MAJAJ, THE WHITE QUEEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7232, 19 October 1901, Page 1

MAJAJ, THE WHITE QUEEN.

Mysterious "Womaa-Ruled African Trite. For more than half a century the -rainmaker for all the -native -tribes south of the Zambesi River, in South Africa, wal Majaje, the White Queen of the Majajo tribe, which lived in the woodbush in the northern pant of the Transvaal. The Zulus, the Hottentots, the Kaffirs,, the Basuto* and scores of other tribes recognised her as the great rainmaker, and! whenever there was a. drought in their provinces they senti i •their emissaries to her 'with, requests for rain. There were rainmakers in every tribe, but Majaje was greatest, and was supposed to open the clouds when all the others !haid ■failed. - i For fifty years or more she" held thur important native office, and in that time she succeeded in enveloping herself in deepest mystery. None but menvbers of her own tribe were allowed! to see 'her; white ment were halted 1 by her tribesmen thirty mile* from her capital, and visiting chiefs were informed by her headmen that she had gone on a far journey. The tales which) white men heard concerning her led itheia to bslieve that Majaje was a myth, and [ "Rider Haggard elaborated the report ixu his novel of " She," which had for its- leading character a mysterious white woman! who ruled over a race of blacks somewhere in Central Africa. HaggaftL wrote his novel iii the eighties, while he was dn SoytbJ Africa, and long before it was established) that the White Queen was not a myth. The fact that such a woman really lived was proved by three white men. who talked! with, her, and one of those the late Piefc Jouberb, Commandant-General of the Boer iv my, was authority for this* account of the 'woman. The good old! general and I were caught in «x rainstorm, one night, and while we were drying cur clothes at a fire i! 9 rotated to mo the .story. I toldi him that I would some day write it out, and promised to send! hin> a copy «*f the publieati&i in which ib should appear. Alas ! nothing from human hands, not even m6dern journalism, can reaefhi ihim now.