the days of my life-第17章

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provided　that　they　are　married　and；　except　for　good　reason　of　divorce；　supported　to　their　lives’　end。　Particularly　can　this　be　argued　where　natives　are　concerned　whose　very　intricate　laws　of　property　and　succession　are　closely　interwoven　with　this　custom　of　polygamy；　to　which　the　women　are；　or　were；　as　devotedly　attached　as　the　men。
A　Zulu　woman　does　not　as　a　rule　wish　to　be　obliged　to　bear　all　a　man’s　children　or　to　do　all　the　work　of　his　household。　She　likes　to　be　one　of　a　band　of　sisters　（for；　having　each　of　them　her　separate　little　establishment；　they　seldom　if　ever　quarrel）　and　to　share　in　the　dignity　of　being　one　of　a　numerous　family。　Moreover　their　habit　is；　from　the　time　that　they　find　themselves　with　prospects　of　motherhood；　to　live　apart　from　the　husband　until　the　child　is　weaned；　say　for　two　years；　which　law　results　in　the　production　of　a　race　that　is　physically　splendid。　Further；　polygamy　absorbs　all　the　women；　practically　none　are　left　without　husbands　or　fall　into　the　immoral　courses　which　are　the　scandal　of　civilised　nations。　Such　a　thing　as　a　“girl　of　the　streets”　is　scarcely　known　among　the　raw　Zulus。　If　it　were　explained　to　these；　for　instance；　that　in　this　country　alone　we　have　nearly　two　million　women　who　cannot　possibly　marry　because　there　is　no　man　to　marry　them；　or　fulfil　their　natural　function　of　child…bearing　without　being　called　vile　names；　they　would　on　their　part　think　that　state　of　affairs　extremely　wrong。　I　remember　a　story　of　a　well…educated　Zulu　who　was　told　that　the　Christian　law　laid　down　that　he　must　have　but　one　wife。　He　replied　that　he　would　like　to　study　that　law　for　himself；　and；　taking　away　a　Bible；　spent　some　months　in　reading　it　from　end　to　end。　At　last　he　returned　to　the　missionary　and　said　that　he　could　find　no　such　law　therein；　that；　on　the　contrary；　most　of　the　great　men　in　the　Book　appeared　to　have　had　many　wives。　Oham；　the　brother　of　Cetewayo　the　Zulu　king；　made　a　somewhat　similar　reply。　He　was　a　very　powerful　chief　who　desired　to　bee　a　Christian；　and　would　naturally　have　brought　many　other　converts　with　him。
“But；”　said　he；　“these　women　whom　you　wish　me　to　put　away　have　been　the　panions　of　my　life；　and　I　refuse　to　cast　them　on　the　world　in　their　age。”
So　Oham　remained　a　pagan；　at　least；　that　was　the　story　I　heard。
Another　aspect　of　the　case　is　that　because　of　its　attitude　towards　polygamy；　as　to　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　which　I　express　no　opinion　who　do　but　set　out　the　other　side　of　the　argument；　Christianity　can　scarcely　hope　to　pete　with　Islam　where　the　bulk　of　the　natives　of　Africa　are　concerned。　Islam　preaches　a　god　and　says；　“You　may　keep　your　wives；　but　you　must　give　up　spirituous　liquor。”　Christianity　also　preaches　a　god　but　says；　“You　must　put　away　all　wives　except　one；　but　spirituous　liquor　is　not　forbidden。”
Among　primitive　peoples　who　are　asked　to　abandon　practices　which　their　forefathers　have　followed　for　thousands　of　years；　one　can　guess　which　line　of　reasoning　is　likely　to　be　accepted；　especially　if　they　have　e　to　the　conclusion　that　intoxicating　drink　proves　more　injurious　to　the　individual　and　the　race　than　a　plurality　of　wives。
Once　of　late　years　I　made　a　speech　at　a　big　African　missionary　congress　in　London；　in　which　I　ventured　to　put　forward　these　aspects　of　the　case；　or　something　like　them。　There　were；　I　think；　five　bishops　on　the　platform；　and　I　was　rather　astonished　to　find　that　out　of　the　five　two　seemed　to　think　them　not　devoid　of　sense。　The　other　three；　however；　differed　strongly。
Colenso；　I　should　add；　was　unpopular　among　many　colonists；　not　on　account　of　religious　matters；　but　because　he　was　so　strong　and；　as　they　considered；　so　intemperate　an　advocate　of　the　rights　of　natives。　I　confess　that　here　again　I　find　myself　more　or　less　in　sympathy　with　him。　White　settlers；　especially　if　they　be　not　of　the　highest　order；　are　too　apt　to　hate；　despise；　and　revile　the　aboriginal　inhabitants　among　whom　they　find　themselves。　Often　this　is　because　they　fear　them；　or　even　more　frequently　because　the　coloured　people；　not　needing　to　do　so；　will　not　work　for　them　at　a　low　rate　of　wage。　For　example；　they　cannot　understand　why　these　blacks　should　object　to　spend　weeks　and　months　hundreds　of　feet　underground；　employed　in　the　digging　of　ore；　and；　in　their　hearts；　often　enough　would　like　to　pel　them　by　force　to　do　their　will。　Yet　surely　the　Kaffir　whose　land　we　have　taken　has　a　right　to　follow　his　own　opinions　and　convenience　on　this　subject。
