RAIN-MAKING. 1 7 



I do the same. Sometimes God grants us rain, sometimes 

 not. When he does, we take the credit of the charm. 

 When a patient dies, you don't give up trust in your 

 medicine, neither do I when rain fails. If you wish me 

 to leave off my medicines, why continue your own ? 



M. D. — I give medicine to living creatures within my 

 reach, and can see the effects, though no cure follows ; you 

 pretend to charm the clouds, which are so far above us that 

 your medicines never reach them. The clouds usually 

 lie in one direction, and your smoke goes in another. God 

 alone can command the clouds. Only try and wait 

 patiently ; God will give us rain without your medicines. 



R. D. — Mahala-ma-kapa-a-a ! ! Well, I always thought 

 white men were wise till this morning. Who ever thought 

 of making trial of starvation ! Is death pleasant then ? 



M. D. — Could you make it rain on one spot and not on 

 another ? 



R. D. — I wouldn't think of trying. I like to see the 

 whole country green, and all the people glad ; the women 

 clapping their hands and giving me their ornaments for 

 thankfulness, and lulhlooing for joy. 



M. D. — I think you deceive both them and yourself. 



R. D. — Well, then, there is a pair of us (meaning both 

 are rogues). 



The above is only a specimen of their way of reasoning, 

 in which, when the language is well understood, they are 

 perceived to be remarkably acute. These arguments are 

 generally known, and I never succeeded in convincing a 

 single individual of their fallacy, though I tried to do so in 

 every way I could think of. Their faith in medicines as 

 charms is unbounded. The general effect of argument is 

 to produce the impression that you are not anxious for rain 

 at all ; and it is very undesirable to allow the idea to 

 spread that you do not take a generous interest in their 

 welfare. An angry opponent of rain-making in a tribe 

 would be looked upon as were some Greek merchants in 

 England during the Russian war. 



The conduct of the people during this long-continued 

 drought was remarkably good. The women parted with 

 most of their ornaments to purchase corn from more 

 fortunate tribes. The children scoured the country in 

 search of the numerous bulbs and roots which can sustain 

 life, and the men engaged in hunting. Very great numbers 

 of the large game, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, tsessebes, 



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