The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-08-11
WOMEN OF SOUTH AFRICA.
ZULU GIRLS ACQUIRE BEAUTY SCARS
BY HEROIC MEANS.

4 ZULU GIRLS ACQUIRE BEAUTY ScAI
n BY HEROIC MEANS.
REGULAR Treatment For Infants..Prep;
II Ing the Food For the FamiIy..care Of Il
Huts-The Bridal Dress..Women Ha
b No Rights.
The native women of South Afri,
= give their infants four or five hot hat
daily" said Mrs. Ellen Goodenough.
prominent delegate from the Sou,
AFRICAN mission field. to the Ecumenic
conference in New York City. 1.-The
consider it necessary for the health an
proper development of the child. A
ter these baths they rub its little bod
with a sort of paint made by mixing
SOFT clay with oil. This completes IL
toilet, and after feeding it is placed O
lts little mat by the fire to sleep.
"A mother does not leave her youn
child In her kraal wnen she goes out t
gather wood, fetch water or work he
farm, but carries it on her back in
sling, which, by the way, is made b,
the man of the household. One of tn
odd things about these Kaffir-Zulus Il
| that the men do the sewing. They ar,
both tailors and dressmakers, and fash
Ion bridal robe with as much skill
as they make mans apron or wal
shield. or course, you will understand
tnat they use the same material, name
~, hide, for all of these purposes.
But to go back to the babies. Their
principal food as soon as they have
learned to drink from a gourd is the
whey which their mothers draw from
the clabbered milk prepared in great
quantities for the men of the house
hold.
WOMEN ARE NOT CONSIDERED.
You must not fancy that the wo-
men think of themselves in preparing
the food for the family. A woman's
taste is of too little Importance. In
deed, l think such thing is not known
to exist. Food is prepared for the hus-
oand and his friends according to his
orders, and if there should be anything
left over then the women and girls
may eat 1t in another part Of their little
nut; II not, they must satisfy their hun
ger with whey or fruits, for which the
men are known to care very little. The
meals for the men usually consist of
several courses, of which boiled or
Droiled meat or fish is the first. then
follows vegetables of several varieties |
fruits, the clabber of which / have
spoken, and a sort of hasty pudding
made OF corn meal, with coarse brown
sugar sprinkled over it. Cooking is
me OF the many duties performed by
he women, and most of it is done in
he same vessel, an iron pot, with
econd pot of the same size fitted over
s a cover. In this clumsy vessel they
manage to do very creditable cooking.
'esides boiling their meats, vegetables
nd buildings, they manage to steam a
'af of bread. II
Ihelr huts, Of which each woman
as one, are circular in shape, and SO | /
w that she can only stand erect in 9
lie center. The Zulu woman keens If q
clean, when you consider =
lat 1t is the only place in which she Q
10 ner family must live, and at night y
e dogs, goats, calves and chickens 81
eep in at the door and huddle in the =
rners assigned to them. This door ),
the sole opening Of the house. It is :,
'out two and half feet high, SO of :,
urse even the animals and children
compelled to crawl in and out. ),
MARKS OF BEAUTY. =,
Like her sisters all over the world, :.
is fond Of ornaments and not only -,
lgnts In covering her body and limbs =.
tn beads, rings, bangles and all sorts -
strange articles as charms. but takes .e
lat pride in the number Of scars she ~
show. Mothers often have the "a
rs and bosoms of their young daugh- "a :.
cut or burned for the purpose of 81 =.
king those beauty marks. I have Tic
n the whole body covered with little cel
hes which the doctor was making ha
filling with what appeared to be br'
lture OF charcoal and ashes. You up
De sure that girl sold for an extra me
e on account of great beauty when drt
came to a manageable age. tin
The usual price of wife is ten the
. out Ior nigh rank, such as a the
uaughter' unusual beauty or wo- citi
lily accomplishments, the price often
as high as fifty head. The girl
nothing to say about the choice of
lsband, unless the family has Y
iced to come under Christian in pull
ices, In which case she is often the He
10 speak on the subject. But can
ng the tribes where the old customs carl
all the man bargains with the faith ing
the girl, and when matters are ar. has
nup'iais are celebrated. can
e celebrations consist of the con- rato
ing on the bride by her relatives HIM
friends to the kraal of the groom +hro
bridal dress consist of two gar 49, a
tho hair On a. % .anneu soit. of g
and adorned about the edges with -
buttons. This garment is wrap
'bout the body. reaching from 80
to knees, while the breast is COW eah
by a bIue cloth bano;nn ,a sing
the neck to shoulders. The price ne ca
e wife, the herd of cows o,rars relig
an interesting part of the wed he
procession. as both nartias tako dram
in the display. During the feast- sport
I'D dancing at these weddings the ing,
sits to one side wailing and Ia empi
ng. That Is the proper conduct He Il
girl in her position, although they the p
rule glad enough to be mar of a
liam
on reaching the manageable age been
men and women shave their dismi
The men leave q circle m, tha | Tho