Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-07-05
The Yorubas of Africa.
THEIR COUNTRY AND ITS HABITS.

! resident III Philadelphia has written an In
estiug account of visit to some tribes OF
Western Central Africa, made by himself
and Dr. n. R Delany of New York, in
| 1S59-61, as commissioners from the col
orcd people of the United States and Can
ada, to explore in the valley of the Niger,
and obtain, if possible. certain privileges
and grants from the native kings, under
which emigrants frsm this country might
safely aud advantageously settle in that
region.
The region ex' lored by Mr. Campbell
with this object lies between the rivers
Ogun and Oha, which empty their waters
in the Bighi of Benin, in latitude deg.
SO min, and longitude 3 deg. 80 min., and
1 deg. 90 min. The country which be
found Ct for settlement. and in which he
and his companion were able to make prop
er treaties belongs to the Iorubus and Eg-
| has These are mild hammered people,
living in considerable towns ard given to
tradl and agriculture lLey have among
them "A nurh her of those Arab merchants
who are and have long been the most sue
| cessful travellers in interior Africa, and
from these they have caught more or less
Of the Arabian language, and also traces
of the standardization which these traders
bring with them. They know how to man.
ufacture glass. Mr.. Campbell says en-
phatically:
" There is not a more industrious peo-
pie on the face Of the earth. Rise as ear
ly as you please and enter a native com
pound. and you Will there find the women
engaged at their varied occupations. Go
at night as late as you please, and there,
by the feeble light of her lamp, she is
seen IN the act Of labor spinning. weaving
or preparing food for the ensuing day
There is not child among the Akus-I
say nothing of other African tribes who
is not Instructed in some means Of realiz-
ing living. The men are builders, black
smiths, iron-smelters. tanners aud leather
workers, tailors, carpenters, calabash-car-
vers. weavers, basket, hat and nat makers,
farmers; tie women weave, spin, dye
cook, brew, make pots, oils, soap, and
/ know net what else.
IRON SMELLING.
passed thrhugh two iron-smelting vii
lagos on the road between Oyo and Isehm.
in Yoruba, but they were not in operation,
as the war, of which mention shall he
made hereafter, had driven the Inhabitants
into the lareer towns for protection. The
furnaces, or a portion Of them above
the earth. are made of clay. They
are in the form of cy lenders, about thirty
inches high the diameter of the bases
communicating both with six or seven sim
liars holes around the convex surface. and
by small orifcc. with large cavity ur-
dorgrouuI ard beneath he C. lender #,
this, Immediately undyr the oriGce, / topnd
Il mass of Stag. They use charcoal for f..
el which they produce III abundance il
the forests, in the midst # which these
villages are usually heated.
wEAyERs.
The apparatus of the weavers is very
simple There are two kinds. one used by
men, producing cloth Of only few irchc.
in width, and another Y the women, pro
ducing cloth as wide as of English manu-
facture. The men can make cloth of al
indefinite lcrgth The apparatus used by
the women limits the length OF the clotl
to about two and half yards. | forbeal
a description of either of these contrivan
ces, as such as I could make would hardly
be intelligible.
There is an inc dent in Mr. Campbell'l
journey which proves that courage and lib
erty are both Valued in Africa as well al
in America.
A CAPTIVE RELEASED.
A woman and her son and daughter be
sought me to permit them to 60 under ou
protection to Al beokuta. | told h,r sht
WAS welcome to all the protection I cculC
afford, and we LETT together the next morn
ing early. At about eleven o'clock wher
half way on our journey to Broio-run pei
lu, we suddenly met about two hundred
Ihanan soldiers. My servants, who were
before me attempted to pass by the fore
most of them. but we're very roughly ar
rested Myself and the rest of the party
soon came up and were all Immediately
surrounded. They kept US while discuss
ing the fate of my people, f.r nearly twc
hours At length they demand a pres
ent as the condition on which they would
allow US to proceed. l had nothing to
give. having left Oyo with only two suit.
of clothes, enc on my back, the other in ;
small Luudle. My other things consisted
only of gutta-, ercha sheet and som,
cooking utensils told the man who car
ried them to open the things ard allow
them to take whatever they desired see
ing we had nothing they Informed my in
telpreter, after consideration among
themselves, that we could depart peaceably
but they must keep as tEeir captives the
woman AID her two children. 1t was tot
distressing to see three human beings
about to be deprived ef their liberty. The
old woman wept bitterly, but her tears
we're apparently Undecided. I told then
that it was impossible fer me to leave
these people they bad placed themselves
under my protection, therefore | could not
permit them TO be taken away, except Will
myself also; that they ctuld take ny
horse, my watch, mp money, all | bad, il
short but | would not permit them t.
take these people They hesltafed, saw
they were moved, and I kept up ny en-
treaties AT length the halagan or cap
tain. to whom I addressed myself, anC
whs remailed silent ali the tine I spoke
with almost tear in his eye. exclaimed
'Ofo, oto, oyito. nao'O r' Enough
ennuoh white man. 90 on" When one O