MATHLAPUS HUNTING DANCE, IN THE ZULU COUNTRY, 
“ We met in the midst of the Zulu ground, 
’Mong the hills where the buffaloes’ haunts are found ; 
By valleys remote, where the oribi plays. 
Where the gnu, the gazelle, and the hartebeest graze; 
Away—away from the dwellings of men, 
By the wild deers’ haunt, and the buffaloes’ glen : 
And we joined in the chase of the uoble game, 
Nor asked each other of nation or name.” 
There is a large military kraal in the Zulu country, situated not far from the Engooi Mountains, which is occupied 
by Mathlapi, an old warrior and a great captain of Chaka, the late king; Mathlapi is very rich in cattle and flocks, 
and the numerous kraals surrounding him are mostly inhabited by his people, still he, in his turn, is tributary to 
Umpanda. I passed two days on a visit at Mathlapi’s kraal, dwelling in a hut which he set apart for the use of 
myself, my young interpreter, and my three Kafir servants, who composed my party. To render our visit agreeable, 
Mathlapi gave a grand hunting party, composed of about two hundred people from the surrounding kraals, who all 
assembled at the residence of the Induna and held a dance previously to starting in search of the buffalo and the 
various species of antelopes which abound in the mimosa valleys, bordering on the Engooi hills. Mathlapi himself is 
an herculean man, with a bloated countenance, arising from an immoderate use of his favourite beer “ outchualla.” After 
the important ceremony of drinking “ beer” with the chief was over, the hunting party sallied forth, armed with their 
knob-kirris, shields, and hunting assagais, towards the low hills, scattered with mimosa bush, where the game was 
suspected to lie. It was not long before the antelopes bounded forth, and as the timid creatures rushed wildly about, 
not knowing in which direction to fly, they were surrounded by the huntsmen and quickly despatched with the assagai. 
Numberless dogs accompanied the party and assisted in driving in the game. Every animal, when killed, was sent off 
to Mathlapi, who did not follow the huntsmen, but took a nearer direction, so as to meet them at other kraals, at 
every one of which he rested, and regaled himself under the shade of a tree with his luxurious “ beer” until he became 
sadly intoxicated. The hunters all met about every hour to perform the hunting dance, forming a double row, ad¬ 
vancing and retreating with upraised kirris and shields, shouting and singing in chorus, with the wildest possible effect, 
the leader of the dance facing them and beating time. To the right of the Plate are a group of the most important 
of the visitors resting themselves along with Mathlapi, who has his beer-basket by his side. It is a custom amongst 
these people for boys to lie upon the dead game, to preserve them from the supposed influence of witchcraft: we 
observed the little naked lads, smeared and disfigured by the blood of the dead game, lying across them as snugly 
as though they had been reposing on couches of down. After crossing the river in search of eland and buffalo, and 
destroying as much game as was needed, Mathlapi and his guests returned to the kraal. 
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