Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-29

month. It Is a rule throughout Africa
that warfare and fighting must be sus-
pended on market daes. and no one dares
bring arms to a market or fight there.
If he should engage in fighting and be
killed his relatives cannot claim blood
money.
New Roads Made by the British.
When We took possession OF the kenia
province. Capt. Hinde went on. I'VE had
to fight our way In. AS soon as we had
subdued the people we made them work
at making roads as a penalty for their
instruction. We connected all the VII
lagos by roadways and gave each town
30 much to take care Of. AS a result we
now have in that province alone 400 miles
of good wagon roads. each ten feet in
width. We have also made It the law
that every road shall be considered as
having all the rights OF q market place.
This means that no native can assault an
other while walking upon them and that
all feuds must be buried when travelling
over the roads. Many OF these roads con-
meet villages which were formerly at war
with each other. and the result Is that
they have become peaceful and that the
citizens can now travel safely from one
town to another. They are really changing
their natures and are going through
process OF travel-education. As have
already said. five years ago they never
left home. Now thousands OF them travel
over our roads down to the seacoast. and
we have something like 1880 natives OF
Kenia here at Mombasa."
Evolving q Civilization.
These remarks Of Capt. Hinde show how
John Bull is gradually evolving a civiliza-
ton in these African wilds. The Nasal
are about the most intelligent OF the
natives, and there are millions about here
who are much farther down on the scale
Of barbarism than they. AS shall show
in other letters. some 90 absolutely
naked. and some are still as far back I'm
| the arts Of civilization as were the people
| of the stone and iron ages. It Is only a
few years since slavery was common and
cannibalism was more or less carried on.
| Then justice was unknown and life OF
| no account.
The British are now gradually changing
all these conditions. The Nasal now
knows that he dares not assault his
| neighbor and he is gradually becoming a
| decent citizen. Both he and his fellows
OF other tribes are beginning to under
stand the value Of labor. The Nasal will
stock. and some Of the other tribes are
doing actual work on the farms and on
the railroad. They are beginning to have
wants, and as these increase they will
work to supply them Many OF those who
formerly went naked now want more or
| less clothing. Cotton goods are becoming
popular, and, strange to say, the Amari-
| can white cotton sheeting brings the
| highest of prices among the natives. 1t
outseHs the Indian and English goods and
| In some places it even passes for money.
Another article from America that Is in
great demand here Is coal oil. The ma
| tives buy 1t to light their huts. and the
| big chiefs almost universally own one or
more kerosene lamps. Other foreign ar
ticles much desired are umbrellas. knives
| and hardware Of various kinds. A system
| Of East Indian stores Is going up through
out the country to supply the natives.
, The Hindoo traders carry their goods
everywhere, and in years to come q new
people will take the places Of the savages
of the past.
AS 1t Is now the missionaries are doing
considerable both here and in the coun:
| tries about the great lakes. The most OF
such work Is now in the hands Of the
English, but at Kijabe, within q few
miles Of Lake Naivasha. there is an IN
| dustrial mission school run by American
Quakers, and that same denomination
| has another industrial settlement In the
Kavirondo country. near Lake Victoria
FRANK G. CARPENTER