ZULUS AT THE PLAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 92, 17 April 1880, Page 2

ZULUS AT THE PLAY.

( Says "Atlas" in Vxq World i-r-^'l ljoked iv at the Alhambrai one; recent night to see an act oi* v two 1 6f L ' ;' Bothomagb.' : Toe flpectacte' proceeded ;as'ußual, but I coujdr not abepunt for. the fact that many of ,my> neighbours in the, stalls kept, turning round and gez- ! ing at some interesting object in the Ipriyftte boxes. At last I turned round too, to see what it was. The mystery was aoori explained. ;In one of the boxes were ;three real Zulu ladies,' who had been broaght there by their Engliah importers to see a French /eerie., I hal heard; of tha arrival; ot these strange visitors, and knew that I should : JBOon have an opportunity of seeing j them at the Aquarium, where Captain Hobson. has arranged for. their, appearance; but it atruok: m,e, as being far more interesting .to observe them amid such novel surroundings aa. they were then among, and I could not help devoting a gpod.deal of my opeia glasses to them. I have said they were three in number. . They were young girls, apparently not, more than ,15, with round, good-natured; faces, very flat noaee, but, not particularly thick lips. They were evidently, not of equal rank, the one in the' centre being thß chief. She wore a gold fillet round ber headj ,heavy gold chains upon bßr neck, and a gold bracelet about two inches anJ half deep upon her arm. She was much darker in color than her companions, who were of a fiae rich copper hue. J^he had a splendid row of teeth, which glistened as she amilled in admiration at, the spectacle, on ,the ; 'stage..-, <■ The ether two had not much in the way of • j swellery, contenting themaelvea with

'smaller bracelets* ' -Wd I '' less brilliant f'J '■ necklets. A5,. .t0., the. attire of , these ladiss~is3}l, .'lf: /being, /spm^w^C^jjin- ' ' _ v 5• ; dressed is to ba. fashionable,: they .^ere ;, verjl much in the faabion indeed* The ; dusk/ beauty 7 id ; ih'e ! centr'e'wloold;;liaT ) e' , J run Isotnelo^lhe habiliiet of "V^eßtVepd',^ ball [rooms' very roiqse i'u the ; race for ' decdlleleeismj As far as I could see, '. : her only garm^iit was arobei of f^ch ;.■ j textar^bung^^ loopijd/upder the Ti.gbX-.a'rm<in,.ola6fipaV . .'',.. ietyje. ••'A Even this ! slight protectioo ■, d keep slipping off altogether ;md ' \aa otteo ii theiady'a torso was left lifare,;; to' me gaze, -so • often '<■■■: was it oa^ifMllj •, , ' ; obvered up by a watchful gentleman ia tiie r : The maidehb'n her left/bad; /» a Bljawji.yirbich she did not übq nouch, preferring : to > i ait with her , .arnii, „ ; • i wh.iqh were perfectly ; free ' and . up- ;„ ; ,co veVed, , } reating oh the : sill ':^ of / .•the: j pox, J Her other, garment ip-' peared to be a cloth bound .round ber waisl; rather lower down than a lady's ; evehing corsage usually commences. ' She Vhs perfectly inaocenfc of anything in tbie, shape of sleeves, and bad a plea8 T , . ant habit of spitting on the floor. Betweep ■ the act ! the; ladies / took winei merrily clinkiag their glasses one against the otfherj.jand the performance rap-.., . peared to please them immensely, as they remained up to the end* ; ( The inter ßßt Which; these 1 visitdrs excited/, among the audience bade fair at one time) to eclipse the attractions of the '^tage. After the second act the occu- , pants of all the seats that commanded ; a. vie|w\of the boxes rose, up and turned round, ievellinga hot fire of 7pr^«fl^<?> at the Zalu maidensi Some ladies in : adjacent bflxes nearly fell; oufc into . tEe pit in tiheyendevoKirßto patph ia glimpsie , '; of t^eir coffee^coioared sisters ; land ■ when they .at length went away the j passage was mobbed i^i correct English " , stylei by a genteel crowd,*' ,:. „ , :