Sesuto and Sechwana Praises. 
257 
Though these are not a chief's praises. I insert them as another example 
of the poetic effort which is constantly being put forward by native bards, 
professional and otherwise. 
I will now pass to the praises of the Bakgatla chiefs, and begin with those 
of Kgamanyane, the father of Lencwe, and those of his father and grand- 
father. This was that Kgamanyane who was sjamboked before his people 
by Herklas Malan, the veld-kornet of Eustenburg, as related to me by the 
widow of the chief, daughter of the great Moshesh. I find myself wondering 
whether the veld-kornet's friends commemorated his work as worthily 
from the literary point of view as the people of the man he sjamboked. 
At any rate, the incident should remind us that, as there was another side 
to the heavy-handed official of the " Bushlice " — for such was the elegant 
soubriquet which these praises fasten upon the steadfast foretrekkers 
(doubtless they had others for the rooinek, and even the missionary) — so 
there was another side to the ou kerel or schehn to whom, as he thought, he 
was administering due chastisement, for complaining, on behalf of his 
people, of the hardness of the tasks they were set to. It will be remembered 
that the Boers demanded labour from the natives in return for the protection 
of their better arms against the raids of Moselekatse. Hence the difference 
of opinion. To the honour of the Dutch Church be it said that, to this day, 
even the independent Bakgatla of Bechwanaland retain their mission 
among them, in spite of their disagreement with the Dutch of the Transvaal 
as their political overlords. 
The Praises of Kgamanyane the sjamboked run thus : 
No. 4 : 
Kgapetla e tlhaba-tlhaban thata a 
Masoswe a Kgosin, 
o se re o tlhaba ea ekete o tlaletswe, 
etswe le metlhen, o se ke o tlallwa. 
Makgalimotse o sefega sa nkwe, 
o kgeleli ea tau, 
mogats'a Likolo a Bamontsana-tlou. 
Tuba tuba ea Makhinya-khinya- 
khinya, 
eare he le tsamaea, 
tlhako se kgopa se senwe sa 
lekhinya. 
Lekobela le tsoga kwa lenolen. 
Sharp-piercing shard of the royal 
Masosoe (kg.'s own regiment), 
smite not as though in anxious 
uncertainty, 
perchance sometime thou'rt anxious: 
be not so. 
Fast-striding M. with the leopard- 
crest (or breast), 
with the lion's scar, 
Spouse of L., Eamontsana-tlou's 
daughter ; 
(praise-name of Kg.) 
When he walks, 
One shoe strikes against the other 
of Lekhinya : 
but the supple knee-bender rises 
from the knee. 
