The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-14

migration. The original possessors OF
the land were the Bushmen, probably
the lowest and most degraded set in the
world. Upon these people, centuries
ago, the Hottentots descended like q
storm, driving them to the inaccessible
parts of the mountains and deserts. In
turn, the Hottentots were themselves
overpowered and driven south by great
wave of people belonging to the Abantu
race. - '. 'gE.:
When the Dutch settled Capetown in
the middle of the seventeenth century
the Hotteptots still occupied what is now
Cape Colony and the Abantu held all the
land to the North, while the Bushmen
eked out precarious existence by rob-
bing Abantu, Hottentots and whites
with the greatest impartiality. In the
course of the last 200 years both Bush
men and Hottentots have almost died
out, To-day the Kafirs constitute nearly
the entire native population. Divided
into hundreds of tribes Of varying sizes
they are yet all more or less closely re-
lated. Their customs are largely identi-
cal over the widest tracts Of country
and the grammar of their language is
the same throughout its many dialects.
The Kafir language is a difficult one
at best. There are ten different ways OF
forming plur.ls. The verbs are also
very complicated. There are four sounds
IN Katir not found in European tongues.
Few whites attempt to speak KatiI
dramatically, but nearly every one in
Natal can speak kind of dialect known
TO all town Kaffirs.
At the beginning of the present CEN
tury there were about ninety-four tribes
of Kafirs in Natal one. The year
1912, however, saw the rise of the great
Zulu empire For sixteen years, Chaka,
the Zulu Napoleon, carried fire and
spear far and wide, and when quiet was
once more restored ffty-nine OF the
ninety-four tribes had utterly perished.
The Natal native laws are very strict.
No Kaffir is allowed out after 9 o'clock
at night without pass. 1t he ventures
out and is caught he is arrested and
severely punished. No drink or firearms
can be sold or given to Kaftirs without
subjecting both parties to fine or I'M
prisonment. The Kafirs are controlled
by native police-a very useful and ath-
letic looking body of men, who, how
ever, have no power to arrest whites un-
der any circumstances whatever.
The natives are wonderfully honest.
Not one per cent. of the houses in Dur
ban are locked at night, nearly everyone
leaving the back door open to admit the
servants in the morning, yet theft IS
almost unknown. There is no poverty
in Natal--at least one never sees a beg
gar or hears of one.
Contrary to the general impression IN
the United States, this country, ana IN
fact all of Africa south of Dela5oa bay
is very healthy. The death rate IN Dur
ban is only ten in thousand, ana ina!
of all Natal is even less. One reason OF
this is that there are comparatively few
children here and the list is not swelsed
bv the infant mortality that cuts such a
fieure in other parts OF the world.
Durham is the principal city OF Natal
It is LAID off on the longitudinal plan,
nearly everything Of Importance being
situated on one of two long streets,
which run west from the landing place
and lose themselves in tho wooded heights
of the Berea, some five miles distant.
The Berea is long ridge running north
and south, and thickly dotted with the
villas of the richer people. During the
summer or rainy season it Is very beau