HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1909-07-22, Page 6All Ulloxpoeted Confession;
Or, The Story of Miss Percival's Early Life.
CHAPTER XIV.
Rand, for this was the name of
the men who had seated himself be-
side Esther, also immediately recog-
nized her, in spite of the change in
her appearance, although he gave
no outward sign of the fact.
After paying his fare, he leaned
back in his seat, pulled his hat over
his eyes, and appeared to be ab-
sorbed in thought ; yet all the time
he was covertly watching the girl.
Esther, observing his apparent
indifference, began to breathe more
freely, believing that he had failed
to recognize her, and that she had
nothing to fear from him.
When the car reached the street
where she was to get off she alight-
ed, and proceeded on her way,
without a suspicion that she was
being followed by the pian whom
she feared, and who, having also
left the car on the opposite side,
was keeping a keen eye upon her
movements from a safe distance.
Once she glanced behind her, but
seeing nothing of him, went on
again without fear.
"Even if ho did recognize me,
and should attempt to rob me, he
will never find the jewel," she
mused; "he would only secure that
empty leaden case, for he would
never suspect that it would be left,.
lying loosely in the tray of my
titlark, concealed in an innocent -
looking ball of worsted. 1 wish,
though, I could gain some clew to
its owner," she added, with a sigh;
"it is a heavy burden on my mind,
and I would like to get rid of it."
Upon reaching home, sho ran
lightly up the steps, let herself in
with her key, and was soon so ab-
sorbed in her work that she entire-
ly forgot the incident of the morn-
ing.
Just, as she was sitting down to
her supper, Jennie Burt, the land-
lady's daughter, carte running in
upon her in great glee.
"Oh, Miss 1Vellington !" she ex-
claimed, her face all aglow, "a
friend has sent mother and me some
tickets to go to see Irving and Terry
to -night, but mother is not able to
go out, and told Inc to ask you to
go in her place."
"Mrs. Burt is very kind," Esther
responded, gratefully, an eager
light leaping into her eyes. Then,
glancing at her worktable, she ad-
ded, regretfully, "but I ought not,
Jennie; I have those three aprons
to finish, for they must bo sent off
in the morning."
"Oh, don't say you can't go,"
pleaded Jennie, earnestly. "Mother
will not permit me to go alone, and
the police," she heard some ono
cry in familiar tones that set her
heart beating in rhythm to a senti-
ment exactly the opposite of fear,
and sent the color in a rich crimson
tide to her cheeks.
The next moment Donald Lancas-
ter turned to her, while the drunk-
ard hurriedly slunk away.
"Miss Wellington, how glad I am
that 1 happened to be near just at
this moment," the young pian ob-
served, as he cordially shook hands
with her.
"Not more glad than I, I am
sure," Esther answered, with a
bright smile. "I wonder that the
man dared attack me so boldly in
such a public place 1"
"He would not had he not been
intoxicated. Do you know him 1"
Donald inquired.
"No; but I have an idea, from
what he said, that he may be one of
two men who were prowling around
Mrs. Cushman's cot ago at Lake
Georgo last summer," Esther ex-
plained.
"Nell, he was more than 'half
seas over,' if you will pardon the
expression, or he would not have
been so audacious," Donald ob-
served. "But have you no escort l"
he asked, glancing around.
"No, my friend and I are alone
—we thought it would be perfectly
safe for two of us to come together
to see Irving and Terry," Esther
explained, and then introduced her
companion.
Donald attended them insido the
theatre, secured programmes for
them, and put them in care of an
usher to bo taken to their scats.
Then he excused himself and sought
his own seat.
The two girls thoroughly enjoyed
their treat, both Irving and Terry
appearing at their best, while the
music, as discoursed by the fine or-
chestra between the acts, was a
rare pleasure to them.
During the intermission, just be-
fore the curtain rose upon the Last
act, Esther glanced around the
house through the powerful glass
which was a relic of Mrs. Burt's
earlier and happier clays.
While thus engaged, she caught
sight of something which caused her
to bound from her seat and utter a
cry of astonishment.
The next moment she sank back
upon her chair, panting with un-
controllable excitement.
"What is the matter, Miss Wel-
lington 1" questioned Jennie, in a
tone of alarm ; "aro you ill?"
