Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-24
An Interview with Cetywayo.

AT length 1t was announced that the king
was prepared to receive Us. We followed our
guide into the open air and to the front door of
the house, which opened directly into one of the
principal rooms. The floor and walls were
| rough and bare; on the left was long row of
brown wooden chairs, and on the right, facing
them, sat Cetywayo, alongside q pile of wooden
boxes reaching nearly to the ceiling, probably
containing the personal effects which he was to
transport to his native country. He shook hands
WIN becoming gravity, and as he turned
tunity to study his face. It was purer and
blacker negro face than had anticipated. but
entirely without the repulsive features of the CAT
IRE and other tribes which supply laborers to the
Cape Colony. Easy good-nature was the
quality which seemed most strongly expressed
and there was general air Of frankness about
the man which explained how he had made go
favorable an impression on his captors.
he was attired In threadbare suit of blue
flannel: well fitted to exhibit a physical devel-
opment which any man might envy. His shirt
| collar seemed to have been several days absent
from the laundry, and one end had broken loose
from Its button. Perhaps this as much as any-
thing emphasized the contrast between the i'm
preston made by the man and what 1 knew Of
his history, and made it hard to conceive that
one was In the presence Of modern Attila. who
was once the terror of both races through a
large part OF South Africa. Could this be the
king who, when the superiority Of civilized
weapons was first made clear to him, gave his
cn1ef officer Till the grass should grow knee
hlgn to arm his troops with muskets, on pain Of
death or banishment?-th the man who. when
missionary preached hell fire to him, laughed
to scorn the idea of fire which his soldiers
could not quench, and made good his words BY
setting fire to field of dry grass and then
sending ser regiment into it. who stamped it out
The interpreter suggested the comet as a DOS
| sbe subject of interest
people?" '
mo" was the reply. "My people look upon
an appearance of that kind above as q sign Of
good fortune"
Zone OF the best signs of healthy mental
state you could have given" said I.
The use OF the word ''above'' seemed suo-
gestlve Of simple trust in superior power.
tanned. NV ~A'0'-
"None whatever" replied. the interpreter
n. ne seems to have absolutely no religious feel
1 but what do the funeral ceremonies OF the
Significance"
HAS he no idea Of Supreme Beinp,"
"Well, he sometimes refers in an unintellipi
ole way to something he calls the great But
IL seems to be mere word. / can't find chat he
associates any definite idea with it," 4
hC was tuCu tOlU Lu2L MS TlSltOT1 vera from
America.
I'VE have heard Of Jon ip,America," said I.
thinking of that prince of Ashantee whose farst
question Of civilized visitor was whether thew
talked much about him in England.
Il have heard that America is q very large
country, the other side of Europe" he replied.
Nothing In his counteDance indicated that the
subject OF his renOwn in America excited anv
emotion whatever. The Interpreter explained
that the royal ideas Of the figure of the earth
were rather confused
us 1t any use to tell him that these Ameri-
cans have come here to measure the distance of
the sun by the transit Of Venus2" inquired the
astronomer. WIZ
%! fear there Is no way to give him an idea Of
great distance. Even In the TransyaaI ali the
Beers can tell you Of any considerable distance
ID that 1t Is so many hours on horseback. But
perhaps we might give him some idea bv a rail-
road train, the speed Of which he knows. How
long would it be to the sun BY rail?"
TEL him that II the swiftest train were tn
set out to the sun with baby, the bapy would
die an Old man long before the train got to the
When this was translated to him h,s hand.
were raised In establishment, and wonder was
Enthusiastically depicted In his countenance.
looked for an expression Of incredulity. but saw
none To tell him Of the transit was hopeless.