SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12423, 12 February 1901, Page 2

SOUTH AFRICA.

"THE BLACK HORROR." . A CHAT ABOUT THE NATIVES, liaat week a representative of this journal had a rihort interview with Mrs J. F. Gammon, of Christchurch, who lived in South Africa, for about a year and returned home a short time ago, ' Mrs Gunnion spent most of the twelve months in Cape Colony .and Natal, and' was specially observant with regard to the social conditions of the people. She says at is evident that the native trouble is likely to assume very large proportions by-and-bye. Before the country was extensively settled, the native population was kept im "check by the internecine tribal wars which were waged incessantly, but now that these wars have been stopped, the black population is increasing, so rapidly that it is becoming a-menace to the white people. In both colonies, and especially in Natal, the colour line is drawn very distinctly. The smallest drop of native blood, or even the merest suspicion of it, is sufficient to have a man or woman ostracised from society.In Natal tire natives are Zulus, Swazis and Basutos. The Zulus are described as being splendid specimens of humanity, with a, dignified carriage. Many of them are very independent in mind. The "boys," as they are called, are employed! as servants by the white people, and they are also in the police force. The black policemen follow the white ones, and arrest only native offenders against the) law. Tliey wear knee-breeches, but no boots. They grease their legs till they shine again, and sometimes they will be seen to stop on their rounds in order to carry out this practice. In Durban, natives drag the rickshas. They run along with a swinging trot, and cover a good deal of ground. The rickshas, which have pneumatic tyres, make no noise, and a ride in them is described as being a delightful sensation. The natives seem to be treated very kindly in Natal, and they appear to be quite happy and contented, though the white people hold entirely aloof from them in all social relationships. They are honest, as a rule, and fairly intelligent. If they take a liking to a man, they will do almost anything for him. For their women, they have practically no respect whatever. It i* the women who are supposed to do all the hard work. A Zulu looks forward to the time when. he will have saved sufficient money to buy several wives. They attend to the mealie patches and similar things, and the Zulu himself lives ai life of idleness and ease. The women fall in with this order of things. They look askance at the prop'ogandists of Christianity, as they say that if each man is allowed to have only one wife all the hard work( of the family will fall on her, whereas at x -present there are several wives to bear the burden.