The Opelousas courier., 1896-10-17
CARAVAN LIFE,
CURIOUS WAYS OF NATIVE CAR
RIERS IN AFRICA.
they Garry Heavy Loads for LONG
Distances and Are Usually Paid
With C1oth-Troublesome
African Insects.
CARAVAN roads in Africa are
narrow paths for marching in
y sinnla file thrnn oh long GRASS

~ARAVAN roads in Africa are
barrow paths for marching in
w. single file, through long grass
that cuts like o knife, or
through woods; the natives instlnc-
lively know when they are passing
under thorn trees; they slow their
pace, as the path is always strewn with
thorns. In the dry season the carrier
covers himself with o cotton rag, and
sleeps in apparent comfort in a tenn
p%erature and under conditions which
would compel the white man to cover
himself with a pair Of blankets. A
carrier, as q rule, has a few cobs Of
corn or "a pouch of -four of mapira or
maize wrapped round his waist in his
loin cloth he has, besides this, always
a stock of snuff In an empty cartridge
case or little gourd the snuff is COM
posed Of powdered tobacco, the ashes
of aromatic leaf, and seeds Of the cas-
tor oil plant; men, women, and chill
dren necessarily take snuff. Only a
few people smoke, and then not o long
smoke, but q few violent draws, which
they inhale into the lungs till they are
to an extent stupeied. This applies
to all the people in this part of the
world.
Some of the carriers have a small
mat to sit on or to lie or at night, or
to cover themselves with in case OF
rain and some have q side of a biscuit
tin with a handle fixed to it. The tin
is turned up ut the sides, forming q
kind of fat dish, and pop corn is made
on this. This is the fayorlte way of
eating dry corn. When the corn Is
! green it is toasted, boiled, or steamed
by being baked in the husk. The car
rier sometimes has little pockets Of
dried fish or paste Or baked ants, but
he is quite a nabob if he possesses such
Injuries. He will take u load weigh
ing fifty pounds sometimes he carries
the load on his head, with a ring Of
reeds as a pad Tor his head. He always
carries o stick, so that when the load
is on one shoulder he can pass the
stick I'VE the other shoulder aud un-
der the load, so that the labor is di.
vided.
They have one or two earthen pots
among them, and when camp is
reached they gather up firewood and
start fires, and do their cooking, chaf
one another, drink much water, and
take snuff till late In the evening.
Then their chat, laughter, singing
and talking cease; they have all
dropped asleep, which an African can
do without any difficulty at all times
and anywhere. With us it is some
times rather q hard task to go to
sleep, especially in this country for
anxiety and responsibility keep the
mind of a white mar in a state of IN
easiness and wakefulness. An average
march IS fifteen miles-more can be
-done, but fifteen miles is enough;
more units the man for the next days
journey. When it rains, and the ma
tive is neal long grass or s%hrubbery,
he very Don throws a rough roof over
his head. The carrier is 7rationed
with a little cloth to buy, tood; the
usual rate is one .1erd a gynth.
the swamps the mosquito is a vicious
little fanatic. He ass<lls you IN
clouds without tive slisz{est provoca.
ton. and remainsyn~killed. He is q
keen observer, and i you are sitting
in any posture whicksstretches your
garments tightly ovt your leg, you
feel a sharp sting which tells you the
mosquito has noticed the fact. A
small hole in your mosquito net he
notices at once, and will struggle
through it q wing and leg ct a, time,
and when inside calls to a few friends
and tells them the way he entered.
They perch OF the barrel Of your rife
when you are getting q bead on a
tidgety buck, and bite in some painful
spot just as you are about'to pull the
trigger. Other insects annoy you.
Big moths, inquisitive about your
lamp, enter your o at full speed,
hutter noisily about your lamp, or try
to commit suicide in your soup, leav- |
ing the fluff of their wings floating On
the surface. The iigger burrows into
your flesh, and starts in to raise q
family in a little white bag beneath
the surface of your skin.
The proverblal little ant is a terror
to mankind. The large brown driver
ant, marching in swarms Of millions,
with giant ants as leaders and officers, |
is 8 dreadful enemy. They move over
the &, found like a dark-broGn ribbon
a foot wide, devouring every living
thing they meet, from a grasshopper
to a goat, if the beast cannot escape.
Their heads are furnished with terrific
nippers; if you are bitten, and at
tempt to pull away the insect, you
will find that the head remains in your
flesh. They will enter your house
no matter how we'll filed your larder
was before the visit, it will contain
nothing but bones afterward. The
white ant does noKoite you; his par
ticular province ifs to destroy your
most valuas- best
trunks, your favorite shoes. In one
night he will so attack a wooden box
that when you lift it in the morning
the bottom will drop out he will eat
living eucalyptus tree, and when he
is in the district the poles Of your
house in a few months' time will
crumble into dust. At a certain stage
Of his existence he has wings. which
he sheds at your meal-times into your
dishes.
Scorpions and tarantula spiders are
only occasionally met. Large beetles
come from long distances to see you,
and end their journey by striking you
the face. Many insects OF smaller
oat+1o on tbo hoot- of ro,, nool-