The Country of the Dwarfs
by Paul B. Du Chaillu · English · Gutenberg #48643 · 453,502 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The Country of the Dwarfs
Author: Paul B. Du Chaillu
Release date: April 5, 2015 [eBook #48643]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
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[Illustration: DU CHAILLU AND KING QUENGUEZA. [See p. 43.]]
THE
COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS.
BY
PAUL DU CHAILLU,
AUTHOR OF
"ADVENTURES AND EXPLORATIONS IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA," "A JOURNEY TO
ASHANGO LAND," "STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY," "WILD LIFE UNDER THE
EQUATOR," "MY APINGI KINGDOM."
[Illustration]
_NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS._
[Illustration]
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
1872.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
_TO_
_FLETCHER HARPER, ESQ._
_DEAR SIR:--I dedicate this volume to you, not only as an
acknowledgment of many kindnesses which I have received from you during
the years in which you have been the publisher of my books, but also as
a token of the personal affection and esteem of_
_Your friend_,
_PAUL B. DU CHAILLU._
_North Cape, Norway, August, 1871._
[Illustration]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
How Paul set out for the Country of the Dwarfs, and what he took
with him. Page 11
CHAPTER II.
On the African Coast.--Meeting with old Friends.--Changes in
Four Years.--The Captain's Misgivings. 20
CHAPTER III.
Landing Goods.--Among the Breakers.--King Ranpano.--Loss of
Instruments.--King Quengueza.--A Palaver.--Changing Names. 31
CHAPTER IV.
Honest Africans.--Distributing Presents.--Quengueza's
Diplomacy.--Another Palaver.--A new Settlement.--Rabolo's
Monda.--Ranpano's Superstition. 41
CHAPTER V.
Departure of the Mentor.--Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Chimpanzee.--Thomas
in London.--Left alone in Africa.--Departure from Plateau.--A
Tornado.--Nengué Shika.--Traces of Gorillas.--Nengué Ncoma.--King
Olenga-Yombi.--The Ipi. 52
CHAPTER VI.
Hunting for the Ipi.--Camping out in the Woods.--Capture of an
Ipi.--Description of the Animal.--A new species of Ant-eater. 64
CHAPTER VII.
Life at Nkongon-Boumba.--Gorillas and Plantains.--Odanga scared
by a Gorilla.--A captive Gorilla.--Superstitions respecting the
Leopard. 72
CHAPTER VIII.
Wounded Gorilla and her young ones.--Taking their
Photographs.--Tom and Minnie.--Arrival of my Vessel.--Hurra for
Baring Brothers.--A smoking Ship.--King Quengueza goes on
board.--Preparations for Journey. 80
CHAPTER IX.
Down the River in a Canoe.--A strange Passenger.--Talk with a
Gorilla.--Landing through the Breakers.--Preparing to cross the
Continent.--The Departure. 91
CHAPTER X.
A royal Welcome.--Departure from Goumbi.--The Story of Nchanga
and Enomo.--Ascending the Ovenga River.--A hostile Barrier
removed.--The Advice of Quengueza. 105
CHAPTER XI.
Bustle in the Camp.--A magic Horn.--Quengueza's Idol.--A living
Skeleton.--Terrific Thunder-storm.--A Gorilla Family.--Stupendous
Cataract. 111
CHAPTER XII.
The Death of Remandji.--A singular Superstition.--Outbreak of the
Plague.--A touching Incident.--Dying off by Scores.--Death of
Olenda. 112
CHAPTER XIII.
Burial of Olenda.--A desolated Valley.--Suspicions
aroused.--Robbery.--Paul in perplexing circumstances.--Freeing
a Man from the Stocks.--Ravages of the Plague. 131
CHAPTER XIV.
Departure from Ashira Land.--A silent Leave-taking.--Thievish
Porters.--A cunning old Rascal.--Misfortune on
Misfortune.--Without Food in the Forest.--A desperate
Plot.--Feasting on Monkey-meat.--Out of the Woods. 139
CHAPTER XV.
In the open Country at last.--Interview with Mayolo.--Igala falls
Sick.--A Mutiny.--The Otando Prairie on Fire.--Return of Macondai
and Igalo.--Their Adventures.--All together again. 153
CHAPTER XVI.
Terrible Storms of Thunder.--Days of Anxiety.--Shooting an
Antelope.--Brighter Prospects.--Mayolo has a hard time with his
Doctors.--Basket-making. 165
CHAPTER XVII.
Departure from the Otando Country.--Talk with Mayolo.--Living on
Monkey-meat.--Astronomical Studies.--Lunar
Observations.--Intense Heat. 173
CHAPTER XVIII.
Saying Good-by.--A panic-stricken Village.--Pacifying the
People's Fears.--A tipsy Scene.--Majesty on a Spree.--Lunch by a
River side. 184
CHAPTER XIX.
Rumors of War.--Through a burning Prairie.--Imminent
Peril.--Narrow Escape from a horrible Death.--A lonely
Night-watch. 194
CHAPTER XX.
A Deputation from the Village.--A plain Talk with them.--A
beautiful and prosperous Town.--Cheerful Character of the
People.--More Observations. 199
CHAPTER XXI.
Great Excitement in the Village.--A deserted Town.--The
Inhabitants frightened away.--Afraid of the Evil Eye.--The Author
taken for an Astrologer.--Lost among the Plantations. 206
CHAPTER XXII.
First Sight of a Village of the Dwarfs.--A strange and
interesting Spectacle.--An abandoned Town.--A Reverie beside a
Stream.--The Leaf, the Butterfly, and the Bird.--The blessing of
Water. 214
CHAPTER XXIII.
Grotesque Head-dresses.--Curious fashions in Teeth.--A venerable
Granite Boulder.--Interior of a Hut.--A warlike race of
Savages.--Giving them an Electric Shock. 226
CHAPTER XXIV.
Visit to a Village of the Dwarfs.--Walk through the Primeval
Forest.--An ancient Account of this strange Race.--A great
Ashango Dance.--A Watch and a tremendous Sneeze.--First View of
the Dwarfs.--Queer specimens of Humanity. 239
CHAPTER XXV.
Making friends with the Dwarfs.--A Surprise Visit.--A gorgeous
Feast.--Ridiculous Show of Babies.--The Dwarf Language.--A Dwarf
Dance.--The old Fable of the Cranes and the Pigmies. 252
CHAPTER XXVI.
A modern Traveler's Account of the Dwarfs and their Habits.--Where
and how they Bury their Dead.--Hunting for the Dwarfs.--How they
make their Huts. 265
CHAPTER XXVII.
Traveling Eastward.--Measuring Heights.--Instruments used.--Reach
Mouaou-Kombo.--Apprehensions of the People.--Palaver with the
Chief.--An unlucky Shot.--Hostilities commenced. 274
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Retreat from Mouaou-Kombo.--The Attack.--Paul is wounded.--A
Panic.--The Fight renewed.--The Enemy re-enforced.--Lying in
Ambush.--The Enemy repulsed.--A poisoned Arrow.--Mouitchi
safe.--Death of the Dogs. 286
CHAPTER XXIX.
Traveling Westward.--A Night in the Forest.--Paul's Speech to his
Men.--Their Reply.--The Retreat resumed.--Taking Food and
Rest.--Meeting with Friends. 301
CHAPTER XXX.
Conclusion.--Return to the Coast.--Desolation of the
Country.--Fate of old Friends.--Reach the Settlement.--Departure
for England.--Au Revoir. 312
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
DU CHAILLU AND KING QUENGUEZA _Frontispiece._
SKETCH MAP OF PART OF WESTERN AFRICA _Title-page._
DU CHAILLU MEETS HIS OLD FRIEND ADJOUATONGA 22
CAPTURE OF THE IPI 67
PHOTOGRAPHING GORILLAS 83
THE DEPARTURE 101
SURPRISING A FAMILY OF GORILLAS 117
OLENDA IS DEAD 129
PRISONER IN NCHOGO 136
DECISIVE MEASURES 146
MEETING WITH MACONDAI 159
HUNTING AN ANTELOPE 167
OTAITAI, OR PORTER'S BASKET 171
TAKING AN OBSERVATION 180
APONO AND ISHOGO VILLAGE 208
ISHOGO HOUSES, WITH ORNAMENTAL DOORS 211
HUTS OF THE DWARFS 216
ISHOGO HEAD-DRESSES 227, 228
AFRICAN GOAT, CHICKEN, PARROT, AND IDOL 231
SHOCKING THE ASHANGOS 236
DINNER WITH THE DWARFS 271
INSTRUMENTS FOR OBSERVATION 275
THE FIGHT WITH THE ASHANGOS 289
FRIENDS IN THE DARKNESS 309
[Illustration]
THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS.
CHAPTER I.
HOW PAUL SET OUT FOR THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS, AND WHAT HE TOOK WITH
HIM.
IN the month of July, 1863, if you had been in London, you might have
seen in St. Catharine's Dock a schooner called the Mentor, a little
vessel of less than one hundred tons' measurement, and if you had gone
on board you would have encountered your old friend Paul Du Chaillu
busily superintending the taking of the cargo, and getting all things
in readiness for the voyage upon which he is now going to take you.
Captain Vardon, the commander of the vessel, was generally by his side,
and I am sure you would have been happy to make his acquaintance, for
he was a very pleasant man.
Every body was busy on board, either on deck or below deck, storing
away the goods. Boxes upon boxes came alongside the Mentor from morning
till evening. These contained my outfit and the equipment necessary for
the expedition.
Paul Du Chaillu had an anxious look, and you need not wonder at it,
for he was about to undertake a journey of explorations of about five
years' duration, and had to think of many things. It was, indeed, no
small undertaking. What an outfit it was! I will give you some idea of
it.
Clothing for five years was to be provided; the very smallest article
must not be forgotten, even to needles, thread, and scissors.
It would never do again to be left without shoes, as I was in Apingi
Land, so I had seventy-two pairs of Balmoral lace-boots made specially
for journeying in the great forest, with soles flexible enough to allow
me to bend my feet while jumping from rock to rock, or from the base of
one tree to another. Besides these lace-boots I had twenty-four pairs
of shoes and twelve pairs of linen slippers. Twelve pairs of leggins
were to protect my legs from thorns, briers, and the bite of snakes; so
you see my feet and legs were to be well taken care of in that journey,
and for my further comfort I laid in twelve dozen pairs of socks. I
took so many because I do not know how to darn socks, and when a pair
became full of holes they would have to be thrown away.
All my shirts were made of light-colored flannel; these were more
healthy than linen shirts, and, besides economizing soap, it saved me
from the necessity of getting under-garments, and consequently allotted
me space which could be devoted to other articles.
With an eye to the great wear and tear of pantaloons, I had ordered six
dozen pairs made of the strongest twisted blue drill that could be got.
Instead of coats I ordered two dozen blouses, made of durable linen
stuff, of a color not easily seen in the woods. The blouse was a very
convenient garment, admitting of numerous pockets, in which I could
keep many things while on the march. Every thing was made for wear and
not for show, and to go through the thickest and most thorny jungle.
Several dozen pocket-handkerchiefs completed my wearing outfit. Besides
their ordinary use, these were to be worn, generally wet, inside the
three fine soft Panama hats I had provided to protect my head from the
rays of a burning sun. No collars, no neck-ties were necessary.
Clothes must be washed, so I took with me one hundred pounds of the
hardest Marseilles soap. That quantity was not much, but then I would
probably be able some time to make my own soap with palm-oil.
Then came the drugs, and these gave me more embarrassment than any
thing else. If it had been only to take medicines for myself, the
matter would have been simple enough. A compact little medicine-chest,
with an extra quantity of quinine, laudanum, and a few other remedies
used in tropical climates more frequently than in ours, would have
sufficed; but I had to think of my followers and porters--a retinue
that would sometimes number five and six hundred--and accordingly I
purchased
75 ounce bottles of quinine.
10 gallons of castor-oil.
50 pounds of Epsom salts.
2 quarts of laudanum.
These were the medicines which would be the most needed; but,
besides these, I had pretty nearly all the drugs to be found at the
apothecary's.
Of arsenic I took one hundred pounds, to preserve the skins of animals
and birds I expected to kill in my journeyings.
Most of these and my wearing apparel were packed in japanned tin
boxes, which would be serviceable afterward for the preservation of my
butterflies and stuffed birds. Tin boxes were safer than wooden ones;
the white ants would not be able to pierce through them.
Though I did not set out to make war, I felt that I ought to be
prepared for any emergency. Besides, I was to hunt, and I must have
guns. After a great deal of thinking it over, I came to the conclusion
that, for such a wild country, where I might get short of cartridges,
the greater part of my guns should be muzzle-loaders, so I bought
four splendid English muzzle-loaders, four long muzzle-loading
rifles, two very short smooth-bore muzzle-loaders, and two very short
muzzle-loading rifles.
Then I took a magnificent double-barrel breech-loading rifle which
could throw steel-pointed bullets weighing more than two ounces. I had
Dean and Adams's revolvers, magnificent arms that never got out of
order, and several long, formidable hunting-knives.
These guns were for my own special use, and they were supplied with
moulds for making bullets, etc., etc.
Besides these, I had ordered in Birmingham two hundred and fifty cheap
guns for my body-guard and the native king, to whom I might desire to
give one. Most of them were flint-locks, and of the pattern called the
Tower.
I had great trouble in knowing what quantity of ammunition to take,
for lead is heavy; but, then, what would a man do in a savage country
without powder and bullets?
The great difficulty with rifle muzzle-loaders is, that when the charge
has been driven home the bullets can not be easily withdrawn. So it is
with the revolvers; and a great deal of ammunition would be lost on
that account.
My ammunition consisted of 15,000 cartridges for my revolvers, in
soldered tin boxes of fifties; 15,000 bullets for my guns and rifles,
and lead for 20,000 more, for the practice of my men before starting
into the desert; 1000 pounds of small shot of different sizes, for
birds; 400 pounds of fine powder; 50,000 caps. I also took 200 10-pound
barrels of coarse powder for my body-guard and to give away to my
friends, or as presents.
So you see the warlike and hunting apparatus of the expedition was very
heavy, but we were to depend in a great measure on our guns for food.
Elephants, antelopes, hippopotami, gazelles, crocodiles, and monkeys
would be our chief diet. Then came the scientific instruments:
4 strong, splendid hunting-case watches, by Brock, London.
1 watch made by Frodsham, London.
48 spare watch-keys and 24 spare glasses.
3 sextants, 8, 6, and 4 inches radius.
1 binocular yachting-glass.
1 telescope.
1 universal sun-dial (a magnificent instrument).
1 aneroid.
2 compasses, prismatic, with stand, shades, and reflector three
inches in diameter, to take the bearings of land, etc., etc.
2 pocket compasses.
1 set drawing instruments (German silver).
2 dozen drawing-pens.
2 artificial horizons, folding roof, improved iron trough,
and bottles containing quicksilver, in sling case.
1 hypsometrical apparatus.
2 bull's-eye lanterns, copper boiler, three reservoirs for
spirits, oil, or candles.
3 thermometers for measuring heights and boiling water.
2 thermometers for the sun (to know its power).
2 thermometers graduated Fahrenheit and Centigrade.
1 thermometer graduated Centigrade and Reaumur.
1 powerful electro-magnetic machine, with 90 feet of
conducting wire or cord.
2 large magnifying-glasses.
7 pounds of mercury, in a bottle, as a reserve supply.
Parallel rule (German silver).
Protractor, circular, with compass rectifier, in a mahogany
box.
3 rain-gauges and spare glasses, to tell the amount of
rain falling at a given time.
Scale, 18 inches, metal, graduated to inches, and
sub-divided to tenths and hundredths, in a box.
Tape, 100 feet, to measure trees.
75 sheets of skeleton maps, ruled in squares, to mark
out in the rough my daily route as determined by
compass.
4 Nautical Almanacs, 1863, '4, '5, '6, to be used in my
astronomical observations; and several other scientific
books.
12 blank books for keeping my daily journal.
10 memorandum-books.
10 quires of paper.
Ink, pens, pencils, slates.
For illumination I provided 100 pounds of wax candles, 10 gallons of
spirits (alcohol) for lamps, thermometers, etc., etc.; 12 gross of
matches in boxes, each dozen boxes inclosed in a separate soldered tin
box. Though I had fire-steel and flint, the matches could light a fire
much quicker, and they were "big things" with the natives.
So you see I had a complete set of instruments, and in sufficient
number, so that in case of accident I could replace the injured one;
and accidents I knew were sure to happen.
If I did not explain to you why I took five watches, I am sure you
would say that I was foolish to spend so much money in watches. Then
let me tell you that I bought so many because I was afraid that if I
took only one or two, they might stop running, and in this event it
would have been impossible for me to know my longitude, that is to say,
how far east or west I might be, and to ascertain the day and month,
should illness have caused me to forget the calendar. No watch can be
safely depended upon to run for five years in such a climate without
cleaning. But as four of them had been made specially for the journey,
I felt assured that at least one or two out of the five would run till
my return.
But we have not yet done with my equipment. There were 18 boxes
containing photographic apparatus, with tent, and chemicals for 10,000
photographs. The transportation of these alone would require twenty men.
All that I have enumerated to you constituted but a small proportion of
the things that came on board, and were for my special use, with the
exception of the 250 common guns and a great part of the ammunition.
There are yet to be mentioned the presents for my old friends, who
had been so kind to me in my former journeys, and whom I hoped to see
again. These were the chiefs whose hospitality I had enjoyed, and my
dear hunters Aboko, Fasiko, Niamkala, Malaouen, Querlaouen, Gambo, dear
old Quengueza, Ranpano, Rikimongani, and Obindji, the Bakalai chief.
Presents, too, were indispensable for the people who were to take me
from tribe to tribe, and the right of way I knew would often have to
be bought. So more than two months had been spent by me in the London
clothing, hardware, and dry-goods establishments, finding what I wanted.
