The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-08
The Transafrican Telegraph.
CFrom the London News
ITiiii q L.. IL - I'll
German East Africa). Dec. 10. 19Oo


German East Africa, Dec 10, 1900.
The surveying party for the African
and IranScontinenta1 Telegraph Line
arrived here on the Sd inst, having part
ly surveyed the country from Karema-
At the present moment the line has been
laid for about sixty niles north of Kas-
Sanga-that is, 1t now runs from Edtuta,
at the south end of Lake Tanganyika,
lake The survey is pegged out to Kare-
ma, $50 miles north of Kituta, and the
preliminary survey between Karema
and UJ15f IS being made. The line = II
then go from Ujiji round the southeast
coast of the Victoria Nyanza, cross the
Uganda railway, skirt the country west
of Lake Rudolph, and then follow the
Abyssinia frontier and work round
slightly to the west, and so to the Nile
The country between Karema and Ujiji
is extremely mountainous, and in order
to find a suitable route a wide extent Of
country must be surveyed.
The surveyors found the natives be-
tween Karema and Ujiji, inland, ex-
treInely shy Of a white man. Arabs. or
rather half caste Arabs, and coast ma
tives abound everywhere, hardly a viii
lage being passed without some of these
people being located in them-trading
rubber with the natives. These villages
are, by the bye, very strongly stockaded.
and the natives own quantities Of guns
Powder is, however, scarce, and bits of
stores often do duty as bullets. The
and caps, and are calculated to do more
harm to the man at the butt end than to
the target, whatever it may be.
Ujiji is a very interesting native and
Arab center The standing white popula-
ton numbers on average ten. seven be
ing German government offcials-all mill
are very plentiful, a number being men of
considerable wealth. The chief trade is
the lake and coming mostly from the
Congo Free State; The total population
of UJiJi IS eight thousand Tt is the sec
ond largest nauve and Arab town IN
est. and has population of ten thou
sand. The Bona. or government encloS-
ure, is well built stone building. The
Greek stores are also well built two
story stone houses, and the principal
huts are scattered all around these Arab
The currency throughout German East
Africa is the German rupee and copper
the rupee Fifteen German rupees 60 to
their workers and soudanese soldiers
very high wages for Africa, and so one
clothed well and clearly in cotton. white
and colored goods. The language is Swa-
hill Scattered all over UJiji which lies
generally about one mile from the lake
shore on an unduiating country. are
mango trees These, with their thick
and green foliage, present q pleasing APP
pearance and, just now. the coming sea-
and the atmosphere, in between showers,
50 very clear, Ujiji is a very pretty place,
and the view of the mountains across the
lake IS simply enchanting. The new
German steamer Hedwig Won Wsssman
has made its trial trip. and has proved a
great success. The other two steamers,
the Flotilla company's and the flanagan
yika Possession company's, are well on
the way to being launched All is again
quiet at the north end of the lake. There
Is some more trouble brewing with the
natives bordering the lake between here
and Karema. and some sort Of an ex-
petition will be sent against the chief Of
r71-s ycttT W n a hon
visited two or three months ago by Lieu
tenant Funck-