The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1877-04-14
AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY.
A WOman's Sin Converts a Spring
Into n Great Lake.


Says Stanley, in his last African letter
to the New York Herald: The Wahjiji, a
tribe now occupying a small country
near the center of the eastern coast OF
the Tanganyika, immigrants long since
from Urimdi, have interesting traditions
respecting the origin of Lake Tanga-
nyika.
The first relates that the portion OF
this continent now occupied by the great
lake was plain years and years and
years ago." that on this plain was q
large town, near where is not known.
In this town lived man and his wife,
with an Enclosure round their DIV elling,
which contained remarkably deep we'll
OF fountain, whence an abundant sup
ply of fresh fish was obtained for their
wants. The existence of the fountain
and its treasure was kept profound
secret from all their neighbors, as the
revelation of its existence had been
strictly prohibited by father to son for
many generations within this particular
family. lest some heavy calamity dimly
foretold would happen If the prohibition
was not strictly respected; and, re-
membering the injunction, the owners
of the fountain lived long and happily,
and fresh fish formed their main food
each day. The wife, however. was not
very virtuous, for she permitted another
man in secret to share the love which
should have been solely bestowed on her
her proper husband, and among other
favors she frequently gave to her lover
some OF the fresh fish, kind of delicious
meat be had never before tasted, and
which reused his utmost curiosity to as
certain whence she obtained it, For q
long time he ceased not to ask. which
the woman steadily refused to tell.
One day the husband was compelled
to begin a journey to Uvinza, but before
departure he strictly enjoined his wife to
look after his house closely, to admit no
gossips within the doors, and, above all,
not to show the fountain. The African
Eve solemnly promised to comply with
his instructions, though secretly she re-
joiced at the prospect of bis absence. A
few hours after her husbands departure
she left her house to seek her lover, and
when she found him she said to him
you have for long time demanded to
know from whence obtained that de.
licious meat you have 80 often praised
Come with me, will show you" African
Eve then took him to her house, in OPP
position to her husbands wish but as
view q view to enhance the glories of the
fountain and the pleasure of viewing the
fish sporifully displaying their silver
sides in the water, she first entertained
her lover with the fish cooked in severa
ways, nor was she neglectful to satisfy
his thirst with wine of her own manu-
facture. Then, when her lover began tt
be impatient at the delay, and having M
other cause to postpone the exhibition
she invited him to follow her. A ienc
of water cane plastered over with mut
enclosed the wondrous fountain, within
whose crystal depths he saw the fish
For some time he gazed on the brillian
creatures with admiration; then seize'
with desire to handle one of them an,
regard them more closely, he put bi
hand within the water to catch one O
them. when suddenly the we'll burs
forth, the earth opened her womb, an
, soon an enormous lake replaced th
plain.
Within few days the husband. re
) turning from Uvinza, approached Ujij
, and saw to his establishment large lax
: where once a plain and many town
, stood; and he know then that his Wit
had revealed the secret of the mysteriou
fountain, and that punishment had falle
upon her and her neighbors because {
= her sin.