ZULU MARRIAGES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2360, 3 May 1901, Page 6

ZULU MARRIAGES.

There is freedom of choice in the matter of marriage amove the Zulus. The oily restrielion is that the youug people must select one ii other out of the reginaents " told off " to marry, or out of the older ones. Courtship imong tbtm goes on as it does »11 the world ever, falling out and in agiin. It yari(S a little according to the pofitiou of the lady, or her ieclinaiiou. Tbeie is a sort of leap-year arrangement which permits a girl to mskeihe proposal (f marriags. It is mauaged with tbe utmost decorum and secrecy. For<xarnple, if * Zulu giil has stt her heart upon a yyung man sbe will suddenly disappear from her home—her relations arc rot supposed to know where sbe has gone—and takine a confidential friend with her she goes to the home of tbe favoured swain, and if V.is parrots receive her she is treated as lis future bride, and arrangements for tte wedding begin. If she does not dud favour with the young man, her visit is not received, she is returned to her own home with thinks, tbe object of ber uniequited attachment usually making a handsome present to ease her feeing'". Avi ry romantic case of this bind came under my own aotice. I bad, snys Mi s Cilenso, a dear iittle raaid-servaut, and sbe was quite a young lady in her way, and was the d&ughter of the first chief my father befriended when be was sent prisoner to the Cape. She was taken care of at tbe Missicn, and educated at our school, after which she came into my service. Her ways were very nice and particular,and sbe was most refined and delicate in her feelings. As the dau.gb.tr-r of a gieat chief she would have had many suitors if it had not btm for European intervention, but, as it was, the poor girl was quite " out of it.'' In due time, however, my yc uig friend suddenly disappeared. SLe had set off, I discovered, with a companion l>r tbe home of one of the principal chiefs. Her visit was received with favour, aid she is now bis honourable wife, and occasionally comes to see me when lam at home in Natal. Tbrre is Mich a thing as divorce, A husband may send bis wife back horee for misconduct If tbia is prove I,then the husband takes back tbe cattle which be gave as a marriege offering. The cattle which a bridegroom hands over to the bride's fasily are not the price paid for a wife, but merely a kind of hostage for her good conduct. It sbe misbehaves fhe goes back to her father, and tbe cattle are returned. Ihe higher ttie rank of tbo lady, the larger the offeriog is expected to be. When a great chief marries his principal wife who is to be tbe mother of the heir, the whole tribe make the offering to the l riJe's pariiits. as it is considered a national duty. There wis originally no mercenary fe. 1iiig in tie matter, but we have introduced that by fixing Ibe number of the cattle. The roarlinge law is very strict among the Zulus, and it is enforced equally on both sexes. Under the old law adultery meant death for tbe two offenders. An incident arising out of that was the alleged excuse for invading Zululand, although it only happened when our preparations for war were far advanced. Two wives of a Zulu ctief loft home with Natal lovers. Two sons by other wives followed, snd carried back both women and put them to death. This was, of course, au extreme- measure, which I do not defend. Tbe British Government demanded that the kiog should find the two h. n* and hand them over to be dealt with by tbe Natal Government. He repljpd, as I believe truthfully, that the men were in biding, and could not be found, and offered is pay a fine as be was unabln to comply with tbo dtroands of the (lovrrument. The authorities would not accept this, and Ibis incident was alleged as one excuse for tbe invasion of Zululand. The point of the incident is that it took place when our gouboits were ready, on tbe coast.