News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-01-23
DANGERS IN AFRICA.
Dr. Jules Borelli Tells of the Perils He
Experienced in His Travels.
One Must Always Be on His Guard-slave
Trade Among the Hadias and Kooloo Tribes
Eating Raw Beef at Religious Festivals.

me was the more QlHlcuFG JnaG the
countries through which had to trav-
ell are inhabited by numerous nomadic
mountain tribes, who live by pillage
and murder, and who are among the
most inhospitable in northern Africa.
They are treacherous to degree
scarcely conceivable, lulling your
watchfulness to sleep by protestations
of the sincerest friendship, until
favorable opportunity occurs to cut
your throat The country is wild and
| broken, scorched by the sun and fur
rowed by depressions and cavities,
some of which sink to depth of 1000
and more feet.
| The descent from the PLAIN of War
dillissan, which is covered with stones
and pebbles-the pest of the country
and has neither grass nor water, to
Bahr Assal (Salt lake), lies through
track which seems to have been turned
topsy turvy between high and steep
hills, and reminds one of the Internal
regions. The lake is $40 feet below the
| level of the sea. About third of the
soil in it's vicinity is covered with a
sheet of salt half foot thick, which
resembles ice. AS salt is not only used
for culinary purposes, but also as a
currency, it is cut into pieces of the
shape of milestone they are about
9 inches long, II inches thick, and in
the middle 2 inches wide. Black lava
beds abound and several deep craters.
Mimosas, from which gum arabic is
collected, acacias, saline plants, and
few groves OF doom palm trees are
alone met with by the way.
We were soon among the wand ering
tribes of the AID ALI. Woe to the I'M
fortunate straggler in these parts, for
he is sure to be cut off. The Ad ALI
are exceedingly ferocious and blood
thirsty. At times we met some of
their women and children driving their
flocks of sheep and goats. Nor had
we less to fear from the savage denizens
of the forest and caverns, for here wild
beasts abound. Lions are occasionally
met with. Leopards also sometimes
appear. There are numerous wolves,
hyenas, lynxs, and foxes. AS we ap-
preached the Hawash river, which
constitutes the boundary between
Danakil-Ad Ali tribes and the kingdom
of Shoa the aspect of the country sud-
denly changes. 1t becomes verdant
and widely cultivated. Small villages
are perched on most of the peaked
hills we pass. The camel thorn, ba-
bool, tamarind, and the luxurious soco-
trine aloe plant smiled on every side.
Game is abundant Zebras, beizees,
spur fowls, quail, bustards, and
1oricans swarmed around our path.
Antelopes were to be seen grazing;
ostriches and wild asses flew past in
the jungle. Snipe and ducks sought
refuge in the lakes covered with the
lotus plant In the trees parrots in
gay plumage and dog-headed monkeys
disported themselves among the
branches, and, though serpents were
not so numerous in the underground,
some are deadly poisonous.
Antoto, which is about sixty days
journey from the coast, is the resi-
dence of King Menilek IL, who claims
descent from Solomon
My course now lay to the south.
Finally l reached the banks of the
Ghibie-Ennharya, better known as the
ONO which was the chief object of my
present expedition. In doing had |
discovered an entirely new region and |
entered the country of the Bottors.
After threading a vast forest l came |
upon the source of the ONO and &C |
quired the conviction that, throughout |
its entire course, it had nothing in |
common with and was quite distinct |
from the Jubl. Having settled this
point beyond all possible dispute, l |
pushed on as far as [ could into those |
wild regions, which contain scenes of |
extreme grandeur. l was so we'll re- |
ceived in the kingdom of Djimma that |
| staid there a whole twelvemonth, |
making an exhaustive Typographical
survey of the country. There, at the |
foot of the MayGoudo, l explored an
immense sweep of territory, extending
from the south in an easterly direction |
and which had never before been re-
connoitered by any scientific traveller.
Continuing due east, visited in turn
the Tambaros, the Hadias, the |
Weaknesses the Koolos, and other
pagan tribes, each of which has its
own peculiar laws language, manners,
and superstitions.
have carefully studied these diff
erent tribes. Salt, which, as we have
seen, is accepted as currency among
the Gallas, is rejected by these tribes.
They have three species of currency:
Slaves, who represent what we may
style bank notes; calves. which answer
the purpose of coin; and bits of iron
which stand in lieu of copper coin
among u.s. They willingly buy at their
markets cotton goods of Liverpool
manufacture, but unravel the whole
into thread, from which they in turn
weave their own stuffs. They have
no idea of the process of dyeing; when
they see piece of blue stuff they fancy
the wool on the sleeps back from
which it is made must have been OF
that color They treat their slaves
with kindness. Children, as slaves,
bring higher prices than grown men
and women. girl of twelve if hand
some. fetches frem $l5zte- SID MIulI-
grown man, if strong and healthy. is
worth So at most They have more
slaves than free men. Once bought
slave is never sold to another; the cor
rect thing is to give the slave away as
a free-will gift. Horses and mules
abound all over those regions. The
Gala oxen are magnificent beasts,
with horns sometimes four feet long.
But most of these tribes are difficult to
They are very mistrustful,
as concerns foreigners, and
are often at war with one another.
JAMES RIDLEY'S LUCK.
Twice Prepared for Burial, He Re-
VIVed on Both OccaSioos