IIDA : A ZULU FARM LABOURER

y IDA is possibly forty years of age—he does not know this with any certainty—but at the time of the outbreak of the Boer War he was just emerging from the native adolescent stage, and would be about thirteen or fourteen. At this time he was urged to " do his bit " for the Queen and Empire. He had no high ideals of patriotism. He was black, and suffered the indignity of having to clothe himself from the neck to the knee, and was forbidden to walk on the pavement when visiting the larger towns. His place was the road with other beasts of burden, such as horses, mules, oxen, asses and ricksha-pullers.

The promise of untold wealth urged him to " do his bit." He would receive D. per month as a leader of sixteen transport oxen yoked to a heavy wagon. This laid the foundation of his fortune and, incidentally, first introduced him to such things as bread, biscuits, jam, tea, coffee, tinned-meats, trousers, shirts, coats, boots and other delicacies peculiar to the white man. One pound per month and high living f It was good to be a patriot. His previous earnings had never exceeded 2s. 6d. per month, and his rations of two and a half pounds of maize meal daily.

Subsequently he " did his bit " for King Edward and King George. On each occasion he was highly paid for his services, and lived on the fat of the Empire and the 'United StateS of America packed in tins and bags.

Unfortunately wars are the exception and not the rule. In the meantime one had to live somewhere, work for very little and live almost exclusively on maize. Over twenty years ago he chose, as we call it, to " squat '' on my Natal farm. He has wonderful ideas of high finance, and the monies obtained from the disturbances within and without the Great Empire, of which he is an efficient though black member, have been well invested. His first year's savings amounted to no less than £11 15s. It could have been £12 had he not spent 1s. of it on a mouth organ and four shillings on tobacco. From the money saved he purchased two in-calf heifers. When he was " demobbed " in 1902 his herd of cattle had increased to six. He was then a man of sixteen or seventeen, so he exchanged" his cattle for a wife. Wives are expensive, the market value being no less than eleven head of stock. Fortunately they may be obtained, like other embellishments of a home, on the hire-purchase systeni. The balance was duly delivered, and he became a registered married man, a kiaaI-head, and paid 14s. per annum to the Government by way of Hut Tax.

He then came and resided on my farm, and possessed, besides the wife and child, fourteen game fowls, a goat with twin kids at foot, a few blankets and other odd- ments. Marriage had impoverished him. We entered Into the usual unwritten contract. I, on my part,, would supply two to four acres of land for cultivating crops, grazing for ten head of cattle, and payment at the rate of fourpence per day for male adults, twopence for female adults, and from one halfpenny to threepence to other members of the kraal, according to their ability, age, and sex. He, and other members of his family, would labour for 180 days per annum and would receive, the agreed wages, plus 75 lbs. of maize meal, 10 lbs. of salt, and 3 lbs. of wheaten bran per thirty working days.

We get on very well ; our unwritten contract has never been discussed or violated since we agreed upon it. The only time he has failed to work his 180 days was when he " joined up " with my permission and he has never ceased to express his gratitude. He does not go as a fighting man ; he joins the army of ox, mule or horse drivers or leaders, or even as a herd of loot, or captured stock. He has never received any sort .of. decoration or medal, but the wealth amassed has brought. him no less than four wives, and, at the time of writing, twenty-three living children. He is one of the few people who thoroughly approve of war. He has never heard of the League of Nations or the Locarno Agree- ments. If I explained the idea to him he would politely listen to all I had to say—and thoroughly disbelieve me.

Throughout his life there has been a war every six or eight years. Sometimes white fought black, or white fought white ; never black against black. To him the cause of war is the over-stocking of the land with cattle or sheep, and the consequent shortage of grazing. The herds of the white man multiply, pastures become inadequate, war is waged, and thus is obtained the additional grazing.

" Father," he said to me (it being the Zulu custom to tall every superior " father') " the land 'is becoming over-stocked with cattle and sheep. It is time for another war. Let us go together, you and I."

" Iida," I replied, " you have four wives. Is it a fifth you desire ? "

" Father," he answered, " every girl wants a husband, children and a home of her own."

There is little that lida cannot do on a farm. He can plough, plant, cultivate, use a mower or reaper ; erect fences, lay bricks and stone foundations for buildings, milk a cow, prepare cattle for shows, " doll them up " as well as any white stockman ; break-in horses or: draught-bullocks ; plant trees, pick, grade and pack deciduous or citrus fruits ; tend an oil engine, and drive a car'or tractor. He works from sunrise to sunset for a little over one farthing per hour, plus food valued at twopence per day. For 180 consecutive days he does this. The other 185 I imagine lie spends in sleep, .drinking the native beer brewed by his wives, endeavouring to commit the names of his children to memory, and wondering when.

the next war will begin. • We shall have to part soon. Ten of his daughters are rapidly becoming eligible for the marriage market. This means he will eventually exchange them for about 100 head of cattle. I have but grazing. for 250 head of my own. I dread the day when I shall be forced to: give him notice to quit. To have him converted from heathen to Christian would be useless. He would be willingly accepted, wives and all, but would still receive the eleven head of cattle for each daughter. The only difference in law between the heathen and Christian is that the latter lays himself open to prosecution for bigamy after he is -converted.

• " Iida," I said to him recently, " I want you to make and erect some gates, obtain some oak logs, cast them to the pit and saw them into three by two, by sixteen feet. Impi can help you."

" Father," he replied, " I am . but a louse in our blanket. I am but a dog. I am your black son. You- are the slayer of my enemies, and the air I breathe. It shall be done,. Father."

I knew it _would be so. Yet when his daughters marry I shall have to give him the sack. No EurOpean will allow him to squat with his 100 head of cattle. The Native Reserves are already over-stocked and all the arable land " worn out."

What will happen to Iida ? There are but two ways out of it : another war, from which Iida fails to return, or. a. cattle plague to wipe out all the horned stock of the country. Both . have happened very often in South Africa and may do so again. NINTH FOOT.