I bought more than 5000 pounds of beads of different sizes and colors,
several hundred pieces of cotton goods, some pieces of silks, coats,
waistcoats, shirts, 2000 _red caps_, a few umbrellas, files, knives,
bells, fire-steels, flints, looking-glasses, forks, spoons, some
_stove-pipe_ hats for the kings near the sea-shore, straw hats, etc.,
etc.
Then, to impress the wild people with what I could do, I bought several
large Geneva musical boxes, one powerful electrical battery, several
magnets, and six ship clocks, etc., etc.
The abundant results of the sale of my "Adventures in Equatorial
Africa," and the proceeds arising from the disposal of my gorillas,
and my collection of beasts, birds, insects, and shells, alone enabled
me to undertake this new expedition, for not one dollar has ever been
given by any scientific society to help me in any of my travels or
explorations; but I was very happy in expending a part of my means in
the interest of science and for the enlargement of our knowledge of
unknown countries. I only wish now I could have done more, but really I
think that I did the best I could.
Years had passed away since I had gone first to Africa, my parents were
both dead, I was alone in the world and the world was before me, and I
thought I could do nothing better than make another exploration.
I had made up my mind, without confiding my purpose to any one, to
cross the continent of Africa near the equator, from the west to the
head waters of the Nile, and to set out from the Commi country. I knew
my old negro friends would help me. That was the reason my outfit was
on so large a scale.
The only thing that worried me before my departure was our civil war,
but then I thought it was soon to end.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER II.
ON THE AFRICAN COAST.--MEETING WITH OLD FRIENDS.--CHANGES IN FOUR
YEARS.--THE CAPTAIN'S MISGIVINGS.
ON the 5th of August we sailed from London. I will not weary you with
a narrative of the voyage. The days passed pleasantly on board the
Mentor. By the end of the month of August we were not far from the
Tropic of Cancer. September glided away calmly, and on the 7th of
October Captain Vardon said that the following day we should come in
sight of land.
Accordingly, the next morning I heard from the main-top the cry of
"Land! land!" Two hours afterward from the deck I could discern the low
lands of the Commi country. Nearer and nearer the coast we came, until
we could see the white surf breaking with terrific force on the shore,
and hear the booming sound of the angry waves as they dashed against
the breakers. The country was so monotonous in its outlines that we
could not make out exactly where we were; we only knew that we were
south of Cape Lopez, and not very far from it. I thought it strange
that I could not recognize the mouth of the Fernand Vaz or Commi River.
No canoes could ride through the surf, so no natives could come on
board. In the evening we stood off the land and shortened sail, and
afterward we cast anchor.
[Illustration: DU CHAILLU MEETS HIS OLD FRIEND ADJOUATONGA.]
The next morning we sailed again in a southerly direction, and at
last we saw a canoe pass through the breakers; it came alongside, and
the negroes in it shouted in English, "Put down the anchor! Plenty of
ivory, plenty of every thing; load the ship in a fortnight."
We had passed the Fernand Vaz, having sailed too far south. The mouth
of the river itself is very difficult to discover. Perhaps you may
recollect my having formerly described it as discernible only by the
white surf combing over its bar, by large flocks of fish-eating birds
hovering in the air above it, and by a long, white sandy point forming
the extremity of the land on the left bank.[1]
[1] Explorations in Equatorial Africa.
As we approached the river, two canoes left the shore and made for
the vessel. In the first, as it neared us, I recognized my friend
Adjouatonga, a chief belonging to the clan Adjiéna, whose villages
occupied the mouth of the river. He climbed up the vessel's side, and
went to shake hands with the captain, and then advanced toward me to
do the same. I had not said a word, but upon my raising my hat, which
had been pulled down so as partly to conceal my face, and turning round
upon him, he stepped back in astonishment, and, recognizing me at
once, cried out in his own language, "Are you Chally, or his spirit?
Have you come from the dead? for we have heard you were dead. Tell me
quickly, for I do not know whether I am to believe my own eyes. Perhaps
I am getting a kendé" (an idiot, a fool). And I said, "Adjouatonga, I
am Chally, your friend!" The good fellow embraced me in a transport
of joy, but he hugged me so tight and so long that I wished his
friendship had been less enthusiastic. Four years had nearly gone by
since I had left the Commi country.
As the second canoe came nearer, I ordered Adjouatonga not to say a
word. My heart leaped for joy, for in it were my own people from the
dear, good old African Washington of mine. Sholomba, the nephew of
King Ranpano, was there, and my boy Macondai; all my former canoe-men,
Kombé, Ratenou, Oshimbo, were in that canoe. I longed for them to come
on board. I could hardly restrain myself; but I felt that I must appear
like as if I did not know them, and see whether they would recognize me.
In a moment they were on deck, and a wild shout of joy came from them,
"Our white man has come back! Chally! Chally!" and they all rushed
toward me. Good fellows! in their savage natures they loved me, and
they remembered the friend who had never wronged them. I was seized
and almost pulled to pieces, for they all wanted to hug me at the same
time. Captain Vardon looked with perfect amazement at the scene of
greeting. They seemed to be crazy with joy to see me again.
Then followed a long and confused account of what had taken place since
my departure, all talking at the same time.
When we had come back to our senses, the next subject to be considered
was how I was to get ashore. Of course I wished to go by the mouth of
the river, but Sholomba assured me it could not be done. The mouth of
the Fernand Vaz had changed much for the worse, and it would be less
dangerous to run a canoe through the surf to the beach than to attempt
to cross the bar of the river. It was now the beginning of the rainy
season, when the winds are less violent than in the dry season, but
the surf had not subsided from the agitation of the heavy south winds
of the dry season.
The anchor was cast, and I left the Mentor in Adjouatonga's canoe,
which was a better one than the other.
All was excitement in the canoe, and the men sang. Adjouatonga, looking
more and more anxious as we approached the rollers, rested outside for
a while, and then, at the proper moment, skillfully directed the frail
canoe over the crest of a huge wave, which bore us with lightning speed
to the beach, where I was caught up by the natives that were waiting
for us, and carried safely to dry land. Tremendous huzzas were given.
Once more I stood on African soil.
The people recognized me, and I was hurried along, amidst a crowd of
several hundred savages, all dancing and shouting with frantic joy,
across the sandy tongue of land to the banks of the Commi, my own Commi
River, where canoes were waiting to take us to Washington and to old
King Ranpano.
Time had wrought great changes in the land of my former explorations.
The mouth of the river had altered so much that I could hardly
recognize it. The long, sandy, reed-covered pits, which projected three
miles from the southern point of the river's mouth, and which had been
the scene of many hunting adventures with ducks, cranes, and sea-gulls,
had disappeared, and the sea had washed the sand away, and taken the
greater part of it to the northern side of the village of Elinde, whose
chief, Sangala, had given me so much trouble in former times. The spot
where Sangala's village had stood had become untenanted, and the people
had removed. Many a dear little island, where I used to hide to shoot
birds, had also been submerged or washed away, and I no longer saw the
flocks of sea-fowl which formerly frequented the locality.
I felt sad indeed; a pang of sorrow shot through me. It was like a
dream; the scene of my former hunting had vanished, and nothing but
the record of what I had written about the land was left. I can not
express to you the lonely feeling that came over me. Though every thing
was changed, the former picture of the landscape was before me. I
remembered every island, every little outlet, the herd of hippopotami,
the "Caroline" inside the bar quietly at anchor.
Oh, I would have given any thing if I could have seen the country as it
was when I left it! I had been so happy, I spent so many pleasant days
there, I had so loved to roam on that sandy point, and to lie on its
sand! Now it was nothing but a dream; it had been swept away.
The canoes in the river being ready, I embarked in one, followed by
all the others, the people singing, "Our ntangani (white man) has come
back. Oh, how we love our white man! Oh, how our white man loves us!
for he has come back to us. Yes, we never stole from our white man; our
white man remembers that, and he comes back to us, for he is not afraid
of us."
Paddling up the stream, many, many sights I recognized; many
mangrove-trees I remembered; the old banks of the river were familiar
to me. I looked eagerly at every thing around.
Halloo! what do I see yonder? a herd of hippopotami motionless in the
water, and looking for all the world like old logs stuck in the mud.
Familiar species of cranes stalked about here and there, the pelican
swam majestically, the kingfishers were watching for their prey, with
white cranes and ducks not far from them.
Thus we glided along up the river. My heart was full; I did not speak
a word. Soon we came in front of my old settlement of Washington, of
which I gave you a picture in my Apingi Kingdom.
Oh! what do I see? Nothing but ruins! The houses had all tumbled down;
a few bamboos and rotting poles alone remained to show me where my big
house stood. The four trees between which my house had been built were
still there; the gum copal tree was in front. The little village for my
men was not to be seen; desolation had taken possession of the place.
One single house was still standing. The men stopped their singing;
their faces became sad. A feeling that some misfortune had happened
seized me.
I got up and shouted, looking the men steadily in the face, "Where is
Rikimongani, my friend, he whom I intrusted with the settlement of
Washington?" "Dead, dead," said they. "The people were jealous that you
loved him so well, and they did not want him to see you again, and they
bewitched him; he fell ill, and died."
"Rikimongani dead!" I exclaimed. I took off my hat as we passed the
place, and said, "Oh, how sorry I am, Rikimongani! What shall I do with
the fine old coat I have for you? what shall I do with the nice cane
and the fine hat I have brought for you? Oh, dear Rikimongani, I have
many presents for you. Rikimongani, did you know how much I loved you?"
"See," shouted the men, "how much he loved Rikimongani!"
"Oh yes," said the canoe-men, "he always talked of you, and said he was
sure you would come back, though we all said that you would not, and
that you would forget us. Rikimongani used to say, 'One day we shall
see a white sail, and Chally will be on board, and he will land and
come to see us again.' In the evenings he would talk of you to us boys."
Tears filled my eyes. Then Sholomba whispered to me, "When the wizards
who were accused of having bewitched Rikimongani were about to drink
the mboundou, they said, 'Chally has killed Rikimongani, for he will
never come back here, and he loves Rikimongani so much that he has
killed him, so that he might have his spirit always with him.' And,"
said Sholomba, "many believed them, but many did not."
"We must not land here," said Sholomba. "Chally, you must never build
here; the people are afraid of the place; nobody will dare to come
here, for people die always in this place. Several times villages had
been built, and the people had to leave this spot. Witchcraft is here."
I felt that I had come back to a wild life, full of superstitions and
legends.
We paddled till we came two miles above my place of Washington, which
had brought back so many reminiscences to me. Though I would have
liked to build again there, I could not think of it on account of the
superstitious dread of the natives for the spot.
When we stopped, Sholomba and Djombouai had reached their little
village. Ranpano was away from home, on the Ogobai River. So I resolved
to build a new settlement close to their village.
Messengers were sent to King Ranpano to tell him to come, and the news
spread over the country that Chally had come back, and the people from
all the villages and the country round came trooping by land and water
to see their old friend, and to hear about the stores of good things he
had brought with him. They came pouring in day after day, camping in
the woods, on the prairie, every where. They would endure hunger rather
than go home. Many, many an old face I saw; many a kind-hearted woman
came and told me how glad she was to see me; many boys and girls who
had grown up said they wanted to work for me; many people brought me
presents of food.
How pleased I was! Oh yes, I had tried to do right with these savages,
and they knew it, and they loved me for it. I knew that not one of them
thought unkindly of me.
The day after my landing I dispatched Sholomba with a canoe filled
with paddlers up the river. Those among you who have followed me in my
former adventures must guess where I sent that canoe.
To the village of King Quengueza, that dear old chief. I wanted to see
his face. I had brought great numbers of presents for him, to show him
that in the white man's country I had thought of him. I had brought
presents for many of his people, his nephews, sons, and nieces. His old
faithful slaves were not forgotten--good old Etia among them; and his
head slave Mombon.
So one canoe had gone for friend Ranpano, and another for good old
Quengueza.
Canoes strong enough to go through the surf were coming from all the
villages. Huts were given to me in which to store my goods, and now we
had reached the point of bringing them ashore.
It was necessary for me to go on board the Mentor, and arrange the
mode of disembarkation of my extensive outfit and stock of goods. As
the mouth of the river had become unsafe on account of the breaking-up
of the sandy spit, and was now an uninterrupted line of breakers, we
resolved to land every thing on the beach through the surf, and then
carry them across to the river, and put them in other canoes, which
were to carry them to my new settlement.
So on the 14th I went to the schooner, and slept on board that night.
Captain Vardon was somewhat anxious; he had never been on this wild and
unfrequented part of the coast, so far from any civilized settlements,
and when he saw me he was delighted, and said that he began to think
that the natives had murdered me. He had kept an armed guard on the
watch all the time, for, said he, such a country looked exactly like
one where the natives could pounce upon the unsuspecting vessel, murder
the crew, and rob the ship. I assured him that there was no danger;
that I could do what I wished with the Commi people, as he would be
able to see for himself; and that, though many of the boxes would have
to be opened, and the goods deposited loose in the canoes, not a single
thing would be stolen.
Knowing the negroes of the Coast (for he had been a trader), he seemed
somewhat incredulous at my statement.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER III.
LANDING GOODS.--AMONG THE BREAKERS.--KING RANPANO.--LOSS OF
INSTRUMENTS.--KING QUENGUEZA.--A PALAVER.--CHANGING NAMES.
THE next morning, at daybreak, three canoes came alongside to take off
the cargo. The men brought the news that King Ranpano had arrived, and
was on the beach.
My most precious things were lowered into the canoes, and when every
thing was ready, the captain concluded to go ashore with me.
The captain and I got into the canoe containing all my scientific
instruments, medicines, some of my best guns, my watch chronometers,
five Geneva musical boxes, etc., etc. Before we left the captain
ordered the mate to keep a sharp lookout, and fasten to the anchors
seventy fathoms of chain, for the sea was heavy. The crew came to say
good-by to me, and as our canoes left the side of the Mentor they gave
three cheers for me. Then, as fast as our paddles could propel us, we
made for the beach.
As we approached the breakers, the faces of the canoe-men looked
anxious, for the swells were heavy, and I could hear the roar of the
surf. Nearer and nearer we came. The two other canoes were ahead of us.
The men were watching the swells, resting on their paddles. At last we
hear their cheers; they plunge their paddles into the water, and onward
they go toward the shore, rolling on the top of a heavy, long swell.
My men thought we were too late, as we were behind, and had better
wait for the next lull. In the mean time we watched the two canoes;
they seemed for a while to be buried in the foaming billows. "Surely,"
I said to Captain Vardon, "those canoes will never reach the shore
safely."
"I don't believe they will," was his answer.
"We had reached a point just outside the breakers, where we watch; the
two canoes appear again; they have not capsized; the men are covered
with spray; they are paddling as hard as they can; they are over the
breakers; they land safely; the people on the shore seize the canoes,
and bring them up the beach.
Now our time has come, and the men are watching anxiously. I have the
finest canoe-men of the Commi tribe in my canoe. Oshimbo holds the
steering-paddle. Kombé, Ratenou, Ondonga, Gonwe, Sholomba, and the
others, are not only splendid paddlers, but they all swim like fish--a
very important thing for me if we capsize. My sixteen men are resting
on their paddles; they are all looking outside, and watching the heavy
rollers as they come in. Generally six of these come, and then there
is a kind of a lull. "Get ready! paddle hard!" shouted Oshimbo. The
men gave a terrific Commi hurra, and down went their paddles, and with
heavy strokes we got on what we thought a gentle swell. We had hardly
got on it when the swell became higher and higher, carrying us almost
with lightning speed; then it began to crest itself; we were caught,
and finally were dashed upon a white foaming wave with fearful force.
"Be careful!" shouted Oshimbo. "Have your eyes upon our white man!"
Though we did not upset, our canoe was partly filled with water, and
the rush of the wave had prevented Oshimbo's paddle from acting as a
rudder, and the canoe was now lying broadside at the mercy of the next
wave that should come.
"Hurry!" shouted Oshimbo to the men; "let us bring back the canoe's
head on to the waves!" and the men put forth all their might to rescue
us from our perilous position. Just as we had succeeded in bringing
the canoe round, a second immense roller, coming from far out at
sea, and mounting higher and higher as it approached, threatened our
destruction. We were in fearful suspense. Perhaps we will be able to
ride upon it; perhaps it will break ahead of us. It was a terrific one.
My men cried again with one voice, "Let us look out for our white man!"
These words were hardly uttered when the huge wave broke over the stern
of our canoe with appalling force, instantly upsetting it and hurling
us into the sea, where we were deeply submerged in the spray.
I do not know how I ever got back on the surface of the water, but
when I did I was some forty feet from the canoe, and all the men were
scattered far and wide.
I was almost stunned. Breaker upon breaker succeeded each other with
awful rapidity, sending us rolling about under them, and giving us
hardly time to breathe. The sea all round became a mass of foaming
billows. By this time all my faithful negroes were around me, shouting
to each other, "To our ntangani--our ntangani (white man)!" It was
indeed high time, for I felt myself sinking. A minute more, and I would
have sank helpless to the bottom of the sea, never to rise again. The
Commi swam round me and held me up, till another wave would scatter us
again, and then they came back to my succor.
In spite of all their efforts, I became weaker and weaker. They had
succeeded in ridding me of the greater part of my clothing, but,
notwithstanding this relief, my strength was fast failing me, and I had
drank large quantities of salt water.
I cried, "Where is the captain? Go for him!" My cry was just in time,
for he was in his last struggle for life. Once we had got hold of the
canoe, but the waves had made us loose our grip. Loud shouts came
from the shore; the people were almost frantic. Canoe after canoe was
launched, but only to be swamped in the breakers the next instant.
At length the tumult of the waves subsided; there came a lull, and the
rising tide had driven us toward the beach. We were not far from it,
indeed, and now we rested a little, holding fast to our capsized canoe.
