nada the lily-第2章

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from　the　lips　of　an　old　traveller　in　〃the　Zulu〃；　but　he　cannot

discover　any　confirmation　of　it。　Still；　these　kings　undoubtedly　put

their　soldiers　to　many　tests　of　equal　severity。　Umbopo；　or　Mopo；　as　he

is　named　in　this　tale；　actually　lived。　After　he　had　stabbed　Chaka；　he

rose　to　great　eminence。　Then　he　disappears　from　the　scene；　but　it　is

not　accurately　known　whether　he　also　went　〃the　way　of　the　assegai；〃　or

perhaps；　as　is　here　suggested；　came　to　live　near　Stanger　under　the

name　of　Zweete。　The　fate　of　the　two　lovers　at　the　mouth　of　the　cave　is

a　true　Zulu　tale；　which　has　been　considerably　varied　to　suit　the

purposes　of　this　romance。　The　late　Mr。　Leslie；　who　died　in　1874；　tells

it　in　his　book　〃Among　the　Zulus　and　Amatongas。〃　〃I　heard　a　story　the

other　day；〃　he　says；　〃which；　if　the　power　of　writing　fiction　were

possessed　by　me；　I　might　have　worked　up　into　a　first…class　sensational

novel。〃　It　is　the　story　that　has　been　woven　into　the　plot　of　this

book。　To　him　also　the　writer　is　indebted　for　the　artifice　by　which

Umslopogaas　obtained　admission　to　the　Swazi　stronghold；　it　was　told　to

Mr。　Leslie　by　the　Zulu　who　performed　the　feat　and　thereby　won　a　wife。

Also　the　writer's　thanks　are　due　to　his　friends；　Mr。　F。　B。　Fynney；＇1＇

late　Zulu　border　agent；　for　much　information　given　to　him　in　bygone

years　by　word　of　mouth；　and　more　recently　through　his　pamphlet

〃Zululand　and　the　Zulus；〃　and　to　Mr。　John　Bird；　formerly　treasurer　to

the　Government　of　Natal；　whose　compilation；　〃The　Annals　of　Natal；〃　is

invaluable　to　all　who　would　study　the　early　history　of　that　colony　and

of　Zululand。



As　for　the　wilder　and　more　romantic　incidents　of　this　story；　such　as

the　hunting　of　Umslopogaas　and　Galazi　with　the　wolves；　or　rather　with

the　hyaenas；for　there　are　no　true　wolves　in　Zululand；the　author

can　only　say　that　they　seem　to　him　of　a　sort　that　might　well　have　been

mythically　connected　with　the　names　of　those　heroes。　Similar　beliefs

and　traditions　are　common　in　the　records　of　primitive　peoples。　The

club　〃Watcher　of　the　Fords；〃　or；　to　give　its　Zulu　name；　U…nothlola…

mazibuko；　is　an　historical　weapon；　chronicled　by　Bishop　Callaway。　It

was　once　owned　by　a　certain　Undhlebekazizwa。　He　was　an　arbitrary

person；　for　〃no　matter　what　was　discussed　in　our　village；　he　would

bring　it　to　a　conclusion　with　a　stick。〃　But　he　made　a　good　end；　for

when　the　Zulu　soldiers　attacked　him；　he　killed　no　less　than　twenty　of

them　with　the　Watcher；　and　the　spears　stuck　in　him　〃as　thick　as　reeds

in　a　morass。〃　This　man's　strength　was　so　great　that　he　could　kill　a

leopard　〃like　a　fly；〃　with　his　hands　only；　much　as　Umslopogaas　slew

the　traitor　in　this　story。



Perhaps　it　may　be　allowable　to　add　a　few　words　about　the　Zulu

mysticism；　magic；　and　superstition；　to　which　there　is　some　allusion　in

this　romance。　It　has　been　little　if　at　all　exaggerated。　Thus　the

writer　well　remembers　hearing　a　legend　how　the　Guardian　Spirit　of　the

Ama…Zulu　was　seen　riding　down　the　storm。　Here　is　what　Mr。　Fynney　says

of　her　in　the　pamphlet　to　which　reference　has　been　made：　〃The　natives

have　a　spirit　which　they　call　Nomkubulwana；　or　the　Inkosazana…ye…Zulu

（the　Princess　of　Heaven）。　She　is　said　to　be　robed　in　white；　and　to

take　the　form　of　a　young　maiden；　in　fact　an　angel。　She　is　said　to

appear　to　some　chosen　person；　to　whom　she　imparts　some　revelation；

but；　whatever　that　revelation　may　be；　it　is　kept　a　profound　secret

from　outsiders。　I　remember　that；　just　before　the　Zulu　war；

Nomkubulwana　appeared；　revealing　something　or　other　which　had　a　great

effect　throughout　the　land；　and　I　know　that　the　Zulus　were　quite

impressed　that　some　calamity　was　about　to　befall　them。　One　of　the

ominous　signs　was　that　fire　is　said　to　have　descended　from　heaven；　and

ignited　the　grass　over　the　graves　of　the　former　kings　of　Zululand。

。　。　。　On　another　occasion　Nomkubulwana　appeared　to　some　one　in

Zululand；　the　result　of　that　visit　being；　that　the　native　women　buried

