St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-05-30

They wash their dishes and pots for
cooking, keep themselves clean and
their huts, rude as they are, are often a
pattern of cleanliness. Their huts are
circular, and their kraal, or assemblage
of huts, is circular. Any Zulu can take
IL stick and dIaw as correct a circle in
the sand as we could make with draw
ing instruments. The hut is of grass,
woven in sort of basket work, and in
shape not unlike a straw bee hive, with
hard earth floor, il place in the centre
| for fire, and very low partition on
one side for the calves and goats. The
door is small, probably to keep out
wild beasts, and we must creep in Oh
the hands and knees.
Speaking of doors, the Kings sisters,
in the Zulu country, are not allowed to
do any work, their one aim in life be-
ing to grow fat and, consequently, it
is not uncommon for a Kings sister,
after il time, to be unable to go out by
the door ut which she came in, where-
fore the hut has to be loosed from the
ground and lifted off to let her out.
Then, very wisely, her next house has
a wider door. The present King,
Getty wayO, has il number of such sisters
who cannot walk foI stOutnesS, and
who wOnld be an easy prey, however
undesirable, should the English come
that way.
To return to our hut. While it was
being made ready, we sat down out
side by the fire and chatted with the
different members of the family who
were waiting for their supper, pot OF
hasty pudding, which was boiling near
| Il L
IL distant relative, who had just come
from the remote interior of the Zu-
Iu country, where the people have
never heard of God OF of the Bible.
She talked very intelligently and in
crested us greatly 10y telling us some
of the old stories of the tribe. Among
others, she related that one of the Zulu
ancestors, long ago, had stood by a
river, lifted his stick, and the water
stood up by walls, so that the people
passed over on dry land. She did not
know his name. She also told of an
other who had slept and dreamed of Il
climbing way" up to the sky, with
the ''maids of the heavens" going up and
down, and of his waking and placing
stones to mark the spot. Also of boy
who had slain great giant with stones
from brook, and who afterwards was
made king. She seemed to have fund
of information and tradition, which
would interest any student of history,
language or races, but the night was
passing, and it was time to rest.
We went into our hut with new
mat (the native bedD to lie upon, and
our own blankets for covering. We
were offered wooden pillow, the "sOft
and easy" article they use, but de-
clined. A blazing fagot lighted the
hut, and we were preparing to retire,
when we saw something moving in the
dim edge of the hut, and on investiga-
tion found guiana, an innocent ami
NAL, three feet or so long, which seeks
eggs and fowls as food. 1t is, however
far too like an alligator, or between al
alligator and lizard, to be agreeable
so we had it removed. They inquired
if we objected to the calves and goats
remaining in their usual place, and re-
snlving that We wnnId slaar 4 Ia ZnIn
we SAID no. They were very quiet
but in some way their hoofs we're sew
eral times during the night rather toe
near our heads, and we concluded that
another time we would decline theil
company.
There was another interruption, fol-
not being natives, we did not properly
fasten our door and IL hungry dog came
in, making known his presence by
crunching raw sweet potatoes which
were in Il basket, and on our rising tC
: see what was there, he gave IL leap and
bounded out, leaving us wide awake.
The moon was shining brightly, and
III il neighbOring hut IL number of young
men were singing, and twisting and
writhing their bodies as they often do
until the perspiration rolls from them
and they are completely exhausted
The movements are not unlike the reli-
giOus exercises of some of the Southern
negroes, and the singing very much re-
sembles one of their hymns, "Ain't il
hard trials, tribulations," etc, which
any visitor ut the South must have
heard, and this is only one of many
African airs to be heard at the South
The fascination of the singing, the wild,
weird movements and the bright moon
light drove sleep from our eyes that
night in the Zulu kraal. In the early
morning we we're all astir, we were
treated to bread made of corn, ground
between two stones, which is very good,
" Soho NohiSoH WHICH one Oh Cne men
had brought; these with our own coffee
made Il most comfortable breakfast.
we took the girl back with lis toI med-
cal treatment, which she seemed to re-
quire, and the journey home was
marked by but one interesting scene.
On the road was very large kraal from
which came a loud wailing of women
distinctly heard mile off. One of the
men had died, and the women must
howl and beat the ground all night, till
the burial in the morning Christian