Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-02-05
DR.. Edwards Letter

a prison of this beautiful islaAd.
l visited the prison-the " Cisy
and Camp of Tears, as it might
better be called, BIT | believe
that a description OF what l saw
enrOute would be as muth, if not
OF more interest than a desc :
ton of the prison itsell, for It
will give an insight mo he III
tive life. Passing amid troli al
verdure we stop. for While to
rest beside shady stream, and
Tar below we see BOurail, the
great penal town of the north
ern part of the island. We pass
between coffee gardens of many
acres and reach a river, which
has been a veritable Styx to
many a poor devil who has come
here to serve out a life time
of penance for a few minutes of
crime.
An Algerian Arab, in flowing,
dirty white robes, and turban, act
as Charon, and we wonder what
crime caused him to be transport
ed SO far from his native land.
As we approach the prison we
com e first to the great build
ings of the gendarmerie, and
just beyond them are the women
prison and the hospital, all en-
closed by great, ugly walls of
concrete. We reach the hotel, an
after being cared for by the po-
lite host and hostess we take
walk out in town, preliminary
to interviewing the comandante
of the prison, for we must have
a pass to get inside the prison.
A band of native Caledonians
comes trooping into town from
some distant camp, and thinking
it a good opportunity to make an
chronological study | engage one
of them in conversation. He say.
his name is PererOus, so called
' because he wears a red head-dres'
and there is a bird with a red
head that is called the pererOus.
He is a stalwart fellow, naked
with the exception of sul1
wound around his loins and hang.
ing down almost to his knees. His
head is bound with piece of
turkey red cloth, but the crown
was unprotected with the excep-
ton of a shock Of kinky hair,
which is of itself, ample protec-
ton against the rays of the sun,
His eyes are dark brown, skin a
copper color, almost bronze in
hue, nose flat and we'll develop
ed, and lipsthick. The features
are distinctly African. To COM
plete his distinguished appearance
he wore dark crispy whiskers
and had large hole in his right
ear, regarded as a special mark
of distinction.
While talking to him lot of
native women, or poppinees came
jogging down the road. In thu
distance they looked like a file
of Ostriches, for at every step,
bent over as they are with heavy
bundles of bark, palm leaf baske'
and fruit which they carry for
their lords and masters, their
comical Wristbands of flax, old
rags or banana leaves, delicate
ly fringed and stripped by the
wind, Jolt upward and jostle per.
ly like the tail of the ostrich,
when that bird starts to run. One
of the women held an alpaca UNI
brella, while another carried an
entire palm leaf with which she
was tanning herself and the thirt
carried a jews harp strung about
her neck, an instrument of mus
ic which they greatly appreciat-
ed.
One of the women had an espe
tally bright colOred sulu around
her loins and when I offered to
buy it, she had no hesitancy in
accepting the offer, but to my su
prise she stepped behind bush,
took it off, put on another, and
came forth smiling with the one
] desired in her hand. She evil
IDENTIFY had plenty Of girdles in
reserve for just such emergencies
These women have great love
for personal adOrnmsnt and tat
too themselves in curious designs
Devices are tattooed down their
legs and across their cheeks,
Soma would have been good look