Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07

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Copyright. zoos, ly Frank G. Carpenter
Special Correspondence of The Star.
CEEREWE ISLAND. Lake Victoria.
a WAY out here in the heart of
~ East Africa 100 miles below the
"a equator. on the biggest island in
4 " Victoria Nyanza, l find an
American acting as boss. He is
the only white man on the island. and he
has surrounding him something like TO-
G,0 natives. He came out to Africa eN-
pecting TO make a fortune in gold mining
and ivory. but the mines did not pay AID
thu elephants were scarce. and so he set
lied down cut Eere in the wilds. His busi-
ness is that of a woodcutter. and he has
a concession to furnish fuel for the lake
steamers Ukerewe is densely wooded.
ana this man has a big gang Of blacks
cutting down trees and carrying the wood
10 the shore. His home is double hut
away off by itself. half mile from the
nearest village. and not far from the lit
tie wooden pier at which our steamer is
lying 1t is made of cane and thatch
ard has only two rooms. with d passage
way through the center. There are sew
eral other huts az the back which are
occupied by his servants. The villages in
which his men live are not far away.
This mans name is Henry Seifert He is
about thirty years of age and is we'll
dressed and good looking. He is very In
.elligent. but he seems to like his life
out here among the savage people.
tells me he is paid so much for every
hundred cubic feet of wood furnished,
and that his job is a profitable one. ne
says that he has had but little trouble
with ths natives. and as went about
/ al
they bowed down to him everywhere.
The Island of Ukerewe.
The island of Ukerewe is the largest in
Lake Victoria The lake is spotted with
islands. They run all around the shores
and there are several large archipelagoes
One of these Is the Buvuma Islands, which
fringe Napoleon gulf out of which flows
the great river Nile. Another is the
sesse group at the northwest, lying south
of Entebbe and running south and al
most to German East Africa. and a third
is this Ukerewe group away down at the
southeast in the German territory.
/ came here from Mwanza. the chief
fortified station of the German govern
ment in this part of the world. and our
steamer coasted the island for long dis
lance before we landed. tkereWe is more
tropical than any other part of the lake
The island is fringed with banana plan
tarions and dense forests cover its hills
There are many villages along the shores
and l am told that the population all told
Is about $4,000. The people are blacks
who go almost naked. They wear moth
Ing but goatskins or bits of bark CLOTH
which are tied over their shoulders and
around the waist. Some have a heart
shaped apron of goatskin in front and be-
hind. and others wear aprons of whole
skins which fall to the knees. The men
sometimes pull such aprons around be-
hind them when they sit SO that they
serve as cushions.
One American Rules $4,000.
Mr.. Seifert calls these natives the
"akerewe. AS we went about together
among them we were everywhere well
treated. The people see med quiet and
they allowed me TO go into their huts
and make Photographs They have pro-
nounced negro features with thick lips
and fiat noses. Their hair is woody where
II is allowed to grow but in most cases
part of the head is shaved close Some
of the men cut off al the wool except-
ing lock on the crown. which they tie
up In banana fbers that it stands like
horn, straight up on the head. Others
shave the head in spots. Only few of
the people have jewelry. They are too
poor TO buy the costly brass and iron
wire which are so much worn on the
mainland. saw one woman who had on
an Ivory bracelet. and man who wore
an anklet composed of a section Of ivory
tusk followed out Others had bits Of
bones and glass beads tied to their hair
Nearly all were smeared over with grease
and such as had hair had so covered IL
with oil that the smell was pronounced
Wakerewe Villages.
The villages are composed of rude
huts made of cane and poles and COW
cred with grass They have doors at
the front so low tina, one has 10 stoop to
go in. over some Of the doors are iron
bells, which are hung there so that IL
an evil spirit comes in 1t will bump its
head against the bell and warn the own
ers and, perhaps be scared away The
people are superstitious. They believe in
devils OF all kinds and witch doctors
They have little idols before which they
pray and part Of their religion is
worship of snakes. There are many
poisonous reptiles here but the ma
tives will not kill them nor drive them
out of their huts: and they are said to
consider death by the bite Of snake a
sure passport to heaven.
tkerewe Island has dense forests
which are just filed with monkeys They
chartered at us out of the branches as we
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