Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-04-20
AFRICA'S CAVE JEWELLERS.
Caverns Near Victoria Nyanza the
Origin Of Which Is Shrouded
in Mystery.

Maj. Powell-Cotton, Of the British
service, has been taking aash-light
pictures of the interior Of one OF the
inhabited caves on the slopes of Mount
Elgon, a large mountain near the
northwest coast of Victoria-Nyanza, in
central Africa, says London report.
The best of his views shows num-
Der of reed huts that have been scat
tered irregularly over the wide floor,
their tops extending to within about
three feet of the black wall above
them. Wicker baskets and other uten-
ais of the household are sprinkled here
and there, and large masses Of rock,
harder than most of the stone that
was dug away to make the .subterran-
can home, jut out into the big room,
filing it with corners and recesses.
His visit was to the east side OF the
mountain. All sides of 1t have now
been visited, and the west, south and
east slopes are found to be dotted with
these inhabited caves, some Of which
have been dug at an elevation Of 1850
feet
Perhaps no other mountain has
similar title to distinction. Its top,
even under the tropical sun, nearly
reaches the snow line, and its green
sides are indented with deep pockets
the homes of many hundreds of human
beings.
Powell Cotton says there is no doubt
that the whole inside surface Of these
caves was hewn by the hand Of man.
but the present owners are quite In
capable of having executed so stupen-
dous a task. They have no tradition
as to who the makers we're. The ex-
plorer thinks systematic examination
of a considerable number of the caves
might throw an interesting light on
their original inhabitants.
Some of the visitors to Mount FL
gon believe that they are natural caves.
They say they found no evidence that
the caverns could possibly be the
work of man.
They also report that years ago the
natives lived on the plains In ordi-
nary villages, using the caves at
times as places Of refuge from their
enemies, until they finally made them
their permanent abode.
The more scientific explorers, on
the other hand, say there is no mis-
take about the caves being Of artificial
origin. Joseph Thomson, who discov-
cred them, said that they were cut out
of compact volcanic agglomerate, and
he believed that they were mines In
some past age.
The works were evidently too vast
to be achieved by the simple savages
who now inhabit them, and he Won
dered what superior race could for
merly have occupied that region. Sir
Harry Johnston also says that there
Is no possibility that the caves could
have been artificial.
These two explorers, as well as
Powell-Cotton, speak Of the interior Of
the caves as being very irregular, as
the harder part of the rock has been
left jutting out in most inconvenient
corners, while the softer stone was cut
away.
Powell-Cotton made an entirely new
north Of Mount Elgon, OF
a tribe living on the tops OF two
In two-story houses No
huts OF any kind have hitherto been
among the barbarous tribes
Of Africa
1t is possible that they conceived the
idea Of the two-story house to provide
more room In their habitations, for.
IS they live on the tops Of the mour-
tains, they cannot give much space 70
heir dwellings without encroachins
upon their titled lands. Almost under
The equator, they succeed In raising
crops on the very SUBMITS of high