Sick and dizzy with horror, I could bear it no longer, but fled—fled till I could get free of the smell and the murmurs of his tormentors—as to the victim, he bore all stoically,—then flung myself on to the ground, nearly fainting with disgust. I grew worse still when I remembered that, should I offend these people, the fate of this man might be mine.
My first instinct was to take at once to the bush, and quit the incarnate fiends; but after reflection told me the absurdity of such an act. First, it was broad day, and my figure might easily be distinguished; secondly, the Kaffirs were scattered everywhere about the kraal, so that at any time I might encounter one, whose suspicions would speedily be aroused by seeing me so far from the huts; while, lastly, I was utterly destitute of provisions or weapons.
Therefore, after a time, I saw the wisest course was for me to return, and to conform to their customs if necessary—save that of taking unto myself a wife,—and, by keeping my eyes open, seize the first opportunity to escape. So, making a considerable détour, to avoid the spot where the wretched wizard had suffered, and where, to my renewed horror, I perceived by the movements of the men in the distance the torture was still going on—indeed it was some hours before nature finally succumbed, and the man got rest at last in death—I proceeded towards the kraal, but changed my intention on coming across a group of Kaffirs engaged on some work. As I was now looked upon in the most neighbourly manner by them, and also myself desiring to appear friendly, I drew near, and, by signs, entered into conversation.
There were three of them squatting upon the ground, with an eland’s skin between them, which they were scraping with all their might. Having sat down, and with much gravity, suitable to the solemnity of the occasion, accepted snuff from one of the workers, I made them understand that I should like to know what they were doing.
By signs I managed to make out that they were tanning the skin, and watched the process with much interest. They continued to scrape and scrape the inside till it was perfectly free from grease, all the while—if not replying to my dumb-show interrogations, or speaking to me in the same manner—accompanying the operation with songs, snuff-taking, and smoking.
By Tugela’s kindness, I had been presented with a pipe—a most precious gift, it must be known, in Caffraria, where the natives look upon smoking as the ne plus ultra of life’s luxuries. A company of them, when tobacco’s scarce, will even smoke in the following original manner:—One will draw in from the pipe as much as his mouth will possibly hold, then pass it on to the next, and so on till all the company have been served; then they retain the fumes so long that all the vessels of the head grow surcharged with it, when the smoker drops intoxicated on to the ground—an insensibility from which he is recovered by the kindness of his friends, who, by buffets, pinches, and hair-pullings, will restore him at last to consciousness. However, on the present occasion each was fortunate enough to possess his own. Mine was a long reed, with a clumsy bowl, about four times the size of a large European pipe; for the Kaffir cannot get too much. This capacious hollow was filled with rough, coarse tobacco, which few Englishmen would smoke could they get better; but when better cannot be procured, I have no doubt they would do as I did—take what they could get.
So we sat smoking, and they, snuffing and singing, till every morsel of the hide having been well manipulated, they commenced the next process. Fastening several of their needles together—the sight of them made me again grow faint,—they began twirling the bundle between their hands, so that the sharp points tore the skin till it was roughed in every part; then taking a powder, made from the rotten root of the acacia tree, they rubbed it into the hide with all their might; and this, which answered the same purpose as our tan-pit, they continued to do till the skin was ready for use.
From these, and numerous other skins, the Kaffir kaross, or cloak, is made. That article, fastened round the neck, falls down the back, and, save in winter, is more for show than use. Many skins have to be used in their construction, especially when the hide is that of a small animal, such as the meerkat; and, in that case, it is most wonderful to see the neatness with which they are sewn together. It is truly surprising, when it is considered that their only implements are the needles previously mentioned, a stiff fibre for thread, and a stone to rub smooth the seams. Yet, despite these disadvantages, when completed, the kaross might be taken for a whole and perfect skin, did not the arrangement of the shades prove otherwise.
Having watched all this done, and by that means succeeded in whiling away the time, I bade farewell to the skin-dressers, and, no little dejected in spirits, returned to the kraal and to my own hut, where, finding some dried koodoo flesh and a little amasi left in the gourd which had been brought me, I stayed my hunger, then sat down on my mat, feeling sure that Tugela would, after the terrible ceremony of the day was over, pay me a visit.
I was not wrong; he soon made his appearance, his face bright and smiling—an expression I had noted on several Kaffir features as they passed my hut. This gave me much confidence; for I felt we had become such good friends that he would not smile did evil threaten me; so, with a sensation of relief, I bade him welcome, and asked the news. He replied upon a subject very different to that I was thinking about.