A naturalist in the Transvaal (1892) (14597626528)

Identifier: naturalistintran00dist (find matches)
Title: A naturalist in the Transvaal
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: Distant, William Lucas, 1845-1922
Subjects: Zoology -- South Africa Transvaal Transvaal (South Africa) -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, R.H. Porter
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries



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icksare greatly valued by Kafir agriculturists, alwaysmaintaining a value of about five shillings, and aregreatly preferred to those made in Birmingham, whichcan be imported and sold for less money. The manufacture of the pick forms thus a truenative industry, and in this region is almost confinedto the Mavendas, amongst whom, I was assured, therewas a recognized compact that none should be sold undera certain price. The Mavendas by their industrial artsare thus more advanced in material progress than theMagwambas, with whom they live in contact, though theMagwamba women always wear a petticoat, and thefemale Mavendas have simply the ordinary waist-bandage. But though much less clothed, the Mavendawomen are better-looking and exhibit the signs ofmore intellect than the Magwambas possess. Materialprogress and clothing certainly do not always gotogether. I considerably added to my natural history collectionduring the ten days I spent at the Spelonken, awaiting H M < S 09 g Wf1H M 3 O
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ZOUTPANSBEEG AND THE MAGWAMBAS. Ill the wagon for my return jonrney, and in this I wasgreatly assisted by the Magwamba boys, who, on findingthat there was really a market, set thoroughly to workin procuring specimens. Birds were mostly broughtalive, as the lads were adepts at trapping, or whenkilled they were generally in perfect condition, as theblunted wooden arrow-head was used. At first someof the men would bring a small bird pierced by abullet shot from an old Brown Bess ; but they soonknew the requirements better, and a good ornitholo-gical collection could have been obtained had Ipossessed leisure to remain longer on the spot. Thegreat trouble was to prevent them bringing the samething over and over again, and to make them under-stand that insects were valueless when crushed; butthey really experienced pleasure in trapping andshooting birds, and would attentively watch the processof skinning. As the lads brought in my prizes, Irecalled the same arrangement made years before wit