290 Wild Kaffir Life and Wild Kaffir Intelligence. 



prevalent in late years, does not properly belong to these 

 people. It has come from an accident in their history.; the 

 development of the Zulu military despotism under Chaka, 

 which has been already described. 



The chiefs of these aboriginal tribes ruled as patriarchs, 

 and possessed absolute and uncontrolled power over the lives 

 and property of their people. There was no other check to 

 this irresponsible power than that which arose from the ne- 

 cessity, even in this state of affairs, of conciliating public 

 opinion. 



At the present time the several chiefs of the sixty-five 

 tribes of Natal Kaffirs retain only the shadow of their old 

 authority. They are allowed to settle disputes between their 

 people, and to punish petty offences, but all criminal cases are 

 now tried by the magistrates and the Supreme Court of the 

 Colony ; and even in cases adjudicated by the chiefs, an appeal 

 can be made to the magistrates, to the Secretary for Native 

 Affairs, and to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. All 

 supreme power has been transferred from the petty chief to 

 the proper head of the State ; and the chiefs now only con- 

 sider themselves lieutenants, responsible to the Governor for 

 the management of their tribes. They can no longer assemble 

 their people in arms, unless under the order of the Governor. 

 The attempt has been made, and with a considerable measure 

 of success, in Natal, to turn the natural and inherent sentiment 

 of respect for the patriarchal chiefs into a means of orderly 

 government. By leaving a show of authority, and a harmless 

 jurisdiction in the hands of the chief, his dignity has been 

 saved from the evil effects of rude shock, while, at the same 

 time, he has been made the direct link which connects his 

 people with the institutions of the Government. The tribes 

 themselves are divided into territorial districts, villages or 

 kraals, and families. The chief presides over the tribe with a 

 head-man, or Induna, under his authority. Each territorial 

 division of the tribe has also its own proper head-man, or 

 Induna ; and there are also heads of groups of kraals, heads 

 of kraals, and heads of families. Each head is practically 

 responsible to the one immediately above him; and in the 

 ascending series the chief of the tribe is responsible to the 

 resident magistrate of his county ; and the magistrate to the 

 Secretary for Native Affairs, who is the head-man, or Induna, 

 of the Governor, pa/r excellence, the great chief. This organi- 

 zation is so complete, that any order emanating from the 

 Governor can be at once made known to every native hut in 

 the land, although the communication has necessarily to be 

 made without the intervention of written or printed documents. 



The huts of the native Kaffirs are nearly always grouped 



