The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-21
zULUS ANO THEIR COWS.
TOW the south African Milks Ca't'" ~
Participants IN Dances.

The Zulu i never silent when mllking'
10, for one single instant does he cease
nltcrin,; the most peculiar soundS ever
inflicted upon mortal ears screams
Wells. shouts. whistles and tender pIanis-
,iino murmurs OF admiration succeeding
ono ano her as the flow Of milk increases
~ dimini,hes. this practice having the
curious result OF compelling any Whlte
farmer who buys Zulu cattle for Ills
farm To- have native TO milk them'
as they will neither stand still nor
give their mill, freely without the
usual tactical concert. of when
mo- European has ever been able To
producr even colorado imitation.
Wh.tling i, also great item IN driving
cattle or calling them from distance
and the noise Zulu can make with ms
li,s alone is incredible and half deaiens
any one who stands near him. Thus,
when the oxen attached 10 Il prairie
wagon are outspanned and have roamed
away IN search of water or fresher hefo-
ace a Zulu driver will stand on the
wagon seat and give whistle that VIII
call them anywhere within a mile ana
bring them troOping to the camp where
q white man would have had to rlde
round and drive them in. Sometimes
the natives use artificial appliances
which are not put into the mouth as
ours are but are held to the bottom lip
az we hold a key wien trying to clear 1t.
When a chief possesses many oxen he
is frequently very fastiGlous about them,
and gathers them together in herds nearly
all Of one color red or black being the
favorite hue. Cattle are trained 10 take
part in the tribal dances and reviews.
These all have the skin cut into strlpsand
are without horns. These dances are
Organized by placing the participants III
sections. three men and two oxen, which
then dance in companies each with their
attendant oxen IN turn approaching the
chief. THIS they do by Themselves, and
it i, surprising 10 see the perfection of
their training, a.. Notwithstanding the
Wells. shouts and frenzied gestures of the
men. they never break ranks or run, and,
knowing their place, 90 right TO It.
The Zulus manage their herds with
great skill. and the animals appear 10
perfectly understand the meaning Of
every separate whistle and call This
noisy system Of driving cattle was a
source Of great difficulty to the English
soldiers who were detailed TO recover cat
tie stolen from white settlers farm.
Such of the cattle as had been Zulu bred
would utterly demoralize the remainder
Of the herd. and the soldiers, not under
Standing and utterly incapable Of pro-
ducing the necessary cries, would lind
tie cattle quite unmanageable without
them. The cow IS the unit of the Zulu
currency, eight cows making one woman,
lust as 100 cents make 81, and most of
the tribal wars that have devastated
southern Africa have been caused by the
desire Of one chief to steal the cattle Of
another.
The great ambition of IA Zulu Is to own
as many cows as possible and SO become |
a savage millionaire, eating beef and !
drinking sour milk every day and buy
ing wives at eight 10 fourteen COWS each,
according to the fluctuations of the mar
ket. using the hides or the cattle 10 make !
all kinds Of useful things, lubricating |
himself with fat TO his heart desire,
and decorating his person with their
flowing tails. The more cattle he has |
the greater man he is.-W. p. Pond in
brakes Magazine