MoDjADjE, A Native Queen. 249 



M'hether the child is from her husband, or whether she has been on 

 terms of intimacy with others. If the latter is the case it is generally 

 told. Shortly after birth the witch-doctor again has to show his art 

 with the new-born child, and by his hocus-pocus and medicines he 

 makes the child strong and vigorous. The name the child receives 

 in the meantime is given according to events happening at this time ; 

 for instance, some were named " Mynheer," when I entered the 

 country ; others " Joubert," at the time of war with the Boers. 



The Language is a mixture of several dialects of the Basuto 

 tribes, as in early days many of the far-away living natives wanted 

 to enjoy the blessings of Modjadje's rain-making. So people of all 

 tribes and languages settled here: Balemba, Bawenda, Maquamba, 

 Zulus, and Basiitos. This tribe has mingled chiefly with the 

 Bawenda, so that the Modjadje dialect has most coloration from the 

 language of the latter tribe. For example : — 



Tshewenda : amba, to speak. Modjadje, apa. 



,, leshango, land. ,, leshako. 



,, penga, to be mad. ,, peka. 



,, tshembela, to walk. ,, tshepela. 



Sickness. From December to May, fever with its complications 

 rages. In some years open and fetid abcesses are found on the legs 

 of individuals. 



Phthisis appears proportionally often, very likely on account of 

 the change from the High to the Low Country, for this illness is 

 found with very few women. Syphilis is not well known. Of 

 Leprosy I happened to see only one case in 25 years. Taken as a 

 whole, Modjadje's people live long; many reach a hundred years. 



Her Relation to Christianity. 



In 1887 Modjadje permitted me to found a station in her 

 country, and, as I was the only white person in the Low Country 

 at that time, she handed over to me all sorts of things for repair for 

 herself and her indunas : old knives, picks, watches, revolvers, etc. 

 But when one of her headmen inclined to adopt Christianity, she 

 caused him to be murdered. By 1884 a small congregation of con- 

 verted natives had gathered about the Christian Chief Kashane, and 

 he was murdered, with about 40 men, women and children. For 

 about 10 years I then had to exist as a kind of under-chief, and paid 

 my tribute to Modjadje, until in 1892 other occupants entered the 

 'country and also tried to settle in her territory. She opposed them 

 and burnt down the dwelling-houses of the farmers, whereupon she 

 was conquered and obtained a large location. Fear and difficulty in 

 her advanced age caused by this war had distressed her to such an 

 extent in mind and body that she died in 1895. In her last years she 

 had a friendly mind to me and Christianity, for I was able to help 

 her a great deal in the troubles caused by the war, and to assist in 

 the matter of securing the location for her people. Her successor was 



