SOLDIERING AND SPORT IN MASHONALAND. 
73 
habit the country to the west, and who make periodical raids on the 
unfortunate Makalakas, killing the men, and carrying off their cattle 
and women, which latter they take back to Matabeleland loaded with 
the spoil, in the shape of corn, etc., which they have obtained. These 
Makalaka tribes have no power of combination for purposes of defence, 
and have become so accustomed to look upon the Matabele as their 
masters, that they seldom make any resistance, even when, as is fre¬ 
quently the case, they outnumber their opponents. They do, however, 
choose the tops of the small and rocky hills, which are found dotted 
about in the bush and known in the country as “ kopjes,” on which to 
build their huts, presumably with a view to defending themselves when 
attacked, but also no doubt for the reason that it is more healthy to 
live on the highest points of this country, in which malarial fever, of 
much the same type as that known in India as “ jungle 55 fever, is terri¬ 
bly prevalent during the rainy season. 
The habitations of this down-trodden race, built of sticks and grass, 
and perched on almost inaccessible ledges of rock, or half concealed in 
narrow clefts, present from a distance the appearance of nests belong¬ 
ing to some strange bird or monkey crowded together after the fashion 
of a rookery; and, indeed, the natives themselves peeping out of the 
small holes, by which they enter their huts, convey the idea more of 
frightened apes, than rational beings. The Makalakas have become 
accustomed to the presence of white men in their country, and bring 
their produce such as mealies, rice, sweet potatoes, and Kaffir corn, to 
the camps and to travellers on the road for sale. For the first 100 
miles or so along the road from Tuli money is accepted in payment, 
but further north the natives are ignorant of its use, and demand beads, 
coloured calico, or blankets, in return for what they have to sell, as 
well as for their services, which are often requisitioned for herding 
cattle, carrying wood and water, etc. It has been said that in this 
part of the country malarial fever is very prevalent, and, indeed, it is 
so bad that during the rainy season the “ bush veldt 55 is almost unin¬ 
habitable for white men, which makes the keeping up of any line of 
communications, or the establishing of any permanent posts, a matter 
of considerable difficulty. This difficulty is increased by the state of 
the roads, which become so soft and cut up by the traffic as to be almost 
impassable after a month or two of wet weather. One more drawback 
to this low lying part of the country must be mentioned viz., the a horse 
sickness. 5 '’ Those who have had anything to do with horses or mules 
in Natal and other parts of South Africa, will remember the almost in¬ 
variably fatal result of an attack of this disease, for which, as yet, no 
remedy has been discovered, but whilst in Natal, or Zululand, it is con¬ 
sidered a bad year if ten per cent of the animals in a regiment or bat¬ 
tery succomb to it, in this low bush veldt of Mashonaland it is found 
almost impossible to save ten per cent from its ravages ; and to make 
matters worse the animal is subject to the disease all the year round, 
whilst in Natal it is only during some four or five months at the begin¬ 
ning of each year, that it prevails. A horse which has had the horse 
sickness and got over it is known in South Africa as a “ salted 55 horse, 
and although he is subject to periodical relapses, these seldom provo^ 
