THE TRADITION OF RA'lOLO. 89 



Our Chief, under whom we left, was Tobele. He was still 



young. We were very many, and very rich in cattle, sheep, 

 and goats. We crossed the Olifant's River at Mola'legi's (where 

 President Burgers had his fight against Sekukuni), below the 

 junction of the Elands and Olifants Rivers. This country was 

 then ruled by the tribe Mongatana. The name of their then. 

 Chief I do not know.* To the east of the Lolu Mountain at 

 that time were found the tribes of Masemula (Magalie) with 

 that of Matlala I Pokwani), or Pahla, or Mmopong (Passoane's 

 tribe, where now is Kgolane's kraal). All of them had come 

 from the Swazis. We crossed the Lolu Mountain at the Pass 

 of Mo'laki (Genokakop). P>efore this we were ba-bina-kgabo 

 (the ape being our tribe's holy sign). When we came down 

 the Lolu Pass at the place called Seolo-mathebo (a big anthill 

 covered all over with long stripes of kweek-grass like the many 

 floskels of a kaross — it is still there) we found a porcupine 

 bristle, and from then commenced being ba-bine-nuku. We 

 then commenced our most solemn tribe-song, still used at great 

 national festivals : It is this : — 



Re bua Mo'laki, Mo'laka-Marole, 



Mo'loping oa Masebiitla-Sadimo- 



Seola-Mathebo 



Oa naka dira le magodu 



M abij e-M arainag c 



E kago mae a Tshiloane 



Re Bamookotsi oa Kotongoane 



Adimaloo- Labioa- 



Re Ba'laku ba Rapogole. 



When our impis come home victorious, they are greeted 

 with this song. Also when the cattle for marrying enter the 

 kraal of the father-in-law, throughout Bopedi. Our Chiefs then 

 had no hymn upon their names, it being not the custom of the 

 Bakgatla. This we commenced here, when we became a big 

 tribe. 



We crossed Steelpoort and built our kraal across the river 

 at the Mogokgoma tree J We found on this side of the river 

 a kraal, called the Maripane, a kraal left by the Baroa when 

 they came from Swaziland. These brought us to the capital 

 of the land, to Fighting Hill, the Mongatane. At the time we 

 knew nothing of guns. We fought with assegais only, and 

 hatchets and kiris of rhinoceros horn. The Mongatana, being 

 Baroka, fought with bows and arrow?. Before we came they had 

 fought the Mapalakata. the old miners from the East Coast, who 



* It was Mashabele. 



f A tree like a weeping-willow, very scarce, with iron hard wood, not touched 

 by ants, and bearing a little sweet yellow fruit, which, fresh and dried, was the 

 chief fruit of old Sekukuni at Fighting Hill, where there are still a few of these 

 trees. 



