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Chapter XXVI.
The Kafir Prophetess and The "Wonderful Prophecy."

The Kafir chiefs became now convinced that they must act decisively, or this new Governor with his strange institutions would certainly destroy their power. The Governor heard that all the Kafir chiefs were leaguing together to invade the colony at various points at the same time. He heard, also, a report so astounding and unprecedented, that he could scarcely give it credence. It was said that in order to ensure a desperate attack upon the European settlements, the chiefs had promised themselves and induced their people to promise to destroy their crops, cattle, pigs, sheep, fowls, and all other food. The barbarians were thus to be driven by famine to invade our territories. Behind them would be a barren desert, in front the land of promise. The fields, the crops, the bread of the English, they must have, or starve. As they numbered 200,000 souls, of whom about 60,000 were men, it was evident if these reports were true, that a colossal and appalling tragedy was imminent.

Sir George Grey at once proceeded to the Kafir country and saw page 198the Kafir leaders. The tidings were true. He pointed out the fact that they were only injuring themselves, and indeed committing suicide; but argument was useless. They said that a prophetess, a girl reputed among the tribes as knowing the mind of the fates, had prophesied that it was the will of their deities that this sacrifice should be made, and that they should obtain tenfold from the English in the day of victory.

The proofs of her claim to supernatural knowledge were to the Kafir mind beyond dispute. To her eyes were revealed secrets hidden from the gaze of ordinary mortals. To her ears were spoken words which none else could hear, or hearing, understand. In the silent watches of the night, when others slept, shadowy guides conducted her to strange and wonderful scenes. For her the secret passage which led beneath the waters of the great lake was opened by the lifting up of a hidden door. To that subterranean world she was welcomed by the mighty dead. Chiefs long since mouldered into dust, whose names alone remained as the heritage of their descendants, there appeared and spoke to her of the coming strife, and of its glorious ending—if the people were but faithful. Beneath the placid waters she beheld, far as the eye could reach, wide and fruitful fields. Upon these green pastures fed countless herds of cattle, larger and more beautiful than any she had ever seen upon earth's surface.

She was told that she must listen to the counsels of the departed, so that she might speak to the people now alive the wisdom of the unseen world. Chief after chief had spoken; wielding the arms once borne in the van of battle, each ancestor of the tribes gave his voice for the instruction and warning of his people. The warriors were to arm; the cattle and crops of food of the people were to be destroyed by a fixed day. The whole nation, thus deprived of all means of support and sustenance, was to move upon the invading strangers without hesitation and without fear, and all would be well. Not only should victory crown their arms, and the rich farms, flocks, and herds of the white man be theirs by conquest, but the cattle now seen by the inspired girl-prophet, and all the splendour which the living dead revealed to her, should be theirs also.

On Wednesday, the 18th of February, 1857—"When the sun rose in the morning, after wandering for a time in the heavens, it page 199was to set again in the east. A hurricane was to sweep from the earth all who would not believe in the revelation, European or Kafir. Then the ancestors of the Kafirs were to rise from the dead, with countless herds of cattle of a noble breed, and with quantities of plunder of every description, all of which were to be shared out among the followers of the prophetess, who were at the same time to be restored to youth and endowed with beauty."^*

As with kindling eyes and inspired bearing the girl told to the astonished crowd the wonderful stories of her interviews with the dead, a frenzy seized upon her hearers, and impelled them onward in the course she pointed out. Old chiefs, whose prudence suggested caution, questioned her closely as to the appearance and words of the departed heroes who had met her in the shadowy land beneath the lake. To their astonishment, every question was correctly answered. The arms borne by each respectively, the peculiar expressions known, or believed, to have been used by each, the personal appearance, the very scars and wounds received in battle, were described minutely, but with unerring accuracy, by this female seer.

To such evidence it was impossible to refuse belief. Some of the heads of tribes and families knew the power of the English, and dreaded the result. But the spell of the mysterious influence was too strong even for the timid or the wise. When the prophetess, from her trance-like calmness, leaped up to speak, the wild grandeur of her appearance and the glowing passion of her words carried away the people like a torrent, and with one consent the Kafir tribes obeyed.

Perhaps there never was a more remarkable illustration of the overwhelming power of popular belief, however erroneous, than this episode in the history of South Africa. Were it not that the records are beyond doubt or suspicion, and vouched by the bodies of thousands who perished by famine, it would be difficult to believe that solely in reliance on the ravings of a demented girl a whole nation should destroy its means of. subsistence, and enter upon a desperate war. Compared with this, the burning of their ships by the Greeks before Troy is but feeble and trifling.

