Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-08-30
WOMEN IN AFRICA.

WOMEN IN AFRICA.
Tho Experience of Explorers and Mis-
sionariss with Them.
80. Brooklyn Eagle
Some ofthe explorers and missionarie'
who are now in Africa, or who have re
Gently returned, tell very interestine
stories of their experiences with the
natives. Some of them are laughable
and many of them show that African
travellers nowadays know better how to
deal with the natives than formerly, and
that they can travel more cheaply and
ssfely through Africa than any Of their
predecessors excepting Livingston.
The unique present that Mtesa, the
king of Uganda, offered to one of the
missionaries at his capital awhile ago
has highly amused that good mans En-
giish friends. Mtesa is the powerful
despot whose sway extends over the
country north and west of Victoria
Nyanza. The writings of Soeke, Grant
and Stanley have made him the most
celebrated of African potentates. When
Stanley saw him, eight years ago, he was
at war, and his forces numbered over
100000 men. In 1877, at stanley's ur-
gent request, missionaries were sent to
Mtesa. For many months they lived on
the fat of the land, but at length the
novelty of having white men at Rubaga
wore away, and Mtesa began to neglect
the guests whom he had welcomed so
royalty. When they found they were in
danger of starving in the midst of plenty,
one of them took their protest to the
king He listened in apparent sorrow
and then gave an order TO one OF his at
tendants, who at once withdrew. Pres
emily in marched fourteen OF the buxom
bellies of Uganda and made their obei-
sance to.the king. ,t..
"Here," said Mtesa, Il give you these
women for your wives. / cannot feed
you any longer. But your wives will
plant your garden end cook your food
and ypH Mll laehi for nSdtahdingi dtad Take
them and 60"
But" protested the poor missionary,
I'VE don't want wives. We want food.
Besides, the white mems laws do not per-
NIT us to have more than one wife
apiece, and We don't want wives any,
way" H% ~ 80 .
Ifyou Ss,ys stShe irss@ms cO5nsfy, .
replied the king angrily, why don't you
live as We do? Ii YOU don't wish to live
as We live. why doH'r you leave? Here
are these w2men if You want them. If
not, yoh may get feodfas best yo4 can"
That ended the interview. The bellies
of Uganda did not become the wives of
the missionaries of the Chfch of FngS
land. The poor men were admitted no
more to the kings presence, and they
would perhaps have died Of their priya-
tons if the ENJOYS whom Mtesa sent to
England in 1879 had not opporttahiiIteiy re- /
turned. They had been received by the
queen and feted hy- the government, and
they took back such wonderful stories of
whshey Pad seen that Mtsa thought
itpolitic t6'take the missionaries into
favor again, and he has since treated
them well. He is still alive. though the
reports of bis death year ago inspired
good many not very complimentary
obituary notices in the newspapers.
Travellers in Africa are not unfreauent-
ly embarrassed by the attentions shown
them by the fair sex. When Mr.. E. C.
Hore of the London Missionary society
was exploring the east coast of Lake
Tanganyika, three years ago, he came
across female ruler who was not only
friendly, bat who insisted that he be
some permanent resident of her town.
he got away only by promising that he
would return soon ard bring with him
two or three white men who would set
up mission and become the queens
subjects. When the German explorer,
Buckner, lived for six months in 1879 at
the chief town of Muata Yonvo, whose
country is as larc a, all Germany, the |
kings sister took violent fancy 10 the
pale-faced visitor. She said he must
1--we there always and cx .~os sed the ut
mos Willingness to = 'r i. in as her
husband. She was unco-. - MY fat and
ugly and her attentions were one of the
chief annoyances Of Buckner's visit to
Musta Yanvo. He was finally glad to
escape from the. sentimental princess
and get out of the country.
serpo Pinto, the Portuguese explorer,
had quite romantic adventure in his
recent trip across the continent He
was the first white man ever seen by