The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-12
ZULULAND,

ana almost total slaughter OF a c0nSld-
cradle force of the British army, scarce
one escaping to tell the bloody tale; and
the more recent slaughter of the Prince
Imperial of France on the same savage
domain, make the name of Zulus and of
Zululand word of horror throughout
Christendom.
The establishment of British colonies
on the southern extremity of the African
continent, known as Cape Colony, Natal,
and British Kaffraria, has long been the
subject of speculation in connection with
the future of that mysterious continent.
1t has been generally supposed that Brit
ish colonization of those regions would
encounter nothing more formidable than
the physical impediments incident to in
salubrity of climate and remoteness of
position. The natives of the country,
whom we have commonly called Hotten-
tots, were deemed incapable, by reason
of their extreme degradation, of offering
any resistance to British settlement and
occupation of the country to almost any
desired extent. But those recent events,
taken in connection with the public anx-
iety experienced in England on the sub
ject of the war now raging there, have
caused reconsideration of these COM
monty received opinions.
So long as only the Hottentot tribes had
to be encountered, the progress of British
settlement and colonization met with
but little interruption; for they were in
deed incapable of any effective resistance.
Before the British advance these de-
graded and imbecile tribes withdrew to-
wards the Southwest; and have almost
entirely disappeared from among man
kind.
But, as British occupation of the coun-
try proceeded northeastward from the
Cape, a very different order of men had
to be met. On the wide-spreading table
lands stretching back from the Bay of
Delagoa, bordering on Natal and British
kaftraria, were found the numerous
tribes of the Kaflirs, one of the great
families Of the human race; and among
these are the tribes of the Zulus, inhabit-
ing vast region now called Zululand,
stretching over four degrees of latitude.
The Kaflir race has no affinity with
the Hotentots; nor, in their purity, with
the negro races. 1t is discovered, how
ever, that, as the kaffir migration has
extended northward towards the interior
of the continent, they have intermixed
with the negro tribes, and partake more
or less of their characteristics. And
wherever they 90, they go as a conquer
ing race. DR.. Livingston found some of
those Kaltirs as far up as at Lake Nyassa.
But the home of their race is in the
southeastern regions of their continent
looking out upon the Indian Ocean.
Their name of katfir is Arabic, and is
equivalent to "an unbelieyer," and was
given them by the Mahommedan Arabs
to signify their unbelief in Islamism.
The Zulus, or as they call themselves,
Amazulus (the prefix ANA meaning "a
tribc)," are of the pur Kaflir race; and
the genealogy Of their chiefs is traceable
back nearly 800 years.
They are described as tall, well pro-
portioned, strong, and handsome race of
men. They have none of the negro
blackness nor Aatness of feature. Their
complexion is dark brown, or bronze,
more Asiatic than African. Their hair
is, however, wo ,ly and grows in tufts.
They observe many religious rites COM
mon to the Jews; among these is the rite
of circumcision.
Their mode Of life is not savage, but
pastoral. The grassy plains they inhabit
abound in immense herds of cattle and
sheep, which constitute their wealth and
OF values In domestic life
they are gentle, atiectionate and perma-
ncnt in their attachments. The chastity
of the Zulu women is proyerbial. Their
faculties are found to be
acute, and their reasoning powers re-
strong and clear. Their Ian
guage is declared to be sonorous, ex-
pressiye, and to have well-formed gram
mar.
In war they become ferocious and
fendish. They lash themselves up to
fury, much after the manner of our
mnrican Indians And like tham tba