46 NATIVE FEMALES. 



planting, and reaping, are occupations that devolve 

 wholly upon the females ; and besides these severe em- 

 ployments they are " hewers of wood and drawers of 

 water." Like those of the earliest ages, " at the 

 time of the evening, even the time when women go 

 out to draw water," numbers of Caffer mothers are 

 frequently seen with their sucking children tied on 

 their backs, and with vessels upon their heads, trudg- 

 ing towards the fountain or river for water — a custom 

 which appears also to have prevailed in the days of 

 Homer *. 



On the death of the husband the wife is compelled 

 to leave the kraal, when her relations and friends set 

 lire to the hut inhabited by the deceased, breaking 

 all the utensils which it contained, and consuming 

 them in the flames ; but sharing among themselves 

 all the beads, and similar articles of value, the un- 

 fortunate widow being reduced to utter destitution. 

 " Since the death of Islambie/' (says Mr. Young in 

 a letter from Mount Coke,) '■' almost all the people 

 of this tribe, both small and great, have shaved their 

 heads, which is a custom among them when any of 

 their great chiefs die, and gives them a very singular 

 appearance. All the wives of Islambie (ten in num- 

 ber) are now gone into the bush, where they will 

 remain for some time. Their karosses, caps, &c, 

 are buried, and their beads, buttons, and other trinkets 

 are given away ; so that when the time is expired for 

 * Kav's Caffrarian Researches. 



