NATIVE CHILD LIFE. 677 



At the age of puberty the girls are given a cotton blanket to 

 wrap round themselves, and at this period practices are indulged 

 in which, to say the least, are not calculated to promote the 

 purity of the young people. 



Native children are extremely " old-fashioned " in their 

 knowledge of erotic matters, and their environment is such that 

 they are being continually reminded of these things. 



In some tribes circumcision is carried out with subsequent 

 rites degrading to both sexes. 



Discipline is exceedingly lax. With the exception of the 

 very young child, who is punished by phlebotomy, the older 

 children are allowed to do almost as they please. The occasions 

 on which the boys may sustain a good whipping are when the 

 herding has been neglected and the stock has been in the gardens, 

 or the calves have drained their mothers of milk. In such cases 

 the umnmnzana usually bides his time, and restrains his wrath 

 until the youngsters come home tired and hungry from the fields. 

 A tempting dish of curds and whey (called amusi) is placed in 

 the hut, and the boys invited to enjoy a good meal. No sooner 

 have they sat down to the appetising repast than the irate parent 

 comes in. armed with a supple switch, blocks the doorway, and 

 lays on lustily ! As a rule. Native parents are very affectionate 

 towards their children, and the young people themselves love 

 their homes, their relatives and their surroundings. On the 

 whole there is no idea of respect instilled, nor is obedience en- 

 forced. 



The little boys are expected to tend the calves ; the youths 

 herd the stock and assist in the ploughing or in any work that 

 may be considered necessary for the time being. 



Labour of any kind is looked upon as an unfortunate neces- 

 sity, to be got through with as speedily as possible. The little 

 g:rls are seldom punished, but they are expected to learn how to 

 cook, sweep, prepare grain for umvubo, make amasi, brew beer, 

 tend the babies, fetch and carry, and perform all the necessary 

 household duties. The girl will become in time the burden- 

 bearer ; she will be called upon to accomplish most of the work 

 in the home, including the weeding of the gardens, etc., conse- 

 quently she must know what to do, and recognise her position 

 as the worker. On one occasion the writer met a Native on 

 horseback coming along a path followed by his wife, who carried 

 a bundle on her head, a baby on her back, and several articles 

 in each hand. When it was suggested to the husband that he 

 should assist in bearing the burdens, he replied, with the greatest 

 astonishment depicted on his swarthy countenance. " I am not a 

 woman, I am a man!" On another occasion the writer saw 

 some girls attempting to lift large bundles of faggots on to their 

 heads, while several youths sat by looking on quite unconcerned. 

 " They are the workers ! " was the retort given to a reprimand 

 for their lack of courtesy. I submit that the above are no doubt 

 extreme cases, nevertheless the fact remains that the principle 

 pervades the Native mind, beginning in childhood to manifest 

 itself by the absence of respect towards the weaker sex. 



