The Kafirs, or Caffres. everything round, except their game-pits, which are square or parallelograms; but shew inaptitude for handicraft employments. The slave-trade is cordially hated by them; Europeans inspire them with fear. They have a great objection to praying and preaching, but dance and hunt with much zeal. It is much disputed as to whether these "magnificent savages" are negroes, or not. The following is Dr Pritchard's statement of the case, as well as his own conclusion about it: "The difference of physical characters between the Kafirs, meaning the Amakosah, and the Negroes known to us in Western Africa, are so great as to have appeared to many travellers to be distinctive of separate races, and of varieties of the human species, very remote from each other. The Kafirs have been thought by intelligent and accurate observers, to resemble the Arabs more than the natives of intertropical Africa. The conclusion to which we are led by the most careful researches into their history is, that nothing in their physical or moral qualities confirms the hypothesis of an Asiatic origin. They are a genuine African race, and, as it appears highly probable, only a branch of one widely-extended race, to which all the Negro nations of the empire of Kongo belong, as well as many tribes both on the western and eastern side of Southern Africa'." The Kafirs form one tribe of the great Bechuana family; their national characteristics are well-known to our cost, being warlike and enterprising. Dr Vanderkemp commenced the first mission among them in 1799. A new mission was commenced by Mr Williams in 1816. These people have spread themselves widely over the eastern coast, various branches receiving different names, such as Caffre and Zoolus; they are called Landeens on the banks of the Zambesi. Dr Livingstone, at page 201, Travels, says: "The Caffres are divided by themselves into various sub1 Researches into the Physical History of Mankind, Vol. II. p. 344. divisions, as Amakosa, Amapanda, and other well-known titles. They consider the name Caffre as an insulting epithet. "The Zulus of Natal belong to the same family, and they are as famed for their honesty, as their brethren who live adjacent to our colonial frontier are renowned for cattle-lifting. The Recorder of Natal declared of them, that history does not present another instance in which so much security for life and property has been enjoyed, as has been experienced during the whole period of English occupation by ten thousand colonists in the midst of one hundred thousand Zulus. "The Matebele of Mosilikatse, living a short distance south of the Zambesi, and other tribes living a little south of Teté and Senna, are members of this same family. They are not known beyond the Zambesi river. This was the limit of the Bechuana progress too, until Sebituane pushed his conquests farther." He gives the following character of them, as a race: “The Caffres or Zulus, are tall, muscular, and well made; they are shrewd, energetic and brave; altogether they merit the character given them by military authorities, of being "magnificent savages." Their splendid physical development and form of skull show that, but for the black skin and woolly hair, they would take rank among the foremost Europeans'." Our traveller says that the "Kafir wars are known and felt more in England than in Africa." In the letter dated Teté, he speaks of the confusion introduced by the indiscriminate use of the word "Caffre." "I never can repress a smile when Boers or Englishmen speak of the more abject of the Bechuanas as 'Caffres.' The real Caffres or Zulu race are those who have banged about the English soldier so unceremoniously, and are as remarkable as New Zealanders for suffering no nonsense from either white or brown. This difference in national character explains at a glance why the tide 1 Travels, p. 95. of emigration spreads away from Caffreland towards the more central parts-in the Sovereignty and Cashan mountains." Sir Harry Smith says that to fight with Caffres is like contending with Circassians or Algerine Arabs. Their late fatal delusion in destroying their cattle will be remembered by many. The Makololo. These people are the most interesting to us, since they figure principally in connexion with our traveller's great discoveries. Moreover he is the only white man who has yet visited them. The present Zambesi expedition is bound for their territories, by way of that river. They belong to the great Bechuana family; being one of its most powerful representatives. They are more of the Caffre than of the true negro type: being somewhat of a coffee and milk colour, high-spirited, independent, and having some European characteristics. Under Sebituane, and accompanied by some Basutos, they found their way from the south, in a small number, and spread themselves over a large tract from the northern bank of the Zambesi, as far as 14° south latitude. Sekeletu is their present chief. These people are honest among themselves, but still incurable warlike marauders. Hence they are hated and feared by their neighbours. They dwell among the swamps of the Barotse valley, Linyanti being their capital. From their place of residence they are subject to febrile diseases. They despise agriculture and lead a careless life; but are very anxious to trade with Europeans. Their mode of government is genuine feudalism; having a paramount chieftain, who governs a number of under chiefs, who render him suit and service, and pay their tribute in kind. The Picho is their parliamentary assembly, at which the senators speak with boldness and freedom. This is held in an enclosure called the Kotla. They inflict capital find. I have been in their canoes, and found the pots boiling briskly until we came near to the villages. Having dined, we then entered with the pots empty, and looking quite innocently on any strangers who happened to drop in to dinner." An attempt at making them soldiers failed, as will be seen by the following statement: "A long time after the period of our visit, the Chief of the Lake, thinking to make soldiers of them, took the trouble to furnish them with shields. 'Ah! we never had these before; that is the reason we have always succumbed. Now we will fight.' But a marauding party came from the Makololo, and our 'Friends' at once paddled quickly, night and day, down the Zouga, never daring to look behind them till they reached the end of the river, at the point where we first saw it1.” The MAKALALA. Under this general term the natives themselves embrace the whole negro family of tribes, as distinguished from the Bechuana variety; and especially from the Makololo: the Makalala form the great bulk of the inhabitants in the Makololo country. They had never seen a white man before Dr Livingstone. These people reside chiefly between 220 and 23° south latitude; and are in subjection to others, being somewhat in the condition of the ancient Saxon villeins. Their service is genuine serfdom, since it was originally dictated, and is still kept up, by force of arms. As is often the case with the wronged and weak, the Makalala are great thieves; and are the pirates of the Leeambye. The Makololo treat them like children rather than as slaves, since they can so easily run away to other tribes, the chiefs of which are always eager to receive them. In manners they are mild and submissive; they cultivate dura, maize, beans, ground nuts, pumpkins, water-melons, 1 Travels, p. 64. know what heathen savagism in South Africa really is, should read that chapter. They waged a doubtful warfare with Sebituane, who defeated and crippled them, driving them from the Zambesi. We now confine our attention to those tribes visited by Dr Livingstone, during his two great journeys, who do not belong to the Bechuana variety. In doing this we go back to Lake Ngami. The Bushmen. Accounts of these can be read in many books, since they spread over regions which have been visited by other travellers. These people are the only real Nomads of South Africa, residing in the desert from choice. They are aborigines of this portion of the continent, subsist on game, and have an intense love of liberty; but are miserably degraded. The Ba They call These curious people reside on the banks of koba, or Bay- the Zouga. Their language shews their affieige; the South African nity to the tribes in the North. Quakers. themselves "Bayeige," i. e. "men." chuanas call them "Bakoba," i. e. "slaves." They make fishing-nets knotted just like ours! In digging pairs of wedge-like pitfalls wherein to entrap game they evince much ingenuity as also dexterity in spearing fish. Hear our traveller's account of them as men of peace, given in the letter dated Teté: "They live on the reedy islets of the Zouga, cultivate gardens, rear goats, fish and hunt alternately, and are generally possessed of considerable muscular development: Wherever you meet them they are always the same. They are the Quakers of the body politic in Africa. They never fought with any one, but invariably submitted to whoever conquered the lands adjacent to their rivers. They say their progenitors made bows of the castoroil plant, and they broke; therefore (!) they resolved never to fight any more.' They never acquire much property, for every one turns aside into their villages to eat what he can |