Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-11
A Day on Shore. No. IL.


men. hccessltating certain amount o
forcible language to bring the crew t
theif posts and the ship to an anchor
| Accomplished at last. the sails furled
rigging coiied away, decks washed
supper eaten and all were at liberty t.
| decker for fruit and shells. these be
ing the stock in trade of this coffee
colored. straight haired, six feet speci
mems Of humanity, masculine, and The
smaller feminine visitors, all eager I,
secure "frcn" among the ships com
| pany, on whom they could draw To-
tobacco. hard tack and an occasiona
striped shirt or pair of overals, three
articles that Will cause the suprcm,
| happiness of any well regulated NADIA
| sasCan
Saint Augustine bay is q small native
settlement on the coast of Madagascar
| that looks out across the Nozambiqu,
| Channel toward the golden sands OF
Africa. Low sandy plains stretch fol
miles along the shore and inland, COW
ei"d with bushy topped trees with nov
and then clump of larger growth on
| ground that rises gently, just neal
enough the sea to make "Woodng up
| a UoSSibiiltN. Nlifit 10 Aiit east Ndlt Dft-
! tween us and the mountains that loom
Up a hazy blue, are immense forests
| whore the foot of the white man has
never trodden ana no knowledge Of this
! vast territory has ever been obtained,
except from vague reports Of some
native runner and that of the most I'm
reliable sort.
The "Madagass" is not Of the negro
type, wholly. although we find the
| thick lip and Hat nose, modified some
what owing To the intcrminglinG Of the
races.I presume but in the older people
straight hair ana regular features aro
what | found at St. Augustine bay
Scattered through the woods. with
out regard to regularity. the seven by
nine huta. standing in no fear Of the
winds that might descend or the floods
that might come. are built upon the
sand. of reeds stood on end, dashed 10
cross pieces Of the same material, tbs
roof matched to a thickness that with
stands the pouring rain for days q
door not exceeding three feet In height
that crawling through, Introduces YOU
to floor Of the same sand that You
can see IN all directions through the
spaces between the reeds that form
he walls
Into this sand the native burrows T.
enjoy his midday nap, nor hecds tn,
flies ana heas that feast oT his naked
back as h. sleeps happily unconscious
.of all thu outs ana believes. sleeping or
waking, that "Madagass' is the world
The women in their Younger days
ere very good looking. have small
hands ana feet. ana are more corlely
than most native women. They marry
ut ton, twelve or fifteen years. are old
at Twenty-Five and many Of them bear
little resemblance 10 human beings
when they are fifty The women are
the slaves Of the men, do an the drudg-
cry look after the corn as our indian
women do, carry wood ana water and
cultivate the Madagascar bean, the
principal crop Of this section Theii
dress is simply four on five OF more
yards OF cheap calico or blue denims
which they wind around and around
the body under thee arms as long as any
things remains to wind. then tuck in
the corner and the toilet is complete
The MAZDA gascar bean deserves more
than passing notice. Large. fat and of
an cnticing flavor. it seems to me thai
they are far superior to our yellow
eyes or pea beans ana really | ought
to he a judge, for stewed boiled and
baked. we had them served twenty
one times d week until twenty barrels
We're disposed Of. Yet to this day
banker for Madagascar lentils.
The lod was not unlike our beech |
hut much it's inferioras fueland crook
81
grow in imitation of Barnum's greatest
contortionist. You have heard the
story of the woman that found fault |
with the crooked wood her husband
furnished. and of the other woman that
never found fault at all but rather |
liked the twisted fuel because il fitted |
around the tea kettle 50 nicely NADIA |
Gascar wood Was like that | have |
heard it said that sticks have been seen |
50 crooked that they would not lie still |
when thrown down on the beach and |
that man in tryingto step over one of |
them would Invariably find himself on |
the same side of the log and all such |
stories. burt | cannot vouch for the
truth of them. y liberal application Of |
1pbaccoand "clOutee." Chis last I think |
Is as near as the native tongue can say |
cloth) with a promise of wormy hard |
tack, kept a dozen stalWart chaps ham |
mering away until we had all the wood |
we wanted safe slowed in the lower |
hold.
our supply of fresh water was OBJ
tanned from the river. At two o'clock |
in the morning we towed our casks up |
the stream. five miles from the ship |
"a IbnraI thpr,1 hA ~
leaving the water fresh. then rolled |
them hung underand let them fill them |
selves. When full they were anchored |
again until next ehb. when they We're |
toWed to the ship. A job that used up |
the entire tWenty-four hours and as it |
was five mile pull up and with the |
casks full, Il good six back. ii partook |
of something of the nature of labor |
Something more sometimes.
JAY EFF BEE.