Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 75
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[Page 75]
the time and never ceasing for breath the whole night long. They remind one of a swarm of bees. They are certainly most industrious workers and I believe they get next to nothing for it - about £2:10/- a month is their wage.
Another item of interest was the rickshaws. The natives who pull them are a fine looking race. They are all Zulus and of splendid physique. Most of them have a head-dress of horns or feathers and are all otherwise decked out in the most gaudy fashion, with ribands and necklaces of all shapes and colours. I have taken a few snapshots of them which I will enclose. They all look very clean and neat and their black skins shine like satin. They are all licensed like our cabs and have stands where they wait for fares. It is very amusing to wait opposite one of the stands for a while. They all vie with each other in attention attracting attention to their particular rickshaw and jump & spring about to show how strong and agile they are and how well they can run and pull, all the while nodding and grinning.
In fact if you even only glance at one he nods vigorously. They all seem very good humoured and happy. Most of them speak English quite fluently. Of course I had a ride in a rickshaw and together with two others and most of the time we were