The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-26 00:00:00

A MISSIONARY AMONG THE ZULUS.

The following story appears In the Uitenhage Times,
which states it was obtained from a Zulu some time ago :

"Some years since a missionary went to the King's
kraal with a view of converting him and his people to
Christianity. He stayed there a few days, and the
King agreed to hear him on the following Sunday. T e
Sunday arrived, the King gathered his people together,
and also called up two of his finest regiments to hear
what message had been brought to him from the white
men. The missionary, being told that they were ready
to listen to him, rose and delivered an elegant but short
sermon, in which he set forth the beauties of Heaven as
compared with the torments of the dark regions. He
told them if they lived a good life, did not steal, always
spike the truth, and, above all, kept only one wile,
they would after death go to the happy hunting
grounds, where they would never miss their game,
where they would never die. but be for evek and ever
far happier than they were ever in their happiest
moments down here: whereas, on the other hand,
if they lived a bad life, and did what he had just
told them they ought not to do, they would be cast
into a tremendous fire, so large that it would soorch
up the whole of the Zulu nation, though they were
as numerous as locusts, in a few moments. The
chief and people paid great attention to all the mis-
sionary said, and when he had finished the King asked
him to dine with him. He accepted the invitation,
but during the dinner noticed the people rushing
about in all directions collecting wood, which
they were piling up in one spot. The
missionary began to feel queer,; he thought it looked
ominous; and the Zulu who told the story said he
noticed he did not eat any more, but continued to
take large draughts of milk, as if to cool himself. At
length the dinner was over, but, before rising, the
King turned sharply round to the now affrighted mis-
sionary, 'and said, 4' What was that you said this
morning about putting the great Zulu people in a
great fire after they were dead? Come this way, and
I will show you what the Zulus are; you don't know
them, I can see." He took him to the pile of wood,
which had by this time reached tremendoini pro-
portions—as big as a Bay store, the Zulu sad—and
had it set fire to all around. When it was properlyin
a blaze, and gave out so much heat that no cue could
come near it, the King summoned the two regiments
who had listened to the sermon, and ordered them to
charge into the burning pile and extinguish it. Naked
as they were, without shoes or any covering at all,they
rushed into the burning mass like madmen, raving
and yelling, and did not stop till hardly a vestige of
the fire remained. The-King then said to the mis
sionary, You have seen that. That is what we will
do with your hell. The Zulu won't play with your
fires, and you had better clear out of this country at
once, or I will have a "little fire" made for you to
put out.' The missionary took the hint, and left the
kraal the same evening. Is it any wonder, ask people,
after this, that Gatling guns and rocket batteries have
no terror for the Zulus ?—and it is certain they have
none. The Zulus, when ordered to attack, attack;
and, though they may be mown down by thousands,
still come on, until they conquer or die. It is a
tradition among them, which Lord Chelmsford would
do well to take into consideration in his future move-
ments in Zululand."

Nearly £lO,OOO has now been subscribed to the
, Mansion Home Fay, d being 4orme4 in aid of -the widows-and_ ,
'Orphans 'orthe men who fell at Isandilla and Rorke's Drift.
The question of extending the conditions of the fund so that
It shall meet the needs of all who :nay suffer by the present
war in South Africa is now under consideration.