Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10
sAvAGEs WHO ARE CIVILIZED.
African Natives Who Have n Notion OF
the Arts and Sciences.

Most people think Of the natives OF
tropical Africa as naked savages, without
any OF the resources Of civilization" said
an ex-rnissionary to a Star reporter But
the fact is that many of the tribes are ac-
quainted with not few of the me ,hanicaI
arts.
You are probably aware that the mining
and working OF iron have been underwood
by the natives of that part of the world
ever since prehistoric times In Liberia the
Mande are smelters of iron and workers in
gold and silver. They are also tanners OF
leather and weaVers Of cloth, and they
make an infinite variety OF domestic
articles. The Makolos are excellent wood
carYers, the Djours are skillful iron work.
ers and the Bechuanas are good metal
workers, fur drvssers and architects.
The Baganidas Of Victoria Nyanza do
beautiful work in brass, copper and ivory.
On the slave coast the people OF Dahomey.
who otherwise possess an unenviable repu-
tation, are accorded very respectable posi-
ton in industrial artisanship. Glass rrhk-
ing is not unknown among them. They
make cloths Of cotton and many other tex
tiles, and their dyes OF blue, red and yellow
owe their peculiar richness to native color
ing substances. Tanning they also UNDER
stand. and they obtain salt from sea water
by evaporation.
Among the tributaries Of the White Nile.
at Sahara and BenShieh, are tribes of ma
tiVes as white as Europeans. having oval
prostitutes were licensed. and the proceeds
OF the tax paid into the public treasury
long before the practice was adopted by
Modern legislators and considered as a
radical departure in modern civilization.
Lord Beaconsfeld said OF the Zulus: They
have outwitted our diplomats. outmaneu-
Vered our generals, and converted our mis-
scenarios. and Yet We call them saNages'
The Mandegnas have attained a con-
siderable degree Of cultivation and knowl-
edge OF the common arts. Their musical
Instruments are the flute, either. harp, bell
and drum. The Neis of Liberia having OBJ
tanned an acquaintance with letters from
contact with Arabs. have invented an al
phabetical primer OF their own language,
original and independent both OF the Arabic
est effort ever mace 10y an African tribe
toward the advancement Of culture The
Nies make pens OF reeds and use indigo Tor
ink.
Africa is destined before long TO become
the great goli-producing continent of the
world. In lSS9 il yielded SS.~Oo.g0 worth OF
that metal LAST year IL produced about
$21."n.Uvo wocth Of gold. During 1894 the
output OF its gold mines is likely TO equal
the Si6OOoOoh produced by the United
States
The total expectation Of diamonds from
the Cape Of Good Hope. from the date Of
their discovery 20 the present. has probably
exceeded ',n.WD.OOO. The annual eXpendi-
tCre in digging for the gems is now S5.ooO.-
cco. and the export is limited to four and
a half millions Of carats annually, TO pre-
vent depreciation In price. The Orange
Free State has recently given TO the world
the largest known diamond, weighing in
the rough 9IG carats, and likely TO weigh
when cut 500 carats.
The rum Of the white man is a curse TO
the natives Of Africa. IL Is estimated that
loooO.VO gallons OF spirits are annually
imported into the dark continent"