Sir George Grey received from time to time news of these strange page 200proceedings. Without undue haste or apparent anxiety he made all necessary military preparations.

The frontier to be defended was vast in extent, nor did he know where the attack might be delivered. Directing General Michell to take up a line of posts, he himself proceeded beyond the limits of the British territory, and visited in person localities and people already under the sway of the prophetess. His person was sacred, at any rate until war was actually commenced, and he was acquainted with every chief of note throughout Kaffraria. No stone was left unturned in his efforts to expose the folly of which the tribes were guilty. In plain and vigorous language the Governor pointed out the fatal nature of the steps already being taken, and the certainty that the order for destruction would not be universally obeyed, and when famine came those still retaining cattle and food would be pillaged, and thus civil war and mutual strife would arise among themselves; whilst their efforts against the English would be vain. It was useless. Every breeze bore the stench of slaughtered cattle, every day beheld the mounting wreaths of smoke from burning kraals; already, before a solitary blow had been struck, famine began to weaken the strongest, and the hand of death to weed out the feeble and the young.

Meanwhile the mountain passes and the river fords were jealously guarded, and the vast line of frontier diligently patrolled.

At last the crisis came. Maddened by excitement, the Kafir tribes determined to attack. General Michell, anxious for the safety of his widely dispersed forces, made the preparations necessary for falling back upon a more central and concentrated line upon the Fish River. The Governor was still in the Kafir country, attended only by his guard. Before making any backward movement, General Michell wrote to him stating his anxiety and his intentions. The messenger reached Sir George's camp at night. The Governor was aroused, the General's note was at once read. This proposed retreat was in the Governor's judgment the very worst and most dangerous step which could be taken. He was not, therefore, called upon to deliberate. He answered the General's letter by a positive command to hold every position, and on no account to show the barbarians in any place a retreating foe. Sir George Grey in his final letter, page 201written on March, 1857, after sketching his own plans, thus speaks: —

If war takes place, I believe that this line of proceeding will be the proper one; but I am, moreover, quite satisfied that our maintaining at the present time that bold and resolute front, which I am determined shall be maintained (and in which view of the case I am sure the Lieutenant-General, Sir J. Jackson, will thoroughly and heartily concur with me), will go very far towards preventing a war, and compelling the Kafirs to respect an enemy who, they will see, is thoroughly prepared to meet them.—Yours, etc.

G. Grey.

On this occasion his message was short and decisive. In half an hour the messenger had vanished, the Governor had resumed his slumbers, and the conduct of the expected war was settled.

Sir George Grey returned, but, while returning, struck an effective blow. By a clever combination of secret movements, skilfully executed, and with great daring, he captured all the principal chiefs, and thus broke the neck of the confederacy. The Kafirs, with no one to lead the intended invasion, began to starve. Pale death reigned there in dreadful silence. It is said that fifty thousand Kafirs died of starvation. Their villages became vast charnel houses, and stank with unburied corpses.

Then came into full play the wisdom and humanity of the Governor. Far and wide he despatched relief parties, and rescued the remnants of the tribes from destruction. Thirty-four thousand of them he brought into the Cape, and distributed them among the colonists as servants for specified terms of years and for specified wages. For the remainder he built villages, surveyed fields, provided food, implements, seeds, and cattle, and settled them in British Kaffraria in well-ordered communities.

Pursuing his usual method with regard to native peoples, Sir George found employment for the Kafirs on various public works. As no one had ever before succeeded in this, and as regular work was utterly repugnant to the soul of a Kafir, great surprise was felt when the plan worked well. Still more astonishing was it when the Governor made the natives pay taxes. The Kafirs themselves were as much astonished as other people at the remarkable power of the man who had brought about two such changes, as the following little incident shows:

At a great gathering of the natives, Sir George noticed the women wearing a large number of brass ornaments on their legs. page 202He pointed out the folly of wasting their wages in such an extravagant way, but was answered by one of the chiefs, who rose and told the Governor that he must remember there were limits to human power. "Rest content, O great chief," said he, "with what you have accomplished. You have made us pay taxes. You have made our people work. These things we thought could never be. But think not you can stop women wearing ornaments. If you try to do this, O Governor, you will most surely fail."