Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-05-09

.Siuce was a child l have never been
more than thirty miles from Babyan's
Peak" she answered. "Do you know, Mr..
Allan. that you are, with one exception,
the first Englishman that l have known
out of a book. | suppose that must seem
very wild and savage to you, but | have
had one advantage, a good education. Ny
father has taught me everything, and per-
haps know some things that you don't.
| can read French and German for in
stance | think that my fathers first idea
was to let me run wild altogether, but he
gave it up"
And don't you wish to go into the
world?" / asked.
sometimes" she said, when I get
lonely. But perhaps my father is right
perhaps it would brighten and bewilder
me- At any rate he would never return
to civilization. II is his idea, you know,
though | am sure I do not know where he
got it from, nor why he cannot bear that
our name should be spoken. In short,
Mr.. Quatermain, we do not make our
lives. we must take them as we find
them. Have you done your breakfast?
Let US 90 out, and l will show you our do
main"
rose and went to my sleeping-place o
fetch my hat When l returned Mir. Car
son-for after all that was his name,
though he would never allow it to be
spoken-had come into the hut. He felt
better now, he said, and would accom-
pany us on our walk if Stella would give
him an arm.
50 we started. and after US came Hen.
drika with Tota aud old Indaba-zimbi,
whom | found sitting outside as fresh AS
paint. Nothing could tire the old man.
The view from the platform was almost
rs beautiful as that from the lower ground
looking up TO the peak. The marble
kraals, as | have said, faced west, conse-
quently all the upper terrace lay in the
shadow of the great peak till nearly eleven
o'clock in the morning, which was great
advantage III that warm latitude.
First we walked through the garden,
which was beautifully cultivated. and
one of the most productive that l ever
saw. There were three or four natives
working in it, and they all saluted my host
as ''Baba," or father. Then we visited
the other two groups of marble huts. One
of these was used for stables and out
buildings, the other as sUOrehOuses, the
centre hut having been, however, turned
into chapel.
Mr.. Carson was not ordained, but ne
earnestly tried to convert the natives,
most of them were refugees who had come
to him for shelter, and he pracfced the
more elementary rites of the church for SO
long that | think he began to believe that
he really was clergyman. For instance
lie always married those of his people who
would consent to Il 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 wh ch 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
was the best farm have ever seen in AZ.
RIGA. There was ample water for purposes
of irrigation, the grass lands below gave
pasturage for hundreds of head of cattle
! and horses and, for natives, The people
were most industrious.
Moreover, the whole place was managed
! by Mr.. Carson on the cooperative system;
| he only took a 1.-THE of the prOduCe-in-
| deed, in this land of teeming plenty,
! what was he to do with mOrey Conse-
! quently the tribemen, who, by the way,
| called themselves the 'Childreu of Thorn
as" were able to accumulate considerable
| wealth
All their disputes were referred 10 thei r
| "fathern and he also was judge of offenSes
! and crimes. Some We're punished by inn
| prisonment, whipping and loss Of goods,
| other and graver transgressions by eXpul-
! sion from the community, fiat which to
| one Of these favored natives must have
| seemed as heavy rs the decree that drove
| Adam from the Garden of Eden.
Old Mr. Carson leaned upon his daugh-
| tors arm and contemplated the scene with
pride.
| Il have done all this, Mr. Quaternain, -
! he said. "When renOuncing civilization
| first. | wandered here by chance; seeking
| a home in the remotest places in the
world, found this lonely spot a wilder
| ness. Nothing was to be seen except the
! site, the dOmes of the marble huts and the
| waterfalls. took possession Of the huts.
| | cleared the patch of garden land and
| planted the orange grove | 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 | ask no more.
! Heaven has prOspered me so far-may it
| be so to the end, which for me draws nigh.
! And now | am tired and will go 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 Hem
drika and Indaba-zimbi, we turned, aud,
walking alOrg the bank of one of the
| rivers, passed up behind the marble kraals,
and came to the quarry, whence the ma
tcrial had been cut in some remote age.
The pit opened up n very thick seam of
the whitest and most beautiful marble
| know another like 1t in Natal But by
whom it has been worked l cannot say
Not hv natives. that is certain though the
builders of the kraals had Condescended to
borrow the shape of native huts for their
model The only relic OF those builders
that ] ever saw was a highly finished
OrOnZe piCll-aX which Stella found one
dav in the quarry.
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 moment we entered
IL NtAEtt toSt from every size q SOQnu
grooming aud barking that was almost
enough to deafen one. l knew what it
was n once. The whole place was filled
with balloons. which clambcrcd down the
rocks towards us from every direction. in
a manner that struck me as being unus
ually fearless. Stella turned little pale
and chung to my arm.
1T is very silly of me-" she whispered.
81 am not st all nervous. but I cannot
bear the sight of those animals ever since
they killed Hendrix. l always think there
is something human about them"
Meanwhile the balloons came nearer,
talking to each other as they came Tota
began to cry, and cluug to Stella. Stella
chung to me- while l and Indaba-zimbi
put as bold front on the matter as we
could. Only Hendrika stood looking at
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 hid
eous clamor as though at word of COM
mand.
Then Hendrika addressed them. I can
only describe it So That is to say, that
obey began TO make q noise such as
balloons do when they converse with each
other. ! have known Hottentots and Bush
men who said that they could talk with
the balloons and understand their Ian
guaEe, but 1 confess l never heard it done
before or since.
From the mouth of Hendrika came
succession OF Srunts, groans. squesks,