The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-02-25

one fixed by tho law Of Natal, but as many az
20 are given for a girl who belongs TO family
Of rank.
An extraordinary case happened in the
Colony of Natal a few years since. According
TO the laws of the Zulus man is responsible
for the debts Of his ancestors. certain Zulu
by some means learned that the man who mar
red great great great aunt of his had never
paid for tho cattle, so the Zulu traced the heir
of the man aud sued him before magistrate
for go cattle, he having taken the original 10
which should have been given for his ancient
relative for basis, aud calculated about what
the increase would have been.
The defendant appeared in court and admit
ted the debt Of his ancestor but said lac could
not pay it. or course so large a number OF cat
tie is never owned by man Of no rank. The
magistrate decided that the defendant should
pay u cattle rs that number seemed 10 be
just one under the circumstance
Whether the MashOnas buy their wives !
have never learned for certain, but il is very
likely that those who possess cattle pay some
thing for their wives. As the young men can now
earn blankets, the custom will become q very
common, il not a universal one. A father will
perhaps say 10 a sutton for the hand Of his
daughter, You may have her for five blank
eis.' IL the young man values the girl suili-
GENTLY, he will 20 and labor for the necessary
number Of blankets Even at this early date a
young man working for a European said be
wished 10 earn three blankets with which TO
purchase a wife.
MashOnaland has Its share OF the curses Of
South Africa. Foremost among them should
be mentioned the "tseise fly, and the disease
commonly known as horse sickness" the first
Of which is fatal 10 all domestic animals, and
the second usually so 20 horses.
The tsetse" ly is a small insect, very little
larger than the common house fly, and not very
different in appearance. IL may always be
recognized by one Characteristic which no
other hy, at least ia this country, possesses:
the wings open and close horizontally. like
pair Of scissors The effects of the bito Of this
fly upon any domestic animal are most peeu-
liar, aud scientists have not yet been able 70
understand them. A hy-btten animal does
not die al once, but lives for months. IL gradu-
ally wastes away, and becomes so weak that il
finally falls 10 the ground aud is unable to rise.
IL may live In this fallen position for days un.
al IL dies from what seems exhaustion. A
horse or OK that has been bitten will not show
IL for longer or shorter time according 10
whether tho animal had been bitten much, and
whether IL has been exposed 10 rain, which GER
tainly hastcns its death. IL is not true, as many
claim, that death ensscs after the first rain
which falls on the animal.
Several horses, oxen, and donkeys from this
place were taken into a fly district, where the
horses and doukeys were left for months, dur
ing which time 10 rained almost daily. The
oxen remained there only few days, and died
about six weeks later. The horses lived two
months, the donkeys nearly four months Don
keys stand the ny better than other domestic
animals.
The "tsetse" ny Is supposed to stay in dis.
tricts where large game abounds, and it is