This They Do
In Large Wooden Mortars, The Counterpart Of Which May Be Seen Depicted
On The Egyptian Monuments.* Sekeletu
Added to this good supply of meal
ten or twelve jars of honey, each of which contained about two gallons.
Liberal supplies of ground-nuts (`Arachis hypogoea') were also furnished
every time the tributary tribes brought their dues to Linyanti, and an ox
was given for slaughter every week or two. Sekeletu also appropriated
two cows to be milked for us every morning and evening. This was in
accordance with the acknowledged rule throughout this country, that the chief
should feed all strangers who come on any special business to him and take up
their abode in his kotla. A present is usually given in return
for the hospitality, but, except in cases where their aboriginal customs
have been modified, nothing would be asked. Europeans spoil the feeling that
hospitality is the sacred duty of the chiefs by what in other circumstances
is laudable conduct. No sooner do they arrive than they offer
to purchase food, and, instead of waiting till a meal is prepared for them
in the evening, cook for themselves, and then often decline
even to partake of that which has been made ready for their use.
A present is also given, and before long the natives come to expect a gift
without having offered any equivalent.
-
* Unfortunately, the illustration shown with this paragraph
cannot be shown in this ASCII file. It has the following caption:
`Egyptian Pestle and Mortar, Sieves, Corn Vessels, and Kilt,
identical with those in use by the Makololo and Makalaka.
- From Sir G. Wilkinson's "Ancient Egyptians".' - A. L., 1997.
-
Strangers frequently have acquaintances among the under-chiefs,
to whose establishments they turn aside, and are treated on the same principle
that others are when they are the guests of the chief. So generally
is the duty admitted, that one of the most cogent arguments for polygamy
is that a respectable man with only one wife could not entertain strangers
as he ought. This reason has especial weight where the women are
the chief cultivators of the soil, and have the control over the corn,
as at Kolobeng. The poor, however, who have no friends, often suffer
much hunger, and the very kind attention Sebituane lavished on all such
was one of the reasons of his great popularity in the country.
The Makololo cultivate a large extent of land around their villages.
Those of them who are real Basutos still retain the habits of that tribe,
and may be seen going out with their wives with their hoes in hand -
a state of things never witnessed at Kolobeng, or among any other
Bechuana or Caffre tribe. The great chief Moshesh affords
an example to his people annually by not only taking the hoe in hand,
but working hard with it on certain public occasions.
His Basutos are of the same family with the Makololo to whom I refer.
The younger Makololo, who have been accustomed from their infancy
to lord it over the conquered Makalaka, have unfortunately no desire
to imitate the agricultural tastes of their fathers, and expect their subjects
to perform all the manual labor. They are the aristocracy of the country,
and once possessed almost unlimited power over their vassals.
Their privileges were, however, much abridged by Sebituane himself.
I have already mentioned that the tribes which Sebituane subjected
in this great country pass by the general name of Makalaka.
The Makololo were composed of a great number of other tribes,
as well as of these central negroes. The nucleus of the whole were Basuto,
who came with Sebituane from a comparatively cold and hilly region
in the south. When he conquered various tribes of the Bechuanas,
as Bakwains, Bangwaketze, Bamangwato, Batauana, etc., he incorporated
the young of these tribes into his own. Great mortality by fever
having taken place in the original stock, he wisely adopted
the same plan of absorption on a large scale with the Makalaka.
So we found him with even the sons of the chiefs of the Barotse
closely attached to his person; and they say to this day,
if any thing else but natural death had assailed their father,
every one of them would have laid down his life in his defense.
One reason for their strong affection was their emancipation
by the decree of Sebituane, "all are children of the chief."
The Makalaka cultivate the `Holcus sorghum', or dura, as the principal grain,
with maize, two kinds of beans, ground-nuts (`Arachis hypogoea'), pumpkins,
watermelons, and cucumbers. They depend for success entirely upon rain.
Those who live in the Barotse valley cultivate in addition the sugar-cane,
sweet potato, and manioc (`Jatropha manihot'). The climate there, however,
is warmer than at Linyanti, and the Makalaka increase
the fertility of their gardens by rude attempts at artificial irrigation.
The instrument of culture over all this region is a hoe,
the iron of which the Batoka and Banyeti obtain from the ore by smelting.
The amount of iron which they produce annually may be understood
when it is known that most of the hoes in use at Linyanti
are the tribute imposed on the smiths of those subject tribes.
Sekeletu receives tribute from a great number of tribes in corn or dura,
ground-nuts, hoes, spears, honey, canoes, paddles, wooden vessels,
tobacco, mutokuane (`Cannabis sativa'), various wild fruits (dried),
prepared skins, and ivory. When these articles are brought into the kotla,
Sekeletu has the honor of dividing them among the loungers
who usually congregate there. A small portion only is reserved for himself.
The ivory belongs nominally to him too, but this is simply
a way of making a fair distribution of the profits. The chief sells it
only with the approbation of his counselors, and the proceeds are distributed
in open day among the people as before. He has the choice of every thing;
but if he is not more liberal to others than to himself,
he loses in popularity.
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