MR EIDER HAGGARD ON THE ZULUS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 1933, 17 February 1888, Page 6

MR EIDER HAGGARD ON THE ZULUS.

Mr Haggard, the novelist, lectured lately to the members of the Elinburjjh Literary Institute on the Zulus. Mr Haggard began by stating that he had been induced to take the subject of the Zulus of Southeaster.! Africa for his lecture by a friend of bis. It was good for all to act at defiance the trappings of culture and consider for a little a typical instance of the force which was the author of our own and many other civilisations, and which might prove to be their monument. Among the Zulus there was, he said, a curious similarity in many of their customs to those practised by the Jewe. He did not suggest that the Zilus were descended from or even distinctly related to, the Jews, but these similarities showed that they had originally come from the country to the north which bordered upon Jerusalem and Egypt. Their history could not be traced, and therefore we must presume that they occupied their present position by force of arms a few generations ago. Mr Haggard proceeded to trace the history of the Z'llws from 1813, when Chaka, the Napoleon of the race, appeared, and, by his energy, cruelty and indomitable courage, founded a nation. He graphically despicted their customs, touched upon the horrid riteß of the Witchfinders, and caused some amusement by informing his audience that the spirit of Chaka was supposed to have descended upon Sir Theophilus Shepstone, a most placable man. He referred to the reigns of the chiefs who succeeded Chaka and preceded Cetewayo, and closed his lecture by a description of Zila life in Natal. Among the Zulu, children were a source of wealth and not a burden, and it was the Zalus women who were the great upholders of polygamy, which provided for their surplus numbers. (Liughter.) Indeed he was sura that a Zulu woman would not condescend to marry a man who only intended to take on 9 wife, and it was for this reason that he did not believe Christianity would ever take much root among Zalus The men of the race were favourable specimans of mankind, splendidly formed, kind to their children, and given to hospitality. On the other hand, they have many faults. Contact with civilisation completely demoralised them, and they were cruel to a degree. They were not heathene, but believed in a G-od, the Greatest of the Great. (A-pplause)