Page:On the Central South African Tribes from the South Coast to the Zambesi.pdf/23

 family. In their language and their customs also there is a great difference. The Betchuanas regard their women only as slaves, but since ploughs have been introduced the women have gained more respect, and their work is confined more to the homes. Whites who have lived among them notice that those who have been instructed by missionaries and have been baptized, treat their wives better than they used to; still, I saw many Christian women doing the hardest work. The introduction of ploughs has improved the position of the women among the Betchuanas, as it was always the case among the Manansa. In former times they were splendid agriculturists, and it was their pride to be peaceful. They hated to fight, and they killed their game in traps or holes in the ground. When the Matabele came into their country the Manansas threw their assegais to the ground and said, “We do not want to fight, come into our houses.” The Matabele said, “There is something wrong, they only say this that they may have time to gather more strength”; and that same day they threw the king of the Manansas to the ground, tore open his bowels, and put his heart on his lips, saying, “You are a false man; you have two hearts.” Though the country near the Victoria Falls is very beautiful, we find only a few Manansas. At the present time, when the Matabele come into their land, the Manansas run as far as possible to the west and say, “We are subjects of the Bamangwato,” but when they are pressed by the Bamangwato, they go to the east and say, “We are subjects of the King of the Matabele.” They do this because they do not care to fight. They are looked upon by the other South African tribes with great disdain, as cowards; but I may say that of all the natives that I had with me as servants—Zulus, Hottentots, Betchuanas, Korannas—I never had such useful men as these Manansas. I collected about three hundred words and phrases from their language. So much for the independent Betchuana Empires.

The illustrations represent, scenes from the life of the Betchuana; they are drawings from the book of my wanderings in South Africa. Fig. 1 in text represents a Barolong girl from the vicinity of Morokana, gathering locusts; fig. 2, Batlapin men working a carosse (mantlet made of antelope-skins). Plate III, Batlapin men when travelling; Plate IV, Batlapin boys throwing the Kiri; and Plate V, Barolong men living on the Konana river hunting zebras.

Next to the Manansas we have the Makalakas belonging to the Banthu family, but their language is very different from that of the Betchuanas. These Makalakas were living under several kings, and are the real agriculturists among the natives of South Africa. They were very peaceful, and as agriculturists and