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Travels and Researches in South Africa
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第3章
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*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,IselectedthebeautifulvalleyofMabotsa(lat25d14’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,passedthroughthecountry(in1808),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。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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