The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-06-03
The ShiIiOOks Of the White Siic

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can find to offer in her defense
From tie 4tdjae foy Nay
/ The ShiIioOks OF the White Siic.
The Shillook tribe inhabits the en-.
tire bank of the White Nile
occupying a territory about two
hundred miles long and about ten
miles wide and which extends to the
mouth of the Gazelle River. This
territory is densely populated. After
the subjection of the Shillooks to the
Egyptian Government a census was
taken, which resulted in an estimate
of about 100000 souls. These
Shillooks are the first tribe of wild
sayages which DR.. Schweinfurth en-
counters. As his boat ueared the
landing of the first village a great
crowd of naked creatures swarmed
together to meet him. The first sight
of a throng of savages sud lenly pre-
sentinc themselves in their complete
nudity must make a very strange i'm
preston upon the traveller fresh from
the ciyalization Of Europe. But the
ShilIooks seemed 20 be equally i'm
pressed with 1.-THE fair skin and, more
especially the fine straight hair of the
traveller. Indeed, all through Africa,
when Schweinfurth wished to confer
great favor on the natives in return
for some courtesy, he allowed them,
greatly to his own disgust, let it be
said, to feel of his hair. The Shil-
looks are accustomed to arrange their
own hair in all manner of fantastic
forms, which are fastened with gum
arabic and ashes, some heads bearing
a resemblance to the comb of "a gum
ea-fowl, others to helmet, or, it may
be, to q huge fan. Even while they
are infants at the breast the work of
fastening the hair into some particu-
lar shane is begun, and in time 1t be-
comes effectually clotted together, so
as to permanently retain the desired
form.
These savages are accustomed to
plaster their bodies with ashes as a
protection against insects, which
gives them a thoroughly diabOlical
aspect. The movements of their
lean, bony limbs are so languid, and
their repose so perfect, that whoever
comes as a novice among them can
hardly resist the impression that in
gazing at these ash-gray forms he is
looking upon smouldering corpses
rather than upon living beings.
The only conception the Shillooks
entertain Of a higher existence islim-
tied to their reverence for certain
hero, who is called the father Oftheir
race, and who is supposed to have
conducted them to the land which
they at present occupy. In case Of
famine, or in order that they may
have rain, or that they may reap
good harvest, they call upon him by
name. They imagine Of the dead
that they are lingering among the
living, iand still attendthem;
they cherish old traditions, and
venerate the memory of their ances-
tors with all the fervOr that more civ
ilized nations bestow upon their relig-
ious belief.
At Fashoda, q small town provid-
ed with a garrison for the mainte-
nance of Egyptian power, DIR.
Schweinfurth stopped several days
in order to complete his store of pro-
visions, and also to await the arrival
of several boats, which were to ac-
company him to the Gazelle River.
He improved the time by making
short excursion inland. and by watch
ing the customs of the Shillooks.
The Egyptian governor of this por-
ton of the Shillook country appears
to be complete sovereign, regulating
not only the public but also the pri-
vate affairs of his subjects. One day
young girl, abashed and detected
came to him, and With her speech
half choked with emotion, she be-
sought him to interpose his authority
to set aside the obstacles which her
parents threw in the way of her CON-
pleting her marriage engagement
with a young Shillook, whose name
was YOd. The hinderance to the
wedding was simply the fact that the
young man possessed no cattle-pOs-
session of cattle among Shillooks as
well as among Dinkas being the sole
distinction between rich and poor
The governor inquired whether Yod
was not at least the owner of few
cows. Her reply was, "No, Yod has
no cows; but Yod wants me, and /
want Yod.' But though she urged
her point with much earnestness and
with many tears beseeching the gov
ernor to pronounce in her favor, as
his judgment would constrain ber
parents, he persisted in upholding pa
rental authority and the custom of
the country. The girl kept saying
1--WE must" and eve will :" the Judge
could speak only of bullocks. There
seemed to be not settling the matter.
when he said, you must go aud
wait, wait till Yod has bullocks
enough to satisfy your parents"
Bullocks or dollars-it is all the same
story and in this one phase of family
life the parents of the poor Shillook
savage and those born to all the adj
vantages of civilization and culture
play the same part.-From "A Nat
uralist in the heart of Africa" by
HELEN S. CoNANT, in Harper's Nag
oziHe for Nay.
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