St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-06
IRIS. FRENCH-sHELDoN.

interior. At the latter place she found hef
plans ridiculed, officials and even the sultan
of the country trying to dissuade her from
her purpose. at found that my world-re-
nowned reputation of mad woman had pre-
ceded me to my prejudice. In America,
England, and now here had to listen to and
confront as best I could public censure.
The bare idea that woman should be foo.-
hardy enough to dare to enter Africa from
the east coast, and attempt to penetrate the
interior as far as the Kilimamjaro district of
the late Nasal raids, at time when great
disturbances had been provoked by the Ger
mans and revolt was brewing, and essaying
to do this as the sole leader and commander
of her own caravan, the thing was prepos-
ferrous and the woman boldly denounced as
mad
Despite all this she persevered and visited
among many other tribes the Wa Nyika, Wa
Darawa, Wa Teita. and the people of Taneta,
Lakes Chala, Chagaland, Masailand and
many others. Her porters were several
times insubordinate but her cool courage
compelled obedience. With kind words, gen
tie ways and presents she Won the hearts of
the natives everywhere, and even the warlike
Nasal worshipped and appreciated "Bebe
Bwana'' (the woman MASTERY, by which name
she became known among the natives.
She met with an accident after leaving
Pangain that nearly cost her her life. While
crossing one of those treacherous log bridges
on palanquin her bearers slipped, she and
they were precipitated into the noisy torrent
twenty feet below and compelled to struggle
for their lives. She was whirled about in
the palanquin, and SO nearly drowned that
she was only rescued with difficulty from
chaos of curtains, cushions and muddy
water. The poor affrighted fellows, in their
wild efforts to carry her up the bank, again
dropped her, causing serious injury to her
spine that compelled her to consider the
abandonment of her journey.
In Chagaland she found ingenious black
smiths who were curious craftsmen, and
jewellers who could make delicate chains,
beads, bracelets, rings, armlets and bells
How long these arts, which were of a high
order, had prevailed among these savage
tribes is not known. In Wa Kehe she found
many and varied industries, and also among
the Nasal and the people of Taneta. She
had some strange adventures among the
Fdnim CIiUSS. iIlcluUluS llttll d uOZen SulCdnS.
Her book "From Sultan to Sultan gives the
details of her adventurous journeys that re-
fleet credit upon our American lady travel
er.
Another lady, refined, intelligent and he
roic, whose sad death last September at Fort
Anderson was loss to African exploration,
was Bohemian, Miss Hlawaczek, who had
undertaken a journey on foot from Cape
Town to Cairo. While in England Mrs.
Sheldon's book had come from the press and
1t inspired her to undertake a journey largely
through new and hostile territory. She had
been engaged in educational work, and was
the master of seven languages. She started
onher journey on foot, of 5000 miles, through
hostile deserts, impenetrable forests and for
bidding mountains, surrounded by hostile
tribes, accompanied only by three women,
also on foot. Burdened with no tent
nor bedding, and carrying more writing
materials than provisions, they relied on the
ancient custom among Africans Of providing
sor strangers for their support and food. She
was truly the clone, unprotected female"