News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-04-12
NATIVES OF CAPE TOWN,
KAFFIRS ON SHOPPING ExCUR
SIoNS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
The Queer Costumes in Which They
are Sometimes Clothed - The
Malay Men and Women.

The Queer Costumes in Which They
are Sometimes Clothed The
Malay Men and Women.
The manufacturing interests of Cape
Town, writes a correspondent of the
San Francisco Chroaicle, are not as ex.
tensive as they should be when the cheap
ness of fuel and the rapidly increasing
demand for machinery of all kinds are
taken into consideration. The merchants
here depend on importation to supply
them with their stocks, and as a rule
pay cash for them, or a credit of sixty
days at the furthe3t, but when they sell
their goods it is quite another thing, for
when the Eoers come to town to buy
goods they expect years credit, for
they have no money to pay for anything
until they have sold their crops of wheat
or wool. The system is the curse of the
colony and prevents the development of
the farming country. This trouble
does not exist between the mer-
chant and kaffir. When Mr.. Katfir
comes to town he has to pay cash, and yet
some of them are richer than many of
the Beers; but he is not to be trusted !;
he has too many wives to feed and
clothe and children running about to put
him up to tricks. When the day comes
to go to town to lay in a supply he puts
on such clothing as some white man
has given him and away he goes
with one of his many wives trotIing
behind him to carry the goods home.
once saw Kaffir on the street with
nothing on him at all save plug hat, a
linen collar and a swallow-tail coat. Not
ctt oh Af O@I 81 1 L 1
seen. Another time saw Kaffir astride
of dilapidated quadruped, bare headed,
an old coat on, the remnants of an um.
brella over him, and his big toes hooked
in the stirrups of an old saddle. His
wife was running behind, kettle and
bundle on her head and an infant strapped
to her back. They were going shopping
and they paid cash for their purchases.
An industry of no small dimensions is
that of tish-catching, carried on entirely
by the Malay population and affording a
living to at least 10, 900 people. The
fisherman leaves the beach at about 3
o'clock in the morning and returns at
midday, and it is quite an interesting
sight to see the hundreds of men, women
and children strolling about the beach
waiting for the return of the fishermen,
the men dressed in their red jackets with
black sleeves, blue pants and broad brim-
med straw hats of Chinese pattern; tho
women in their stifly starched print
dresses standing out like hoop-skirt OF
twenty five years ago, handkerchief oil
bright orange shade around their shoul.
ders and another of sky blue over then
heads. The boys and girls follow tho
styles of their parents throughout. Here
are dozens of carts, and to each are
hitched two of those wonderful little
animals, Cape horses. They never grow
higher than twelve and half hands,
are tough, wide-awake, and always
ready to run. A Boer will ride one of
them a distance of eighty miles on o
lope, and when fed and watered he will
be as full of the Old Nick as before. AZ
soon as the fishermen arrive their catch
Is sold at auction to the fishmongers, and
IN Cape Town, wfnie otnefs sClTKe tut iii
the country and sell TO the farmers and |
the villagers. The Malays are no i'm |
portant factor in the matters of Cape |
Town. They are not regarded as citi-
zens, and, even though born and raised |
there, they are never allowed to vote
This is because they refuse to take part
in any of the native wars, and the Eng
lish English-like, think if they will not
help defend the colony against intruders
they should not be entitled to the bless
ings of English citizenship. The typical
Malay is tall, erect, black. eyed, sallow
stoutly- built man, with
that will not brook familiar
ty, especially from white people. He
has more than average intelligence,
md is of an amiable disposition
when not imposed upon, salways ready
20 do you a service; but as quick as a
lash to resent an insult, and deep and
determined to avenge a wrong. Many
If them are rich, while many more are
Hell-to-do, and all, as a class, are thrifty
md Industrious The typical Malay
woman is of fine form and dignity of
appearance, but it is only those who
lave been SO fortunate as to see them
without their face-coverings who can
ell whether or no they are pretty or
beautiful. have seen many beautiful
ace among them. A rich, clear, brown
kin, large, luminous, passionate jet
black eyes, heavy dark eyebrows, long
eyelashes, straight nose,
With delicate curves, that gives an ex-
preston of refinement to the face, long,
et-black hair, red, ruby lips, triflo
hin, perhaps, but beautifully curved,
nd teeth such as no other race of hu-
mans possesses; add to all this an ex-
PRESTON of high order of intelligence
nd mind of culture, and the result is
he typical Malay woman.