Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-10-22

For the REFLECTOR.
IN my last letter, stated I woul
soon try 70 send the REgLEcroR . e
notes giving . glimpse o. the quit
novel experiences met with II th
distantland, to a Kansan.
In the latter part Of last April,
left Lokoja for . tour Of investigated
up the great river BInue, Ny II
structions were to investigate differ
emit localities along the river to deter
mine the most suitable location 70
the proposed Freed Slaves colony.
found the Binue great river, aver
aging about one mile In width for th'
entire distance which trAversed It
course. Cannibal villages are still
found upon Its left bank about sixty
miles above Lokoja, but on the who'll
| ! found the natives Of the Binue val
Icy quite friendly and respectful TO-
wards white man.
My means Of travel was a small
steel barge pushed along by five
native polemen with long poles
against the bottom Of the river. Such
means Of propulsion Is slow, and 60
ing against the current only about
fifteen to twenty miles per day can
be covered.
The first place ! stopped to investi-
gate was a town thhabited by little
known tribe called the Ahfo. They
were very timid lot and the whole
town seemed to be Ia fear, as l came
walking in through the gate in the
mud wall, with a native servant and
a couple Of the canoemen behind me.
/ sent messenger to the Sariki,
(Haussa for king) asking him to come
out, "a white man had come to see
him Eyes be would come but
wanted time to put on Clothes" But
there was long delay and the messen-
ger was sent the second and the third
time. The third time the messenger
came saying the king was in fear and
dared not come out. Would not
the white man come in to the kings
compound and talk thereP"
This was the first time, | realized
that one lone white man could fright
en- a whole town, but afterwards had
the same experience repeated in other
towns and villages visited. So
great is the fear and respect shown to
a white man in most parts of this
region, that when encamPed IS was
a little later at Rumasha, near a road,
the natives would almost Invariably
stop and remove their sandals and
their queer hats before passing my
tent, II were sitting atthe entrance.
finally decided to locate at ma
i've town called Rumasha. The king |
md people Of this town had more
knowledge Of white men and did not
how so much fear. The king Of this
jown is chief over a considerable dis
riot along the river comprising some
Q or 10 villages. Hehas shown him
eli very friendly from the first and
IRGsually respectful. when call
N him he invariably gives me his
nly European chair wSaile he sits
own on the ground in front Of me.
Vhen l told him I was Mallam,
Scacher in Haussa), that represent
d others who we're coming later, and
hat we would soon build big school
y his town il he was willing, be ex-
ressed himself as very well pleased
nd said he would send the ''smals
Oys Of the town to learn book. ="
10 willingly promised to have his
eople clear ground and build a hut
" ME to live IN, and two or three
ays later, having called together
bout hundred men cad boys, he
lme riding out in Airicaa pomp and
ate and amidst Sonoroas trumpet
asts and violent beating on half
,zen native drums, they went to
ork. However. their relish for work
owed rather an inverse ratio to
cir capacity for noise, aad it was
er four days till they had it finished.
A few days later had been off on
| .