The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-12
THE CAPTIVE ZULU KING.
How Cotywayo Acted as q Prisoner-Pho
toRraphing Him and His Wfves-Hi
EuornaOua Size. 20 r... DO

How Cotywayo Acted as a Prisoner-Pho.
toaraphing Him and His Wives-Hi,
Enormous Size.
A reporter of the Cape Times. South
African paper, accompanied Cetywayo
on his voyage to Simon's bay, and he
saws: In the surf-boat .Cetywayo had
his first experience of >sea-sickness, and
| if he wanted to be shot when caught by
Major Marter, it is certain that he
wished he were dead ten minutes after
embarking. All the dignity with which
Cetywayo had borne his captivity gave
way as he saw the sea and realized his
fate. while the antics of the whole party
in the surf.boat are said to have been
ludicrous. Nothing could persuade
them to sit down quietly. and when
they moved they did 80 crawling on all
fours. 81. 49,. - ,.a, ..,.-i. -..G.. ..stf.
Cetywayo was placed on deck, mas
much as the builders of the Natal never
contemplated carrying passenger who
would require that four wives should
sleep in his cabin with him. In the
kraal his majesty occupied a central
mattress, and his four wives and an in
tombi (young GRID had mattresses.
around him.. Everything in the way OF
personal comfort that he asked for has
been given to him. During the voyage
of the Natal there was one rough night,
and the king had a very bad time of it,
but he generally kept up his spirits and
conveyed in his cheerful moods his i'm
preston of new sights. The first morn
ing when there was no land in view, he,
after looking around, held up his hands
in intense astonishment; but, like all
natives, he does not permit himself to
appear to be much surprised at any
thing. At home he was rather consid-
erable beer-drinker, but he thinks our
beer very inferior stuff, and palms that
off on his wives, while he is quite ready
to do his share of the "firewater" in the
shape of gin.
He has rather a wild way of taking
to European food, and as q preliminary
to substantial feed of beef the other
day he devoured pot and half OF jam.
He was good enough to come out Of his
shell during the time his photograph
was being taken, and the smiling face
he put on, as his photograph will show,
proves that he is not altogether unac-,
quainted with the ways of the world.
When his wives were being photo
graphed nothing could induce them to
leave off giggling or to sit still until
Cetywayo sternly commanded them to
do so, and then at once they were mo-
tionless as statues. It was evident they
had not forgotten the temper Of the king
and the way he once reigned in Zulu
land. When he was afterward asked to
sit tor another photograph he declined
doing so, on the ground that he was not
going to make fool of himself twice in
one day. He would not sit with his
wives, because, he said, having his pho
tograph they could easily cut the group
of women in two to put him in the cen
tire, and he suggested that if other pho
tographers wanted his likeness they
could photo his followers as often as they
liked, and the pictures would sell just: s
well for the wfite man would buy any
thing.
The photo will show Cetywayo to
be an enormous man, of little under
six feet high; a handsome, overfed
specimen of humanity with nothing re-
pulsive about him. A tape measure
round the chest would probably show
sixty inches, and each thigh half that
number of inches; and this should con-
vey what an immense fellow the king is.
Yet he is not ungainly in figure, and
there is an unmistakable dignity about
him, which, together with fits of socia-
bility, have drawn toward him the good
feeling of his escort. He is not unap-
preciative, either, Of the duties of his
rank, and / mention these incidents to
indicate in some degree what the Zulu
court was like. and that, barbaric as it
was, it must have had dignity of its
own. ~. .'.. .-'-'
BE has lately, developed wonderful
taste for scribbling, and in few months,
under the careful tuition of Major Poole.
would probably become polite letter
writer. Indeed, Major Poole has the
king, excepting the sulks, which are
exceedingly inconvenient, perfectly un-
der control, and the attempts at letter
writing are an infinite source of amuse-
ment. The wives of the king, who are
his fellow captives, are four in number,
and are tall, 1.-THE, shapely women OF
about twenty years Of age. Like their
lord and master. they are anxious about
their dress.
Cetywayo was taken on tour of
inspection of her majesty's ship Boadi-
cea, which visit seems to have given
him terrible shock; such visit year
ago might have saved England some
millions of money"