The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-07


 W equator on the biggest island in Victoria Nyanza, I find an American act ing as boss. He is the only white man on the island, and he has surrounding him something like 25,0OO natives He came out to Africa expecting to make fortune in gold mining and ivory, but the mines did not pay and the elephants were scarce, and so he settled down out here in the wilds. His business is that of a wodcutter. and he has a concession to furnish fuel for the lake steamers. Ukerewe is densely wooded, and this man has a big gang of blacks cutting down trees and carrying the wood to the shore. His home is a double hut away off by itself, q half mile from the nearest vil- lage, and not far from the little wooden pier at which our steamer is lying It is made of cane and thatch and has only two rooms, with a passageway through the center There are several other huts at 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 30 years of age end is well dressed and good look ing He IS very intelligent, but he seems 10 lilas his life out here among the sav- age people. He tells me he is paid so much for every hundred cubic feet of wood furnished, and that his job is a profitable one. He says that he has had but little trouble with the natives, and as went about with him over the island I could see that 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. Che 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 almost to German East Africa, and third is this Ukerewe group away down at the southeast in the German terri tory
 1 came here from Wmanza the chief fortified station of the German govern ment in this part of the world, and our steamer coasted the island for a long dis tance before we landed. Ukerewe is more tropical than any other part of the lake. Th0f island is fringed with banana plan tations and dense forests cover It's hills. There are many villages along the shores, and I am told that the population all told is about 25OO0. The people are blacks who go almost naked They wear noth- 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- him them when they sit so that they serve as cushions.
 Mir Seifert calls these natives the Wakerewe. As we went about together among them we were everywhere well treated. The people seemed quiet and they allowed me to go into their huts and make photographs. They have pro- nounced negro features, with thick lips and noses. Their hair is wolly where it is left to grow, but in most cases part of the head is shaved close. Some of the men cut off all the wool excepting a lock on the crown, which they tie up in banana fibers so that 1t stands like horn, straight up on the head. Others shave the head in spots. Only few of the people have tewelry. They are too poor to buy the costly braSA and iron wire which are n much wore pn the mainland. I saw ono woman who Nad on an ivory bracelet, and a man who wore an anklet composed of a section of iv0(y tusk hollowed out. Others had bits of hpnes and blass beads tied to their hair. Neayly all were smeared