At last a canoe succeeded in leaving the shore, and came to our rescue.
As it reached us the crew jumped into the sea to give us their places,
and, in order not to load it too heavily, they swam alongside, holding
fast to it to keep it steady.
As we neared the shore, the natives did not wait for me to land, but
ran into the water, and, seizing me, carried me off in their arms, in
the midst of deafening cries and cheers, the women wringing their hands
and shouting, "The sea wanted _to eat_ our white man; the sea wanted
_to eat_ our white man."
The people led me into a thicket of trees, where a bright fire was
lighted, and whom should I see but King Ranpano seated on the ground,
his little idol before him, his eyes shining with excitement, and his
body trembling all over. I drew myself up, trying to look haughty and
displeased.
"Ranpano," I said, "if any one had told me that you did not care for
me, I would not have believed them. What!" said I, "every one was on
the shore to see what they could do to save us from drowning; even your
wife, the queen, was there, and went into the sea to catch me as we
landed, and I might have died and been drowned for all that you cared.
You were cold, and you sat by the fire."
"Oh," said Ranpano, "my white man die in the water? Never, while I am
alive! How could it be? how could it be? Oh no, Chally, you could not
be drowned--you could not, my white man; my Chally will never die in
our country. I have a fetich, and as long as I wear it you can not be
drowned. I was talking to my idol; I was invoking before her the spirit
of my father to protect you in the sea. When the waves were around you,
I begged the idol to send the sharks away from you. Oh, Chally, I would
not leave the idol for fear you might perish. Oh!" exclaimed Ranpano,
with a stentorian voice, "there are people already jealous of me and of
my village. Some village has sent an aniemba to upset the canoe."
The wildest excitement prevailed around me. I was partly stunned, and
I had drunk a great deal of salt water. Poor Captain Vardon had a
narrow escape, and, as he said, he was sinking when my boys--my good
boys--clinched him. And once more I thanked silently the great God that
had watched so mercifully over me.
After a while I realized the severe blow I had received when the
great loss I had sustained presented itself to my mind. Scientific
instruments, watch chronometers, medicines, guns, musical instruments,
etc., etc., had gone to the bottom of the sea.
"Oh dear," said I to myself, "I must remain here on this barren and
lonely coast, and wait for a vessel to come back and bring me new
scientific instruments, for without them I can not go across the
continent toward the Nile. I wish to make a good map of the country,
to take accurate astronomical observations, to determine the height of
the mountains, and to be able to ascertain at any time the day and the
month if I should forget their regular succession in the calendar, and,
without my instruments, all this will be impossible."
I can not tell you how sorry I felt. That evening I felt utterly
heart-broken, and I could have cried. "But," said I to myself, "to bear
my misfortune with fortitude is true manhood;" and, though it was hard
to believe it, I knew that all that had happened was for the best.
Captain Vardon felt a sincere sympathy with me. The poor man was
himself an object of commiseration, for he was so exhausted and had
drank so much water that he was quite ill.
My mind was made up, however, that very day as to what I should do.
I must manage to have a letter reach the island of Fernando Po, and
then that letter would be forwarded to London. That letter will be for
Messrs. Baring Brothers, and I will ask them to send me a vessel with
all I need.
The next night, as I lay on my hard bed pondering my wondrous escape
from the deep sea, I could not help thinking bitterly of the heavy loss
I had sustained. It was not so much for the large sum of money that had
been sacrificed, but for the great waste of time this catastrophe had
entailed upon me.
I could not sleep; these thoughts kept me awake. I turned from side to
side in the hope that an easier position would put me to sleep, but it
was of no avail, when suddenly I heard the sound of the natives' bugles
on the river. The people were blowing their bugles made of antelopes'
horns, and then I heard the songs of a multitude of paddlers. The sound
became more and more distinct as the canoes neared my cabin. Then I
could hear distinctly, "Quengueza, our king, comes to see his great
friend Chally--Chally, who has returned from the white man's country."
Soon after the singing stopped, and I knew that they had landed.
All my gloomy fancies were soon forgotten, and I got up and dressed
myself as quickly as possible. As I opened my door, whom should I
see, as quiet as a statue in front of my hut, but King Quengueza, the
venerable chief. He opened his arms to receive me, and we hugged each
other without saying a word. The great and powerful African chief, the
dread of the surrounding tribes and clans, the great warrior, held me
in his arms, and after a while he said, "Chally, I would have staid
before your door all night if I had not seen you. I could not go to
sleep without embracing you, for you do not know how much I love you.
You do not know how many times I have thought of you, and many, many
times I have said to my people, 'We shall not see Chally again.' And
first, when Sholomba told me you had come, and had sent for me, I said,
'Sholomba, this is a lie; Chally has not come. Four rainy seasons and
four dry seasons have passed away, and if he had intended coming he
would have been here long ago. No, Sholomba, why do you come and make
fun of me? It is a lie; Chally has not come--Chally has not come, and
he will not come any more to the country of the black man.'"
"Here I am," I said, "friend Quengueza; your friend Chally is before
you. He has thought of you many and many a time in the white man's
country; he has not forgotten you;" and I whispered in his ears, "He
has brought you a great many fine things which no black man has seen
before, and which no black man will have but yourself."
Then the old chief ordered his attendants to retire, and when he had
entered my little hut I lighted a torch, and he looked at me and I
looked at him without our saying a word. Then I seated myself on the
edge of my bed, and the king seated himself on the little stool close
to me, and filled his pipe with native Ashira tobacco, and we had a
long talk.
I said, "Quengueza, I have come. Since I saw you a great many things
have happened. I have been in different countries of the white man.
Many know you, many love you, for I have told the white man what great
friends we were--how much we loved each other. I have told them how
kind you were to your friend Chally; that every thing he wanted you
gave to him, and that not one of your people ever took any thing from
Chally--if he had he would have had his head cut off or been sold into
slavery. Many white men and white women, boys and girls, know you, and
I have presents from them for you, which you shall see in a few days.
I have told them what we did together, how we went into the woods
together, and how we cut that big ebony-tree"--here I stopped a while,
and presently said, "how I hope to go farther inland than I have ever
been, and will come back again by the sea."
Then I remained silent, and the old chief rose up, the shadow of his
stately form falling behind him. For a few moments he did not utter a
word, and then he said,
"Chally, my town is yours; my forests, my slaves are yours; all the
girls and women of my village are yours; I will have no will of my own
when you are with me. You shall be the chief, and whatever you say
shall be obeyed. You shall never know hunger as long as there is a
plantain-tree on our plantation, or a wild animal in the forests. And,
Chally, when you shall say 'I must go--go far away, where nobody has
been,' I will let you go; I will help you to go, though my heart will
be sad when you depart."
I found Quengueza still in mourning for his brother, whom he had
succeeded, and that he had taken his brother's name, "Oganda," which is
the name taken by every chief of the Abouya clan. What a queer custom
they have! The law of inheritance there is from brother to brother, and
Quengueza's name had been Ratenou Kombé Quengueza, and now came the
last, which he was to carry to his grave, OGANDA.
I said, "Friend Quengueza, it will be hard for me to call you Oganda,
for the name by which I have learned to love you is Quengueza."
"Never mind, Chally, call me Quengueza," said he; and, as he left my
hut, he implored me once more in a whisper not to tell any one that I
had brought him presents, "for," said he, "if the people knew that you
had brought me many fine things, they would bewitch me, and I should
die."
I saw that poor Quengueza was as superstitious as ever.
The old chief then went to the hut that had been prepared for him
during his visit to me. By this time it was four o'clock in the
morning, and the cock in the village had already begun to crow when I
lay down to sleep.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER IV.
HONEST AFRICANS.--DISTRIBUTING PRESENTS.--QUENGUEZA'S
DIPLOMACY.--ANOTHER PALAVER.--A NEW SETTLEMENT.--RABOLO'S
MONDA.--RANPANO'S SUPERSTITION.
THE day after the arrival of Quengueza, word was sent to me by the
canoe-men on the shore that the surf was quiet, and that canoes could
go to sea and return in perfect safety.
During the day seven large canoes were carried over the narrow tongue
of land to the beach, and twenty-one remained on the river-side to take
to my new settlement the goods that would be landed.
It was important to expedite as much as possible the landing of the
goods, for this would only be safe for a few days, till the change of
the moon.
The next morning, at daylight, seven canoes left for the vessel, and
each canoe made that day three trips, so that twenty-one canoe-loads of
goods were landed and carried across to the canoes on the river. Then
we got ready to go home, but not before hauling high up on the beach
our seven sea-canoes.
After four days' hard work, seventy canoe-loads had been landed, and
the cargo was all ashore. I breathed freely once more; not a load had
been swamped. We had just finished when the breakers became dangerous
again, and in a day or two more it would have been impossible to go
through them.
Not an article was missing. Captain Vardon was amazed. I said to him,
"Did I not tell you that my Commi men would not steal?"
You would have laughed to see the miscellaneous articles which formed
part of the cargo. Many of them were specially manufactured for the
African market, and the heavy goods were to be given to Quengueza,
Ranpano, Olenga-Yombi, Obindji, and the chiefs living on the banks of
the Rembo and Ovenga rivers.
The great trouble was to put all the goods under shelter. They had to
be stored in several huts. There were no locks on the doors, but I was
not afraid of the people, and my confidence was justified, for not an
article was stolen. Captain Vardon wondered at it; he had been a trader
for a good many years on the Coast, and said it was marvelous. So it
was; there is no city in any Christian country where these thousands of
dollars' worth of goods could be as safe. I loved the Commi, and the
Commi loved me.
After every thing had been housed, I thought it was time to make a
distribution of the presents I intended for my friends. Quengueza's
presents will give you a fair idea of the articles I had brought into
the country.
So one afternoon I went for friend Quengueza when every body was taking
their afternoon nap. He followed me, accompanied by several of his
great men, nephews, and wives; for a great king like Quengueza could
not walk alone; he must have a retinue, or escort. Quengueza was very
fond of this sort of thing, but that day he did not like it a bit; he
did not want his people to see what I was going to give him, but he
did not dare to send them away, so he whispered into my ear, "Chally,
send them away when you come to your house, for I do not want any body
inside."
So I dismissed Quengueza's people, and, after Quengueza and I had
entered the hut, he closed the door himself, to make sure, and peeped
through the crevices to see that nobody was trying to look in. Then he
seated himself and awaited developments.
I opened a chest filled with presents for him. The first thing I
displayed before his wide-open eyes was a huge long coat, similar to
those worn by the London beadles. This coat had been made specially for
his majesty, and to fit his tall figure, for Quengueza was over six
feet high. It was of the most glaring colors--blue, with yellow fringe,
and lined with red. There was also a splendid plush waistcoat, with big
brass buttons. His coat fell to his feet. I gave him no pantaloons, for
Quengueza never liked to wear them.
After Quengueza's admiring eyes had looked with amazement on his
splendid coat and bright yellow waistcoat, he must try them on; but,
before doing so, he went again to see that no one was peeping in. I
wondered why his majesty, who was a perfect despot, was so much afraid.
Having put on his robe or morning-gown, I gave him an enormous
drum-major's cane, with a tremendous gilded head, to be used as
a staff.[2] He stiffened himself at the sight, and asked for a
looking-glass, in which he regarded himself with an air of supreme
satisfaction. Then I took out of my trunk my opera hat, which of
course was flat when shut up, and gave it a slight punch, when
the springs immediately threw it out into the shape of a splendid
_stove-pipe hat_, to the utter astonishment and bewilderment of King
Quengueza. Then I put the hat on his head, and his majesty walked to
and fro, drawing himself to his full height. After some minutes he took
off his imperial costume, putting the clothes back in the chest where
they came from, and proceeded to inspect the other presents, among
which were
6 pieces of silk, of different colors.
100 pieces of calico prints.
6 silver spoons, knives, and forks.
1 silver goblet.
1 magnificent red, blue, and yellow silk umbrella.
Among the larger articles were
1 common brass kettle.
100 iron bars, 6 feet long, 1-3/4 wide.
50 large copper plates 24 inches in diameter.
50 small brass kettles.
50 iron pots.
50 guns.
50 kegs of powder.
25 wash-basins.
12 dozen plates.
6 dozen glasses.
300 pounds of beads, of different colors and sizes.
50 pine chests.
200 pairs of ear-rings for his wives.
Several chests containing trinkets, mirrors, files, forks,
knives, etc.
A chest filled with nice presents sent to him by some of my friends.
[2] See Frontispiece.
The chests were his delight, for the wealth of a king here is composed
chiefly of chests, which, of course, are supposed to be filled with
goods.
King Quengueza never thought that his friend Chally would have
remembered him so profitably.
After showing him all these things, I made him a speech, and said, in
a low tone, "Quengueza, Chally has a heart (ore'ma); he has a heart
that loves you. When he left you the last time he was poor, and had
nothing to give you, but you loved him the same as if he had possessed
a thousand chests filled with goods. Now he is rich, and has just come
back from the white man's country, and he brings you all these fine
presents, for Chally loves you;" and when I said "loves you" I looked
at him steadily in the face. The sight of all this wealth had almost
dumbfounded the old man, and for a while he could not speak. Finally he
said,
"Do you love me, Chally? If you do, do not tell the people what you
have given me, or they will bewitch me to have my property."
The fear of witchcraft was a great defect in the character of poor
Quengueza. He was always in dread of being bewitched, and consequently
of dying.
Then he knelt down and clasped my feet with his hands, and, with his
face distorted by fear, begged me again not to tell any body in the
country what I had given him. This taking hold of a man's feet is the
most imploring way of asking a favor; it was the first time in his life
that Quengueza, the great chief of the Abouya clan, had done such a
thing. I promised him, of course, never to tell any thing to his people.
After a while he went away, and his subjects crowded round him,
expecting fully to hear what fine things his friend Chally had brought
him, when I heard him shout, with the loudest voice he could summon,
"My friend Chally knows nothing but talk, and has brought me nothing."
Coming toward me, he repeated the statement just as loudly, and looked
at me at the same time with an imploring sort of a look, as if to say,
"Do not say any thing." But Quengueza's people knew me better; they
knew very well that Chally, the great friend of Quengueza, would not
come back from the white man's country without bringing him something,
and they were smiling all the while, for they were well acquainted with
the ways of their beloved old chief, who was a miser, and never wanted
his people to know what he possessed. I kept his presents till his
departure.
I gave presents also to good old Ranpano, to the chiefs that had come
to see me, to their wives, and to my old friends, and then the people
returned to their different villages. Quengueza's people were busy
every day collecting the long bamboo-like branches of palm-trees for my
new settlement, which they were to build for me.
Before the departure of the chiefs, I assembled them, and we held a
grand palaver, at which they agreed that the Mentor should not leave
their country until they had laden her with their products--woods,
India-rubber, ivory, wax, etc.
The night Quengueza took leave his confidential slaves were busy taking
his presents from my hut to the large canoes they had with them,
which having been safely accomplished, they departed before daylight.
Quengueza threatened with death any one of his men who should say a
word of what had passed.
Then, for the first time since my arrival, it looked as if I was going
to have a quiet time. I was glad of it, for I had been ill with fever,
and wanted rest and quiet in order to get well. Old Ranpano would stay
for hours by my bedside, hardly ever uttering a word, but I could see
by his face that the old man felt anxiety on my account. He would say
sometimes, "Chally, Chally, you must not be ill; none of my people want
to see you ill. I love you; we all love you;" and when he went away he
muttered words which no doubt were invocations to spirits, for Ranpano,
like the rest of his people, was very superstitious.
The superstition of the natives being so great about the site of my
old settlement of Washington, I found it was impossible to build there
again. Not far from it there was a nice spot, just on the bank of the
river, which I liked very much; but at that spot there was a little
Commi village, whose chief was called Rabolo. The only thing to be done
was to buy Rabolo out, and I succeeded in purchasing the whole village
for several guns, some kegs of powder, a brass kettle, a few brass
rings and iron bars, and two or three pieces of cloth. I allowed the
people to take the houses away with them, and I set to work immediately
to build my new settlement.
Quengueza's people went at it vigorously, and, with the help of
Ranpano's people, we began building in earnest, Captain Vardon, myself,
and a negro being the carpenters. The doors and windows we made with
the bottoms of large canoes.
The smaller buildings were soon finished, and the people were hard at
work on my large dwelling-house; but when we came to the veranda, and
the posts had to be put in the ground, my men were suddenly seized
with fear.
There was in the ground a formidable _monda_, or fetich, which my
friend Rabolo had buried in his village before I purchased it, and
which happened to be exactly upon the site of my house, and almost in
front of my door.
Poor Rabolo had never dreamed that I would build my house just on that
very spot.
Rabolo was not in town, and the builders did not dare to remove the
monda, declaring that there would be a great palaver if they touched
Rabolo's monda; "for," said they, "Rabolo's monda, which he has put
in the ground, is a very good one; for, since his village has been
established, twelve dry and twelve rainy seasons ago, no one has died
there." This was no great monda after all, for Rabolo's village was
only composed of his family, and there were fifteen inhabitants in all,
not including the dogs, goats, fowls, and parrots.
Rabolo was sent for. He was loth to agree to have the monda removed;
"for," said he, "not one of us has died since I made it. You can not
take it." "Then," said I, "Rabolo, give me back the goods I have given
you; I must go somewhere else." But poor Rabolo had given away the
goods--had bought two more wives--and could not give me back my money.
I knew it, and was firm. I insisted that the whole place belonged to
me; that I bought it, above the ground and under the ground, to the
very water's edge. So at last Rabolo, with a sad face, consented to
have the monda removed.
