The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-23
TIE BABIES Of AFRICA,
4@AM $500 aMM a.N N - N
Ducksd In the River. Daubsd With
Palm Oil, Secured With
Fine Sand.
But HMrly la Lilo the Boys and
Girls Learn Many Useful
Vacations.
Youag warriors In Mimic Battls-Expert
Hunters and Fixhsrmen-Quiok-
Wittsd. These YounE Africans.


Written for The HELENA ~INpErENpxNrl
Ys7-fHEN THE AFRICAN BABY IS
A1XY5 few days old he 10 dipped in tn
XeXo river every morning and held be
noath the surface till he 10 exhausted. H
10 then laid out on q grass mat TO dry in tn
aun. He 10 sometimes daubed all over will
palm oil and powdered rcd wood. the re-
moval of which nscsssitates . thorougl
securing OF the little creature with an'
sand. Often he 10 startled from his slum-
bsrs by savage war cries and the d~safsnina
rumble of the monster battle druma
calling all to ARM. The African mother
has . passionate fondness for her child
during his babyheod. If he dies her grief
ID inconsolsbls. l have seen a m hug
QinG a little dead body to her bosom. and
her piteous sobbinR has been heart-rend-
ing.
As soon as the children can walk and
talk their education oommencss. not at
school of course. But they do reosive .
training which will help them enjoy their
surroundings. and will also aid them to
cope with the dangers ever threatening
human life in these wild regions.
The Africans are naturally very keen OBJ
servers: about the age of four they COM
mence to take tho greatest interest in
everything goinR on in the village; when
their father and bigger brothers
are busily employed in the differ
emit handicrafts groups Of boys
crowd around them and attsntivsly watch
ANA -orL 80 ~r1upo~o. ofkov . -h,lA kka- -
able to render assistance in the easier parts
Of manufacturing and eventually. when
they have grown into manhood, they them
selves have become competent to melt and
beat out metals into knife blades and brace
let's, to shape out paddles and spssr-shafts,
to knit from colored fiber fishing and game
Hets and plat their intricately woven
shields of can
Tn little girls also. from the time they
are able to toddle about, are receiving from
their mothers tuition in the various domes-
tic duties demanded of their sex. When
little gardens, and when the women return
home loaded down with frewood. each girl
will be carrying an armful of dried sticks.
the age when the little white girl is
wearing the shortest of frocks. the dusky
has been initiated into the myster-
keb "a tuo A1EiCdu AltCueus tu0 10tueO u6u,
when one is in her hands. IL soon broiled to
perfection; with a brace of tender young mon
keys. some yams. palm nuts, red peppers
md sliced crocodile she produces . dish.
The savory odor from which, to al Africans
is the acme of fragrance. She has a
thorough acquaintance with every item of
The tribal bill of fare" from . toasted ole
foot to a frizzled caterpillar. She
also becomes proficient in the making of
weaving of cloth and plating of
She is also quite at homs in a canoe.
md can paddle as we'll az the other one;
Tor does she lack in oourage-if the war
.iors are hard pressed in defending the vii
age she does not hesitate to handle spear
md buckler.
The boys initiate the war.iors' weapons by
carving out of wood, miniature
words, spears and shields, with which they
larry on mimic warfare, one of their favor
ito pastimes. I nave seen most exciting
between bands of these little re-
All the boys in the village would be
into two parties, making sometimes
4 hundred on each side: a suitable fighting
ground would then be selected. generally in
tho banana plantation. and soon the whole
settlement would be ringing with yells OF
posing forces with hair decked with plumes
and bodies grotesquely chalksd, advanced
to the fray.
They would move on with the greatest
taking advantage of every cover,
hiding behind trees, crouching low in tho
ball, and creeping stealthily through tho
always on the alert with shield in
to ward off an enemy's weapons, and
srears IN readiness to throw if an indis-
Greet opponent showed himself. When a
boy was hit he retired from the fight. For
hours and hours these boy soldiers would
their ground, but eventually the one
side or the other would be so weakened by
she Losses from open attack and ambush
that their adversaries would drive them
from their position and win the victory.
such conflicts were waged in thorough good
temper, however, and with b!unted arms,
From constant and careful practice, the
AT! lean becomes proficient in the use of
weapons at a very early age; the monkey on
the topmost branches of the tallest tress
are IN serious danger of his tiny arrows,
and at a dozen yards he can kill a brush
rat with his wooden ~ievelin; He can at
Saln such skill none too early; at the time
OF life when the white boy passes from
knlckerhockers to trousers, the young Afri-
can has cast aside his toy knife and shield
and now fights i'll earnest with metal-tipped
spear n keen-edged blade when his VII
laGe IS at war. He is ambitious to receive
erlbal acknowledgements of his pluck, to be
dubbed Moloku Mookay Mookay ga brave
man. literally zone with a small hearty,
and be selected to steer a war canoe, armed
with beaded warriors, bent on some dang
srous venture.
Not only is every attention given to the
warllke proficiency Of the boys of the tribe.
but they receive also a thorough training in
more peaceful pursuits. Every expedition
which starts out in canoes for the fishing
grounds Is composed largely OF bow, who
soon learn how to set the traps and arrange
the nets and. by q careful study of the suh-
]ect, they acquire u wonderful KNOWLEDGE
OF the habits of fish. A boy of twelve
old can tell the very best sea
sons to catch them and the best means
20 DO employed. He learns
every inch of the river, knows the shallow
and the deep places, he is also a close on
of tie heavens, and can generally
md some sign III the clouds to warn him ~
a coming storm SO that he can raddle his
trail dug-out into a place of safety before a
tornado whips tho dark water ri
tho Congo into white-crested billows. In
The forests the boys help the hunters to djV
the pitfalls for bufaioes and elephants
hey know how to tx "a moose for the stoal,
thy leopard or the bush pig, ana the snares
Tor smaller game and birds.
They are all splendid swimmers. and in
spite OF the hldeous crocodiles infestiny
these waters, a swarm of black hsads can
"a