Tzaneen, after
Tuys had finished complimenting her. "For the rest of
our lives we shall be proud to say that we are indunas

368

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

of your impi. Our children will also be proud of it
and will tell their children!"

Tzaneen appreciated this, too, and liked it. Then I
asked a question that was close to my heart.

"When is it planned to hold the formal ceremonies
of making Sebuza king of Swaziland?"

"In about fourteen days," she answered. "The cele-
bration of his coronation will take place at the same
time that you are made indunas. You will return from
the mountains after ten days, and by that time all the
people of Swaziland will have come to Lebombo and
there will be the greatest celebration any one has ever
seen*

So this had all been planned, I thought, and then it
came over me with a jolt that we must go into exile in
the mountains for a "puclandi," or space of ten days,
before we would be sufficiently sanctified to become in-
dunas.

"L'Tunga will take charge of you until you return
from the mountains," the queen added, "and he will pre-
pare you for your indunaship."

This ended our chat, and we went back to camp most
unhappy in mind. Sugden was furious and so was I,
but Crespinell regarded it as rather a joke. Tuys de-
clared we would have to go through with it and had
better make the best of it. That nif ht he cheered us up
by telling us how we would have to live, what we would
have to eat, and what L'Tunga would do to us. I
think the old fellow had more fun chaffing us about our

869

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

becoming 'Vhite Swazis*' than he had had in a long
time. Some of his remarks were pointed, and Sugden
promised him that he would set his impi after him
just as soon as he became a ''sanctified induna."

870

CHAPTER XXI

Our sanctiflcation in exile — Hardships in the hills — Oom Tays saves Lom-
wad's life — ^The celebration — Lomwazi formally surrenders the throne —
Sebusa acknowledged as king — We are inducted into the royal impi —
Mbabane sends for Information — We escape through Portuguese terri-
tory to America.

THERE was even less humor about the induna
business next morning. Bright and early
L'Tunga arrived at our camp with a solemn expression
on his face and a corps of assistant witch-doctors. We
had eaten the largest breakfast possible, because Tuys
had advised us to eat one more white man's meal ^'be-
fore you go into the mountains and fight the goats for
their food." I remember thinking that there were times
when the rough and ready humor of this burgher was
in very bad taste.

L'Tunga had little to say. He told us to follow him,
and we three white men meekly did so. On either side
of us was our escort of witch-doctors, and I had all
the sensations of being marched to my execution. We
were taken to L'Tunga's kraal and into a large hut,
where we were ordered to take oflF all our clothes. I
thought Sugden would explode, but he shut his mouth
and took it out in murderous looks. Crespinell, being
a modest soul, was unhappy about removing his gar-
ments, but there was nothing to do except to follow
instructions.

871

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND*

I tried to cheer Sugden by remarking in English to
him that he would soon be an induna if his luck held.
His only reply was, "Indmia? Hell!'* Crespinell was
too far gone for words. When we had stripped L'Tunga
presented each of us with a full Swazi warrior's cos-
tume, telling us to put this on. Thankful for anything
to cover our nakedness, we did so as quickly as we
could. Then our witch-doctor friend ordered us to
come out of the hut, and we did. We certainly were
the handsomest white Swazis that ever carried a shield!

Tuys was hanging around the kraal, and the twinkle
in his eyes when he saw us marched out to start on our
long walk to the hills was worth seeing. We did not
appreciate it, however, for the hot earth hurt our feet.

It would be impossible to detail our experiences dur-
ing this exile. I am sure no white men ever suffered
piore than we did We were bitten by insects, scratched
by a million thorns, scorched by the sun during the day
and nearly frozen at night, and our feet were in con-
stant agcmy. In spite of L'Tunga's tutoring, we could
not find enough food, so that we nearly starved.

There was only one bright spot. Some young women
traveling across the mountains ran across us and gave
us food. Except for this aid, I feel sure we would
never have survived the ordeal. After the first day
or two the only fun we got out of it was enjoyment of
each other's misery. In addition to our actual physical
suffering, we were in constant dread lest we be bitten

872

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

by some poisonous snake, of which there are many in
these hills.

But such suffering must have an end. On the ap-
pointed morning L'Tunga and his assistants arrived
and escorted us back to Lebombo. How we ever got
there I cannot understand. Our feet were practically
useless, and we must have walked on sheer nerve. No
sooner did we arrive at Lebombo than we were ushered
into the presence of the queen.

We were a sorry looking group. Each had a ten
days' growth of beard and a famished look in his eyes.
Tzaneen was very cordial and assured us that we had
come through our sanctification with flying colors. She
congratulated us on our hardihood and said we would
make brave indunas. When I interpreted to Sugden
later the **brave indunas" part of her speech, I thought
he would have a fit.

