The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-07-28
THE DARK CONTINENT.
White Men Who Visit Africa Invited to
Marry Native Women and Settle Down.

Marry Native Women and Settle Down.
When an African chief travels he
takes the whole or part of his house
hold with him. The simple aborigines,
therefore. are apt TO look upon the sol
itarv white traveller who wanders
through their country without 3 single
wife in his train as a suspicious charac-
ter. They are quite sure he needs close
watching to prevent his running oil
with some of the females of the tribe.
DIR. Barth. the explorer, said. after liv-
ing for five years in Africa. that il
would be better for traveller in those
regions TO take his wife with him, if
possible. He said the natives would re-
spect him more and h 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
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 country. Some travellers
have felt compelled TO leave very alb
ruptly in order to escape the attentions
of women who were determined TO
claim them as their husbands.
DIR. Buchner. the German traveller,
who lived for six months at the capital
of the Muata Yanvo about five years
ago, was very much distressed by the
deep interest with which he had unwit-
tingly inspired the sister of that Central
African potentate. He describes her as
a middle-aged and remarkably UMPIRE
possessing person of great avoirdupois.
She insisted that Buchner take her for
his wife and settle down comfortably as
the Joint proprietor of her extensive
herds and fields. She lmportuned him
so frequently that he was glad to escape
her at last by quitting the country.
One of the daughters of the hing or
the Ambuellas, near the Zambesi River,
fell desperately in love with Serpa Pinto.
the Portuguese explorer, who returned
to Africa a few months ago. Her elder
sister, who ably abetted her matrimo-
NAL designs, was very indignant when
Pinto refused TO marry the young girl.
She wanted to know, in the shrillest OF
tones, if there were any prettier women
in the country he came from. and what
sort of a man he was anyhow. The
sharp-witted wife of one of Pinto's por-
tiers heard the row and entered the hut
Assuming an air of great Indignation,
she told their Royal Highnesses that
better let him alone She bun Bundled them
out of the hut, and Pinto and his party
left early next morning to avoid any
further complications. In the picture
Pinto's book contains of the infatuated
young woman she appears 20 be quite a
fine specimen of an African beauty
Explorers have learned by experience
that it is best to permit their porters to
take their women along with them.
even if their journey is to be thousands
Of miles in length. When carrier has
his wife with him he is not Likely to run
away. Bes DIES, the women carry bur-
dens nearly as heavy as those of the
men. They wash and cook better than
the men, endure fatigue better, carry
their burdens more cheerfullV, and
work for less pay. African women
have proved valuable ad ,uncts of near
IL every expedit on that has penetrated
the continent in the past ten years.
Mr.. Hore, a m ssionary on the great
Lake Tdnganyika, found near the
southern coast three years ago flour-
isbing tribe whose ruler was a woman.
She was good-looking negress. nearly
forty years old, and she was attended
everywhere she went by a train of fifty
ladies in waiting. Mr.. Hore was the
first white man Queen Mwema had seen,
and she thought she would like to nave
the pale-faced stranger permanently
near her residence. She begged him to
live in her town, and when he insisted
that he could not, she did not let him
90 until he had promised TO send some
of his brethren t. reside in her district.
The Queen said she would give them
houses and plenty of land.-4 Mission
arg, Ia y. ]. Sun.