The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-03-23
IN THE WILDS OF AFRICA.
INTERESTING LECTURE BIZ DIR.
EMIL HOLUB OF AUSTRIA.


Cape Town to the zambesi-Interesting
Tribes of Natives.
DR.. Emil Holub Of Austria gave the
eleventh lecture in the Mechanics
course to an immense audience at
North Sheffield hall last evening. His
subject was Explorations and Adven-
lures in Africa" and the lecture which
lasted for two hours, was most en-
tanning from start to finish. He was
introduced by Professor Brewer and
was given hearty ovation by the
! large audience,
He spoke in part as follows:
81 take the liberty to give you a mar
rative of my second tour in South
Africa and the southern Central Afri-
ca 1t was in the year 1872 that 1 left
Austria on my first exploration trip
| into southern Africa. I settled near
the diamond mines and practiced my
medical profession among the natives
in order to secure means for my trip.
! finally accumulated sufficient means,
| but as my boat was going over rapids
in the Zambesi river capsized and
lost my medicine and gunpowder and
had to return. In 1879 l returned to
Austria and gave all my specimens
to schools and began delivering lee
lures to secure means for another trip.
In 1883 I again left Austria on my
second journey. The course / pursued
~ 4, -
Dutch republics to the Zambesi which
portion of the country it was one OBJ
ject of my expedition to fully examine.
chose six assistants in doing the
work of the naturalist. During twelve
months in the years 1884 when l
commenced this my second Journey in
South Africa no rain fell there and
many of my oxen died on account of
hunger and thirst. The Bushmen are
one of the Hottentot nations and the
white settlers in South Africa have
said that they were more like beasts
than men, and they have been gen
orally supposed to be the lowest species
of the human race. But l think as
this is a great mistake. In this dis
trict of southern Africa one may travel
as far as ninety miles. To explore
the Zambesi to the north was one of
the main causes of my second trip
1t is necessary for you to take an armed
guard as ninety-nine out of every
one hundred of these natives are
thieves and robbers. After we had Wis
tied the Victoria Falls of the Fam
besi, most wonderful freak of nature,
larger than your American Niagara
as they are 400 feet high and 1900 feet
wide, several of my men were taken
sick with malaria and two of them
died. Another who was very sick
sent back to his home in the south,
where he, too, died. My knowledge Of
medical science often stood me in good
stead in dealing with the natives,
They had medical men among them,
but they knew nothing of the real
healing of the sick. One chief who
had a cough had been told by the medi- |
cal man that it was a disease in the
leg, another that it was an affliction of
the liver l cured him and this brought
him to have much respect for me and |
had conferred on me the title of |
witch-doctor.' This chief also supplied |
me with carriers with which we might |
continue our journey"
The most interesting remarks Of DR.. |
Holub were concerning his adventures |
among the Matsu-Solumba tribe The |
reports ] heard all along from the diff |
ferent tribes were that the Matsu-Co- |
iumbas were not human beings, but |
beasts in human form. The Matsu-Co- |
lumba women are for the most part old |
and ugly. They are not native women,
but those secured from neighboring
tribes, and naturally the neighboring |
tribes do not barter away their beau
ties. The Matsu-Columba men have the
popularity of wearing large false hair
dresses, but they do not make use of
clothing of amy kind. The women are
mostly bald-headed as the men have
shaved off all their hair to use for their
own headgear. Their country is over
grown with grass seven feet high. 1t
is necessary for one to go along with
rifle loaded and ready to fire, for one
cannot tell where lion, a wolf or ma
tive may be lying in wait.
MY medical skill was of no use among
The Matsu-Columbas One chief who
was sick was hurried away that even
ny eye might not harm him by the pow
ar of it's glance They took us all for
spies of the enemy and displayed hos
ility from the first Some of our men
went out shooting game right in the
Village. Immediately the most horrible
,ries arose from all parts of the viii
age The natives, who had no respect
or medical science, were terrified be-
'ause they saw the game falling to the
sround and they could not see what
truck them, although they found small
Wounds on their bodies. This remained
cause of terror to the end of our stay.
they at last got an idea that while the
would bring down game, they
would not have any effect on human
,eings and before ] left | had to give
he order to fire on the natives, but only
o wound them. This was effectual and {
We were allowed to depart peacefully"
Dr. Holub then told of the journey
ack TO Cape Town, the whole lecture J.,
eing enlivened with anecdotes and sto-
les of a most interesting character.
lis wife accompanied him on all his l
He is now contemplating an
ther exploring trip to South Africa. 8
Gains in Favor Daily.
London, March 22.-The Daily News