Telegram-herald., 1891-11-01
SULUKU And his WIVES
The Great African Chief Hss Threo
Hundred of Them.
ODD CuSIuHs IN DlRKEsI AFRICA
The Rev Mr. Eaii Tells some Intsrsssf.x
1hiags Abeat Travel. ssa Aixsnx n
she soodan-Nak sdAsss the kGle
AmoaS uAmarrssa " omea.


agent of the Wesleyan Aie1Aoa.sts.
is ia the city attending the general
conference now IN session. somesnlnx
over a year ago Mr.. Hall went into
the West SouGan, africa. ia esta hliSh
Wesleyan Methodist mission there.
and an account al some OF his adsen-
lures j. very interesting. he took =
sailing vessel at New York and in ae
days reached Sierra Leone. There Ia
arranged for his guides and carriers.
aud after supplying himself with pro-
visions, and cotton cloth. beads. ana
other stuff for barter, he started
inland. lie had a train of twenty
seven men, each one Of whom carried
from 90 10 100 pounds on his head.
There are practically no horses. nor
other beasts of burden. on The coast.
The climate being fatal 10 them, con-
sequently the traveller rlust either 20
ON foot or be carried in a hammock
The climate, however. almost forh.as
q foreigner 10 attempt the first
method. and the second Is yery wcari-
some. ard has many other disa6vant-
ages. However. after going as far
as possible up the rivsr in cannes
Mr.. Hall and his men started inland on
foot. They Travelled about 500 niles
towards the interior and spent fifteen
days in doing H. Their only road
was a foot path connecting the vii
iagcs. and AZ last they reached a part
of the country where no white man
had ever been seen before. A CHEF
by the name OF Saiuku controls the
Interior from the coast. and IL was
necessary 10 get his nerrsis-
sion before they would be
allowed TO go on. The meeting
with Snluku was very ce-emonious
The great chief, attended bv large
retinue Of men and women. came 10
meet Mr.. Kali. heralS. carrying.
the skin OF a lion, ran before. and
young girls walked on either side fam
ming him. The chief wore a SORT Of
OF an embroidered robe, and had a
straw hat that would fit a Io-vear-osd
boy, stuck on the back OF hss head.
The rest OF the tribe were perfecflv
naked. The Ions skin was nlaced ON
the ground. and the chief seated himself
on ii and proceeded 10 inform Mr.. Han
that IL was customary for other chiefs
TO sit on leopard's skins. but "as the
lion is greater than all other beasts.
20 is Sulrku greater than all other
chiefs" Then they SHOOK hands-
that is. Mr.. Hall presented him with
some cotton cloth. beads. caps. and 50
on, amounting in all TO several dol
'ar's worth Snluku took a fancy 10
'he bright red blanket that Mr.. Hall
had used in his sleeping hammock. so
Z was cut IN two and half of Il given
% him. The next dav Su'uku called
oa Mr.. Hall. and made him = present
Of
piece OF gold. ~Rensrnshpr the
7tranger' is the law of the corntrv.
md any man but a white man NAV
~o from one end OF Africa to the Other
without any expense; but the NATIVES
think every white II IN Is immensely
wealthy. and so they always expnct
'shake hands" 4 n the whites
Poiygamy prevails in the Sousan.
every man having from one TO two or
three hundred wives. SuIuku himself
having 2o3. The villages are clusters
Of hints. each wife having house and
garden OF her own. She takes rare
of her children. raises her own rice ana
garden stufls, and every morning takes
= dish o' rice into the huf OF her hus-
hand. who is her master In every sense
OF the word. He NAV not only huv
and sell her. but her life is at his can
rice. Infidelity Is always punished
with death, and this fact serves To
keep up the virtue OF the women 10 n
remarkable degree.
ne sica o. dress does not exist in
ne native mind, and one OF the surest
s-gns that the tribes have been
brought into contact with civilization
= IN the attempt made at dress. Ar.
iiall gave one CHEF about twenty
yards oi cloth and told him 10 70 aud
9at II on 80 as 10 be dressed i,kc n
-hrStian, and the ne-: tine ne saw
isnr he had every inch of IL wrapped
round his head, and presented a re-
markable sight. ia the TOWNS on fAr
orders. many OF the ssen have a sort
4 gown that they wear when they
% on a visit 20 neigbboring towns.
5ut the native women never wear
anything until they become mothers
shen they all put on some covering.
IL ie the opinion of Mr. Hall that
he native Airican is a highly intel
gent being, although they have no
'book-learning. Human nature is 10
them an open book. In a bargain they
ere very shrewd. and II il next 20
impossible TO trick them In any way.
they are a very sober lot of people.
noh at all given TO laughter and fun
as their brothers In America are. Music
and song are practically unknown
among them. their idea OF music beirg
a noise. Jingle. Their faces are pevs
fecfiy passive--no matter what he
may be thinking the African wiz never
let his face betray him.
The people of the interior are very
rlad TO have missionaries come among
them. Those who visit The coast
come back and tell marvellous stories
81 the wonderful chs nxcs and Improve
Fnerlts made in cities where fhe white
missionary lives The natives sscrfbe
All this change 70 the exisfencs of .
and so whenever white man goes
among fhern, they are very anxious
% hear from the Word
There are many queer customs er-
sting in Africa. for Instance. the men
10 All the sewing and fancy work.
While the women do the gardening.
The children take the name of the
mother Instead of the father. such
feine necessity unse~ The existing
condition Of polvenrn Sometimes
nsrn Are met With err. Ss~ffan7teh
Garment on them worn = ouflspd-
~ way carsle~s oi,aervcr tns~ht
think y eusfons ~ fhe frifse. hHt it
usnailr found fhat fhe wearnr y keep
srsrv row ~ sorne character. "rcpts
~ f-nvel era nfvrnfure n africa
sasorss ~ ~eeS WITH n Grain ~ salt -
NJ r~H se~s nen1 the h~es ar<ho>-