The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-09

business there, not horse or OK can
be SEEN Neither would be of service
in such roads. All traffic is done with
little trucks run on narrow gauge
tracks and pushed by native Africans.
Everyone, therefore, must wade
through this sand-fine ladies with
pretty hose and Partisan boots, just as
we'll as a naked Zulu, whose feet are
often so callouS as to phase the most
vicious matachino.
Hundreds of persons land at Beira
weekly from England, France, Ger
many, America, South Africa and the
east. 1t is today the widest and
let and inlet to Mashonaland and lower
central Africa. The most refined peo-
pie knock elbows there with the most
lawless, and all knuckle under to that
dreadful insect, the matachino. for if
not removed quickly it means the loss
of a foot The choice spot for them to
settle is on the ankle, where the boot
fits tightly, and the only way TO remove
the insect is to cut out the surrounding
flesh with a sharp knife.
AT THE BEACH HOTEL.
One of the first things noticed on
being put ashore on the barren sandy
beach was the number of negroes who
had one or more toes missing. Eat of
by matachinO,' was the terse answer
given by Mr. Jack Weldon, a hustlinS
Canadian who was on the lookout for
guests at the Beach hotel, which he
represented.
Don't be alarmed, though" he added.
Wen take good care OF you at the
hotel"
The next morning he came into my
room about o'clock and observed
carelessly: You'd better go down and
take your shower now, so Christmas
can look at your feet. These darn bugs
seem to get next TO a stranger every
time"
On emerging to the plaza L found it
lined with number OF guests. clothed
III BAHAMAS. Some of the men were
tilted back against the wall on their
chairs, smoking and chatting. Others
were looking serious and watching the
operations Of native hoy known az
Merry Christmas, who was examining
the foot of very pretty Parisienne, the
wife or a French mining engineer, who
had come out to examine the Mashona-
land gold diggings for European syn
dictate. Having a very pretty foot and
ankle, the patient seemed to enjoy the
process as much as anyone. Several
other ladies less favored and more
modest had adjourned to a room where
another boy. who rejoiced under the
name OF Canned Salmon, because that
commodity he most craved for, inspect
ed their feet.
THE MISSIONARY GIRL.
When I returned from taking a
shower bath there was some excite
ment on the piazza Salmon has found
a matachino in that missionary girls
foot" explained German drummer. a
little scream of pain told that the knife
was being used, but no one moved to
look in the door, for the unwritten code
of etiquette is a caSt-irOn one there,
and the white woman who conducts
herself in a lady-like manner is enor-
mously respected. The only person who
dared to enter was the girls escort a
wiry, cold-eyed missionary, who was
bringing the young woman out from
England to marry one of his fellow
workers along the Zambesi.
She had greatly interested her fellow
passengers on account OF her pretty
face and feigned resignation. Her es-
cort and another missionary forbade
her to talk to anyone ON the ship. but
in hurried SnatcheS of conversation we
learned that she was only Is years old,
and had just graduated from a girls
seminary in England. Three years pre-
viouS she had met a young theolOgian
who was starting out on missionary
cruise in central Africa. She had con-
secrated herself to the work and be-
II OluGO Lei tO IlllL, anu was uOW
fulfilling her promises.
She came within an ace of failing,
though. for the matachino nearly fin
ished her. She was bitten in the hol-
low OF her inSteD, and when the bite
was discovered it had infected a con-
siderable radius The negro did not cut
severely enough, because the unfortu-
nate girl shrank from the operation and
tainted
In two days her foot had swollen
alarmingly- Fortunately for her a Dr.
Martin, who was travelling for a De-
troit drug house, knew more about
treating the case than the natives, and
he saved the foot, though it was badly
SCARED
The matachino is not to be trifed
with, and you soon learn to squat
down in the sand and look at your foot
when there is a suspicious biting sem
sation. Those who have strong nerves
carry sharp knife and cut out the
insect themselves. The Africans do
this. and it is not an uncommon sight
to see a boy drop a load of lumber, sit
down and perform a surgical operation
and continue his labor
AS far as / could learn the matachino
is indigenous only to northern Mozam-
biqUe, for in Delagoa bay they did not
seem to be troubled with it.