430 Kaffir Promise and Capability. 



lands of Abyssinia. The southern and eastern Arabs, or 

 Kahtanic variety, manifest a remarkable sympathy towards 

 Africans, and readily admit the negro races to social fellow- 

 ship, not unfrequently intermarrying with them. The emanci- 

 pated negro in Oman commonly gives his sons and daughters 

 to the middle or lower class of Arab families, and the mixed 

 race springing from these unions are called the " Benoo- 

 kkodeyr," or " Sons of the Green one." Mr. Palgrave states 

 that it has been his fate to be honoured by the intimacy of 

 more than one handsome " Green-man," with a silver-hilted 

 sword at his side, and a rich dress upon his dusky skin, but 

 denominated sheykh, or emir, and who was humbly sued to 

 by Arabs of the purest Ismaelitic or Kahtanic pedigree. In 

 reading his description one is almost induced to think that 

 Othello must have been a " Benoo-khodeyr." The Arab town 

 of Riad is full of " Green-men" shopkeepers, merchants, and 

 officers of government. The Ismaelitic Arabs are reserved, 

 self-contained, and of gloomy temper, and narrow and con- 

 centrated intellect and will. The Kahtanic Arabs are frank, 

 impulsive, light-hearted, and of social instincts and habits, 

 like the Kaffirs. It must also be added, that so far as the 

 brown, olive, or yellow hue of the skin is concerned, there are 

 unquestionably " Green-men" among the Kaffirs. 



In considering the capabilities and possible future of the 

 Kaffir races of Natal, there very naturally arises, first and 

 foremost, the question of hard work. What are they worth, 

 or likely to become worth, as beasts of burthen, and as '*' sons 

 of toil." They do not take to bodily labour naturally; there 

 can be no doubt about that. But when impelled by circum- 

 stances to waive their personal inclinations and predilections in 

 this particular, they can do hard work, and do it well. In the 

 agricultural districts of the colony, Kaffirs are now hired, as 

 field labourers, in considerable numbers. They go to work 

 under monthly engagements, and receive from six to ten 

 shillings per month, and rations, for their service ; their food 

 being principally Indian corn, which costs about ten shillings 

 per month for each man. They need to be looked after 

 carefully, and also require, in most instances, to be shown 

 exactly what they are to do. They work very well in gangs, 

 headed by white men. Most of the public works in the colony 

 are carried out by Kaffirs in this way. The roads are made by 

 them. Considerable numbers of them have been cni])l<>\ id in 

 the harbour works at Durban for some time; and perhaps in 

 this particular labour their powers of endurance and perform- 

 ance have been more fairly and fully tested than in any other 

 instance. Mr. Arnold Taylor, the agent of the contractor for 

 the construction of these works, had between three hundred 



