The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-11-30
DIR. Livingstone's Explorations.

DIR. LivingstOne's Explorations.
DR.. Livingstone's researches il
Africa continue to develop many
exceedingly Interesting facts con.
lcerning the people and productions
Of that long benighted contincnt.-
A paper from him was recently read
before the British Association lor the
ad dvancement Of science. The Doc.
tor states that in the upper part ol
the Lower Shire and in the valley OF
the Shire, there is a somewhat nu
merous population living in villages
Each village has its Chief, while the
Chiefs of q given territory have a
head Chief to whom they render
allegiance. In one case he found
this paramount Chief to be woman.
Nearly every village is surrounded
by a thick hedge of the poisonous
aupeorbia. The inhabitants poison
their arrows with the juice of its
leaves ~ shooting them through the
hedges, and the constant dripping Of
the bruised branches prevents an
enemy forcing passage through,
and it destroys the sight. Many oI
the men are very intelligent looking,
with high foreheads and well shaped
heads. They show singular taste in
dressing their hair-which is or.
ranged in a great variety Of sty yles--
have handsome necklaces, wear rings
in their ears and on their fingers,
and bracelets on their arms and legs.
These ornaments are made of braes,
iron, and copper, and are often elab
orately figured. Many have their
front teeth notched, and some file
them till they resemble the teeth of
q saw. The upper lip-rings OF the
women give them a revolving ap-
pearance. Some of them are very
large. One which the Doctor meas-
ured, caused the lip to project two
inches beyond the tip OF tho nose;
when the lady smiled, the contract
ion of the muscles elevated it over
the eyes. "Why do the ladies' wear
these things!" the venerable Chief,
Chinsurdi, was asked Evidently
at such q stupid question, he
replied, "for beauty! They are the
only beautiful things women have;
men have boards, women have none.
What kind OF person would she be
without the pelelel She would not
be woman at all, with a mouth
like a man but no beard"
They seem to be an industrious
race. Iron ia dug ont of the hills,
and every village has one or two
smelling honses; and from their own
native iron they make excellent hoes,
axes, spears, knives, arrow heads,
&c. They make, also, round bas.
kets Of various sizes, and earthen
pots, which they ornament with
plumbago. In almost every village,
men ire to be seen cleaning and
spinning cotton, while others are
weaving it into cloth by exceedingly
slow processes. 1t is great cotton
growing country. The cotton is OF
two kinds, native and foreign.
The foreign cotton is of good quality
and requires to be planted only once
in three years. The native is au
annual plant, and feels more like
wool than cotton, but notvithstand.
ing the extra labor required to pro-
luce it the natives prefer it because
it makes strong cloth. Every family
seems to own cotton patch, which
is sometimes two or three acres in
extent, though usually from "A quar-
ter to half an acre. The natives
say the country is full of cotton. and
it was to be seen everywhere. There
are extensive tracts on the level
plains OF both the Lower and Upper
Shire, where salt exudes from the
soil. Sea Island cotton might grow
we'll there, as on these the foreign
cotton becomes longer in the staple.
The cotton growers never have their
crops cut off by the frosts. There
are mono. Both kinds of cotton re-
quire but little labor, none of that
severe and killing toll requisite in
the United States. The people are
great cultivators Of the soil. and it
repays them we'll. They raise rice,
maize, two kinds of millet, beans
sugar cane, sweet potatoes, ground
nuts, yams, tobacco, and Indian
hemp. Near Lake Nyassa, indigo
seven feet high was seen.
Large quantities Of beer are made
and the explorers found whole villa
ges engaged in "sprees." The peo.
pile. notwithstanding, attain grea,
age, as is evident from the large
number Of old grey haired persons
to be seen. This seems to indicate
healthy climate. For their long
lives they are not the least indebted
to frequent ablutions. "Why do
you wash yourselvesl our mon never
do, said some woman at Chinsurni
An old man said he remembered
having washed himself once when {
little boy, but never repeated it, anC
from his appearance the truth Of hi
statement could hardly be doubted
One fellow who followed the part,
and pestered them very much, coul,
not be shaken of till a threat wa
made to put him in the river an,
wash him. The castor oil wit
which they Intricate themselves an
the dirt serves as additional clothing
and to wash themselves is like throw
ing away the upper garment the
nOaaeaa They faal cold and nnco,r