第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Travels and Researches in South Africa",免费读到尾

  *SeveralwordsintheAfricanlanguagesbeginwiththeringingsoundheardintheendoftheword“comING“Ifthereaderputsan`i’

  tothebeginningofthenameofthelake,asIngami,andthensoundsthe`i’aslittleaspossible,hewillhavethecorrectpronunciationTheSpanishn[ny]isemployedtodenotethissound,andNgamiisspeltnyaminakameansatusk,nyakaadoctorEveryvowelissoundedinallnativewords,andtheemphasisinpronunciationisputuponthepenultimate。

  ReturningtoKuruman,inordertobringmyluggagetoourproposedsettlement,IwasfollowedbythenewsthatthetribeofBakwains,whohadshownthemselvessofriendlytowardme,hadbeendrivenfromLepelolebytheBarolongs,sothatmyprospectsforthetimeofformingasettlementtherewereatanendOneofthoseperiodicaloutbreaksofwar,whichseemtohaveoccurredfromtimeimmemorial,forthepossessionofcattle,hadburstforthintheland,andhadsochangedtherelationsofthetribestoeachother,thatIwasobligedtosetoutanewtolookforasuitablelocalityforamissionstation。

  Ingoingnorthagain,acometblazedonoursight,excitingthewonderofeverytribewevisitedThatof1816hadbeenfollowedbyanirruptionoftheMatebele,themostcruelenemiestheBechuanaseverknew,andthistheythoughtmightportendsomethingasbad,oritmightonlyforeshadowthedeathofsomegreatchief。

  OnthissubjectofcometsIknewlittlemorethantheydidthemselves,butIhadthatconfidenceinakind,overrulingProvidence,whichmakessuchadifferencebetweenChristiansandboththeancientandmodernheathen。

  AssomeoftheBamangwatopeoplehadaccompaniedmetoKuruman,IwasobligedtorestorethemandtheirgoodstotheirchiefSekomi。

  Thismadeajourneytotheresidenceofthatchiefagainnecessary,and,forthefirsttime,Iperformedadistanceofsomehundredmilesonox-back。

  ReturningtowardKuruman,IselectedthebeautifulvalleyofMabotsalat25d14’south,long26d30’?asthesiteofamissionarystation,andthitherIremovedin1843HereanoccurrencetookplaceconcerningwhichIhavefrequentlybeenquestionedinEngland,andwhich,butfortheimportunitiesoffriends,ImeanttohavekeptinstoretotellmychildrenwheninmydotageTheBakatlaofthevillageMabotsaweremuchtroubledbylions,whichleapedintothecattle-pensbynight,anddestroyedtheircowsTheyevenattackedtheherdsinopenday。

  Thiswassounusualanoccurrencethatthepeoplebelievedthattheywerebewitched“given。”astheysaid,“intothepowerofthelionsbyaneighboringtribe。”Theywentoncetoattacktheanimals,but,beingratheracowardlypeoplecomparedtoBechuanasingeneralonsuchoccasions,theyreturnedwithoutkillingany。

  Itiswellknownthatifoneofatroopoflionsiskilled,theotherstakethehintandleavethatpartofthecountry。

  So,thenexttimetheherdswereattacked,Iwentwiththepeople,inordertoencouragethemtoridthemselvesoftheannoyancebydestroyingoneofthemaraudersWefoundthelionsonasmallhillaboutaquarterofamileinlength,andcoveredwithtrees。

  Acircleofmenwasformedroundit,andtheygraduallyclosedup,ascendingprettyneartoeachotherBeingdownbelowontheplainwithanativeschoolmaster,namedMebalwe,amostexcellentman,IsawoneofthelionssittingonapieceofrockwithinthenowclosedcircleofmenMebalwefiredathimbeforeIcould,andtheballstrucktherockonwhichtheanimalwassittingHebitatthespotstruck,asadogdoesatastickorstonethrownathim;thenleapingaway,brokethroughtheopeningcircleandescapedunhurtThemenwereafraidtoattackhim,perhapsonaccountoftheirbeliefinwitchcraft。

  Whenthecirclewasre-formed,wesawtwootherlionsinit;

  butwewereafraidtofirelestweshouldstrikethemen,andtheyallowedthebeaststoburstthroughalsoIftheBakatlahadactedaccordingtothecustomofthecountry,theywouldhavespearedthelionsintheirattempttogetoutSeeingwecouldnotgetthemtokilloneofthelions,webentourfootstepstowardthevillage;

  ingoingroundtheendofthehill,however,Isawoneofthebeastssittingonapieceofrockasbefore,butthistimehehadalittlebushinfrontBeingaboutthirtyyardsoff,Itookagoodaimathisbodythroughthebush,andfiredbothbarrelsintoitThementhencalledout,“Heisshot,heisshot!”Otherscried,“Hehasbeenshotbyanothermantoo;

  letusgotohim!”Ididnotseeanyoneelseshootathim,butIsawthelion’stailerectedinangerbehindthebush,and,turningtothepeople,said,“Stopalittle,tillIloadagain。”

