Identifier: throughugandatom00purv (find matches)
Title: Through Uganda to Mount Elgon
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Purvis, John Bremner
Subjects: Ethnology Missions
Publisher: London (etc.) : F. T. Unwin
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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Text Appearing Before Image:
There is little doubt but that the idea at
the root of this custom is the wish that
whoever breaks the compact miay have anend like the dog—
disowned, cut in two, and
spurned.

15

CHAPTER XIV

LIFE AND WORK AMONGST CANNIBALS

Lost near Mount Elgon—Quaint figures—Clothing despised—
Invalid missionaries—A cheap house—Human hyaenas—
The place of departed spirits — Burial customs — The
gathering of the clans—The coming of Roman Catholics—
Laying out a station—Native kindness—Progress—A
unique church dedication — Variety of work — Healing
powers of nature—First baptisms.

IN September, 1903, my wife and I found
ourselves hot, hungry, and very tired,
strugghng through banana gardens in the
country at the foot of Mount Elgon, and
making for a hillock which seemed to be
further away every time we caught a glimpse
of it. Our porters had lost the way and we were
alone, yet not as much alone as we could
have wished, for almost at every step we
took we had evidence of company that at
the time was not much to our liking.
Text Appearing After Image:
" A TALL IMPRESSIVE FIGURE " NEAR MOUNT ELGON

295

A Trying Journey 297

A tall, impressive figure, naked but for a
dressed goat-skin, and armed with one or
two spears, would stand and look at us, utte
ra few words that were unintelligible, and
then disappear. Then a group of men and
women with less clothing than we had ever
conceived it possible for human beings to
wear in public, forced their attentions upon
us, but were unable to make us under-
stand their welcome or direct us to our
destination.
A few more miles had been covered, and
the hill we were making for seemed as far
off as ever, when two youths, absolutely nude
and armed with long sticks, introduced them-
selves to us with loud laughter and much
gesticulation. They made us understand that
they would guide us to our destination,
and we meekly followed at a much slower
speed than they were evidently accustomedt
o; but this no doubt gave them greater
opportunity than they would otherwise have
had of explaining to all onlookers who
they thought we were

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