The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-19 00:00:00

THE ZULU ARMY.

The following information concerning the Zulu army and
the military affairs of Zululand has been communicated to
the Bishop of Natal by two Zulus belonging to the Ngoba-
makosi (Bend the Cniefs) and Ndhluyengwe (Leopard's
House) regiments (says the Daily News):—
In Zululand a new regiment is formed as follows
The boys, when they think themselves big enough to
enlist—say from 16 to 18 years old—collect at the mili-
tary kraals, each going to that to which his father be-
longs, and there they stay, milking the cows into their
mouths. This is a sign that they wish to be en-
listed,. and when the Izinnceku (King's officers)
of the military kraals see that a good many of
such boys have collected one of them reports
the fact to the King, who then gives permission
for the boys to be brought before him. The permis-
sion is not for any one kraal or tribe, but for all boys
about that age throughout all Zululand. But there
is no penalty for those who do not join, although, of
course, they are not thought much of. Those who
like may just remain as they are, and there are
numbers of men in Zululand who have come to put
on headrings, and to grow old also, without having
ever been enlisted. Such men may marry when-
ever they please, and they put on the headring
by permission of the head man of their kraal (as
is the custom in Natal), If, however, a man has once
enlisted, and at some future time fails to appear when
his regiment is called together far any purpose. it will
then be inquired, "What has become of him?" And
If he cannot give a good reason for his absence, ho may
perhaps be killed by his regiment, but not by the
King. He has not committed a crime, so why should
the King take any trouble about him? A man who
has enlisted also may not marry until the King gives
leave to his regiment.
Well! the King gives the order to collect the boys
to the officer who has reported them, who delivers it
to the Indunas (officers) of the di &rent military kraals,
beginning with Mnyamana, Mavurengwana, Hamo,
and Qetuka, the Indunas of the great kraal of
Ulundi. The boys are then collected at the differ-
ent military kraals, and on the appointed day
messengers are sent to the King to say they are I
now coming. Thereupon the King has cattle killed
for them, so that when they arrive they find the
meat ready. The King then gives them a name, and
appoints a headringed man as Induna over them, and
either makes them into a separate regiment and orders
them to build for themselves a new military kraal, or
Incorporates them with one of the regiments already
formed, when they share the existing kraal. Thus the
Ndhluyengwe, a body of young unringed men, has
been incorporated with the Tulwane, a headringed
regiment. If, however, when the boys appear, the
King thinks them too young, he may send them
back to their homes to keep the cattle till they grow
bigger, as happened to the present set of boys—the
Umsizi—who showed themselves to the King last year
in the summer. The King does not call together
the rest of his people to be present when he enrols a
new regiment; but, of course, it is known that the
boys are being collected, and many people go to be
present of their own accord. When the boys have built
their military kraal, they disperse again to their homes,
for the Zulu soldiers are not kept collected together
always; they just live at home with their families.
Each regiment, however, has its own military kraal,
presided over by two chief Indunas, whose huts are
placed opposite to one another in the circle, and who
take charge of the whole kraaL They have some few
of their wives and servants always with them, but
not their whole households. There are, of course, a
number of inferior Indunas under them, and from ten
to twenty Izinnocku (King's officers) are attached to
each military kraal. It is the correct thing for the
men to spend a certain time each year at their mili-
tary kraal, thereby paying their respects to the King.
This, however, is voluntary; the men go when they
like and stay for as long or as short a time as they like,
perhaps two months, perhaps five. There will be
usually at one kraal say from ten to twenty men at
a time. This applies to the military kraals generally;
at the kraal where the King is living there are usually
from fifty to sixty at a time, belonging to different
military kraals. The men, while in residence, are
occupied in ordinary affairs of the kraal, e.g., repairing
the huts or cattle kraal, planting amabele (Kaffir
corn), &c. They eat mealies brought from their own
homes, and (not regularly, however), beef), the
cattle coming from the King. There are no fixed
times for the calling together of the people beside
the Umkosi or Feast of First-Fruits. But the
King calls them if he wants them for any-
thing—perhaps one regiment, perhaps two, as
he sees fit—either to build a new kraal or to move
an old one, or for hunting parties, or to hoe his
amabele crops. This last work comes just before the
Umkosi, and there are always plenty of people at that
time "paying their respects." The bunting-parties go
after wild pigs and different kinds of antelopes. They
used to hunt buffalo also; but the King has forbidden
that ever since his installation, as there are so few
left. He was not quick enough on behalf of the elands,
and they are quite finished.
One of the two Zulus being asked how often he him-
self had been called up by the King, and thinking
that the question meant, "How often had he been
called personally ? " answered quite reverentially,
-" Twice ; once soon after the installation, and once
about the time of the Umkosi, the year before last."
Being asked, "What for ?" he said, "The first time
the King asked how was my foot, as he had heard from
the Induna that I had hurt it badly some time before.
The second time he inquired after my chest, which
had been troubling me, as you see it does to this
day." Afterwards he said that really he had been at
work for the King so often that he could not count up
the times; but he had four times helped in building at
the great kraal Ulundi, he had been at more than three
hunting parties, and had hoed the amabele every year.
When the time for the Umkosi draws near (about
December) the King announces it, and the regiments all
collect at their different military kraals for about twenty
days before the appointed day, which time they spend in
hoeing theKing'sarnabele gardens in the morning, after-
wards in preparing their dress, tails, feathers, and
in learning new dances and songs for the occasion.
People learn to fight in Zululand at home at their
father's kraals when they are quite little; for, when
they are out herding cattle, two boys will have a
quarrel and fight it out, or boys of one kraal will
divide into two parties and fight with sticks, or those
of one kraal will fight with those of another, and so
they learn. They have no idea of putting one foot
forward all together, like the white soldiers; they just

go.
The Umkosi is always held at Nodwengu, the kraal
of the late Kng Umpande (Panda). The King walks
over from Ulundi early in the morning, escorted by the
Ngobamakosi regiment, which was about to be enrolled,
and had been specially given to Cetywayo by Umpande
before his death. The Umkosi lasts one day only, all
the regiments in turn dancing before the King. No wea-
pons are carried at the Umkosi for fear of accidents;
the men have a stick only. In the fight the year
before last between two regiments, the Ngobatuakosi
had nothing but sticks ; but the fight took place at the
Tulwane's own military kraal. and they ran in and
fetched their assegais from the huts. Afterwards they
all disperse again, first to their military kraals, and
then to their homes. Some, indeed, who live near, do
not use the military kraal at all either way, but
come straight from their homes, and return to
them at once. There are present at the Umkosi
all the women of the King's household, and
indeed all, or very many, of the unmarried and
unencumbered women of Zululand. Any one may
go who likes, but no one would think o igning with
young children to such a crush. The girls in Zululand
are also formed into regiments, that is to say, they
just live at home and work for their fathers only; but
all those of about the same age are called by one name
(those now growing up are the Um9yane, "
snarers) " and may not marry until the King
gives leave. When he does give leave they
may marry any they like, except the young
men of the regiments which have not yet re-
ceived permission. Sometimes the King gives per-
mission to a regiment of young men and to a regiment
of girls at the same time; but it does not follow that
the young men all get wives, as the girls may prefer
men of other (previously permitted) regiments, Pr the
young men may not possess any cattle, in which case,
of course, no fathers will give them their girls. In
Zululand at present a wife is lobolaed with one, two,
or three head of cattle—[iu Natal the number is
limited to ten],