"No --oh, no; it is nothing," the
girl replied, and now making a
it is too late to hunt. up anyone great effort to recover her com•
else. Besides, this is the last chance posure, for sho saw that sho had
tc see Irving and Terry this sea- attracted the attention of several
son. Please tomo with me and 1
will get up early to -morrow morn-
ing, and help you finish your
order."
"Well, I am sure I have no right
to refuse you now," said Esther,
smiling. "flow good you and Mrs.
Burt are to me, Jennie 1 I often
think how very fortunate I was to
find such a safe and pleasant home
here. Yes, dear, I will go, and ac-
cept your kind offer for the morn-
ing also—since I must, in order to
keep nay word; but you may be
very sure I shall try to reciprocate
your kindness in some way."
But neither girl realized to what
extent sho was propliesyiug until
some years later.
A little after seven o'clock they
started forth to spend the evening
with the distinguished actors, their
hearts filled with eager anticipa-
tion, in view of the great treat in
store for them.
They had nearly reached the thea-
tre, and were about to pass a nar-
row alley, when a man suddenly
stepped forward and laid his hand
familiarly upon Esther s ann.
"Miss (hie!) I'm very sure you're
the girl, and (hie!) I know a fel-
low (hie!) who's been looking (hic !)
for you for (hic !) a long time," ho
said, in a thick voice, while bend-
ing closer to her, his breath, hot
and offensive with the fumes of
liquor, smote Esther's face.
Thoroughly frightened, she shook
herself free from him, and was
about to hasten on, when he again
clutched her forcibly by the shoul-
der.
"Let me go'" Esther commanded,
with haughty authority.
"No, you don't, my princess!"
the man returned, with a leer, and
without releasing his hold upon
her ; "you've grown 'mazing pert
(hic') and genteel. since last sum•
fuer (hie '1, but you're the girl wove
been (hie') looking after, and my lady on her way out of the theatre,
pal (laic!) will be along presently, tell her she had an important com-
and be glad (hic :) that you're munication to make, and ask her to
found :" al•point a place of meeting for that
Before lather could appoal to purpose.
ancone for aid. nit .he w-na upon the
point of ding. the man's hand was
sharply st' yuck (ken from her shoul-
der and a tall forms strode in be-
tween her and her persecutor. "Conic. Jennie; there is some ono
"You vile n retch: Begone in. here whom i want to see, and we
stsntlyt Of 1 wilt band you over to must hurry."
people near her.
She was glad, however, to ac-
cept a glass of water from an usher,
and then, after a moment or two,
she again leveled her glass in the
sane direction as before, taking
another long look at the object that
had given her such a start. When
the lowered it again, she was pale
t'i ghastliness, and was trembling
with nervousness.
She had seen the mate to the
"twin ruby"
It was suspended from a diamond
necklace that encircled the alabas-
ter neck of a beautiful and queenly
woman, who was seated in tho mid-
dle box of the first circle on the
right of the stage.
She was perhaps thirty years of
age and a blonde, of the purest
type. Her face was liko a beauti-
ful flower ; her hair shone like bur-
t,islied gold, and was coiled upon
the top of her regal head and fast-
ened with diamond crescents. Her
dress was of pale blue satin. trade
decollate, the corsage and elbow
sleeves finished with costly lace. in
Ler right hand she wielded an ex-
quisite fan of white ostrich tips, and
upon her lap there lay a great
bunch of pink ruses.
Froin that moment Esther lost all
interest in the play. All her at-
tention was concentrated upon that
lovely woman, who wore the price-
less ruby surrounded by its setting
of glittering diamonds.
She was like a picture, framed
within the white and gold box, with
its rich curtains of plush and lace.
Esther thought sho had never seen
anyone so queenly or so graceful,
and she grew more and more excit-
ed in view of the astonishment sho
would manifest when sho should
peek her and proclaim that she had
in her possession the mate to the
treasure sho wore upon her neck,
for sho had desolved to waylay the
As soon as the curtain fell upon
the last scene, she started nervous-
ly to her feet and, seizing her com-
f anion be the arm, exclaimed :
They made their way through the
crowd with all possible speed, and
Esther took her station near the en-
trance to the theatre, where she
eagerly watched fur the face she
had seen in that twiddle box. But
the beautiful woman who worn the
ruby did not appear, and after
waiting until the foyer was nearly
empty. Esther came to the conclu-
sion that she trust have left the
place by another exit, when with
a sigh of deep disappointment, she
was forced to relinquish her pro-
ject, with small hope of ever meet-
ing the lovely stranger again.
