Note 175 — Chapter XXII · SIR GARNET WOLSELEY—CAPTURE OF CETSHWAYO.

Amongst the wild natives of South Africa it is thought that the carrying of burdens is not a manly task. In a family of travelling Zulus the women and lads perform the duties of carriers, while the man of the party marches ahead, unencumbered except by his weapons, ready if necessary to defend his flock against the attack of man or beast. An officer, travelling in the eastern province some years ago, met and questioned a party proceeding in this fashion. “Why,” he asked the leader of the little band, “do you allow these women and girls to carry heavy loads, while you, a strong able-bodied man, have nothing but your assegais and knob-kerries in your hand?” Such questions are not seldom resented when they touch on native customs, and are asked in an overbearing manner. This officer was uniformly kind and courteous to the natives, and the man smilingly replied, “It is our custom, and the women prefer it;” referring his questioner to the women themselves for their opinion. The chief of these latter thereupon replied, with much grace and dignity: “Does the white chief think we would let our man do woman’s work? It is our work to carry, and we should not like to see him do it.”