AT A BASUTO WEDDING.

Evening Star, Issue 11452, 21 January 1901, Page 8

AT A BASUTO WEDDING.

I was taken through rows of naked, grinding savages of both sexes to be introduced to the bride and bridegroom, whom I found to be a pair of mission converts (says Mr Hales in the 'Daily News'). When I saw the pah- the shock nearly shook my boots off. The bride, a full-blooded young negress, was dressed in a beautiful white satin dress, which fitted her as if it had been fired at her out of a gun. It would not meet in front by about three inches, and the bodice was laced up by narrow bands of red silk like a footballer's jersey. In her short woolly hair she had pinned a wTeath of artificial orange blossoms, which looked like a diadem of snow on a midwinter mud heap. Down Iter broad back there hung a great gauzy lace veil big enough to make a fly net for a cow camel in summer. It was nob fixed on to her dress, nor to her wreath, but was tied on to two kinky curls at each side of her head by bright green ribbons, after the fashion of a prize fillv of the draught order at a country fair. Her hands were encased in a pair of white kid gloves, man's size, and a pretty big man at that, for sho had a gentle little fist that would have scared John-L. Sullivan in his palmiest days. When I -was introduced to the newlyshackled matron she put one of those gloved hands into mine with a simpering air of coyness that made me feci cold all over, for that hand in the kid glove reminded me of the day I took my first, lesson from Laurence Foley, Australia's champion boxer, and he had an eight-ounce glove on (thank Heaven !) on that occasion. In her right hand the brido carried a fan of splendid ostrich feathers, with which she brushed the flies off the groom. It was vast enough to have brushed away a toy terrier, to say nothing of flies, but it looked a toy in that giant fist. A BRAND FROM THE BURNING. The groom hung on to his bride's arm like a. fly to a sugar-stick. He was a tall young man, dressed in a black frock coat," light trousers, braced up to show that he wore socks, shoes, white gloves, and a highcrowned hat. He carried his bride's white silk gingham in one hand, and an enormous bunch of flowers in the other.' He tried to look meek, but only succeeded in looking shy, hypocritical, and awfully uncomfortable. At times he would look at his new-spouse, and then a most unsaintly expression would cross his toxy face; he would push out his great thick lips until they threw a shadow all round him ; open his dazzling white teeth, and let his great blood-red tongue 101 l out until the chasm in his face looked like a rent in a black velvet gown with a cardinal's red hat stuffed in the centre. He may have been full of saving grace—full up, and running over—but it was not the brand of Christianity that I should care to invest my money v.. When he caught my gaze riveted ou him he tried to look like a brand plucked from the burning; he rolled his great velvetblack eyes skyward, screwed up the sluit which ran across his face, and which he called a mouth, until it looked like a crumpled door-mat. folded his hands meekly over his breast, and comported himself generally like an advertisement for a mission station. THE SAME OLD SUIT. From him I glanced to his " pa." who had given him away, and seemed mighty glad to get rid of him. "Fa" was dressed :u pure black from head to heel—just the same old suit that he had worn when he struck this planet, only more of it. He was guiltless of anything and everything in the shape of dress except for a large ring of horn which he wore on the top of his head. He did not carry any parasols, or fans, or geeiraws of any kind in his great muscular fists. One hand grasped an iron-shod assegai and the other lovingly fondled a battle-axe, and both weapons looked at home where they rested. He was not just the sort of father-in-law I should have hankered for if I had been out on a matrimonial venture; but 1 would rather have had one limb of that old heathen thaa the whole body of his " civilised" son. for with all his faults he looked a man. A chum of mine who knew the ways of these people had advised me to purchase a horn of snuff before being presented to the bride and bridegroom, and I had acted accordingly.

When the ceremony of introduction was over, and I had managed to turn my blushing face away from " Ma " and the bevy of damsels, as airily clothed as herself. I offered tho snuff box to the happy pair. The groom took a tiny pinch and smiled sadly as though committing some deadly sin. The bride, however, poured a little heap in the palm of her hand about as big as a hen's egg, regardless or" Iter nice kid gloves. This she proceeded to snuff up her capacious nostrils with savage delight, until the tears streamed down her cheeks like rain down a coal heap. Then she threw back her head, spread her hands out, palm downwards, like a mammoth duck treading water, and sneezed. I never heard a human sneeze like that before ; it was like the effort of a horse after a two-mile gallop through a dust storm. And each time she sneezed something connected with her wearing gear ripped or gave way, until I began to be afraid for But the wreck was not quite so awful as I had anticipated, and when she had done sneezing she laughed. All the crowd except the Kroom laughed, and the sound of their' laughter was like the sound of the sea on a t lid-crowned coast. NOT THE POUT OF POETRY. By-and-bye the groom took liis bride by the arm and made an effort to induce her to leave her maids of honor and "trek" towards the cabin which henceforth was to be her home. The lady pouted, and shook his hand off her arm, whilst the maidens laughed and clapped their hands, dancing in the dust-strewn sunlight with such hfgh-kk-king action as would win fame for any ballet dancer in Europe. The voting men jeered tho groom, and incited him to take charge of his own. He hung down his ebony head and looked sillily sullen, and tho bride continued to "pout." Have you ever seen a savage nigger wench pout, my masters? Verily it is a sight worth travelling far to see. First of all she wraps her mouth in a simper, and her lips look like a fold in a badly doubled blanket. Then slowly she draws the corners towards the centre, just as the universe will be crumpled up on the Day of Judgment. It is a beautiful sight; the mouth which when she smiled looked like a sword wound on the flank of a horso now, when the "pout" is complete, looks like a crumpled concertina. The groom again timidly advanced his hand towards the satin-covered arm of his spouse, and the "pout" became more pronounced than ever. The white of one eye was slyly turned towards tie bridesmaids, tho other rolled with infinite subtlety in the direction of him who was to be her lord and master, and the "pout" grew larger and larger [ until I was constrained to push my way amidst the maids to get a look behind the bride, for I fancied the back of her neck must surely have got somehow into the front of her face. When I got to the front a<*am tho " pout" was still growing, the rich°red lips in their midnight setting looking like rome giant rose in full bloom that an elephant's hoof had trodden upon. So the show proceeded. At last one of the bridesmaids stepped from amidst her sisters, and playfully pushed the bride in the direction of her home. Then the "pout" gave way to a smile, the white teeth gleaming in the gap like tombstones iu a Highland churchyard. I had been a bit scared at her " pout " but when she smiled I looked round anxiously for my horse. . After a little manoeuvring the blissful pair marched cabinwards, with the whole group of naked men and maids circling around them, stamping their bare feet, kicking up clouds of dust like n mob of travelling cattle. Tho men veiled some barbarous melody, flourished their arms, smote upon their breasts, and anon gripping a damsel by the waist circled afar like goats on a, green grass hill slope, the maids twisted and turned in fantastic figures, swaying their nobly-fashioned bodies hither and thither, whilst they kept up a continuous wailing, sing-song cry. So they passed from my sight into the regions 01 the honeymoon.