Life Among the Kavirondos by Helen B. Carscallen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 4, 1909

VILLAGE SCENE, NEAR SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA

Life Among the Kavirondos

By Helen B. Carscallen

[Two mission stations have recently been established among the Kavirondo people, on the Victoria Nyanza. Their language had never been reduced to writing when our missionaries went there. Of life in a Kavirondo station, the wife of one of the missionaries writes.—Ed.]

A FRIEND, who was going home on furlough, knowing that I am fond of animals, gave me his dog. But alas! I was not permitted to keep it long, for the other night, while we were sitting in the dining-room (the door being open), a leopard sprang onto the veranda and snapped up poor Mollie. When we heard the noise, we ran out, but it was so dark we could see nothing.

RAILWAY STATION, NAIROBI, BRITISH EAST AFRICA

CATTLE YARD,
OUR BAROTSE-
LAND HEAD-
STATION — CATTLE YARD, OUR BAROTSE- LAND HEAD- STATION

Besides hyenas and leopards, we have a great many wildcats, which are constantly carrying off our hens. There are many hippopotami also, but they are too far off to trouble us. We hear them snorting at night quite plainly, but it is only the people who inhabit the villages near the lakes who suffer, as these great beasts come out of the water at night and destroy their gardens.

The black people are very fond of hippopotamus flesh. Some time ago, when the natives were short of food, my husband shot one of these huge animals, and it was a great sight to see them divide it. There were hundreds of natives around, every one with a knife doing his best to secure a piece. Many were cut in trying to carve the beast. At last my husband, thinking to put an end to the confusion, moved toward them; but when they saw him coming, they all ran to get out of his reach, with the consequence that I, who was standing behind the crowd, was knocked down. It was quite exciting. The natives are exceedingly friendly, and it never occurs to any of us to be afraid of them. When it has been necessary for Mr. Carscallen to go to Kisumu

I have been entirely alone on the mission, with no white neighbor nearer than fourteen miles.

We have three buildings on this station—a workshop, a schoolhouse, and a dwelling-house [all built by the missionary with raw native help only]. The dwelling-house is a long building containing six rooms. It is built to accommodate two families, each family having three rooms—a living-room, a bedroom, and a guest chamber. The kitchens, as is the custom in the East, are detached, and are situated at the back of the house.

Mr. Carscallen is working on a dictionary of the Kavirondo language. Some friends in America presented our mission with a typewriter, which makes this task much easier. We are comfortable and happy in our work.

HELEN B. CARSCALLEN.

Kisumu, British East Africa.

SCHOOL GROUP, AT OUR KIHUIRO STATION, GERMAN EAST AFRICA