164 KEV. FATHER FKANZ MAYE. 



The simplest form of ubala abuyise, or letter, is an 

 ingeje, or single bead string (fig. 1), consisting of only two 

 kinds of beads. In this specimen one half of the string con- 

 sists of white beads, and the other half of pink. The mean- 

 ing of this wonld be, that the girl's heart is full of love (white 

 beads), but she tells her lover by the same number of pink 

 beads that his poverty is as great as her love towards him. 

 This implies, of course, an earnest appeal to him to work hard 

 in order to get the cattle for the lobola, or payment, neces- 

 sary to buy her from her father or guardian. 



To express wealth yellow beads are used. 



The remaining figures in the plate represent more com- 

 plicated letters; and a succession of white, red, green, blue 

 and black beads, for example, would be interpreted in the 

 following way : 



Inhliziyo yami imhlope ngezinsuku ezikude (ex- 

 pressed by the numerous white beads). Kodwa sengi- 

 kubeke, amelilo ami az'abomvu (red beads). Nang'- 

 ubala abuyise, kepa sengizacile ngaza nga'luhlaza 

 (green beads). Uma bengi 1 ijnba, bengizaundiza 

 ngiyocotsha emyango kwenn (blue beads). Ngivin- 

 j e 1 Av e u b u m n y a m a n g i n g e z e n g a y a k u w e (black beads) . 

 Kodwa inhliziyo yami imhlope, etc. (white beads — the 

 same story is repeated again and again). 



The Zulu idiom can never be expressed in English, and 

 in a translation the letter loses much of its force ; but it 

 would run in some such fashion as the following. My heart 

 is pure and white in the long weary days (white beads). My 

 eyes are sore and red by looking out for you so long (red 

 beads). Nang'ubal'abuyise = here is my letter to you. I 

 have become quite lean and sickly (green beads). If I wei-e 

 a dove I would fly to your home and pick up food at your 

 door (blue beads). Darkness prevents my coming to you 

 (black beads). But my heart is pure, etc., etc., and the 

 whole message would be repeated several times. 



The actual pattern does not appear to have any defined 

 significance ; it is rather the succession of colour, and the 



