Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-24

an expedition and took 1t into Eastern
Africa, as far away from the coast as Chicago
is from New York9''
She is so slight of figure, so gentle and
unassuming in manner, so feminine in her
wavs and so utterly without afectation that
it seems as though the story of her exploits
must have been really fiction, Just such a
romance as she has herself written when
she was known as a writer of novels and as
the translator of Flaubert's masterpiece,
'Salammbo."
ANY interview with her which attempted
to set forth in consecutive detail the story
of her trip would be formal and would lose
the pluuancy with which she speaks of in
cidents as they occur to her hap-hazard, so
to speak During a chat with her the first
impressions are Of the woman. Her per-
sonality asserts itself SO speedily and her
enthusiasm is SO impressively demonstrative
that those with whom she converses are
compelled to think first of her, afterward
of her achievement
How She Impre ressed the Chiefs.
It is very natural therefore that the
question the writer put Mrs Sheldon, after
formalities of greeting were over, was:
''AIrs. Sheldon, why did you do it?" She
smiled for moment as though amused at
the question, seeming to think that the i'm
portance of the work, if there was any, was
in what she had accomplished and not why
it had occurred to her to attempt it But
she answered and then called to her
secretary and asked him to bring the
dress in which she appeared before
the Sultan and the chiefs of the tribes which
she visited. There was a rustling of
silk in an adjoining room, and a moment
later young man came bearing in his arms
a superb garment. The skirt was Of white
corded silk, overlaid with silver lace. The
corsage was very heavy, being also elabor-
ately trimmed and decorated with silver,
and the cap or helmet was, of itself, work
OF brilliancy and art. How Mrs Sheldon
ever endured such q garment in country
where the heat of the tropics always prevails
was a mystery and she only explained it by
saving that she had to.
She must have been gorgeous and i'm
pressive person as she appeared before the
chiefs and Sultans in this dress. Of course
it would be an impossible costume to wear
in any civilized country, although beautiful
to look at But it had precisely the effect
she intended of impressing the big men of
the tribe with her majesty and power. 1t
also inspired great curiosity and the people
approached it with feeling something like
awe, and begged to touch it ifthey might be
permitted to do il, as though their sense of
wonder and admiration would be increased
we're they allowed ever SO gently to put
their finger upon il.
The secretary carefully folded it up and
carried il away as though it was perhaps the
nHn 81 f-l1
most important of her expedition.
Photos of Her Black Giants.
Uttered about the parlor were NAV pho
tographs, and one representing a dozen
majestic specimens of negro physical
strength caught my eve for an instant, and
Mrs. Sheldon evidently seeing that was
interested took up the photograph and said:
These were some of my porters, and did
you ever see finer specimens of physical
manhood than they are. And the devotion
of these men alter they came to know me
and respect my authority was something
touching. 1 had flag made, upon which
was the motto, 'Noi tangere. It was
absolutely necessary to impress these
people with the idea that 1 was not
to be touched, that they must not Law
q finger upon me. This was necessary
not only for my personal protection but also
to inspire them with the idea of superior
presence, so to speak, for that would enable
me to maintain absolute command over
them by reason of both fear and respect.
The meaning of the motto, Noli tangere was
conveyed to them through Interpreters when
we started upon the expedition, and there
was not moment from the time we left the
coast till we returned when they did not
obey that command. / want to saw that
never was subjected even to the ANNOYANCE
of discourtesy, and that is something which
I have had to submit to since 1 have been
in New York, for only the other night an
insolent brute seized me by the arm as
was passing from nv hotel to my carriage"
l asked Mrs Sheldon where she found
these porters and she said that she was not
able to obtain them until she arrived at
Zanzibar. There she was received by the
Sultan and that paltry chief must have been
nightly impressed by her presence and her
pleading, for through his aid she obtained
i3S great strapping muscular Africans, and
with them she started upon her expedition.
Narrow Escape From Python.
To illustrate the watchfulness of these
men Mrs. Sheldon went to her cabinet and
took from it photograph of four Africans
and she said, 1.-THE watchfulness and mar
velous quickness of these men unquestion-
ably prevented me one night from being
crushed to death by a python. was asleep
in nv palanquin. Not exactly sleeping but
drowsy, for do not suppose slept soundly