The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-25
An Extraordinary. People.

y
At the meeting of the British Associa-
ton at Sheffield on Aug. %, the we'll
known African explorer, Commander
Cameron, who was received with ap-
plause, apologized for not having his
paper prepared, but he did not believe,
in detailing the manners and customs of
the people of Urua, in Central Africa,
this would be a drawback. Urua was
one of the largest native States in Africa.
1t was bounded on the east by Tanga-
nyika, on the north by Independent
tribes in Manguema, on the west by
Ulunda, and on the south by mountains
south of the lake Bangueola. The great
chief was Kasongo, and the race was per-
haps the most civilized in Central Africa.
The chief claimed Divine honors. On
his death all his wives save one were
slaughtered at the grave, and the one
whose life was not taken was handed over
to the chiefs successor. The spirit of
the deceased Prince was supposed to pass
into the body of the successor. The
center of the religion of the people was
an idol, which was held in great rev.
erence.
The idol was placed in the midst of a
dense jungle, and it had for wife one of
the sisters of the reigning sovereign.
Under the principal chief were smaller
chiefs, who collected and paid over to
the sovereign tribute. He had seen this
tribute come in, and some of it must
have come from distant parts of the coun-
try. There was numerous class of wiz.
ards in the country who did a large trade
in idols and charms. Many of the wiz
ards were yentriloquists, and in this way
the idols were made to give answers to
the questions put to them. Caste was
very clearly defined in the race. No one
dare sit down in the presence of the chief
without permission, which was very sell
dom granted. In one case where, in the
travellers presence, native had neglect
ed etiquette, severe punishment was
about to be inflicted, but the traveller
saved the offender.
Authority was maintained by mutila-
ton. Hands, feet, ears, noses, were mu-
tilated, and the natives did not seem to
mind it much. One woman had cut off
her own ears. This woman was one of
Kasongo's wives he had about 1000 of
them. She asked permission to mutilate
herself, and did it at once. The body
guard of the chief was composed to a
great extent of mutilated people, whose
affection for the chief seemed in no way
decreased; indeed, it would appear that
mutilation strengthened their regard for
their chief. A laugh. The name of
the idol was kunswe Banza, and pro-
found reverence was shown to it. Fire
was obtained by friction from fire block,
and in one case a chief used the shin
bone of one of the other chiefs who had
been conquered. The dress of the people
was very simple, consisting of an apron.
Members of the royal family wore three
large skins, and junior members of the
family wore aprons of green monkey
skins.
The hair dressing of this people was
curious, varying more with districts than
with rank. In some cases it was worked
up into four ring plaits crossing at the
top of the head like crown, and sur
rounded at the bottom by band of cow
ries or other shells. Skewers were in
inserted in the hair, one end of which
could be used in tattooing. The people
were not hairy race, but they managed
to grow their boards long, and plated
them like Chinaman's pigtail, usually
putting at the end of each lump of mud
to weight it. Some of the boards reached
to the waists. The women, not having
boards to amuse themselves with, were
tattooed extensively. Tattooing gen.
orally commenced at the age of seven,
and might be completed about the age of
twelve or fourteen, which was the age for
marriage. Beautiful patterns were used,
and the tattooing was done in raised cuts.
Sometimes a husband, when he was dis
pleased with his wife, cut off all these
raised pieces, and the woman could not
appear in public again; she was not re-
ceived into society until she was retat-
tooed. Laughter.
He saw Que of their weddings, which
was very curious. The festivities lasted
several days. A ring was formed of the
natives, two men with big drums being
in the middle. The drums were played
and the people round danced. The
bride was brought out, dressed in feathers
and other finery, on the shoulders Of the
women. The bride threw shells and
beads about, for which there was
scramble, as the possession of them was
supposed to cenfer luck. Ultimately the
husband came into the ring, and putting
the bride under his arm, carried her off.
Laughter. The means of communica-
tion was by drum signals. They had
call on the drum for everybody's name,
and they could ask questions and convey
intelligence over hundreds of miles and
receive answers almost Immediately. In
war messages were constantly sent enor-
nous distances to bring up re.enforce-
ments or to stop their coming. The mass
of the people lived in huts on dry land,
but there were one or two exceptions to
this. He saw two lakes on which people
were living in huts. In one case the
people had covered over the long grass
growing in the water with earth, and on
that had built their huts; in the other
the huts were built on piles. The lam
guage of the country belonged to the
same broad family which stretched across
the large belt of Africa traversed by him,
and the grammar was on the same prin-
ciples as the grammar of the Swaeli.
ICheers. London Times.