Page:On the Central South African Tribes from the South Coast to the Zambesi.pdf/12

 the Limpopo and the Zambesi, the Betchuanas living in the Transvaal and in the centre of South Africa, the Makalakas between the Betchuanas kingdoms and the Matabele, and the Makalahari in the central portion of South Africa in the Kalahar country, and further the Manansa, the tribes north of the Zambesi, etc. Between these we find a tribe called the Masarwas in the northern part of the country towards the Zambesi, and called Barwas in the southern parts of the Betchuana countries, which I consider to be a link between the Bushmen and the Banthu family. The different tribes belonging to this race live partly as subjects to the British Government and the Orange Free State, and partly in independent empires or kingdoms. The Makalahari occupy the lowest position among the Betchuanas, being slaves to them like the Masarwas, Barwas, and Madenassana.

The Betchuanas who live between the Orange River and the Zambesi as our subjects or as belonging to the six independent kingdoms, confess that when they came into those parts they found the Makalahari, Barwas, and Masarwas there. They conquered the Makalahari and made them slaves. These Makalahari have to live in the more western parts, where game is plentiful, and have to kill the game and bring the spoil to their masters, who live in parts where water is more abundant. The Makalahari are the lowest of all the races belonging to the Banthu family. They live generally in small huts made of grass. A few sticks are driven into the ground and are covered with grass. They are employed either as hunters or as herdsmen to look after the cattle of the Betchuanas. By the Betchuanas they are considered as human beings, but not so the Masarwa. If a Makalahari servant behaves well and kills a good many ostriches for his master he is allowed to marry a Betchuana woman, but such a thing is never permitted to the Masarwa. A Masarwa and a Barwa man who is a servant to a Betchuana is not allowed to enter the town of the Betchuana king during the day-time, and has to wait outside, and can only go in after sunset. Among the Makalahari I did not observe any signs of religious ideas, but I noticed that the Masarwas believe in fetishes. They have pieces of bone which they carry about to give them strength, and make them good hunters, or heal them of diseases, etc. The Makalahari are a reddish-brown race, so that they have been called by some travellers Red Kaffirs.

From the Makalahari I turn at once to their masters. The Betchuanas live as British subjects, and not as Batlapins, in Griqualand West, and near the junction of the Harts River, under their chief Jantshe (jantje), and also as British subjects under their chiefs Mora and Gassibone. The most southern of the Betchuana tribes live as subjects to Griqua-