The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-24
concession at Kamsen,a and got Ave

at Kamsella and got Ave
miles in when they were attacked by
natives. most OF whom had flint locks:
They fought all that day. then the next
day sgd and the gang started to beat
a retreat to home and mother. as
they did not ave sufficient arms or
soldiers. The natives still KEEP. ut them
that day and the II following, n
they had most violent exercise. In the
three days battle of Balls Run" Cen
erai Ball and gang killed about 1875 mig
gers and lost only five porters. severa1
more niggcrs being wounded. For
ed in the least. While it took eight
days to go from Lulnabourg to Wam-
sella, the return trip was made in three
days.
The country from Kamsella to Dilo-
lonllas never has been explored and
as the natives are very fond OF white
meat. all ar" armed with guns gotten
from the Portuguese frontier. and are
not n bit nice. Mohun decided that we
would work a portion of the concession
Ganyika between attitudes 4 and 5 de-
ssrees south-it's 500 or 500 miles from
I~.uinabourg. Ball and l are hiking
straight through ahead of the rest.
Last Sunday night We topped at a viii
lage Where the chief was very unfriend-
~. He threatened to cut u throats.
so We slept in our clothes With six guns
in reach. Happy TO say there was no
p%alaNer. The next night the village
wntre we stopped was overly friendly.
They brought us bananas, pineapples.
beans. chickens, goats, ggs
and chop for the portcrs. AS we we We're
lust about to eat supper the chief
With three tom-tom players, five
surrounded the table and We We're ia
Nored With q. most wierd and noisy
dance. The dancers did not wear any
more clothes than the law allows. in
fact in America it would be consid-
cred very shocking"
No Chance fer Youths.
MIR. Smith writes much interesting
description of the country. telling OF
immense deposits of iron ore, which he
thinks are not likely to be valuable be-
cause there is 40 coal near. One in
teresting paragraph follows:
A far as l can judge. there is no
opening In Africa for IA young fellow
to start for himself. Everything in the
Congo is In the hands Of a few big
corporations, in which the state. or
rather the king, owns one-half. If you
get in with this company you can get a
fair salary, but It's the only one in the
Congo that pays it's men decent~wages
Probably so per cent of the whites in
the Congo are rot making more than
5000 TO $500 per year. The great ma
jority about 1900 francs ts60o)."
What all this elaborate and expensive
exploration mean is suggested by am
other paragraph:
Besides the Americans in our party
there were four more that came down
On the same boat. Another American,
Cravath. Joined us here, and we Will
meet Werner. the MAI who brought the
pysmies to the ST. Louis fair. They
are down here looking after rubber fol
the same interests as We are. but are
an entirely distinct party. Their con-
cesSion extends along the Congo fo1
200 miles up from here. while ours in
cludes about one-third of The Congo
Free State"
Tn first letters from the American
scientists in this expedition will be
read with great interest because of the
mystery that has surrounded the whole
affair ever since the Belgian-Anlerical
interests got together and Offered
tempting salaries to clever youns
American scientists to do the worl
which in it's very first stage precipi
tated one bloody battle-a work O
hunting out rubber and other natura
wealth of the African wilds.