The Kaffir Telegraph.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 24, 15 December 1906, Page 30

The Kaffir Telegraph.

Mention was frequently made during the recent native troubles in South Africa of the “Kaflir telegraph." the strange system by which news of any importance is communicated from one extreme of the native territories to the other with almost incredible rapidity, and the working of which, it has been stated, is still a mystery to the white man. This latter statement is scarcely correct. It is true that the whole workings of this secret system are not fully known, lint numbers of up-country residents, traders, and the like arc well acquainted with many of the ways in ■which communication passes from tribe io tribe. Any' news that is spread in this way is news that it is desirable to keep’ from tfie European, and for this reason Kaffirs will never go into full details; but enough has leaked out to give a good inkling of many' of the means adopted. The trading store is the meeting place for the natives, where they' come, not only to purchase and sell, but to meet others. Men cross the border into another tribe’s country to attend at the general gatherings which take place from morning to night outside these stores, and a good deal of, news is carried forward by this means. In most eases the news, if important, is not. made publie to the- whole tribe until it is necessary to do so. A headman has Ijeen told by his chief to despatch a certain item of information onward.* This man comes to the store, which, for the sake of argument, vve:wilt sav* is in Fingoland. lie looks round at. 1 li<’ group outside the building, and notes what strangers are present, for a Kaflir can tett afa glance to what tribes am- men he meet belongs, though no white man can certainly- do this, .the la-arer of the message picks out two or three Gealekas. and goes to them ami enquires their standing in their tribe. If one of those he speaks to is a headman the information is passed to him to carry to his chief, with a request ■that the chief will pass it on again; if, on the other hand, those lie addresses are none of them headmen, he selects the oldest man. and takes him aside

and imparts the news to him. “You are the messenger of the chief, says the headman. “A man who carries a chief’s message must keep his eyes and cars open and his mouth closed, or ill may happen”; and the native accepts the hint amt acts on it. He leaves at once. and. starting oil' on the peculiar jogtrot which Kaffirs always adopt when in a hurry, or on important business. he soon has impressed himself with the vast responsibility, for sueh it

appears to him. The same procedure is done with the other strangers present, and by this means before, the night three or four chiefs are acquainted with the news.

This, is the usual way in which the news is first spread, and for this reason 1 have selected Fiiigoland as a starting point, as it is the hist country over the border. When the chiefs receive the message they will no doubt act in different''ways to pass it on. One selects a. fast, runner and gives him the words, and instructs this man to run in a given direction as fast as he can —horses arc never used at this work—until he is exhausted. When he can run no longer be enters the nearest kraal, selects the chief man. gives him the words, and this man in his turn picks out his fastest runner, who at once starts of! until he also is exhaqsted, y hen he acts in a similar way. It is not an enviable- task carrying a chief’s message al night, for the native is alway s suspicious, of . catt,le mieves. Assegais ami guns are handy, qud the man who dashes paid a kraal in the dark may possibly, coiiic to a ■udden stop with an assegai or a bullet

through him; but. failing this extreme method, he is liable, when near the borders, to tie seized l-y the native police as a suspicions character, and though his detention might lie for only a day or so, it is almost as bad as the more summary punishment. for the native holds his chief in such awe that, should he not be able to follow his instructions, it. is doubtful if'he would dare to return to his- tribe. I have been told that even the Kaffir police, who are most loyal, are still so under the spelt of tile chiefs that, should the runner inform them of the object of his journey, they' would not detain him: but I’have my doubts as to'whet’ -r this is so. With relays of runners like this a hundred miles ciin be covered iu twenty four hours. Iteturning to our starting point. Fingoland, the message would be Carried a hundred miles in a straight line by the next morning, but as the Kaflir country is further penetrated tribes (J).,spread oul from the main line to the sea, the Pondos and Pondo Mesies on the one hand, the Bacas and Xesibes on the other, anil these would have been all reached l-y the other messengers, and in this way’ four or live separate chiefs would have known the news by them. The system of “calling messages” is largely used by- the natives in war-time. The air in South Africa is so dry- that sound carries a very long way. Native messengers are stationed at the tops of hilts to call messages to each other, it is no exaggeration to say' that they can make themselves heard and carry on conversation a quarter of a mile distant: but for obvious reasons they cannot be stationed so close together, so a system of signalling by' smoke is carried on at night, but this means is not followed in such a case as I am trying to describe. In an article I wrote for the “Field’ a few' years ago I mentioned the ease of a white man (named Groom) who had settled down amongst the Pondos and had adopted their ways, and, except for the trifling difference of colour, was to'all intent a Kaffir himself. This man once, in answer to an argument which took place outside the store in Mount Frese, offered to have a message delivered in Komgha (about 200 miles aw ay I- on the day- alter the itnc on which we were speaking, and a -note was accordingly written to a storekeeper in that village and given to him. On the second morning a Kaffir walkgil into the store- in KoTngha 'and placed the paper in the storekeeper's hands and walked out: but we never found out how this had been accomplished, in this connection I may mention an amusing incident which occurred. A visitor to Katfirland who had been informed of the way- in which messages could be transmitted, and the saving of time such a system effected, was so struck with the idea that he wrote, suggesting to the colonial Government that the upcountry mails should be handed over to the chiefs for them to rush through. It is. perhaps, needless to say- that his suggestion was not adopted. Ormond Lodge, in the “Field.”