Carrie Chapman Catt - Diaries, Europe, South Africa, August 2 - November 15, 1911 (Box 1, Folder 1)

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on the noon train. We had seen the main things and a longer stay would only enable us to do the chief excursion over again. We had dreaded the return journey and rather anticipated having it behind us. We arose betimes on Saturday to find that Dr. J had had a bad night with diarrhea. She took no breakfast and looked decidely ill. but insisted upon going. We helped her to pack and to get off and she at once laid down in the train. During the three days and nights which lay between Victoria Falls and Pretoria, she ate practically nothing and was ill enough to make us all anxious. She persisted in going on however. The home journey was not so hot and we did not notice the dust so much, as we passed through the 75 miles west found for its dust in the night. We were entertained at various places by groups of Natives who came with things for sale. There were always skins of wild animals which were usually sold, always bottles of milk which no one bought, bracelets made of brass wire, and many fantastical things carved from wood. Spoons with all sorts of animals for handles were the commonest. When compared with good carving the work was very crude, but for these Natives it was quite good. At Bulawayo I saw a group of two men and two women quite characteristic A man with trousers, shoes, hat and shirt led the way very idly twirling a cane in his left hand, and carrying a gourd in his right, (called calabash, in which milk is placed to sour. It is never drank sweet. The calabash is never cleaned.

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Behind him came a barefooted man with knee trousers made of old drawers and a shirt He carried over his shoulders a stick upon which hung an iron kettle in which the family food is cooked Now these necessities are bought from the Whites. These kettles are universally used by the Natives.

Behind the men came two women barefooted and with skirts nearly to the knees consisting of a fringe of leather strings a slight covering for the upper part of the body was worn by one and a heavy shawl by the other for she carried a baby on her back. Both women carried a tremendous bundle on their heads and walked with a grace and dignity which won my admiration They walked Indian file. A little later I saw them squatting on the station platform in a retired corner. The baby was out of the shawl and running about. It was probably two yrs old and was formed like a cherub, but it was a bronze one. She wore a string of beads around

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her neck, bracelets on both arms and both ankles. Around her loins was one string of beads to which was suspended a triangular piece of skin like an apron about four or five inches in depth. She had a harmonican and was pretending to play on it and dance to her own music. I never saw a cunninger sight. She sat down and when she arose her little bronze[spankers ?] had become white with dust. She looked like the following but did not have quite so much on.

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Small children dressed only in a very tiny apron came to the stations after and were always beautifully modeled. At one point a little girl had diamond earrings, or something which resembled them, and a loin apron.

We passed from Mafeking to Bulawayo through the Becuanaland [Bechuanaland] Protectorate and from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls through the Matabeleland. There was a decided difference in feature but none in costume. Near Vryburg, is Tigers Kloof which is a large native school. There nature

boys were building houses of brick and making fences. Villages of Natives were to be seen often and looked like this.

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Near by they look like the next one. They always built round huts before the white man came and generally do the same now. They keep herds of cattle with long horns,

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sheep, also goats and all look exceedingly well fed. They usually eat mush made of corn meal called mealie meal and sour milk. They add meat when they can get it. Monkey nuts or peanuts and many plants are used also. The Bantus which comprise all the tribes S. of the Zambese, exclusive of the Bushman and Hottentots, had domesticated dogs, cattle, sheep (with hair instead of wool) and goats when found by the white man.

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These hills are farmed but were so much like many others that we did not take the drive to it

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As we drew near Pretoria we saw many wagons like the following going to market Men love to camp out and two young men had been making a long trek before coming to Victoria. A Python 8 ft long had hung in a tree over their tent for three days before they saw it, they then killed it. Excuse me!!