Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-03-24
A TRIP To AFRICA.
uAelTs AND HOMES OF TIE DEM
zeNs OF TIE GOLD COAST.

uow to-year-old Mothers Carry Their
p,,,cs-sinrular Though Rudeiy Eiab- (
or,,a Burial Custom An Uncomfortable |
Conveyance.
Although the Gold Coast ia not favor.
able for the prolongation Of life Of white /
men. the natives are strong ana heallny
enouoh The children are particularly
snrig3tly and fat They run about in a
state of nature, with merely a girdle OF
beads around their waists, in lieu OF
clothing They are marriageahie nj an
early age, commencing the cares OF
welded life at 10. The infants are car
ried by their mothers in peculiar posi-
ton. A piece of light wood about ten
inches long by four or five broad is GOV
ored With cotton and tied around the
woman. so rs to rest upon the lower part
of her back Upon this the infant Is
nlaced. straddling face to the mothers
hack and secured by fold of her cotton
cloth. The woman is thus free to work
and the babe is near the nourlshment
necessary for its existence
DRY WEATHER HOUSES.
Isaw some very old persons here. One
dov ON going down the road toward the
castle. | saw a venerable looking negro
sitting in d wicker chair barehcaded and
fully exposed to the fierce rays OF the
sun. 1t was about noon, when the sun
is very powerful, and the old Fellow
skull was devoid of wool. bare and SHINY
| stopped to speak to him, placing my
hand on top of his head and finding the
heat excessive. He spoke in tremulous
tones. telling me he was nearly 100 years
of are. and that his blood was cold SO
he had his chair placed in the sun so that
his system could be warmed thoroughly.
The houses are made of sun baked
bricks, or adobe, which material is all
right during the dry portion of the year.
but has an announcement habit of tum-
bling about your devoted person during
a continuance of rain. The walls of the
houses are thick, to keep the great heat
out, and the roofs are matched with
dried grass. Two of lis occupied one OF
these houses half way between the castle
and the lighthouse, The under story
was merchants store, and we occupied
| the top floor We had been experience
/ ing rather heavy rain for week, when
| one night the wall facing the direction
the wind came from collapsed, bringing
down the roof with it. Fortunately our
cots were on the other side, otherwise
our earthly globe trotting" would have
been brought to an untimely and sudden
end.
BURIED IN GOLD.
The burials of the Gold coast are very
peculiar Most of the people own their
houses, and the family have perhaps
lived in them for generations. The Gus
tom doubtless arose from considerations
OF security, for fear the graves might be
rifed They always bury their dead
within the walls of the deceased's resi-
dence The house where we were lodged
L 81. -,
a narrow alley. The window of our up
per room looked into the lower story of
the other house, as a door was just Oppo-
site us We were thus enabled to view
the whole proceedings. The wife of the
owner, young woman about 20 years
of age, had died of puerperal fever and
was laid out on a trcstle covered with
black cloth, attired as in life. In the
center of the room trench was dug the
depth of which we could not exactly de
termine. The body was literally covered
with gold ornaments. Gold beads round
her neck in a double row, gold bead
girdle, earrings, rings, pins, bracelets
all of massive form and chased, but not
very finely. The workmanship is not
of the highest order.
A rich mulatto lady, widow Of a white
merchant and niece of the ruling king Of
She had vial filed with gold dust in
her hand, which she emptied into the
mouth of the deceased woman, scatter
ing the overplus on the face. Some wu-
men then took the body and wrapped it
carefully III a white sheet: they then
lowered it with cords into the grave. a
brazier was burning in the apartment
which was large, and usually the parlor
Onto the hot coal they then threw some
odoriferous gums, which gave out an iu-
tense smoke. This had tho effect doubt
less Of driving away any evil spirits that
might have been loGfing around seeking
something to devour Under cover Of
this smoke, which was too dense for us
to see through, the earth must have been
filled in; for when we could discern Oh
jects again the floor was even and
stamped down, looking as before, saw
no men present during the interment.
was informed that during little diff
Guilty between the French and a native
king, men were landed from Il war ship,
who, after driving away the inhabitants,
had kroo boys to dig up the interiors Of
the chief houses, and secured fair
amount of the precious metal as booty
The kingdom of Ashantee adioins the
tantee country inland The people of
tins kingdom are not so tall or athletic d
race, but are 1.-THE and clean lilnbeG ac-
tive and intelligent preferred them to
their nelghbors, the Fantecs. | went up
as far as the Prah, a pleasant enough trii !,
OF several days. AS there are no horses
nor mules, nor even the humble Jerua;.
lem pony, we We're carried in hamnocks.
bad imitation Of the Indian palkee
These contrivances are made of canvas
and slung to pole, which latter is cal
ried on mems shoulders fore and aft. 1t
is very jumpy, jolting method of loco
motion. heard of one poor fellow WHO
was being carried in one Of these vehicles
OF little case, being sick with coast fever
The Jolting irritated him SO much that he
called out to them to go slow. The
bearers, thinking he called out to them
to so faster, through ignorance of the
language, literally jolted him to death
he was quite dead when they reached
his resldence.-Cor San Francisco Chron
icle,