To enter Rabolo's settlement you had to go under a portal, which was
made of two upright poles and a crossbar. Round the poles grew a
talismanic creeper, which had been planted immediately after the queer
gate had been erected; but at the erection of the gate there were great
ceremonies, for Rabolo's powerful monda was to be buried in the ground,
and that monda was to protect the village, and Rabolo and his family,
from aniemba (witchcraft) and death; so I did not wonder that it was
with a frightened face poor Rabolo allowed me to take away what he
considered the protector of himself and family.
Rabolo was a quiet man--a good man; not a bloodthirsty savage. His
little village lived at peace with all the Commi villages around him.
Rabolo asked to be allowed to take the monda away himself. This I
granted. Then he began to cut the bushes and the creeper, which was of
the same kind that grew on the gate, that in the course of time had
grown over his talisman, and, digging a hole in the ground, soon came
to the spot where the wonderful monda lay. The first thing he turned up
was the skull of a chimpanzee; then came the skull of a man, probably
of one of the ancestors of Rabolo. The people were looking in silence
at the scene before them; they seemed to think that Rabolo was doing a
wonderful thing, and some thought that he would have to pay with his
life for his daring deed. Poor superstitious fellow! around the skulls
were pieces of pottery and crockery of all sorts, which had been put
there as an offering, or to keep company with the skulls.
Then we went to the entrance, and he removed the upright posts of the
gate, and cut away the creeper that twined itself around it. This
creeper was a long-lived species, and the superstition was that as long
as it kept alive the monda would retain its power. Rabolo dug in the
sandy soil of the prairie near where the creeper grew, and turned up
more skulls of chimpanzees and broken pieces of pottery. The two idols
on either side of the gate were removed also.
A few days after, I heard the people say that it was Rabolo's monda
that had made me come to that spot; for they believe, in that far-away
country which is the land of the chimpanzee, that the chimpanzee and
the white man have something to do with each other, the pale yellow
face of the chimpanzee seeming somewhat to resemble ours, while the
dark face of the gorilla leads them to believe that the gorilla sprung
from the black man. Skulls of chimpanzees were just now in great
demand, as mondas were to be made with them in many villages, for they
were fully persuaded that if they had them people from the land of the
white man would come and settle among them.
Four weeks after my arrival in the Commi country my new settlement was
built, and was exactly like my old settlement of Washington, a picture
of which I gave you in my Apingi Kingdom, and I gave to it the name of
Plateau, on account of the country being flat.
After the completion of my house there was great excitement in the
settlement. Ranpano had declared that he could not enter my house; a
doctor had told him that some person who was an aniemba, a wizard, had
made a monda, a charm, and had put it under the threshold of the door
of my house, so that if he entered my hut the witch or aniemba would go
into him, and he would die.
I got furious at Ranpano's superstition, and said to him that, while
he pretended to love me, he insulted me by not coming to see me. His
answer was that he loved me. His people felt badly about it. Doctors
were sent for; they drank the mboundou, and declared that it was true
that some one wanted to bewitch him, and had put a monda under my door
to kill him.
Immediately ceremonies for driving away the witch were begun. For
three days they danced almost incessantly, making a terrible noise
near my premises, which almost set me crazy; drums were beating day
and night. At the end of the third day I heard suddenly a tremendous
noise made with the drums, and a gun was fired at my door. Ranpano
entered muttering invocations, and wild with excitement, and the people
declared that the aniemba under my door that was to kill the king had
been driven away.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER V.
DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR. AND MRS. THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS
IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A
TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING
OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.
THE day of departure of the Mentor had come. My heart was heavy; my
good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me. I was
to be left all alone in that wild country, when but a few months before
I had been in the big city of London. How lonely I should feel! My old
life was to come again.
It was the 18th of January, 1864. I remember well the day, for I left
the shore with Captain Vardon to go on board the Mentor, which was to
sail that day for London.
Captain Vardon and I did not talk much--our hearts were too full; but
the good captain kept repeating to me, "My dear good friend, I do not
like to leave you in this wild part of the world all alone; who will
take care of you when you are sick?"
"Captain," I said, "God will take care of me."
Soon after we reached the vessel the anchor was weighed, the sails were
shaken out, the jibs were set, and the schooner began to make a little
headway.
I was loth to part with the dear little schooner Mentor, for I knew I
should never see it again, and perhaps I should never see good Captain
Vardon again.
When the moment of parting arrived, my negroes stood ready to receive
me in their canoe alongside. I took Captain Vardon by the hand for a
little time; we looked each other in the face without saying a word;
our eyes were big--a little more, and tears would have rolled from
them. I went over the vessel's side, Captain Vardon still holding my
hand, and began to descend the stairs into the canoe, when the captain
was obliged to let my hand go. In a minute I was in the canoe; the
canoe and the vessel parted company, and the distance between them
began rapidly to widen. My men gave three cheers for the Mentor; the
sailors responded, all standing by the bulwarks looking at me.
Captain Vardon had on board with him as passengers two chimpanzees,
Thomas, and his wife Mrs. Thomas. Thomas was, I judge, about three
years old, and Mrs. Thomas might have been a year old. Mr. Thomas was a
tricky little rascal, and I had any amount of fun with him. He was very
tame, like all the young chimpanzees.
Thomas's capture was attended with adventures. He was with his mother
in the woods; the mother was killed, and Thomas was seized and brought
to the village two days after. Before he was tamed he escaped into the
forest. The dogs were sent after him, and he was speedily retaken, but
not without his having bitten the dogs and been severely bitten by
them in return. Several of his fingers were broken, and upon knitting
together they left his hand in a distorted condition.
I was compelled to keep Master Tom tied, for after he was quite tame
he became very troublesome, and would go into my hut and disturb every
thing. He would upset the plates, break the glasses, and when he saw
the mischief he had done he would run off, and that was the last seen
of him for the day. So I tied him by a cord to a pole under the veranda
of my hut, and at the foot of the pole I built a little house, into
which he could retire when he pleased. Every day it was filled with
fresh straw from the prairie, and he enjoyed it very much, and loved to
sleep on it.
Every thing I ate Tom would eat; every thing I drank Tom would drink;
tea, coffee, lemonade were drinks he liked very much. He would eat
fish, crocodile, turtle, elephant, hippopotamus, chicken, bananas,
plantains, biscuit, etc., etc.
Among the pets I had with me was a cat. One day the cat came near Tom's
pole, when suddenly Master Tom, who had never seen a cat, flew in
alarm to his pole, and clambered up it, the hair on his body becoming
erect, and his eyes glaring with excitement. He really looked like a
porcupine-chimpanzee, such as I had never seen before.
In a moment, recovering himself, he came down, and, rushing to the cat
before pussy had time to run away, with one of his feet-like hands he
seized the nap of the animal, and with the other pressed on its back,
as if trying to break its neck or spine. He was jerking the poor cat
as hard as he could when I came to the rescue--just in time, for I am
sure, if the struggle had lasted two or three minutes more, the cat
would have been killed. The poor cat could not turn its head and bite,
nor use its paws for scratching, and was, indeed, utterly helpless.
The big chimpanzees and the gorillas are said to fight the formidable
leopard in that manner. It must be a grand sight to see such an
encounter.
One day, while hunting, my dogs captured another young chimpanzee,
which I gave to Master Tom for a wife. He seemed exceedingly fond of
her, and would spend the greater part of his time in embracing her.
Their married life appeared one of unalloyed happiness. Unfortunately,
Mrs. Thomas was never very strong, and she died of consumption on the
passage, to the great sorrow of Mr. Thomas, who felt very sad for a
good many days after her death.
I am happy to say that Mr. Thomas reached London in very good health,
in the beginning of the year 1864, and was presented in my name to the
Crystal Palace at Sydenham, near London, by Captain Vardon.
There he received a complete education; a nice place was built for him
in the conservatory, where the exotic plants grew well, and there, for
the sum of sixpence, he would sell his photograph to any one who chose
to buy it. His principle was, money first, _carte de visite_ afterward;
and if, perchance, any visitor took off his _carte de visite_ without
paying for it, he would rush forward, screaming, to the length of his
tether, to prevent this irregular transaction, and would not cease his
noisy expressions till the money was paid down. Then he would give a
low grunt in sign of satisfaction.
Thomas thrived well there, and there was a prospect of his living many
years; but he met with an untimely end when the Crystal Palace burnt.
The poor fellow met his death in the flames, but not before giving the
most fearful screams of despair, which were unavailing, since no one
could reach him.
The breeze was stiff, and carried the Mentor swiftly away from the
shore as we paddled toward the breakers. I turned my head back now and
then to have a look at the dear little schooner.
We passed safely through the breakers, and after landing I seated
myself to look for the last time at the vessel as she glided away;
fainter and fainter became the sails, till finally I could see nothing
but the horizon.
I tore myself from the shore. How sad I was that evening! "How long,"
thought I, "shall I have to wait for a vessel to come to me? Oh dear, I
hope the Messrs. Baring will send me one, with scientific instruments;
then I shall start on that long journey to the Nile, from which,
perhaps, I shall never come back. Never mind," said I, "friend Paul,
try your best. If you do not succeed, it is no disgrace."
I lay down to sleep sad and dejected indeed. That night I dreamed of
my departed mother and father. I dreamed of dear friends--of girls and
boys, the companions of my school-days, that were no more--of days when
I was happy and without a care. That dream was so pleasurable that it
awoke me. As my eyes opened, the walls of bamboo, the queer bed, told
me that I was in a wild country. I got up feeling feverish and sick at
heart in my loneliness, to which I was not yet accustomed.
That day I said to myself, "Paul, several weary months will pass away
before a vessel can come for you, so take courage, go hunting, visit
the country round, and do the best you can to while away the time.
Keep up your spirits; faint heart has never yet succeeded;" and toward
evening I felt more cheerful, and chatted with my Commi men, and
afterward said to myself, "How grateful I ought to be that I can feel
so safe in such a wild country; that I have so many friends among the
natives; and that there is not a man of them all who would dare to
rob me! Surely," I reflected, "there is not a civilized country where
I could be as safe; the robbers of civilization would break through
these thin walls, and steal every thing I have." The next day I put
into practice the resolution I had formed, and made preparations for a
journey. I wanted to visit many Commi villages.
My premises were filled with goods under the care of the Commi. "Be
without fear," said good old Ranpano; "every thing will be safe
when you come back. Malonga, my brother, will take care of your
premises as did Rikimongani." So I set out and advanced toward Cape
St. Catharine, for I intended to make a visit first to my old friend
King Olenga-Yombi, with whom you have become acquainted in one of my
preceding volumes.
It was a fine evening when we left Plateau. We were now in the height
of the rainy season, and it was so hot in the day that I thought we
might sail more comfortably on the river at night. We were pretty
sure to get a ducking, but I thought it was better to get wet than to
have the rays of a tropical sun pouring down on our heads. Malonga
(Ranpano's brother) and my men had been busy making mondas to keep the
rain off, and as we left the shore old Malonga said we should have
clear weather. In this country, unlike South Africa, the doctors are
unmakers, and not makers of rain.
The evening, indeed, was fine, and I began to think that Malonga, after
all, might be right; the moon shone in an almost cloudless sky; but
after the setting of the moon at 10 o'clock, a thick black cloud rose
in the northeast, and we began to feel not so sure about a dry night.
I was watching all the time anxiously in that northeastern direction,
for I was afraid a tornado was coming. We were in the season of the
tornadoes, and a constant lookout had to be kept, for it would never
have done to have been caught napping. The flashes of lightning became
more and more vivid as we skirted the river bank, paddling as fast as
we could, and looking for a quiet little nook; and we were getting near
one, when suddenly a white patch shone under the black mass in the
heavens. In an instant that black mass overspread the sky; the part
which a little before was blue had become black and lurid; the clouds
drove from the northeast with fearful rapidity, and all above seemed
to be in a blaze with lightning; the thunder pealed incessantly, and
the rain poured down, as it were, by bucketsful. Our canoes were driven
ashore by the force of the terrific wind, and we immediately hauled
them out of water, although it was pitch dark, and we could only see
each other by the glare of the lightning. Near by was a little village
composed of a few huts, and we made for it, but found only a few women,
and not wood enough for a fire, in consequence of which I had to remain
all night wet to the skin.
The next morning the sky was clear and the sun rose beautifully, and
soon after sunrise you could have heard the paddlers sing merry songs
of the Commi. We ascended the river till we came to the island of
Nengué Shika. Nengué, as you know, means an island; you may perhaps
remember Nengué Ngozo. Shika means white, silverlike. After paddling
along the shore of Nengué Shika, which was covered with palm-trees, we
made for the main land, toward the banks of a little creek over which
swallows were flying. It was a sweet spot, of prairie and luxuriant
wood. There a shed had been built for me by our old friend King
Olenga-Yombi, and many of his slaves were waiting for me with a goat, a
few fowls, several bunches of bananas and plantains. The king had sent
these provisions and his best wishes for good luck in my hunts, and a
message that I must come and see him when I was tired of the woods.
Not far from our camp there were several "ivolos"--wooded bogs; there
the vegetation was very rank, and these bogs were known to be the
haunts of the gorilla. That day we rested in camp, and the next morning
we started with two native dogs for the ivolos. It was very hard
work; we had to struggle through the thorny and swampy thickets for
a long time, and now and then we would sink knee-deep in the mud. My
followers were slaves of King Olenga-Yombi. Hark! hark! I hear a noise
as if some one was breaking the branches of trees. I gave a cluck; I
looked at the men behind. This noise was made by gorillas. Silence. My
gun is ready; I advance, but it is all I can do to keep the dogs in
check. The creatures of the woods were tearing down branches to pick
off the berries. Unfortunately, one of the dogs broke from us. I heard
a shriek--a sharp cry; the gorillas fled; they were females, but the
men assured me the males could not be far off. This was, beyond all
doubt, the spot for gorillas. I could see many of their footmarks on
the soft mud; their heels were well marked, but their toes were hardly
seen. Where they had been on all-fours I could see the marks of their
knuckles.
But that day I could not come in sight of gorillas. The following
day I hunted near the sea-shore, from which I then concluded to go to
Amembié to see Olenga-Yombi.
On our way we passed by an island of trees growing in the midst of the
prairie. That island is called "Nengué Ncoma." The people are afraid
of Nengué Ncoma, and at night nobody would dare to pass by it; and,
though we were far away, my men looked at it with superstitious dread,
and quickened their steps. "Oh," said one of my guides, "whoever enters
this island is likely to die suddenly in it; if he does not die he
becomes crazy, and roams about till he dies. There is a woman that we
see now and then, crazy and wandering all over it. In this island of
Nengué Ncoma lives a crocodile, whose scales are of brass, that never
leaves the island; he lives in the centre of it; no gun can kill that
crocodile."
"It is a lie!" I shouted; "how foolish you are, my boys, to believe
such things! To show you that it is a lie, I will enter that island of
Nengué Ncoma," and I rushed, gun in hand, toward the island. A wild
shriek came from the men. They shouted, "Oh, Chally, do not go." They
did not dare to follow me. A little while after I touched the branches
of the trees of Nengué Ncoma, but before I entered I turned back and
looked toward the men, and as I looked at them I saw them mute with
astonishment; and as I turned my back and entered the wood, terrific
cries rent the air. They thought it was the last they should see of me.
Surely the crocodile with brass scales would kill me, who dared to go
into that island of which he was the king and sole inhabitant.
I walked on and explored every part of this small island of trees. I
need not say that I did not meet with the crocodile. When I came out a
wild shout greeted me; it was from my men, who were still at the same
place where I had left them. I came toward them smiling and saying, "Do
you think I am crazy? I tell you I have not seen that crocodile with
scales of brass. I looked every where, and I saw nothing but trees."
They all shouted, "You are a mbuiti"--a spirit.
We continued our way till we came to Amembié. Poor King Olenga-Yombi
was drunk as usual; he was so tipsy, indeed, that he could not stand on
his legs. Nevertheless, he welcomed his friend Chally, and said all his
country belonged to me, and in joy he ordered another calabash full of
palm wine to be brought to him, and drank off about half a gallon of it
at once. This finished him up for the day; he fell back in the arms of
his wives, shouting many times over, "I am a big king! I am a big king!
I am Olenga-Yombi!" and was soon asleep. Poor Olenga-Yombi, he is an
inveterate drunkard; not a day passes by that he is not tipsy.
The next morning I started for a large plantation of the king's before
he was awake. The name of that plantation was "Nkongon-Boumba." There I
found a large number of the king's slaves, and among them were a great
many good hunters. These slaves knew me; they knew that I was their
master's great friend; they knew I was theirs also, and that I had a
good stock of beads for them and their wives. The head slave of the
king, an Ishogo man called Ayombo, welcomed me, and brought me food.
I said to them, "Friends, I have come to live with you." They shouted
"Yo! yo! yo!" "I want to hunt, and kill an ipi." "Yo! yo! yo! You shall
kill an ipi," they shouted. "I want to kill gorillas and chimpanzees."
"Yo! yo! yo! You shall kill gorillas and chimpanzees." "But, above all,
I want to kill an ipi. My heart will go away sad if I do not kill an
ipi." "Yo! yo! yo! You shall kill an ipi. We know where some are. Yo!
yo! yo! You shall see an ipi."
You ask yourself what an ipi is. The ipi was an unknown animal. How did
I come to know that such an animal existed? One day I saw a monda to
which was suspended a large and thick yellow scale, such as I had never
seen before. The pangolin had scales, but they were much smaller. There
was no doubt that this scale belonged to the pangolin family, only I
learned that the animal from which it was taken was of a larger variety.
The ipi, I was told, was very rare. Years had passed away, and no ipi
had been seen by me; but some time ago King Olenga-Yombi had sent me
word that an ipi had been near his plantation of Nkongon-Boumba, and I
had come specially to hunt the ipi.
Many of the king's slaves had come from far-away tribes, and queer and
ugly fellows they were, with lean legs, prominent abdomens, retreating
foreheads, and projecting mouths.
