Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06

we went behind the house and he pointed me
out about twenty natives squatted on native
mats. lazily sorting out orchilla weed spread in
little heaps before them. ''You see these fell
lows bring this stuff down from the far Interior
They get il in the forests and swamps where no
white man dare go. They bring it generally in
little bundles-soon as they get thirsty enough
or want new ragout-down here and trade
EN- for 1t. Then when they sleep off their
drunk sit em a sorting of the piles till they
get tired and go back for more. When get a
bale or two l send it down coast by canoe to
the French settlement at Tullear BAY southwest
from here and 1t goes to the Cape and London.
Purple dye. you know, and valuable at home.
Yes. I've been often back-far back-in the
Tauala country. It's a bad place. a danger
GUS place. but I'm used to it. Fact is L m in
blood brotherhood with most of the chiefs
and they don't modest me much, and won't SO
long as the rum lasts, l reckon. Well yes,
l m married into several of their families,
too-had TO, you know; it's the custom
Come back to the house and II introduce Won
to No. g. and the latest
We crossed the hot sand again and into the
hut "RabOdo." he called and in a moment
the rickety door OF a room one side opened
and a woman wrapped from chin to toe in a
coarse blanket stepped out. She was well
formed and tall and not without native grace
OF motion. She had very black but with all
somewhat comely and good-natured face Her
hair was done up In a tight ball saturated with
beef fat and her forehead was ornamented with
white broad parallel lines of clay. She had her
servant with her-a Sakalara-who squatted on
the ground and dug his assegai in the sand and
glared at me- shes Tauala," said Lovden
"and brought her down from up country a
year ago. Her father is big chief up there
and never comes down to the coast. She has
been fixing herself up to see you, You see No.
I've never talked English to her nor to any of
them. 1 suppose, in her mind she only assoc
ciates you with the race that makes the beads
and cloth. That's about as far as her brain
goes"
spent three days with this strange man and
| his surroundings. then gathered my party TO-
gether for start up the long beach to the
| started-the last night spent with Lowden-
we we're visited by one of the most terrific
| thunder storms / had ever experienced. Ii was
forerunner of the approaching rainy season.
| Lowden and my self took early refuge in the
little hut. l had learned to know him well
during my short stay, and, in view of my own
| bright thoughts of nearing home and friends,
i felt great pity for his dreary. solitary life
Once or twice l had preached the subject of
! his return with me; but he always avoided il.
always gently. and with many simple thanks.
This last night, as the tropical food came
| laundering down, i spoke again to him of that
far-off land, where certainly there must be
some still alive who lived and cared for him
mo, lad, he said gently, mot now l am
long dead to them and to this world. Let me
rest in peace"
Many months afterward in New York de-
hvered a lecture on the subject Of my recent
experiences in Great Madagascar. On coming
out from the hall felt my self touched upon the
shoulder and turning around was confronted
by an elderly gentleman with gray hair and
whiskers. He asked me to name a time and
place where he could call upon me. / did 80
and he called promptly. II saw" he said. sin
one OF the stereopticon views at your lecture
the picture Of white man. Have Won that
photograph had and gave it to him. he
looked at 1t long and earnestly through his
glasses.
lis this from life, STRIP
Iii
HAS this man slight limp in his eai,2r
Does he drawl out his wordsy'
HAS he habit of walking up and down
when excited and score Of other inouiries
to all OF which l ANSWERED in the afirmativ "
and told him the story. at is the man /" he
exclaimed, lit is the same man. Twenty-fyt
years ago he came with his lies and forgerie,
10 our house in San Francisco. We appointed
him first officer OF one ofour finest vessels. h
sailed for sydney. He got the crew in a sta b
Of mutiny and with mis- own hands murdereS
the captain and threw his body overheard h
sold the ship and cargo III Sydney on falst
orders from us. He paid of the crew three
times their wages and then disappeared Hs
is the most internal scoundrel that ever tool
the breath OF hfs." II. WI