Chapter I: Front Matter

Like most of the South African natives, the Swazis carry all burdens on their heads, the women invariably being the beasts of burden. Babies are the only things the women ever carry on their backs, this being because they keep their children with them while doing the housework. The splendid stature and erect carriage of Swazi women is directly due to carrying all weights on their heads]

ADVENTURES
IN SWAZILAND

THE STORY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN BOER

BY

OWEN ROWE O'NEIL

WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1921

Copyright, 1921, by

THE CENTURY CO.

Printed in U. S. A.

TO MY FATHER
COUNSELOR, FARMER, AND WARRIOR
THIS HUMBLE RECORD IS DEDICATED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE

HOW THE O'NEILS CAME TO THE TRANSVAAL--BOERS WITH IRISH NAMES--OOM
PAUL'S REFUSAL TO BUY DELAGOA BAY--THE BOERS BREAK FOR FREEDOM--THEIR
BLOODY BATTLES WITH THE SAVAGE TRIBES--THE GREAT TREK--DINGAANZULU'S
TREACHERY--THE DINGAAN DAY CELEBRATION 3

CHAPTER II

RIETVLEI, THE "VALLEY OF REEDS"--THE O'NEIL HOMESTEAD--PIONEER
HARDSHIPS--THE WAR AGAINST MALEUW, "THE LION"--"SLIM GERT" O'NEIL
BREAKS THE POWER OF THE MAKATEESE KING--JAFTA, KING OF THE MAPORS--MY
TROUSERS NEARLY COST ME AN EYE--OUR TOY FACTORY AND MIMIC BATTLES--OOM
TUYS GROBLER TELLS OF SWAZILAND AND KING BUNO, "THE TERRIBLE" 12

CHAPTER III

MY DESIRE TO VISIT KING BUNO--HOW I WON THE TRIP ON A BET--A BOER RACE
MEET--"BLACK HAND TOM," THE HOPE OF RIETVLEI--KLAAS'S RIDE TO SAVE HIS
SKIN--FATHER GIVES PERMISSION FOR MY VISIT--BELFAST CELEBRATES THE
BOER VICTORY 31

CHAPTER IV

I LEAVE FOR MY FIRST VISIT TO SWAZILAND--MOTHER WARNS ME ABOUT OOM
TUYS--WHY THE BOERS PAID TRIBUTE TO KING BUNO--QUEEN LABOTSIBENI, THE
BRAINS OF SWAZILAND--BUNO'S VISIT TO OOM PAUL KRUGER--OUR RECEPTION IN
SWAZILAND--EZULWENI, THE "VALLEY OF HEAVEN"--BUNO'S RIFLE--SIBIJAAN
AND I EXPLORE BY NIGHT 44

CHAPTER V

SHEBA'S BREASTS AND THE PLACE OF EXECUTION--ZOMBODE AND THE ROYAL
KRAAL OF QUEEN LABOTSIBENI--COMMON AND ROYAL GROUND--WE REACH KING
BUNO'S KRAAL AT LEBOMBO--GIN FOR THE KING--BUNO, THE REGAL SAVAGE--I
PRESENT A RIFLE TO THE KING--LOMWAZI TAKES ME TO LABOTSIBENI--THE OLD
QUEEN IS WORRIED OVER TUYS' ACTIVITIES--THE SHOOTING-MATCH WITH THE
KING--TUYS AND I MANAGE TO MISS A FEW HUMAN TARGETS 57

CHAPTER VI

TUYS ORDERS ME TO REMAIN IN CAMP DURING THE CELEBRATION--I VISIT THE
ROYAL KRAAL--FEASTING, DANCING, AND COMBATS TO THE DEATH--BUTCHERY OF
YOUNG WOMEN--BUNO AND TUYS WRESTLE FOR GOLD--HOW TUYS BECAME RICH--A
"LEGAL EXECUTION" IN SWAZILAND--THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE EXPIATES HER
SIN--HOW TUYS SHOOTS--FATHER GATHERS INFORMATION BY MENTAL SUGGESTION
73

CHAPTER VII

I VISIT SWAZILAND AGAIN--BUNO'S ILLNESS--AN APPEAL FROM THE KING--THE
RACE AGAINST DEATH--UMZULEK MEETS US--THE DYING KING--BUNO MAKES TUYS
GUARDIAN OF HIS PEOPLE--THE LAST ROYAL SALUTE OF THE IMPIS--THE
DEATH-DEALING PUFF-ADDER--BUNO DIES LIKE A TRUE SAVAGE KING--TZANEEN,
THE ROYAL WIDOW, SUSPECTS MURDER--THE QUEENS MEET--TUYS ESCAPES THE
FUNERAL SACRIFICE 92

CHAPTER VIII

THE ROYAL FUNERAL--THE "THUNDER OF THE SHIELDS"--NOT AFRAID TO
DIE--THE WITCH-DOCTOR'S BLOODY WORK--WHAT LABOTSIBENI WANTED--THE
BURIAL OF THE INDUNAS--RAIN-MAKING AND THE "RAIN STONE"--BUNO'S BURIAL
IN THE CAVES--WITCH-DOCTORS PREVENT OUR ENTERING THE CAVES--LABOTSIBENI
SENDS FOR GIN 110

CHAPTER IX

SIBIJAAN'S SPORTIVENESS ALMOST COSTS HIS LIFE--HOW TUYS BECAME THE
FRIEND OF BUNO--LABOTSIBENI ENDORSED AS REGENT OF SWAZILAND--UMZULEK
PLOTS TO SEIZE THE THRONE--THE BOERS INVADE SWAZILAND--TUYS DICTATES
PEACE BETWEEN THE QUEENS--UMZULEK GETS HIS LESSON 129

