A STRANGE HONEYMOON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2072, 6 May 1907, Page 1

A STRANGE HONEYMOON.

There seems to be two opposite tendencies just now in the matter of honeymoons. One is to make the honeymoon short and not to go far away, and the other is to make it long, and to go into the wilds. The record in tho latter class appears to bo held by tlic couple who went to Tibet a year or so ago, but Major Powcll-Cotton and his wife, who have just returned from Central Africa, are a good second. Major Cotton has been exploring over two years in Africa. He was married at Nairobi In i 1905, and since then ho and his wife has been travelling in Central Africa with an armed colored escort. f J’he excitement of tlic pigmies when they saw Mrs. Cotton was extraordinary. They had never seen, such a being before, and her long hair,which she would let down for their special benefit, filled them with speechless wonder. No trouble was experienced with the tribes of tlic great forest. Mrs. Cotton was left alone with them at times, and was always treated with the greatest possible respect. Tlie expedition made some interesting discoveries. Among the new animals found were a dusky African tiger eat, a liouey badger, an elephant shrew, an antelope armed with tusks, which dives under water, a black and white monkey, and an immense red buffalo. Major Cotton heard of a tribe who dispose of the infirm by wrapping them in an antelope skin, and abandoning them in the grass close Jo a native track. The first native coming hv sees what he thinks is an antelope and spears it; whereupon the victim’s family emerge from hiding places and express horror and surprise at the incident. The party visited the community of lake-dwellers on Lake Albert Edward, who spend all tlieir lives on the water. Their houses are all built on floating platforms. 1 anchored to long poles. The main floating village consists of 30 huts, while two others comprise ten end

sevon respectively. Somo of those grass hubs arc built round a small square platform about 25 foot by 10. This forms I lie common hack yard, and practically the world of the children. The people arc described as good looking and healthy. They rarely marry outside their community, on tho ground that a land woman is liable to he useless and unhappy in their surroundings. Unfortunately the trip was marred by a tussle with a lion, in which Major Cotton fared badly. Tho animal’s charge was not checked by bis fire, mid bis body was severely mauled by his claws. A copy of Punch in, his pocket saved him from being mortally injured. As it was ho received seventeen wounds. The incident happened on a Friday, and was tho explorer’s thirteenth lion.