Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 131: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Who Lived It EDITOR’S NOTE-—Since white men first penetrated the Black Conti- nent there has been a constant struggle to understand the soul and psychol- ogy of the savage—to learn something of his ideals; his secret reactions to emotions, such as suspicion, rage, hunger, ambition, love; his instincts in the jungle; his apprehension of death; his animal lust for butchery in battle; his seeming callousness to pain; his extraordinary superstitions and occult powers. . . . Hitherto the best that has been done was in H. H. Johnston’s ‘‘History of a Slave,’’ strung second-hand on tales told him by a Moham- medan converted from savagery. But here at last we have the curtain plainly lifted! Santie Sabalala, a pure-blooded Fingo-Zulu, of the race that brought forth Lobengula and Chaka, the most terrible leaders of savages of whom we have any record, has boldly bared the soul of the savage. Santie Saba- lala, who was taught by a friendly white man, gives an account that has no single hint of the influence of civilization or religion. It is pure savagery told by an extremely intelligent man who has come out of the kraals with- out forgetting anything that was magnificent, strange, horrible, or funny in the life of his own people. His style of writing is unusually good. The scenes he portrays are ex- traordinarily vivid—and terrible. And altogether we believe he contributes a remarkable chapter—more absorbing than fiction—to the history of man. While the portrayal of savage life from birth to settled maturity extends through six articles, each of these articles is a complete picture in itself. This is the sixth of the pictures. HE gira or witch-doctor is com- men. by ‘Sc itaa Maeiiiie A Remarkable Account of Actual Savage Life Told by a Zulu He is able to understand the inner monly thought to be held in great fear by every one around. This is a mistake, for one of the most pop- ular persons in a community is the gira. However, he is a person of many moods and rather vindictive. When in a good-na- tured mood, he is very entertaining, very versatile, is a very competent actor, and is a person who is a great student of his fellow This is an “Off-the-Trail” Article. ¥ F Kafir Kraats," copyright, 1921, by Santie Sabalala. working of their minds by the simple fact that he studies himself intensely and dili- gently. Not only that, but he grasps at every thought that “drifts” through his mind, turning it over and over until he ar- rives at the right solution, even going so far as to commune with himself or pass into a trance. Thus it is that news travels so fast in See foot-note on first contents page. 129 COMMICLOoOokKks (E@)