262 NATIVE SUPERSTITION AND CRIME. 



making aii}- report that her boy was missing, but she persisted 

 in sending word to the Magistrate, and the facts in the case were 

 thus brought to hght. 



Not long ago, and in this coimty I Pietermaritzburg), 

 a youth met his death under similar circumstances. 

 There was no doubt that witchcraft was the motive, 

 and the body had been mutilated. There were allega- 

 tions that a Chief of considerable influence had given 

 instructions that a potent medicine must be procured without 

 delay to increase his power, but the evidence was not clear 

 enough to insure a conviction against the ten men charged with 

 the crime. 



Cases ()f this nature are hard to prove; almost invariably a 

 large number of natives are involved, and the loyalty of their 

 relatives and friends, or of the whole tribe if it be a tribal 

 matter, renders it difificult for the police, even if they get to hear 

 of them, to break through the compact of silence observed by 

 those cognizant of the true facts. 



The potency of human flesh as a war medicine is unques- 

 tioned in the native mind ; but it would not be germane to the 

 subject to refer to mutilations said to have been made on the 

 bodies of some of our countrymen who fell in the last native 

 rebellion. The object of the killing per sc was to kill, and not 

 to perpetrate a crime in satisfaction of superstitious beliefs. 



One other case, which is sui generis, is of sufficient interest 

 to deserve mention, as showing how an unwitting disregard of 

 native superstition may have tragic results to the European. A 

 chief of the royal house of Swaziland was buried on a farm in 

 the Northern district of Natal. His burial place was regarded 

 as sacred, and could only be visited once a year at the command 

 of his son for weeding ])urposes. Any unauthorised visitor 

 would be viewed with suspicion and regarded as an nmiakati. 

 who had evil designs, and who might wish to resuscitate the 

 corpse to turn it into a familiar of his own. A Euroi)ean, who 

 knew nothing of this, rented the farm, and cut down some trees 

 near the grave. His action w^as reported to Msweli, the late 

 Chief's son, who gave orders that he was to be killed. A meet- 

 ing was held, at which Msweli was j^resent, and the necessary 

 arrangements made. Two men were (lis])atched to carrv out 

 the order, and they proceeded forthwith to the homestead. The 

 farmer himself was absent for the day, and his absence a])pears 

 to have been well known, and advantage taken of it. His wife 

 was busy in the kitchen, when an elderly native, named 

 N(|en(|cza, entered by the front door and walked through the 

 house into the kitchen. .\ native girl was witness to what tran- 

 spired. " If a person were to kill you what would you saN," he 

 demanded. The frightened woman made no reply, and Nqenqeza 

 then killed her with a battle axe and severely injured her voting 

 child. The girl, who had seen all this, was threatened with 

 death if she dividged the matter. .Sjio fled into .'-Swaziland, but 



