The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-12

The Ka1lrs.
relating her novel experiences %
housekeeper In the Colony Of Natal. Lady
Barker speaks frequently of the Kahrs,
inc native race Of negroes, on whom the
whites depend almost exclusively for serv.
Ice, both indoors and out. The women
OF the tribe are 90 occupied at home In
upon the lordly sex that they
can seldom be engaged to labor for an
alien people, and the Kahr men are, there
fore, chiefly employed by the colonists for
the performance Of every sort of work that
can be done by human hands. The Kaflrs
are. rs race, gentle and docile, and eager
to learn, although careless. awkward and
incorrigibly lazy. The habit of idleness
which has been practiced through many
ages is hard 10 overcome, and not until
the necessities engendered by civilization
force them to industry will the Kafir men
submit to work with regularity and deter.
nination.
"As race" writes Lady Barker, "the
Kafirs make the effect of possessing . hne
physique; they walk with an erect bear.
ing and light step, but in true, leisurely
savage fashion. I have seen the black
race in four different quarters Of the
globe, and I never saw one single indi.
vidual move quickly of his own free will.
We must bear in mind, however, that 1t
is new and altogether revolutionary idea
to Kafr that he should do any work at
all. Work il for women-war or idlcness
tor men; consequently, their fixed idea 10
to DO % little a. they can; and no Kafir
will work after he has earned money
enough to buy sufficient number of wives
who will work for him."
The primitive costume Ofthe Kai1r con.
Bists of . waist-cloth and innumerable
rings on the legs and arms; but he Is quick
to adopt the dress Of the white man,
eagerly appropriating any cast off garment
or article OF finery with which he can It
tire Or adorn his person. The race are
excessively addicted to the use of snuff,
and "All wear snuff-boxes in their ears
teria.-hOll0w reeds, cowries, tigcr.cats'
teeth, Old cartridee-cases, acorn. shells,
empty chrysa,es Of some large moth--all
sorts of miscellaneous rubbish which
could by any means be turned to this use."
The teeth of the Kafirs are exceedingly
fine, and excellent care Is taken of them,
the habit prevailing of frequently rinsing
the mouth and polishing the teeth with .
bit OF wood. until they glisten like pearls.
But 1t is In the manufacture of his head.
gear that the Kafir exhibits the triumph
Of his ingenuity. A singular style of
dressing the hair, in fashion with all the
tribes, is arranged in the following man.
ner: $50 soon as youth is considered
old enough to assume the duties and re.
probabilities of manhood, he begins to
weave his short, crisp hair over ring of
grass which exactly fits the head, keeping
the w0olly hair in its place by means OF
wax. In time, the hair grows perfectly
smooth, and shining, and regular, over
this firm foundation, and the effect lie a.
though it were q ring of jet or polished
ebony worn round the brows. Different
tribes IT. eighty vary the size and form Of
To complete the decoration of this arti.
fetal crown, the Kafir seizes upon every
thing fantastic and conspicuous that his
hands may fall upon. Every feather of
bird or fowl that comes into his posses
sion is instantly fastened in some gro.
tesque manner in the circlet of hair sur
mounting the head, and the wearer exults
In the staring appendage with the vanity
of q child. Some particularly .fanciful
head dresses exhibited on . certain i'm
posing occasion are thus described by
Lady Barker: Zone stalwart youth had
got hold of the round cardboard lid of Q
collar box, to which he had affixed two
bits of string, and tied it firmly but jaun-
lily on one side of his head. Another
very favorite adornmeDt for the head con-
sisted of strip Of gay cloth or ribbon, or
Of even few bright threads, bound tight.
ly. like fillet. across the br0ws. and con-
firing tuft Of feathers over one ear; but
| 7 all fs,1 -
we're only worn by the gilded youth of y
lower class, because I noticed that the
chieftains and 5ndunas, or head men Of
the villages never wore such frivolities.
They wore, indeed, numerous slender
rings of brass or silver wire on their
straight, shapely legs, and also necklaces
of lions or tigers claws and teeth round
their threats; but these were trophies Of
the chase, a. well a. personal ornaments ~
The native hut, or kraal, of . Kafir ID
shaped like beehive, and has but one
aperture, low door, through which the
inmates manage to crawl, but which 3D.
mits very little light to the circular room
within. The frame of the hut is built Of
bamboo-canes, closely tied and bound r..
gether, and afterward matched with grass
and plastered with clay. The furniture Of
the kraal il of the scantiest description,
consisting principally of skins and mats
for bedding, and a few implements fol-
hunting and cooking.
The language of the Kafirs is very mu-
steal, employing chiefly the vocal and
LIQUID sounds. It is difficult for the ma.
tives to pronounce the harsh cUnsonantl
occurring in the English tongue. and In
variably is made to take the place Of r
In telling of her attempts to teach = very
bright, apt young girl to read the Bible
Lady Barker remarks: "6he cannot Say
such'-it is too harsh-and the nearest
We can arrive At, after many efforts, Il
ssush.' Almost every word has a vowel
tackled on to the end, 90 ~ to bring it q
near to her own liquid, soft sounding Zulu
As possible. think what upsets me mos'
is to hear our first parents perseveringly
called Dam and Eva;' but, indeed, mos
of the Bible names are difficult of recog.
nition.. Yet her idioms are perfect, and
she speaks in well chosen, rather elegant
phraseology."