Page 161 - A People Called Afrika

Afrika’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems

varied a good deal, from the brown of a high caste Hindu to
pure white. Their features were of pure European type, more
uniformly classical indeed than is usual among Europeans.
The chief of this little community bore the Zulu name of
Mandhla-langa (Strength of the Sun). He was a man of strik-
ing appearance, well over six feet in height, slight of figure,
with wavy, snow-white hair, olive complexion and features
which, with the exception of the cheek bones which were rath-
er prominent, were almost pure Greek in type. Among the
Zulus, he bore the reputation of being a supernatural being.

From the first, Mandhlalanga was extremely friendly towards
me, and showed a desire to win my confidence. He gave me
invaluable aid in the work upon which I was engaged, and
that, eventually, I completed it successfully was largely owing
to him. As regards himself, he remained for a time rather re-
served, however. He and his people, he gave me to under-
stand were Berbers, or rather Khabyles (he pronounced the
name Kha-beel-ya, the “Kh” he pronounced as a guttural),
from North Africa. But what they were doing five thousand
miles from their native habitat, or why they chose to identify
themselves with the Zulus, he did not explain. Time, however,
brought about a change in his attitude. One day I was speak-
ing of the inexplicable manner in which news of distant hap-
penings spreads among the Natives, when suddenly he said:
“Thought is speedier than the electric spark and needs no wires
for its conveyance. All it requires is a brain to despatch it and an-
other to receive it. Would you believe if I told you that I and others
of the Brotherhood to which I belong can transmit our thoughts
one to the other, no matter how far apart our bodies may be?”

This was a rather startling statement, but I recalled what I had

136