An Afridi Report

Manawatu Herald, 2 December 1897, Page 3

An Afridi Report

It is difficult to say how far the Alridi looks upon stealing and thieving as moral offences, but the following story, if it does hot throw a light into the dark recedes of the Amdi mind, at least testifies to its power of retort. A certain officer whose duty it was to suppress the parties of marauding Afridia on the northern frontier; while interviewing one of the headiriari of the tribe* shoWed him his family crest, a spur ana a feather. Asked to explain the mean* ing of it the officer, with no little pride, pointed out his descent from a Scottish border family, and explained the custom of serving up a dish on which lay a spur and feather the sign that the larder was empty and that food must be foraged for, and, warming to his subject, he enlarged upon the courage disp'ayed by his ancestors on these marauding expeditions. "In fact," retorted the headman, " you are proud of that in your ancestors which you are here to prevent me doing." And it was part of this officer's duty to report officially the conversation that takes place at interviews of this kind. Let us hope that particular official was not devoid of gifts to make the most of tbis incident.