As the two girls stepped upon the
pavement, however, they were
again accosted by Donald Lancas-
ter, who had been watching fur
them.
"1 wanted to see you safely on
your v: ay," he remarked to Esther,
and accompanying thein to the av-
enue, he waited to assist them
aboard the car before going to his
own home.
Upon reaching her room, Esther,
who was still greatly excited by the
events of the evening, and too wide
awake to retire, thought she would
work a while upon the aprons that
ere promised for the morrow, and
to quiet her nerves before going to
rest.
Her thoughts were as busy as her
fingers, while thus employed, as
she reviewed all that had occurred
during the evening.
Donald Lancaster and the inter-
est he had manifested in her, lin-
gered in her mind, and her cheek
grew flushed, her eyes brilliant, as
she recalled his every look and
word.
Ho was her ideal of all that was
manly, noble and chivalrous, and
she knew that she should love him,
and him alone, with all tho strength
of her strong nature as long as lift
should endure.
"But., ah!" she murmured, with
a deply drawn sigh, "I know I
should not cherish such feelings—
there is a great gulf between us. I
have been reared veryhumbly, with
no advantages of society, while he
belongs to the creme do la creme of
upper New York. Of course, he
cannot care for me—he pities me
for the hardships and sorrows that
1 have had to endure—he feels a
touch of gratitude, now and then,
for the care 1 gave hire when he
was so ill, and that is all. But he
is good, and kina, and noble—ho
is worthy of a lovely wife, and 1
hope—on, I do hope that he will
find the right one to make him hap-
py. I shall never marry," she con-
tinued, the color slowly fading out
of her face, as the lonely future
loomed up before her ; "but," with
a resolute gleam in her magnificent
eyes, "I am going to snake the most
of myself, for all that. I am going
to school some more, after I have
saved money enough to give mo a
nice start; maybe, by that time,
Jennie will bo able to act as man-
ager for the business, with my as-
sistance, and that will give me
plenty of time for study and a good
support besides."
And thus the enterprising girl
worked on, laying her plans for the
future, and little realizing how true
is the time -worn adage, "Man pro-
poses, But God disposes," while
outside on the roof of tho perch,
which sheltered the back door of
Mrs. Burt's humble dwelling, a man
steed, as once before, looking in
at a window and watching the
slight figure bending so intently
over her work, and the nimble
hands as they deftly wrought their
task.
This porch was directly under a
hall window, and so near ono of
those in Esther's room that a per-
son located there could easily see
the greater portion of the apart-
ment, and, as one of her curtains
had not been drawn quite down,
the spy was enabled to watch the
girl's every movement without the
fear of being discovered in his espi-
onage.
All at once a chick upon an ad-
jacent church chimed the hour of
two.
As the second stroke fell upon
Esther's ear, sho lifted an aston-
ished face and laid her work upon
her table.
"Why ! I had no idea it was so
late:" she murmured. "I must go
to bed at once, or I shall not bo
fit for work to -morrow."
Even then, however, she paused
to put everything in order upon the
table, straightened the furniture,
and cove -ed her machine. Sho
then laid out her nightrobe, and
was about to undress, when it oc-
curred to her that she had not
bucked her door.
Stepping to it. she laid her hand
upon the key, and was about to
turn it, when the door was softly
swung open, a tall figure quickly
entered, and. confronting her with
menacing attitude, commanded her
in an authortative whisper to
"make no sound if she valued her
life."
For an instant Esther's heart
stood still a terrible thrill of fear
and repulsion running through her,
as she recogniged the man who had
taken the vacant seat beside her
in the street car tho previous after-
noon.
Softly closing the door behind him
and locking it, her unceremonious
visitor turned hack to her and ob-
served with a sinister smile :
"iiicln't expect a caller quite so
early in the day, did you, my dear
Well, you see it wasn't convenient
for me to get around at a fashion-
able Lour, and as my business is
iwwwwwwwwilew
se. separate room at fronto and ob-s +++++++++++•♦+♦�♦.•1.♦♦ JCIIILDREN AKE DEVOURED
serve certain other sanitary pre- 4
cautions out relief will be granted,I Th
imperative, I concluded 1 wouldn't
stand upon ceremony.
