Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-10
THE DARK ZULU AND HIS COWS.
ofnamented Cttte in Parkway south
Africa-RidinG an OK.

The love that d Zulu has for his CAT
tie causes him to ornament them in
many ways. some of which entail con
siderable suffering upon the animals,
which. however, he regards from
philosophic point Of view, and does not
allow it to interfere with his love for
them. He trims their ears into all
shapes. the fayoritc pattern being thai
of leaf with deeply 7cnated edge.
He gathers up lunches of the skin upon
the head, ties a string tightly around
them and So forms "a number Of pro-
iecting knobs of various sizes and
shapes. He cuts strips Of hide from
the head and face letting them hang
down as lappets, and also cuts the
dewlups and makes fringe. With the
others he leaves the skin intact and
lavishes all his art upon the horns. He
will cause one horn 20 project forward
and another backward; he will train
one upright and the other to the
ground, Sometimes he observes a
rough kind of symmetry, and has both
horns bent with their points nearly
touching the shoulders, or trains them
with the tips meeting over the head
like an arch, OF under the neck like
collar, or turned around the eyes like
spoctacleS. The most singular ELECTS
produced where the horns of a young
OK are trained to lie Hat upon the skull
until the points meet in the middle of
the mead, when they are manipulated
SO as to make them c1alesce and grow
upward like the horn of the unicorn.
Ia other cases the horns will be split
at fine points, growing with diyerging
segmgntS, like the outstretched fingers
of q hand.
The animals are taken in hand as
soon asthe horns show through the skin,
and small vertical missions are made
IN them with a spear, so as to divide
them; these are allowed to grow again,
and then are still further divided until
the requisite end is attained. The bent
ones they cut Commencing an inch or
SO below the point, which must not be
lnJured) small part of its thickness,
and bent i'm "a contrary direction, and
alter much delicate manipulation and
care it will describe a curve in the re-
CURED direction. In fact the detail
and patience required would weary
any one but Kailir, who takes the
same pride in his work that an artist
bcs;"ws upon his ideal in stone or on
canvas.
The average weight of the Zulu OK is
about four hundred pounds. The flesh
Is seldom eaten, the average diet being
sour milk and mealies made into por-
ridge. The milk is never taken fresh,
being considered indigestible; conse-
quenLly three milk jars are necessary
70 Tue convenience Of the natiye-the
hr,' one for sweet milk, the second for
sour milk, and the third Cor "amasi,
winch resembles clothed cream and is
the tesiduum Of the sour milk after the
water fluid is poured off The whites
dislike '-amasia when first tried, but
s20A acquire the taste for it and then
pro- 70 20 milk in any other form
1here being no horses until they
were Introduced by the white settlers,
la' .Nen are used for equestrian pur
e" aud also as beasts of burden.
~. 1atiyes as rule coutriye TO ride
sas oxen barebacked, balancing them
s..F.7 upon the sharp, ridged back and
taH- their steed by means Of a
s lied to tie stick and passed
Ai...gh the nostrils They arc not
-9.1 1ders, and jog awkwardly along,
sl0f arms Jerking about in "a most un-
81. manner; but, as the OK seldom
YES beyond q walk. ii does not
So much. and but little harm is
" fallt owing to the horns be-
4ned in the manner described.
are several cases ON record
2 man riding an Ok with nm
s.t..sd horns has met with tumble.
.n- forward, has been impaled
si ay tile horns In heir natural
DrRt.s Bdgu-ae.