WHAT THE MATABELES ARE.

Waikato Times, Volume XLI, Issue 3344, 2 December 1893, Page 11

WHAT THE MATABELES ARE.

V- • ■:;, , :-..'r ! The war with the Matabeles has arisen ,out pfjhe, H by these savage .warriors in .Mashonaiand, wKicli it was'irnpossible .tftyt Itijof. BnjisK / Soiith!''Africa Company could tolerate; 1 Tlie belong to the same race as the ' Zulus, and ' are a nation of warriors. : ID r )Emil Holiib, the well,known /explorer, in a letter recently published in The* Times, says that they are taught the use of'firearms'in early childhood, and fronftbat age are subjected to a training of»euch Spartan'severity that o f;; theoboys; Hucounib to il < > They : eitl er dierfrom the, hardships. andprivationß to which they are:,exposed or they fall victims to the wild beasts with which they are compelled by, their tutors to, enter into close contest. ' Thus those who eurvive come in tim&to forin the elite oi the native fighting men in South Africa. Their leading characteristic is an intensely M.itliay ;scope to this disposition' in innumerable pre* datoi'y raids s on the surrounding native communities,; peoplefand babies arelbarbkrouslyJmuri dered, while boys, women, and cattle are carried away. It is computed that, since 1837,.when,the:llatabele'kingdom was established, hiimari beings have . been slain in these raids., Mr Frank B. Thomson, the holder of the original eoncession ?froiu Loben'gula, also.,says, in a letter to that litis during the past-few years mass»ored4t least iojoob Maahonas/ men, women, and children, and I have no doubt, in spite of assurances: ! to the 'coni trary, that he is at the present, moment killing 'them in'all directions.* The few round' Salisbury - ,;arej-protected, while i othsrs are being slaughtered." Cireutnl stances have lately intensified the dislike entertained, by." the/ Maiiabeles for their white neighbours.' 'The South. AfrU can Republic.has stopped their, raids to the south, and tho British pciiupatioti of ' Bechuanalaud those to the west,.whilst the Biitinh South :Africa Company {is forming a barrier to the north and' east.' On every side they _aie being hetn med.inL 'and' their predatoryV instincts/kept ; 'in check. An outbreak; was : therefore certain sooner or. later! "It is not tc be' imagioed," says Dr Holub, "that warriors suoh as who jpok 7 upon , all forms of work as degritding,-'wiii readily eettle. down to, husbandry,, or, become peaceful;' neighbours for,;the:surroundibonatives or' white? settlers/ I am quite convinced, whatever may be said to the contrary,, that these Matabejes have been for years past ou the'alert/ watching {or an opportunity to fight' the whites.'? P