Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/94

 C8 SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA. Of all the tribes, estimated by Palgrave at nearly one hundred thousand and by Duparquet as high as one hundred and twenty thousand souls, the most powerful is that inhabiting the Kwanhama (Okwanyaraa, or " Land of Meat"), a term which would appear to point at cannibalistic practices, which have disappeared from the pre- sent inhabitants. But they still eat the flesh of dogs, which to some of their neigh- bours seems scarcely less revolting. The Kwanhama district especially is rich in horned cuttle, sheep, gouts, pigs, and poultry, and the very name Ova-Mbo, or better, Oba- Ambo, is said to mean " comfortable " or " well to-do people." They constitute, in fact, a true peasant population, carefully cultivating each his own plot and regu- larly manuring the land. Slaves are numerous in the country, but there are no poor. The Kwanhama territory, which is bordered on the west by the Cunene above its confluence with the Caculovar, stretches eastwards as far as the neighhourhood of the Ku-Biingo. It is governed by an absolute king, who is required by custom to submit to a regular fa' teuing process in order to become royally corpulent. He is much dreaded by his subjtcts, and even in his dealings with the whites this obese monarch betrays a high sense of his personal importance, for he rarely con- descends to give a personal audience to the European traders visiting his dominions. His troops are already well equipped with firearms In this state, as well as in the other Ovainbo districts, it is customary for the heir to the crown to be always designated during the lifetime of the reigning sovereign, but the " heir-apparent " is meantime kept in seclusion almost like a prisoner. Next to Kwanhama the most powerful Ovambo state is Ondonga, or Ndonga, a term which, by some geographers, has been applied to the whole group of Ovambo peoples. This kingdom, which has been visited by Galton and after him by many other travellers, is the southernmost of all these petty states, being situated along the course of one of the streams near Lake Etosha. After suffering much from an incursion of some Hottentot marauders Ndonga has recovered its prosperity, and thanks to the presence of an English factory and to the Finnish missionary station, this state now exercises the greatest influence in slowly modifying the rude habits of the people. The natives have here already developed a few indus- tries, and amongst them are now found skilful potters, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen. One of the smaller tribal groups, the southern Omblandus, called also '* Tree Men," because they take refuge in the trees against the attacks of the enemy, is distinguished for its republican institutions, constituting a free political system of which but few examples are offered by the Negro races. The last king having outraged the people by his despotic and arbitrary government, was crushed by his own subjects beneath the roof of his residence, and the leaders of the revolt decLired that they would henceforth obey no more masters. They have kept their word, and, although poor and few in number, they have hitherto succeeded in safe- guarding their independence against the ambitious kinglets of the surrounding lands. The Okafiraas, one of the eastern tribes, have also contrived to defend their liberties against the King of Kwanhama, always at the flrst signal of attack retreating in a body within the lines of a fortified enclosure.