Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1891 — Tough Old Zulu Chiefs. [ARTICLE]

Tough Old Zulu Chiefs.

TJje old chiefs in South America know nothing about trekking, and on several occasions became so impatient that they started off on foot ahead ol the wagons, writes a correspondent ol the London Telegraph. One day they had to walk thirty-seven miles before reaching water, and then had to wait two days on scant rations before we came up with them. One of these men is seventy-five years old, but the tough old Zulu’(the Matabele rulers are of Zulu origin) was none the worse for the escapade. On another occasion, in spite of our warnings, they left us. armed only with assegais, in the worst part of the lion country. When we followed a few hours afterward we saw to oar horror that their footprints in the sand had been partially obliterated by the spoor of a lion.’ Fortunately, however, he had followed them only for some hundred yards, and then, probably not being hungry, he wandcrod off toward a pool of water. Such vagaries were to us a source of constant anxiety, for how could we face the king without bringing back his Indunasr Our own lives would not have been safe. We should have been claimed as impostors or accused ol witchcraft. However, we managed to divert their minds and keep them employed at the wagons by shooting twen’.v-six gray monkeys for them. The skips ol this particular species arc only worn by royalty or big chiefs.