184 NATIVE AGRICULTURIi. 



animals and birds. In due course they reaped the harvest, 

 and threshed it by a simple process of beating out the grain 

 with sticks, winnowing it in the wind, and storing it for fuUu-e 

 use in the curious mealie pits dug out under the cattle kraals. 



In this way the mealies could be stored for a cunsi(lcral)le 

 time dry and free from the weevil. 



But with the advent of the British Government inl > these 

 territories, there came greater security of tenure, and there was 

 a disposition to take greater care in the cultivation of the fields. 

 Mr. Shaw gives us a delightful little picture* of the introduction 

 of the plough in his district. He writes : — 



When we introduced the plougli at Weslcyvillc. there was no small 

 stir among great numbers of the people, who. although they had heard of 



such an implement, had never seen it in operation The people 



looked on with great surprise, and followed up and down the field, 

 uttering all manner of exclamations expressive of their astonishment. 



One chief. " clapping his hands," shouted to a man on the 

 hillside : " This thing that the white i)en]>le have brought into 

 the country is as good as ten wives." 



The introduction of the plough at once created a landmark 

 in the history of native agriculture, for the plough was drawn 

 by oxeti. and no woman was allowed to work with the cattle, 

 and conse(]uently all the ])loughing was done by the men. But 

 the other work, such as hoeing and reaping, remained in the 

 hands of the women. The invariable crops were Kafir corn, 

 mealies, and pumpkins. 



Writing in 1822, the Rev. John L"am])bell. of the London 

 Missionary Society, who had made extensive travels in South 

 Africa, says : — 



Though fond of potatoes and other European articles of food, they 

 have not been prevailed on to raise them. i)ecause to plant such vegetables 

 would be an alteration or an encroachment ui)on the old system, which 

 they venerate as established by their "ii'isc forefathers: . . . they sup- 

 pose that by planting them they would be rendered unclean, and the fallin'.^ 

 of rain be prevented. 



This attitude has been, and remains to-day. the root cause 

 of the unprogressiveness in native agriculture, and anything 

 done to destroy this attitude and to prove to the native that he 

 has yet mucli to learn will be of inestimable value in his own in- 

 terests, and in the interests of the Union of South Africa. Even 

 apart from this aspect, there remains also the fear of being " smelt 

 out " by the witch doctors as unclean. In the old days men thus 

 " smelt out " were killed, together with their wives and children, 

 so that the bad seed might be exterminated. The huts also 

 were burned, and the cattle confiscated by the chief. To this 

 day this very process is carried out in secret. .Seldom does 

 information come into the hands of the luagistrate. In Tsolo 

 District alone at least two well-authenticated cases are known 

 to me. and I doubt not there are others; and the manner of 



Of>. cif.. pp. 419--120. 



