The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-28 00:00:00

THE FINGOES.

The Cap* Argus of the 24th ult. has the following :

The Royal Mail steamer American, which arrived I
here yesterday morning from Algoa Bay, brought a
number of passengers, whose arrival merits more than
a mere passing notice. We allude to a large numher
of Fingoes, who have come down from their native
country to work on the Worcester Extension Railway.
As is well known, native labour has been largely
utilised in the public works going on in other parts I d
the colony, but this is the that attempt at introducing
it here on any organised system. To an observer of
human nature in its ever-varying phases, the crowd of
natives gathered together on the steamer's neck as she
entered the dock was a singular one, their dusky faces I
beaming with wonderment and surprise, and the men
themselves, by their antics and gestures, evidently
feeling elated at the new scenes which suddenly burst
upon them. The shipping in the dock appeared to
interest them vastly, but when they heard the screech
of the railway whistle, and espied a locomotive drag-
ging a number of lallast trucks behind it, their sue.
prise scarcely knew any bounds. There are in all
about 120 of these Fingoes, who have a headman
among them, and a very intelligent fellow be is. talk-
ing and understanding English very feisty. We found
him very respectably dressed in a p o per and salt
coloured overall and other comfortable at Si,in fact,
his appearance would somewhat astonish borne of our
English friend., who have an idea that the native
tribes of South Africa are synonymous with savages
The bulk of the men did not strike us as being very
strong or sturdy, though, no doubt, their strength lies
in muscular development. They are of medium
height, and several appear somewhat youthful, while
others are evidently a good way advanced in life.
Their raiment is certainly most miscellaneous and
quaint. Billycock hats seem to be the prevailing
fashion, and about one half of the men wore old sol-
diers' coats, which gives them a nondescript appearance.
We observed two or three who affected black swallow.
tailed coats, which had evidently seen better days,
and whose makers probably scarcely anticipated such
a fate. They were all, nevertheless, clad decently,
even if their raiment was eccentric, and some were so
advanced in civilisation as to smoke elaborate briar-
root pipes. Some of them carried among their other
limited traps an extra pair of boots, and the generality
seamed to be provided with • tin can and a few other
necessaries. Beyond this their luggage did not extend,
and they were in ignorance of the care and anxiety in-
separably eonnected with • host of boxes, eases, carpet
bagel, and other impedimenta. We gathered from the
headman that these natives were all well pleased at
their prospects, and had no particular yearnings after
their native country, preferring rather to come down
to Uapetown. On the voyage they were male as aim-
fortable as possible. We understand that some thirty
or forty of the men are skilled in various mechanical
arts, and will be able to render valuable service.