NTKRIOK OK A ZUI-U HUT.
THE AMAZLILU NATIUN.
FROM the gi-eat range of snowy mountains known as the Quathlambas or White MouDtaiiis, which I'uu parallel
to the south-east coast of Africa, from latitude twenty-nine degrees, ahnost as far north as Delagoa Bay, there extends
a belt of c o u n t r y sti'etchiug: away to the Indian Ocean and averaging a breadt h of about two hundred miles; this
country is rich and fertile iu the extreme, abounding in pasturage and wood, well watered by meandering rivers, that
have their rise among the mountains and flow into the Indian Ocean, and abounding in game of all sorts, as the
elephant, the white rhinoceras, the hippopotamus, the buffalo, tlie eland, the koodoo, and other lai'ge animals, as well
as lions, leopards, and hysenas: the broad, sluggish rivers are infested with crocodiles, and enonnous serpente (python')
are concealed in the jungles near the sea-coast. Tlie climate partakes of a tropical character, heavy rains occurring
d u r i n g the summer months.» which cause the vegetation to be luxuriant throughout the year, Thunder and lightning
are unusually violent: and although the climate in the lower districts is damp and sultry, where several kiuds of fever
prevail, and the paarde ziehte, or horse-sickness, is very severe after the rainy season, yet the upland country is temperate
and healthy, and the climate remarkably delightful, This fine, wide, fertile country is s tudde d thickly with lesser
mountain chains, gradually rising until they i-each the snowy ridges of Quathlamba, which may be termed the backbone
of Southern Aft-icu: and it is p e o p l ed almost exclusively by Zulus, amounting, as nearly as can be estimated, to three
hundred thousand, who arc subject to the despotic nUe of Umpanda, brother of Dingaan and of Chaka surnamed the
Bioody, who is the present monarch of the Amazukif nation.
The Zulus are a fine race of Kafirs, superior iu stature and physical strength to their neighbours the Bechuanas,
who occujiy the c<iiintry on the western side of the Quathlamba ranges. In elegance of shape and beauty of figui-e,
as well as in t h e style and variety of their savage costume, the Zulus are as superior to the other Kafir tribes as
they are in their warlike chai-acter and the courage and braveiy they exhibit in battle- Unlike the frontier Katirs,
who throw the assagai, and ^v'hose mode of warfare consiste in lying in ambuscade and stealing unawares upon their
foe at an unexpected moment, the Zulus fight boldly in the open field with the most determined bravery, and use a
short stabbing assagai foi' pereonal combat. The Amazulu are a nation of wan-iors. and their motto is, " to conquer
or to die,"i
• irsunly from November till April, tliough mucli rain often ftlls during ihe montlis of Auguel and September,
t Tb<- «ord Anminli, means lilerally Ihe "Celestials," Tlie « at Ihe beginning of the word is an adjunct, >rhicb se
whieh it is joined; the prefix ma coojbined with whcih mgnifiej Ainiw' , shews thnt this word is in the plural.
i The Bustios term mri m Mntib'li. (kmc «¡ho dUappiar, from their benig «linosI hdi behnid their mimense sheidls.
0 determine the vord