Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-07-04

There we're few passengers got on
here, all of which had very sickly
appearance They all seemed to he
suffering from the same complaint,
Malaria fever.
Our next port of.call was a place
called Mozambique, at which
place we arrived on the Goth just
as the sun was setting. Mozam-
bique is very old place. The
buildings are all of ancient style
and at this particular time would
have made a good subject for
sketch artist or kodak fiend, q
few of the latter being on board,
but this was entirely out of our
line. Will try and give you
partial description Of this, among
the Oldest towns in Africa. By
the time we got on shore it was
gettingdark and we found the town
very poorly lit up. the only lamps
being the ordinary coal oil lamps,
which are very poor lamps for
street lamps after one has been
used to electric lights. In fact, /
felt like telling the guy in charge
of the show that he and his peo-
pie we're few hundred years late
in the way the Americans run
towns and cities of this class.
But as have said il was dark and
me being stranger in the place
I just let the matter stand over un-
til some future time because
our time was limited, our boat
was to leave at / u. NJ, 80 our
main object was to see what we
could and get on board which we
promptly set out to do by the aid
of guides. My guide in order to
make himself solid with me, told
me confidently that he worked in
the church. No doubt this would
have raised him several degrees
in the estimation of one inexper-
fenced with an educated church
going kafir; but ninety per cent of
the kafir criminals in the various
prisons Of South Africa are of this
class of kafrs, but as soon as he
told me this 1 placed one hand on
my purse and the other in close
proximity to my pistol pocket and
kept my eye on Mr. Guide.
We visited many places of in
terest. 1t being night and lights
80 poor things, of course, looked
to disadvantage. The Cathedral,
Government house, public gar
dens. Schools are held at night on
account of the heat in the day.
The population of the place are
principally Arabs and Kafrs.
There are few English speaking
people and also a few Jews.
Most all places of business are
conducted by the Arabs who
speak just enough English to
make it almost impossible to tell
whether they are talking or maxi
ing signs. Their wares consist
principally OF Indian made goods.
Occasionally one will run across
English goods; l found one
American Singer Sewing Ma
chine, quite curiosity IN this
part of the world. The people
are chuck full of business when
you learn them. They always
ask three or four times as much
as they really expect to receive,
therefore unless a person has
some knowledge of the article
they want to purchase they may
pay too much. The habits of the
people are Of a low order and
their mode of conducting business
is poor. The clerks in the busi-
ness houses are dressed in gay
colors, presumably to draw trade.
The book-keepers in business
houses sit on tables like tailors,
with their books in their laps. l
think an up-to-date writing desk
would be taken for an internal
machine and thrown into the eea.
The streets are from ten to
twelve feet wide and the buildings
are three to four stories high and
all white washed. They don't use
glass in the windows or doors.
They have bars just like an
American Jail. They close them
at night with boards. The streets
are laid out on the Boston system
on a small scale. No street is
lonnar than ahont l0n uarda ana