The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-07
MARY H. KINGSLEY DEAD
WOMAN EXPLORER WHO TRAVELLED
MUCH IN INTERIOR AFRICA.
Wrote Book That Had an Enormous
sale-Died mt Simonstown While
experimenting Nurses.

CAPE TOWN. June e.-Mary III. Kings
ley died yesterday at Smonstown, where
she had been experimenting the nursing ar
rangements Of the military hospital. Know
ing more Oh West Africa probably than any
other living woman. she had given her time
of late to care of the wounded soldiery of
the war.
A taste for natural history and love for
the novel and barbarous led Miss Kingsley
to Africa. she visited the Ogowe river and
the French Congo country and spent nearly
:, year there collecting fish specimens for
the British Museum and studying the fetch
customs of the natives. She did not see
white faces for months after leaving Ga
boon and travelled only with her black men
porters. She had with her canoe crew of
eight men. Fourteen times in her river
journey through the interior Of Africa was
she cast into the waters by upsets. In the
Fangwe country she had many remarkable
adventures with the natives.
The Fangwes are cannibals of a pro-
nounced type. They are one of the few
tribes Of Africa that eat their own dead.
Miss Kingsley had with her three 'ele-
phant' men or hunters of the Fangwe
tribe. At almost every town she visited the
people came out and desired to eat the
elephant" men. Miss Kingsley had guar
anteed their safety, so sometimes by per-
suasion, sometimes by threats of punish
ment, she each time saved the lives of the
men. When in her journey she reached
the Rembwe river she fioated down ii to
the Ogowe, and so regained the sea and
Gaboon. On her way home she stopped
at Cameroons and climbed the great peak
there. 300 feet above the sea.
In other journeyings Miss Kingsley visit
ed Cabenda, Old Calabar and other points
in the Niger protectorate country. When
she could not travel by boat or other con-
veyance she walked, facing all kinds of
perils. Drawing all manners or danger.
Asked once why the cannibals did not eat
her, she answered:
THAT Is exactly one or the things can
never understand"
.sWhat did they think of you?"
well, think they looked upon me as
sort of wild woman. l came upon race
of dwarfs who shoot with poisonous ar
rows
what do you consider the best costume
for river and forest work in West Africa
like to know
"Oh. skirts. I wore this very skirt out
there
"Anh you enjoyed the explorations
Il never liked anything better. 1 may
have been in actual danger many times,
but If was did not realize it at the time.
learned so much Of the origin of peoples
and their customs. I think all this viii s De
comes out Generally speaking, l had fair
treatment from the natives. cannot COM
plain because they were not always cordial,
for when they understood / meant them
no harm they always let me pass on. Africa
is wonderful country, and the half of Ii
has not yet been told. Men will be explor-
ing its interior fifty years hence. wish to
see much more of 1t If / have time and
live
While in England Miss Kingsley learned
of the outbreak of the Boer war and the
need of nurses in South Africa. She volun-
teered her services at once. and was i'm
mediately ordered to Cape Town. On arriv-
ing there her past experiences in Africa
stood her in great need. She knew what
sick and wounded people needed, and the
English army officers found her advice TO
be Of the best She was not what might be
termed a "strong-minded' woman, al
though great in her courage. She was gen.
tie in manners, a winning talker, and SIM
plicity itself. People who met her and
looked for oddities were disappointed Her
volume on West African explorations has
had an enormous sale. and is considered to
be the best authority of its kind extsnt
1t deals not only with the people she met,
but the botany and zoology of the lands
through which she travelled unaccompanied
by soldiers or white protectors.
She was a niece of Canon Kingsley and
daughter of DR.. Henry Kingsley, and a
Kingsley to the core of her being.