248 CENTRAL AFRICAN HABITATIONS. . 



Terrigi has si^ecially devoted himself to the means of disinfection, which 

 may prevent the decaying process and development of the granules; he 

 found chloride of lime, lime, and chloral, the most efficacious. With aspira- 

 tors and air-filtering apj)aratus he ascertained that the germs rose to a 

 height of fifty centimetres (about twenty inches) above the marsh-bottom, 

 where they could easily be carried away by the winds. M. Terrigi found 

 the "malaria-melanin " (as they call it) abundant in the liver and spleen of 

 Guinea-pigs that had breathed* the marsh-air for some time. — Popular 

 Science Monthly. 



SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY, 



CENTRAL AFRICAN HABITATIONS. 



Commander Cameron, E. N, whose famous journey across Africa has 

 proved so rich in valuable additions to our geographical knowledge of a 

 little known portion of that continent, gives, in the record of his travels, 

 the sketches from which the annexed illustrations are made. Both repre- 

 sent discoveries which will afford an excellent idea of the ethnological im- 

 portance of a study of the people of Central Africa and their habits. 



The explorer found in the curious village of Manyuema houses arranged 

 in regular streets, and the latter kept scrupulously neat and clean. The 

 inhabitants, although cannibals, are much more civilized than their neigh- 

 bors, and ap23ear to be a conquering race which enslaved the tribes of the 

 vicinity. Thej'' are skillful iron workers, and erect furnaces which show 

 considerable inventive ability. 



It is well known that, in prehistoric times, whole villages were con- 

 structed on piles, above lakes. Eelics of these villages have been abund- 

 antly found, belonging to extinct j)eoples representing all stages of civiliza- 

 tion, from the age of stone down to the dawn of the iron age. It is not 

 understood why the ancients adopted this form of habitation. Protection 

 from hostile tribes, safetj^ from wild beasts, and convenience in fishing, have 

 all been suggested; but there are reasons which go to show that none of 

 these explanations are entirely satisfactory. Commander Cameron has 

 found the same species of dwellings in use on Lake Mohyra, in Central Af- 

 rica. The inhabitants are excellent swimmers, and although provided with 

 boats, frequently take to the water in preference to using them. 



The lake dwellings are to be found in all parts of the world. The oldest 

 known are in Switzerland, and in that country they have been thoroughly 

 explored. They are of two kinds, those built of fascines and those built on 

 j)iles. Those of fascines were commonly used on the smaller lakes of 

 Switzerland, and wherever the bottom was too soft to hold a mass of piles 



