Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-07
WOO
FRENCH WOMAN
African Offers to Kill One of
His Wives to Avoid "Thir-
teen Hoodo0."

PARIS. Aug. Mile. Jeanne Genac
has just returned from an exploration
trip to equatorial Africa to relate how
she refused the 1attering offers OF
twenty cannibal kings.
When | told my parents and friends
that / had made up my mind to go and
study the manners and customs Of the
equatorial Africa" she said, they all
thought / had gone mad Heavens!
they cried. Exploration is not for Young
women. And who will consent to mar
ry a girl who has been jaunting about
in the Jungle
Seeing that | was unmOyed by TINS
supreme argument they drew terrible
picture Of the fate that awaited me. !
would die of hunger, thirst and heat,
or, if / escaped these dangers, | would
certainly fall a victim to lions, tigers
or serpents / listened patiently. said
nothing and started on the appointed
day.
Il left the steamer at Cape Lopez and
was obliged to wait there three weeks
for the little steamboat which was TO
take me along the Ogoive river. which
follows the equator and crosses the
country l had made up my mind to eX-
pore l spent several months there,
and am almost ashamed to say that
was never in any great danger.
Almost Became Queen.
The only real risk | ran was that of
being made queen! No white woman
had ever visited this country before, 50
my appearance naturally made deep
impress sion on the susceptible savages
who live on the banks Of the Ogoivc
river
"The news OF my arrival spread
through the jungle with lightning ra-
pidity. and whenever the little steam
boat stopped there was always crowd
waiting to see me. Probably what
struck them most was that | had no
husband OF, master They soon deduced
that there might be matrimonial posi-
bilites, and several Of them limited that
had only to say the word II wanted
to live under their august protection
But only the kings we're bold enough tc
make me formal offers of marriage.
"My first royal sutton bore the har-
monious name of Granger. He intro
duced himself to me and explained tina
he had spared no pains to array himself
sumptuously in my honor. Perhaps
showed some surprise at the seeming
meagerness of his apparel. for he a
once pointed triumphantly to his head
dress.
Brought Curious Presents.
He had crossed a wide stretch o
! jungle to see me and had brought m
several presents-a dead snake, an ele
plants ear. an alligator's egg, littl
piece of carved ebony and some mon
keys skulls.
II accepted the lot with as good a
appearance of JOY as | could muster
Then Granger offered to make me hi
principal wife-he already had doze
but l told him that thirteen was
very unlucky number for white people
He kindly offered to kill one of hi
present wives to make room for me, bu
l was adamant Then he became fu
riously angry, and 7 could only calr
him by thinking il over.
Another monarch whose proposal
rejected said: No doubt. you fear tina
YOU are too thin for me but don't hest
tate on that account | viii fatten 20
up as | did my other wives | kno,
well how to do it. and you may rel
on me
II have counted up the cannibal king
| who wanted me to share their thrones
and | find that there were just twenty
| Surely that is a record"