"How did I discover your place
of residencel" he resumed, as if in
reply to Esther's look cf blank
amazement. "Well, 1 have had
quite a hunt for you, during the
last few months. 1 traced you once
to that swell place uptown; then 1
heard you wire sick in some hospi-
tal, and after that lost track of
you entirely until yesterday. How
did I get in here so quiet and
slick 1" he questioned, as Esther
opened her lips to speak, but could
find no voice. "Weil, the new
washerwoman carelessly (1) ha' ha!
left the skylight unfastened this
afternoon, when she took in the
clothes, and as she lives next door,
it was quite handy cowing over the
roof."
"Stop !" Esther now managed to
command, with some degree of com-
posure as lie paused, "it is not nec-
essary for you to tell me how you
carte here—I simply wish to know
what you want, now that you aro
here.,,
She realized that she was hope-
lessly in the man's power, and that
it would bo useless to call for as-
sistance; so she resolved to assume
as bold a front as possible before
him, and keep her wits about her,
for she had not the slightest inten-
tion of surrendering to him the
treasure which site knew . he was
seeking.
"What do I want 1" he repeated,
with a sneer. "Well, that is a cool
one, for you know very well that
i want that ruby, Miss Wellington."
(To be continued.)
TO FIGHT WHITE PLAGUE
STERN MEASURES WILL RE
ADOPTED 1N ENi,LAND.
Will Strike at One of the Sources
by the Slaughter of Infected
Mitch Cows.
Within less than a generation
tuberculosis—that terrible scourge
which claims more victims every
year than a whole European war—
will bo a thing of the past in Eng-
land. The government has taken
up a campaign against it which
promises to make it before long al-
most as rare as smallpox or typhus
fever, writes a London correspon-
dent.
The English Saint George who
has sallied forth to slay this mod-
ern dragon is Hon. John Burns,
the former dock laborer who is now
a cabinet minister and a friend of
the King. He is seeking fresh leg-
islation, but he is not waiting for
that. He has just foreshadowed a
policy by which he proposes with
the weapons ready to his hand to
remove the most dangerous sources
of infection—the pauper consump-
tive—from the possibility of being
a source of contagion to his family
and neighbors. Public opinion is
not ripe yet in England for the came
'misery isolation of consumptives in
the way that persons who arc strick•
cr. with smallpox are now dealt
with, although medical opinion is
practically unanimous that such
treatment is necessary- before the
disease can be wholly eradicated,
but John Burns, the practical man,
has devised a means by which this
end can be achieved without outrag-
ing that false, but strong sentiment
which regards isolation as an in-
vasion of the liberty of the indi-
vidual. He is now preparing to
put in practice, by
ADMINISTIRATIVE ORDER,
a rule by which 90 per cent. of the
poor consumptives of the country
will bo compelled to enter the pub-
lic infirmaries, where, of course,
they will be effectively isolated, will
have every possible chance of re-
covery, and will no longer bo a
danger to their fellows.
Burns's plan is based on t!ie fact
that 90 per cent. of the poor con•
sumptives in England, at one stage
or another of their disease, are
compelled to seek what is known
as out relief from the poor law au-
thorities. Out relief consists of a
weekly dole of money from the pub-
lic funds which is given to persons
who are not absolutely destitute
and who are desirous of keeping out
of the workhouse. It is good in
most cases because it enabled many
a family to tide over bad times
without the radical breaking up
which roust always result from sel-
ling up the few sticks of furniture
they possess and entering the poor-
house. It also saves many deserv-
ing persons from tho workhouse
stigma.
But in the case of consumptives
is enables the patient to make him-
self a center of infection. Burns's
first step, therefore, has been to
issue an order as president of the
kcal government board, making
tuberculosis a notifiable disease.
This means that every medical man
who comes across a case of con-
sumption in his practice must no-
tify the name and address and cer-
tain other particulars concerning
the patient to the representative of
the local government board in his
district. These names will then be
furnished to the poor law authori-
ties and when a person whose name
is scheduled applies for out relief
A CAREFUL INVESTIGATION
of his circumstances will be made.
