48 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



I once had a Cafifre who was a very good shot. I 

 suppose his nerve became affected or his liver got out 

 of order, for he took to missing or wounding everything 

 he fired at. He was convinced that he was bewitched, 

 and went off to consult an innyanga, who told him that 

 there was a certain old bull buffalo with three white 

 hairs in his tail. He must go on hunting in a certain 

 district until he met this buffalo, and having killed it, 

 he must extract the three white hairs from his tail and 

 burn them, on which the spell would be broken and his 

 skill with the rifle would return. Now the innyanga 

 reasoned cunningly in this case. Every old bull buffalo 

 has white hairs in his tail. When my hunter had begun 

 to kill a sufficient number of buffaloes to secure an old 

 bull, it would mean that his nervous system had re- 

 covered its tone and the probabilities were that he 

 would go on shooting as well as he formerly did. 



My hunter was thoroughly convinced of the sound- 

 ness of the advice, and hunted patiently until he got 

 an old bull with the requisite number of white hairs in 

 his tail. His shooting powers returned to him, and he 

 paid the innyanga's fee and ever after extolled him as 

 an infallible clairvoyant. 



The innyanga plays a great part in Caffre life, and most 

 acts of barbarity perpetrated amongst Caffres have their 

 origin in his divinations. Few persons are supposed to 

 die a natural death. It is generally put down to the machi- 

 nations of wizards. Recourse is had to the innyanga. As 

 a rule, the persons who inquire of him already have their 

 suspicions, and by the method I have just illustrated the 

 innyanga is naturally led to point out as guilty the very 

 person or persons against whom there is already an a 

 priori suspicion in the minds of the inquirers. 



