Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-21
THE LAND or THE BLACKS.
White Men Invited to Marry Native Wo-
men and settle Down.
From "a Neto York 81

the Wholeor a part Of his household with
him. The simple aborigines, therefore,
are apt to look upon the solitary white
traveller who wanders through their coun-
try without a single wife in his train as
suspicious character. They are quite
sure he needs close watching to prevent
his running off with some OF the females
of the tribe. DR.. Barth, the explorer, said,
after living for five years in Africa, that
ii would be better for traveller in those
regions to take his wife with him, if posi-
BILE. He said the natives would respect
him more, and he would get along better.
''They had nothing to object to me-" he
wrote, except my being a bachelor"
If the traveller has no wife the native
chiefs. as a rule, are not backward about
offering to supply the deficiency. Nearly
all the explorers have had some annoying
experiences with kings who were anxious
to have them settle down, marry into the
royal family, and grow up with the cOun-
try. Some travellers have felt compelled
to leave very abruptly in order to escape
the attentions Of women who were de-
termined 10 detain them as their Husbands.
DR.. Buchner, the German traveller. who
lIved fer six months at the capital of the
' - >
much distressd by the deep interest with
which he had unwittingly inspired the
sister Of that Central African pOtentate.
He describes her AS a middle-aged and
remarkably unprepOssesslng person OF
great aYoirdupois. She insisted that
Buchner take her for his wife and settle
down comfortably as the joint proprietor
of her extensive herds and fields. She
importuned him 50 frequently that he was
ho,. Of 10 ,, I
country.
One of the daughters of the King of the
Ambuellas, near the Zambesi river, fell
desperately in love with Serpa Pinto, the
Portuguese explorer, who returned to
Africa few months ago. Her elder sis
ter, who ably abetted her matrimonial de-
signs, was very indignant when Pinto re-
fused to marry the young girl. She
wanted to know, in the shrillest of tones,
if there were any pretter women in the
country he came from, and what sort of
man he was anyhow. The sharp witted
wife of one of Pintos pOrters heard the
row and entered the hut. Assuming an
air OF great indignation, she told their
ROYAL Highnesses that Pinto was her
husband, aud they had better let HIM
alone. She bundled them out OF the hut,
and Pinto and his party left early next
morning to avoid any further cOmplica-
tains of the infatuated young woman she
appears TO be quite fine specimen of an
African beauty.
Explorers have learned by experience
that IL is best to permit their pOrters TO
take their women along with them. even
Ii their journey is to be thousands OF m les
in length. When carrier has his wife
with him he is not likely to run away.
Besides, the women carry burdens nearly
~ 10 nf
and cook better than the men, endure
fatigue better, carry their burdens more
cheerfullv, and work for less pay. Atri-
can woman have proved valuable adjuncts
OF nearly every expedition that has pene-
trated the continent In the past ten years.
Mir. Hore, a missionary on the great
Lake Tanganyika, found near the southern
coast three years ago tiOurishing tribe,
whose ruler was a woman. She was a
gOOd-loOking negress, nearly 40 years old,
/ and sine was attended everywhere she
went by train of fifty ladies in waiting
I Mr. Hore was the first white man Queen
! Mwema had seen, and she thought she
would like to have the pale-iaced stranger
permanently near her residence. She
/ begged him 10 live in her town, and when
/ he insisted that he could not, she did not
let him 20 until he had promised to send
some of his brethren TO reside in her dis
/ trict. The Queen said she would give
them houses and plenty of land. At last
accounts a mission station was about to
bee established in Queen Mwema's town.
The late King Mtesa, whose subjects in
habit the beautiful shores of Lake Vic
| tOria NyanZa, made unique respOn e
when n missionary applied 10 him for
food supplies two or three years agO. lie
listened in silence TO the good mans petit
ton, and then sent an attendant out into
the streets OF Rubaga with instructions
That the missionary did not hear. Pres
emily the attendant returned with dozen
damsels of Uganda in his wake. Then
His Majesty informed the poor missionary
That be was tired Of supplying him with
food. lie had concluded 10 present him
with these women as his wives. They
would plant his garden, prepare his dir
ncr, ana support him very handsomely
and ne mustn't come bOthering around the
place any more. Mtcsa was very angry
whom the missionary declined 10 accept
this wholesale matrimonial otter. lie told
him 10 shift for himself aud the poor Eel.
low and his cOmrade would doubtless have
had 10 fee from the country II Mtesa's en-.
voys % England hadn't Opportunely re-.
turned With such wonderful stories OF
what they had seen that the polite des.
pot thought II best 10 keep on good terms
with the whites. He restored the mission
aries TO favor. Last year all his daughters
[ were permitted % receive religious in
slructi0n, and one OF them. who vas con-
veued, now occupies as Kings Sister a
position Of large importance and influence
among the Waganda.
ON the great interior platenusof Africa,
whose inhabitants are generally much su.
poriOr I'm mental and moral development
4 20 the coast negroes, the men exhibit a good
deal Of affection Tor their women. Living.
stone, who usually speaks of African wO.
| men as "ladies,' makes many illusions "a
! this tact, and 80 do Schwenfurth, Burton.
and other explorers. Tho red-skinned
Nyam Nyams are as noted as
the Zulus for their mtelli.
gence ANA bravery, but if any of
their women are captured by nm enemy
they will make any sacrifice and incur any
disgrace 10 get them back again. The DC.
graded coast negro, however, appears Ia
know neither love nor Jealousy. Mr.. j.
MOnteiro, who has lived Tor years on the
west coast, SAYS that be never saw "A ne.