The day of my arrival we rested. The good slaves and their kind wives
brought fowls, plantains, pea-nuts, sugar-cane, some pine-apples,
little lemons, wild honey, dried fish--in fact, they brought to me
the best things they had. I gave them nice beads, and to some of the
leading slaves I gave red caps.
That night there was dancing. The idol or mbuiti was consulted as
to the results of the chase, for these interior people are very
superstitions. They sang songs welcoming me.
The next morning a few of the leading slaves and myself started for an
ipi hunt.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VI.
HUNTING FOR THE IPI.--CAMPING OUT IN THE WOODS.--CAPTURE OF AN
IPI.--DESCRIPTION OF THE ANIMAL.--A NEW SPECIES OF ANT-EATER.
WE left the plantation at daybreak. Mayombo, the head slave, was the
leader, and some of his children were with us. We all had guns; the
boys carried, besides, two axes. In a little while we were in the
forest. It was an awful day's hunt, and the first time since my return
that I had to rough it in such a manner. We wandered over hills and
dales, through the woods and the streams, now and then crossing a bog,
leaving the hunting-paths, struggling for hours through the tangled
maze and through patches of the wild pine-apple, which tore my clothes
to rags and covered my poor body with scratches. The thorns and cutting
edges of sword-like grass which grew in many places, and the sharp
points of the pine-apple leaves, were not very pleasant things to get
among. It was like the good old time, but I did not fancy the good old
time. I was not yet inured to such tramps; I had forgotten all about
them, but I knew that it was nothing but child's play when compared
with the hardships I had suffered in my former explorations, or with
what I expected to undergo in the future. I knew that I was hardening
myself for what was coming by-and-by, and that it was necessary that
I should go through such a schooling before starting for that long
Nile journey from which I knew not if I should ever come back. I must
get accustomed to sickness, to hunger, to privations of all kinds, to
forced marches; I must be afraid of nothing, and trust in God for the
result.
The end of the day was approaching; the birds gave forth their last
songs, calling their mates, so that they might not be far apart for the
night; the butterflies had ceased to fly, and were hiding themselves
under the large leaves to keep away from the rains.
We had not been successful, but did not despair. We were to sleep
in the woods, for the plantation was too far away. Oh, I was so
tired. Mayombo immediately went off to cut some poles to support the
large leaves which were to protect us from the rains, while his two
sons collected as fast as they could the leaves, and I looked after
firewood. I soon came to a spot where the dead branches lay thick on
the ground, and I shouted, "Come here, boys!" A little after sunset our
camp was built and our fires were lighted; then the boys pulled from
their bags several plantains and a little parcel of dried fish packed
in leaves. Not far from our camp a little rivulet ran meandering toward
the sea; its water was clear and cool, so we had chosen a nice spot
for the bivouac; but fires were to be kept burning brightly all night,
"for," said Mayombo, "leopards are very plentiful here; we can not keep
our goats; and two men have been missing within a month." After that
exhortation, Mayombo, who was a great smoker, filled his pipe and lay
down by the fire. In the mean time my supper had been cooked, but I was
too tired to enjoy it, and I was too tired even to sleep.
The next evening we returned to the plantation, where all were glad to
see us. After a day of rest we started again, for Mayombo swore that I
should not rest till I had an ipi. We went in another direction, and
Mayombo again took his two sons with him. Toward noon Mayombo gave a
cluck, and pointed out to me a dead tree lying on the ground, and a
strange-looking track leading up to it, and whispered into my ears the
word "Ipi!"
That dead tree had been lying there, I suppose, for hundreds of years;
nothing remained of it but the trunk, which was hollow throughout, and
looked like a tube fifty or sixty feet long.
I examined the ground carefully at one end of the trunk, and saw no
footprint there, so the animal had not gone out; at the other end the
tracks were fresh, and it was evident that the animal had hidden inside
the night before. I said to Mayombo, "Perhaps the ipi has gone away."
"Oh no," said he; "don't you see there is only one track? Besides,
it could not turn on itself, and, in order to get out, it has to go
straight on to the other end."
Immediately he took the axe and cut down some branches of a tree, of
which he made a trap to catch the animal if it should come out. The
branch was put firmly in the ground, and the top was bent over with a
creeper attached to it, at the end of which was a ring, through which
the animal would have to pass before he could get out; a little forked
stick held the ring, which the animal would shake as it passed through;
the limb would fly up instantly, and high in the air would the ipi
dangle.
When all this had been done, Mayombo, who had collected wood at
the other end, set fire to it, to smoke the animal out. He was not
mistaken; the ipi was inside, and it made for the opposite extremity
and was caught. There was a short struggle, but we ran up and ended it
by knocking the ipi with all our might on the head.
[Illustration: CAPTURE OF THE IPI.]
I saw at once that the ipi belonged to the pangolin genus (_Manis_ of
the zoologists), which is a very singular kind of animal. They are
ant-eaters, like the Myrmecophaga of South America; but, while the
South American ant-eater is covered with hair like other mammalia, the
pangolins have an armor of large scales implanted in the skin of the
upper surface of the body, from the head to the tip of the tail, each
scale overlapping the other like the slates on the roof of a house.
Like the ant-eater of South America, the pangolins have no teeth, but
they have a long extensile tongue, the extremity of which is covered
with a glutinous secretion so sticky that their prey, after having been
touched, adheres to the tongue and can not get away. The tongue of an
ipi may be extended out several inches. The ipi feeds on ants.
During the day the ipi hides itself in its burrow in the earth, or
sometimes in the large hollows of colossal trunks of trees which have
fallen to the ground, like the tree just described to you; but they
generally prefer to burrow in the soil, and these burrows are usually
found in light soil on the slope of a hill. By the singular structure
of the ipi, it can not turn to the right or to the left at once; in
fact, it is quite incapable of bending its body sideways, so it can not
"right about face" in its burrow. Accordingly, there are two holes in
each burrow, one for entrance and one for exit.
But if the ipi and the pangolin can not bend their bodies sideways,
they are very flexible vertically, their stomachs having no scales; so,
if they are surprised or want to sleep, they roll themselves in a ball,
the head being inside and forming the centre, and they coil and uncoil
themselves in this manner very readily.
The only way you can find the ipi or the pangolin is by the trail they
leave on the soil, and following them till you reach their burrows.
The great trouble in finding the ipi is not only that the animal is
very scarce, but that it never comes out except at night, when the
rattle it makes among the dead leaves is great. The strange creature
must see well with its queer little eyes to be able to perceive the
ants upon which it mostly feeds, and it must take time in satisfying
its appetite, for a great many little ants must be required to fill
its stomach. When the ipi has found a spot where the ants it wants to
eat are plentiful, it stops by them, and with its long tongue, which
protrudes several inches, catches them one by one. When an ant is
caught the tongue goes in again. I wonder how many hundreds of times
the tongue must come out and go in with an ant before the hunger of the
ipi is satisfied!
I was not mistaken; this ipi was a new species, and the scientific name
is Pholidotus Africanus. This large one was a female, and measured four
feet six inches from the head to the tip of the tail. It was very stout
and heavy, the tail very short in comparison with its body, and the
scales very thick, and of a yellow or tawny color. The males are said
to be much larger, and, according to what the negroes say, must reach
the length of six feet. They are very ugly to look at. Their tail,
being very thick, makes a large trail on the ground as they move about.
Though in some respects they may be thought to resemble the lizard, the
pangolins have warm blood, and nourish their young like the rest of the
mammalia.
I need not tell you that I was glad to discover this new species. After
securing the ipi we returned at once to the plantation, and as soon as
I arrived I went to work and took off its skin, and hard work it was, I
assure you, the scales were so thick and big.
When we came into the village with the ipi there was great excitement,
for the animal is so rare that but two or three persons there had ever
seen a specimen.
I went to bed happy, feeling that I had had the good fortune of
discovering a new and most remarkable animal, which God had long ago
created, but which had never before been seen by the white man.
Of course I had a curiosity to see how the ipi tasted, and I had some
for breakfast the next morning, and it was good, but not fat, though
the natives said that at certain seasons they are very fat.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VII.
LIFE AT NKONGON-BOUMBA.--GORILLAS AND PLANTAINS.--ODANGA SCARED BY A
GORILLA.--A CAPTIVE GORILLA.--SUPERSTITIONS RESPECTING THE LEOPARD.
THE dry season had now fairly begun. We were in the month of June, and
the nights and evenings were quite pleasant. The days were generally
cloudy, and it was a good time of the year for hunting, as most of the
bog-land was drying fast.
Nkongon-Boumba was situated in a charming spot on the summit of a
gentle hill, at the foot of which ran a little stream of clear water.
The country which surrounded it was partly prairie and partly wooded;
the soil on the prairie was sandy, but where the woods grew the soil
was better. In many places the primitive growth had been cut down,
and there the fine plantation of plantain-trees and bananas of King
Olenga-Yombi were flourishing well.
How beautiful the country looked in the morning just before sunrise,
when a veil of mist seemed to hang over it, and when the dew was
still thick on the blades of grass, or was dropping fast from the
plantain-leaves! I would get up just at daylight, and would start with
my gun on my shoulder, in the hope that I might see a gazelle or an
antelope feeding.
Gorillas were very plentiful near Nkongon-Boumba, and were committing
great depredations among the plantain and banana trees; the patches of
sugar-cane were also very much devastated. I heard one afternoon that
the day before gorillas were in the forest not far from the village,
and had already begun to play sad havoc with the plantain-trees.
The morning after the news, if you had been in the village, you would
have seen me, just a little before daybreak, getting ready to go after
the gorillas. I was painting my face and hands with a mixture of
powdered charcoal and oil. After my toilet was done, I put on my old,
soiled Panama hat, took one of my best guns, called Odanga, one of my
boys, to accompany me, and started off. There was just daylight enough
for us to see our way, and in a short time we came to a plantation,
surrounded by virgin forest, covered with plantain and banana trees,
most of which were bearing fruit in different stages of growth. This
plantation had just been made on the skirt of the forest.
It was a lovely morning; the sky was almost cloudless; every thing
was still, and one could only hear the slight rustling of the
tree-tops moved by the gentle land breeze. Before reaching the grove
of plantain-trees I had to pick my way through a maze of tree-stumps,
half-burnt logs, and dead, broken, and half-burnt limbs of trees, where
the land had been prepared for a new plantation. If gorillas are to be
seen in a plantation near a village they most generally come in the
early morning.
By the side of the plantain-trees was a field of cassada, and just as I
was going by it I heard suddenly in the plantain-grove a great crashing
noise like the breaking of limbs. What could this be? I immediately
hid myself behind a bush, and then looked in the direction from which
the sound proceeded. What do I see? A gorilla, then a second gorilla,
and a third one, coming out of a thick bush; then another one made his
appearance--there were four altogether. Then I discovered that one of
the females had a baby gorilla following her.
So do not be astonished when I tell you that my eyes were wide open,
and that I gazed on the scene before me with intense excitement. These
gorillas looked so droll, walking in the most absurd way on all fours,
and now and then walking erect. How impish the creatures seemed! how
intensely black their faces were! how hideous their features! They
looked like men, but like wild men with shaggy hides, and their big,
protuberant abdomens did not make them less ridiculous or repulsive.
The gorillas went immediately at their work of destruction. I did not
stop them, but merely looked on. Plantain-tree after plantain-tree came
down; it seemed to me that they were trying to see which could bring
down the greatest number of trees in the shortest space of time. They
were amusing themselves, I suppose. In destroying a tree, they first
grasped the base of the stem with one of their powerful hand-like feet,
and then with their prodigious long arms pulled it down. This, of
course, did not require much strength with so light a stem as that of
the plantain. Then they would set their big mouths upon the juicy heart
of the tree, and devour it with great avidity; at another time they
would give one bite, or would simply demolish the tree without eating
it.
How strange sounded the chuckle they gave as if to express their
contentment! Now and then they would sit still and look around--and
such a look! Two or three times they looked in the direction where I
was; but I lay so quiet, and was so concealed, they could not see me,
and, as the wind was blowing from them to me, they could not smell
me. How fiendish their look was! A cold shiver ran through me several
times, for, of all the malignant expressions I had ever seen, theirs
were the most diabolical. Two or three times they seemed to be on
the point of running away, and appeared alarmed, but recovered their
composure, and began anew the work of destruction.
The little baby gorilla followed his mother wherever she went.
Gradually, without my taking notice of it, they came to the edge of the
dark forest, and all at once disappeared like a vision--like a dream.
I went to look at the spot where they had made such havoc, and counted
over one hundred plantain-trees down on the ground, which they had
destroyed.
The next morning I went again with Odanga to the same spot, with
no expectation of seeing gorillas again, for I did not think they
would make another visit there with their roving propensities, but I
thought I might see an antelope or two, attracted by the young leaves
of the cassada-tree, of which they are very fond. I carried a light
double-barreled shot-gun, while Odanga carried my heavy double-barreled
rifle, to use in case we should see an elephant.
The part of the plantation upon which we had come extended over two
hills, with a deep hollow between planted with sugar-cane. I was taking
the lead in the narrow path, and just as I was going down the hill
to get over to the other side of the hollow, my eyes suddenly fell
upon a monstrous gray-haired male gorilla standing erect and looking
directly toward me. I really did not know if he was looking at me or
at something else, or if he thought of crossing to my side, in which
case he would have come toward me. Without turning my head (for I did
not dare to lose sight of the gorilla), I beckoned Odanga to come
toward me, so that I might get hold of my rifle and shoot down the huge
monster. I beckoned in vain. I made a quicker motion with my hand for
Odanga to come, but no Odanga was coming. The huge beast stared at me,
or at least seemed to stare at me, for two minutes, and then, without
uttering any roar, moved off into the great forest on all fours. Then
I looked round to see what was the matter with my boy Odanga, but no
Odanga was to be seen; I was all alone. The fellow had bolted, gun and
all; the gorilla had frightened him, and he had fled. I was furiously
angry, and promised myself to give friend Odanga such a punishment as
he would not soon forget, that he might not play me such a trick a
second time.
Odanga had fled to the plantation, and a little after what I have just
related I heard a good many voices. They were the plantation people,
all armed to the teeth, coming to my rescue; but Odanga had taken good
care to remain out of the way, though he had sent the gun. The little
scamp knew very well what was coming, but when I went back he was not
to be seen, and the fellow hid himself for two days. When at last I got
hold of him he made me the most solemn promise never to do such a thing
again, and said, "Chally, Abamboo (the devil) must have made me leave
you."
On my return from Nkongon-Boumba a great surprise awaited me--a _live_
gorilla. An old chief, a friend of mine, named Akondogo, had just
returned from the Ngobi country, situated south of Cape St. Catharine,
and there, with some slaves of Olenga-Yombi, he had killed the mother,
and captured the rascal before me. He was bigger than any gorilla I
had captured, or that had ever been taken alive. Bigger he was than
Fighting Joe, which many of you no doubt remember.
Like Joe, this fellow showed the most ungovernable temper, and to bite
somebody seemed to be the object he was always aiming at. We had no
chain with which to confine him, so that a long forked stick round
his neck was the only means we could employ of keeping him at a safe
distance.
In the evening, as Akondogo and I were seated together, the good
fellow, smoking his huge pipe, said to me, "Chally, I have had a great
deal of trouble since I have seen you. A leopard has killed two of my
people, and I have had a great many palavers with their families on
account of their death."
I said, "Akondogo, you could not help it; you are not chief over the
leopards. But, after the first man had been killed, why did you not
make a trap to catch the leopard?"
"The leopard I mean," said he, "is not one that can be trapped; it was
a man who had changed himself into a leopard, and then, after he had
been a leopard for some time, he changed himself into a man again."
I said, "Akondogo, why do you talk to me in that way? You know I do not
believe that men are turned into beasts, and afterward into men again.
It is stupid for people to believe so, but I can not shake that belief
in you alombè" (black men).
Poor Akondogo said, "Chally, I assure you that there are men who change
into leopards, and from leopards into men again."
Not wishing to argue the question, I said, "Never mind; tell me the
story of your trouble." Then Akondogo once more filled his pipe with
tobacco, gave three or four big puffs of smoke, which rose high in the
air, and thus begun:
"My people and myself had been in the woods several days collecting
India-rubber. One day a man disappeared, and nothing could be found of
him but a pool of blood. The next day another man disappeared, and in
searching for him more blood was found. We all got alarmed, and I sent
for a great doctor; he came and drank the mboundou, so that he might be
able to say how these two deaths came about. After the ouganga (doctor)
had drank the mboundou, and as all the people stood round him asking
him what had killed these two men, and just as we were waiting with
breathless silence for what he was going to say, he spoke to me and
said, 'Akondogo, your own child [his nephew and heir] Akosho killed the
two men.' Immediately Akosho was sent for and seized, and he answered
that it was true that he had killed the two men, but that he could not
help it; he remembered well that that day, as he was walking in the
woods, he suddenly became a leopard; that his heart longed for blood,
and that he had killed the two men, and then, after each murder, he
became a man again.
"There was a great uproar in the village; the people shouted, 'Death to
the aniemba Akosho!'
"But," said Akondogo, "I loved my boy so much that I said to the
people, 'Let us not believe Akosho; he must have become a kendé'
(idiot, fool). But Akosho kept saying he had killed the men, and took
us into the woods where lay the two bodies, one with the head cut off,
and the other with the belly torn open.
"Upon this," said Akondogo, "I ordered Akosho to be bound with cords,
and tied in a horizontal position to a post, and to have a fire lighted
at his feet, and be burned slowly to death, all which was done, the
people standing by until he expired."
The end of the story was so horrid that I shuddered. It was a case of
monomania. Akosho believed that he had been turned into a leopard, and
committed two murders, the penalty of which he paid with his life.
Here, in our country, he would have been sent to the insane asylum.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VIII.