1f it is found that be hi able to have
but if this is not so—and there are
very few cases where the observ-
ance of these conditions will be pos-
sible—the grant of relief will be re-
fused. The immediate result will
he that the poor consumptive will
Le compelled to seek admission to 44+++++4+4+++++++++++*
the workhouse and once thero he
will bo removed to an up-to-date
sanatorium w here ho will receive
the best possible treatment. In this
en►iucwtly practical way has John
Burns solved the problem of over-
coming a public prejudice which is
dangerous to the public health.
No public announcement of this
plan has been made and as a mat-
ter of fact no public announcement
is intended. It is not desired that
there shall bo a public discussion
of the new policy in England, be-
cause there are sure to be a num-
her of people who will denounce it
as an example of the growth in this
country of continental bureaucracy.
The nearest that Burns has conte to
making public what he intends to
do, was announcement that ho
made a few days ago in a speech
ar the opening of the tuberculosis
exhibition in the east end of Lon-
don.
"I trust soon," he said, "to fol-
low up the notification of tubercu-
losis order by a circular to poor
law authorities, on the conditions
under which poor law relief should
he given to outdoor consumptive
paupers, suggesting methods of
self -treatment, removal perhaps, to
another place,
e Farm #
ADVICE AND GUIDANCE,
and extended help in tho direction
c,f cure and prevention."
In the field of legislation also
Burns is active in the fight against
the white plague. Ho has just in-
i.roduced in Parliament a bill to
safeguard and purify the milk sup-
ply of the country. German and
American researches have proved
beyond doubt that one of the chief
sources of tuberculosis in children
is milk from diseased cows, and
it has been ascertained that nearly
a third of the milch cows in Eng-
land are suffering from tuberculo-
sir in one form or another. Burns's
bill provides for the slaughter of
these diseased cows and the pay-
ment of compensation to the farm-
ers on a scalp graded in propor-
tion to the degree to which the dis-
ease has advanced. Thus a badly
diseased cow will not bo paid for
at all, but in the case of one in
which the disease is only in its
early stages the farmer will receive
nearly her full value. Heavy pen-
alties are provided for farmers and
dealers who sell milk from cows suf-
fering from tuberculosis unless it
is eflieciently sterilized, or, better
still, pasteurized. The bill has the
approval of all parties in the House
o, Coininons and the only thing
that can prevent its passage is the
pressure of business in relation to
new taxation. If it does not pass
this year it is certain to become law
at the next season of Parliament,
whatever party is in power.
--- -- .i.
FORTUNE FROM SANDWICHES.
Ham, Corned Beef. Cheese, Sar-
dine, Beef and Tongue.
There has just died at the age of
sixty-seven a man of the name of
Angelo Basso, of New York, who
amassed a fortune amounting to
*500,000 by selling sandwiches. Bas-
sa was credited with giving the
"best, biggest, and most appetiz-
ing" sandwich in town for the mod-
est sum of a nickel (five cents).
Everyone knew Basso's sandwiches,
and though he had only one shop
it was crowded sixteen hours out
!of the twenty-four by messenger
boys, work -girls, business men, and
others who had come a considerable
distance to secure what became
known as a "Basso."
Years ago, among tho many at-
t;actions held at the Madison
Square Garden was a six -days'
walking race. This race went nn
hour after hour from midnight
Saturday to midnight Friday, many
people staying there. The entire
week. On such occasions as these
the Angelo Basso sandwich, which
the wise old Italian put on sale
there, came to be looked upon as a
standard article. No ono wanted
any sandwich but Basso's, and it
was quite useless for anyone else
to try and break into the old man's
trade ; it was an impossibility
t.hich was recognized. One Basso
sandwich was a meal for an ordin-
ary man, and two would satisfy six
children. These sandwiches were
made of good material and very
varied—ham, corned beef, cheese,
sardine, beef, tongue, etc. --and it
was Basso's boast that never dur-
ing the forty years he had been
making sandwiches had he been ac-
cused of selling even a "question-
able" one.
Although the profit of these sand-
wiches was very small ---considering
their size --Basso waxed rich, and
was soots able to take a fine deli-
catessen store in a popular part of
New York. But though ho sold
other things—pickles. tongues,
olives. sauerkraut, and. in fact,
every kind of "table delicacy"—he
never ignored the humble sandwich,
hut kept up the standard through -
cut his life, and when he died he
left a fortune of half a million dol-
lars, three-quarters of which he
had a selling good sandichea at
s
MISTAKES IN CALF FI'i:DING.