their　young　children　up　to　their　heads　in　sand；　deserting　them　for　the

time　being；　going　away　weeping；　but　returning　at　nightfall　to　unearth

the　little　ones　again。〃



For　this　divine　personage　there　is；　therefore；　authority；　and　the　same

may　be　said　of　most　of　the　supernatural　matters　spoken　of　in　these

pages。　The　exact　spiritual　position　held　in　the　Zulu　mind　by　the

Umkulunkulu；the　OldOld；the　GreatGreat；the　Lord　of　Heavens；

is　a　more　vexed　question；　and　for　its　proper　consideration　the　reader

must　be　referred　to　Bishop　Callaway's　work；　the　〃Religious　System　of

the　Amazulu。〃　Briefly；　Umkulunkulu's　character　seems　to　vary　from　the

idea　of　an　ancestral　spirit；　or　the　spirit　of　an　ancestor；　to　that　of

a　god。　In　the　case　of　an　able　and　highly　intelligent　person　like　the

Mopo　of　this　story；　the　ideal　would　probably　not　be　a　low　one；

therefore　he　is　made　to　speak　of　Umkulunkulu　as　the　Great　Spirit；　or

God。



It　only　remains　to　the　writer　to　express　his　regret　that　this　story　is

not　more　varied　in　its　hue。　It　would　have　been　desirable　to　introduce

some　gayer　and　more　happy　incidents。　But　it　has　not　been　possible。　It

is　believed　that　the　picture　given　of　the　times　is　a　faithful　one；

though　it　may　be　open　to　correction　in　some　of　its　details。　At　the

least；　the　aged　man　who　tells　the　tale　of　his　wrongs　and　vengeance

could　not　be　expected　to　treat　his　subject　in　an　optimistic　or　even　in

a　cheerful　vein。



＇1＇　I　grieve　to　state　that　I　must　now　say　the　late　Mr。　F。　B。　Fynney。











NADA　THE　LILY







INTRODUCTION



Some　years　sinceit　was　during　the　winter　before　the　Zulu　Wara

White　Man　was　travelling　through　Natal。　His　name　does　not　matter；　for

he　plays　no　part　in　this　story。　With　him　were　two　wagons　laden　with

goods；　which　he　was　transporting　to　Pretoria。　The　weather　was　cold　and

there　was　little　or　no　grass　for　the　oxen；　which　made　the　journey

difficult；　but　he　had　been　tempted　to　it　by　the　high　rates　of

transport　that　prevailed　at　that　season　of　the　year；　which　would

remunerate　him　for　any　probable　loss　he　might　suffer　in　cattle。　So　he

pushed　along　on　his　journey；　and　all　went　well　until　he　had　passed　the

little　town　of　Stanger；　once　the　site　of　Duguza；　the　kraal　of　Chaka；

the　first　Zulu　king　and　the　uncle　of　Cetywayo。　The　night　after　he　left

Stanger　the　air　turned　bitterly　cold；　heavy　grey　clouds　filled　the

sky；　and　hid　the　light　of　the　stars。



〃Now　if　I　were　not　in　Natal；　I　should　say　that　there　was　a　heavy　fall

of　snow　coming；〃　said　the　White　Man　to　himself。　〃I　have　often　seen　the

sky　look　like　that　in　Scotland　before　snow。〃　Then　he　reflected　that

there　had　been　no　deep　snow　in　Natal　for　years；　and；　having　drunk　a

〃tot〃　of　squareface　and　smoked　his　pipe；　he　went　to　bed　beneath　the

after…tent　of　his　larger　wagon。



During　the　night　he　was　awakened　by　a　sense　of　bitter　cold　and　the　low

moaning　of　the　oxen　that　were　tied　to　the　trek…tow；　every　ox　in　its

place。　He　thrust　his　head　through　the　curtain　of　the　tent　and　looked

out。　The　earth　was　white　with　snow；　and　the　air　was　full　of　it；　swept

along　by　a　cutting　wind。



Now　he　sprang　up；　huddling　on　his　clothes　and　as　he　did　so　calling　to

the　Kaffirs　who　slept　beneath　the　wagons。　Presently　they　awoke　from

the　stupor　which　already　was　beginning　to　overcome　them；　and　crept

out；　shivering　with　cold　and　wrapped　from　head　to　foot　in　blankets。



〃Quick！　you　boys；〃　he　said　to　them　in　Zulu；　〃quick！　Would　you　see　the

cattle　die　of　the　snow　and　wind？　Loose　the　oxen　from　the　trek…tows　and

drive　them　in　between　the　wagons；　they　will　give　them　some　shelter。〃

And　lighting　a　lantern　he　sprang　out　into　the　snow。



At　last　it　was　doneno　easy　task；　for　the　numbed　hands　of　the　Kaffirs

could　scarcely　loosen　the　frozen　reims。　The　wagons　were　outspanned

side　by　side　with　a　space　between　them；　and　into　this　space　the　mob　of

thirty…six　oxen　was　driven　and　there　secured　by　reims　tied　crosswise

from　the　front　and　hind　wheels　of　the　wagons。　Then　the　White　Man　crept

back　to　his