Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-02

with his sling in his hand. But was at length
compelled to take a stick to him and drive him
out OF the tent whenever he fed IN with his
'hooroo! hooroo!' at night.
l mention Alfred among my East African
boys chiefly because he proved TO me that boys
are very much alike the world over. l have
been in more than twenty different countries,
and my experience is that whether in Africa,
Europe, Asia or America, the boy who brags
the loudest Of his courage is very apt to turn
out, like Alfred Christopher, as cowardly as 3
sheep in the presence of real danger.
Among the uncivilized tribes of the interior
the small boys are the brightest members OF the
community. The East African boy at ten or
twelve years of age is quicker witted and more
intelligent than he is after he becomes a man
The uncivlized child is always precocious, in
comparison with his elders. During the first
few years of his life the African is not far be-
hind the American in intelligence; but dullEess
ana Stupidity comes over him as he grows older:
ana at forty he seems to be far more ignorant
and incapable Of inteligently expressing him.
self than he was at ten.
In the forest community OF Taveta rot far
from the snow mountain kileinanjaro, our eX-
petition halted for some time. occupied my
self in finding out the manners and customs OF
the people. At first used to turn for my lnqul-
rjes to the elders and ancient DANES, as one
would in civilized country. But soon found
out that very little was to be learned from lhem
They were suspicious of my designs as we'll as
dull in comprehension.
From the day of our arrival in Taveta couple
of small boys had made my shed their loafng
place. The white man was magnet to whom
these Y ouths were attacked, and they used to
stand around and watch my every movement
with the curiosity of monkeys. One day they
W ere listening with much interest to my efforts
to learn something OF the manners and customs
OF the tribe from an old man, when they both
burst into a merry peal of laughter at one an
swer l received. They corrected the old man
and he acknowledged with nod that they were
right. He also stated that the boys would be
able to tell me everything much better than any
body else.
To my astonshment found that these on tbs
knew all about things which I had been trying
to learn from their elders for days without sue
cess and that they were peculiarly quick-witted
in divining the tenor of my questions. l made
them my devoted friends by presenting them
with few necklaces OF beads, and in a week
had learned everything and seen everything of
interest connected with their tribe and mode of
life.
Even things which boys are supposed to know
nothing about were quite familiar topics to this
precocious pair of young savages. They We're
well informed as to the burial customs, marriage
customs, etc. and used 10 afford much amuHe-
ment by telling me how many cows or goats had
been paid for the various women who came to
sell US food by their husbands. Wives are ac-
CURED by purchase in nearly all African tribes.
In Taveta the price varied from two to six COWS.
or three times as many goats.
One evening the young rogues were feeling
rather merry and inclined for fun. when a very
stout woman came to my shed with bunch OF
bananas for sale.
Don't buy her bananas, bwaua, '''6ne Ofthem
shouted; she's a Cheat
''How so?'' asked.
why, she cheated her husband by selling
herself to him for two cows and three goats,
when she was only worth two goats-ha- hal''
The lady very properly quite indignant,
and setting down her bananas, attempted to
catch her disparager, with view to chastising
him, but woman is never able to catch small
boy.
One morning my young friends told me that if
I would follow them they would show me some
thing very curious Nothing loath, permitted
them to lead the way through many banana
groves, whenwe emer ged on an open space. In
the center of the open space was very dense
patch of trees and shrubbery. My young guides
motioned me to 20 and penetrate the groves, but
they would prefer to wait outside TIL l returned
Finding narrow opening in the Lnicket, l
crept in, and in minute found myself in the
uncanny society of number of human skulls.
AT the loot of every tree in the groove were a
number of broken jars eft on their sides, and
peerng from each jar was grinning human
Taveta cemetery. the dead are deposited in the
ground until they reduced 10 skeletons, when
the skulls are removed and placed in the jars in
the cemetery grove, as we have seen.