Part 7 (1/2)

I reached the appointed rendezvous, but could not gain the slightest intelligence of my people at the kraal.

'After waiting some time, and becoming very uneasy about them, one of my servants recommended me to go to the doctor, and at last, out of curiosity and _pour pa.s.ser le temps_, I did go.

'I stated what I wanted--information about my hunters--and I was met by a stern refusal. ”I cannot tell anything about white men,” said he, ”and I know nothing of their ways.” However, after some persuasion and promise of liberal payment, impressing upon him the fact that it was not white men but Kaffirs I wanted to know about, he at last consented, saying ”he would _open the Gate of Distance_, and would travel through it, even although his body should lie before me.”

'His first proceeding was to ask me the number and names of my hunters.

To this I demurred, telling him that if he obtained that information from me he might easily subst.i.tute some news which he may have heard from others, instead of the ”spiritual telegraphic news” which I expected him to get from his ”familiar.”

'To this he answered: ”I told you I did not understand white men's ways; but if I am to do anything for you it must be done in my way--not yours.” On receiving this fillip I felt inclined to give it up, as I thought I might receive some rambling statement with a considerable dash of truth, it being easy for anyone who knew anything of hunting to give a tolerably correct idea of their motions.

'However, I conceded this point also, and otherwise satisfied him.

'The doctor then made eight little fires--that being the number of my hunters; on each he cast some roots,[9] which emitted a curious sickly odour and thick smoke; into each he cast a small stone, shouting, as he did so, the name to which the stone was dedicated; then he ate some ”medicine,” and fell over in what appeared to be a trance for about ten minutes, during all which time his limbs kept moving. Then he seemed to wake, went to one of the fires, raked the ashes about, looked at the stone attentively, described the man faithfully, and said: ”This man has died of the fever, and your gun is lost.”

'To the next fire as before: ”This man” (correctly described) ”has killed four elephants,” and then he described the tusks. The next: ”This man” (again describing him) ”has been killed by an elephant, but your gun is coming home,” and so on through the whole, the men being minutely and correctly described; their success or non-success being equally so.

I was told where the survivors were, and what they were doing, and that in three months they would come out, but as they would not expect to find me waiting on them there so long after the time appointed, they would not pa.s.s that way.

'I took a particular note of all this information at the time, and to my utter amazement _it turned out correct in every particular_.

'It was scarcely within the bounds of possibility that this man could have had ordinary intelligence of the hunters; they were scattered about in a country two hundred miles away.'

Mr. Leslie could discover no explanation, nor was any suggested by friends familiar with the country and the natives whom he consulted. He gives another example, which may be explained by 'suggestion.' A parallel case from Central Africa will be found in the 'Journal of the Anthropological Inst.i.tute,' November 1897, p. 320, where 'private information,' as usual, would explain the singular facts.

The Zulus themselves lay claim to a kind of clairvoyance which looks like the result of intense visualising power, combined with the awakening of the subconscious memory.[10]

'There is among black men a something which is divination within them.

When anything valuable is lost, they look for it at once; when they cannot find it, each one begins to practise this inner divination, trying to feel where the thing is; for, not being able to see it, he feels internally a pointing, which tells him if he will go down to such a place it is there, and he will find it. At length it says he will find it; at length he sees it, and himself approaching it; before he begins to move from where he is, he sees it very clearly indeed, and there is an end of doubt. That sight is so clear that it is as though it was not an inner sight, but as if he saw the very thing itself, and the place where it is; so he quickly arises and goes to the place. If it is a hidden place he throws himself into it, as though there was something that impelled him to go as swiftly as the wind; and, in fact, he finds the thing, if he has not acted by mere head-guessing. If it has been done by real inner divination, he really sees it. But if it is done by mere head-guessing and knowledge that he has not gone to such a place and such a place, and that therefore it must be in such another place, he generally misses the mark.'

Other Zulu instances will be given under the heads 'Possession' and 'Fetis.h.i.+sm.'

To take a Northern people: In his 'History of the Lapps'[11] Scheffer describes mechanical modes of divination practised by that race, who use a drum and other objects for the purpose. These modes depend on more traditional rules for interpreting the accidental combinations of lots.

