32 THE F A R INTERIOR.
afford the whole costume of a fully-fledged European adopt
as much as they can buy, no matter, in what shape, so that
a good many ludicrous figures may be seen on all hands.
The women wear numbers of bracelets of beads and brass
wire; they have necklaces also of the same description,
while massive anklets of blue beads sometimes extend to
the calf of the leg. Usually they have a sort of cloak
of skins, and round the waist, cloth and skins of all descriptions.
The old women are exceedingly hideous, and have no
uniformity in dress. They seem to have the bulk of the
hard work to do; such as carrying firewood, water, and
the products of the field ; in fact they are inferior pack
animals.
No distinguishing form of head-dress is to be found
among the people. Their hair is worn very short—perhaps
as a sanitary measure, where combs and brushes are not
toilet articles. Sometimes they have the head shaved,
leaving a small patch of hair on the top, and this patch I
have seen adorned with very small black and blue coloured
beads.
There are about 3,000 people in the town. The huts are
scattered over a large area along the foothills. I was told
that in former days the town spread far out upon the plain,
but through the restless dread of the warlike Matabeli of
the north, the inhabitants have gradually huddled their
huts closer together, with a view to gaining greater security
against attack. There is a church in the place, capable of
accommodating a small congregation.
The white man’s occupation here is wholly connected
with trading, of which the principal support is the traffic
in skins and robes, or karosses made of skins sewn together
with remarkable neatness. The people are very clever at
THE SHOSIIONQ IN F A N T R Y . 33
their sewing, producing the finest work of the kind in
South Africa. I was informed that the Makalaka, a number
of whom live here, do all the gardening and blacksmithing
work, and really are an industrious race, which cannot be
said of the Bechuana people, who are thoroughly lazy.
Trade had been getting very dull for three, or four years,
and at the time of our visit was almost at a standstill.
The Matabeli, or more properly Amandebeli, under
Lo-bengula, have long threatened to descend upon Khama,
and for that reason the latter chief will not allow his people
to go to the far-off hunting veldt, in proximity, to the
Kalahari desert, where ostriches still abound. The fear is
that during the people’s absence the invasion by the Matabeli
might take place; so they stay a t’home, suffering
from the hardness of their fate, while day by day and week
by week they anticipate the long-threatened raid of their
dangerous northern neighbours.
I am sure that, when it was over, such a war would be a
boon to the white traders, for the continued dread in anticipation
has paralysed every business enterprise.*
The slaughter of giraffes found in this country must have
been very great. Within two years over a thousand hides
of these beautiful creatures have been shipped to the
c.olony, for the purpose of being made up into cattle whips
for ox-driving. I t was affirmed that at that time they had
sufficient cattle whips to last for fen years to come.
An “ old adjutant ” would have been delighted to watch
the manoeuvres of the Shoshong infantry. I did not count
their numbers, but it struck me that many were armed with
* Since then X have found reason to believe firmly that Lo-bengula’s
dreams of conquest relate to lands lying to the north of his territory. I
think there should be no fear whatever of his attempting any extension
towards the south. Some skirmishing, however, has taken place recently
with Khama’s forces.
VOL. I. D