during several days after the death of their husbands.
People, however, who have been executed for witchcraft
are not buried, but are left in the bush to be eaten up by
the hyaenas and the birds of prey.
There is no individual landed property in Matabeleland.
The land belongs to the tribe, and in Lo Bengula’s time the
people were allowed to own sheep and goats, as well as a
small quantity of oxen ; but when a man began to own a
large number of cattle he was exposed to the danger of
death for witchcraft, on the accusation of the witchdoctors
acting as the tools of the King, or of the local
chiefs, who eyed with extreme jealousy the wealth of any
one of their subjects. In each village a large number of
cattle was also given by the King, to be cared for by his
people. These cattle were nominally the property of the
King and of the nation ; Lo Bengula could call, for them
whenever he required them. It was from these herds that
the oxen were taken which were slaughtered at the time
of the big dance. I also found that Lo Bengula, when he
visited the various towns of his country, followed by a
large number of warriors, had some of these regal cattle
slaughtered. The people, however, who had charge of
them had a right to the calves as well as to the milk, and
also to the skins of the animals when they died. These
skins were used to make shields. It may therefore be
easily understood that when, after the Matabele war, the
Company claimed all the cattle belonging to Lo Bengula,
which were in this way entrusted to the people of the
various villages, the demand was much resented by the
natives. Lo Bengula also had a large quantity of cattle
which were his own exclusively, while the others were
practically national property.
Each town, as I explained before, was organized into
a regiment. These were of two kinds—the regiments
of young men, Majoka, and the regiments of old men,
Amadota. This did not mean that the various regiments
were composed exclusively of young or old men. The
I<?3
latter were distinguished from the others by the ring they
wore on their head, a ring made of grass sewn on to the
hair and covered with glue. This distinction was conferred
not on individuals but on the whole regiment, as a reward
for bravery or for services rendered the King. The
“ young men” were not allowed to have official wives :
they could indeed be married, but could not build
separate huts for their wives. The distinctive mark for
each division (composed of several regiments) was the
colour of the shields, and also the shape and colour of
the head-gear worn, which consisted of a big ball of
feathers placed on the top of the head, and held by a
string passed under the chin. The war dress was most
magnificent. For the regiments of young men it consisted
of a kind of helmet enveloping the whole of the head, and
only showing the eyes, the nose, and the mouth; this
was made of black ostrich feathers,- as well as a huge cape,
with which the neck and shoulders were covered. The
old men wore the same, but no helmet; it was replaced
in their case by a band, about four inches broad, of otter
skin tied round the forehead, with a crane feather stuck
in it The army consisted of all the. male population
from x 5 years upwards; and the children who had been
enslaved in the various raids were incorporated in the
regiments when they reached manhood. There was thus
always new blood in the Matabele army, and the strength
of the fighting men was yearly increased. At the head
of each village, and consequently of each regiment, was
an induna, having under him several captains (Umzuli),
appointed by him; this office was usually hereditary.
When a town was removed from one place to another
each division kept its relative position, and the gardens
of each division were, marked out in the same position
as in the previous town, each man taking his own. ■
Every year Lo Bengula used to send a large impi to raid
some neighbouring tribe. Mashonaland was the chief
raiding ground of the Matabele on account of its wealth
163 I