New-York tribune., 1900-03-11
THE NATIVE IN NATAL.
RESTRICTIONS UNDER WHICH HE LIvEs-Po1.YG-
AMY RECOGNIZED
From The Scotsman.

From The Scotsman
1t is a mistake to suppose as many do that the
privileges as the European. To give him such
equal rights. at present at all events would be un
wise ana probably disastrous. There have been
many laws enacted that are only applicable to the
an at homes es by lw in 'hat the 'aey
ng bell Is rung at the various police stations
be abroad the be ceases ringing unIess fr
nsned NJ w with pass from their employer, on which
absent from their homes. Another law which places
ever way it may be considered is that he is not
allowed on any account to be supplied with intoxi-
bpg is liable Ia dr to heayy fine They permitted
made from meaes ndian or cdrn5 and soma h
rms rms Is not very intoxicating, and, as 1t in
IDENTIFY been considered nJudicous by the authorities
to order its prohibition Great Britains policy has
its and customs of the natives. but prevent them
r apn an Of wn the
are are most % likely to abuse If the chance of doing
native population which do not apply to the Euro
pean None of them. however indicts any hardship
or can be considered in any way oppressive
Polygamy is still recogr lied In Natal-of course
@ an hays
ike Great Britain could allow such a state Of
II pep IS o point BY out Ut na
Rome was not built in a day" and 1T will neces-
and and. Chrstianizng before the native can be edn,
by radical laws Would doubtless sp find nd that hs
When native desires to marry he considers it
TO certain extent a commercial transaction. He
has of course, the woman he prefers in his eye and
has carefully considered her qualifications both as
regards physical beauty and capacity for work
he therefore repairs to the father OF the girl and
strikes his bargain. The price is generally about
or better birth fetch a larger price, while the
daughter of chief fetches probably a hundred
oxen or more. The ordinary native then conducts
his wife 20 his kraal, where he will stop prob
ably for period of six months. until the glamour
of matrmony has to some extent passed off He
will then think 1t time to raise the wind order to
plish this, aid If he finds he has to work he will
work. To raise the necessary amount required for
this purpose he will have to work for period OF
four years continuously, but this the average native
does not care TO do. He likes his four six
months in the year of idleness his kraal.
Probably six years after his first marriage he ac
same routine occurs until he gets his third or
fourth. He may IN the mean time succeed to a
obviate the necessity of further toll As time goes
on. he likely has several marriageable daughters
and these in his turn he disposes of for He
thus becomes comparatively rich man in cattle
and may go purchasing wives ad lbitum II ne
does not consider himself already much mar
ried Naturally, married people prefer 10 have
marketable.
A native never works at his own kraal. He al
lows his wives to do so for him. They do all the
ploughing and tillng and sowing and reaping. The
husband lies on his back in the smoking In
extenuation of the natives OF his wives
there is this to be said-that had they the
for them TO employ themselves with, the Zulu
or hahr woman does not require to study the latest
socks TO darn or furniture TO polish any other
duties OF similar kind which take up so much of
the time OF her more favored European sister. The
native woman Is by no means a discontented per-
sonage. She accepts her lot In life with good
spirit. and performs her duties, such as they are
as happily and cheerfully as can be expected