Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-21

4
at Builders Exchange Hall.
HER HEROIC JOURNEY ACROSS DARKEST AFRICA
To SIZE FOR HERSELF THE CONDITION OF TIKI
WOMEN IN THAT CoUSTRY-soME OF HER WON
| DERFUL EXPERIENCES GRAPHICALLY TOLD.
For one plucky little American woman
| charming combination of femininity and fear
lessness that she is-to have travelled 400 miles
into the interior OF Fest Africa is Of itself q
matter for marvel. For the same little woman
to have made that journey unaecompanied by
another white person, trusting herself in that
savage land to the mercy of hireling natives,
and to return safe and unframed, is unprece-
dented in the annals of exploration.
Yet that is what Mrs. ". French-Sheldon
/ did, and she was alive and well in Washington
last night to tell of it,
/ The journey was made by Mrs. Sheldon al
her own expense to investigate the conditions
surrounding the life of the women and'children
Of the interior tribes. 1t was trip through
darkest Africa indeed. There were wild beasts
and wilder men to encounter. deadly miasna
and jungle fever, and a thousand and one dam
| gers incident to the exploration OF an almost
/ unknown region.
! Having penetrated 400 miles into the interior,
/ she was not content, but needs must launch q
| boat upon the bosom of crater lake, q body of
water resting In an extinct volcano, and whose
surface had never been RULED save by the wild
/ fowls wing. rs its exploration had been aban-
| doned by other travellers.
| 1t may be imagined that such trip would
furnish incidents for an interesting lecture es-
pecialiy when enhyened by stereopticon views
| OF photographs taken by the hardy explorer.
Several hundred people packed the hall Of the
Builders. Exchange last night to hear the lee
ture, delivered under the auspices of the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY.
The journey begins at the quaint old town of
Zanzibar, that torrid place where the people 60
| around with thermometers and ask each other
Flows your temperature?" knowing that when
it reaches q certain height there IL fever in the
blood. The Sultan Of Zanzibar-gallant man
was gracious to the lone explorer and made or
| rangements for her safety. She hired an escort
of about 1873 men-natives, black as the most
ebon-hued son of the Nubian sands-who were
led by q head man, and to this company did
she intrust herself for that wonderful pill
grimage.
When she turned her back to the east coast
and plunged boldly into the Jungle. followed by
her troop of happy blacks, carrying packs of
clothing. provisions and presents upon their
backs, her destination was Killimanjaro and
Lake Chara. 400 miles to the northwest.
less waste of forest and jungle. desert and
mountain. inhabited by warlike tribes of ma
tives and infested with wild beasts.
The first country through which she passed
was PanSusi, the home of a tribe of man kill
ers. She saw q body of 900 of these going
forth to war, beating tom-tOms and brandishing
their spears. A picture of Queen Sumai OF
this tribe was shown, striking figure for an
East African. Her face is her fortune for she
Is said to rule her lawless hOrdes by her beauty.
The ivory market at Bagamoya is shown, with
Its great piles Of elephants tusks, every one of
which has cost human life to bring to this
place. A touching picture of the little slave
children. torn from their parents in the inter-
Tor, touches the hearts of the ladies in the au-
dience.
TRAVELLED IN A PALANQUIN.
She travelled in palanquin made of wicker
work, which two natives carried. At night
when camp was made she slept in tent pitched
in the midst of her little army, who. in small
tents, lay between her and the proving lions
of the night.
murmur Of admiration goes around when
the camera flashes upon the canvas the picture
of Chaka, the Abyssinian, the slayer of men,
| stalwart savage. but who had heart as tender
| as child for the little woman under his care.
Next a chicken coop with pickaninny astride
Of it. The lecturer explains that chicken rails
ing is a national industry and that they have a
great proneness for the same fowl 70 much
affected by their colored brethren in America.
Next the picture OF a village OF hostile ma
tives who were bad men. She was warned
against them, but entered unarmed and unes-
cOrted- She was treated with every courtesy
and sent away loaded with presents. Six weeks
later Carrie Peters, the noted German explorer.
reached the same place and was compelled to
kill 120 natives before he could pass.
After this she reached the domain of a noted
chief. whose picture was shown, who had offered
half his kingdom for white WIFE She was
warned that he might capture and hold her as a
bargain without payment.
Il called on him." explained the lecturer.
land am afraid that il must be said to my
modification l am still here
LAKE. cHARA.
Finally she arrived at Lake Chara, that mys-
terious body Of water bubbling and foaming in
a volcanoes crater. rising and falling in sudden
movements, obedient TO some unseen subter-
ranean force. The lake is stunned by the
natives Of the surrounding country, who believe
it to be the home of the devil. No ore would
go with her to it at first even her own men
sharing the general superstition.
Eventually, however, by dint Of double paw
and sundry presents, she induced men to descend
the steep sides of the crater with her and laurch
her pontoon boat on the lake. She circum-
navigated the lake and took photos OF its inter-
esting headlands and the snow-capped noun
tains towering above its troubled surface.
Her return to the coast was but a repetition
OF the incidents of the first trip and was made
without mishap. In fact, the whole Journey of
this lone woman WIS accomplished without ac-
cident or misfortune to mar it, Her deductions
from the observations made Of the people
are that they are happy, innocent
set, with great deal of native mirth and are
savage only when goaded to it by the attacks of
invading white men, ivory merchants and slave
dealers.
THE WOMEN OF AFRICA.
Being woman she was afforded many oppor-
tunities. which would be denied a man. OF
| studying the women. She found them gem
| crous and kind-hearted set and not Ecentious.
| Polygamy prevails, but it is not the poll gamy
| of Turkey. When man has more plantations
| than he can work he takes an additional wife to
| help him. She is hailed with delight by the
other wives. who see in her only another broad
back TO share their burdens.
After the exhibition Of the stereopticon
views the lecturer exhibited number OF curios
which she brought back with her, and they
were examined with interest BY the audience.
IL was only year ago that she made the trip
to Africa and already she is desiring to go back
She has the African fever in this sense at least
Ready for the Ball.
| e q