Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-28

| 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 fled in with his
"Eooroo! hooroo!' at night.
mention Alfred among my East African
boys chiefly because he proved to me that boys
are very much alike the world over. 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 cowardIy a
sheep in the presence of real danger.
Among the unciviliZed tribes of the interior
the small boys are the brightest III embeTs of the
community. The East African boy at ten or
twelve years of age is quicker wtted and more
intelligent than he is after he becomes man.
The unciviized 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 dullGess
and Stupidity comes over him as he grows older,
anu at forty he seems to be far more ignorant
and incapable of intelIigently expressing him
self than he was at ten.
In the forest community of Taveta, not far
from the snow mountain Kileinanj aro, our ex-
petition hailed for some time. l occupied my
self in finding out the manners and customs OF
tle people. At first used to turn for my inqui-
res to the elders and ancient danes, as one
would in d civilized country. But soon found
out that very little to be learned from hem.
They were suspicious of my designs as well as
dull in comprehension.
From the day OF our arrival in Taveta a couple
of small boys had made my shed their loafng
place. The white man was magnet to whom
these ouths were attacked, and they used to
stand around and watch my every movement
with the curiosity of monkeys. One day they
were 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 merry peal of laughter at one an
swer l received. They corrected the old man
and he acknowledged with a nod that thev
ri-ht. He also stated that the boys would be
able to tell me everything much better than any
body else.
To my astonishment found that these on tbs
knew all about things which / had been trying
TO learn from their elders for days without sue
cess and that they were peculiarly quick -witted
in Owning the tenor of my questions. l made
them my devoted friends by presenting them
wiki few necklaces OF beads, and in week
han 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 were
well informed as to the burial customs marriage
customs. etc , and used 10 afford much amusa-
ment by telling me how many cows goals mad
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
o: three times as many goats.
One evening the young roguec were feeling |
rather merry and inclined for fun. when a very |
stout woman came to my shed with bunch Of |
bananas Tor sale.
Don't buy her bananas, bwaua," one ofthem
shou ed; She's cheat"
'How so?' 1 asked.
why, she cheated her husband by selling |
herself TO him Tor two cows and three goats, |
" HSh sue was oHiy "oith t"o Sosts-na-na!'
The lady was very properly quite indignant, |
and setting down her bananas, attemp ed to /
ca CHI her disparager. with a view to chastising
him, but woman is never able to catch q small |
boy.
One morning my young friends told me that if
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 Led 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 returned.
Finding narrow opening in the N cket. /
crept IN. and in minute found myself in the
lncanny society of number of human skulls.
At the loot of every tree in the groove were a
number of broken jars set on their sides, and
peering from each jar was a grinning human
skull. This, my Young friend explained, was a
raveta cemetery. The dead are deposited in the
ground until hey are reduced 10 skeletons when
ne skulls are removed and placed in the lars in
he cemetery grove. as we have seen.