The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-09-20
SOARING AN AFRICAN KING.
Afraid Of White Woman, He Would
not Accept Presents.

SOARING AN AFRICAN KING.
Afraid Of White Woman, He Would
not Accept Presents.
j. Theodore Bent whose studies
among the remarkable ancient ruins
that have been found in Mashonaland
have been published. tells in his re-
port of interesting experiences in the
country of the big chief Mtoko who
lords 1t over an out Of the way region
In the northeast corner of MashOus-
land that has been visited by oulv
one or two white men and is very
little known No white woman had
ever been in this region. and conse-
quently Mr. Bents wife created undis-
guised establishment among the ma
tives. At every village the people.
and particularly the women. crowded
around her The greatest wonder
was excited when she took down her
hair and showed them its length.
The report OF the wonderful phenome-
non travelled much faster than the
party did so that when Mrs Bent Ar
rived at a new town she was instant
ly greeted with cries of HART"
'.Hair" On more than one occasion,
according to the New York Sun.
supernatural powers were attributed
to her. The little party went to
King MtOko's town under the most
favorable circumstances apparently.
for they were bearers of q present
from the South African company.
made up chiefly of inconsequential
tri6es but the whole being worth
5000 The distance from Fort Sails
bury to Mtoko's town is 12O milea
through very fine mountain country.
The party when they reached the
kraal o. the king innocently pitched
their camp in the edge OF some fine
timber about a quarter OF a mile from
the kraal In spite OF their presents
and their manifest good will they
were peremtorily ordered by the ang-
~ natives to retire at least a mile
The king fearing to be seen BY white
men until he had consulted his sub
chiefs had withdrawn precipitously
to cave. Bent and his party were
little indignant over the site assign
ed to them for q camping ground but
they sent few presents to the king
as a sample OF the treasures he was to
receive.
The king consented to visit the
camp and receive the gifts the next
morning. He came with exceeding
caution and with about fifty armed
men. stopping for palavers every
quarter of a mile and finally waiting
for fully an hour before he would con-
sent to enter the camp He wanted
Bent to send the presents but the
traveller returned word that il tho
king wanted the presents he mus.
come in person So he came actually
trembling with fright and affirming
that he dared not receive the presents
because the white woman had been
seen to bewitch them by sprinkling
water on them The display of full
uniform Of the Cape rifles together
with iooking-glassss. knives and
other tempting objects finally got
the better OF his fear and he gracious
~ consented to receive them. though
he did not regain his composuro dur
ing the interview and declined to sit
on any Of Mr. Bents rugs The cause
OF Mtoko's shyness was ascertained q
few days later. Soon after Mr.. Selous
had visited the king and signed with
him the agreement with the South A.
RIGA company his father had died and
he believed that the white woman
had been sent to bring about his own
end Oddly enough there IL q trace
Of Sabbath among the people In
the blowing season they work i've
days and the sixth Is proclaimed BY
the chief as holiday. on which they
remain idle and get drunk The holi-
day however continues only during
the period Of hard work and probably
arises from the recognition of the val