Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . and could be taken whenever itmight be more useful to him than the living slave. In war, the Bechuanas are but cruel enemies, killing the wounded with-out mercy, and even butchering the inoffensive women and children. Thedesire to possess the coveted trophy of success is probably the cause oftheir ruthlessness. In some divisions of the Bechuana tribes, such as theBachapins, the successful w
Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . and could be taken whenever itmight be more useful to him than the living slave. In war, the Bechuanas are but cruel enemies, killing the wounded with-out mercy, and even butchering the inoffensive women and children. Thedesire to possess the coveted trophy of success is probably the cause oftheir ruthlessness. In some divisions of the Bechuana tribes, such as theBachapins, the successful warriors do not eat the trophy, but dry it andhang it round their necks, eating instead a portion of the liver of the slainman. In all cases, however, it seems that some part of the enemy has tobe eaten. The weapons used in war are not at all like those which are employedby the Kaffirs. The Bechuanan shield is much smaller than that of theKaffirs. The assagai is not intended to be used as a missile, but as aweapon for hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, the amount of labor which isbestowed upon it renders it too valuable to be flung at an enemy, whomight avoid the blow, and then seize the spear and keep WARRIOR WITH SPEARS AND SHIELD. (57> 58 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS. The Bechuanas have one weapon which is very effective at close quar-ters. This is the battle-axe. Various as are the shapes of the heads,they are all made on one principle, and, in fact, an axe is nothing morethan an enlarged spearhead fixed transversely on the handle. The ordi-nary battle-axes have their heads fastened to wooden handles, but thebest examples have the handles made of rhinoceros horn. Dr. Livingstone was greatly interested in these barbarous people. Hestudied their customs, their domestic life, their warfare, their traditions,their very thoughts. By a long residence among them he became thor-oughly acquainted with everything of interest pertaining to them. Thewild life of Africa did not daunt our ren
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