Blach Population of Natal. 187 



allegiance of the peaceful chief Uinpanda was transferred to 

 the new masters. 



Umpanda still sits in his big royal kraal beyond the Tugela 

 River, which has been established as the boundary that sepa- 

 rates the British territory from independent Zululand, sur- 

 rounded by his wives and children, and by his flocks and 

 herds ; and sends ambassadors over from time to time to confer 

 with the Colonial authorities, and get their advice on matters 

 of delicacy and difficulty. But Umpanda's days have not been 

 altogether roseate ones. Umpanda is now a very portly 

 potentate, and a martyr to gout. He has to be dragged about 

 npon wheels, and when he enters upon a journey his atten- 

 dants take off the front wheels of his travelling waggon, and 

 slide the royal body up ; and then lift up the waggon by sheer 

 force to re-insert the wheels upon the axle. Now, an invalid 

 and obese king, thus absolutely dependent upon the care of 

 his people, is very convenient and satisfactory to peaceable 

 neighbours, but, in another sense, not altogether qualified to 

 fulfil the cravings of a glorious tradition. Umpanda and his 

 cart do not glitter in young Zulu eyes, when young Zulu ears 

 have beard of the stride of the conquering Chaka, at the 

 head of his light-footed legions. Since Ckaka's time it has 

 been the custom to band all male Zulus above adult ag-e into 

 regiments, and to bring these regiments in succession to the 

 royal kraals for service. The ordinary service consists mainly 

 in building huts and fences, and in milking and herding the 

 cows belonging to the king. The captains and chief men of 

 the regiments reside in huts appointed to them by the king, 

 but receive their daily food from their own people. They have 

 a claim, however, to certain gratuities of cattle as a guerdon 

 for the service. 



In Chaka's time there was no difficulty about these gratui- 

 ties ; there was then constant war, and the spoils of the 

 vanquished readily furnished the royal pay. Umpanda, on 

 the other hand, has no extrinsic supply of this character to 

 draw upon. He rules in the interest of peace, and has to rely 

 entirely upon bis own internal resources to meet the expenses 

 of his state. Consequently, the chief men assembled at his 

 place, commonly return to their kraals empty-handed, at 

 the end of their terms of service. Some time since, as a 

 measure of state economy, the king gave his eldest sons per- 

 mission to found kraals of their own, and to go to reside in 

 them. A natural result of this combination of circumstances 

 has been that these kraals have come to be the resort of dis- 

 satisfied and disaffected men, who attach themselves to the 

 persons of the young chieftains, and encourage them to set up 

 on their own account. This is technically termed "living 



