Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-05-04


"A Monarch Who Cannot Comprehend
-he Celestial system.
Professor Simon Newcomb in Harper for
April.
At length it 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 n ofthe principal
rooms. The floor and walls were rough;
OH the left vas q long row of brown
wooden chairs, and on the right, facing
them sat Cetywayo, alongside Il 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 with
tecoming gravity, and as he turned
toward the rest of the
portunity to study his face. 1t was a
purer and hlacker negro face than | had
anticipated, but entirely without the re-
pulsive features Of the Catfre and other
tribes which supply laborers to the Cape
Colony. Easy good-nature was the
quality which seemed most most strong
ly express d, and there was q general
air of frankness about the man which
explained how he had made so favor
able a impression on his captors.
He was attired in a threadbare suit of
blue flannel, we'll fitted to exhibit a
physical development which any man
might envy. His shirt collar seemed to
have been several days absent from the
49,, 80, 4, 800 $40 n,>l l,,.1 ..l-.- --.
from its button, Perhaps thisas much as
tween the impression made by the man
and what | know of his history, and
made IL hard to conceive that
one was in the presence of
a modern Attila, who was once
the terror ofboth races through large
part of south Africa. Could this be the
king, who, when the superiority of civil
lied weapons was first made clear 10
him, gave his chief officer till the grass
should grow kneehigh to arm his troops
with musket on pain OF death or banish-
ment?-this the man, who, when the
missionary preached hell fire to him
laughed TO scorn the idea of a fire which
his soldiers could not quench, and made
good his words by setting fire to a field
Of dry grass, and then sending his regi-
ment into it, who stamped it out with
their naked feet!
The Interpreter suggested the comet
as a possible subject OF interest
"Would the comet excite fear among
your people?"
"No," was the reply. "My people look
upon a~nappcarance of that kind above
as a sign OF good fortune.
Fl Stnrn ,Ftho bn.t ui,,. 80, l~ol1l,
mental state you could have given"
said l.
The use of the word "above'' seemed
suggestive of u simple trust in a superior
power. So l inquired what religious
ideas he entertained.
"None whatever" replied the inter-
prefer. "He seems to have absolutely
no religious feelings or beliefs"
"But what do the funeral ceremonies
Of the Zulus indicated"
"They have no funeral ceremonies of
any significance"
"Has he no idea of q Supreme Be-
ing?n
"Well he sometimes refers in an unin-
teligible way to something he calls the
great But it seems to be a mere word.
! can't find that he associates any defin-
lite idea with it,"
He was then told thathis visitors were
from America.
"We have heard of you in America
said /, thinking of that prince OF Ashan-
tee whose first question of a civilized
visitor was whether they talked much
about him in England.
II have heard that America is a very
large country, the other side of Europe"
he replied.
Nothing in his c~ountenance indicated
that the subject Of his renown in Amer
lea excited any emotion whatever. The
Interpreter explained that the royal
ideas Of the figure of the earth were
rather confused.
"Is it any use to tell him that Amer
leans have come here to measure the
distance of the sun by the transit of We
nus?" inquired the astronomer,
Il fear there is no way to give him an
idea Of great distance. Even in the
Transvaal all the Beers tell you of any
considerable distance is that it is 50
many hours on horseback. But perhaps
we might give him some idea BY a rail-
road train, the speed of which he knows.
How long would it be to the sun by
rail?"
'Tell him that ifthe swiftest train were
to set out to the sun with a baby, the
baby would die an old man long before
the train got to the SUM-"
When this was translated to him his
hands were raised in establishment,
and wonder was Enthusiastically depicted
in his ~countenance. l looked for the
expression of incredulity, but saw none
To tell him of the transit was hopeless