302 



LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



eastward across the Trans- 

 vaal and northward be- 

 yond the Zambesi. This 

 country was once in- 

 habited by Bushmen, who 

 have been dispossessed by 

 the invasion of a number 

 of Bantu tribes from the 

 north, who are grouped 

 together as the Bechuanas. 

 At the present time the 

 most powerful tribe of 

 Bechuanas is the Bamang- 

 wato, who are ruled by 

 the well-known chief 

 Khama. 



The various Bechuana 

 tribes are no doubt closely 

 allied in descent, but in 

 physical appearance they 

 differ considerably. The 

 history of the various 

 tribes is a long record of 

 war and migration, during 

 which the tribal differ- 

 ences have been confused 

 by intermarriage and 

 the influence of different 

 modes of life. 



The most remarkable 

 point on which all agree 

 is the maintenance of the 

 totem system. Even on 

 the disruption of a tribe 

 the new clan sometimes 

 adopts a new totem. 

 Thus the Bamangwato 



tribe was established as an offshoot from the Bakwena, whose sacred animal is the crocodile, 

 or kwena. The founder of the Bamangwato was a chief named Kari, the great-great- 

 grandfather of Khama. Kari led off a party of Bakwena, and they adopted as their totem 

 the small duiker antelope. Similarly the Bakatla have as their sacred animal the Tcatla or 

 monkey, the Barotsi the baboon, and the Batlaro the elephant. 



The Bechuanas belong to the same group as the Kaffirs, but they are a smaller, less 

 muscular, less active race, with a darker colour; they are more peaceful, though when attacked 

 they have defended themselves with great bravery and skill. Thus the Barotsi have more than 

 once defeated attacks of British and Boer armies; and on the last occasion, when the Matabili 

 invaded the country of the Bamangwato, they were defeated with heavy loss. The Bechuanas 

 are mild and kind in disposition, but they have on occasions committed massacres equal in 

 cruelty to those of the Zulus and Ama-Kosa. The early travellers described them as intelligent, 

 honest, and most industrious; but some later visitors to Bechuanalaud have been less favourably 

 impressed by them. One recent traveller complains that "they are the stingiest, most begging, 

 grasping, and altogether disagreeable set of people that it is possible to imagine. Although 



Photo by Wm. Rau] 



A ZULU CHIEF. 



[Philadelphia. 



