New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AchpIrAL BOOK OF TRAVELS.

- ~ Boston: itOdShtoh -''A'-'' =" -
" Thomson had already distinguished hlinSc,i
',' tr,,el and research when he undertook
A., oo,,nand of the Royal Geographical society
I,,ion Z, Mount Kenia and Lake Nictori"
Nvanza in 1898 and his narrative oil th's III
dition shows that he possesses III a hisi' -, al
,,ecul1r ATTITUDES necessary for that o"'"i' -
ungrateful work But traveller must no' oi''
hardy. patient Spartan IN his rcnuhcl"'io"'' 81
.o,,norcd fertile in resources and glited VIII" INC
P', sc savage character; he mast also.
a. nooIer his sacrifices and suhcrIngs lrultIul u
Iili,od onnreciation, be CAPABLE OF describing
yh,t he has seem done aud suffered IN so ih'oli'@'
,,le and graphic a way that the WOrld Will c'"I'
hand svmpathize with. and above All DC Il'olo'''u
and amused by his writings through 'i"'"'
Land is written by traveller WHO coiI'''
49, roonirenents in an unusual degree ana the
consequence is that it is one OF inc most
1ools of travel of the season Much OF the mar
- ac.ssorilv deals with matters already
familiar Mr. Thomson began his Journey lloih
No,,boso and worked his way from the coast mo
and through the country of the Nasal aniu All tic
usual and apparently inevitable discoihiol'' VI
travel in eouatorial Africa. The difficulty OF ge.
ting together carriers for the expedition WIS as az
WAYS hearbreaking. and as usual IL was hot "ii''
country had been reached in which desertion meant
epslayement or death that the coast natives ceasoi
o+rv IN sneak Oft The "hOngo or blackmall
system il another serious drawback. Every tribe
onnroacbed has TO be proptiated with gifts ana
as they differ widely in Their tastes II Is necessary
20 he prepared with large assortment Oh preSentS'
while the greed of the chiefs constantly threatens 10
leave the traveller destitute long before Ae reaches
the object of his journey
Mr. Thomson however, found that ms tIou"lcS
really only began when he reached Nasal IAN"
The Nasal are a powerful race, with perhaps the
most settled customs and modes OF living OF any oil
,haeop,torial Africans Mr.. Thomson lived long
enough among them to be able to sketch their habits
carefully and the account he gives IS thoiousny
praphic though too extended for quotation. l4!ey
are a very martial and aggressive people, 1uI ol al
rocance and looking down upon all the coast IIOcS
contemptuously. The latter are terribly airaiu
of the Nasal warriors. and yeld themselves aoi'c'y
70 their commands when passing through t"eH
country. The Wa-teita, who are mountaineerS'
however are more than match Tor the herco MAS"
IN their own haunts, and arc prudently Leu "IoHo
Cor the most part The Nasal have many singular
customs The male children are brought up Win
the women for several years, ana on attaining P"-
bertv 90 and live in barracks set apart forheyouns
men and the unmarried girls, where they are re-
strieted rieidly to diet OF milk and meat No war
rior nav eat vegetables of any kind. Nor can
warrior own anv property. The spoil he takes IN
hattie rcverts TO his father Bat even this spoil he
generally has to light for with his cohIaioS' IoI
aftar the battle a second conflict usually grows out
of the division of the plumber. and often te osS Oh
life is create in these trays than IN the pec'r4hB
engagement with the enemy Marriage IS ohly
permitted when a warriors father dies. Then he
hos 10 settle down and discard his weapons. and
the rem,uder of his life is spent peacefully. Ihe
rosut of this state of society Is that the young men
are fierce unruly and cruel. while the married men
become far more gentle, moderate ana Tolerant an"
bv contrast seem partly civilized Travellers among
the Nasal are not pleasantly situated VINE" 'Ao
traders reach a camping place the hrsl tmhs t"eF
must do is to form thorn fence all round their
goods. Then in a second circle OF the same k!hA
their tents are pitched, small gap being elt III
+be fence for entrance The Nasal at once swarm
into the ca,np ami BEGIN to exhibit their lnsOience
They demand to be shown everything, and they Try
10 steal whatever strikes their fancy Here IS Z
description OF the regular OF things after the
camp WAS pitched:
The tents are pitched, and second fence OF
tborns i placed round them. leaving only sh'H
.,,inr i'Th. is guarded By two askarI who seek,
,yifn Inland manners and soothing words 10 l;h'
gate the horrors OF Nasal INVASION, An su(t a.,
telnpts are. rs rule. in VaIh' lol no one ~ =.
law n hand on a warrior when hc IS dcttIH.i',l 20
see me and my things With the greatest ms
utmost obqad0a and hail fellow, well met kIid
of alr into my sanctum and bestow his odorhCrous
prease-clsd person my bed, or Whatever obltet
s,it. his idea Of comfort CeTemOnious even III his
arrogance he will now greet me, ana theH 't'IsH"
Snloe heads These give with the greatest alacrty
In the hone of fastening his departure. flnaiF'
t,er Eave exhibited TO his untutored gaze all the
,narvcls of my person and tent lie may he caIoI0u
ont leaving behind him various unsavor tokens ol
lis presence The iDdlgultles we hat 70 submit q!
are simply inconceivable. Though warrior h'o
4weakel my nose there would nave Deeu no Ie-
dress: and though he had smltten me on the rGht
cbeei" | should have had 10 illustrate WITH sweet
Itcralness the somewhat trying GOSPei RUE ana
appear Smiliugy willing TO turn 10 mn the other
also" must thank my reputation as a medcine-
map that matters did not Gome quite 70 tnls Pi53
Tut from morn till night had TO Teinal, Oh eNu.g
ton and be ready to best0w BEADS upon the
warrior legEars-fOr a denial was never drcai!t o.
No man dared lay aside his gun, or leave single
object exposed to view. 1t was only IN large NUM-
hers that they could 90 outside to draw water OF
fetch frewOOd. The camp was kept III continual!
turuoil heiIhteDed every now and then by "a Mdsdl
LAYING violent hands upon some article OF other,
in the very midst Of the camp anu rushing WIN II
fcwards the open. Thanks TO our precautlohS IN is
rsrelv succeeded but then there was no check. 70
lis repe.iion. nothing could be doneto the inner
be cond not even be safely expelled from tlc camp
Ar sunset the warriors would withdraw 10 theT
kraals and a sense of relief would begin 10 De eA-
pericuced. The gate would be blocked up. and a
guard set. Guns uight then be laId ASIDE hres NJ
and food cooked Tongues would be lOOsened ana
general animation would prevail. as II great l0ad
had been taken of every ones mind
Yet after considerable experience Of their ways
Mr. Thomson says that he "began almost to Ike
The Nasal" for, troublesome and Overbearing as
they were. they displayed an aristo;ratic manner
and consciousness of power which seemed to raise
them infinitely above the negrO-as had seen
him. The Nasal are physically very fine race,
tall-almost all six feet high-with beautifully
moulded limbs, and features which while savage
and ferocous in the young men, are nevertheless
akin to the Caucasian type In their wars they
practise amenities which civilized men nave long
abandoned When a war is decided upon with a
tribe of their own race, they send an embassy to
announce their determination. field Of battle Is
"a Il 100 l