The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-11-06
Wednesday, November 6, 1889.
BILL NYE
Gives Greeting to a Returned Explorer
Some Interesting Points About Interior
African Society and its Etiquette.


African explorers do not very often
return to tell us of that benighted
country. The mortality among Afrl-
can explorers is no doubt greater than
elsewhere. It is for that reason that
we are glad to welcome in America a
man like Mr.. Herbert Ward, who has
not only successfully returned with
his life, bat with cargo OF. valuable
information which will greatly enrich
the history of that young country.
Mr.. Ward ran away from home at
the ace of 16, and being an athlete
naturally: had to resort to the horl-
zontal bar act in New Zealand cir
Gus and though this course would no
doubt cast gloom over the souls OF
his English neighbors, it adds to his
glory in the hearts of Americans. Not
only the rank and f.e of American
people will respect him for his inde.
pendence, but Ward McAllister will
doubtless forgive him even for having
Joined circus.
Africa is the third subdivision in
size geographically, among the great
countries of the world. It IS composed
of land and water. Four-ffths OF
its area being within the tropics, the
climate is uniformly hot, and clothing
stores do pot pay, especially IN the
northern part.
Mr.. Ward has large and valuable
collection of African curloslles Snd
souvenirs and included therels-a has
the wardrobes of at least half a dozen
African bellies. He has to pay extra
for his other baggage but not Tor
these. One costume
AN AFRICAN LADY's TOILET.
consists of a brief overskirt OF hay.
There is no underskirt. Also no
waist. Also no sleeves. 1t is cute
little wire grass lambrequin OF various
eolored African grasses, and wouid
last long time, I judge, without re-
palrs. Another similar one IS really
only a hay fringe, which in high
wind or in crossing a muddy street.
would expose the ankles to the curl
GUS gaze of Pagan dudes. There are
three of these dresses, and complete
they may be all carried in an ordinary
card case. The chief charm about
these dresses is, that in changing from
one to the other there is very little
danger of taking cold.
The grass dress is quite popular
with the more civilized classes OF
women, and it is not uncommon at
any time to see kind hearted hus-
band going out shopping for his wife
with scythe over his shoulder. AS all
flesh is grass, however, some OF the
African ladies put off their haying
sometimes for years.
AS one goes farther into t@ prov
inces, Mr.. Ward says, the men wear
the clothes of the family, allowing the
women as an offset to revel in the
joys of industry. Many of the African
gentry wear garments OF fine soft
bark which resembles buckskin IN
texture and color. When it rains,
which sometimes it does, for six or
seven months at time, the owner
removes his bark clothes, otherwise
they would shrink and render him
liable for violation of a city ordi-
nance.
. THE FATE OF MISSIONARIES.
This situation calls up the inquiry
whether such a people may ever be
made consistent Christians and orna-
ments to society. At first we say no,
of course. No people who eat their
neiehbors with their knives, can be-
come thoroughly cultivated. No ma
ton who will SO to donation party
and contribute ham sandwiches to the
pastor, can hope to ever become pillars
of the church.
On the other hand, all our greatest
anthropologists claim, and say they
can prove it too, that the forefathers
of every race of people on the fsce OF
the globe, once ate the flesh Of their
enemies, and in times of peace, ever
and anon, broke over the erule to'enjoy
fricassed friend.
It is of course discouraging for US
to send to such country, our best
missionaries, knowing that they will
not last over more than two meals,
and vet we are told that few centu-
ries will change all this, as the history
of all other nations has already
shown us. The Christian religion
works very gradually on such peo,
pie.
Mark Twain dropped in casually
during our discussion of this ques.
ton, and said that in many cases, as
he had noticed in the Sandwich Is,
lands, an apparent conversion was re.
ally change merely of superstitions
That seems to be the first stage ot
barbaric decline. The heather watch.
es the physical prowess of the mis-.
sionary, as Mr.. Ward says, Of a mis-,
sionary who went to Africa and fol
wears could not awaken an interest
That was largely because he appealed
to their religious natures and their
thinking faculties. That is where he
made a mistake. He might as well
have asked for an upright piano as q
thinking faculty. But after he had
about given up regular religious ser:
vices, he took notion to go out and
shoot a brace of elephants for Thanks,
giving. He did SO. Much to his sur:
prise he then beqan to make converts