Evening star., 1899-03-11
THE AWEMBA COUNTRY
A Part of Africa That Is Not Popular
With White People.
1t is a Very Unhealthy District-SOme
of the Queer Customs of
the Natives.

1t is interesting to note the announce
ment that the Chartered Company has just
taken over the Awemba country, an enor-
nous tract comprising about 10000 square
miles, into which very few white men have
hitherto penetrated. AS very little is as
yet known of this region, it may perhaps
be we'll to state that the Awemba coun-
try lies southwark of the Tanganyika and
Nyassa plateau, and northward from Bula-
wayo'so fifteen or sixteen hundred miles.
In the course of conversation which rep
resentative of this journal had the other
day with a man who had lately returned
from the country he gathered that the
Awemba country is occupied by a tribe
of natives of an exceptionally fine class,
even superior in physique to the Matabele.
The statement, however, that the Awemba
have hitherto refused to allow white men
10 enter their country appears ito be devoid
OF foundation. for experience has shown
them to be Hospitality disposed toward
travellers. @ =
The head chief of the Awemba. Mwamba
died recently, it appears. and for some rea-
son or other a report got into circulation
that until he was buried the tribe would
allow no white men to enter the country.
the burial custom in regard to a chief be-
ing that the body is kept for about a year,
and that 1t is then buried, the head man
and number of women being sacrificed on
that occasion. The man referred to above
entered the country in the beginning of
January from the north, though several
expeditions had already set out, but had
been compelled to return. He went straight
INTO the chiefs kraal without molestation.
and after staying there about three months
was obliged to leave the country on account
of the black water fever.
The country is exceedingly low and
sWampy and consequently extremely un-
healthy for Europeans. The natives carry
on an extensive trade with the Arabs at
Zanzibar in ivory, and the latter in order
to try to keep the white men out of the
country, appear to have persuaded the tribe
that in the event of a white man cooking
upon their chief the latter would die as
soon as the white man should leave. Short
ly before Chittamakula, a former chief,
died Belgian officer made his way to the
chiefs kraal and the latter died shortly
after the officers departure, a circumstance
which was naturally seized upon by the
Arabs to influence the natives in the direc-
ton of refusing to allow the white men
to enter the country, and thus retain the
valuable trade in their own hands. A troop
er of the British South Africa Companys
police recently entered the country and
made his way to the kraal, but the chief
took offense for some reason or other and
gave him two days to leave the village, with
a sufficient supply of food to see him out
of the country.
The country itself is of a swampy char
acter, and for a white man to be able to
live there is extremely doubtful, except
in the healthier portions. 1t abounds in
game of all kinds, particularly elephants,
the trade in ivory being of considerable di
mensions. Stock is exceedingly scarce,
there being very few cattle or sheep in
the country at the present time.
Entering the country from the south an
object of unusual interest that is passed
on the journey is the tree which marks the
last resting place of Livingstone, which
bears an inscription cut on the base of the
tree, giving the name of the missionary
together with an inscription in the ma
tive language.
Some curious customs ara observed among
the Awemba tribe. particularly in regard to
the burial of the dead chiefs. The body
of deceased chieftain is kept for twelve
months, during which time it remains in
his hut, and at the end of that period what
remains of 1t is placed in calabashes; over
these, when the time arrives, are slaughter
ed a number of the late chiefs wives and
also number of women, together with
the chiefs head man, so that it would ap-
pear that the prime minister of the country
occupies place fraught with a certain
amount of risk. In the case of a child de-
tectad stealing anything the father is SEN
fenced to have four fingers removed from
each hand, and his wife and children are
sold as slaves to the Arabs. A liar is
punished by being deprived of his eyes
the argument being that the liar sees too
much. and that it would be better that
he should not have the opportunity of
seeing quite so much in the future; while
anybody discovered spreading unreliable
news concerning the actions of the chief is
discouraged by having his ears cut off,
though in this connection it is only fair
to add that the practice of mutilation has
to great extent died out during the last
two or three years-in fact. since the whites
nave commenced to occupy the Tanganyika
and Nyassa plateau. 1t is pretty clear.
however, that the Awemba country is
scarcely likely to attract any considerable
white population, for some little time at
any rate, in view of the fever-stricken
character of the district, and the ill-omen-
ron a ton hfIt,t+ L.,
in this respect from those who have visited
it.