MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 485 



her partner, who, in his turn, pours some of the -water first upon her hands, 

 and then upon those of his friends, until it is exhausted, when he returns it 

 to her. The bride then throws the beads at his feet, which any of the party 

 but himself are at libeity to piclc up and possess — in fact, it becomes a sort of 

 scramble. This, as I am informed by a native (for I have never witnessed 

 it), finishes the ceremonies on such occasions — subordinate, however, to the 

 all- important consideration of cattle; for, until that is duly arranged, the 

 consent of all parties is held in abeyance. 



"The usual sum demanded is from four to six cows, according to the cir- 

 cumstance of the parties, though, in the case of chiefs' daughters, from 

 twenty to fifty, or one hundred head, are not unfrequent ; not, indeed, by 

 way of dower,' but as a present to the father or nearest relative of the lady, 

 and partaking too much of the character of a commercial baiter. For the 

 acquisition of this species of property Dingarn has a great propensity, often 

 discarding a concubine, and obliging some wealthy subject to marry her, for 

 the sake of the herd of cattle which he must receive on the occasion. 



" Among the Kafir tribes, the marriage ceremonies are much more signifi- 

 cant. When all are assembled, a broom, a bowl, and a grinding-stone are 

 presented to the bride, and some assegais and an axe to the bridegroom, as 

 indicatory of their different occupations, while both are exhorted by the elders 

 of the place to industry and good conduct. 



" Both Jama and Senzanakona were married, but Charka, in order to 

 support his miJitarv system, broke through this rule, partly, it is supposed, 

 by way of example to his subjects, and partly under an idea that, as long as 

 he continued unmarried, he would not be regarded as a veteran, and, conse- 

 quently, his life would be less liable to be cut short by the ambition of his 

 successor, or the intrigues of his subjects. The latter object, connected with 

 an evident desire to imitate his talented but inhuman brother, seems to be 

 the sole inducement with Dingarn to perpetuate this departure from the bet- 

 ter practice of his forefathers. His frequent boast, " I am but a boy — I am 

 too young to marry," although at this present moment about forty years of 

 age, when taken in connection with the example of his predecessor, can have 

 no other rational meaning. 



" In connection with this subject, there is a tragedy too dark to be probed. 

 Neither Charka nor Dingarn ever allowed that they had any children, and it 

 would be instant death to any subject who should make such an assertion ! 

 My enquiries on this particular were always met with evasion or constrained 

 silence— a kind of inquisitorial blight at once palsied the tongue, which until 

 that instant had been communicative and loquacious. What could this mean? 

 Two facts, painfully notorious, will sufficiently explain. On one occasion, 

 perhaps from some faint expectation of its being spared, an infant was pre- 

 sented to Charka— the " hyona-man" instantly seized his own child by the 

 heels, and, with one blow, deprived it of that life which with such a father it 

 could have been no privilege to enjoy. This horrid deed was only surpassed 

 by the immediate murder of the agonized mother, whose eyes closed with the 

 vivid impressions of the scene she had beheld." 



One more extract, on the " Dress and personal Appearance" of the in- 

 habitants of Zoolu country, and we must close our notice, however unwil- 

 lingly : — 



"Dress and Personal Jjipearance. — Little can be said on the first particular, 

 with respect to the men, whose undress, with the exception of a few dangling 

 strips of fur suspended from the waist, is but too notorious. Many of the 

 younger women wear merely a fringe belt, made of the fibres of a root ; but 

 a short bkin petticoat, reaching nearly to the bend of the knee, is the usual 

 costume. Both men and women shave their heads close, the former leaving 

 only sufficient to attach the issigoko, or ring, and the latter, a small tuft, 

 called embceti, on the crown, which is carefully coloured with red ochre ; but 

 neither are worn until the individual has arrived at the age of maturity, prior 



