The San Francisco call., 1909-07-25

IT WAS piece of good news to me- and confess
1t without shame, when the tidings came that the
old king of Totoquelli dead-not that had
any personal grudge against his majesty, but
because had long cherished desire to assist in
the last sad rites of important native chief Since
q death is prerequisite of funeral it might just
well be that of the king of Totoquel perhaps little
better. Even if the old and l had enjoyed the
honor Of being mutual friends. the messenger would
have brought sudden shock of grief for the news
of the kings death had percolated through the African
bush at least week before The formal announcement
the present time merely meant that his funeral
begnning-and this was the good news The kings
funeral is often long Deferred there is the case of
the king Pomoporo "a pot OF pepper soup"), who
died nearly year ago and whose funeral has not yet
been held.
1t was IN the Liberian hinterland four days back
from Monrovia, region where the government evies
no taxes where the native chiefs reign supreme where
the only statutes the laws of the bush A couple
OF English prospectOrs, English rubber trader and
American missionary compose the foreign popula-
ton all the way back to the French frontier There
is part Of the west lightly touched by the
white man. for even the occasional government officials
who visit the region black. In all the towns the
babies yelled at my approach and the children fed in
terror If I walked toward them
After some days and nights in dark mud huts was
enjoying the hospitality of the government station at
Dobl Zulu, where the hut was also of mud and
thatch but it had the luxury of porch large enough
TO admit the hammocks of palm fiber which the in
dustrious Pessi women sell for shilling or two In
OF these I lazy smoked my pipe and marveled
that Market street and I were able to get along
smoothly without each other for so many months
The world very, very far away and | had not
the remotest idea of what had been happening for
weeks and, strange to say very little curiosity When
this indoent reverie interrupted by the announce
ment of a kings death 1 welcomed the messenger as
gladly if he had been roll of newspapers from
home Without delay l packed up my luggage and
checked for Totoquel via five backed carriers
THROUGH THE BIG BUSH
It hard tramp of six hours through "the big
bush" where the narrow, winding trail is continually
shaded from the mercess sun. There were streams
TO be crossed on eacherous monkey bridges" fallen
trees TO be clambered over and swamps where the
with shoes be carried on the back of one o
his boys" Twice we crossed elephant trails leading
TO watering places and we found fresh tracks
in the mud The vegetation and scenery may have
been inspiring times, but it is the chief
African traveller keep his eyes on the path
otherwise he will be ripped by tangled vines walk
into stream OF driver" After one experience
with the drivers" he will leave the Scenery to its
admiration. During this long walk improved
the opportunity to inquire into the life of the dead
monarch
King Wobeh, whose full name was Wobeh-iki did
not come into the world with royal spoon in hi:
mouth His father was trader named Galway, ar
itnerant merchant, who got the CLOTH cutlasses guns
powder salt tobacco and of civilization and ped
died out his stock in little dribs he passed from
village to village His profits much as two
hundred per cent perhaps and the currency which ht
received for his goods included slaves, ivory, fowls
rice and anything else that might be sold the coast
or on the way. Generally his coastward caravan was
twice as long as that with which he had gone out bu
everybody was satisfied in this region, where even nov
there are no stores.
Naturally Galway came into contact with the outei
fringe of civilization crude imitation, it is true bu
superior anything which he had ever seen He ap
preciated the conveniences which it had to offer
man could produce state of exhilaration mucf
more quickly with than with palm wine. Cab
way also became well acquainted with the chief
throughout large in the unexplored Liberiar