Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-13
NEW JOURNEY INTO AFRICA
Tribes Living Nenr BORDERS OF Aby~-
sIni1 Are visited by Briish
Secretary.

LONDON. May 12-(Special Cablegrsm to
The Beel-Some remarkable tribal customs
are reported by an expedition sent into the
comparativel unknown countries between
the Abyssinian capital and the northwest
Of Lake Rudolf. in the neighborhood Of the
Angio-Aby ssinian boundary.
The expedition. which was accompanied
by the secretary Of the British legation at
Ads Ababa, was composed Of over 1000
men. and was sent out by the Emperor
Menelek to capture Shlrara. an Abyssinian
outlaw, who had been numbering and raid
ing in Abyssinian territory. II was away
eight months and failed to capture Shifara.
For considerable distances the expedition
was followed by natives who hid them
selves amid the thick elephant grass nine
feet high, bordering the path, and it became
necessary TO rortify the camps and make
zarebas every night.
Several of the expedition were murdered,
others died Of sunstroke and want Of water
and large numbers OF animals were spcared.
The route followed by the expedition
from Ads Ababa to the southwest passes
through the interesting little Mahometan
state Of Djimma, which is presided over
by its own king, Abagifar, the last Of the
rulers from whom Menelek has his title
Of king OF Kings OF Ethiopia"
No self-respecting Djimman is ever seen
without his or her parasol of strips OF date
palm leaves and the women Of the country
wear embroidered white blouses, skirts of
soft dressed hide and "coiffures" of closely
plated black hair too often some one
elses. Fashions laws must be obeyed
and the Djimman perruQuier is a master
OF his craft.
Beyond Diimma and Kaffa lie fertile and
well watered but mountainous countries.
whose inhabitants are all alike. called
Shankallas by the Abyssinians. Some OF
the tribes are splendid men, rich copper in
color, well built and muscular with curious
patterns burnt on chest and thighs and in
nocent of all clothing, save their armlets
and ornaments.
While the expedition was fitting out at
Mali, the Abyssinian post in the south
west, the local shankalla king died. lie
was sewn up in a fresh hide bag. in
sitting position, and placed on the floor Of
his hut which stood in a clearing in the
forest. and from miles around his subjects
/ came to the lying-in-state.
! The ground Of the clearing was Of hard
beaten clay. All around were thick rows
of huge "gogo" palms and on one side
! four spacious, well matched huts and a
curious mound. probably sacrihcial By
the side of the huts thousands of COW bells
as sweet in tone as those in Swiss upland
valley, were hung on rude trestles and
swung backward and forward by bands
of women under the direction of an old
! witch.
! The hard, level flooring of the clearing
shook under the feet of hundreds of naked
| warriors, chanting a wild song of death,
| now advancing in a rhythmic rush, now
retreating and leaving two of their number
I i'm the opening. who with their twelve-foot
| spears held, horizontally just over their
shoulders, the shafts quivering like a snake
before it strikes, danced a wild war dance,
keeping time to the chant of the chorus
When the din grew louder the crowd
surged around the dead kings hut, sud
denly parted, and through the lane thus
formed dashed a cleaning figure adorned
with leopard's skin, orange colorcd os-
trich feathers. beads and bands of copper
and brass and ivory around his neck and
arms.
Three times he rushed around the clear
ing, followed by the shouting, singing war.
riors, and then disappeared as quickly as
he had come. The new king had beer
chosen.
own customs and dialect. In one case the
ruler might never touch water and when
his curiosity to see white man made hin
break the "taba" his man had to carry
him over all the streams lest he should be
defled
In another tribe when a father is get
ting on in years, the son bids him clml
into a tree and jump down from tho
branches; if the old man staggers on land
ing. the son spears him on the spot; his
usefulness is over.
one tribe had custom Of sewing chance
visitors up in fresh hides and leaving then
to be killed by the contraction of the skins
, in another, the only orthodox way Of deal
ing with strangers was to tie them in a
bundle and throw them over a precipice.
In the Sorma country, where the natives
! are elephant hunters and eaters, the womer
are OF a particularly repulsive type. TheS
make a practice Of dishguring themselves
, by distending their lower lips until they
hang almost down to the breast This I,
brought about by means of a saucer Of
clay. which they insert in the lower lip.