“I'M THE PRINCE."

Shannon News, 21 August 1925, Page 1

“I'M THE PRINCE."

BOER FARMERS’ MISTAKE. INCIDENT OF AFRICAN TOUR. Mr. G. Ward Price, one of the English correspondents accompanying the Prince of Wales on his African tour, writes to the “Daily Mail” from M’babane as follows: Over\ the bare green hills of Swaziland the Prince of Wales motored 90 miles to-day to its capital, M’babane, his motor-cars stretching in procession along the switchback road, each with its comet-tail of dust.

Four thousand Swazis, who are a branch of the Zulus awaited him, arrayed in a long line, carrying big war-shields and long knobkerries, like Irish shillelaghs, held aloft.

Their cheers of welcome swelled and changed and ceased with the accurate timing of an American college yell, and they have a wonderful whistling chorus that ran along the whole rank of several hundred yards like the screech of a passing train. In front of his people sat the young paramount chief of Swaziland, Sobhuza, in the light grey suit which he bought when in London two years ago.

He told me that although London left a great impression on him — especially, it appeared, motor-omni-buses and the fairy ballet at the Hippodrome—he did not want to make so great a journey again. It was odd when Sobhuza was trying- to remember where he stayed in London to hear a voice from among the barbaric-looking chieftains behind him whisper hoarsely, “Maida Yale.” Her Badge of Office.

■ Beside Sobhuza sat his mother, Lomawa. , She is the most powerfful woman in .the whole of South-East Africa, for to her keeping are entrusted the sacred charms for rainmaking. These are the most precious possession of the chiefs of Swaziland, but are always controlled by a female member of the royel house, since a man might exercise them too violently.

Lomawa wears a tiny red feather on her forehead as a mark qf her magic office.

We came to this pretty little bungalow town from Ermelo, pur first stop-ping-place in the Transvaal. The Prince crossed the Transvaal frontier after dark, and ;.vt the-first halt got out of the train to And.six tiny Kaffir boys will sacking- 'covering their thin, naked shoulders, huddled round, the last few embers of a small Are...

“Poor little beggars,” he exclaimed, as six rather frightened pair of eyes stared up at this white stranger who had descended from his imposing illuminated train. ’“Let’s give them something to eat,” he added. So a full basket of largo pears, bananas, and oranges meant for the Prince’s, table was laid in, their mid?t, and then great white train steamed off into the night leaving behind it the makings of another Kaffir fairy tale. Boer Farmers’ Error. About 100 old Boer farmers, long bearded and bent veterans of many native wars, were presented to the Prince at Ermelo. Quite a large number entirely failed to recognise him and shook hands Arst with his South African aide-de-camp and then Admiral Halsey, while the Prince all the time was pulling their coat tails and saying cheerfully, “Here you are, I’m the Prince."

The Prince was oringinally to have been here on a week day. So many European women in Swaziland had bought new dresses and would have been in despair if the Prince had not seen them that he has agreed to attend a dance starting directly Sunday is over.