The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-03-13
they DON'T MIND PLEAS.
The PeeGIiariiiea aud Habits of the ZuIn
Kaft8TA.
NsU vork World

New York World.
The ZJlu kaffirs are fine, muscular
race of men, very black. and infinitely
superior in every respect to the FinjOs
Tor "dogs,' Tor such in the Kafir Ian>
guage is the literal interpretati of the
wo-d), who were formerly slaves 10 the
Kafirs. The Kafirs live in huts or
Z" kraals," made of mud, the framework
being composed of young trees or plant
saplings, inteTlaced Hntil they resemble
gigantic bird-csge The hoOrs, also OF
mud, are generally covered with few
mats, the sole furniture being one or two
cooking pots. Thee huts in the warm
weather literally swarm with heas, and
would be perfectly unlnhabitable Tor
Europeans. The Ksffirs live almost en-
tirely upon beet and Indian corn or
" mealies. , They cook the latter in the
husk or best it with stones until it re-
sembles g sort of coarse -four, when it Is
either boiled o. made into bread They
also consume large quantities OF milk.
Pigs and poultry are also reared, but
generally Ter sale to the settlers. The
civilized Kaffir, with few exceptions, is
anincorrigible drunksrd, and when under
ne influence of drink both quarrelsome
AMI dangerous. Nearly all the hardest
and most meni2l work is performed by
the women, who are mere slaves TO their
masters
Like most native races the Kafirs are
uuexceptlOnslly hospitabie, and stran-
ger joufneying ITC III other towns has
~, tho - rath Nt1Gn nc
TO to insure a welcome. A young man
desiring a wife must present the father
of his intended bride with so many head
of cattle, generally twelve, but varying
iu number according to the means OF the
would be bridegroom or the value the
parent places on the daughter. Cases
exist of hopeful men who have been
working for years for the parent of their
intended, and Though the heyday of their
youth is passed, still toll on in celibacy.
Nearly all the Finjos and great portion
of the KafErs have been christianiZed,
and among these the marriage ceremony
is performed in the usual manner by the
missionaries. There are a great number
of native teachers snd young girls in the
mission stations, who attend schools
daily and ON Sundays go 10 divine sen
vice, some in full European costumes,
others in long flowing robes of cotton or
muslin, and some even in the usual red
blankets, with their faces irighttully dis
figured by red paint. These latter sre
in a minority and are greatly looked
down upon by their more civilized neigh
bora, by whom they are called the "wlld
Kafirs." Among the heather portion
the necessary number of cattle is turned
over by the bridegroom to the father OF
the bride, who ia forthwith given as E
receipt, and no further marriage rites are
necessary.
Chieis are universally respected. Not
a single incident of infdelity to one is
known. 4 Ksffr will willingly sacrifice
all his worldly possessions or lay down his
life Tor his chief. Each tribe has one
great chief, who takes rank by heredi-
tary descent, and several petty CHIEFS.
The native dress of the kafhrs-worn
alike by both sexes--is simply red
blanket, made OF coarse cloth, covering
the shoulders and reaching nearly t. the
ground. A man invariably carries al,
assegal or spear, with which he often
kills the wild buck which abound II
every tOyest