The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-26

herself and three sons-Bogema Johnson, Varna
and Momora "a. 81. Thompson). The two last
named are Christians Bogema is a Moham-
medan. and the old lady non est.
She is sticking to her native religion
apparently. The town is laid out In
a square with the royal residence in the center
Most of the houses are double. with an open
piazza between the two rooms. The foundation
is OF packed clay, raised two and half or three
feet above the ground. Upon this a close frame
work OF bamboo is built, being bound together
with rattan. When finished the whole house,
roof excepted is plastered with clay inside and
out There are seldom any windows, except the
one in the back of the piazza, and that is not al
ways present. The roof is Of heavy bamboo
leaf thatch a foot or more thick. the piazza,
which has a low fence Enclosing it, is used as
cooking place and general workshop. Some of
the houses round with conical roof, and are
usually occupied by old people or by the wives of
some polygamist. The men, when able, have
from two to ten wives Every house has a
perch on top, where the rooster roosteth, so that
his Growing at daybreak may awaken the men
and women for work. This Ia the native clock
The bridge is built like stake and rider rail
fence, the crosses being placed every three or
four feet and secured with rattan. The foot
part consists of two or three young tree trunks
laid in the crotches of the cross stakes firmly
splicedi the stakes being driven deep in the
mud The bridge is comparatively safe, AL
though it does not inspire one with that feeling
of safety that the st. Louis bridge would. The one
u z,
and marsh at one stretch. At every third stake
cross bars are placed, serving as side switches
for passengers when travel is going both ways
Crossing it is like walking tightrope, teet on
your muscles of coordination. When / first
tried 1t had on shoes, and very nearly made a
failure OF 1t, The second time, however, went
at It barefoot, and thanks to past experiences in
juvenile limitations of Professor Leon, in tight
rope walking was able to make the trip IS
nimbly as any OF my friends more familiar with
the structure.
LAS soon as our arrival at the town became
noised about was surrounded by crowd of
curious natives, many OF whom had never seen
white man before. l was the subject of all
sorts of remarks and inquiries. Many said
was a spirit some a devil Ali agreed that the
Lord had not finished making me-that nv skin
was not stuck on me- but would come off Ii
rubbed. This latter opinion was at once con-
frmed by me rubbing off IN their presence the
skin from my arm, where had been sunburned
a week or two previously. Thereafter very few
Of the natives who mad become newly acquainted
with the Caucasian race could be induced to
touch me- Tho girls were especially afraid OF
me- they running whenever approached. After
the visit to the Queen we went to the workshop
and watched the weaving of country cloth and
the working of the silversmith. Both weaver
and smith are slaves, but. being allowed all the
freedom they want, do not seem TO suffer men
tally or physically from their condition. The
smith, Tomah (fre) By name, is good natured
u d
countryman, is a good workman, oficiat-
ing also as gupsmith, blacksmith and
a jack-of all metal working trades. Before we
left, Tomah and l were the best of friends,
having given him introductory lessons in en-
craving on silver and gold. The tools of these
native jewelers. very crude yet they are
much the same as our own workmen use for the
same class Of work, rough and bulky. with very
little ornamentation, being mostly confined to
rings, bracelets. chains, earrings, buttons and
h,tw ill Il IL n,.I IL
ed silver and gold. The weaver is very quiet
fellow in speech and action, paying close atten-
ton to his work, indeed be must to get his
stitches and threads in all right. The thread s
made of tree cotton gathered from the tall, broad
spreading regne silvia The cotton fibre Is very
short. not more than an inch long. 1t Is picked,
cleaned. whipped. dyed, sp1n and wound into
balls on bodkins by the women The thread.
from it's crude manufacture and the materials
employed. is necessarily rough and uneven, and
is not very strong. The eyes used are native
preparations. and are warranted not to fade or
wash out. This is of the reasons dyed
country cloth costs so much, the preparation of
the dyes being very tedious and troublesome.
The loom is practically the same as those used
in the United States. though much rougher.
The cloth Is woven In strips from one-half to
one and half feed wide. aud any length wanted
from six inches to sixty feet
After watching the workmen awhile we were
summoned to dinner or chon. AS the natives
fish soup and country rice. Everything had
palm-kernel oil in IT, and it Is not ali bad tasting
much like cocoanus water or milk. The coun-
try rice ia red instead OF white much sweeter
and the grain more solid when cooked. When
bowl of rice IL given you by native. who has
not had her superstitons contaminated by civ
ilization's advance, you will always End small
heap placed against the large one unless the
person has Twill against you, in which case it
is absent. The lump was always present dur
ing my visit
During the evening the Queen called and
paid short visit. Later her sons. Bogema
and Varna. and nephew. Momora, called, and
these. with our own crowd of four. made up
very jolly party. AS all could speak English
more or less. We were at ease as far as CONVEX
satioc was concerned. Vey legends aud Eng
lisa and American songs were IN order, and the
fun was kept up till 10 o'clock when each one
sought his gossypian couch AS this is the rice
harvesting season, there was noticeable lack of
dancing-compared with seacoast towns whose
Inhabitants are seamen-ai the men and women
retiring early that they may be up with the roos-
ters Growing and off to the fields to work.
Work was begun early on Sunday morning
and during that day and up to o'clock the next
morning twentysx patients were subjected to
the knife and other instruments. There is one
beauty about the surgical cases in these native
towns when your patients are slaves The slave
tells you his body is his masters. and that he
alone has control over 1t, and will do what is
best for him: the master says he knows nothing
about the subject and turns the whole matter
over TO your own handling. to be dealt with as
you fit and best. There is smother thing not
beauty, and that is 1t is very hard to induce
patients to take ether Or chloroform. IhaYe.cut
out bullets, off tu,nors Strengthened club feet
and deforfnad hands and many other pain
e.. o,or- Xxx S-itA~aA AZ .-~--.h-a,---.l.,.
usual answer is: ut no hurt to come
dat way, he no hurt much to come away" AS
they believe that they die under ether. and are
resurrected afterward. I am much inclined to
think their fear is spiritual one rather than a
physical. as few of them are angels without
wings. Many OF my patients have been afflicted
for years with cumbersome growths. some as
long as ten and twenty years. and their joy at
being relieved is manifested in all sorts of ways;
they offer their female children as wives, give
you slaves. land. anything and everything. I'm
fortunately for ms collecting propensites, my
forhi rnrr