Also　many　white　men　have；　or　used　to　have；　a　habit　of　personally　assaulting　natives；　frequently　upon　quite　insufficient　grounds。　They　say　or　said　that　these　would　do　nothing　unless　they　were　beaten。　I　do　not　believe　it。　Where　Zulus　are　concerned　at　least；　a　great　deal　depends　upon　the　person　in　authority　over　them。　No　race　is　quicker　at　discovering　any　alloy　of　base　metal　in　a　man’s　nature。　Many　who　are　called　“gentlemen”　among　us　on　account　of　their　wealth　or　station；　will　not　pass　as　such　with　them。　By　a　kind　of　instinct　they　know　the　true　article　when　they　see　it；　whatever　may　be　the　position　in　life　held　by　the　individual　in　question。　True　gentility；　as　I　have　seen　again　and　again；　is　not　the　prerogative　of　a　class　but　a　gift　innate　in　certain　members　of　all　classes；　and　by　no　means　a　mon　gift。　With　it　rank；　station；　wealth　have　nothing　to　do；　it　either　is　or　is　not　born　in　a　man；　and　still　more　so　in　a　woman。　To　the　Zulu　the　rest　are　what　he　calls　unfagozana；　that　is；　low　fellows。　These；　by　misfortune；　are　almost　always　in　the　majority。　Like　others；　savages　have　their　gentlefolk　and　their　mon　people；　but　with　all　their　faults　even　those　mon　people　are　not　vulgar　in　our　sense　of　the　word。　In　essential　matters　they　still　preserve　a　certain　dignity。　Of　course；　however；　I　talk　of　those　savages　whom　I　know。　There　may　be　others　among　whom　things　are　different。　Also；　in　this　respect　as　in　others；　matters　in　Africa　may　have　changed　since　my　day。　I　talk　of　a　bygone　generation。
One　last　word　about　Colenso。　His　native　name　of　“Usobantu”　shows　the　estimate　that　the　Kaffirs　formed　of　him。　It　means　“Father　of　the　People。”
Among　other　remarkable　Natalians　of　that　day　were　the　old　Chief　Justice　（was　not　his　name　O’Connor？）　and　Mr。　John　Bird；　the　Treasurer　of　the　Colony　and　the　piler　of　a　valuable　work　called　“The　Annals　of　Natal”　which　in　after　years　I　had　the　pleasure　of　reviewing　in　the　Saturday　Review。　The　Chief　Justice　has　always　remained　in　my　mind　because　of　his　curious　power　of　self…control。　I　remember　that　when　the　mail　came　in；　which　at　that　time　I　believe　was　only　once　a　month；　he　used　to　undo　the　many　Times　newspapers　that　it　brought　to　him　and　arrange　them　in　a　pile。　Then；　beginning　with　the　oldest　in　date；　on　each　day　he　would　read　his　Times；　nor；　however　exciting　might　be　the　news；　would　he　suffer　himself　to　anticipate　its　daily　development。　He　never　looked　at　the　end　of　the　story。　Thus　did　he　delude　himself　into　the　belief　that　he　was　still　in　England　and　receiving　his　morning　paper　wet　from　the　press。　The　drawback　to　the　system　was　that　he　was　always　a　month　behind　the　Natal　world　and　two　behind　that　of　Europe。
Mr。　John　Bird；　a　dear　old　gentleman；　had　the　most　marvellous　memory　of　any　man　I　have　ever　known。　He　told　me　that　if　he　once　read　anything　he　liked　he　remembered　it；　if　he　read　it　twice　he　remembered　it　without　error；　if　he　read　it　thrice　he　never　forgot　it。　In　his　youth　he　had　been　a　surveyor；　and　in　the　course　of　his　long　waggon　journeys　in　the　Cape　he　taught　himself　Greek。　I　have　heard　him　offer　to　bet　anyone　five　pounds　that　he　would　repeat　any　book　in　Homer　that　might　be　selected　without　making　five　mistakes。　Also　I　heard　him　give　a　lecture　on　“The　Pleasures　of　Memory”　which　was　nearly　two　hours　long。　In　the　course　of　this　lecture　he　made　dozens　of　quotations　from　all　sorts　of　authors　and　never　used　a　single　note。
The　only　instance　that　I　can　recollect　of　parallel　powers　was　that　of　a　gentleman　who　could　repeat　all　my　romance；　“She；”　without　a　mistake。　I　believe　he　was　a　South　African；　and　I　imagine　he　must　have　been　a　relative　of　Mr。　Bird。
But　the　most　interesting　man　of　all　with　whom　I　came　in　contact　in　Natal　was　one　who　afterwards　became　my　beloved　chief　and　friend；　for；　notwithstandi