260 NATIVE SUPERSTITION AND CRIME. 



to indicate the prevalence of this form of superstition and its 

 consequences. 



Brief reference will now be made .to a few instances in 

 which the victim was under no suspicion of being; an evil doer, 

 in which, indeed, it was immaterial who was selected for the 

 sacrifice so long as a " human buck." to adopt the usual term, 

 could be procured for the purpose of obtaining portions of the 

 flesh. Of the potency of human flesh for medicinal jjurposes 

 no native doctor entertains a doubt ; but. fortunately, few will 

 take'the risk of possessing themselves of it. The ordinary prac- 

 titioner is content with his herbs and the dried flesh and fat of 

 various beasts and snakes, and the other marvels of his pharma- 

 copeia, without endangering himself to secure at first hand 

 those tit bits of the human body in which efficacy lies. It is the 

 Court Physician, or the doctor of renown, who combines the 

 diviner's art with his /Esculapian pursuits, and has a reputation 

 to maintain, who is most often called upon to meet an emergency 

 in which human flesh is a sine qua iwii. And this may necessi- 

 tate an intermeddling with witchcraft b}' one whose function 

 it is to defeat it, if by no other means can a powerful medicament 

 in the hands of an enemy be neutralized. A Chief, for instance, 

 may wish to strengthen his hands, and obtain some advantage 

 Over a rival Chief. To this end the services of a trusted doctor 

 are requisitioned, and the coveted fat or flesh from a human 

 being is in due time procured. His rival gets to know of this, 

 and dreads the evil which will result. He, too, must in self- 

 protection, render futile the witchcraft he fears by having re- 

 course to other witchcraft in order to arm himself with a suffi- 

 ciently potent antidote ; and thus a second sacrifice is oft'ered up. 



A case in point is that in which the Chief Alkandumba. who 

 has been previously mentioned, and twelve others, were charged 

 with murder. The history of the case presents many interesting 

 features, but a bare outline of some of them must suffice. A 

 year or so ])reviously a native woman was openl\- murdered, the 

 object l)eing. it was alleged, to furnish another Chief, who was 

 not kindly disposed towards Mkandumba, with ])ortions of her 

 body. This placed the latter at a disadvantage ; human flesh 

 was recjuired, not only to frustrate the machinations of a rival. 

 but also to fructify the corn. (Ukukanda amabele. ) The vic- 

 tim must for ])reference be an alien; and an opportunity ])re- 

 >ented itself when the Chief, with his retituie. was visiting 

 another section of his tribe in a district distinct from his own. 

 .\n old man, Sitebe. a ctMuparative stranger who had no kinship 

 with tin- tribe, came to pay his respects. Here, in broad day- 

 light, and in the i)re.sence of many people, the Chief gave direc- 

 tions to " watch his buck." followed by the fatal order to take 

 it away. The old man was seized and killed by twisting his head 

 round. Tile Ixxly was conveyed to another kraal, where the 

 required i)arts were removed by a native doctor, who was 

 accepted as King's evidence at the trial ; and after further dis- 



