DUPING NATIVES.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 278, 4 July 1908, Page 6

DUPING NATIVES.

According to the Johannesburg press, the business of exploiting the ignorance and vices of the natives in the compounds by the lower class of Europeans shows no signs of diminution. Perhaps the most lucrative branch of this exploitation is the traffic in charms and medicines. Interviewed by a representative of the “ Transvaal Weekly,” one of these charmmongers gave the following amusing illustration of his business methods —One boy whom I sold a charm to begged of me to get him something that would destroy his shift-boss, who, he said, looked on him with an evil eye, and was continually cursing him. I thought I would have my joke, and giving him a tract, which had been handed me that night by a Salvation Army lassie, I told him to give it to his ‘ boss ’ the next time he used bad language. The text

warned one of the consequences of hurling the epithet of ‘ fool ’ at one’s brother. I saw that native three days later, and only just recognised him through his mass of bruises. The light of civilisation had begun to dawn on him, and he is now my worst enemy on that mine.” He then went on to speak of his “ insurance department “ Natives who have to traverse long distances in going back to their kraals have often to wade through rivers infested with crocodiles, of which they stand in mortal dread. Over them also I stretch my protecting arm. Magnesium and sodium are sold in small quantities to these faint-hearted natives, with directions to place a small portion in the river before crossing. My demonstrations with these chemicals have made them red-hot favourites, but from the accidents that have been reported to me as occurring along the road, I fancy that the curious property that these bases have of fizzing about on the surface of the water have induced them to amuse themselves with the charm at the first stream.”