But a Lapp confessed to Scheffer, with tears, that he could not help seeing visions, as he proved by giving Scheffer a minute relation 'of whatever particulars had happened to me in my journey to Lapland. And he further complained that he know not how to make use of his eyes, since things altogether distant were presented to them.' This Lapp was anxious to become a Christian, hence his regret at being a 'rare and valuable'

example of clairvoyance. Torfaeus also was posed by the clairvoyance of a Samoyed, as was Regnard by a Lapp seer.[12]

The next case is of old date, and, like the other savage examples, is merely given for purposes of ill.u.s.tration.

'_25e Lettre_.[13]

'”_Suite des Traditions des Sauvages._”

'Au Fort de la Riviere de St. Joseph, ce 14 Septembre 1721.

'”_Des Jongleurs_”-- ... Vous ayez vu a Paris Madame de Marson, & elle y est encore; voici ce que M. le Marquis de Vaudreuil son Gendre, actuellement notre Gouverneur General, me raconta cet Hyver, & qu'il a scu de cette Dame, qui n'est rien moins qu'un esprit foible. Elle etoit un jour fort inquiette an sujet de M. de Marson, son Mari, lequel commandoit dans un Poste, que nous avions en Accadie; et etoit absent, & le tems qu'il avoit marque pour son retour, etoit pa.s.se.

'Une Femme Sauvage, qui vit Madame de Marson en peine, lui en demanda la cause, & l'ayant apprise, lui dit, apres y avoir un peu reve, de ne plus se chagriner, que son Epoux reviendroit tel jour et a telle heure, qu'elle lui marqua, avec un chapeau gris sur la tete. Comme elle s'appercut que la Dame n'ajoutoit point foi a sa prediction, au jour & a l'heure, qu'elle avoit a.s.signee, elle rotourna chez elle, lui demanda si elle ne vouloit pas venir voir arriver son Mari, & la pressa de telle sorte de la suivre, qu'elle l'entraina au bord de la Riviere.

'A peine y etoient-elles arrivees, que M. de Marson parut dans un Canot, un chapeau gris sur la tete; & ayant appris ce qui s'etoit pa.s.se, a.s.sura qu'il ne pouvoit pas comprendre comment la Sauvagesse avoit pu scavoir l'heure & le jour de son arrivee.'

It is unusual for European travellers and missionaries to give anecdotes which might seem to 'confirm the delusions of benighted savages.' Such anecdotes, again, are among the _arcana_ of these wild philosophers, and are not readily communicated to strangers. When successful cases are reported, it is natural to a.s.sert that they come through Europeans who have sunk into barbarous superst.i.tion, or that they may be explained by fraud and collusion. It is certain, however, that savage proficients believe in their own powers, though no less certainly they will eke them out by imposture. Seers are chosen in Zululand, as among Eskimos and Samoyeds, from the cla.s.s which in Europe supplies the persons who used to be, but are no longer the most favourite hypnotic subjects, 'abnormal children,' epileptic and hysterical. These are subjected to 'a long and methodical course of training.'[14] Stoll, speaking of Guatemala, says that 'certainly most of the induced and spontaneous phenomena with which we are familiar occur among savages,' and appeals to travellers for observations.[15] Information is likely to come in, as educated travellers devote attention to the topic.

Dr. Callaway translates some Zulu communications which indicate the amount of belief in this very practical and sceptical people. Amusing ill.u.s.trations of their scepticism will be quoted later, under 'Possession,' but they do accept as seers certain hysterical patients.

These are tested by their skill in finding objects which have been hidden without their knowledge. They then behave much like Mr. Stuart c.u.mberland, but have not the advantage of muscular contact with the person who knows where the hidden objects are concealed. The neighbours even deny that they have hidden anything at all. 'When they persist in their denial ... he finds all the things that they have hidden. They see that he is a great _inyanga_ (seer) when he has found all the things they have concealed.' No doubt he is guided, perhaps in a super-sensitive condition, by the unconscious indications of the excited spectators.