The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-05-23
NUMBER y.
pWELLERs N CAVES.


Ilvsng Types Of Prchistcric Man Dissovs
ered By African ExploreEss
When Colonel Grant was descending
the Milo from Victoria Nysnzn. Z
native, who had travelled fur. told him
thar hundreds Of miles southwest Of the
lake. in Katanga. the great copper
country, he had seen caves 20 high that
from camel's buck he could not have
touched their roofs with spear. One
Of them. he said, was four hundred
yards wide. and no penetrated Y IRON
sunrise until noon, emerging At last oH
the other side Of tho mountain. Ne
credence was givensthis story until Mr.
Arnot, who returned from the Katangs
country awhile ago, said that he had
seen these caves and the people who
inhabited them. II is TO be regretted
Jnat mis- work in uthers diruuti6ns
vented him from thoroughly studying
these remarkable Sombwe caves and
their tenants. but he promised upon his
return next spring to make them the
object OF careful research.
The mountain range where these
caves are found Is about four hundred
miles northwest OF Lake Bangweol0
On the precipitous south face OF these
mountain Arnot saw. at distance
holes here. and there. dotted like rabbit
warrens over the front OF tho range
These are entrances to the caves, nnd
Arnot was astonished by their large
number. Ono cave he says, has two
entrances, the distance between the
openings being five miles. In some
caves are streams OF running water.
The walls. have the appearance OF
pumice stone, and limestone strata
were also found. In the caves and
around their mouths live thousands Of
natives. They till their millet fields IN
frontef their sabterranean homes, and
store their foodin them. The explorer
found thom q wild but pcace-loving peo-
pie.
It was not 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 VII
lagos, numbering sometimes one hum
dred huts, or more, built on piles In the
water, and accessible from tho shore
only by canoes. Thus. like prehistoric
man, they guard their homes against
sudden surprise. Cameron introduced
aus to picturesque Lake Afohry Gem
trail Africa, ands the large collection Of
huts raised high on stills above its
placid surface. The tenants Of these
lake dwellings till their fields on shore,
retiring when night comes on or dan
ger threatens to the security OF their
lake huts. Young discovered hundreds
Of natives living In the edge Of the great
Lake Nyassa and reproducing phases Of
life that are thought to be identical
with those Of the ancient Swiss lake
dwellers But not until long after these
discoveries were made was 1t known
that probably hundreds OF thousands OF
Africans 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
villages built OF piles are seen by scores
Not few tribes build their houses on
marshy and overhowed land TO render
their villages difficult OF approach.
Many other tribes, particularly along
the. Congo tributaries, inhabit lands
that are subject to periodical inundar
tions. and they sensibly raise their ga
bIe-roofed cabins several feet above
high water mark to keep out Of the
wet. IN. Y. Sun.