The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-01-25
The Zulu CalIres Of lhe Diamond
EnesdS.


| The most interesting class of beings on tn
| fields was the blacks, who, being willing to
| work, tramped 10 numerous bodies from theil
| 'kreals' TO the mining camps. They are Of toal
| different nations. The hsudsomeet and Rosl
trustworthy race are the Zulu C4tfsrs of Natal
| G .fraria: the next re the Basutos; third are
| the thisvish and dIuukeu Hot,entots aud
| fourth, tbs koraunas. small, ugly aid coatsmp-
tible beings despised by all the rest, and no USE
to the digyers from their unconquerabie lezine.s.
! always admired Zulu. There WAS Que lived
near our tent, model Tor sculptor. He would
sometimes cross my path, With lis long steady
stride, his blanket ,uging aroand him In grace
full folds, like the toga Of Roman senator. One
| hand grasped the robe and allowed freedom of
motion, while the other would be crossed Oh bis
breast. In his woolly locks, braided and ar
ranged neatly on his head, would aPpear festh-
ers OF different wild birds, while underneath his
III assive brow ehone pair Of eyos-coAl.bi~Uk
| ~ es-vith such long lashss they reminded me
| of eyes in Eastern pictures A man with such
orbs as his could speak were be deaf and dumb.
An aluiline nose with iuh4 ted nostrils over.
Sd ado we'd delicately curved mouI a full Of firm.
ness and pride. Below Was the massive chiA Of
statesmen and conquerois. In fact, be VS. a
model man in ebony. Il number OF suoh noble
beatheus could but be educated Christians, they
would do more in evahgelizing their pati0as and
in civilizing and opening up Central Afric. than
all tho foreign missionaries. or even score OF
Livingstones. Their habits of life are very sim.
pie They live principally on 'meslies' Nadisn
corn) and sour milk, sheep and oxen being &C.
counted too valuable for everyday consumption.
All wild beasts are eaten, and these, with some
nutritious roots, form the additions to the Cat.
fre's regular diet. The great curse OF domestic
lite among karbarians i. there in full fierce, viz:
the utter subsection of the females. They are
obliged to be hewers Of wood and drawers OF
water, to till the ground, herd the sheep. and at
the same time attend upon their lord aAd mas
ter and young children You may we'll say q
Caffre woman has her hands full. Her lot 10
miserable enough, and bat for the law of polyg.
amy it would be untearab!e. Any C.fre eau
have as many wive. as he can 6uy; and if he 10
rich in sheep and cattle, he TT veIs through the
country with u business eye, lnqulrlng into the
prices OF different daughters, and judging
whether they will suit him or not. If helikes q
girl they never fall in love-, her father 10
hard up mud will sell reasonable, bargain IL
made, snd she goes to his 'kraaI, there, perh,ps,
to meet FIVE or six other m.trons OF the family.
This accession is followed by feast, in which
the old wives are con graduated upon having an
addition to their latoring forces, While the hus-
band has thus risen another peg in the scale Of
wealth and ease. Through hard labor, .nsutHc-
lent food, the cares OF family, &C., the
women soon become ugly aud Grabbed. The
greatest contrast possible is between tho C.ffrs
AID his wives. At thirty years old he is sleek
aud handsome, with II self.eontent.d sir, a. if
enjoying life. At the age of from twenty five to
thirty his wives present a graduated scale OF
lean, atteuusted spectres, with wrinked faces
aud lack.lustrs eyes. They jealously struggle
with one another for the rights OF their respee.
tive children, while each one has within her
breast an eternal FIRE of hate for her co-partners
ia misery. The Zulus amusement consists prip.
eipslly in smoking, dancing, or q grand chat
around the camp fire. Their dances are very
animated. and they kick aud thumP in Al out.
rsgeous manner, while their mouths are uttering
wild chorus to some patriotic song. At a
distance the music sounds we'll. Night after
night have lain upon my couch whlls the dis.
tant song Of perhaps ten or fifteen Cafres doated
to my ears in rising and falling cadeuoes Of
mournful music. As the sigh of the cool night
breeze waited the sound over the dreary hesIs
Of dust surrounding US could distinguish ths
voices, some deep and cultural, others shrill
and youthful, and when the wind WA still the
sound became indistiuct, IN Ill some fresh blast
brought again the song in 4EOlian harmony
From Life in tho Diamond Fields by ALBERT
E. CoLEMAN,in Harpers Aagazins for February.