99 MPATSHANA KA SO DO NDO 24.5.1912 File 66, item 12, pp. 1-15. Also present for part of interview: Nsuze, Dunjwa 1 Mpatshana ka Sodondo ka Ncungu ka Nombanga of the Manxele people (separated off from the Nxwnalo). He lives in Somkele's district on the coast. 1 Ndhlalangubo for Ndhlangubo, isibala for isibaya - said by Mpatshana, who also says cwila for cwiya. 2 [Is not isibaya merely from ibala?] Information mostly relating to the Zulu military system and associ­ ated affairs. I am of the Ngobamakosi regiment. I was really of the Uve, but was incorporated (tela'd) in the Ngobamakosi. 3 I kleza 'd at Gqikazi; it was situated in the Kwa Denge valley. We got our water from the Ivuna.q The kraal stood just below Isigwegwe. 5 We, as cadets at Gqikazi, were known as the Indhluyenyoni and uBadhlukufa. I really was of the Uve regiment, but we were tela'd into the Ngobamakosi. I now call myself Ngobamakosi. The Ngobamakosi cadet name was amaZwayi. The big induna of the Uve, of the main section (isibay' esikulu), was Sinqauzana. We Uve had a kraal of our own, oLandandhlovu, which was at eNhlungwane, where Mqundane [deceased] ka Maboyi now has a tribe. We were added to the Ngobamakosi on the outbreak of the Zulu War. The war-doctors. A son of Manembe, viz. Ndwetshe of the Durnisa people, and a son of Kondhlo, viz. Manyelindhlela of the Mazibuko people, were the principal ones. These were the great men who doctored the circle of men, when all the great men and the adult males of Zulu­ land were gathered together. These are the ones upon whom devolved the duty of roasting the meat of the bull. After these came Nkamba ka Magidigidi of the Nsiband.E people. These doctors were all men of Zulu­ land. They were in charge of doctoring the impi at Ndondakusuka. 6 When the Isandhlwana affair occurred, we had an Msutu doctor. 7 I do not know his name. He caused a mark to be made thus, with black powder (umsizi): He also made all those with guns hold their barrels downwards on to, but not actually touching, a sherd containing some smoking substance, i.e. burning drugs, fire being underneath the sherd, in order that 296 MPATSHANA smoke might go up the barrel. This was done so that bullets would go straight, and, on hitting any European, kill him. This was the first time I had come across an Umsutu doctor. The first place we were doctored at, just before war began, was at 2 eNtukwini stream, near where this enters the White Mfolozi. The Ntukwini enters on the left bank of the White Umfolozi and quite close to Ondini kraal. 8 We began by undergoing the vomiting ceremonies at this place. I did not see the Msutu doctor at this place, but later, when we formed a circle. We did the vomiting early in the morning, all into one hole, rather deep, and this vomiting went on all day till night. There were two doctors that stood over the hole to preside. All that was necessary was that each should drink enough of the medicine to bring out one gulp only into the hole. If anyone pretended merely to drink the drug, he was beaten by the doctor and compelled to conform. The hole was about 18 inches across, and six or seven feet deep, but not enlarged at the bottom, like a mabele pit. It was so deep that one could hardly see the bottom. The hole was purposely kept small, so that it would be possible to completely and satisfactorily fill it in when finished with, and so prevent people from ot her nations coming and unearthing it for the purpose of trying to obtain ascendancy over the nation. Two, three or four came up to the hole at one time to vomit. If there was too much crowding, the doctors kept them off. As soon as any­ one had vomited he went off a little distance and rejoined his regiment, who were all sitting and waiting till everyone had finished vomiting. In the meantime, no food of any kind might be partaken of. When the king dies, the expression is 'the bowing d.own of the king' (u kukotama kwe nkosi). [Nsuze and Dunjwa now are also present.] 9 The eating of the strips of meat {umbengo). A black bull is selected for this purpose from among the king's cattle kept at kraals at a distance from the capital. A large, full­ grown and fierce animal is chosen. I, says Mpatshana, saw this cere­ mony at the Black Ondini (at Kwa Ndhlalangubo) on the occasion of Mpande's death. 1 ° For it was thought the princes (abantwana) would contend with one another; hence there might be warfare, and therefore a bull was necessary. It was feared the Usutu people would break away (hlamuka, hlubuka), and set up another clai mant. 11 The bull, after being driven into the great cattle enclosure, was thereupon set onto by a single regiment appointed for the purpose. [But the Vimbimbobo was portions of two or three regiments.] After 3 being well chased about, prevented from going this way or that, they blocked up the openings into the enclosure. It was eventually, perhaps after running about so as to tire it for two or three hours, caught and brought to the ground by men taking hold of all parts of it simultane­ ously. Warriors would then keep hold by its legs, tail, head, etc., whilst others proceeded to twist and eventually break its neck. As soon as the beast was dead, the war-doctors would come up and drive all the warriors away for fear lest any of them, disloyally in­ clined, should cut off any portions - secretly cut off small bits here and there - and give same away to the king's enemies, i.e. from other 297 MPATSHANA countries, whereby ascendancy might be obtained over the king: This pre­ caution was most carefully observed. The doctors and their assistants (aged say about 40) would now pro­ ceed to skin the beast and thereafter have its flesh cut into great long umbengo strips. These strips would be roasted in a fire made of wood and green mimosa, which had been gathered by the regiment appointed to kill the beast - the mimosa by the young boys. Boys serving the regiments (udibi) who have not yet reached puberty are searched out among all the regimental sections (izigaba), and told to come and eat the bull; but when they go (being commandeered) they may not urinate the whole night, nor may they leave the place in the kraal where the bull is being eaten until the following morning. People are put on to guard .them during the night. The intestines etc. of the bull are all secretly buried in the king 's cattle enclosure. Then the hole (or grave) will be guarded by watchmen during the night. Boys used to hide when they saw they were wanted to eat the bull, just because they knew they could not make water till the following day. Boys eat as much as they can, and what cannot be finished is burnt. I was warned not to go, as a dibi, because those warning saw they would have no one to cook for them. 12 After the flesh had been roasted and smeared with powdered medicines (insizi) and drugs, it would be pitched well into the air by the doctor or one of his assistants, of which there were several, and then caught by one or other of the men among whom it fell. The man catching would immediately bite off a lump and pitch the mass well into the air to be again caught and dealt with similarly by another. In the meantime, the piece bitten off is chewed and then spat out on to the ground whilst the juice is swallowed. Owing, however, to the fact that many of the troops are extremely hungry and even emaciated, they sometimes swallowed the piece bitten off, although it is quite contrary to custom and· the requirements of the ceremony to do so. Should the strip of meat fall to the ground at any moment, it may not be picked up. It is then supposed to have lost all value for the purpose in hand. But, because of many being extremely hungry, it not infrequently happened that the forbidden 4 meat was picked up and voraciously consumed during the excitement going on round about. These strips of meat are flung by the doctors to all sections of the troops, lwho areJ then all in a great circular formation. The meat is snatched at by several as it comes down on being thrown, but after any­ one has had his bite he has to wait until all others have had their turn at it. All the troops must be present on such an occasi on, and the gathering is far greater than at the time of the umkosi or annual fes­ tival. But as the men are many deep, izinceku are sent to cause gaps or openings to be made at different parts of the circle to allow the doc­ tors etc. to enter and fling the medicated flesh to others in the rear, who proceed at once to do as those in front have been doing; and this throwing and 'eating' of the umbengo, as it is called, goes on simul­ taneously in many parts of the great concourse.