308 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION 
In their more palmy days their ornaments had prob¬ 
ably been more elaborate; but I noticed that the lower 
classes wore bracelets and ankle-rings of gnu or giraffe- 
hide, and sometimes of iron wire. Their earrings, 
always simple in form, were mostly made of some better 
material. For clothing the men usually had nothing 
more than a bit of calico about the size of one’s hand, 
and only rarely was a skin of some small animal fastened 
round their loins ; the women wore a short petticoat of 
tanned leather. 
As servants the Manansas are to be preferred to any 
other of the South African tribes. I found them 
remarkably skilful in tracking game, their quiet, cau¬ 
tious method of proceeding often proving more effectual 
than greater dash and daring. As far also as my 
experience went, I must say that they are civil and 
beyond the average for honesty and fidelity. By the 
more powerful tribes they are regarded with great 
contempt, and laughed at as “ the simpletons of the 
north,” but nothing worse seems to be alleged against 
them than their habitual courtesy and good-nature— 
qualities which, since the Matabele rule has spread from 
the Limpopo to the Zambesi—have become synonymous 
with hypocrisy and cowardice. Not content with mur¬ 
der and rapine, the savagery of the Matabele Zulus has 
gone far to stifle every noble impulse, and to cast 
mistrust over every friendly word. 
Whenever the Manansas are being pursued, and find 
themselves cut off from every prospect of escape, they 
will stop, turn round, and advance towards their adver¬ 
saries with the points of their assegais lowered, and as 
soon as they come near their conquerors they will lay 
down their weapons, squat upon the ground, and wait 
until the enemy has done his worst. During the time 
when Moshesh was the Bamangwato king, they could 
generally manage to appease him and stay his acts of 
oppression by gifts of ivory ; but Moselikatze carried off 
their boys and a great number of their women, while 
the present Matabele despot commissioned his hordes to 
plunder everything upon which they could lay their 
