The San Francisco call., 1909-07-25

a great war chief nav the decline asking that
Wobeh be inferred in his country But the family of
the deceased and the head men of TotoquelIi were
equally insistent that the proper tomb of Wobeh was
the town that he had founded and a lively palaver
was in sight Back of all this camor for the body of
Wobeh the bush law that kings people must
dwell near his grave and watch over it.
If any one of the neighboring kings could succeed
in burying Wobeh in his town Totoquelli would be
broken up and the other town would become twice as
large in very short time. Wobeh's sons met the
emergency with hrmness and determination. They
arose the second night and quietly slipped the
body into a permanent grave in front OF Wobeh's
house-a grave from which he could not again be
moved Into the earth with him plentiful sup
ply OF things intended for his in the other world
cloth, powder kettles, cutlasses, gin etc-about a
hundred dollars worth in all.
The funeral was at this stage when nv little cara
walked into Totoqueli Just before noon. The
presence of the district commissioner who accom-
panied me placed me at once on an easy footing Had
1 come alone, stranger, | should have been sheved
in some hut until the local sand cutter shufied
around in his junk shop to see whether my coming
meant veal or woe to the spirit of Wobeh AS it was
Sow, the, of ceremonies and of king Bamboo,
whom ralready knew Our coming was cordially well
coined; presumably we had OF gin with us!
STATELY KING SOW
King Sow is fine specimen of the native African.
Though at least 60 years OF age he has the FIRE Of
youth in his eye, and his conduct of Toto4uellis
affairs showed that he had many of the qualities of
leadership. He is than feet in height slightly
stopped and his hair and scant beard white His
hair plated close the scalp and ornamented with
charms up in leather cases; his beard consists
mainly of little twist braid about the size of a
lead pencil and five inches long 1t hangs underneath
his chin like icicle, but projecting to the front He
is Mandngo chief and in. many respects resembles
an American Indian. His dress is quite unpre-
tentious. He usually robe of native cloth
striped blue and white like awning. His bare feet
encased in sandals, with leather button top
of each foot His head is usually bare shielded by
an umbrella but when l first him it was covered
with derby hat, yellow with age. He has silver
topped staff Office, but usually carries a calfs tail
his sceptre, using it also to brush away oc-
casional fly. His chief glory, however is low chair
covered with leopard skin and decorated with monkey
skin An attendant always carries it behind him wher
he walks
Bamboo is physical giant and fine looking
African, with regular features and the heaviest
tache that have seen native. Sociabe and
generous by nature, he could make himself popu-
lar his grandfather had he given the reins
the worst passions which he inherited from Banga-
quel He drinks more greedily than other chiefs
but he is constantly involved in scandal with
the wives and daughters of other kings, without
gard for the ordinary courtesies and decencies OF
native life Regarding himself as lord of the whole
region, he refuses to build town for himself, pre-
ferring to live in Boporo with king Sow His future
is very problematic; the safest guess is that he will
die of poison.
When night closed in the scene and the moon