, 1889-03-21
Living Types OF Prehistoric Men.

When Colonel Grant was descending
the Nile from Victoria Nyanza, q native,
who had travelled far, told him that
hundreds of miles southwest of the
lake, in Katanga, the great copper
country, no had seen caves so high
that from camel's back he could
not have touched their roof with a spear.
One of them, he said, was four hundred
yards wide, and he penetrated 1T from
sunrise til! noon, emerging at last on the
other side of the mountain. No credence
was given this story until Mr.. Arnot, who
returned from the Kananga country u
while ago, said that he had seen these
caves and the people who inhabit them.
| IL is to be regretted that his work in other
directions prevented him from thoroughly
studying these remarkable Sombwe caves
and their tenants, but he promises upon
his return next spring to make them the
object of careful research
The mountain range where these caves
are found is about 400 miles northwest of
Lake BanRweolo. On the precipitous
south face these mountains Arnot saw at
distance, holes here and there, dotted
like rabbit warrens over the front or the
range. These are the entrances to the
caves, and Arnot was astonlshed by their
large number. One cave. he says. has two
entrances, the distance between the open
ing being tive miles. In some caves there
are streams ct running water, Inc walls
have the appearance OF pumice stone and
limestone strata were also found. In the
caves and around their mouths live tbous.
ands of natives. They till their milIet
fields in front of their subterranean homes,
and store their food In them. The explorer
found them wild but peace-loying peo.
Pile.
1t was known until recently how great
is the number of people whose homes find
their prototype in the lake dwellings OF
prehistoric times. For hundreds of miles
along the south and east coasts of New
Guinea, in many sheltered inlet and
bay, are large villages, numbering some
times hundred hnts and more, built on
piles IN the water and accessible from the
snore only by canoes. Thus, like prehis-
toric man, they guard their homes against
sudden surprise. Cameron introduced us
to picturesque Lake Mohrya in Central
Africa and the large collection of huts
raised high on stills above it's placid sur
face. The tenants Of these lake dwellings
till their fields on shore, retiring when
night comes or danger threatens to the Sc
curity of their lake huts. Young discovered
hundred of natives living in the edge OF
the great Lake Nyassa and reproducing
phases of life that are thought to be iden
tical with those of the ancient Swiss lake
dwellers. But not until long after these
discoveries were made was it known that
probably hundreds of thousands Of Afri.
cans moor canoes under their huts and
reach the rude floor above by means OF
ladders.
Along many Of the Congo southern and
northern Zambesi tributaries these villa
Res built of piles are seen by scores, Not
few tribes build their houses on marshy
and overfiowed lapd. to render their villa.
ges difficult of approach. Many other
tribes, particularly along the Congo tribu.
taries, inhabit lands that are subject TO
periodical foundations, and they sensibly
raise their gabie-roof-d cabins several feet
above high water mark to keep out of the
wet