CHAPTER X

WAR WITH ENGLAND--SIEGE OF BELFAST--OUR BOYISH IMPI ATTACKS THE
BRITISH--GHOSTS DEFEAT US--JAFTA'S FRIENDSHIP--ENGLISH TROOPERS DO THE
"SPORTING THING"--UMZULEK STILL PLANNING DEVILTRY--DEATH OF KLAAS, OUR
JOCKEY--FATHER SENDS ME AWAY TO GET AN EDUCATION 150

CHAPTER XI

BACK TO RIETVLEI FROM HARVARD--I LOCATE IN ERMELO--TUYS BRINGS NEWS
THAT SEBUZA IS TO BE CROWNED KING OF SWAZILAND--I DECIDE TO MAKE A
PICTURE RECORD OF THE CORONATION--THE TREK TO ZOMBODE TO GET THE ROYAL
PERMISSION--SNYMAN PLAYS GHOST AND ALMOST GETS KILLED--VISIT TO
MBABANE, CAPITAL OF SWAZILAND 163

CHAPTER XII

I MEET LABOTSIBENI AGAIN--FLATTERING A SAVAGE QUEEN--EXPLAINING THE
"LITTLE BLACK MAGIC BOX"--CURING RHEUMATISM WITH TOOTH-PASTE,
VASELINE, AND HAIR OIL--WOMEN AS CURRENCY--GIN, GOLD, AND COWS PAY FOR
THE PICTURE RIGHTS--THE "FLU" STRIKES--JENNIE, THE "BLAAU APP," AND
THE PEACOCKS' TAILS 188

CHAPTER XIII

I START FOR NEW YORK--THE RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERE ON SHIPBOARD--"FLU"
ATTACKS THE JAVANESE--THE MISSIONARIES REFUSE TO HELP--SHARKS AS
SCAVENGERS--THE LITTLE MOTHER'S END--EVILS OF LIQUOR--ASSEMBLING OUR
PARTY IN NEW YORK--PASSAGE AS FREIGHT--ST. LUCIA AND A LITTLE
EXCITEMENT--THE THIN MAGISTRATE--RELEASED ON BAIL 206

CHAPTER XIV

OBSTINATE STOWAWAYS--FREE TOWN AND A FIGHT--BAY RUM AS A
BEVERAGE--SUGDEN LETS OFF SMOKE-BOMBS--CAPE TOWN, A PARTY, AND SOME
ANZACS--OOM TUYS ADVISES HASTE--THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA--AMERICANS AND
BOERS IN ERMELO--A HURRIED VISIT TO SWAZILAND FOR INFORMATION--MYSTERY
OVER THE CORONATION--ROYAL GIN FOR LABOTSIBENI--DEBESEEMBIE DRINKS AND
TALKS 226

CHAPTER XV

OUTFITTING FOR SWAZILAND--OUR COOK BECOMES "GUNGA DIN"--LOMWAZI'S
MESSENGER--OFF FOR ZOMBODE--ROSSMAN GOES HUNTING--TOO MUCH RAIN--THE
OXEN DIE AND ARE REPLACED BY DONKEYS--SNEAKING LIQUOR THROUGH
MBABANE--EZULWENI MOSQUITOES RIVAL NEW JERSEY'S--WE ARE UNPOPULAR IN
ZOMBODE--MANAAN'S DAMAGE SUIT AND SETTLEMENT 247

CHAPTER XVI

LABOTSIBENI REFUSES TO SEE ME--SUGDEN AND MY MEN ESCAPE
ASSASSINATION--A FRUITLESS CONFERENCE--WE FLEE TO LEBOMBO--OOM TUYS
TURNS UP--WE CONFER WITH QUEEN TZANEEN AND LOCHIEN--FIVE-AND-TEN-CENT-
STORE JEWELRY HAS PERSUASIVE POWERS--SUGDEN FALLS ILL--WE BUILD HIS
COFFIN--SEBUZA RETURNS FROM HIS SANCTIFICATION 268

CHAPTER XVII

L'TUNGA'S "MUTI" CURES THE SICK WHITE MAN--SEBUZA CHOOSES HIS WIVES--I
RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
SWAZILAND--A FLYING TRIP TO MBABANE--THE GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO
SANCTION SEBUZA'S CORONATION--HOW WITCH-DOCTORS SMOKE DAGGA 292

CHAPTER XVIII

WITCH-DOCTORS OF SWAZILAND--HOW THEY BROUGHT A FAMINE--L'TUNGA'S
SCHOOL OF WITCH-DOCTORING--THE "POISON TEST" TO SETTLE OWNERSHIP--THE
PROFESSIONAL WITCH-DOCTOR'S EQUIPMENT--L'TUNGA DECIDES A MURDER
CASE--SOME GENUINE CURES 310

CHAPTER XIX

WEARISOME DELAY IN CORONATION--WAR SUGGESTIONS FROM UMZULEK--MY PLAN
TO BLUFF LABOTSIBENI--THE BLUFF IS CALLED--A TICKLISH SITUATION--
LABOTSIBENI REFUSES TO SURRENDER THE THRONE--OUR DEMONSTRATION
FAILS--NIGHT MURDERS PROVOKE WAR 331

CHAPTER XX

LEBOMBO THREATENED WITH ATTACK--TZANEEN FLIES TO US FOR
PROTECTION--VICTORY FOR SEBUZA--LABOTSIBENI'S MYSTERIOUS
DEATH--LOMWAZI SPARED FOR EXECUTION LATER--FUNERAL SACRIFICE OF THE
OLD QUEEN--QUEEN TZANEEN IN STATE--WE ARE FORCED TO JOIN THE ROYAL
IMPI 355