The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-03
ABOUT DARK AFRICA.
MISSIONARY HORN TELLS ABOUT
HIS EXPLORATIONS.


Physical Character Are Semitic Peo-
| pie Are Grown Up Babes-Slave Trading
| Is the Curse of the Continent.
| There arrived in San Francisco from
Australia an English gentleman, who,
with his wife, has passed the major
| portion Of the last thirteen years in
Central Africa. His name is Capt. E.
G. Horn, and under the auspices of the
| London Missionary society he has been
employed building vessels on the great
Lake Tanganyika and travelling through
the dark continent.
Capt. Horn in conversation with a
reporter said: Reports on the land and
people Of Africa are varied, but all who
have penetrated into the Utmost recesses
are unanimous in their conclusions that
the slave trade is the chief obstruction to
civilization and commerce. Africa had,
until the past twenty years, the name of
being an arid, unhealthful country, be-
cause outside of a given distance little
was known Of the land. While it is
true that great tracts of country are
barren and no water exists, still by ex-
ploitation it has been proved that
abundant supplies Of water can be OBJ
tanned which will make the country bios
som into perfect garden Of flowers.
''In the most arid part ever visited
Ugogo-the people dig wells and find
water, which is carefully stored for
time of drought. Perhaps no tropical
country has a more healthful climate
than Central Africa. In the interior the
land rises to high elevation. The
many deaths and sickness among Euro
peans are caused more by the conditions
of life, absence of accustomed food and
good doctors and nurses than from eli
matte causes.
OCCUPATIONS.
''On the shores of Lake Tanganyika
there are at least nine tribes distinctive
In physical characteristics, language and
fashions and weapons, clothing, archi-
lecture and domestic life They are all
expert fishermen, using seines and traps,
and as the lake teens with fish their
ventures are we'll repaid. Iron and cop
per are smelted for manufacture, but in
the crudest style. Both of these metals,
in the form of small bars, ivory, rubber,
palm oil and dried fish are articles Of
circulation among distant tribes. Pot
terry of a rude description is also made,
while the art of weaving cotton cloth is
well known.
1.-THE character of these natives is in
fantile. In confidence and suspicion, in
easy anger and reconciliation, in unde-
veloped instincts they are essentially
children. Under evil influence, such as
the introduction of spirituous liquors
and other vices of civilized nations, they
rapidly become demoralized"
The idea of regarding these Central |
Africans in the same light as Australian
or Indian aborigines is absurd. When |
better known they will be looked upon |
as healthy children, initiative and eager
to acquire knowledge.
Deprecating in every possible manner
the horrible features of the slave trade, |
the explorer thinks that by honest trade, |
a selection of good employees by the |
many organizations now engaged in
Central Africa, on the Congo and the
great lakes; by justice, development Of
the resources of industries, together |
with the earnest cooperation of the mis-
saonaries, the prosperity of the great
country and its people will be an assured
fact.
THE SLAVE TRADE.
Il have lived in Africa" continued !
Capt. Horn, "long enough to assure my
self that many so called savage attack
by African natives was IN reality "A gal
lant defense from their point of view;
that the low type African of whom we
hear is often but noble savage degraded
by contact with Arab ivory and Shave
dealers. During the past ten or twelve
years many white men and women have
lived among the tribes Of the far interior,
and it has been discovered that they are
people Of much the same passions as
Cancasians. Although easily degraded,
they are also capable, when surrounded
BY favoring circumstances, Of rising in
and OF grasping higher and
better things.
I'm the far interior numbers of people
in every tribe are slaves. Prisoners of
war, those condemned for witchcraft
and other ofsnses and their families,
weakly persons or those in distress, be-
come slaves They pass from hand to
land. travelling toward the coast as the
direction where the value is greatest.
There they are collected by traders,
Arabs, half caste and African. This
system OF slavery can be abolished with
he aid Of the Arab traders. Assure
hem other modes of living and they
wa cease to banter slaves with the
;ribes that exchange ivory.
That the Arabs have been invited to
he slave trade by the natives: that they
prefer ivory, and frequently take slaves
,nly as the alternative; that the natives
Iuffer more at the hands of each other
han of the Arabs; that the great traffic
md most herrible features of the same
Ire essentially African and the interior
facts testified to by Burton, Baker,
livingstone and Stanley. The slave
rade is in my opinion An African, not
IN Arab question, and while stories
lave been published of horrors and pill
age committed by Arabs at the south
nd of Lake Tanganyiks and the north
nd of Lake Nyanza they were untrue
md exaggerated. The depredatlons
we're committed by the Wawemba and
tribes after the departure
IT the Arab trader, who kspS peace
among them. San Francisco Chron-
Vie.
Piscatorisl Item
Ny boyP said the good deacon reprov-