Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-25

fApth the view YORK sun
The crowd of explorers that succeeded Liv-
hgs'one' Burton and other pioneers in Africa
nave oeeh publishing many new impressions of
'he people whom they have had better chance
70 study than most earlier travellers II the
Aules' as Livingstone usually called them.
eould only read books and newspapers, they
would now and then have reason to feel COM
Piimented by the kind words of some gallant
explorer. II is a rather curious fact that an
explorer, who in the early pages of his diary
tells how ugly and unattractive African women
are, often modifies his Judgment a good deal
As the volume grows. and actually records that
Ne meets many women of graceful form and
pleasing feature. He has simply become ac-
cGstomed to the peculiar style and complexion
OF the African fair sex. and the first he knows
ne Is applying the adjective pretty to many in
tensely black ladies.
The explorer Becker says it took an educa-
bonal process TO convince him that there are
really very pretty women in the wilds of Africa
After a while, however. he began to think
,here were many women living IN native huts
who were admirable in form and quite attrac-
ave IN feature, and he was sure of il before
he LEFT THE DARK CONTINENT.
Some members of the Rsmaeckers party were
very favorably impressed with what thew saw
at the court of Queen Selika. the ruler of a dis
rict in USogo, about 400 miles west of Zanzi-
bar. One gushing old stager in the expedition
wrote two years ago that had he been twenty
years younger he would have fallen in love with
the queen herself. not because she was hand
some though she was by no means undressing
to look upon, but because of her hospitality
and goodness of heart. Some goats belonging
To the expedition straved away and were found
and restored by the queens men, who we're re-
Narded Tor their trouble. The queen returned
the presents. and said to her white visitors:
Ii you give away your cloth so freely YOU will
have none left for yourselves. When L send nv
servants TO do you favor l do not wish you to
reward them"
The maidens in attendance on the queen are
described as fine specimens of African beauty
and, II the picture of one of them is not the
grossest hattery. we must admit there is good
reason for complimenting these picturesque
young women. Their conversation was a trifle
lnslpld. as they failed to get above the intel
lectuaI level of sCch questions rs these: ''How
many wives have you?' do they have slaves
To wait on them. as we do?' do they wear
beautiful bracelets?" DO YOU like us real
we'll and which of do you like best?'' They
were greatly astonished to see that the white
men were travelling without their wives. and
Becker lntimates that 1t would not have been
dlfhcult to induce the court damsels to supply
THIS deficiency. 1t was great fun to see them
nibble at European canned goods, expressing
surprise that the whites could eat such stuff
few drops of tea and chocolate were all they
would swallow, but they took naturally to
brandy.
THEY sNACKED THEIR LIPS FOR MORE,
but were not gratified.
Tastes differ, and while Becker thought
few hours were very pleasantly spent in silly
conversation with these ladies' Mr. Len an
other traveller who met them. saws he couldn't
endure them. lie admitted that as African
girls GO they are pretty and graceful, but he
sald tiey have very poor taste to smear their
bodies with butter the odor of which is not al
Il D IL.
SILLY and at times. in fact. is quite unreportabe.
MIR. Leu said they were an awful nuisance. He
could not keep them out Of his tent and thew
turned his Package of wearing apparel inside
out ana asked hum tlresome questions about
everything they saw. The poor fellow was
Destined never again TO be in female society he
liked better.
Many of the finest specimens of womankind
IN equatorial Africa find their way into the
harems of the Arabs The wealthy merchants
at IabOra. far inland. have large harems.
which are filed mostly from Manyema west of
Lake Ianganylka and the northern shores of
NlctOrl Nyanza. Stanley has described the
charms OF the Manyema women. and every ex-
Plorer who ever saw them has extolled the
beauty of the Nahuma ladies of Victoria lake
They are light IN color. many of them have
aqulllne noses and rather finely cut features
and white men who have seen these famous
African beauties in the harems of Tabora call
them the Caucasian charmers of the Zanzibar
Arabs Many of these women when they reach
Tabora have long hair falling below the shout
ders. but the Arabs have a stupid custom of
cutting on the hair of the harem favorites A
nne-lOOklng girl chosen for the harem brings
In the Iabors market from 800 to $500.
though the average price of a female slave is
only so.
While Becker was in Tabora. Tippu lib pre-
sented him with an unusually comelv slave girl
named Rlslkl. whose picture adorns his recent
book. RIsiki has been trained to housekeeping
after the Arab fashion. and Becker's descrip-
ton OF her industry and nedtness and of the
excellent meals she served is quite
An UNIQUE PAGE IN AFRICAN LITERATURE.
The English missionaries at Uyui say that
the young chief of that district once lorded it
over quite large area. He had a consuming
ambition. however, to possess a great harem.
He bought women for his establishment until
his resources gave out. and then he began sell
ing his Lands TO make fresh additions to his
household. Every time his susceptible heart
was touched he would whittle off another slice
OF territory. Ii now takes about all the land he
has left TO hold his harem.
picture IN one of the latest books on the
Congo shows two women, fastened together bv
their arms. running toward group of ladies
IL illustrates curious phase of African life
The chief had bought new wife who didn't
fancy her hege lord and ran away According
10 native usage, the man from whom she was
purchased should make restitution Being too
poor to do so. he had to surrender the only
NlIt ne pOsstsseu untll ne mad property enough
to redeem her. To keep her within reach she
was fastened to one of the chiefs wives
Women are very cheap on some of the Congo
tributaries On the LulOngo river .beauti-
ful young girl was offered to Grenfeu for
trade goods worth about $3.50
Lieut. Won Francois Ii quite enthusiastic in
his description OF the BOkeri women on the
Bussera river. MANY of the maidens and
women. he writes. have very fine figures and
not few among them would make beautiful
models Tor painter. As they stood watching
Us, with their arms around one another's
waists. they made most picturesque groups"
He gives a picture of three OF these dusky
Nenuses,
WHOSE AMPLE THOUGH sHAPELY FIGURES
justify his appreciatiye description. Won Fran
rois never missed an opportunity to increase
his chronological collections for the German
museums. He offered one Of these girls a
handsome present for the only article of wear
ing apparel in use among the ladies of that
region. She laughed at his impudence and
mOdestly withdrew. She evidently spread the
news. for presently another young woman came
up and offered her bit of native loin cloth.
The trade made on the spot
IL is not often that women make any warlike
demonstrations against white men, but at one
large village on the Tchuapa the perfectly nude
females. instead Of retreating 10 the woods
formed in a semi-circle and engaged in a war
dance. clapping their hands. making gestures
49, -