Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-02

kept p''nsations Before we enter it, the
path winds through many fields of manioc
| (Which gives tho edible root 30 largely
consumed in these regions), and in these
fields, women who are cleaning the weeds
away with strongly-made native hoes,
look up and scream to one another, Mum
dele, mundclc! white man, white man y
OF course, wo comport ourselves with
dignity before this keen public curiosity,
and benignly smile and pat the little won-
dering children on the head, as we pursue
our road through the village. But our
progress ID momentarily stopped. Tho
chief-hc is my blood-brother now, and l
am ashamed to say cannot to-day recall
his namc-will not hear of our passing
his Village without rest or drink. So
We sit underneath his cool thatched ver-
nnda and drink delicious, foaming palm
wine, like new-made ginger beer. As it
is served to us in n silver-gilt Jug, md we
qunff it out of n silver-gilt goblet, You
Will remark that civilization has lately
hovered near Nguvi Mpanda.
"Between the river Bundi and the Lulu
lies dismal region, continues the writer.
Zone would say it was under the enchant-
mcnt of some wicked wizard, who had
cast spell over everything perhaps the
evil genius of Africa trying his hardest
to discourage the penetration of white
men into his secrets The grass is tall
sometimes eight and nine feet high.
When it is dry it cuts you like a razor 1t
slashes you across the face and over the
backs of your hands. The BLADES inter-
cross and bar your way like hostile sa-
brcs; they insultingly whip off your
helmet they fctter your legs, and inter
lace themselves round your ankles, but,
like most African difficulties, they lose
much Of their resisting power if boldly
encountered. Squeeze your hat on tight,
ly, lower your head, put your hands in
your pockets and Charge through them,
and they will yield before you. But evi,
IDENTIFY the wicked genius, seeing this does
not deter us, calls another agent to his
aid. About midday, the sky being fair
ly serene, noticed near the horizon lit.
tie masses of blue-gray cloud, but MS they
are blowing away from us, think them
unworthy of attention until my men,
who better know the tokens of African
weather than /, look at them and say
"rain," and although hope they may be
wrong, gradually those little masses Of
cloud creep round the horizon, lifting
themselves up bit by bit, and soon tho
whole heaven becomes covered with {
pail of awful black cloud. We have ar
rived mt little camping-place under some
shade, and here in spite of my ideas o.
the connection between trees and light
ming, my carriers advise me to stop. The
rain had already begun to hiss down, bu
fortunately my tent was soon pitched ant
my luggage brought under shelter. The
ground however, was very damp and op
pressed by the gloomy sky l felt dispos
ed to be miserable, especially MS clouds o
horrible little black flies and venomou
mosquitoes torincntcd mo continually
and sGdly intamcd my hands with thci
bites. However, with that adroitncs
which most uncivilizcd races possess o
quickly lighting fire, my men had sooi
: made splendid and comforting blaze on
, of the fragments of wet timber that Ia.
around, and l presently had water boilin!
: and n stoaming hot cup of coffee ready
Then when | had followed out roun,
space in the centre of the tent ard fille'
it with rcd-hot wood ashes, which dilfusct
; Il grateful sense of warmth and drynes
and nj the same time routed the many in
sects, aud whom my tent was firmly shu
against the rain and | sat down to drinl
my coffee and read some old newspapers
my feeling Of discomfort had completed,
vanished, and passed not unpleasan
! evening, writing and reading"