Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

n The

transtory habitat of slave dealers
M&I6N and pirates. Something about the
~ NM& N tropical environment seemed to aid
N@&N and abet in the development of out
IANS2M lawry on the high seas, and for many
y ]; s !:
IAZNG\ moons the West Coast of Africa has
kYllolNV4 contributed its full quota of maritime
MlGGUJ marauders. Although piracy has long
NISz|W since ceased to be popular pastlme,
WHW and the gentlemen of the cutlass,
WY knee boots, and fierce mustaclnOS
"a 1o o. who once sailed under the Jolly Roger
8 - have ages ago subsidized into in
MI desuetude, there is still
CIV rampant some of the interior
rivers and lakes the predatory spirit
of the seventeenth century.
Lake Pesou is a body of water formed by the con-
fuence of several large rivers pouring down from the
Kong Mountains, twenty-five miles long by fifteen wide,
and emptying directly into the through narrow
mouth over bar mile long 1t is protected against
invasion from the by several surfs huge
which, rolling fifty feet high, break and tumble and
seethe and boil in way well calculated to dismay any
unacquanted with the secret ntrcaces of its chan
mel Because of these protective advantages Lake Pesou
had from the day of its discovery been harbor OF
refuge for those who INDUCED in the exharating sport
of punderng the passing galleons. When piracy be-
came inimca to health the festive buccaneers retired
from the field and few of the Guinea natives who had
served them in minor capacities fell heir to the instincts
of pillage and had, upon the placid bosom Of Lake
Pesou, perpetuated the art of Captain Kidd though
in feebler method.
- the lake for of years, and every trader and
missionary who has abored in the surrounding terri
tory has heard weird stories of men who had vanished
in transit across the lake. Perhaps missionary
taking load of provisions to up country station had
been heard from after his had left the land
ing place at Cape Mount sometimes it was trader
who disappeared when bringing to the coast valuable
cargo from far inland town. an occasional tourist
had "lost his way in the bracsh of the lake;
and more rarely richly ornamented native King had
Succumbed to precpltate tate.
These piratical acts seemed to at irregular in
tervals though the robbers had been reused to
tivty by some sudden impulse necessity. During
he
had been several of these stunts tending to disturb the
usual peaceful existence of colony. Mckinney the
the lake alone had been wayaid, robbed, and dumped
into the water. He had escaped with his life because
he happened to be good swimmer and had come
derelct log which aided his efforts to reach shore
Wayman of the Iondoo mission farm had started home
morning with lot of valuable goods the next day
his canoe found floating bottom up in the middle
of the lake. and neither he his cargo nor his boys
again.
Matters soon became bad that no dared go out
the lake unless accompanied by friends and crew
of thoroughly trustworthy, well known boys.
The shifting population of the waterside looked
upon with suspicion being partial to if not actually
associated with the pirates and there some talk
among the missionaries and traders of organizing
good old-fashoned California vigilance committee.
DADDY, Madam Yates makes her compliments to
= you and say you come to her house one time right
quick now. One sick there white man. Him
yer sick man.
l in Moravia waiting for chance to get back to
Cape Mount by coast boat, rather than take the
land route. Madam Yates the widow of of
Liberals former Presidents other high officials and
operated the leading boarding house of the Capital
City. Going to her house, brought face to face
with calamity,-one of those much misguided immi-
grants who ravng in delirium of fever. Exami-
nation dvulged pulse of one hundred and twenty and
temperature of one hundred and four and tenths
degrees, together with of the choicest
symptoms of African fever, it then called.
In few days his mind cleared the fever subsidized his
heart became steady and strong his speech took a
coherent aspect, and his funeral indefinitely post