3y8 KILLING THE KING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



It was formerly the custom of the kings of this land, to commit 

 suicide by taking poison when any disaster or natural physical defect fell 

 upon them, such as impotence, infectious disease, the loss of their front 

 teeth, by which they were disfigured, or any other deformity or affiction. 

 To put an end to such defects, they killed themselves, saying the king 

 should be free from any blemish, and if not it was better for his honour 

 that he should die and seek another life where he would be made whole, 

 for there everything was perfect. But the Quiteve who reigned when 1 

 was in those parts would not imitate his predecessors in this. Being 

 discreet, and, dreaded as he was, for having lost a front tooth, he caused 

 it be proclaimed that all should be aware that he had lost a tooth, and 

 should recognise him when they saw him without it ; and if his prede- 

 cessors killed themselves for such things, they were very foolish, and he 

 would not do so ; on the contrary, he would be very sorry when the 

 time came for In'm to die a natural death, for his life v.'as very necessary 

 to preserve his kingdom, and defend it from his enemies, and he recom- 

 mended his successors to follow his example.* 



When the Quiteve dies his chief wives are obliged to die also, jn 

 order to serve and dwell with him in the next world, which is another 

 of their barbarities. In fulfilment of this inhuman law, as soon as the 

 king is dead, ihey take poison, which they call lucassc, kept prepared for 

 the purpose, and so die. The king who succeeds to the tlirone, also 

 succeeds as husband to all the remaining wives of the former king, of 

 whom some are his sisters, aunts, and nieces, only excepting his own 

 mother, if slie is a among the wives of his predecesor. This law only 

 applies to the kings, for the other Kaffirs, though they may be great lords, 

 cannot marry their sisters or dauglilers under pain of dcath.f 



These Zimbas. or Muzinibas, do not adore idols or recognise any 

 God, but instead they venerate and honour their king, wh®m they regard 

 as a divinity, and they say he is the greatest and best in the world. And 

 the said king says of himself that he alone is r^od of the earth, for wliich 

 reason, if it rains when he does not wish it to do so, or is too hot, he 

 shoots arrows at the sky for not obeying him ; and though all these people 

 eat human flesh, the king does not seem different to his vassals. $ 



They have many such superstitions and abuses. Dom Jorge de 

 Meneses, when Captain of Mozambique, sent a very beautiful greyhound 

 to Monomotapa, which he had received from Portugal. This animal 

 was much liked by Monomotapa, who always kept it with him, and trusted 

 the care of it to no one but himself. Shortly afterwards the king died, 

 and before his decease he commanded his people, as though by a will 

 to kill his greyhound immediately after he had drawn his last breath, 

 as he loved it dearly ; and also a very tame .sheep that he had brought 

 up himself, as he wished to make use of them in the other world, and 

 have them with him for his pleasure and amusement. This was carried 

 out as soon the king died, and his chief wife also drank poison, and died 

 with her husband, which is their custom. § 



Many of the foregoing customs held good until quite lately, 

 and could be applied to several Bantu tribes in South Africa. 

 The Varozwe of Dos Santos' time were not different from their 

 neighbours, and their successors have inherited practices with 

 little change. Owing to the white man being in the land, many 

 of these cannot be carried out, as British law prevents that, but 

 they certainly would be if they could. It also shews what a close 

 and accurate observer Dos Santos was, and what pains he took 

 to ascertain the truth. 



* " Records of .South-Eastern Africa," 7, 194. 

 (Ibid, 19 T. 



Xlbid., 295. 

 § Ibid., 200. 