WOUNDED GORILLA AND HER YOUNG ONES.--TAKING THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS.--TOM AND
MINNIE.--ARRIVAL OF MY VESSEL.--HURRA FOR BARING BROTHERS.--A SMOKING
SHIP.--KING QUENGUEZA GOES ON BOARD.--PREPARATIONS FOR JOURNEY.
A FEW days after my return home, one evening a strange sight presented
itself in front of my house--a sight which I firmly believe had never
before been witnessed since the world began. There was great commotion
and tremendous excitement among the Commi people.
There stood in front of my bamboo house a large female gorilla, bound
hand and foot, and alive, but frightfully wounded. A large gash might
have been seen on her scalp, and her body was covered with clotted
blood. One of her arms had been broken, and she bore wounds upon the
head and chest. Now and then the creature would give a sharp scream of
pain, which lent horror to the darkness by which we were surrounded,
the half dozen lighted torches making the scene still more wild.
This adult female gorilla had been mortally wounded in the morning,
and lay on the ground senseless for a long time. A bullet from one of
my hunters had fractured her skull, and in that state of insensibility
she had been securely tied to a stout stick, and in such an ingenious
manner that there was no chance of her escaping. Her wrists and ankles
had been tied strongly together, while the stick had been adjusted
between her mouth and feet and hands in such a way that she could not
reach out to sever the cords with her teeth.
Hanging from her bosom was a baby gorilla (her child). The little
creature was a female but a few months old, and now and then, after
feeding from its mother's breast, it would give a plaintive wail. By
the side of both stood a young live male gorilla, a fierce-looking
fellow, which seemed afraid of nothing, and looked around with its deep
grayish, fiendish eyes as if to say, "What does all this mean? I have
not seen this sight in the woods before." Not far off lay the corpse
of a large female gorilla, quiet in the embrace of death, her face yet
distorted by the death-agony.
It was dark, as I have told you, and the scene was so strange and so
wild that I will never forget it. The fiendish countenances of the
living calibanish trio, one of them--the wounded one--with a face
distorted by pain, were lit up by the ruddy glare of the native's
torches, and they seemed even more repulsive than their dead companion.
"What a commotion this sight would create," I said to myself, "in a
civilized land!"
There was no sleep for me that night; the terrific screams of the
wounded mother kept me awake. Two or three times I got up and went out
to see what was the matter, for I was in constant dread of the big
gorilla's untying the cords.
The next morning I immediately prepared my photographic apparatus, and
took an excellent photograph of the wounded mother with her child on
her lap. As for Master Tom (I gave that name to the fierce-looking
young male), I could not succeed in taking a very good likeness of
him; he would not keep still long enough. I untied his hands and feet
after putting a chain round his neck, and to show his gratitude he
immediately made a rush at me to the length of his chain, screaming
with all his might. Happily, the chain was too short for him to reach
me, or I should have come off minus a little piece of the calf of my
leg.
The night after I had taken the photograph of the mother her moanings
were more frequent, and in the morning they gradually became weaker
as her life ebbed out, and about ten o'clock she died. Her death was
painfully like that of a human being, and her child clung to her to the
last, and even tried to obtain milk after she was dead. How still was
that fierce, scowling black face! There was something so vindictive in
it, and at the same time so human, that I almost shrunk from the sight
as I contemplated that wonderful creature which God has made almost in
the image of man.
Now all I had to do was to take care of Tom and of Minnie. Tom gave me
no trouble, for he was quite old enough to feed upon the nuts and the
berries that were gathered for him; but with little Minnie it was a
different thing, as she was too young to eat berries. Happily, I had
a goat that gave milk, and I fed her on that milk, but I am sorry to
say that she lived only three days after her mother's death. She died
the fourth day toward noon, having taken an unconquerable dislike to
the goat's milk. She died gently; her tiny legs and arms had become
shriveled, her ribs could all be seen, and her small hands had
wasted almost to nothing. She died on the little bed of straw I made
for her as if she went to sleep, without a struggle.
[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPHING GORILLAS.]
So no one was now left of my family of gorillas but Master Tom, and
he was healthy and strong enough, and ate all the berries, nuts, and
fruits we brought to him. For days I tried to take the little demon's
photograph, but all in vain. The pointing of the camera toward him
threw him into a perfect rage, and I was several times on the point of
giving him a severe thrashing. At last I succeeded in taking two views,
not very perfect; but this was better than nothing.
The place where these gorillas had been captured was about thirty
miles above my settlement, up the river; at this point a low, narrow
promontory projects into the stream. This spot was my favorite
hunting-ground for gorillas, which came there to eat the wild
pine-apple, and it was there I intended to take my good friend Captain
Burton, the great African traveler, the man who made the pilgrimage to
Mecca, for he was now at Fernando Po, and had promised to make me a
visit.
The gorillas were discovered in this way: A woman passing through
that region came to her village and said she had seen two squads of
female gorillas, some of them followed by _their children_; they were
going, she thought, to her plantain field. My hunters were on the spot
where I had left them the day before, and with the villagers, who
armed themselves with guns, axes, and spears, at once sallied forth in
pursuit. The situation was very favorable for the hunters, who formed
a line across the narrow strip of land, and pressed forward, shouting
and driving the animals to the edge of the water, their terrific noise
bewildering the gorillas, which were shot and beaten down in their
endeavors to escape. There were eight adult females together, but not a
single male.
Time now began to weigh heavily upon me, and a weary interval passed
by. I did not know how long it might be before a vessel would come to
me. Had my letter to Messrs. Baring reached them? If it had not, what
should I do?
I begun to feel very lonely despite hunting excursions and the gorilla
scene I have just described to you. I would go almost every day on the
sea-shore and watch for a sail; now and then I would see one, but it
was the sail of a whaler or of a trader, who took good care not to come
to anchor near this wild part of the western coast.
On the 30th of June, as I came down the River Commi from a hunting
excursion, having bade adieu to Olenga-Yombi, and was returning to
my own settlement, expecting to remain there and wait for the coming
vessel, I saw a canoe with sail set coming up the river and making for
us. I immediately ordered my paddlers to go toward the canoe. Soon we
met, when Kombé shouted, "Chally, your vessel has come!" I jumped from
my seat and cried back, "What do you say, Kombé?" He repeated, "Your
vessel has arrived." I was wild; I was crazy with joy; no news could
have been more welcome. I shouted (I could not help it), "Good for you,
Baring Brothers! You have acted like true friends. Three cheers," I
called to the boys, "three cheers for Baring Brothers, who have sent
the ship to me. Let us paddle with all our might," said I; "let us not
stop; I must reach Plateau before morning."
On my arrival at that place, Ranpano handed me two letters which the
captain of the ship had sent for me. One was from the captain himself,
announcing his arrival; the other was from Baring Brothers. Yes, they
had sent me all the goods I wanted--a second supply of scientific
instruments. These great bankers and merchants had taken the trouble
to send to Paul Du Chaillu all he had asked for, and they did not know
when they would be paid. I assure you I was so overjoyed that for a few
minutes I did not know what I was doing.
I ordered at once all the sea-canoes to be ready. I must go on board;
no time must be lost. The next morning it was hardly daylight when I
had left for the mouth of the river. Soon after our canoes were put
over to the sea-side, we passed the surf smoothly, and I was on board
the vessel shaking hands with Captain Berridge, the commander.
Oh, what an enjoyment I had! how many letters from friends told me that
I was not forgotten! Then newspapers came, and my heart became sad when
I saw that the civil war was still raging in America; "but," said the
captain, "there is a prospect that it will soon be over."
My vessel had only arrived two days when a native entered my hut in
great consternation, and said that a smoking vessel with ten guns was
in the river, and they thought it had come to make war. After a while,
a flat-bottomed steamer, forty feet in length, put out her anchor in
front of my settlement, and fired off a gun to salute me.
I need not tell you that there was tremendous excitement among the
natives now that an ouatanga otouton (smoking ship) had entered their
river. The name of this little vessel was the Leviathan.
A few days after I was on board of the Leviathan steaming for Goumbi,
for I wanted Quengueza to see what a steamer was. The appearance of
this little boat, which did not draw more than two feet of water,
created the most intense excitement. The Leviathan was a screw steamer.
"Oh," exclaimed the people, "look! look! the vessel goes by itself,
without sails, without paddles! Oh! oh! oh! what does that mean?" They
would spy us far off, and then would crowd the banks of the river. Many
were stupefied at the sight, and could not make out what it meant,
especially when they recognized me, while others would deny that it
was me, and others exclaimed, "Chally, is that you? Do not our eyes
belie us? Tell us--shout back to us!" and then I would say, "It is
I--Chally." Then they would recognize me, put out in their canoes, and
paddle with all their might in order to catch us.
As we approached Goumbi, where the river, in descending from the
interior, bends in its westerly course, the banks were high and wooded,
and the river very tortuous. Here the steamer puffed its way right up
to the villages before it could be seen, and the alarmed natives, who
heard the strange noise of the steam-pipe and machinery, were much
frightened, and, as we came in sight, peeped cautiously from behind the
trees, and then ran away.
At last we came in sight of Goumbi. The excitement was intense. From
Goumbi the people could see well down the river. The drums began to
beat, and the people were greatly frightened. Then we cast anchor, and
as I landed the people shouted, "It is Chally; so let us not be afraid,
for no one will harm us when Chally is with them."
Captain Labigot and Dr. Touchard, who had landed with me, received an
ovation; guns were fired, and in a short time we found ourselves in the
presence of the great King Quengueza. He did not know what all this
meant, but he felt big. Hundreds of Bakalai and Ashira were around him;
he looked at them, and said, "Do you see? do you see? I am Quengueza;
my fame is great, and the white man comes to see me," and he turned
away without saying another word.
My great desire was to persuade Quengueza to come on board, and I was
afraid I would not be able to effect this. I said, "Quengueza, I have
brought you white people who want to see your river, and I want you to
come on board with us; they want to see the Niembouai and the Bakalai."
The old chief said he would go; "for," said he, "Chally, I know that
no one will hurt me when I am with you." Good Quengueza knew me quite
well; he had perfect faith in me; he knew that I loved him as he loved
me. I said, "Quengueza, you are right."
Early the next morning the steam was up, and, in despite of the
protestations of his people, the old king came on board, and was
received with a royal salute from the two small guns. The excitement
on the shore was intense; the booming of the guns re-echoed from hill
to hill, and lost itself in the immense forest. Many a wild beast must
have been astonished; gorillas must have roared, and thought that
it was strange that there was any thing besides thunder that could
make a noise louder than their own roars. The old African chieftain
accompanied us unattended, and as the anchor was raised and we began
to steam up the river, he looked backward toward his people, who were
dumb with astonishment, as if to say, "Do you see? your old chief is
afraid of nothing." I had induced good Quengueza to wear a coat, though
he was in deep mourning.
You would have liked to see King Quengueza seated on a chair on deck.
As we passed village after village, he looked at the Bakalai with
silent contempt, and they could hardly believe their own eyes. The
crafty old king took care to let the people see him, for it was to give
him great fame: the people would say, "We saw Quengueza on a vessel of
fire and smoke, going up the river without sails or paddles."
After two days we came back to Goumbi, and I said to the people, "I
bring your old chief back to you." A feast was given us by Quengueza,
and we steamed once more down the river. Then I ordered every thing to
be got ready, for I was soon to set out upon my long journey.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER IX.
DOWN THE RIVER IN A CANOE.--A STRANGE PASSENGER.--TALK WITH A
GORILLA.--LANDING THROUGH THE BREAKERS.--PREPARING TO CROSS THE
CONTINENT.--THE DEPARTURE.
ON the 18th of August, 1864, I sent back the vessel to England to the
Messrs. Baring, and early that morning we left my settlement and sailed
down the river in my largest canoe. We had a strange lot of passengers
with us. The most remarkable of them was Master Tom Gorilla; not far
from him, at the bottom of the canoe, alive and kicking, was a yellow
wild boar, which I had raised from a little bit of a fellow; and near
the boar were two splendid fishing eagles. Another canoe contained the
skins and skeletons of several gorillas, the skins of chimpanzees and
other animals, besides a great many insects, butterflies, and shells.
Tom had managed to get on top of the little house I had made for him,
and there he sat screaming. It was a good thing that the chain around
his neck kept him at a safe distance from us. This morning, as we came
down the river, he was fiercer than I had ever before seen him. Tom
was much stronger than Fighting Joe, with whom you became acquainted
in one of my preceding volumes, and consequently a more formidable
fellow to deal with. Happily, he could not come down upon us and bite
any of us. I could not help laughing when I saw him so angry. He could
not understand why he had been disturbed; he did not like the looks of
things around him, and his fierce and treacherous eyes did not bode us
any good.
I said to him, "Tom, you are going to the white man's country; I wish
you health. You are an ugly little rascal; all my kindness to you has
not made you grateful. The day that I am to bid you good-by sees you
as intractable as ever. You always snatch from my hands the food I
give you, and then bolt with it to the farthest corner of your abode,
or as far as the length of your chain will allow. I have to be very
careful with you, for fear of your biting me. Tom, you have a very
bad temper. When you are angry you beat the ground with your hands
and feet, just like a big, grown-up gorilla. I suppose, if you were
a full-grown gorilla, you would beat your chest. Tom," said I, "many
times you have woke me in the night by your sudden screams; often you
have tried to take your own life--I suppose it was because you could
not bear captivity. I have rescued you several times from death in your
attempts to strangle yourself with your chain, through rage at being
kept a prisoner. Oh, Tom, how often you have twisted that chain around
and around the post to which you were attached, until it became quite
short, and then pressed with your feet the lower part of the post,
till you almost succeeded in committing suicide by strangulation, and
would have succeeded if I had not come to your rescue. Tom, I have
been patient with you; I have taken care of you, and you have my best
wishes for a prosperous voyage, and I hope you will reach the white
man's country in safety."
The moment I paused in this address Tom would answer me with a growl.
"Tom, I have laid in a great deal of food for you on shipboard:
there are two hundred bunches of bananas and plantains, a great many
pine-apples, a lot of sugar-cane, and many barrels of berries and nuts;
so you will have plenty of food. But, Tom, you must try to eat the
white man's food, for the bananas and the berries will not last all
the voyage. Thus far I have not been able to cook you any of the white
man's food, though I have nearly starved you, and kept you for days
with hardly any food at all."
Another growl greeted this talk, as if to say, "I know what you say to
me."
"The captain will take you, Tom." Then I looked at Captain Berridge.
"Yes," said he; "Tom, all I ask of you is to keep well, and to reach
safely the country of the white men, so they may see how a young
gorilla looks."
By the time I had ended this queer conversation with Tom we had reached
our place of landing, and on the sea-shore several canoes were waiting
for us. The breakers were high; several canoes had been upset, and
their contents lost.
When I saw the state of the breakers, I concluded not to ship my
photographs, and I tried to prevail on the captain not to go on board
that day; "but," said he, "I have my life-preserver with me, and I
will run the risk." The large surf-canoe was got ready; Tom was put on
board with his house, and the first thing he did was to get on top of
it, where for a moment he yelled in affright at the foaming billows
around him, and then hid himself in his house. The men had to be on the
alert, and in the twinkling of an eye two stout fellows took Captain
Berridge in their arms and put him in the canoe. They started off at
once, passing the first breaker without accident; but the second, a
huge one, broke over the canoe, filling it with water, and very nearly
upsetting it. The wave went right over Master Tom, who gave a most
terrific howl, and the bath, instead of cooling his rage, made him more
violent than ever. The yellow wild boar gave several piercing screams,
and the poor eagles were almost drowned, for the live-stock were all
together.
I could not restrain my laughter at the rage of Tom; he did not seem at
all to like the taste of salt water. When the canoe returned, for upon
this attempt it was found impossible to pass the breakers, he jumped on
the top of his house, shaking himself, and looking fiercely all around.
No one dared to approach him after the canoe had landed, though really
I could not help laughing to see poor Tom in such a plight--it was so
unlike the woods where he had lived. I gave him a fine ripe banana,
which he ate voraciously, and he became more quiet afterward.
In the afternoon, just at low tide, before the sea began to rise again,
the captain, Tom, the wild pig, and the eagles went safely through the
breakers.
I did not go on board. I took a bill of lading for Tom, and gave a
draft for one hundred pounds sterling to the captain, to be paid to him
by Messrs. Baring Brothers on the receipt of a live gorilla.
Would you like to hear the end of the story of Tom, which I heard on my
return?
After three weeks all the bananas, plantains, berries, and nuts which
he had not consumed were spoiled, and there was nothing left to give
Tom but white man's food, though, as long as he could get his native
aliment, the captain had tried in vain to make him eat of it. But
when the fruits had been exhausted Captain Berridge called the cook,
whereupon pies and puddings were made, and rice was boiled, plain and
with molasses, but all these dainties Tom rejected. Crackers were
offered him with no better result. Tom refused all kinds of food for
three days, and the fourth day he died of starvation, and to the day of
his death he was as ugly as the day he was captured.
A few days after the departure of the vessel, all the Commi chiefs met
at my request, for I was ready to leave the country, and we held a
grand palaver.
"I am your friend," said I to them; "I know that you love me. The
vessel has gone, and now I am ready to go to the other side of your
island" (I tried to make them understand that Africa was almost an
island). "The journey will be a long one. I may have to go through
a hundred tribes; there may be war; I may encounter hunger and
starvation. We shall sail and paddle over many rivers; I shall cross
over many mountains, and see many valleys and prairies. I am going
toward the spot where the sun rises."
"Oh! oh! oh!" shouted the chiefs.
"Yes," said I, "I have told you the truth; and now I want some of
your people to go with me. At the end of the long journey they will
find all that they most desire--all the coats, all the hats, all the
shirts, all the beads, all the guns, all the powder they want, and then
a vessel will bring them back to you. It will be a rough journey, and
perhaps some of those who go with me will never return again to you.
