The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-15
'TASsEL AT WAIST
ALL THEY WEAR
CONTINUED From First Page0

now, the trade is greatly increasing,
and ivory, hides, grain and rubber from
German East Africa. the Upper Congo
and the lands to the north OF the lake
are shipped through here to the coast.
Tho cars come right down to wooden
wharf which extends we'll out into the
Kavirondo gulf on the lake are sew
eral small steamers. which have been
brought lip here in pieces and put to-
gether. and they arc now bringing IN
freight from all parts OF this big inland
sea
AS to Port Florence Itself. II Is a
little tin town with practically no ac-
Communications for travellers. The only
place to stop is dak bungalow. or
rest house, put up by the government.
and tho only stores are those of few
Hindoo traders. The Europeans con-
sist of como soldiers belonging TO the
kings African Rifles OF the govern
1nent officials and of some employees Of
the railroad.
The officials put on great airs. Among
the passengers who came in with me
yesterday was a Judge who will settle
the disputes among these balf-naked
natives. He was met at the cars by
some soldiers and n gang of conVlcts
in chains. The latter had come to
carry his baggage and other belong
ings to his tin house on the hill, and
each was dressed In a heavy iron coll
lar with iron chains extending from
f. to his wrists and ankles. Neverthe-
less. he was able to aid in lifting
the boxes and in pushing them OFF on
trucks, prodded up to his work all the
while by the soldiers on guard.
A Naked Nation.
But let us take our feet in our hands
and tramp about through Port Flor.
ence. Later on we may march of
into the country through which tray-
eled for about fifty miles on my way
here. In Port Florence Itself we ina,
now and then gee man with blanket
wrapped around him, and the men fire.
quently wear waist cloths behind or
In front. Outside OF this they ara
stark naked. many of them wearing
absolutely nothing except plugs In their
ears. strings of beads about their
waists and rough wire rings on their
wrists and ankles. All have skins oil
dark chocolate brown. They have
rather intelligent features. woolly hair
and lips and noses like those OF ne
gro. They belong to the Bantu race
family and are among the best formed
OF the peoples of Africa. Some ons
has said that travelling through their
country is like walking through miles
of living statuary. and have seen
thousands of such statues on my way
here.
knvirondO Men.
Take these Kavirondo men who have
gathered about me just now as write
Their figures are ebony, and some oil
them look as though they might have
been cut from black marble by the
hand of sculptor. Look atthose three
brown bucks at my left. They are a.
straight as Michaelangelo's famed sta
tue OF David and about as we'll formed
z See how firmly they stand on theil
black feet. Their heads are thrown
back and two have burst outslaughine
turn my camera toward them
They are starke naked. with the eA.
ception of those bands of beads about
the waist and their anklets and brace
let's. ] can follow every muscle with
my eye. and they seem the perfection
of physical manhood. That nude fel.
low next me has coil of wire abou1
his bicepsand there is pound of wire
on his right wrist. lie is smoking
pipe, but 1T Just hangs between his