Advice is often asked by farmers
and duirytucw regarding side and
scouring cat;cs. This is apart
from the scouring and sicknces
that calves die within twenty-four
or forty-eight hours after birth
(calf cholera). There is a kind of
scouring that calves suffer with
after they are well started in life
and from one week to two or more
months old. In not, less than five
cases out of every six the whole
trouble is brought on by misman-
agement on the part of those who
had their feeding in charge. Sonie
are so anxious to save the cream
for the family or to sell that, they
think the little calf can just as
well subsist on skim milk when it
is only a week old, and they begin
feeding skim milk wholly W this
little young thing. Some calves
will no doubt not bo injured by it,
providing it is fed fresh and warn
from the separator, but the ma-
jority of calves a week old have
not strength of digestion enough
to digest it properly and it passes
through the alimentary canal in
an undigested state, or the so
called "white scour" state—sim-
ply chyle. Tho calf is constantly
bawling for something to cat, runs
down in flesh and becomes worth-
less. All this could have been pre-
vented had the owner not robbed
the calf of nature's nourishment
and had he fed rt whole milk a
week longer, and then by degrees
change to skim milk.
In other eases it becomes too
much trouble for some to w•arin the
milk for calves, and it is fed almost
ice cold, as it comes from a cold
water or ice separator. The result
is that the average calf's stomach
is chilled and the digestion im
paired, if not ruined. 'Then the
owner desires a remedy for calf
scour. Some allow the calf to get
extremely hungry, do not feed at
regular hours, then feed a double
quantity, and engorge the stomach
beyond what can be digested. The
calf bloats and perhaps dies in
consequence; but if it escapes that
it physics, loses its appetite and
barely cats enough to exist and
grows up a weakling when it might
have been a valuable animal.
Some think any old swill pail
good enough to fe-•d a calf from.
The result is the pail becomes a
harbinger for untold microbes and
ptomaines, and the calf becomes
literally poisoned and dies with
gastric fever or dysentery. Some
think sour milk is all the calf needs,
and by the time the calf is a
month old any kind of milk that
comes handy—buttermilk fresh or
buttermilk cold, toppered skim milk
or any old milk—fed in any quan-
tity they may have, is good
enough for calf feed. Then when
the calf's digestion becomes im-
paired they seek to furnish a
remedy.
A`ever. feed a calf any milk but
fresh new milk from either its
mother or a fresh cow until it is
not less than ten days old, then
mix it with half skint milk and
gradually reduce the whole milk
until the calf is a month old.
Never try to feed a calf cold milk
until past two months of age, al-
ways warm the milk to about 100
degrees, and never warns it to the
point of scalding ,t.
At the present toe scientists
are advising the warming of milk
(sterilizing it) by bringing it up to
108 degrees and holding it there
for ten minutes to kill possible dis-
ease germs. All such milk should
be doctored by the use of flaxseed
jelly or linseed oil ineal. Never
stir linseed meal, oatmeal, wheat,
bran or middlings or any other
meal in milk. Always gently pour
the oatmeal or other meals on top
of the milk, and as the calf drinks
the milk the meal will settle to the
bottom of the pail, and then the
calf will lick it and suck it, down
and no harm will follow. When it
is stirred in the milk scouring may
result, as the meal will be carried
along the digestive tract with the
milk further than it .,honld he be-
fore the gastric Juices will act upon
it. Never feed lupi -erect or eour
milk to a calf. Sweet buttermilk
after a calf is tore, months cif age
may be fed as a partmilk food ; but
acid or sour buttermilk never feed
to a calf.
In concluFion study to prevent
calf scour. This should be the
effort of all calf raisers—not seek
remedies to cure it. Keep all pails
used in calf feeding as clean :.OI
your milk pails. If troughs are
used, always flush them with pure,
clean water after the calves have
taken their milk When calf rais-
ers will learn to observe the
simple precautions mentioned
scouring calves and weak emaciat-
ed ones will rarely be seen.
Skinner : "flood morninr, ma'am:
Did you ever see anything so un-
settled as the weather has bccn
B.t.tMB.t PEOPLE ARE ADDICT-
ED '1'U CANNIBALISM.
