What the Zulus Think of London.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3807, 21 October 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

What the Zulus Think of London.

We iist dismiss from our minds tho idea that the Zulu chiefs now in London are " untutored savages." They seem to laugh aud talk or sit silent, are amused or bored, pleased or put out, very much like any one el«o. The King himself is every inch a King (and there is a good many inches of kingship about him), and he ha« all the dignity and urbanity that becomes his position. He is said to be a very good fellow, and he bears tho signs of good fellowship on hi 3 face. He is as much interested in solid talK as he seems displeased with frivolous chatter But he is too preoccupied. It is difficult to find out exactly what he thinks about things. He is wrapped up m a certain reserve, notwithstanding all his bonhomie. The chiefs are n. ore approachable They talk like intelligent men, and appi'ar to m interested in every thine coins on round them. They do not dulike the people. They we pleated even with the little crowd that continually hang outside their draw-ng-room window, and when one of them moves, and this little crowd give a little cheer, he waves his hat in friendly recognition to them. The Zulus are.a

littlo overcome ijy tho enormous throrjgs of human beings in London. "Moro people in this one place thivn in all Zululand—men, women, and children—moro than in Basutoland, too; moru than in all South Africa." On:) would say they would never think of lighting fngland again. To begin with, they like tho tngliah ; but then also what is the uso of fighting with such numbers? They would feel iiko the fuith'ul sepoy at Lucknow, who, as he shot down the rebels storming up to the breach, was overheard saying ''Fools!" (only his language was OrieDtul strength) "if you hid ever been at Lang's Hottl, Bond-street, Piccadilly, and seen the people pass by, you would not think you could fight tho .English." In the same way our visitors have a juater appreciation now of what the oddß are : tho more so, perhaps, >s tuey are impressed by tho mass rather than by the individuals, In the same way thoy can hirdly distinguish the great buildings from the nuall. Tho Colonial Office is not a grratcr marvel than KcnsiDgton Uigustrcot. Tho wonder is not so much at tno buildings as that all theso buildings should by built " just by men." It would bo well for the Zulus to have such buildings, but they cannot build them for themrclvoa. "Houses would bo very nice in Bummer during the hot weather, but in tho winter they would bo too cold. One could not keep warm in them. They would bo too open. Wo could rot gather round tha fire. Tho fireplace, yes j but that would not bo tho samo thing. 80, they are nice in summer, but not for winter."

They have not been Very mnch about yet. They went to the House of Commons. They did not understand what was said, but they wero impressed by the orderliness that prevailed, and by .peop'c sitting quiet to listen till their own turn enmu. Jhe building was very magnificent Again, thoy were much iinpres-cd by their visit to tbc docks—such numbers pf ; but they did not understand much. \Vh»t struck them most was the way the gates were opened and tha water ltt out and the ship went under the bridges. The Zoological Gardens were a great rriaml. They had seen the lions and o'hor great beasts in the veldt, but they Had to hurry home before, night'a'l, lest the beasts should cat them. That men should keep lion* and hytenas in houses was Bitch a complete turning of the tables on them that thoy would not have believed unless thoy had seen.it.

Had thoy seen any roldiers ? Yes, tboy had seen the Guards, veiy fine troops, and had heard the hand play. They thought it was a ptctty, but they did not und«ts'and it. There was not iwiso enough ; but on the other hand, it was extraordinary that so few men should be able to make so much noise. In fact, the most prominent impassion on their minis appears to be that of wonder that men should have been able to do all they saw; that men should have built all these houses, have made aU these docks ; have shat up the wild beasts in cages; that men should make the trains go so quickly; that so few men should make so much music. Beyond that they are evidently overcome by the magnitude of everythioir. They are in a ftate of wonder at the miles ot docks, the miles of houses, the millions of people. They do not understand them, but they marvel at the fcale of everything. Probably their feelings are not very different from those ihat would be felt by Alfred and his thanes or Harold and his jarls, if they_ could frevisit thus the glncpsrs of I heir once amlliarland, and see the London of to-day. The Zulu view of London must be not unlike that ot the Italian peasant in Virgil's Eclogue, who had been to Kome expecting to find it merely a larger version of the country town to which he was wont to drive his lambs to market, just as he knew that dogs were merely larger puppies and Kids were like their dams ; but when be got there he found that there was a difference lv kind, and the city was as superior to all other towns as the cypress to the limber osier. Just such, we can imagine, is the difference betwec-n the Zulu kraal anil ihe London house ; and as great the difference between London and Cape Town. They aro overwhelmed with wonder,and they are delighted with their new impreHjionc But in spite of all the novelty'and magnificence, in spite of the dread of the rough sea, which tliey evidently look forward to with civilised honor, their eyes brighten, and they lift up tbeir hands and speak like an AttorneyGeneral at the end of session and sittings wheu asked if they would like to go borne again. Yes, indeed ! — "Pall Mall Gazett.e"