  Whenintheactoframmingdownthebullets,IheardashoutStarting,andlookinghalfround,Isawthelionjustintheactofspringinguponme。

  Iwasuponalittleheight;hecaughtmyshoulderashesprang,andwebothcametothegroundbelowtogetherGrowlinghorriblyclosetomyear,heshookmeasaterrierdogdoesaratTheshockproducedastuporsimilartothatwhichseemstobefeltbyamouseafterthefirstshakeofthecatItcausedasortofdreaminess,inwhichtherewasnosenseofpainnorfeelingofterror,thoughquiteconsciousofallthatwashappeningItwaslikewhatpatientspartiallyundertheinfluenceofchloroformdescribe,whoseealltheoperation,butfeelnottheknifeThissingularconditionwasnottheresultofanymentalprocessTheshakeannihilatedfear,andallowednosenseofhorrorinlookingroundatthebeastThispeculiarstateisprobablyproducedinallanimalskilledbythecarnivora;andifso,isamercifulprovisionbyourbenevolentCreatorforlesseningthepainofdeathTurningroundtorelievemyselfoftheweight,ashehadonepawonthebackofmyhead,IsawhiseyesdirectedtoMebalwe,whowastryingtoshoothimatadistanceoftenorfifteenyardsHisgun,aflintone,missedfireinbothbarrels;thelionimmediatelyleftme,and,attackingMebalwe,bithisthighAnotherman,whoselifeIhadsavedbefore,afterhehadbeentossedbyabuffalo,attemptedtospearthelionwhilehewasbitingMebalwe。

  HeleftMebalweandcaughtthismanbytheshoulder,butatthatmomentthebulletshehadreceivedtookeffect,andhefelldowndead。

  Thewholewastheworkofafewmoments,andmusthavebeenhisparoxysmsofdyingrageInordertotakeoutthecharmfromhim,theBakatlaonthefollowingdaymadeahugebonfireoverthecarcass,whichwasdeclaredtobethatofthelargestliontheyhadeverseen。

  Besidescrunchingtheboneintosplinters,helefteleventeethwoundsontheupperpartofmyarm。

  Awoundfromthisanimal’stoothresemblesagun-shotwound;

  itisgenerallyfollowedbyagreatdealofsloughinganddischarge,andpainsarefeltinthepartperiodicallyeverafterward。

  Ihadonatartanjacketontheoccasion,andIbelievethatitwipedoffallthevirusfromtheteeththatpiercedtheflesh,formytwocompanionsinthisaffrayhavebothsufferedfromthepeculiarpains,whileIhaveescapedwithonlytheinconvenienceofafalsejointinmylimbThemanwhoseshoulderwaswoundedshowedmehiswoundactuallyburstforthafreshonthesamemonthofthefollowingyear。

  Thiscuriouspointdeservestheattentionofinquirers。

  ThedifferentBechuanatribesarenamedaftercertainanimals,showingprobablythatinformertimestheywereaddictedtoanimal-worshipliketheancientEgyptiansThetermBakatlameans“theyofthemonkey“;

  Bakuena,“theyofthealligator“;Batlapi,“theyofthefish“:eachtribehavingasuperstitiousdreadoftheanimalafterwhichitiscalled。

  Theyalsousetheword“bina“,todance,inreferencetothecustomofthusnamingthemselves,sothat,whenyouwishtoascertainwhattribetheybelongto,yousay,“Whatdoyoudance?”