Accoui.t of
lion
SurveyAIM
of Lake lie
lrul Air'
Major R. G. T. Br�!,, C.M.G.,
gave an interesting account of sur-
vey and exploration in the liuwcn-
zorri and lake Region, Central
Africa, before the Royal Geogra-
phical Society is London recently.
The country described is in tht
neighborhood c f the western bor—
der of the Uganda Protectorate anti
the Congo State.
Major Bright gave some interst-
ing details regarding the natives
of the country through which the
expedition passed. The people of
Bavira are noticeable by their wo-
men wearing a particularly disfigur-
ing ornament in their upper lips --
an embellished wooden disc from
2% in. to 3 in. in diameter. The
young men and women dress their
hair with a mixture of light clay.
ELEPHANT COUNTRY.
The district between the Congol-
ese stations Kasindi and Beni,
Major Bright reported, is'iir tdw�
elephant country, and is tenanted
by some largo herds. The Etuli
forest and tho wooden slopes of
Ruwenzorri form veritable strong-
holds for elephants, while in the
Toro Game Preserve devastated
plantations and spoor testify to the
numbers still living in and around
the protected country. In the op
country, on the southern shore
Lake Albert, when the palms
mashy, elephant and buffalo roam
over them. The river Etuli is here
tenanted by numberless hippopo-
tami and crocodiles, ttte former
of which are a danger to the canoes
of the natives.
Lions enter the station at Fort
Portal during the wet season, but
apparently, do little damage to h
man life or domesticated &toe.
They subsist mainly on the wil
pig, a great scourge to the native'
cultivation, and it is said that the
natives prefer lions to the destruc-
tive wart -hog ,and are chary of giv-
ing information to enable than to be
hunted.
THEIR BELIEF.
The Bahima, or aristocracy of
the tribes, believe vaguely in a►1
all-powerful Deity, who is associ•
atcd mainly with rain, thunder,
and other weather pheria.
They endeavor to propitiate ua
devils, most of whom are connected
with the prevalent diseases, by
erecting joss -houses, in which food
and beer are placed. To the
Bahima devils the Burro (or serfs)
add a considerable number of their
own, the most important being
Megrim, who eats their bananas in
great quantities.
ADDICTED TO CANN1BALIS'MI
The Bnamba people, living in the
forest near the Etuli river are nd-
uicted to cannibalism of a parti-
cularly loathsome form. Families
exchange their young children, who
are then eaten. They are, never-
c..cless, a jovial people, although a.
constant warfare goes on between
village and village. Each village
has a club -house, furnished with a
few rough boughs three-legged
chairs, trade of the forked boughs
of a tree, on which the members lie.
The men gather here to talk and
smoke.
SEVERAL TRIBES.
Tho Batwa or Bambutu inhabit
the forest on both sides of the
Etuli. They stand about 4ft. high.
and are long -aimed, short -legged,
and ugly. 'the legs are dispropor-
tionately short, the feet large, and
the body is covered w ith a sort of
down. Both sexes affect a state of
complete nudity. Though there are
several different tribes of pygmies,
they appear to have nu tribal or
ganization. It is the custom for a
group of families to attach them-
selves to a negro chief, and, in re-
turn for food, to assist him to fight
his enemies. The standard of mor-
ality of these little people is high,
and, strange to say, they are re-
markably intelligent. Tho wild
beasts living in this forest are kill-
ed for food, even the elephant.
I'uisoued. arrows are used for the
purpose.
KILLED
licit TENT-I'1G.
h Gunner tut adin O
w
o
Lance.
Corporal Newman, a gunner of
she Royal Field Artillery, met his
death in a remarkable manner re-
cently while practising tent -peg-
ging near London.
He missed the peg, and w
swinging the lance over his hea
when it flew from his grasp. T
butt end embedded itself in t
ground in front of the gallopin
horse, and, the point falling t
wards the rider, he we., impaled o
his owe, weapon. Both inrngs were
pierced, the lance doing completely
through the body.
Newman fell from his l,nr'e,
pulled out the weapon, and died iri
a comrade's arms.
lt't" hcncst r•• •.d t
theretate's youMr board hill, Mfr. Liu ;lucreAttcceas innafrecoritd w.►t •nil tennthaae-
sae." cidcnt having haf,eavvd bc►f„rc.