But so it is with you when you go trading; one after another dies on
the road, but it is not long before you go trading again. I want no man
to come with me by force--sent by his chief or father; I want free men,
with strong and brave hearts, who have heard all that I have said, so
that when we are pinched for food there may be no grumbling. I do not
go to make war, for war would stop our progress."
"What a talker our white man is!" they shouted. "Yes," said all the
Commi chiefs at once, "we will not forbid any one to go with you. You
have talked to us right; you have told us no lies. If a man comes back,
he will come back rich."
Great excitement prevailed among the Commi for several days after
my speech. Many young men wanted to follow me, but their families
objected. In the mean time I was busy packing up my large outfit.
"I will be satisfied," said I to myself, "if I can get twenty-five
Commi men to accompany me." But many had been frightened at my speech.
Nevertheless, a few days after what I have related to you, there
might have been seen several canoes on the river bank just opposite
my settlement. Among them were two very large war-canoes, the largest
in the country, which sat deep into the water, laden with the bulky
equipment which was to be used by me in crossing the immense wilderness
of Equatorial Africa. We were all ready to leave the country.
Many of the Commi people were to accompany me as far as Goumbi, while
the men who were to follow me were but few; but we were great friends.
My companions for the great expedition were ten altogether.
There was Igala, whom I considered my right-hand man, a warrior of
great repute, one of the most famous hunters of the country. He was
a negro of tall figure and noble bearing, cool and clear-headed in
face of danger, fierce as a lion, but with me docile and submissive.
Igala was to be my leader; he was to be foremost in the fight, if
fighting had to be done. He or I were to lead the van into the jungle,
and he was to keep a sharp lookout and see that the porters did not
run away with their loads. With twenty such men as Igala I would have
been afraid of nothing in Africa. Igala had a great reputation as a
fetich-man, and his war and hunting fetiches especially were thought by
the people to be very potent.
Next to Igala came Rebouka, a big, strapping negro, whose chief fault
was that he always bragged about the amount he could eat; and he had
really sometimes too good an appetite, for the fellow could eat an
enormous quantity of food. But Rebouka had many good qualities, one of
which was that he was a good fighting man, a very important one for me.
Igalo, bearing almost the same name with the fierce Igala, was a tall
young man, full of spirit and dash, impetuous, excitable, and I had
always my eye upon him for fear that he would get us into trouble. He
could fight well too.
My good boy Macondai, a fellow I had almost brought up, the only
sea-shore boy whom Quengueza had allowed to be with me in the country
of the Bakalai in former times, was also of my party.
Then came Mouitchi, a powerful negro, not a Commi, but a slave, who had
come into the Commi country when a mere boy. Mouitchi had been a slave
of Djombouai, Ranpano's nephew, but his freedom had been given him, and
now he wanted to be five years on the road, and to see the white man's
country. Mouitchi was very black, not very tall, a short-necked fellow,
and was the very type of the negro, with thick lips, and a big nose,
almost as flat as that of a gorilla.
Another of my fellows was Rapelina, a short, stout negro, young, but
strong as an ox. One of the chief faults of Rapelina was that he was
sulky and obstinate, but I could always get along with him. He was
a slave of Sholomba, another nephew of Ranpano, who did not want to
be behindhand in manifesting an interest in my expedition, and, as
Rapelina wished to accompany me, Sholomba gave him his freedom.
Retonda, Ngoma, Igala-Yengo, boys, were three other slaves that wanted
to go to the white man's country, and so their freedom was also given
them. Ngoma and Macondai were to be my servants; Ngoma was to be my
cook, and Macondai was to wait upon me while eating.
Igala, Rebouka, Igalo, and Macondai belonged to the best blood of the
country; they were descended from men who had been great in their
tribe, but, as I said to them before we started, "Boys, there are to
be no distinctions among you; we all have stout hearts, and the white
men will thank us all alike if we succeed in our journey." I made Igala
chief over them, and his orders were to be implicitly obeyed.
You have now a pretty good idea of the men and boys who were to follow
me into that great equatorial jungle, and share my perils in countries
so wild that we had not the slightest idea what we should meet with,
either in the people or in the wild beasts.
I had a nice outfit for each one of my boys (for so I called them).
Each one of them had three thick blue woolen shirts, of the best
quality that I could find, and, with care, these would last the whole
of the journey.
They had, besides, each two pairs of thick canvas trowsers, which they
were to wear sometimes on the line of march to protect them against the
stings of insects, from thorns, and many other injuries; but ordinarily
the trowsers were to be worn only when making their appearance in the
villages. At such times the boys were also to wear red worsted caps.
So they were not to look like the olomeiga (bushmen), as they called
the interior people, whom they despised most thoroughly, being, they
said, the class from which the slaves came.
Every man had a good thick blanket to keep him warm at night, and
to protect him from the mosquitoes. I had given to each man a fine
gun; besides, they had each a pair of pistols, a bag to contain their
ammunition, and a huge hunting-knife.
For weeks before our departure I had drilled my men in the use of
their guns, or in practicing target-shooting, so that they might be
splendid shots from the start; and in this, of course, a great deal of
ammunition was wasted.
As the hour for our departure approached, the banks of the river
were crowded with people. It was on the 2d of October, 1864. That
unfortunate shipwreck had caused me a great loss of time, but at last
we were ready, and the people had come to see us off and say good-by.
Many a sad heart was on that shore; many a mother and sister thought it
was the last time they should see the men and boys that were going with
me. I felt the great responsibility I had assumed in taking away my men
from their people.
Every thing was ready, good-by had been said a hundred times, the men
had been in the canoes and had gone ashore again, when I said, "Boys,
let us break off. I know it is hard to leave home. Don't you think it
was hard for me to leave the white man's country?"
Igala, my right-hand man, my warrior, my hunter--Igala, with the heart
of a lion, was the only one left ashore. He could not tear himself
away from his little daughter, whom he tenderly loved, and who clung
closely to her father, the tears streaming from her eyes, and begging
him not to go with the white man on the okili mpolo (long road), for
he would never come back. It was a great trial for Igala. I could see
by the working of his face that his pangs at parting were severe. "Do
not cry, ouana amée (my child); I am coming back; we shall reach the
other side. I am going with Chally; I will bring plenty of beads from
the white man's country." Then, by a sudden effort, he left her and
jumped into my canoe; I gave the order for departure, and in the midst
of tremendous shouting and firing of guns we got in motion. I hoisted
the Stars and Stripes at the stern of my big canoe, and turned my head
toward the mouth of the river as if to catch a glimpse of the sea once
more.
As I looked at my men in that canoe my heart melted with love for them.
What a strong faith they must have had in me! They had left father,
mother, wife, sister, to follow me. I swore to myself that their
confidence in me should not be misplaced; henceforth they were to be
brothers to me.
[Illustration: THE DEPARTURE.]
That night, as we stood by the fire in our camping-ground, I said,
"Boys, you have left fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, your
children, for me, because you would not permit me to go alone from
tribe to tribe; for you said, 'If you get sick, who shall take care of
you? if you are hungry, who shall get food for you? We will follow you
to the end of the journey to the other side of the island, for we know
that if you reach the white man you will bring us back to our country;
we know that, even if one white man should be willing to give ten
ship-loads of goods for one of us, you would not sell us.' Boys, you
have always heeded what I said to you; we are friends. When you come
back and walk in your villages, the people will say, 'Here are the men
with strong hearts; they went with Chally, and have seen what neither
black men nor white men had ever seen before.'"
Where we had stopped for the night lived a celebrated doctor who the
people believed could foretell events. His name was Oune-jiou-e-maré
(head of a bullock); he was about seventy years of age, and a
kind-hearted old man. As he enjoyed the reputation of being a great
prophet, my people asked him whether our journey would be prosperous.
He replied that we should go very far, and that a big chief would ask
Chally to marry his daughter, and then, if Chally married her, and gave
her all she asked, and made her heart glad, she would lead us from
tribe to tribe until we reached the far-off sea where we wished to go.
"Chally, you must marry that girl," they all shouted; "yes, you must."
The next day Ranpano left us, but not before I granted a strange
request of his. He wanted me to take off the garment I wore next to my
skin; "not," said he, "that I want it to wear, but I will keep it, and
then you will be sure to come back."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER X.
A ROYAL WELCOME.--DEPARTURE FROM GOUMBI.--THE STORY OF NCHANGA AND
ENOMO.--ASCENDING THE OVENGA RIVER.--A HOSTILE BARRIER REMOVED.--THE
ADVICE OF QUENGUEZA.
AFTER a few days we reached the kingdom of Quengueza, and I received
a royal welcome from the sturdy old chief, for he loved me more than
any body else. That evening we remained together all alone, and talked
about my long journey. He said to me, "Chally, every body is afraid;
none of my free men want to follow you. They think they will never come
back; but one of my slaves says he will go with you, and you can depend
upon him.
"To make sure of your success," said the old king, "I want you to go
where you like. I am an old man, but I am strong, and, though more than
forty dry and forty rainy seasons have passed since I have been to the
Ashira country, I will go there with you. I will put you myself in the
hands of my friend Olenda, the Ashira king, and tell him to send you
on."
Thirteen days after my arrival at Goumbi the beating of the kendo (the
royal standard alarum) awoke me just before sunrise, and I heard the
voice of the old chief invoking, in a loud tone, the spirits of his
famous royal ancestors to protect us on our journey. The spirits he
invoked were those of men who had been famous in war or as rulers,
and their names had been handed down from generation to generation.
Igoumbai, Wombi, Rebouka, Ngouva, Ricati, Olenga-Yombi--the skulls of
all these great men were kept in the alumbi house of the king.
Quengueza was prouder than any chief I knew of the powers of his
deceased ancestors, and well might he be, for several had been great
warriors, and some had been wise rulers.
At 10 o'clock on the 28th of October we left Goumbi, followed by a
large array of canoes. We had had some trouble before the start, for
Quengueza's slaves were alarmed, and many had hid in the woods. They
were afraid that their master would give them to me, and they did not
desire to go off into the far country.
"Good-by" shouted the villagers on the shore; "good-by, Chally; come
back to us. Take care of our king; we do not like him to go so far away
with you, for he is old; but he loves you, and will accompany you part
of the way." And just as we disappeared from sight a wild shout rang
through the air. It was the last farewell to me of the Goumbi people.
That evening we reached the junction of the Niembai and Ovenga Rivers,
and resolved to pass the night on the shore. The rivers were low,
for the dry season had been unprecedented in its length--indeed, the
longest that the people could remember. In that country the rainy
season comes from inland, and gradually makes its way to the sea-shore,
while the dry season begins at the sea-shore, and gradually makes its
way inland.
That evening our camp was a merry one, for the men who went out caught
a great many fish (mullets and condos). The number was prodigious, for
at that season of the year these fish ascend the river as the shad do
in spring in America. The smoke of many a camp-fire ascended among the
trees, and jokes, and laughter, and story-telling were carried far into
the night. A negro is never happier than when he has nothing to do and
plenty to eat.
My couch, made of leaves, was by the side of Quengueza's, and my brave
companions were all around us.
Some funny stories were told that night, and one of them I wrote down.
The long dry season was the subject of conversation. A man belonging to
Goumbi got up. Nchanga means the wet, Enomo the dry season. These two
seasons are personified with the African. So the story went:
Nchanga and Enomo had a great dispute as to which was the oldest,
that is to say, which was the first to begin, and finally an assembly
of the people of the air met to decide the question. Nchanga said,
"When I come to a place, rain comes." Enomo retorted, "When I make my
appearance, the rain goes." "Verily, verily," said the people of the
air, who had listened to Enomo and Nchanga, "you must be of the same
age."
These long dry seasons have a special name, and are called _enomo
onguéro_; they last about five months. The showers coming at the close
are very light, and produce no impression on the rivers.
Next morning we ascended the Ovenga, which was very low, being about
twenty feet below the high-water mark. The narrow stream was encumbered
with fallen trees and sand-banks, and the journey was difficult and
slow.
We were getting among the Bakalai villages which lined the river banks
from place to place, when suddenly we came to a spot where the river
had been fenced or obstructed right across on account of some petty
trade quarrel which the people of the village opposite had had with
some other village higher up.
As soon as King Quengueza saw this his countenance changed, and wore
the fiercest expression, and for the first time I could see that the
terrible accounts I had heard of his warlike disposition when younger
were true. The face of the man fairly changed its color. He, the King
of the Rembo, traveling with his ntangani (white man), saw that his
river had been barred.
He got up and shouted, "Where are the axes and the cutlasses? where are
the spears and the guns?" and he took up a gun himself, and fired into
the air.
The fence was demolished in a few seconds, and onward we went. Our
canoe took the lead, and just as we turned a bend in the river I saw
five elephants crossing it, and before I had time to get a shot at
them the huge creatures reached the bank and plunged into the forest,
demolishing all the young trees which stood in the way of their flight.
Finally we reached the junction of the Ovenga River and of the Ofoubou,
and set up our camp there. Quengueza immediately dispatched messengers
to the Ashira king, asking him to send us men. Our camp was close by
the village of friend Obindji, with whom you are already acquainted,
who came to see us every day.
You remember the description I gave you of Obindji, and the fierce
witchcraft-palaver that took place at his cabin, Pende, his brother,
having been accused of stealing dead men's bones, etc.
I had brought with me a nice present for Obindji, besides what I had
sent him by Quengueza on my arrival. The good old Bakalai chief was
delighted.
We remained for several days at our encampment here, till at last the
Ashira people, sent by their King Olenda, arrived.
The water was now so low that from the northern bank of the Ovenga, on
which our camp was placed, there stretched a long point of beautiful
sand, upon which turtles would come during the night and lay their eggs.
We soon found that the large number of men Olenda had sent were not
sufficient for repacking our baggage, and I remained behind with
Quengueza.
Three nephews of Quengueza--Adouma, Ouendogo, and Quabi--went with the
Ashira men, taking with them all that the men could carry. When I saw
that I had really too much luggage, I gave to Quengueza nearly all the
salt I had, a great many brass rings, an additional supply of powder,
etc.
After a few days the Ashiras returned, and we concluded to take our
departure the next morning.
Quengueza, besides being an illustrious warrior, was a man who had
a great deal of common sense, and, after every thing was packed and
ready, he ordered my men to come to him. The old chief's countenance
wore a grave aspect, and, after looking in the fire for some time,
smoking all the while as hard as he could, he said, "You are going into
the bush; you will see there no one of your tribe; look up to Chally as
your chief, and obey him. Now listen to what I say. You will visit many
strange tribes. If you see on the road, or in the street of a village,
a fine bunch of plantains, with ground-nuts lying by its side, do not
touch them; leave the village at once; this is a tricky village, for
the people are on the watch to see what you are going to do with them.
"If the people of a village tell you to go and catch fowls or goats,
or cut plantains for yourselves, say to them, 'Strangers do not help
themselves; it is the duty of a host to catch the goat or fowl, and cut
the plantains, and bring the present to the house which has been given
to the strangers.' When a house is given to you in any village, keep
to that house, and go into no other; and if you see a seat, do not sit
upon it, for you know there are seats upon which nobody but the owners
are permitted to sit.
"But, above all, beware of women; do not get in love with any of them,
for you will be strangers in a strange land. I tell you these things
that you may journey in safety; I want you to have a smooth journey,
and get into no trouble. I need not tell you to take care of Chally."
The speech of the old sage was listened to with great attention, and
Igala said, "_Rera_ (father, king), we will follow your advice, for we
know that when salt or food is left on the road-side it is to catch
people; we know that you must not go into other people's houses, for in
some no one but the owner can go; and as for sitting on somebody else's
seat, we know better. We don't want to be made slaves. Rera (father),
we will remember what you have said to us."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XI.
BUSTLE IN THE CAMP.--A MAGIC HORN.--QUENGUEZA'S IDOL.--A LIVING
SKELETON.--TERRIFIC THUNDER-STORM.--A GORILLA FAMILY.--STUPENDOUS
CATARACT.
THE next morning after this fine speech of Quengueza all was bustle in
the camp, and every thing was now ready. Quengueza stood by my side,
wearing a coat, and having a green cloth around his loins; from his
shoulder hung his bag, in which there was a large supply of tobacco and
his kendo; close by him stood a slave and one of his nephews, carrying
his gun and the sword I had given him. Adouma, Ouendogo, and Quabi were
also near at hand.
I was in walking trim, with leggins on, carrying by my side a superb
pair of revolvers. I bore also a double-barreled rifle, and in my bag
were 100 cartridges for my revolvers, and 150 bullets for my gun. Every
man of my company was armed to the teeth, and they seemed greatly to
enjoy looking formidable.
A gun is fired, the echo of which reverberates from mountain to
mountain, and then more guns are fired by the Bakalai, who know that
King Quengueza and his friend Chally are now on their journey.
We paddled up the Ofoubou for a little while, when we went ashore,
and pursued our journey overland. That night we slept at the Bakalai
village of Ndjali-Coudie.
The next morning we continued our journey, my dear friend Quengueza and
I sticking close together. We had left Ndjali-Coudie a little before
six o'clock, just at daybreak, and after a little more than two hours
we reached the top of a steep hill (369 feet in height), called by the
people Nomba-Rigoubou, where we stopped for breakfast. Immediately
after breakfast we marched onward, and as toward four o'clock poor
Quengueza appeared tired, I thought it best to stop for the night at
the base of a hill called Ecourou. Here there were the remains of an
Ashira encampment, which was nothing but an old shed, loosely covered
with pieces of bark, in many places of which I could see through. I had
not much faith in its excellence for shelter, and wanted to send the
men to collect leaves, but they were so tired that I let them rest. It
did not rain every evening, and perhaps it would not rain that evening;
besides, we had an Ashira doctor with us, who blew his magic horn to
drive the rain away.
