Ballou's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXVII, No. 1 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Kaffraria. 19 something in their hands, sometimes it is a stick only, at others they have a shield in the left hand and a stick assagai in the right; but whatever they carry it is kept in constant motion, while the lungs are occupied with a chant or song. The exertion required is very great, and makes this amusement a real labor. * We have now reached the kraal, and must go into the central inclosure or cattle-fold. The ceremony has begun. The bridegroom and his companions, you observe, are squat- ting on the ground at the upper end of the inclosure near the calves’ pen; the bride’s friends are dancing before them in a semi- eiicle. The men are arrayed in their best, with shields and sticks. You wouldn't like to pound the earth with your feet and leap into the air as they do. The men, you observe, are in the middle of the semi-circle, the women being at the extremities. Their movements differ from the others. Notice those old wives outside the line of dancers; they belong to the bridegroom's party, and the marriage.” The men have as many wives as they can buy, but polygamy among them hever runs to excess. The doctors, or prophets, of which we in- troduce two specimens on this page, are the incarnation of craft and cunning. . They are not without knowledge, but their lives are a trick and a deception, which their knowledge aids. They must be the sons of prophets, and educated for the seership by being set apart, and devoting a period to association with the spirits, through which they profess to receive their power of seership. By spies and informers they obtain information of everything occurring in all the families of are chanting a song for the special be- hoof of the young lady; they are inform- ing her that she has made an exceed- irzly good match, and must take care that it does not make her proud; she must conduct herself with becoming humility in her new position. “The dance now stops, and the bride’s father steps forward to make a speech. Ie counsels the bridegroom not to beat his daughter too much; he tells him that she will make an excellent wife, she has been so well brought up; he must re- member that she belongs to a good family, and he ought to give far more cattle than he is likely to do. That young woman who leaves the semi- circle is the bride herself. She dances towards the bridegroom, and shows her future lord how well she ean do it; but he is not master yet, and to prove this she kicks the dust in his face. He rubs his eyes, but he had expected some such practical joke, and perhaps congratulates himself that it was no worse. “The bride’s party now take the place pre- viously occupied by the bridegroom's, while the latter perform a dance. This does not differ from the former one, and we need not stay to see it. When it is done an ox will be Slain for the marriage feast, and the essential part of the ceremony concluded. Two other oxen have to be provided in connection with i H | } 2 — GD UW Ons Ma se “£ 1 = ( ‘ ‘| 5 F 1 CON . 4 Ste SSN ’ AN 7 ieee th, St ~~ ee h ia aye we Palat ats ‘ Bl 0 thy Ry SD pew f f 7 ray 2 oe ELD. an:73 REPDANPO NER TE EN ON KAFFRE SORCERERS. their tribe, and by ingenious shrewdness they completely pull the wool over their simple countrymen’s eyes, giving them an idea of their profound wisdom. The Kaffres believe in witchcraft, but witch- craft, with them, is simply the power of doing injury to others. Regarding this they fre- quently consult the prophet. The injury nay be affected by means of roots, a crocodile’s liver, a piece of skin or bone, or almost any- thing. They know nothing of the nature of poisons, and deem their effects are the effects of witchcraft. The prophets, with their supe- rior intelligence, may operate through this ignorance to an indefinite extent, and work or prevent all manner of evil. The power of COMmichOoks.com