The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-25

SCAAfC liACy NCy 6dNl ONAlCA iiA
silence. Then suddenly one from the
party becomes impatient of waiting and
exclaims: Tell the news!" Perhaps
even then the same silence may still
follow and after some time the party
OF the plaintiff goes. over their points
and then selects the best orator to
present the case.
Worthy of a Justice Court.
He then rises up and carefully gives
their grounds for complaint. The other
SIDE attacks him with numerous ques-
tons and after they have sifted and
cross-examined his arguments they tell
the party that the men of the kraal
are not at home they are only chill
dren present, and so the party bet
ter come back again some other time"
The next day the party comes back,
armed as before, and sit down in the
same spot. Now the defendants par
ty comes up with more reinforcements
and, sitting down with arms on their
side. they demand that the other par
~ again state their complaints. This
Is briefly done and the defendants pre-
sent their side. A great debate fol-
lows and perhaps two or three diff
ferent sessions may be consumed in it.
Now, after both parties have exhaust
ed their arguments the side that feels
the cause by offering some payment,
of course making it as small as posi-
BILE. This is refused in expectation of
an advance of the offer, which takes
place in proportion to the defendants
anxiety to prevent an appeal
If they cannot agree here they pro-
coed to the ''omkulu;" viz, to the
chief of the tribe, and his counsel.
One of the plaintiffs party, as soon
vx,;kIa CHI \ Se,
lance to the "omkulu," shouts at the
top of his voice: "Ngi 20 mangala' ~
lodge a complaint'O. "Umanga lelani?"
C'For what do you complain?") comes
back the answer. Then, as they APP
proach the counsel, he presents the
case from the beginning. After he is
through and has been fully cross-ex-
amined the other side then brings in
their defense, and they, too, are put
ton.
The Judge Is Indifferent.
During all this time the chief is ly-
ing on a mat. perhaps asleep or in
dignified state of indifference as to
what is going on. Sometimes he takes
part with his counsel. At any rate,
after both sides have finished he pro-
nounces the judgment.
The party that have been favored
rush up to him, kiss his face, praise
him and extol him to the skies for his
justice and great wisdom. He then
gives them a band of men to go with
them to to enforce the decision and to
bring back his share of the fine i'm
posed by the judgment
The social life of this people is af-
fected very much by the caste system
that Isl among them. To a Zulu
equality is an impossible dream. He
does not find it in the forest and not
in all nature; then whence this as
sumption? We see this caste system
even in the same family. Children
must account to their mothers, moth
ers or wives to their husbands, hus-
bands to the indunas and the indunas
to the chief of the tribe. Brothers and
sisters cannot sit down and eat to-
gether, because the former, conscious
of his superiority, would not like his
companions to see him eat with
woman.
Now a very interesting feature in
their customs is the wedding. A young
man. before he can get a wife, must
first have cattle enough to pay for the
girl he has pointed out. The price is
from ten to fifty or more herds of cat
tie. Rank and beauty generally decide
the value of a girl.
A Zulu girl would feel very slignted
il her father should give her away
for nothing She wants to know her
value and take pride in seeing that
her fiance recognizes it "a hint to
American girls). Now when young
man considers himself of age to mar
ry, or when he sees other young men
of his age get married, then he too
begins to see that his own time has
come for his series of marriages. He
then tells his father about it. This
he does soon after he has located his
first Wife Then if the father thinks
that he is of age to marry and likes
the boys choice he takes the whole
matter into his own hands, because,
according to custom, young man can
never go himself and ask the father of
a girl for his daughter.
Stimulates Indifference.
The father then selects three we'll
known men from his relatives and
sends them to introduce the subject to
the girls father. Now as soon as
these men enter the yard they address
the father in a style peculiar to such
occasions only. After they have been
admitted before the girls father they
declare their message. He gives them
a very unfavorable reply. First he
tells them that his daughter is not Of
age and again he would never let his
Then he definitely tells them that ne
does not want them, SO they better go
away from his presence at once and
must never come back again for that
purpose.
The party then leaves, not at all dis
appointed, because they know that it
was simply a formal reply. After they
leave he does all he can to find out
how many cattle or how much proper.
ty the young mans father has, because
this would guide him in his next re-
ply.
The party returns after few days.
This time he again repeats his first re-
ply and wonders at their most daring
obstinacy. They try to talk him down
this way and that way until, as is the
custom, he cools down. Then he calls
the daughter into the room and asks
her if she knows these people. She
answers yes and then she is dismissed.
The father then turns to the party
and sets his price. The most common
price is ten herds of cattle; but they
are supposed to bring one or more than
he asks, and that is for the girls moth
er as a reward for her kind services in
bringing up the girl. If he found that
the young mans family was well-to
do he adds some additional requests,
such as a good oVercoat, blankets, and
so on. Then, after all this has been
paid in, the wedding day is fixed and
the bride is prepared for the occasion.
weddings Are Gorgeous.
The wedding day is one of greatest
excitement. Nobody asks himself as