HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE MAKARANC.A. 7,qi 



popular amongst the natives ; and he is, therefore, always short 

 of boys, even at times when his neighbours have plentw If the 

 natives are treated considerately, and no sound reason can be 

 discovered for its unpopularity, the cause will often be found 

 to be due to witchcraft. Some clever native, often the employer's 

 most trusted and oldest servant, is trading on witchcraft, and by 

 levying blackmail on the compound, frightens natives away. 



It is a popular misconception amongst Europeans that the 

 bone-thrower, or diviner, is merely a clever native who defrauds 

 the credulous by trickery, or divines the bones most favourably 

 to the person who pays the most. This is entirely wrong. The 

 diviner is not what might be called a common cheat, as he firmly 

 believes in his own powers of divination. He does not practice 

 his art for profit, as the presents he receives are, as a rule, 

 articles such as a hoe, or a bangle, or a string of beads, or some 

 such thing of no value. 



Formerly, the diviner threw his Gata under a certain tree, 

 and on this tree were hung all the presents he received from his 

 clients, so that one could tell at a glance the extent of his 

 popularity. Some trees were almost covered with the numerable 

 presents which had been received. 



In all important matters, such as in an accusation of witch- 

 craft, the aggrieved party calls on his accuser to go with him to 

 throw the bones. If the accuser refuses to do so, he must ])ay 

 damages for defamation of character. The parties, accom- 

 panied by their relatives, then travel in search of a diviner ; a 

 native who is known to either one party or the other is nevtr 

 consulted. They must go to a complete stranger, who can ha\e 

 no knowledge of them or their afl:airs. In consequence, they gener- 

 ally travel for some days until they reach a part of the country 

 where they are strangers to everyone. There they make enquiries 

 as to the residence of some diviner, and eventually go to his kraal. 

 On arrival, they merely state that they want the bones thrown, 

 and if the diviner agrees, his first procedure is to divine for what 

 purpose the parties have come to him. It should be remembered 

 that only the diviner speaks when bone-throwing is going on ; 

 complete silence is maintained by all the other persons present. 

 Having discovered that the parties have coine to consult him with 

 regard to witchcraft, the diviner then has to discover the person 

 who is accused. He does not question the parties either before 

 or during the bone-throwing. He addresses his questions to the 

 bones as he throws them, and as they fall so he divines the replies 

 to his questions. 



The Shangaans are renowned as diviners ; they generally use 

 the stone of some fruit instead of the Gafa. These stones are 

 found in the excrement of elephants ; they are split in two. and 

 are thrown in the same manner as the ordinary Akata. These 

 stones are called Mungoma, and the complete set consists of six. 



Little is known of the art of bone-throwing, even the natives 

 themselves are unable to explain the matter ; but all Europeans 

 who Iiave come in contact with bone-throwing can relate most 



