Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-10
AFRICAN CURIOSlTIES.
Remarkable Collection Brought by Her
bert Ward from the Dark Continent.

Remarkable Collection Brought by Her
bert Ward from the Dark Continent.
Probably the finest collection of At
rican curosities in the world is owned
by Herbert Ward, who was associated
for five years with Henry M. Stanley
in Africa. A very hasty examination
of the articles will at once change a
white mans contempt for the ignorant
savage into admiration for his manual
skill. 1t seems at first sight that the
collection must contain a specimen of
everything made, used or worn by the
central African, especially in view of
the scanty costume in vogue in that
country, but although the equatorial
gentleman may be considered over
dressed in a string with u tuft of grass
behind it, yet he has as many kinds of
weapons as we have cravats and Ill
sters says the n. Y. San.
The largest but not the most inter-
esting feature of the collection is seen
in the sheaf of spears. He has col
lected a startling number of them.
Each tribe has a distinctive kind of
spear, and the spears resemble or diff
fer from each other according to the
distance which separates the tribes.
They bear a pretty close general re-
sem blance, however, since all are made
with wooden handles and leaf-shaped
iron blades. Many of the tribes have
small spear for active business and
large one for dress parade.
Next in prominence and high inter-
est come the idols, and here it must be
cd +hot A f,,;o Il
not usually worship his idol or con-
slider it almighty. Mr.. Ward describes
the idol as a kind of middle man. I'm
less it can show that it is a good, prac-
teal, working idol it is liable to va
rious indignities and is even often
burnt.
The most fascinating and blood
curdling objects are the knives. Mr..
Ward has a number of the knives most
used for executions, which functions,
by the way, are usually performed to
celebrate the departure of chief for
another world. They belonged to the
Bangala and Babangi tribes, and Mr..
Ward has seen them actually used in
cutting off heads. The executioners
never bungle.
hC AioSo OIL ohSOly ohapCb hhlIC VI
any is one used in rough and tumble
fighting, and for throwing, by the ma
tives in the upper reaches of the Ouella
river. There are knives of every i'm
aginable shape in the collection. The
idea of the pattern in most cases is
taken from the palm leaf and when
the knife is made long and curved it is
very handsome and suggestive. The
handles are usually made of brass and
wood and the workmanship is very
fine. They are always made by the
natives.
Endless curiosities with particular
history attaching to them were scatter
ed about the collection. There was a
pair of wooden clogs, with Arabic in
scriptions on them, which were sent to
Mr.. Ward by Tippo lib as kind of
Christmas card. They only way to
keep them on your feet is to crap a
peg, which sticks up in the forward
part, with two of your toes. The for
tunate central African has toes as deft
as our fingers.
Lying around were instruments that
produce unearthly sounds, bracelets
made of elephants skin, human teeth,
butfalo's teeth leopards claws and
iron bells, necklets made from the
teeth of victims of cannibalism, chunks
of ivory worn by members of some
tribes in their upper lips, brass collars
of the order of Makoko for chiefs only
and plenty of little poisoned arrows.
These arrows are shot with great pre-
cision to distance of 100 yards, and
The wound will prove fatal within fif-
teen minutes if it is not thoroughly
cauterized.
Few persons would guess the use of
five or six strands of fiber tied together
and sometimes covered with metal.
They constitute the court costume of a
lady, and are worn around the waist.
Whenever there is tuft or other APP
pendage to the string it goes behind,
thus showing the primitive and wide
spread use of the hustle.
Excellent taste and splendid work
manship were visible in all the imple-
ments. They came from the interior,
for the natives lose all this skill after
contact with the rum of civilization for
short time. The most artistic OBJ
jects were probably the immense war
horns made of elephants tusks hollow
ed out and most deliberately carved,
and the shields of dyed and woven
palm fiber. There were also some
brooms, very light and long, which
should form elegant and valuable adj
ditions to the household furniture of a
theosophiSt. They are intended to
drive away spirits when their pres
ence is not desired.
Altogether the collection will soon
convince man that the central Afri-
cans are far ahead of most savages in
manual skill-in fact, much of their
work is quite equal to that of the ia
panese.