The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04
A WOMAN TELLS OF ZULUS.
MRS. THoMPsoNS EXPERIENCES At
AN AFRICAN MISSION.


RiGhts-Good Manners of tho savages.
Nothing else 80 gives the sense OF being In
actual touch with the people OF the veldt as
meeting an American m Missionary who has lived
in Africa 90 long that he talks Zulu and other
Bantu tongues has caught some tricks OF Zulu
speech and manner. its accen tuated and digni-
fled elaboration. for instance. and has patriotic
nres that burn for Cape Colony or Rhodesia.
Students at the School for Medical Mission aries,
In New York city. have lately had vivid expert
ence In this direction In talking with DR.. and
Mrs. W. L. Thompson. lately returned from the
East Central African Mission in Melsetter. Rho
desa The ordinary inquirer Is interested. not so
much to know how mission work Is progress
ing. but how people In tho Transvaal. Zulu
land, Mstabeeland. Mashonaland and Gazaland
eat, drink and sleep. what they do for living,
what they think OF Mr.. Rhodes. how Mr.
Rhodes's railroad is coming along and II II will
ever get to Cairo. Upon all these subjects DR..
and Mrs Thompson we're ready to converse
entertalningly to callers. To one group Mrs.
Thompson displayed beautiful leopard skin
she was about to send away. saying:
Il brought 1t over for a friend Il Is from
one OF our own leopards. DR.. Thompson killed
IT, And these horns"-they we're gracefully
curved. black as ebony and very heavy" are
from the head Of a hartebeste. My husband
shot that. too" Ivory tusks. an African doll,
curious musical instruments, an album-"all
the photographs in II taken by our mission
artist'-were produced: and then. In answer to
the request to tell about kraal life Mrs
Thompson said
Tho old heather 10 passing. When Mr..
Rhodes's railroad reaches Cairo. and branch
lines extend from interior TO coast, he will be
no more. 80. II you 60 to Africa ten years from
now. you may find nothing as describe It.
The old heather is desperately cruel We saw
a mans body floating down the river. Our
native carriers said: 1t is q witch doctor He
eaid that he had an eyebrow OF Gungunyana's
father. Umzila. and that he cured sick people
with It. Gungunyana Is great chief he had
the man killed. man said something a
chief did not like: the chief had his
mouth cut on Another man looked
at the chief in a way that displeased
him: a flap OF skin was cut from the mans
forehead so that 1t would hang down over his
ewes. Besides his cruelty the old heather has
other vices. but he has his virtues he Is a far
more attractive personality than the native
passing through the transition stage to civillza-
ton Always understanding that there are
darker sides, 1t is the lighter phases OF life in
Natal and OAKLAND that will discuss Also,
It must be understood that as social customs
are not exactly the same here as in Kansas so
there are variations there between different
kradls ana nelRn DOrnoOds.
Il have lived ten years in Natal and GAIA
land; have been the hostess OF Zulus. Mata-
beles and other tribes who talk Bantu, and
have eaten and slept In their kraals The rou-
tine OF Zulu woman's day will show best
how the people live. The kraal is early astir
The Zulu woman rises between 3 and 4 o'clock
In summer. and begins the day by pounding
corn in an ikovu or wooden mortar. When she
has prepared enough for break fast and for the
afternoon meal she goes to the garden-we call
their fields gardens because they are so small
and tolls until the sun is very hot. which 10
usually between 10 and IL. Then she gath
ers flrewood for the days cooking. going
for 1t to the bush. cutting dead branches
from trees. making them up into long bundles
and carrying them home on her head. Her next
duty. unless the children have anticipated her.
is to bring water from the river which may be
at a considerable distance. On her return she
builds the fire and cooks breakfast. the first
formal meal Of the day. The only food taken
cold from the previous days cooking. or poss-
ok potato or ear OF green corr roasted p the
before cooking begins. an important detail in
zalu hotHlsekeePng for zuus are haunted BY
Tes5SRs or % $ Plsee - he Trss and sps
from the living hut. being open at the aides
and larger: 1t 10 a sort OF common property
held in It. In warm. clear weather the com
81 Dn aS II ha h wv sss
s sadasn p psssP VIII. 5a Is Ssn9 : ssRsg
ara; ara the men T wash thslr hands Just before
eder or more dstns afsss are men 'e oi
ne ne kraai; next, tho younger men; lastly:
.esett with the men; All eat with their hands.
not 80 unelean as might be supposed for zulqs
are most particular about washing their hands
as sss RsRGf a a eh fs'Ps Re
men vi. Nth g. another gonrd 81 fresh water 1t
ticular about washing their teeth after eating.
ReerferminG this oofiee at the eating mats.
They hsys Ths and Ise lent.
Labor Is renewed when the day begins to cool.
which Is not always at the same hour. as. OF
the field and tolls until nearly sunset. She
brns water the rSer bas re and
Paaa dnner IS ocoe sl Il the as
got 50 auIeEiy as the morning meal, Hop IN.
Porridge Is very often feature Of this meal. II
the kraal Is prosperous 1t consists Of variety
FROM 1 the st 81 H foe b Han o1e R
woman woman sweeps Up the hut ~, and the ground
also when she rolled up the mats and hung up
bedclothes and wearing apparel-precous lit
tie OF either-in order; Then she puts up her
chlqkens. perhaps In her own hut
" Soon aft this meal the kraal people 60 to
bed. or perhaps the men sit around the fire in
awhile. Even IN hot weather they would have
difference between Temperatures OF light and
shade there than here Night is much cooler
mePt are very, primitive They roll up
The are. There Is hut Tor the younger
younger. children sleep In their mothers huts.
Each wife has her own hut. When man has
have thirty or forty1-he spends certain pro
portion OF his time with each In rotation: He
will probably. however. manage TO be with the
ing is. for the timo being. directly responsible
for his food.
woman's day. 1t must be understood that a
great many other women were performing
similar duties at the same time; also that girls
the product Of female labor. From tho dig
ging Of the soil until they are ready for CON
sumption woman does the harvesting. hull
ing, winnowinG. grinding and drying. Sho
al note a l.nrl no l.E iFK tla.