A few aged box and yew-trees now only remain to tell of the
luxuriant verdure which once grew around the Abbey; and of the venerable
pile itself little is left, except an arch, and the fragment of a fine
old wall, about forty feet high. A small church now stands within the
enclosure, more than commonly interesting from having been built with
the materials of the once celebrated Abbey of Strata Florida.
* * * * *
KAFFIR CHIEFS.
[Illustration]
In the warm summer months a thin kind of petticoat constitutes the sole
bodily attire of the Kaffir Chiefs; but in winter a cloak is used, made
of the skins of wild beasts, admirably curried. The head, even in the
hottest weather, is never protected by any covering, a fillet, into
which a feather of the ostrich is stuck, being generally worn; and they
seldom wear shoes, except on undertaking a long journey, when they
condescend to use a rude substitute for them. The bodies of both sexes
are tattooed; and the young men, like the fops of more civilized
nations, paint their skins and curl their hair. Their arms are the
javelin, a large shield of buffalo-hide, and a short club.
The women exhibit taste in the arrangement of their dress, particularly
for that of the head, which consists of a turban made of skin, and
profusely ornamented with beads, of which adornment both men and women
are very fond.
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