Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-02-01

the most Productive that l ever saw.
There wera three or four natives work
ing in it. and they all saluted my host as
"naba, or father. Then We visited the
other ;@o groups Of marble huts, One
Of taese was used for sta les and out
bui aings, the other as storehouses, the
ce4rer hut having been, however, turned
into chapel Mr. Carson was not or
dained, but he earnestly tried TO convert
thenatives, most of whom were refugees
who had come to him for shelter, and he
had practiced the more elementary rites
of the church for so long that think he
began to believe that he really was a
clergyman. For instance, he always
married those of his people who would
consent 10 a homogeneous existence, and
baptized their children.
When we had examined these wonder
full remains Of antiquity, the marble huts,
and admired the orange trees, the vines
and fruits which thrive like weeds in this
marvellous soil and climate, we descended
to the next platform and saw the farming
operations in full swing. think that it
Africa. There was ample water for pur.
poses of irrigation, the grass lands below
gave pasturage for hundreds of head OF
cattle and horses, and, for natives, the
people were most industrious. More
over, the whole place was managed by
Mr.. Carson on the cooperative SYSTEM
he only took 1.-THE of the produce-in.
deed, in this land of teeming plenty,
what was he to do with more? Conse
quently the tribemen, who, by the way,
called themselves the "Children OF
Thomas" were able to accumulate con
siderable wealth. All their disputes were
referred to their father" and he also
was judge of offenses and crimes. Some
were punished by imprisonment, whip
ping and loss of goods, other and gravei
transgressions by expulsion from the
community, fiat which to one of these
favored natives must have seemed az
heavy as the decree that drove Adam
| from the Garden of Eden.
Old Mr.. Carson leaned upon his daugh,
ter's arm and contemplated the scene
with PRIDE
II have done all this, Allan Quater.
MAN," he said. "When renouncing civ.
ilization first, 1 wandered here by chancel
seeking home in the remotest places In
the world, found this lonely spot 8
wilderness. Nothing was to DO seen ex.
cept the site, the domes of the marble
huts and the waterfalls. I took posses.
sion of the huts cleared the patch OF
garden land and planted the orange
grove. l had only six natives then, but
by degrees others Joined me; now my
tribe is a thousand strong. Here we
live in profound peace and plenty.
have all / need, and I ask no more.
Heaven has prospered me so far-may
nigh. And now am tired and will &c
back. If you wish to see the old quarry
and the mouth of the ancient mines
Stella will show them to you. No, my
love, you need not trouble to come.
can manage alone. Look, some Of the
head men are waiting to see me-"
So he went, but still followed by Hen
drika and Indaba-zimbi we turned, and
walking along the bank of one of the
rivers, passed up behind the marble
kraals, and came to the quarry, whence
the material had been cut in some re-
mote age. The pit opened up very
thick seam of the whitest and most beau.
tiful marble. know another like 1t in
Natal. But by whom it had been worked
cannot say. Not by natives, that Ii
certain. Though the builders of the kraals
had condescendcd to borrow the shape
of native nuts for their model. The only
relic of those builders that ever saw
was a highly finished bronze pick axe
which Stella found one day in the quar-
ny. After we had examined the quarry
we climbed the slope of the hill till we
came to the mouth of the ancient mines
situated in kind of gorge believe
them to have been silver mines The
gorge was long and narrow, and the mo
ment we entered it there rose from every
side sound of groaning and barking
that was almost enough to deafen one
knew what 1t was at once; the whole
place was filled with balloons, which
clambered down the rocks towards u.
from every direction, in manner that
struck me as being unnaturally fearless
Stella chung to my arm.
at Is very silly Of me" she whispered
II am not at all nervous, but cannot
bear the sight of those animals eve,
since they killed Hendrix. I always
think that there is something human
about them"
Meanwhile the balloons came nearer
talking to each other as they came. Tots
began to cry, and chung to Stella. Stella
chung to me, while and Indaba-zimb
put as bold front on the matter as we
could. Only Hendrika stood looking al
the brutes with an unconcerned smile on
her monkey face. When the great apes
were quite near, she suddenly called out
aloud Instantly they stopped their
hideous clamor as though at word OF
command. Then Hendrika addressed
them.
From the mouth of Hendrika came a
l