MY THREE SEA-COWS. 49 



The death of any leading member of the royal family 

 is almost always followed by an appeal to the innyanga, 

 and the result is that a number of innocent persons are 

 massacred. I have often attempted without success 

 to shake the belief of Caffres in witchcraft and the 

 efficacy of divination. 



A conversation I once had with Segetwayo, a leading 

 chief in Western Zululand, has indelibly impressed itself 

 on my memory. I called on him as I was returning 

 to Natal, and the conversation ran as follows : 



" How are you, head-man, friend ? " 



" Oh just so-so but I am terribly troubled by the 

 witches. I have had a pain in my stomach, and two of 

 my children have been ill." 



" Well, why don't you do something to prevent it ? " 



" So I do. No one can tax me with neglect of duty 

 in that respect. I have been killing witches right and 

 left, but the more of them I kill off the more there seem 

 to be ; " and he gave a great sigh. 



" Now, Segetwayo, listen to me. In the Zulu country 

 you are always killing witches. In the queen's territory 

 we do not kill on that score. Witches therefore ought 

 to be more plentiful in the queen's territory than in 

 Zululand, and therefore the death rate from witchcraft 

 should be greater in the queen's territory. But it is 

 well known that it is not so, for our country is just as 

 healthy as Zululand. This must prove to you that 

 your ideas as to the mortality arising from witchcraft 

 are erroneous." 



" Ah, that is all very fine ; but the witches are afraid 

 of the queen, and do not practise their arts in Natal as 

 they do in Zululand." 



I could get nothing more out of him. As I was 



4 



