Identifier: explorationsadve00wils (find matches)
Title: Explorations and adventures in the wilds of Africa;
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Wilson, James Russell
Subjects:
Publisher: (Philadelphia?)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ound her arm was one foot eleven inches; chest,four feet four inches; thigh, two feet seven inches; calf, one foot eightinches ; height, five feet eight inches. He could have obtained her height more accurately could he have haaher laid on the floor; but, knowing the difficulties he would have had tocontend with in such a piece of engineering, he tried to get her height byraising her up. This, after infinite exertion, was accomplished, when shesank down again, fainting, for the blood had rushed into her head,Meanwhile the daughter, a lass of sixteen, sat before them, sucking at amilk-pot, on which the father kept her at work by holding a rod in hishand; for, as fattening is one of the first duties of fashionable female life,it must be duly enforced with the rod if necessary. The features of thedamsel were lovely, but her body was as round as a ball. The women turn their obesity to good account. In exchanging foodfor beads it is usual to purchase a certain quantity of food, which shall
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W. A.—11 161 162 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS. be paid foi by a belt of beads that will go round the waist. The womenof Karague being on an average twice a* large round the waist as thoseof other districts,food practically rises a hundred per cent, in price. Not-withstanding their fatness their features retain much beauty, the facebeing oval and the eyes fine and intelligent. The higher class of womenare modest: not only weari ng cow-skin petticoats, but a wrapper of blackcloth, with which they en\ elop their whole bodies, merely allowing onghand to be seen. The travellers were allowed to move about the country as they likedsand the king sent his sons to attend on them, that they might enjoysuch sport as was to be found. They heard of no elephants in that dis-trict, but harte-beestes, rhinoceros, and hippopotami were common. Desperate Battle With the River-horse.» The exciting capture of the last-named beast furnishes materialfor many exciting tales of adventure. A traveller alludes to t

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