Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ...even the younger ones and their babies, in order to be able to boast of having " blooded their spears." By reason of these raids, many women fell to the share of each of these warriors, and successive generations degenerated, while growing, as bullies and cowards invariably will, more and more bloodthirsty, in proportion as their wretched victims became more terrified at THE MASHONAS 167 their approach, and less able to withstand their onslaughts. The Matabeles, in truth, were simply the bullies of smaller and weaker nations, and could make no stand against real fighting people; as witness the Lake N'gami war, when they were beaten, more perhaps by stratagem than by force; and the expedition of the Impis against the Barotsis, when they returned like whipped curs with their tails between their legs. In the former case Khama, I learn, shot Lobengula through the neck. As time progressed they became so emboldened by their successes against the wretched Mashonas that they began to think they could frighten the white men, who were settling in the country, but whose presence in such close proximity to their own district was always looked upon with disfavour by the Matabeles, into either quietly allowing them to raid and kill the Mashonas without being checked, or even, perchance, into evacuating the country, altogether when they found that they could not get the Mashonas to work for them, for fear of the Matabeles. In this way leaving them to pursue their bloodthirsty career freed from the dread of a possible controlling power. On the igth of July last year they actually came rushing through Victoria, stabbing and assegaing the men in the very streets and houses. They even went so far as to threaten similar treatment to the white men, if they...
