Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-16
A LADY AMONG sAvAGEs.
The Astonish m emit in West Africa at See
ing the First Woman.
Harner's RaZar


It is a queer sensation, to those not used
to it, to be the centre of attraction to hum
dreds of people, to be SURF bundled by a sea
of faces, and all staring hard at you with
different expressions of wonder, curiosity,
white woman that the Duallan of the
Cameroons river, West Africa, had ever
seen, and so it was no wonder that they
were astonished at my appearance In their
village.
Everybody left off their different occupa-
lions and followed US wherever we
went, shouting and laughing. and all
struggling to get near me. Crowds of
them run on in front. and then, turning
round to stare for a few seconds, would
rush on again to keep up with US.
But my embarrassment at being the
cause of such. excitement soon wore off,
for |, in my turn, had much to see and
wonder at in West African village. The
people were about the same height as Eu-
ropeans, their skin very dark and some
times nearly black. Neither men nor wo-
men wore ahything but waist cloth,
which IL the case of chiefs was of a rich
material and bright color. Most of the
people were tattoed, especially the young
girls, whose cheeks, nose, and foreheads
were strongly marked, and thought very
beautiful.
The most fashionable of these girls wore
their hair (Which was crisp and wolly),
cut into the shape of circles eliminating
at the top of the head, and between each
two of the rows were bright colored beads
and brass ornaments. Huge brass pins
were stuck into the wool just behind the
ears. They also wore very long and large
brass earrings, and quantities Of colored
beads round the neck and wrists.
The streets were straight and spotlessly
clean, and the little bamboo houses with
palm matched roofs on either side the
road were very neat and pretty; and here
and there were lovely palm-trees and huge
cotton-woods.
"The families cook and eat under these
trees, " said Mr.. 4, Who acted as our
guide, "for you see the houses have
in here, and you will see the only furnj-
ture is the bamboo bed and these few
stools and calabushes.
Just then a slim, good-looking girl
broke through the crowd and rushing up
began talking very fast and earnestly as
! Ii bSSSlDS SOllC lawn. 1IC1 DitSh
eyes looked so sad and wistful that my
heart went out to her, ana felt so glad to
see Mr.. A-smile as if willing to dc
what she asked. She just gave him one
look of thanks and then was gone
Who is that girl; and do tell me
what she was wanting you to do?'
asked.
''She says her mother is very i'll, ant
she wants me to make her we'll. Yor
know | have studied medicine for long
time, and the people here think cure by
magic The Duallas have a horribI,
cruel custom with their ssick: If the patin
does not get we'll in week Or two. he o.
she is taken out in the bush about four o.
FIVE miles from the town, placed upon {
rude bamboo bedstead, and left utterly
alone, a woman coming once day t.
give the patient food and water, and tC
| light a fire. The poor wrech soon dies o
fright at being left to the mercy of tn
wild beasts, whose growls and yell
alone break the monotony of the long
dreary night.
But the Baptist missionaries have
nearly got the people to do away will
this wicked custom, and the NOR,
horrible of beating to death the unfortu
nate person who is said by the gamb
man fortune teller to have bewitched the
sick person. When we Europeans art
kind and unselfsh, it is wonderful how
much influence we get over these people
But the Duallas have some sentiment il
them, for they bury the dead under tn,
houses which they occupied when alive
and they would think it most cruel an,
unfeeling to cast the deceased out o
their homes
A large. fat, important-looking man
with striped waist cloth. now came u
to US, and asked us if we should iik
to see a dance He possessed fou
European chairs flor he was great chief
and we sat down under the shade of a beau
tiful cotton wood, and the dance Logan