The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-30
A Kafhr Wedding.

General Cunynghame writes IN his
work or South Africa: 81 went to see
the marriage of the chief Faku, with the
daughter of another chief from the Kip
river district. Faku is Il chief who did
right good service during the rebellion,
and he is liked well. l w:.s glad OF an
opportunity of ofpayihg some mark of re,
spect, went as an unlimited guest, and
was right Hospitality received: Well, sir,
before this L was always under the i'm
preston that II Kaffir marriage was sort
of bargain and sale, hop the broomstlck
affair, so many cows paid, and the woman
handed over to the husband in the pres
cnce of the official witness; but | was
much surprised to find it quite different
affair, and one of much ceremony. IN
civilized society the gentleman usually
settles himself and dover on the lady,
but here the dover is given to the father,
and he brings the lady in much KAtllr
state to the husband. Proceedings open
by a wild sort of dance, which announces
the approach of the bride; in the mean
time she and her bridesmaids were said to
be washing and decorationg themselves
ut q stream near by. After short time
the brides party advanced, and was re-
ceived by the husband and his people sit
ting down. space being left of about
twenty PAGES between them. All guests
were on the husbands right hand, he
and they being surrounded by the hus-
hands tribe-men, women and children
in sort of half.circle. The dances and
SONGS opcn with the men on the brides
side, and after the dance the men deposit
their shields one on the other in the center
ofthc space, the brides fathers shield. as
chief, being placed on tile top. The
bridesmaids dance and song then begins,
the bride herself being still kept in the
background. When this is over the bride
suddenly appears in the center of the
bridesmaids, with her face yelled, g knife
in her right hand and Il small shield in her
left. The danceand song ofbridesmaids
begin again, all grandly advancing to the
shields, and then stop. The husband
calls to the bride to come to him, and she
turns her back to him and dances with
the rest back again; then again the men
dance and sing. Several of the elders and
wives of the brides party run up in front
of the husband and chaff him, tell him he
is " no go" and not good enough for the
girl. The mems dance then ceases, and
the bridesmaids begin again. This time
the brides vail is lowered to the nose,
and her eyes seen, and she advances be-
yond the shields. Induana, on the brides
side, sits down in a apeculiar manner, in
dicating that the husband must give her
plenty of milk, and so the dance goes
on until she comes up to the husband.
He speaks to her; she turns her back
to him; he asks her lovingly to give
him her hand; she does SO; and rs she
does so she looks over her shoulder at
| him.
She gave him one look, but that look
was q piercer. More dances ensue, until
at last she comes up unveiled. lie asks
her if she will be his wife; she says Yes
She is then asked by the official witness If
she is willing to be his wife, and to come.
and live with him, and she says Yes )
Other dances and ceremonies follow, but,
as it was close to sundown,I l had to
saddle and leave. AS far as I could see
there was no constraint in the matter; on
the contrary. from the look, rather lik-
ing of the bride for the bridegroom.
Everything was most orderly; beer
(ubatywala) there was for the guests, but
no drunkenness. The bride was one Of
the finest women I have ever seen in
South Africa, six feet high, well formed
and very pretty"