Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-16
EXPLORERS SURPRISED.

Remarkable Discoveries That Some of
Them Have Made Not Long Ago.
1t happens now and then that an ex-
plorer makes a sensational and wholly
unexpected discovery. Several unique
facts with regard to certain tribes of
| savages have recently been ascertained.
Mr.. W. Montagu Kerr. for instance, has
found among the Makorikori tribe in
Africa, whom he is the first to describe,
gunpowder which they make them
selves for use IN the hint-lock muskets
which they obtain from native traders.
The tribes live far from the East
coast and quite distance south of the
Zambesi river. The gunpowder burns
slowly, and its explosive force is far in
ferior to that of ours, but it answers
their purpose very well. They mix the
effforescence of saltpeter with charcoal,
which they make from the bark of the
mufati tree. This mixture is baked in
an earthern pot for several hours. and
then it is pulverized and spread in the
sunlight. where it is left for some time.
1t is not at all likely that the Max ORR
koris, like the Chinese, discovered the
art of making gunpowder. Their fathers
doubtless learned it from the Portuguese
or from Slaves who had lived among
white men on the coast. We hear
strange things once in while OF
African tribes, but it was hardly to be
expected that a wholly unknown tribe,
hemmed in by the mountains of inner
Africa, would be found engaged in the
manufacture of gunpowder
A few years ago Lieutenant Wiss-
mann came home and told remarkable
story about tribes he had met with south
of the Congo river. who were far more
civilized than most African peoples.
HIS report is now fully confirmed by the
travels i'll the same region of Lieuten-
ants Kund and Tappenbeck. They
found last year, between the Congo and
the Saukurn rivers, many street vii
lagos, with large, gable-roofed huts
standing squarely on either side of the
street, inhabited by brownish-red, fine
looking people. These villagers have
advanced notions of comfort. They
sleep on wooden beds, instead of on the
floor. Their homes are the largest yet
found in Africa, and are kept clean
Their streets are about fifty yards vide,
sonnet mes two or three miles long, and
are carefully swept. Refuse of all sorts
is taken away and thrown into pits dug
for the purpose. They are clever hunt
ers, ard train their dogs to follow game.
They carve pestles out of ivory for
pounding manio,, and they have as
tonishing skill as wood carvers. Lieu
tenant Kund brought home two wooden
cups, representing negro heads, which
might readily be taken for European
products, owing to their superior work
manship. Behind the houses of this
popu!ous Zenge tribe are neatly-kept
gardens and plantations of bananas.
When Lieutenant Holm visited an
isolated settlement of East Green
landerS two years ago he was astonished
to find among these natives, of whom
the world had never heard, walrus
spears of which the handles were made
of wood. although no timber grew
there, and the points of hoop-iron. He
ascertained that the sea currents had
brought the useful commodities to the
poor Eskimos in the shape of wreckage
and iron bound boxes.
1t has recently been shown that in
parts of Chilli where European trees
and plants have been introduced the ma
tive flora is actually disappearing and
the imported vegetatat on is fiourishing
in its place. Explorers are often sur
prised to see the familiar plants and
fruits of other regions growing as eX-
OF cs where they did not dream OF find
ing them. Kerr discovered the tomato
in the far interior of Africa, and
Schweinfurth was much astonished to
find tobaccoin the heart of the continent,
where it was raised and enjoyed by ma
tives who had never heard OF its Ameri-
can home, though the name by which
the weed was known among some
tribes was doubtless derived from our
name for it-N. Y. San.