WONDERS OF DARK AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 50, 28 February 1921, Page 2

WONDERS OF DARK AFRICA

FATTEST WOMEN EVER SEEN.

The Rev. John Roecoe, who has just returned from East "Africa, gave to a. D»ily Mail representative, at the end of November, an account of, one- of the most! marvellous journeys ever undertaken by a man of science. He has brought back curious knowledge and curious concrete things beyond even his own dreams. Tho things include 60 or bo varieties of herbs —some of which seemed to effect miraculous cures for malaria and even the worst venereal diseases—many (native poisons, vast cases of fetishes, implements, and instruments going- back to 2000 8.C., and photographs innumerable of strange and grim ceremonies—some cannibalisticmany quite unknown hitherto. Tho knowledge of ritual and custom is a yet stranger store. Mr. Roscoe, one of our greatest ethnologists, went out for tho Royal Society and tho Government in May, 1919, and the expedition was most generously financed 'by Sir Peter M'Kie. Mr. Roscoe, who is in his 60th year, travelled many thousand miles in the interior on foot and—ot all machines—by bicycle, using native paths. He found tribes who lived wholly on milk and nothing else whatever, unless a cow died; and after feeding on that a 12 hours' fast was imposed. So vast are thir cattle herds that a king regarded 20,000 as a em&tl flock. Another tribe lived wholly on bamboo tips and moles! In another the relations always ate.the dead, even if they died of smallpox; but these folk, which is hardly surprising, were lem healthy than the others, whose woman are described as "the fattest things over seen," while the men are thin, very athletic, and often well over 6ft in height. One of the cannibals stated in evidenca that "Englishmen were \-ery tough, but Indians nice and tender." The crown oi tho expedition was six weeks spent frith the King of Bunyoro. He has beoomo a Christian, and so felt it possible to give Mr. Hoscoe all his fetishes, an entirely priceless collection, wjiich throws quite new light on ceremonies going back to 2000 B.C. Ha also organised a pageant of some 4000 years of ceremonial, such a thing as no other man ever saw before. Thousands of natives themselves came to 6eo it—a sort of grand finale to ages of accumulated superstition. Since' the Kingl is also High Priest, and the great repoei. Tory of tradition, he could give »w*y the inmost mysteries, and did: —How to bring rain (a miracle that Mr. Roscoo aohieved in a forest Holy of Holies, »nd received native thinks !); how to promote all sorts of prosperity, especially plenty of salt j and how to exorcise evils. By his knowledge of local language Rud earlier visits,, Mr. Rosooe, who was all alone, penetrated many present beliefs and customs, that have baulked our rulers and our missionaries. For example, in one tribe girls are betrothed *t birth, nnd married at 12 or 14. If they are unfaithful before marriagfe they are kilted. In the next tribe girls may do as they will until after marriage. Many most elaborate laws of marriage, of morality, of divorce, and of land tenure hare been revealed in the course of the journey. The discoveries include valuable commercial news, including an unknown graphite mine of high quality. Mr. Roscoe says ho has material for five years' work at six houre a day. Tho journey started at Mombasa, and the most dangerous, difficult, and richest part waa west aad north o£ the Victoria Nyanza smd ia the triangle betweon the three great lakes. Mr. Roscoe returned by tho Nile, and has much to tell the Egyptologists