Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/344

 272 SOUTH AND EAST AFEICA. Zambese and the Limpopo. In appearance also they closely resemble the southern Zulus, and probably at no very remote date dwelt in their neighbourhood. They speak the same language, which even has a " click " sound, resembling that of the Boutbem Zulu- Kafir idiom. Their warriors arrange their hair by means of gum and an argillaceous ochre in such a way as to form the curious circular nimbus by which the Zulu fighting men are also distinguished. The well disciplined Maviti hordes always rush upon the enemy without wait- ing to reply to volleys of musketry or arrows, and fight at close quarters with sword and assegai. But although they have crossed the Zambese they have not penetrated so far north as other branches of the conquering race, for the formidable Vua-Tutas of the Unyamezi country, on the east slope of Lake Tanganyika, also came from the region of Natal or Zululand, and most African historians agree in recardinn- as belonging to the same race the terrible Jaga hordes, who overran the kino-doin of Congo towards the close of the seventeenth century. The Maviti of the Nyassa region carried out their work of destruction with terrible thoroughness. Passing to the north side of the Zambese towards the middle of the present century, they overran the Rovuma and Rufiji territories in raj)id succession, burning the villages, slaughtering all adult men, enrolling the voung warriors in their own ranks, and selling the women to the slave-dealers. "S^Tien driven farther inland the devastating Maviti hordes at last settled down in the hilly regions west of Nyassa, which extend towards the sources of the Lua- Ngwa, while those left behind on the east side of the lake gradually merged in the surrounding indigenous populations. Although much reduced in strength, the fighting bands, which still held together, continui^d till recently to spread havoc amongst the Wa-Chungu and Marimba (Manganya) peoples dwelling on the shores of Nyassa. The villages exposed to their attacks ure now protected by double and treble enclosures of stout palisades, while others have been built on piles in the lake, or else on strongly fortified narrow headlands. The English have also made a special treaty with the Maviti, binding them to respect the European stations. Some Mohammedan practices have already been adopted by these pagan Kafirs. Funerals are con- ducted according to the Moslem rite, and the grave is always turned towards the holy city of Mecca. The bodies of slaves and criminals, however, are still thrown into the bush, where they are supposed to be devoured by the wizards in the form of hyajnas. The Eastern Makololos. In this region there is a great complexity of tribes, often differing greatly in their usages and language. No less than seven different forms of speech are current along the west side of the lake. The Makololos of the Shire, between Nyassa and Zambese, present a remarkable instance of the way distinct tribal groups are often developed in the interior of the continent. Were their history not well known, these Makololos would certainly