"If I get through this alive," he exclaimed, "I '11 never
see a Pullman porter without wanting to kill himl I
don't care how soon the British send a flying column and
wipe out all the Swazis '. I hope they start with L'Tunga,
and make Tzaneen and Sebuza close seconds !"

Tzaneen had been right when she told us that all
Swaziland would come to see Sebuza made king. All
the kraals at Lebombo were crowded, and there were
thousands of people camped out around the village.
Tuys estimated that there must have been nearly thirty
thousand Swazis there, a good half of whom were war-
riors. During our exile in the hills word had gone

873

AD\TENTURES IN SWAZILAND

throughout the land that the celebration would take
place at the end of ten days, and the people had flocked
in from all directions.

The celebration began the day after our return from
the hills. Tuys had learned that the first event would
be the official turning over of the throne by Lomwazif
who had been brought from Lebombo for that purpose.
Following this, there would be a giant reception to
Sebuza, during which all the warriors would acknowl-
edge him as king.

I was curious about Lomwazi. If Sebuza ran true to
heredity, his life was not worth much.

''What wiU happen to Lomwazi when he has turned
over the kingdom to Sebuza?'* I asked Tuys. ''Sebuza
was very anxious to kill him a little while ago. Is
Lomwazi going to be executed as part of the festivities?"

"While you were away I made up my mind to try
and save Lomwazi's life," Tuys said; "not frcxn any
love for him, but because he is the ablest Swazi I know
and may be useful to me some day. I have worked on
Tzaneen and Sebuza until they have agreed to spare
his life. To tell the truth, I frightened them into it.
I told them that the news of Lomwazi's death would
surely bring the government rifles into Swaziland and
that the first targets they would seek would be Sebuza
and his mother. It took a long time, but they finally
agreed to turn Lomwazi over to me. I am to be re-
sponsible for him and see that he makes no trouble for
Sebuza or his mother. Lomwazi does not know about

874

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

this, and he won't until after he has turned over the
throne/'

When the ceremonies started Sebuza stood on a small
mound of the little plain in front of the kraals, with
his "cabinet'* behind him. L'Tunga was there and all
the principal indunas, among whom were Lochien, Vila-
kazi, and a number of those who had taken part in the
capture of Zombode. Grouped in a tremendous semi-
circle about them were thousands of the Swazi people.
They were waiting patiently for the a£Fair to begin.

We white men remained a little to one side, and soon
we saw a small body of men coming from the kraals.
When they drew closer we could discern Lomwazi in
their midst. He was not bound, but carried no arms
and wore no ornaments. All the men guarding him
were indunas. They marched their prisoner in front
of Sebuza, and we came nearer so that we might hear.

"Lomwazi, brother of Buno and traitor to his son,"
Sebuza began. "You have lost in the war you started
against me and now your life is mine. Labotsibeni is
dead and I have sent for you to surrender the throne
to me so that the people of Swaziland may know who
is king. Do you give up the throne?"

Lomwazi was game. He knew that he faced death,
but he never dropped his eyes or lowered his head. He
looked straight at Sebuza and squared his shoulders.

"Now that Queen Labotsibeni has been murdered, the
son of Buno is the rightful heir to the throne," he re-

876

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

plied in his deep voice. '^Nkoos, you are that son and
the throne is yours I"

That was all he would say, and I saw Sebuza catdi
Tuys's eye. He seemed to change his mind suddenly,
and then spoke to Lomwazi again.

"Your life is mine/' he said, with a certain amount of
petty triumph, ''and I can do with it as I please. I
have given it to Oom Tuys, the White King of Swaa-
land, the friend of my father, who wiU do with you as
he desires."

Tuys then stepped forward and motioned the indunas
to move away from Lomwazi. The savage regarded
him fixedly for a moment, and Tuys stretched out his
hand. Lomwazi was stunned by the change in his for-
tunes, but a second later gripped the hand and followed
Tuys as he retreated into the group behind the mound
on which Sebuza stood.

Next the warriors formed into impis and, led by
their indunas in all their savage trappings, began march-
ing past the young king. Each impi would halt in front
of him and give the royal salute, thus acknowledging him
as their ruler. It seemed to me that there was an end-
less procession of these savages, all of them fully cos-
tumed and armed for battle.

When this march past was over and Sebuza had thus
been officially recognized as king by the Swazis, the royal
impi was sent for and lined up in front of the "review-
ing stand." We were in the background, waiting at
the appointed place, and L'Tunga came and beckoned

876

DR. SUGDEN, PRINCE LOMWAZI, AND DR. O'NEII.

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

us to follow him. I remember how my feet still hurt as
we swung in behind him, carrying our shields like real
warriors and trying to step out as though we were kin
to these savages.

We halted in front of Sebuza and there followed a
moment's silence. I could see the thousands upon thou-
sands of Swazis watching us, and it gave me a peculiar,
isolated feeling. Sugden and Crespinell kept their eyes
on Sebuza, and I knew exactly what the doctor was
thinking. If his wishes had come true, Sebuza would
have choked right there.

