Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-08

and Of magnetic iron, but no coal what
| ever"
| As Mr.. Taylor was glancing over his pho
tographs something in one of them suggested
| to him the aepyornis' egg. Said he: "Do
| you know they have in Madagascar very
wonderful egg, laid by an extinct species of
gigantic ground pigeon? 1t is found by dig
| ging in the sand, where it has lain buried
for ages. The egg is ten times that Of the
size of the ostrich, and believe that not
| more than 10 or IL of them have been dis
fetch as much as $500 apiece. One will be
exhibited with my other collection. I for
got, speaking of eggs, one rather
unpleasant experience had. After
had had my fight with the Sakalavas
I was not personally disturbed, but
they have an insulting custom to show
their dislike of white people. When q
traveller comes among them whom they re-
gard with favor it is the highest courtesy
not only to give him hut but also to send
to him a female who becomes his slave; but
when the traveller is disliked they send in
stead rotten eggs, and the effect mny be i'm
agined. It entails an unpleasant night to
say the least.
A Slaves Stroke for Liberty.
'1 remember one incident in one of the
A slave had very cruel master, and de-
string TO escape this master the slave con-
ceived stratagem which was successfully
executed. He killed bullock and drank an
enormous quantity of warm bullock's blood.
Then he went into the presence of his master
and vomited the blood before him. The
master was frightened, thinking his slave
had broken blood-vessel and at once gave
him away"
''Did you see any specially peculiar peo-
pie on this island? There are strange stories
told about some of them?" I asked.
"Well, yes, I did. In the northwestern
part of the island I saw in the distance a
very remarkable tribe of dwarfs. As near
as could Judge none OF them was over four
feet tall, many of them much shorter. They
were so timid that it was impossible to get
anywhere near them, and they are regarded
by the other tribes with so much contempt
that they let them severely alone. My in
terpreter told me that they spoke rude
sort of glbberish, lived on fish, spent much
of their time like monkeys in the trees and
were cave-dwellers. was very anxious to
get near enough to them to overcome
their timidity and study them, but
it was impossible. I also saw some
exactly how to describe I was told of it
while was in the capital and also told that
it belonged to the Queen who regarded it as
a curiosity. went to see it. From the
waist down it was the body and legs of
boy, but its head, shoulders and paws, for
they were not arms, we're almost exactly
like those of lemur. The lemur is the
only species of the ape or monkey tribe
which lives in Madagascar and these ami
mails are very affectionate, gentle and easily
tanned. examined this curiosity, thinking
that it might possibly suggest the connect
ing link. was told that there were others
on the island, but I believe them to be
nothing more than lusi natura."
The Capital of Madagascar.
Mr. Taylor speaks most entertainingly of
his experience in the capital at Madagascar.
Here he saw the queen, slender, light
complexioned Hova woman, and had sew
eral interviews with her. No European
queen could assume more dignifed manners
than she did She was dressed in Euro
pean costume and her husband, the Prime
Minister. was also arrayed in garments Of