The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-12
OUR DARKEST SISTER.
In West Africa Black Babies Are
Born White.

| Born white.
/, There Is curious spot on this globe
where black babies are born white II Is
way OF in West Africa. In a week they
! begin to brown, and the color despens and
keeps On deepening until a fine ebony COM
plexion is attained-which. considered,
from an American point Of view. is very.
very queer. Another thing about
the arrival OF babies in that
peculiar Africa is that as soon
as they are born lot of boys gather
| outside the hut to which the baby has
come. and beat the walls with sticks ard
cry out like Bedlam let loose to keep of
evil influence. That may make COMPLETE
riddance OF bad spirits. but think of the
headaches 1t must give the pain-racked
mother-but, to be quite just and fair il
is said that maternity brings no pain to
the women OF Accra-that is the name of
the place.
In telling whole column Of interesting
things about the Accra women a writer in
The Queen has this to say about the
native women:
The Accra women are intensely fond of
dress. or rather ornament of the person
They are blessed or cursed. as You may
look upon It, by unchanging fashion in the
shape of their clothes. Pattern of course
changes. What they like best is blue and
white in great squares. or zigzag lightning
lines. They load themselves with lead
ankles. bracelets, necklets, wear them at
on.,s round IT. 49, - h.15 a.,o;r
,,C-ef,,, - ~. - - ,.~. - -
an, ooiu I.''ii plls
Of ,hesa bs;,,-r ~
o.o -, 80 i.suuso,le III ue9len AG
-. So ~, WI A.iianSuip peihs famous an
cue eoast. ihep are continually 90
- -, 10 Ha'I ~ niuitieuues oI oineIent
ga. ,ei ,a Vi paitlhss anu plaits- AFTER
y. uatn thes ruD INTO the exposed portions OF
eheIr satp, SKINS mixture OF palm OIL ana
cehs,Ahu "nen they go to cnurch-which
some uo-',ey are not complete without
cream whlte handkerchief carried In one
nana- and winch is on no account used for
It's legitimate purpose. One expensive part
OF their dress is silk head handkerchief
This is worn IN most becoming way, and
they are often OF an exquisite pattern
Neighboring nation or tribe to the AGRA
is the Anagoo woman The Anagoos
have OILY one fashion in hair dressing and
their dress is mostly OF the same pattern
of blue and white. woven and dyed by
themselves. 1t is the men who are the
handles. They wear wide Killed knickers
made Of calico with lines of plush OF all
coiors, ana q short sleeved sort OF snock
frock, also gay with plush or sateen
Every man wears arm flags of glass of
several colors OF native make. The meu's
fashion in hair is to have their nssds
shaved either altogether or leaving funny
line OF hair running from front to lack
How they can work all day in the deadly
heat of the sun thus bareheaded or with
perhaps small linen cap. is extraordi-
nary.
AS nation they are sirgularly polite
They have hundreds of salutatlens for
walking. sitting, working, carrying, ard
every occupation. They have many Diff
ferent classes, each different rank having
to salute the higher with Lowry salutatiors
and doffiing OF caps, and stopping down or
lying nat on/the ground When native
chiefs came TO my compound with a mes
sage from the King. and gave me ex es-
siyely lowly and dust-groveliug satutaticn rs
with fervent wishes that many children
might come to me, and so on, | knew they