Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-08-24
A White African Race.

listing among the blacks:
Having arrived at the frontier of
UnyorO we made all warlike prepara-
lions, and on Jan. entered Kabba
Rega's territory. The people fed be-
fore us, leaving their provisions in
their haste behind them, of which we
made free use. On the 9th We camped
at the base Of the tremendous noun
tain called Kabuga, at an altitude of
$500 feet above the sea. East of the
low ridge on which we camped the Ka-
tonga River was rounding from the
north to the east on its course toward
Lake Victoria, and west of the camp
the RuSangO River doomed hoarse
thunder from its many cataracts and
falls as it rushed westward to Lake Al
bert. From one of the many spurs of
kabuga we obtained a passing glimpse
of the king of mountains, Gambara-
CARA, which attains an altitude Of be-
tween -, 900 and $4,000 feet above the
ocean. Snow is frequently seen,
though not perpetual. On it's summit
dwell the chief medicine men of Kab-
ba Rega, a people of European COM
plexion.
Some half-dozen Of these people
have seen, and at sight of them / was
reminded Of what Mukamba, King of
UZigo, told Livingstone and myself
respecting white people who live far
north of this country. They are
handsome race, and some of the women
are singularly beautiful. The hair is
kinky, but inclined to brown in color.
Their features are regular, lips thin,
but their noses, though well shaped,
are somewhat thick at the point. Sew
eral Of their descendants are scattered
throughout UnyOro, Ankori and Ruan-
da; and the royal family of the latter
powerful country are distinguished,
am told, by their pale complexions.
The Queen of Sasua Islands, in the
Victoria Niyanza, is a descendant of
this tribe
Whence came this singular people I
have had no means of ascertaininc ex-
cept from the Waganda, who say that
the first king of Unyoro gave them the
land around the base of Gambaragara
Mountain, wherein through many vi
cissitudes they have continued to re-
side for centuries. On the approach
OF an invading host they retreat to the
summit Of the mountain, the intense
cold Of which defes the most deter
mined Of their enemies. Two years
ago Emperor Mtesa dispatched his
Prime Minister with about 100000
men to Gambaragara and Usongora:
but though the great General of Ugan-
da occupied the slopes and assembled
a great height in pursuit, he was COM
PEELED by the inclement climate to de
scend without having captured more
than few black slaves, the pale-faced
tribe having retreated to their impreg-
nable fortress at the summit.
The mountain, it appears, is an ex-
tinct volcano, for on the summit is
crystal clear lake, about 500 yards in
length, from the center of which rises
cOlumn-like rock to a great height.
A rim Of firm rock, like a wall, sur
rounds the summit, within which
are several villages, where the prin-
cipal medicine man and his people re-
side
Two men Of this tribe, who might
be taken at first glance for Greeks in
white shirts, accompanied Sekajugu, a
sub-chief under SambOOZi and our ex-
petition to Lake Albert and back to
Uganda, but they were extremely I'M
communicative, and nothing of the
history of their tribe could [ obtain
from them. Their diet consists of
milk and bananas, and they We're the
only men of rank in the entire force
under SambOOzi who possessed more
than two mich COWS to supply them
with milk while on the march. Seka-
jugu, to whom they were friendly and
under whom they had enrolled them
selves, states that they rebelled against
Kabba Rega, and, to avoid his ven
geance, sought refuge with him.
Another specimen of this tribe of
white-complexioned people I saw at
the court of Mtesa in the person of
Prince Namionju, the brother of the
reigning King Nyika of Gambaragara.
When [ first saw him I took him for a
young Arab of Cairo, who had taken
up his residence in Uganda for some
unknown reason, and it was not until
l had seen several specimens of the
same pale color that could believe
that there existed large and numer-
Gus tribe of people Of such singular
color in the heart of Africa, remote
from the track of all travellers and
trading caravans.
Africa is certainly the "haunt of
| light-headed fable romance and