390 HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE MAKARANGA. 



not recover. When a person falls sick the obvious, commonsense 

 thing to do is to ascertain the cause, and it is also perfectly 

 obvious to everyone, that if the person is suffering from some 

 sickness caused by the spirit of his (deceased') mother-in-law, it 

 will be perfectly futile, in fact ridiculous, to take medicine (or 

 go to hospital) ; the natural thing to do is to remove the cause of 

 the sickness, i.e., the wrath of mother-in-law's spirit. Having 

 ascertained by means of the akafa that it actually is a s])irit that is 

 causing the trouble, the next thing to do is to find out again, by 

 means of the akaki, what the spirit recjuires. It may be that, 

 quite unknowingly, you did some wrong to mother-in-law during 

 her lifetime, and for this she requires reparation, or perhaps her 

 spirit has suddenly acquired a craving for meat or beer, or a cer- 

 tain kind of coloured limbo; or, in fact, anything, and require^ 

 you to supply her wants. Having discovered her reciuirements, 

 it is easy to remove the cause of your sickness by supplying them. 



The spirit is able to communicate its wishes only by inflicting 

 tribulation on its surviving relatives, anci as of all the ancestral 

 spirits that of the mother-in-law is most to be feared, owing to its 

 venomcms habits, it is advisable to appease it as quickly as pos- 

 sible, otherwise death may ensue. 



How often does one hear it said by a European, '" I can't 

 make out what's come over my cook-boy. Jack. His child has 

 got a slight touch of fever, and nothing will please Jack but 

 that he must take the child home, though he knows perfectly well 

 that quinine will cure the child, and it is much better oft' here 

 than it is at his kraal." Well, if the housewife will ask Jack 

 " What did the akata say concerning the child? " Jack will adrnit 

 (provided he has a sympathetic employer ) the real reason which 

 drives him home, which is that probably a spirit is causing 

 trouble, and unless appeased the child will inevitably die. 



Chirume is the akata oi males; A^okzvaya of females. Tokzva- 

 dzinta is the " eye " it seeks out, and Kwanii is " death." 



The akata used by the professional diviner are called Gata. 

 The number used varies considerably, depending on tlie taste of 

 the diviner, as many as 20 often being thrown at one time. They 

 are carved in the same manner, and are identical with the 

 Rupanga. The greatest care has to be exercised in ci'ivining the 

 meaning of the Gata, as death may ensue as the result of the 

 throwing. As a rule the profession of diviner descends from 

 father to son. Gata are used for the protection of the community 

 against witches and such like enemies of the State. Witchcraft 

 is considered the most heinous of crimes, as being particularly 

 directed against the general community. 



Nowadays, of course, the public exposure and jjunishment 

 of witches is not allowed. This is one of the grievances the 

 native labours under. Many of the cleverer amongst the natives 

 trade on the power that a witch wields, and profess to be able to 

 use supernatural power and to have the knowledge of poisons, etc. 



How often is a European employer met with — nsuallv on a 

 mine — who is at at a loss to uno'erstand whv his mine is un- 



