5l8 FACTORS IN NATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 



The introduction of the plough at once wrought a complete 

 revolution. It is indeed remarkable what great social changes 

 sometimes hinge upon comparatively trivial matters. Only on 

 very privileged occasions are Native women allowed to even enter 

 the cattle kraals, for the handling of the cattle is the delight and 

 the monopoly of the men, and in consequence when the plough 

 was introduced the whole of that important branch of agricultural 

 labour passed automatically into the hands of the men, lightening 

 to that extent the burdens of the women-folk. Moreover, the 

 scratching of the surface, hitherto accomplished by the women, 

 gave place to deeper ploughing, and this at once produced better 

 results ; so that the introduction of the plough had far-reaching 

 economic results. It is, however, significant of much that already 

 there is a stroi;g tendency to revert to the old arrangement — a 

 movement which implies a complete breakdown in the ancient 

 and deeply-rooted idea that would not for one moment tr^lerate 

 women handling the precious cattle. When this development is 

 universally adopted in Kaffirland there will be no need for the 

 men to stay at home to plough, and so they will be set free to 

 seek employment. But other important considerations are 

 involved in such a serious change, such as the use of cattle for 

 sacrificial purposes, the uncleanness of women, the position of 

 men as priests, and other points which are part of the very fabric 

 of tribal organisation; and the violation or non-observance of 

 these and other ancient ideas indicates the broken power of witch- 

 craft, and of the whole system of native laws and customs. To 

 this end the plough must be recognised as having made no mean 

 contribution, and the outcome cannot but be in the directions of 

 enormously increased production, and the setting free of the 

 resources of man-power for the labour of the country. On the 

 other hand, the removal of the restraints may well issue in 

 complete disintegration and moral disaster, unless the binding 

 force of true religion is substituted without delay. Counsels of 

 wisdom, however, continue to fall on deaf ears, even while the 

 leaven continues its deadly work. 



In addition to the rifle, and the plough, many other imple- 

 ments might claim attention amongst the unrealised factors in a 

 study of this kind, though these two, together with the wheel, may 

 be regarded as of major importance. 



Perhaps, however, two others, the bead and the axe, are 

 worthy of mention on account of the large part played by the 

 former in the development of barter, and the fact that at least 

 one of the Kaffir wars was caused by the use of the latter. 

 Indeed, the Kaffir War of 1846 is recorded in our historv books 

 as " The War of the Axe." 



It is almost incredible, but absolutely true, that many traders 

 have been ruined, or at any rate very considerably embarrassed, 

 by the bead. 



This was notably so in the days when trade with the Natives 

 was being established about 1824. Hitherto all intercourse with 

 the Kaffirs had been forbidden, and the Fair at Fort Wiltshire 

 was the opening of the door. Large quantities of ivory and 