Then Sebuza made a speech.

"White indunas of the royal impi,'* he said, address-
ing us in a loud, clear voice. "You have proved worthy
to be blood brothers of the warriors who guard the king.
You have been sanctified and have borne the ordeal
without flinching. From now on you are Swazis and
entitled to all the privileges of my chosen indunas."

There was a good deal more, for Sebuza liked to hear
himself talk. As he rambled on I heard Sugden make
a remark out of the corner of his mouth to Crespinell,
which brought a blush to that young induna's tanned
cheek.

"He 's going to tell how many wives we can have in
a minute," he whispered. "I hope you get nice fat ones I"

When Sebuza finally finished, he motioned to me to
come forward. I did so and stood just below him on
the. mound. An induna handed him a plumed head-
dress and he placed it on my head. It was much as

377

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

though he were conferring a decoration. I stepped back,
and Sugden took my place and received his headdress.
Crespinell followed, and then we turned and faced the
royal impi. Sebuza gave a sign and the impi saluted
us. Then we stepped into its ranks and we all saluted
the king.

That was the end of the ceremony that made us the
only white men to hold commissions in the royal impi
of Swaziland. After leaving the "parade ground" we
were only too thankful to hobble back to camp and min-
ister to our numerous scratches, cuts, and abrasions.
But we had not yet come to the end of our torture I
Din, however, practically saved our lives by rubbing
some concoction he made on our abused feet. It eased
them wonderfully and made it possible for us to get
through the rest of that day.

The same afternoon the real celebration started.
Every one had been drinking tswala, some of which
runs as high as twelve per cent, in alcohol, and this
seemed to add to their desire to dance. The warriors
danced before the royal kraal, and we had to perform
with our impi. In spite of Din's treatment, it was
agony. The ground was hard and blistering hot. Sug-
den's remark that "the hobs of hell have nothing on
this" was fully justified.

But we went through with it somehow. In addi-
tion, we were able to get many pictures of the dancing,
and Crespinell even took some of Sugden and myself
doing our best to be true Swazi indunas.

878

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

The dancing continued all that afternoon and late into
the night. As soon as it became dark hundreds of great
fires were lighted, and it was a weird sight to see these
thousands of savages leaping and prancing in their
light.

The celebration lasted for three full days and nights
and on the morning of the fourth the visiting tribesmen
set oflF for their homes. There was a general exodus, so
that by nightfall Lebombo had returned to its wonted
calm. When I saw how empty it was, I realized that
Tuys's estimate of the number of people who attended
the celebration was very conservative.

We were resting and recuperating after the ordeal of
becoming "white Swazis" when Lochien came in haste
to see us. We were about packed up and expected to
leave Lebombo within a few days. Lochien was
troubled and wanted our advice.

"A messenger has come from Mbabane," he said.
"He says that the government will not allow Sebuza
to be king. The government chief has heard that Labotsi-
beni is dead and wants to know how she died. Tzaneen
wishes you would tell her what to say to the messenger."

This was impleasant news. I had not believed that
the government would interfere when it heard that
Sebuza had actually been made king and that all Swazi-
land was rejoicing over it. There was only one thing
to tell the messenger.

"Tell Tzaneen to speak the truth to the messenger,"
I directed. "Tell her to say that she does not know how

879

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

Labotsibeni was killed. If the messenger asks about
the war, tell the queen to explain how Labotsibeni's
warriors attacked her indunas and killed them, and that
she made war only to protect her people."

Lochien took these instructions to Tzaneen, but the
event gave me food for serious thought. If the govern-
ment was sending messengers to ask questions, it would
soon send white investigators — ^and then would come
trouble.

That night I called on the queen and informed her that
I intended leaving Swaziland as quickly as possible.
She seemed much upset at this and besought me to stay
for several moons more. I gathered that she was afraid
to face the authorities alone. I pointed out to her that
my return to my own world was imperative, and finally
she agreed to let me go.

"Nkoos, you will always remember that you are a
Swaii induna/' she said, in' parting. "Now you are one
of my people and must always remain loyal to me!"

I promised. I shall always remember her last words.
She drew herself up to her full height and threw out her
arms in an eloquent gesture.

''When you go, Mzaan Bakoor, all the sunshine goes
out of my life 1" she said, and then turned to enter her
hut.

Sunrise next morning saw us trekking for Delagoa
Bay. Oom Tuys brought Lomwazi with us, and it
was understood that he would return to his kraal^ far

380

ADVENTURES IN SWAZILAND

removed from Lebombo, as soon as it was safe for him
to re-enter Swaziland.

Ten days later we reached Delagoa Bay, where we
were lucky enough to find a steamer on which I engaged
passage for our party to New York.

/'*ll'^Mci»)

881

1!
S

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