  Itwouldseemasifthathadbeenapartoftheworshipofold。

  Atribenevereatstheanimalwhichisitsnamesake,usingtheterm“ila“,hateordread,inreferencetokillingit。

  Wefindtracesofmanyancienttribesinthecountryinindividualmembersofthosenowextinct,astheBatau,“theyofthelion“;

  theBanoga,“theyoftheserpent“;thoughnosuchtribesnowexist。

  Theuseofthepersonalpronounthey,Ba-Ma,Wa,VaorOva,Am-Ki,&c。,prevailsveryextensivelyinthenamesoftribesinAfrica。

  AsingleindividualisindicatedbythetermsMoorLe。

  ThusMokwainisasinglepersonoftheBakwaintribe,andLekoaisasinglewhitemanorEnglishmanMakoabeingEnglishmen。

  IattachedmyselftothetribecalledBakuenaorBakwains,thechiefofwhich,namedSechele,wasthenlivingwithhispeopleataplacecalledShokuane。

  Iwasfromthefirststruckbyhisintelligence,andbythemarkedmannerinwhichwebothfeltdrawntoeachotherAsthisremarkablemanhasnotonlyembracedChristianity,butexpoundsitsdoctrinestohispeople,Iwillheregiveabriefsketchofhiscareer。

  Hisgreat-grandfatherMochoaselewasagreattraveler,andthefirstthatevertoldtheBakwainsoftheexistenceofwhitemen。

  Inhisfather’slifetimetwowhitetravelers,whomIsupposetohavebeenDrCowanandCaptainDonovan,passedthroughthecountryin1808,and,descendingtheRiverLimpopo,were,withtheirparty,allcutoffbyfeverTherain-makersthere,fearinglesttheirwagonsmightdriveawaytherain,orderedthemtobethrownintotheriver。

  Thisisthetrueaccountoftheendofthatexpedition,asrelatedtomebythesonofthechiefatwhosevillagetheyperished。

  Heremembered,whenaboy,eatingpartofoneofthehorses,andsaidittastedlikezebra’sfleshThustheywerenotkilledbytheBangwaketse,asreported,fortheypassedtheBakwainsallwell。

  TheBakwainswerethenrichincattle;andasoneofthemanyevidencesofthedesiccationofthecountry,streamsarepointedoutwherethousandsandthousandsofcattleformerlydrank,butinwhichwaternowneverflows,andwhereasingleherdcouldnotfindfluidforitssupport。

  WhenSechelewasstillaboy,hisfather,alsocalledMochoasele,wasmurderedbyhisownpeoplefortakingtohimselfthewivesofhisrichunder-chiefsThechildrenbeingspared,theirfriendsinvitedSebituane,thechiefoftheMakololo,whowastheninthoseparts,toreinstatetheminthechieftainship。

  SebituanesurroundedthetownoftheBakwainsbynight;

  andjustasitbegantodawn,hisheraldproclaimedinaloudvoicethathehadcometorevengethedeathofMochoaseleThiswasfollowedbySebituane’speoplebeatingloudlyontheirshieldsallroundthetown。

  Thepanicwastremendous,andtherushlikethatfromatheatreonfire,whiletheMakololousedtheirjavelinsontheterrifiedBakwainswithadexteritywhichtheyalonecanemploySebituanehadgivenorderstohismentosparethesonsofthechief;andoneofthem,meetingSechele,puthiminwardbygivinghimsuchablowontheheadwithaclubastorenderhiminsensibleTheusurperwasputtodeath;

  andSechele,reinstatedinhischieftainship,feltmuchattachedtoSebituane。

  Thecircumstancesherenoticedultimatelyledme,aswillbeseenby-and-by,intothenew,well-wateredcountrytowhichthissameSebituanehadprecededmebymanyyears。

  Sechelemarriedthedaughtersofthreeofhisunder-chiefs,whohad,onaccountoftheirbloodrelationship,stoodbyhiminhisadversity。

  Thisisoneofthemodesadoptedforcementingtheallegianceofatribe。

  Thegovernmentispatriarchal,eachmanbeing,byvirtueofpaternity,chiefofhisownchildrenTheybuildtheirhutsaroundhis,andthegreaterthenumberofchildren,themorehisimportanceincreases。

  Hencechildrenareesteemedoneofthegreatestblessings,andarealwaystreatedkindlyNearthecentreofeachcircleofhutsthereisaspotcalleda“kotla“,withafireplace;heretheywork,eat,orsitandgossipoverthenewsofthedayApoormanattacheshimselftothekotlaofarichone,andisconsideredachildofthelatter。

  Anunder-chiefhasanumberofthesecirclesaroundhis;

  andthecollectionofkotlasaroundthegreatoneinthemiddleofthewhole,thatoftheprincipalchief,constitutesthetownThecircleofhutsimmediatelyaroundthekotlaofthechiefiscomposedofthehutsofhiswivesandthoseofhisbloodrelations。

  Heattachestheunder-chiefstohimselfandhisgovernmentbymarrying,asSecheledid,theirdaughters,orinducinghisbrotherstodoso。

  Theyarefondoftherelationshiptogreatfamilies。

点击下载App,搜索"Travels and Researches in South Africa",免费读到尾