Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-27


Such, in BRIEF is the record of Mrs.
French-Sheldon's dash into the dark con-
tinent, and of the devotion which she ex-
perienced at the hands of her Zanzibar
and Swahili attendants. She travelled
nearly thousand miles from the coast
and did most of the journey on foot despite
the fact that she had palanquin in which
at once to rest and travel and many will
ing hands to bear it. But luxury of this
sort often has dangers, as she learned one
day when n monster python dropped
down on the palanquin and tried to gobble
up the occupant, but of course without
success, or her story of adventure would
never have been written.
1t creates bit of surprise to know that
Mrs. Sheldon received decent treatment
and even kindly consideration from the peo-
pie known as the Nasal An Americans
knowledge of these folks is derived chiefly
from Haggard's novel of "Allan Quater-
MAN," in which the Nasal are depicted as
valorous, but bloodthirsty. Yet Mrs. Shell
don seems to have gone through their ter
ritory without trouble, and the warriors,
or ''el moran" as they are called, contend
ed with each other for the honor of making
her journey comfortable and pleasant.
However, despite all the courtesies
shown her by the sultan of Zanzibar and
the magnates of the interior country, Mrs.
Sheldon suffered much from change of
climate and conditions of living to which
she was stranger. That she endured the
strain, made copious notes and numerous
pictures and got back to civilization is one
of the phenomena of feminine pluck, but
that in addition to this she was able to
complete and publish her book, recently
issued, after the news reached her from
England that her husband had died sud-
denly from heart disease is still more re-
markable. The dedication of her work,
"Sultan to Sultan,' is pitfully touching
It reads:
To whom owe all have accomplished-my
inspiration, my critic, my advocate, my
refuge, my anchor, my sympathizer, my
friend, my comrade, my husband.
Mrs. Sheldon did not go as Il conqueror,
or what Americans call "bulldozer.
She went to inquire, not to subjugate or
slay, and the people, as before remarked,
call her the white queen. So she found
out many things that have not before been
known, and that are of interest to all
students of ethnography and history. She
is the first woman of this age to essay an
expedition among savage tribes and a
comparatively unknown country.
Mrs. Peary, who went with her husband
to Greenland, may be cited as another ex
ample, but she journeyed with her hus-
band, while Mrs. Sheldon had not even a
white companion. 1t might be asserted
that she was absolutely at the mercy Cf
her retinue, yet by her pluck. tact and
magnetism she dominated the little cara
van and was "the boss" from start to flu
ish, despite illness and mishaps. She
showed her great force Of character almost
at the start, when, if one who reads be-
tween the lines can judge, the sultan of
Zanzibar SO violently yet respectfully ad-
mired her that when he found she was no
candidate for queen of the harem he used
all his absolute powers to get for her fine
lot of recruits for the trip into Africa.
In her book Mrs. Sheldon notes many in
teresting facts. She says that the natives
of Masailand are wonderfully skilled as
artisans, particularly in bead, wire and
metal work. One of the districts called
Taveta is forest covered and almost under
the shadow of the famous volcano of Kill