The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-15
THURSDAY, AUGUST Is. 1912
CAAS, v. BOISE, UNIVERSITY GRADUATE,
HUNTING DIAMONDS ALONG EQUATOR
earning to Speak Language of Natives-How the White
Man is R~eceived-Expectst to Hunt Antelope and
Buffalo in Eight Foot Grass.

the majority of the native cloth is
made from strings of palm fibre,
which is much more servicable and
more easily made.
A Native Boat Launching.
In the village in which l stopped
yesterday. across the river from here.
they had a boat launching, attended
by all the requisite ceremonies. The
river bank, and they keep a boat on
village bank, and they keep a boat on
the river for crossing to this side. The
old boat, which looked as though 1t
nae been in service a couple of gen.
erations. rotted through some time
back and since then the mechanics of
the village have been building a new
one after their fashion. They went in
to the forest neal the river and fell
ed a tree, probably about two feet in
diameter. and cut out a log about
twenty-five feet long. On this log
they set to work with iron chisels
stuck In a piece Of wood. and after a
great amount Of work, accompanied
no u by a large mou of discuss
sion as to whether this way or that.
the boat was completed. However. it
had vet to be dragged to the river and
unfortunately so many of the men of
the village were away from home that
all of the available power was not suf-
fcient to nov it.
AT this time in the history of the
boat i arrived in the village, and the
chief soon laid his trouble before me.
Now the day following l had planned
on crossing the river at his village,
and as his new BOAT must be launched
before l could cross with my caravan,
| offered the assistance of my thirty
five men. Drums then began to beat
in the vicinity of my tent, and soon
the entire village assembled. the wom-
en- dressed in their finest clothes. and
with painted and creased bodies, doing
the dancing in II circle around the
drums while the men made the audi
ence and beat time with their hands
much as a clog is usually accompanied
in a coon show.
This lasted but a few minutes, all
hands then going to the forest to drag
the boat to the river. Long vines
We're tied to it and with all hands
hauling, while. small boys beat drums,
the curious cavalcade moved toward
the river.
After the launching the drums
again beat the assembly and the real
dance began. The uproar is ringing
in my ears yet and the shuttle of the
bare feet on the ground. the thump,
thump. thump, of the drums and the
forgotten. The women We're naked to
the waist. and had painted their bodies
with a red ochre powder and then
creased themselves with the Oil from
palm nuts until they shone like BUR
nished copper. They accompanied the
movement of the dance by a chant,
of which it was impossible for me to.
understand the words. but ! noticed
tEat two or three of the women ac-
companied the chant in alto, and they
lshoWed a fair ear for harmony. The
movement of the dance carries the
dancers slowly around the drums. The
dance is carried on mostly with the
arms and body, the foot movement be-
ing but a slow shuttle.
The dance starts in rather mildly
and the drums beat rather a monot-
onous tom! tom! but soon both dane
ers and drummers begin to liven. The
movement became more animated. the
chant changes from the repetition Of
n or two phrases to something re-
sembling a song with verses and a
chorus, and the drummers change
their accompaniment to suit the action
with great deNterity.
i have been very busy since reach
ing this point. Longatshimo might
be termed the frontier. so far as white
men are concerned, and though the
Angola border is only about fifteen
miles from here considerable
ton will be necessary before the trip
is undeftaken. South of this point
the population is very sparse and ma
tive chop is not plentiful. so that food
for the party as we'll as the white
man must be taken in with the cara
van.
1 was successful in finding a small
diamond in a stream neal here YES
terday. and l plan on working in this
vicinity for a week or ten days. 1t
will probably be six weeks before 7
get back to headquarters, unless 1
receive contrary orders in the mean
time, II l expect that another man
will be UP to help me i'm a couple of
weeks.
The grass is Yet too high to per-
NIT of hunting. but the rainy season
is now practically over. and during
the first part of May most of the grass
is dry enough to burn. The natives
then set fires along the trails, and
soon the whole plain country is burn
ed over. Hunting is then possible,
and I expect to have some antelope
and possibly n buffalo to my credit be-
fore ! return to Tshipapa. The grass
on the plains reaches to a height of
six to eight feet. and just now the
trails are almost impossible owing to
the name in which the grass falls
across the path from each side, maxi
ing rapid progress impossible.
We had a big storm here yesterday
and some hail fell.
-Chas. Boise.