Blach Population of Natal. 193 



anklets of beads, and with broad fringed belts of beads that 

 are arranged not untastefully across their hips. When they 

 become wives and mothers they adopt a matronly costume, 

 which consists of a short petticoat extending from the waist to 

 the knee. With advancing years the petticoated wives and 

 mothers pass rapidly into petticoated hags. 



Such , in general outline, is the nature of the raw material ; 

 such is the Kaffir of Natal in his wild state, and in his simple 

 bodily aspect. There is something more to be said of what 

 lies a little deeper than the outward skin, for barbarian as the 

 wild Kaffir naturally is, he is nevertheless subjected to the 

 influence of a certain kind of culture and training even in 

 his most savage condition. His education properly begins 

 even before he falls within the sphere of the white man's 

 operations. This topic, however, must be reserved for a 

 future occasion. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



The engraving represents the group of Ngoza and four of 

 his attendants, alluded to at page 191. The background is 

 formed of the chiefs principal huts, in a large kraal near the 

 Maritzburg Table Mountain. The engraving is made from a 

 photograph by Mr. Bowman, of Natal, and is therefore a very 

 exact representation of Kaffir military costume. The tails of 

 the dress are formed of strips of furred skin, often spirally 

 curled after they have been cut. The feathers have necessarily 

 lost some of their distinctness and splendour in delineation, 

 in consequence of movement communicated to their light 

 pinnas by the wind. The greaves on the chiefs legs are not 

 altogether up to the mark. The right thing is that they 

 should be formed of the actual tails of white oxen ! It is 

 jDrobable that oxen are not now slaughtered upon quite so 

 large a scale in Natal as when hostile raids and war were 

 more the order of the day ; and hence even wealthy chieftains 

 are put to some shifts to keep up a due appearance in the 

 altered state of affairs. Ngoza has, as mentioned above, one 

 head-dress, which he provided, on the occasion of Prince 

 Alfred's visit, at a cost of £30. It is principally composed of 

 ostrich feathers, dyed crimson. He did not chance to be wear- 

 ing this particular piece of costume when the group of the 

 engraving was taken. 



VOL. X. — NO. III. 



