Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15
nous husband and one for each of his

nous husband and one for each of his
wives.
But let us go inside one Of the houses
and see now it looks We stoop low az
we enter The floor is of mud. with a
few skins scattered over it. The skins
are the sleeping places. Notice that little
pen at the back. Uttered with dirt? That
Is where the goats sleep. The chickens
are put in that tall basket over there in
the corner and are covered up until morn
ing. There is practically no furniture.
except a few pots. The cooking is done
in clay vessels over that fire in the center
of the hut. and the food is served in small
baskets, the men eating first and the
women taking what is left.
Outside each hut. under the veranda. Is
the mill of the family. 1t consists of a
great stone. with hole Clipped out OF
the center. The women grind Indian corn
sorghum seed in such mills. pounding
or rubbing the grain with a second stone.
just a little smaller than the hole. In
the grinding bits of the stone come off
and are mixed with the meal. often caus-
ing diseases Of chronic indigestion.
Towns of the Dead.
I understand some of the older kavir
ondo villages are nothing but cemeteries,
and that there are little towns each hut
of which contains one or more dead bod
les and nothing else. The people are SUI
perstitious and want to be buried in the
same places in which they have lived.
When a chief dies his body is inferred in
the center of his hut He is placed in
the grave in a sitting posture. just deep
enough to allow his head and neck to be
above ground. The head is then covered
with an earthen pot. and this Is left
there until the ants get in and clean on
the skull. After this the skull is buried
close to the hut or within 1t and the
,-1. md
some hilltop or other sacred place.
Ordinary people are buried In their
own huts lying on their right sides with
legs doubled up under the chin. ouch d
hut is then left and forms monument
to the dear departed. / understand that
where there have been epidemic diseases
one NAV sometimes find whole village
of such huts occupied only by the dead.
,ch., buildings are left until they fall to
pieces.
Kavirondo Cattle.
These kavrondo are stock-rearlns
neople. see their little flocks of sheep
and goals everywhere. and frequently
pass droves of bumped cattle. The animals
are fat. They Craze everywhere over
the plains. being usually herded. Every
drove has a flock of white birds about II.
Some of the birds are on the ground ana
some are perched on the backs OF the
cattle eating the insects and Herm.n' they
si RS 'he which 'h 4sed Ae on the flies and
other insects which attack those great
beasts. and which by their flying warn
them Of the approach OF danger.
The cattle are driven into the villages AT
night or into small Enclosures OUTSIDE,
The women do the milking. but ! am told
they are not allowed to drink the mix
although they may mix it with hour into
a soup.
Rich Lands EARNED by Natives.
This kavirondo country is very rich.
All over the plains from here to the noun
tains the trees have been cut off. but the
ground is covered with luxuriant grass.
Near the villages are little patches OF
cultivation. The natives raise peanuts.
Indian corn and a millet like sorghum. I
see them everywhere digging up the black
soil. They are naked. and are almost as
dark as the dirt they are hoeing.
In the vicinity OF Lake Victoria and all
along the Uganda railway large tracts OF
land have been taken up by Europeans.
and some Of this is being ditched and
drained. I understand that it is the in
tention to turn the whole into one great
cotton plantation. and see no reason why
that should not be done. This country IS
right on the equator and the elevation.
which is about 1000 feet above the sea,