Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/503

Rh, New Hanover, Underberg and Camperdown, with 1748 huts and an estimated population of 7429 persons. There were also present the chiefs and members of two other tribes. The first of these was the Amampumuza tribe, an offshoot of the Inadi, with its chief Laduma (whose name means It thunders). This tribe has kraals in Umgeni, Lion's River, Impendhle, New Hanover, Umvoti and Estcourt, with 842 huts and an estimated population of 3500. The other tribe was the Amafunze, described in the programme of the day's proceedings now before me as "an offshoot of the great Ngcobo clan of native tribes in the Colony, with kraals in Umgeni, Lion's River, Umvoti, Upper Umkomanzi, Ixopo, Impendhle and Camperdown Divisions, with 1833 huts, and approximately 7790 people." I am not able to decide exactly the meaning attached to the words "clan" and "tribe." The former is probably used more nearly in the sense in which we ordinarily use the word "tribe," and would thus mean a body owning allegiance to one chief, the heads of what are called "tribes " being subordinate to him. The Amafunze were headed by Umveli (whose name signifies The Appearer), their Acting Chief. Here again I have no means of deciding the accurate force of the expression "Acting Chief." It may mean a member of the chief's family appointed by Government during a vacancy of the office, or during the minority of the hereditary chief; or it may mean such a person appointed and acting under native law. The native law has been codified (and in certain particulars modified) under the direction of the Natal legislature.

The ceremony took place on a large open field sloping gently down to a stream. Each of the chiefs approached in turn with his procession of tribesmen and women. Most of them were dressed in purely native costume. They carried shields, but instead of assegais they bore tall wands. When they came before the visitors within what was considered respectful distance, they faced them and gave the Royal Salute to the Governor as supreme chief. This consisted of a long whistle and then a roar, and was given not only to the Governor but to the chiefs who were on the field. Umveli, who I think came first, and his people, after saluting, danced their tribal dance and