Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-07
CANN|BALS WOO
FRENCH WOMAN
African Offers to Kill One Of
His Wives to Avoid "Thlr-
teen Hoodoo."

PARIS. Aug. Mile. Jeanne Genac
trip TO equatorial Africa to relate how
she refused the fattering 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 girl who has been jaunttng about
in the Jungle
Seeing that | was unmoved by this
supreme argument they drew a terrible
picture of the fate that awaited me. |
would die Of hunger, thirst and heat,
or, if | escaped these dangers | would
certainly fall victim to lions, tigers
or serpents. l listened patiently said
nothing and started on the appointed
day
q 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 had made up my mind to eX-
plore. | spent several months there,
and am almost ashamed to say that ]
was never in any great danger.
Almost Became a Queen.
The only real risk | ran was that Of
being made queen No white woman
had ever visited this country before, so
my appearance naturally made deep
impression 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 or master. They soon deduced
that there might be matrimonial posi-
! bilities, and several Of them limited that
| | had only to say the word if | wanted
! to live under their august protection.
! But only the kings were bold enough to
make me formal offers Of marriage
my first royal sutton bore the har-
|
duced himself to me and explained that
he had spared no pains to array himself
sumptuously in my honor Perhaps l
showed some surprise AZ the seeming
meagerness Of his apparel for he at
once pointed triumphantly to his head
dress
Brought Curious Presents.
He had crossed a wide stretch Of
jungle to see me and had brought me
several presents-a dead snake an ele-
plants ear. an aliigators egg, a little
piece Of carved ebony and some mon.
keys skulls.
II accepted the lot with as good an
appearance of JOY as | could muster.
Then Granger offered to make me his
principal wife-he already had dozen
but | told him that thirteen was a
very unlucky number for white people
He kindly offered to kill one of his
present wives TO make room for me, but
was adamant Then he became flu
rously angry and | could only calm
him by thinking il over
Another monarch whose proposal !
rejected said NO doubt YOU fear that
YOU are too thin for me. but don't hest
tate on that account. will fatten you
up as | did my other wives. know
well how to 90 it. and YOU may rely
on me
Il have counted up the cannibal kings
who wanted me to share their thrones
and find that there were just twenty.
Surely that is a record"