The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-02-04
LAKE JEWELLERS.
LARGE VILLAGES AND TOWNS
BUILT IN THE WATER.
The Inhabitants Keep Cattle in Pens
Beside Their Houses.

The Inhabitants Keep Cattle In Pen
Beside Their Houses.
Much attention was recently calle
to the region around Kotonou, on tn
Gulf of Guinea, near which place sex
eral hundred of the women warrior
of the King of Dahomey were kille,
in battle by the French troops. On
OF the most interesting features of thi
region is the large native villages ant
towns that have been built in tn
Nater. The inhabitants many year
ago took this means of trying to es
cape from the terrible raids of tn,
King OF Dahomey. Many hundreds
ofpoople were actually driven by tn,
powerful King into the water. l
happens that The Dahomians are yer,
superstitious about travelling in ca
noes or crossing streams, and the fugi
tlves took advantage of this tact t.
secure protection for themselves.
On any good map one may see the
"Qenham waters" near Kotonou. This
is the home of these lakes dwellers.
The towns have each a population Of
from 200 or 800 souls to as many as
a thousand. Physically the people are
fine and healthy specimens of Atri-
cans and as rule they are free from
disease. Governor Moloney, ofLagos,
says houses are built upon piles or
straight branches of hard wood three
to six inches in diameter. They are
driven into the bottom of the lake,
The upper ends are secured by cross
pieces, on which are laid bamboo
tiooring, two thirds or one-halt of
which is covered in by house. The
uprights Of the house are fixed first
md secured below the platform to the
supporting piles. The roof frame is
next rlade on the platform, and is
covered with grass or bamboo leaves,
md raised to its position. The re-
naming portion Of flooring il used as
| veranda. In the construction no
nails are used.
These natives are fishermen and also
pastoral people. 1t is curious fact
hat they keep cattle in pens adjoining
their houses built on piles over the
water like their dwellings. Sometimes
during the dry season the shallowness
OF the water admits of the cattle being
allowed to wander on terra firma; but
fodder is brought in canoes to many
less fortunate animals which are CONS
PEELED to exc out their existence in
these pens surrounded by waiter un,
til such time as they are tethered
and transported by canoe to the butch
er.
The present natives are still IN dread
OF the DahOmians, but even il this
fear no lnnger existed it is probable
that the habit which they AMI their
fathers before them have long follow.
ed would lead them to prefer these
aquatic residences. it is not known
how many lake dwellers there are, but
1T is supposed there are at least 10, 900
OF them among the various tribes
whose huts cover the Denham wa
tiers. Once Ia a while these tribes
make war Oh one anothe, and they con.
duet their fighting in canoes, capable
of holding two or three persons, and
their weapons are guns, harpoons,
spears and clubs.
In some other parts of Africa, pars
tlcularly in the Congo basin, the hab>
it of dwelling in huts sustained on
piles in lakes or rivers is very large
ly followed, and perhaps million or
two Of the people of Africa are still
perpetuating the phase of life Of
which we have relics in the remains
of the lake dwellers OF the prehisto>
tic era-New York sun.