The Columbus journal., 1888-12-26
A TRIP TO AFRICA.

A lklP ~ AFklCA.
HABITS AND HOMES or THE DEM
zENs OF THE GOLD COAST.
How l0-Year-Old Aeehsrs Carry Their
Babie-Singulaf Though Rudsly Elab-
orate Barial Custo0-An UncomFostable
Conveyxnce.
Although the Gold Coast is not favor
able for the prolongation Of life Of white
men, the natives arc strong and healthy
enough The children are particularly
sprightly and fat. They run about in q
state of nature, with merely q girdle-of
beads around their waists. in lieu of
clothing. They are manageable at an
welded life at 10. The infants are car
ried by their mothers in q peculiar posi-
ton. "A piece of light wood about ten
inches long by four or five broad is COW
cred with cotton and tied around the
woman. SO as to rest upon the lower part
of her back. Upon this the infant is
placed, straddling face to the mothers
back and secured by a field of her cotton
cloth. The woman is thus free to WORT
and the babe is near the nOurishnen,
necessary for its existence.
DEFY WEATHER HOUSES.
saw some very old persons here. One
day on going down the road toward the
| castle, I saw "a venerable looking negro
sitting in a wicker chair, bareheaded and
| fully exposed 10 the fierce rays of the
sun. 1t was about noon. when the u
is very powerful. and the old fellows
skull was devoid of wool, bare and shiny.
l stopped to speak to him, placing my
hand on top of his head and finding the
heat excessive. He spoke in tremulous
tones. telling me he was nearly 100 years
of age. and that his blood was cold: SO
he had his chair placed in the sun SO that
his system could be warmed thoroughly.
The houses are made of sun baked
bricks, or adobe, which material is all
right during the dry portion of the year.
but has an i~nconvenient habit Of tum-
bling about your devoted person during
a continuance of rain. The walls of the
houses are thick, to keep the great heat
out. and the roofs are matched with
dried grass. Two of us occupied one Of
these houses half way between the castle
and TIE lighthouse. The under story
was a merchants store, and we occupied
the top floor. We had been experience
ing rather heavy rain for q week, when
one night the wall facing the direction
the wind came from collapsed. bringing
down the roof with it. Fortunately our
cots were OF the other side, otherwise
our earthly globe trottinG" would have
been brought To an untimely and sudden
end.
BURIED IN GOLD.
The buria:s of the Cold coast are very
peculiar. Eiost of the people own their
houses. and the family have perhaps
lived in them for generations. The GUS
tom doubtless arose from considerations
of security. for fear the graves might be
riaed. They always bury their dead
within the walls of the deceased's resi-
dence. The house where we were lodged
was separated from the adjoining one by
q narrow alley. The window Of our up |
per room looked into the lower story of
the other house. as 4 door was Just nppo-
site us. We were thus enabled to view |
the whole proceedings. The wife Of the
owner, a young woman about 70 years
of age, had died of puerperal fever and
was laid out Oh a treStle covered with
black cloth, attired as in life. In the
center of tic 0 a trench was dug. the
depth of which we could hot exactly de-
ternine. The body was literally covered
with p d ornaments. Gold beads round |
her neck in 4 double row gold bead
girdle, earrings, rings, pins. bracelets
all Of massive form and chased, but not
very finely. The workmanship is not
of the highest order.
A rich mulattO lady, widow Of a white
merchant and niece Of the ruling king of
Ashantee, was among the Eiourners.
She had a vial filed with gold dust in
her hand. which she emptied into the
mouth Of the deceased woman. scatter
ing the oSerPlus on the face: Some wo-
men then took the body and wrapped il
carefully in u white sheet; they then
lowered it with cords into the grave. a
brazier was burning in the apartment.
which was large, and usually the parlor.
Onto the hot coal they then threw some
Odorifcrous gums, which gave out an in
tense smoke. This had the effect doubt
less of driving away any evil spirits that
might have been lOafing around seeking
something to devour. Under cover Of
this smoke, which was too dense for Us
to see through, the earth must have been
filed in: for when We could discern OBJ
jects again the floor WIS even and
stamped down, looking as before. l saw
no men present during the interment.
was informed that during a little diff
Guilty between the French and a native
king, men were landed from a war ship,
who, after driving away the inhabitants,
had kroo boys TO dig up the interiors of
the chief houses, and secured a fair
amount of the precious metal as booty.
Fantee country inland. The people Of
this kingdom are not SO tall or athletic a
race, but are 1.-the and clean liInbed, ac-
tive and intelligent. preferred them to
their neiGhbors, the Fantees. l went up
as far as the Prah, a pleasant enough trip
of several days. As there are no horses
o mules, nor even the humble Jerusa-
lem pony, We were carried in hammocks,
a bad imitation Of the Indian palkee.
These cOntrivances are made of canvas
and slung to q pole, which Latter is cal
ried on mems shoulders fore and aft. II
is a very jumpy, jolting method of loco
motion. ! heard Of one poor fellow who
was being carried in one of these vehicles
Of little ease, being sick with cOlst fever.
The jo!ting irritated him SO much that he
called GU to them to go slow. The
bearers, thinking he called out to them
to 60 faster. through ignorance Of the
language, literally jolted him to death.
He was quite dead when they reached
his residence.-C San Francisco Chron-
icle.
Feminine ROMEOS.
College Girls Who FAN in Love with and
Adore Each Other.
perhaps love fever is not q disease. but
we think 1t one 1t is very prevalent in
all of the colleges for girls. particularly
SO at Vassar, Smith and Wellesley, and
it is claiming the very serious attention
Of the college faculties"
This rather startling revelation was
made by a professor. and q feminine one,
who has taught in all three colleges. and
is at present connected with a fashionable
boarding school in this city.
Il remember well when I was q cir!
and first read Elsie Venner,'" she con