The marriage law of Zululand is thus described by Sir T. Shepstone (1137, p. 21): “The Zulu country is but sparsely inhabited when compared with Natal, and the increase of its population is checked more by its peculiar marriage regulations than by the exodus of refugees to surrounding governments. Both boys and girls are formed into regiments, and are not allowed to marry without special leave from the king, or until the regiments to which they belong are fortunate enough to receive his dispensation. Caprice or state reasons occasionally delay this permission, and it sometimes happens that years pass before it is given. Contravention of these regulations is visited by the severest penalties.”[108] The history of the case which we are now considering may be given in the following extracts: On September 22nd, 1876, Mr. Osborn, resident magistrate of Newcastle, writes: “The Zulu king lately granted permission to two regiments of middle-aged men to marry. These were, however, rejected by the girls, on the ground that the men were too old; upon which the king ordered that those girls who refused to marry the soldiers were to be put to death. Several girls were killed in consequence, some fled into the colony, others into the Transvaal Republic, and on October 9th, Government messengers report (1748, p. 198): “We heard that the king was causing some of the Zulus to be killed on account of disobeying his orders respecting the marriage of girls, and we saw large numbers of cattle which had been taken as fines. Otherwise the land was quiet.” As far as the most careful investigations could discover, the number killed was not more than four or five, while the two Zulus already quoted said that, although they had _heard_ of the matter, they did not _know_ of a single instance; and as these young men themselves belonged to one of the regiments, it can hardly be supposed that any great slaughter could have taken place unknown to them. At the time, however, report as usual greatly exaggerated the circumstances, and Sir Henry Bulwer speaks (1748, p. 198) of “_numbers of girls and young men_,” and “_large numbers of girls and others connected with them_,” as having been killed.