The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-02-16
Cur @liu.
A Central African Market.

and interesting sight to see. They are
generally held every four or every eight
days ''weekly" or ''fortnightly," for the ma
tive week is of four days only. One of the
days of the week often bears distinctive
name of selling or" market" day, resem-
bling in this the Latin and Roman name
for Friday, "Vendredi,' "Venerdi," etc.
The natives will often come hundred
miles to attend one of these big markets,
and there are generally several thousands
present, buying and selling. They bring
their fowls most carefully packed in long
wicker cages, fastened between two stout
poles converging at each end. Eggs are
usually carried in large, finely plated bas-
kets indeed some of the basket-work is so
tightly made that it will hold water. At
the markets between Isangila and Man
yanga 500 eggs may be bought at time.
The natives also sell fresh vegetables
/ pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and even.
wild cabbage), bananas, plantains, pine ap-
pies, ground-nuts, sugar-eane, maize, kola-
nut, tobacco, and 'kikwanga." Kikwanga
needs word of special mention, it is such
an important article of consumption in the
Congo menu. The root of the manioc, or
cassada, very ancient introduction from
Brazil. is taken and pounded into fine
white pulp. This is left to soak for about
/ twenty-four hours in running water (possi-
bly, to rid the substance of a certain acrid
poison attributed to the root), and is then
allowed to ferment When worked up into
consistence of stiff dough it is divided into
portions, and each portion is wrapped up
in large green leaf until wanted for cook
ing. Kikwanga tastes and looks like sour
dough, but it is highly nutritive. The
best way of eating it is to cut it into very
thin slices, and eat these fried in butter, or,
if butter be not procurable, in ground-nut
oil, easily extracted from the Arachis hy-
pog#a. Perhaps simple recipe for doing
so might interest intending African travel
ers who are reading these pages. Take
bushel of ripe ground-nuts that have pre-
viously been dried in the sun, pound them
to pulp, and put them in cauldron of
boiling water. The oil will rise to the sur
face, and can easily be skinned off and
put apart into a vessel. The residue is ex-
cellent fattening food for fowls and the oil
itself is almost indistinguishable from the
best olive in taste Indeed, most of the olivo
oil we use in Europe is nothing but the oil
/ of grouDd-nuts, which are exported largely
from West African ports to Marseilles, to
be there manufactured and favored into
various salad oils christened by different
names. The oil of grouRd-nuts is excel
lent as kitchen grease and as lamp oil.
| will even give YOU another recipe in
which this substance may be advantageous
ly employed Take a quantity of sugar
canes, some nine or ten sticks, peel them,
cut them up into small cubes, and mash
these to pulp, straining off the abundant
liquor into large pot. Put this over the
fire to boil, and at the cpd of ap hour and
a half You will rejoice to find the sweet
syrup liquor reduced to a considerable
quantity of gluey barley sugar. If this
does not sufficiently gladden. the heart and
you crave for something yet more tooth
some, mix certain quantity of this thick
sugar with ground-nut oil; further, blanche
some ground nuts and scatter them freely
in the mess. This compound, if carefully
cooked for about ten minutes, will produce
the most ravishing African toffee. Little
shifts and expedients like these serve con-
siderably to tighten the explorers lot, and
to render palatable many forms of native
food.
But to return to the native markets.
Besides the articles of sale already men
toned, sheep and goats are present, often
in some quantity. The sheep are all tall,
stout animals, nearly twice the size Of the
little sturdy goats, are hairy, and in the
ram bear fine name from the chin to the
stomach. L have already referred to them
when treating of Pallaballa as being the
universal breed of Central Africa The
further south have seen this distinctly
marked variety is on the Cuenne River.
There they mingle with the great Cape
sheep whose tails become so loaded with fat.
The domestic goat of the Congo is small,
short-legged little beast, good to eat, and
giving in the female rich and abundant
milk. The Congo sheep, by the by, makes
execrable mutton. In the markets there
are of course innumerable fowls to sell, and
even at times Muscovy ducks. The latter
bird is another gift from rich America to
needy Africa, and was introduced into the
West Coast, in common with maize, manioc,
pineapples, sugar cane, ground-nuts, and
many other useful alimentary additions to
African diet by the Portuguese, to whom,
in my opinion Africa owes a deep debt of
gratitude Nor ought we to forget that it
is to this enterprising people that We owe
the first knowledge of the tea plant, the
orange, and the lime.
An African market with SO many COM
modities to sell, and so many eager sellers
and buyers, is most animated scene. The
din of voices may be heard afar off, and
when you enter the great open square
where, under the shade of great trees, per-
haps thousand people are disposed in little
chafering groups round their heaps of
wares, it is worse than the parrot house at
the Geological Gardens. The women are
the keenest traders. They haggle and
scream and expostulate and chuckle aside
over their bargains, while the hulking men
lounge about in good humored listlessness,
or squat in rows stolidly smoking. AL
though the strife of tongues is great, few
real quarrels occur. There is in most cas-
es chief of the market, perhaps an old
fetish man, who regulates all disputes, and
who so heavily fines both litigants that they
are chary of provoking his arbitration.
This Babel lasts but one day, and then for
the rest of the week the market place is
void and desolate only the old wicker
baskets, banana, husks, corn shucks, feath-
ers and egg shells remain to witness the
the great assemblage that has taken place.
OF such a kind is the great market near
Isangila, and there are similar gatherings
at Manyanga, Lutete, and in proximity to
most of Mr.. Stanley's stations.
OLD CHURoHEs.-Trinity Protestant
Episcopal Church, at Church Creek, Dor
chester county, Md, was built in the time
i of 0nnan Anna Of ENGLAND and she was