Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-04

take its place, am told that the little
ones consider themselves undressed,
when they have not this ring about
their waists; and that II they have left
It off they win run for IL and put 1t on
before they come to meet strangers.
THEY SHAVE THEIR HEADS
This little girl had her head shaved
Gloss to the skin. This is so with both
women and men among the BaEanda.
.iearly every one has scalp like pol
ished ebony although a few allow tho
hair to grow. The Baganda do not
wear jewery and the women do not
pierce their ears nor disfgure them
selves with scars and various other
inutilatiuns, rs Is common among mos.
African tribes. Those who wear hair
do not load Il with grease: and, as At
rule, the people are noted for their
cleanliness and fondness for bathing.
Since the country has been opened to
Europeans many OF the richer natives
have begun 10 wear cotton, and. strange
10 say, they prefer American goods TO
any other. These goods here go By the
name of Americana This means cotton
shcetng. and that made in the usual
length for one dress. Both men and
women wear such sheets SO that any
large crowd forms "A mixture of whites
and tans. The whites are the Alneri-
can cottons and the tans are the bark
bloths.
HOW THE BAGANDA LOOK,
These natives of Uganda arc fine
looking. They are shorter than the
average Caucasian, the men being not
more than five feet four or FIVE inches
tall, and tho women still less. Both
sexes are well formed. Every one holds
his head up and throws back his Shout
ders ana all are broad breasted and
deep chested. This may come from the
billy nature Of the country and the
fact that the people do much walking
up aud down hin.
The younger women have beautiful
necks and arms and very full breasts.
Many of them are like ebony statues,
and almost every girl has a form which
would be coveted by any American
belle. Their erectness of figure comes
largely from the habit of carrying
things on their heads. This Is done by
both men and women. During my trip
across the country / passed hundreds
carrying loads in that WAY. Men went
along on the trot with firewood,
punches of bananas and bales of hides
balanced on cushions Of leaves upon
their crowns. L saw women carrying
gourds of water upon their heads. so
carefully poised that the water did not
spill, although the gourds were un-
touched by the hand. Now and then
we passed 81 girl going along with u
glass bottle balanced on her pate, and
at one place | saw a gang Of portera
carrying elephants tusks in that way.
ACROSS UGANDA IN A JINRIElIsHA
But let me tell you about jinrikisha
ride which / took from Entebbe to
l&ala, the native capital of Uganda.
Entebbe is situated on Victoria NyanZa,
ia miles across the lake from Port
Florence, and Kampala is about %
miles away back in the hills The road
between the two places has been laid
out and improved by the British, and it
is now one of the fine drives of the
world. The roadway is about 30 feet
wide. 1t is as hard as stone and as
smooth as a floor. The grass and weeds
are kept out OF it, and there are bitches
at the side, with culverts here and
there TO carry off the water. The
streams are crossed by bridges, and
the whole % miles is as good as the
beach drive along Rock Creek in Wash
ington, or any of the roads at Central
Park. Indeed, the only native high
ways that will compare with 1t are
those of Java, the labor upon which is
done in much the same way.
A LAND OF GOOD HIGHWAYS.
Uganda is a land of good roads This
country is about as big as Kansas. and
it has thousands of miles of native
roads, each 10 feet or more In width.
This is different from the other coun- ,
tries Of Africa
The most of the native territories are
accessible only by footpaths which |
wind In and out about the trees and |
around the stones and logs. permitting |
passengers to travel only single file |
and on foot. This Is so in the most OF |
German East Africa, in British East |
Africa and IN the Kongo valley. IT was |
over such roads that Stanley went; |
and Livingstone and the other great |
African explorers made their way |
through such paths.
These roadways are one of the great |
est signs OF Uganda's civilization They |
go up Hill and down vale. crossing the !
streams and swamps on bridges and |
causeways.
Since the British took possession Of
the country they have improved these
native roads. They are building others
and one can now 20 In jinrikisha, |