The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-25

marched in 'front.' OF each little SQUAD with a spear
ana little axe over MS shoulder at once begins TO
cut on al tue sprouts on the stumps lett in clear
ing the ground. All bushes also fall to his share,
and all the branches OF tall trees TOO hard to be
dry. He must also cut branches to make low
fence round the plantation, for lew Wild beasts like
TO cross over ANYTHING having the appearance Of
weakness for ground nuts, otherwie called pgnuts
(Ardchis hvp001d), must be circumyented by
series Of pitfalls. or deep ditch and ear,nen
has made Tree with the food OF the family, papa
carefully examines the trail OF the intruder,
ana every day 1t Is most interesting matter TO
see whether the thief has been taken Tor the pot.
the mother aS works away vigorously with her hoe
that already under cultivation. The children
help by removing the weeds and grass when
she has uprooted INTO heaps to be dried and
burned. They seem to know aud watch every plant
IN the Held 1t Is all vheir own; no one IS stinted
as to the land he may cultivate: the more they
plant the more they have to eat and to spare. IN
some parts OF Africa the labor falls almost exclu.
siveiy on the women. and the males represented
nor IS II so In Central Africa generay indeed, the
women have often decidedly the upper hand. Inc
clearances BY law anu custom were the work OF
the men; the wedding was the work OF the whole
family, and SO was tn, reaping.
AN AGRICULTURAL SKETCH.
wooden mortar to separate he scales from Tie
seed: dexterous toss OF the hand drives all the
cnaf 10 one corner OF the vessel. TINS IS lifted
peculiar up and down hall horizontal motion Of
the vessel-di6icut to describe or do-which
into me meal by q horizontal motion Of the
upper milestone, to which the whole weight IL
s5ppl,e%d ana a. each sfoke Tue 1sf
The hour Is finished late in The afternoon, at the
time maidens 60 forth to draw water. The lady
at the rivulet, and though containing ten or
twelve gallons, balances 1t on her head, ana with
out hitting up her hand walks jauntlly home. Tney
A a rail- Ia na fAr a
ridge, into which the hover is cooked Of leaves
OF certain wild and cultivated plants; or they
make curry they seek TO know that only
matter sncn as the NUS contain Is requisite to
MODIFY their otherwise larinaceOus food, aud some
even grind handful OF castor oil nuts with the
gram Tor the same purpose. The hus oand having
employed himself IN the afternoon in making
mats Tor sleeping on, IN preparing skins Tor cloth.
ing, or in making new handles for hoes. or cutting
out wooden bowls, joins the family IN the
evening and all partake abundantly OF the chief
have considerable skill IN agriculture and
great shrewdness in selecting the soils proper
Mackenzie witnessed their operations 10 the neld,
he said to me, Nv nen was in England, ana spoke
IN public meetings about our mission, mentioned
them agriculture, but now see that the Africans
know great deal more than dO.n One OF his
associates. earnestly desiring to benefit the people
to whom he was gong, took lessons in basket
making before ne lett England, but the specimens
OF native workmanship he met with everywhere
about his acquisition. In fact, he could ''not hold
. candle TO them.n
AFRICAN VILLAGE LIFE.
The following Is as fair an example OF every day
lie OF the majority OF the people In Central Africa
as can giye-it as truly represents sur life
an African village as the other case does the surface
condition in an Arab harem. In other paris the
people appear to travellers in much worse light.
the tribes lying more towards the east coast, VINO
have been much visited by Arab savers are
sand to be in state vi chronic wariare-the men
always ready to rob and plumber and the women
year. That is the condition TO winch all Arab slav
ing tends. Captain Speke revealed state OF saw
agelsm and brutality IN Uganda OF which nave no
experience. The numbering BY wholesale OF the
cniel Mreza, or MteSa, would not be tolerated
among the tribes / have visited. The slaughter
OF head mems daughters would, elsewhere tnan in
Uganda. insure speedy ASSASSINATION. i have no
reason to suppose that Spoke was mistaken in
his statement as to the numbers of women led
OF 20) Uganda Mteza's people now here as
sert that many were led away to become field
laoorers, and one seen by Grant with her
hoe on her head seems to countenance the idea.
But their statements are OF small account as COM
pared with those OF Spoke and Grant. Tor they now
all know that cold booded murder like that OF
Mteza is detested by all the civilized tribes and
they naturally wish to smooth the matter over.
The remedy open to all other Tribes IN Central
Africa Is desertion. The tyrant soon finds himself
powerless. his people have quietly removed the
other chiefs, and never return The tribes sub
jected by the Makol0l0 had hard times Of but
nothing like the butcnery OF Mteza large
body went on to the north. Another sent to Zette
refused to RETURN and absent with me TO the snlre
Tor medicine, Tor the chief did the same thing
When the chief died the tribe broke up and scat
tered. MIeza seems to be an unwhipped 1901.
We all know rich men VINO would have been much
better fellows II they had ever got bloody noses
and sound thrashsngs at school, The 200 OF his
people here have been detained many months and
have become thoroughly used TO the country, but
not one OF item wishes to remain. The apparent
Willingness to be trampled in the dust by M.eza is
CHARACTER OF THE NEGRO
The whole OF experience IN Central Africa
saws that the negroes, not yet spoiled by contact
with the slave trade, are distinguished Tor friend
llness and good sound sense. some can be guilty
Of great wickedness, and seem 10 think little
about IT.; others perform actions as unmistably
cataocued al, me roed Geeds or ali the had ones
he came across he might think the men extremely
good or excessively bad, instead OF calling them.
like ourselves, curious compounds OF good and
evil In one point they are remarkaDle-they are
honest. Even among the cannibal Manyuema a
slave trader at Bambarre and | mad to send our
goats and fowls up to the Manyuema village to
prevent their being all stolen by my friends own
slaves Another widespread trait OF Character - q
trusting disposition. The Central African tribes
are the antipodes to some of the North American
Indians, and very unlike many Of their own coun-
trymen who have come into contact with Moham-
medans and Portuguese and Dutch Christians.
Tnes at once perceive the superiority OF the
strangers In power OF mischief and readily listen
to anf ponder over friendly advice. After the
cruel massacre OF Nyangue- which unfortunately
fourteen chiefs, whose villages had
been destroyed ana many o. them killed.. ned to
with the Arabs. and then come their side OF
the river LuaaDa, divide their country anew and
point out where each should build new village
and cultivate other plantations. The peace was
easily made, Tor the Arabs had no excuse for
their senseless murders, and each blamed the
other for the guilt Both parties pressed
me to remain at the peace making
ceremonies, and, had / not known the African
trusting disposition, might have set down the ma
tive appeal to great personal influence. All had
In my favor was common decency and fairness OF
and perhaps little credit Tor goodness
awarded by the Zanzibar slaves. The Manyuema
could easily see that the Arab religion was dis
joined from morality. Their immortality In fact
has always proved an efIectual barrier to the
spread OF Islam In Eastern AFRICA.
PLAYING AT MISSIONARIES.
It is q sad pity that our good ''Bisnop OF Central
Africa" albeit ordained IN Westminster Abbey,
preferred rne advice OF a colonel III the army to
remain at Zanzibar, rather than proceed into his
diocese and take advantage OF the friendliness OF
the still unspo,led interior tribe to spread our
faith. The catholic missionaries ately,sent from
England to Maryland to convert the negroes
might have obtained the advice of half dozen
or army colonies TO remain at New York,
even at London. But the answer, II they
have any. Irish blood in them. might have
been, Take your advice and yourselves Off to the
battle oil Dorking; we will fight our own fight"