LANGUAGE OF COLOURS AMONGST THE ZULUS. 16o 



Grreen beads . = ubulilalu obuluhlaza (from u lu- 



ll 1 a z a, new grass) . 

 Striped beads . = intotovij-ane (lit. large stripeil 



o-rassliopper). 

 Pink beads . = u b u li 1 a 1 u o b u ni p o f u (from i m p o f u, 



poor, poverty). 

 Transparent brown 



beads . = umlil\van;i (lit. a low jfire). 



Dark blue beads = inkankane (lit. Common Ibis). 



Large-sized beads of 



any colour . = amapolilo w amaqanda (ama- 



qanda means eggs). 



Anyone uninitiated in the secret meaning of the different 

 beads, and seeing, for example, a number of white beads 

 followed by a few red, green, blue, and black, and then again 

 Avhite, red, green, blue, and black in the same succession and 

 the same number of each kind of bead, might think that the 

 arrangement was simply for the sake of ornament and s^-m- 

 metry. But a kraal-native would say it was a letter, and 

 would call it so, i.e. incwadi, or better, ubala abuyise, 

 which means " one writes in order that the other should 

 reply." In this way an uneducated Zulu girl Avill present her 

 sweetheart with an ubala abuyise, and will expect his visit 

 in return. 



A variety of different bead ornaments are used as letters in 

 this way, the chief of which are illustrated in the accom- 

 panying plate. 



Fig. 1, ingeje, a single bead string. 



Fig. 2, umampapeni, one square of beads with one or 

 more bead strings. 



Fig. 3, ulimi (lit. tongue), one long oblong piece of bead- 

 work with one or more bead strings. 



Fig. 4, igcagcane, a necklet consisting of a number of 

 connected small squares of bead work. 



These illustrations are taken from actual specimens in the 

 Natal Government Museum, and the colours represent, asnearjy 

 as possible, the favourite shades established by custom. 