Quengueza was an excellent companion on the march; full of pride,
he would never complain of being tired, and disliked above all
things to appear old. He was, indeed, an odd sort of person, and the
eccentricities of his character were endless. Of course he never
traveled without his idol, which was an ugly, pot-bellied image of
wood, four or five inches in height, with a row of four cowries
imbedded in its abdomen, and was generally carried, when traveling, in
one of his coat pockets or in his bag. Walking or sleeping, the idol
was never suffered to be away from him. Whenever he ate or drank, he
would take the wooden image and gravely pass his tongue and lips over
its abdomen, and before drinking any of the native beer he would
always take it out of his pocket or bag, lay it on the ground, and pour
a libation over its feet. Poor Quengueza! I used to talk enough to him
about his superstitions; I tried to shake his blind faith in them, and
to teach him to adore the true God and Creator. That evening he held a
long parley with the idol.
The next morning old Quengueza appeared to feel stiff as he got up, but
he took care not to tell it to any body, and immediately we started.
That day we reached the Ashira Land, which was the country to which
Quengueza purposed to escort me himself on my way to the interior.
It is a mark of great friendship here to accompany a man part of his
journey, and Quengueza, though a man beyond threescore and ten, went
with me over rough mountains, through rushing streams, and along
thorny, bad roads, to show me how much he loved me.
As we emerged from the forest into the prairies of Ashira Land, the
magnificent mountains of Igoumbi-Andelè and Ofoubou-Orèrè burst
upon our view in the south, while in the north the lofty ridge of
Nkoumou-Nabouali stood out in majestic grandeur against the sky.
Old King Olenda received us with great demonstrations of joy; he came
to meet us beating his kendo, and seemed delighted to meet me again.
How glad he was to see Quengueza! They had not seen each other for
forty dry seasons and forty rainy seasons (forty years).
I have given you before, in two of my works, a description of old
Olenda, the oldest man I ever saw. He was much the same now as when I
last saw him: his cheeks sunken, his legs and arms thin and bony, and
covered with wrinkled skin. He appeared, in fact, a living skeleton,
yet retained his sight and hearing unimpaired.
After we had come to the ouandja (palaver house), Quengueza said, "I
have come to see you again, Olenda; I have come to see you, to bring
you with my own hands my friend Chally, the spirit, and I want you to
provide him with an escort to conduct him on to the next tribe."
Olenda promised every thing. The Ashira came to us in great crowds, for
they wanted not only to greet me, but to see the great Quengueza.
The next day presents of slaves were brought to Quengueza. I begged
the old chief not to take them; but the trouble was, that, according
to the customs of the country, it would be an insult for him to refuse
them, for he was the guest. Nevertheless, I took the responsibility,
and I said I did not desire Quengueza to take away any slaves from the
country. Immense quantities of supplies were brought to us--goats,
plantains, fowls, pea-nuts, sugar-cane, wild pine-apples, berries, and
fruits of all sorts. After a few days I held a palaver, and said, "I
must see the great waterfall of Samba-Nagoshi."
We started in light marching order, the only heavy baggage being my
photographic apparatus, for I wanted to take accurate views of the
splendid scenery which I expected to behold. I took only four of my
faithful Commi boys--Rebouka, Igala, Macondai, and Ngoma. The rest
of my followers were Ashiras; among them were three of Olenda's
grand-nephews--Arangui, Oyagui, and Ayagui.
We pursued a northeast direction till we struck the Ovigui River,
crossing it on an immense tree which had been felled for the purpose,
and which had lodged about fifteen feet from the water. Then we
took a path which was to lead us to the country of the Kambas. The
forest was exceedingly dense. The first evening we had a fearful
thunder-storm--the rainy season had begun in these mountains. The
thunder was terrific, and the flashes of lightning vividly illuminated
the thick woods by which we were surrounded. The next morning we
resumed our march along the western foot of a hilly range, and not a
sound was heard as we trudged steadily along in Indian file. On the
way we passed through a little bit of prairie, the name of which was
Opangano, and before noon we came to a village of Bakalai. The village
was fenced; that is to say, each side of the street was barred with
long poles. The street was very narrow, and none of the houses had
outside doors.
The Ashiras were afraid to go into the villages. They said that after
the people were in, sometimes the gates were shut, and then strangers
were killed or plundered. A great panic seized the Bakalai as I entered
the village, but their fears were somewhat allayed when they recognized
Arangui. We remained but a little while, and continued our march
northward, passing near several villages of the warlike Bakalai, two of
which were entirely abandoned, and before sunset we reached a little
prairie called the Lambengue. We had had a hard day's work; it had been
raining all the afternoon, and we had been compelled to travel through
the mire and over miles of slippery stones; so we built sheds, covering
them with large leaves, and surrounded ourselves with roaring big fires
to keep away the snakes and wild beasts.
The night's rest did little to refresh us, and the next morning we
still felt weary. For myself, I was quite unwell, and found my gun too
heavy to carry. The feet of my men were sore on account of the pebbles
with which the path was filled the day before. So I took the lead to
cheer them up, and we were soon lost again in that great jungle. Oh,
how wild it was! how desolate! how solitary! There was not an elephant
to be seen, nor did the chatter of a monkey break the silence of the
forest. I was ahead of the party, trying to descry the future, when
suddenly I was startled by a loud noise of the breaking of branches
of trees. It was a family of gorillas. They had seen me, and began to
hurry down the trees which they had ascended to pick the berries. How
queer their black faces looked as they peeped through the leaves to
see what was the matter! As they came hastily down, the branches would
bend with their weight. They were of different sizes. "It must be a
family of gorillas," said I to myself. All at once I saw a huge black
face looking through the foliage. There was no mistake--it was a huge
male gorilla. He had caught sight of me, and I could distinctly see his
hideous features, his ferocious eyes and projecting eyebrows. I was
on the point of running away as fast as I could toward my men, when
I heard their voices; they were coming up to the rescue. The shaggy
monster raised a cry of alarm, scrambled to the ground, and disappeared
in the jungle, going, no doubt, where his mate or family had gone
before him.
A few days after meeting the gorillas I was seated on the banks of the
River Rembo-Ngouyai, looking at a very grand and impressive scene. It
was, indeed, a magnificent freak of nature. The great body of water
rushed through a narrow gorge with headlong fury, and the whole stream
was white with foam. To reach this spot we had gone through dense
forests, having been led thither only by the roar of the rushing
waters. We had passed two tribes before gaining the fall--the Kambas
and the Aviia. The latter were our guides, and they said that the
Fougamou, the real fall, was above; so we ascended the steep banks of
the river for about a quarter of an hour, when we came upon the object
of our search. The river here was about 150 yards wide. In the middle
of it was an island, dividing the fall into two parts, and I could only
see the half of the fall on our side. Between the island and the main
land, where I stood, the distance was not more than 70 or 80 yards.
The fall was hardly greater than 15 feet, and that was broken in the
centre by two huge granite boulders, which the water had not succeeded
in wearing away or detaching from the bed of rock over which the
river there descended. The water seemed to rush in an enormous volume
down a steep incline. The cataract itself I thought was not imposing,
but below it was one of the grandest sights I ever saw. A torrent of
fearful velocity and great volume leaped madly along in huge billows,
as though the whole river had dropped into a chasm, and bounded out
again over ridges of rocks. The scene was rendered more magnificent by
the luxuriant tropical foliage of the banks. Nothing could be heard but
the noise of the cataract. The sky was cloudy, a fine rain was falling,
and that day I could not take a photograph of the grand scene. I wanted
to sleep that night near the fall, but my Aviia guides were frightened,
and said that the great spirit Fougamou would come during the night and
roar with such fury in our ears that we could not survive it; besides
which, no one had ever slept there.
[Illustration: SURPRISING A FAMILY OF GORILLAS.]
I gave you, in my Apingi Kingdom, the legend concerning the
Samba-Nagoshi Falls just as I heard it from the Apingi, and the Aviia
repeated it to me. I found that the Apingi had added nothing to it at
all.
I had at last seen the famous Samba-Nagoshi Falls at the base of the
towering Nkoumou-Nabouali Mountains. I was satisfied, and a few days
after I was on my way back to Olenda's village.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XII.
THE DEATH OF REMANDJI.--A SINGULAR SUPERSTITION.--OUTBREAK OF THE
PLAGUE.--A TOUCHING INCIDENT.--DYING OFF BY SCORES.--DEATH OF OLENDA.
WHILE on my way from the Falls of Samba-Nagoshi to Olenda a secret
deputation had been sent to him from the Apingi country, where, as
you are aware, I had been made king, and where the people were so
superstitious about me. The King of Apingi had sent word that Olenda
must endeavor to dissuade me from going into Apingi Land.
It appears that, after I had left the Apingi country, the people could
not comprehend what had become of me. They would come to Remandji and
ask him if he knew where I was. They declared that he had hid me in the
forest for himself; that he was jealous, and did not want his people
to see me. They came and asked for presents, but poor Remandji told
them that the Spirit had not left him many things, and that really he
did not know where I had gone; that they had seen me disappear in the
forest, and had heard me say good-by to the people just as he had.
A few days after my departure Remandji was found dead in his little
hut, on his bed. A cry of anguish rose from one end of the village to
the other when the news of Remandji's death spread; the people felt
sorry, for they loved him. There was mourning and lamentation in the
Apingi tribe.
A party among the people rose and exclaimed that some of the
neighboring people had killed their chief by aniemba (witchcraft),
because they were jealous of him--jealous that he was my great
friend--jealous that he possessed me.
Another party, and a very powerful one, having on its side the great
doctors of the tribe, who had been consulted about Remandji's death,
declared that the Spirit himself, meaning me, had killed Remandji, for
I loved him so much I could not part with him, and I wanted to take his
spirit with me wherever I went.
A few days after Remandji's death his son Okabi died also. Fear seized
upon the Apingi people. "Surely," said they, "the Spirit has killed
Okabi and Remandji," and many were oppressed with a presentiment of
death, for many had been my friends, and from that day they believed
that when I left a country I killed my friends in order not to part
from them. The present chief of the Apingi Land, having heard of my
arrival, sent a deputation to Olenda with the words "I do not want to
see the Spirit. I do not want to follow him, as Remandji and his son
have done, but rather prefer to stop at home and eat plantain. This
present world is good enough for me."
The Apingi messengers were afraid of me, and had gone back to their
own country without waiting for my appearance. So, after the departure
of the Apingi messengers, a great council of all the Ashira chiefs was
held to decide by which route I should be sent into the far country.
It was determined at last that I should go through the Otando country,
and that messengers should be sent at once to the king of that far-off
land, telling him that Olenda was to send me to him. Quengueza then
made his preparations to return to Goumbi.
I sent my men out hunting every day to drill them and accustom them to
fire-arms. I made them practice shooting every day, so that they might
become better marksmen. I do not speak of Igala, who was what might
have been called a dead shot.
A few days after what I have just related to you, a man called
Elanga, a grand-nephew of Olenda, was taken ill with a disease which
the natives had never seen. Elanga lived a long distance from our
village, but his people came to me to see what I could do for him. The
description they gave me was that of the small-pox. I promised to go
and see him the next day, but that day the news came that Elanga had
died. There was a great deal of mourning and wailing among the people;
they all went to Elanga's village except Olenda, my Commi men, and
Quengueza's people.
Elanga had been to our camp to fetch our baggage, so immediately the
people said Elanga had been bewitched. I went to see the body of
Elanga; it could not have been recognized. I was not mistaken; the
worst type of confluent or black small-pox had killed him. So when I
saw the people around him I tried to dissuade them from touching him,
and advised them to burn every thing with which he had ever come in
contact, even the house where he slept. Nevertheless, the mourning
ceremonies took place as usual. My worst fears were realized. Soon
after, two cases occurred among the mourners; then it spread like
wildfire. Pestilence had come over the land. It came from the interior,
and was working its way toward the sea.
The plague broke out with terrible violence all over the country.
Olenda's village was attacked; Olenda's favorite wife was the first
victim. Every body who was attacked died. It was in vain that I begged
them to stop their "mourning" ceremonies. Almost every body who had
attended Elanga's funeral had caught the plague and died. A cry of
anguish rose over the land.
I established a quarantine camp, and forbid my men to move out of it. I
was full of anxiety on account of poor Quengueza.
Half of the people of Olenda had died; half of the Ashira had gone down
to their graves. Olenda is still well.
I implored Quengueza to go back to his country. "If you love me,
Quengueza," I said, "go home." "No," said the old chief; "to leave you
when you are in trouble! I, Quengueza, do such a thing! No, Chally;
the people would laugh at me, and say 'Quengueza had no power to help
Chally on his way.'"
Things had now become gloomy indeed; the storm is threatening. Rigoli,
Quengueza's favorite little slave, had taken the plague, which had at
last invaded our premises. Quengueza took him into his own hut. I was
horror-struck at the idea, and cried, "Do you want to die, Quengueza?"
His answer was beautiful. "I love Rigoli," said he; "he is the child of
an old slave my brother Oganda left me. I can take better care of him
here. If I get the plague it will be God's palaver." I looked at this
savage king, and his noble reply made me love him more than ever. A
few days afterward Rigoli was dead.
Three several times a gang of men had been sent for the transportation
of my baggage to the Otando country; three times within a few days the
plague had carried away the greater number of them.
I succeeded in making Quengueza send a large number of his people back
to Goumbi. Then thirty Ashira men were mustered. I wanted them to go
with my men to the Otando country with part of the luggage. To this my
Commi men demurred. "How can we leave you here? Who, in the midst of
this fearful disease, shall cook for you? Some of us must remain with
you. These Ashira may poison you by putting the gall of a leopard into
your food. Some of us will stay with you, come what may; if we are to
die, we will die by you." Noble fellows!
So, with the thirty men which Olenda could now place at my disposition,
I sent Igala, Rebouka, Mouitchi, Rapelina, Rogueri. Poor Olenda could
only give me thirty men, for his people were either down with the
plague or dead. Olenda promised solemnly to Quengueza that as soon as
the men came back he would send them with me to the Otando.
In the mean time intelligence had been received that the plague had
reached the banks of the Rembo-Ovenga, and that Bakalai and Commi were
dying fast; so old Quengueza took his departure for Goumbi, but not
before I took a good photograph of him.
Before he left us he said, "Chally, when you come back with your
people, bring me a big bell that rings ding, dang, dong, a silver sword
that will never rust, a brass chest, and plenty of fine things."
I accompanied Quengueza part of the way over the prairie. How sad I
felt! for if I ever loved a friend I loved friend Quengueza, and just
before we were to turn our backs upon each other there was a pause.
"Chally, go back to Olenda," said Quengueza to me. Then he took my
two hands in his own, blew upon them, and invoked the spirits of his
ancestors to follow me as they had followed him. We looked in each
other's face once more for an instant, and parted, he going toward
the sea, and I toward the interior. I stood still as the old man
moved away; he turned several times to get a glimpse of me, but soon
disappeared in the tall grass of the prairie. He had but few of his
people with him, for the plague had come heavily on Goumbi, and many
had died of it.
Quengueza had hardly left the country when the plague became yet more
terrible; not a day passed without its hundreds of victims. A cry of
anguish was all over the land; the wailings, the mournful songs were
heard every where.
At last there were not left well people enough to fetch food, and
famine succeeded to the pestilence. My poor Commi men, who went
in search of food in the neighboring villages, were driven back,
threatened with death by the terrified inhabitants, who shouted, "The
Spirit with whom you came has brought this _eviva_ (plague) upon us.
What have we done to him?"
Not one of Olenda's numerous wives was well, but the king remained my
steadfast friend. He said to his sick people that he remembered that
when he was a boy the same thing had come over the land. How glad I was
to have Olenda on my side!
A few days after the departure of Quengueza, if you had been in my
little hut, you would have seen me seated on the side of my bed, my
head resting on my hands, in utter loneliness and desolation of heart.
My boy Retonda had died and been buried that day. How could I feel
otherwise than unhappy when a whole country was cursing me, and the
people were more afraid of me than of the plague itself?
In my own little hut Ngoma was lying near unto death; the crisis had
come to him; his pulse was low. Was he to die also?
After a while I approached Ngoma, and said, "Ngoma, my boy, how do
you feel?" He could hardly speak; the disease had gone also into his
throat; he could not see--he was blind; mortification had set in, and
the smell emanating from him was dreadful, and yet there I had to sleep.
In the next hut to mine lay Igala-Yengo; he too was taken with the
plague. Poor Igala-Yengo was one of Quengueza's slaves, and had said to
his master that he would go with me.
Those were indeed dark days for me. One morning, as I went to ask old
Olenda how he was, he said, "My head pains me, and I am so thirsty."
That day he laid him down on his bed never to get up again. For two
days the fever increased, and part of the time I was by his bedside.
The good chief, seeing my sorrowful countenance, would say, "Chally,
do not grieve. It is not your fault if I am sick. You have not made me
ill."
Oh, these words sounded sweetly to me. I left him toward nine o'clock
in the evening to go to my hut to get a little rest, and found poor
Ngoma a little better. I did not want Macondai to sleep in my hut; he
was the only one besides myself that had not been seized by the plague.
As I lay wide awake on my couch, suddenly I heard a cry of anguish,
a shriek from house to house. A shudder came over me. Olenda was
dead--Olenda, my only friend, was dead.
As soon as that shriek was heard, Macondai, in despite of my former
orders, rushed into my hut and said, "Chally, are your guns loaded? are
your revolvers ready? for I do not know what the Ashira may do, since
the great Olenda is dead."
I confess that I partook of Macondai's apprehensions, but I said to
him, "Be of good cheer, my boy; there is but one God, and he will
battle for us. Men can only kill the body."
This was a terrible blow for me, the consequences of which I could not
foresee. Olenda, before dying, ordered his people to take care of me,
and in a short time passed away as peacefully as if he had gone to
sleep.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: "OLENDA IS DEAD!"]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XIII.
BURIAL OF OLENDA.--A DESOLATED VALLEY.--SUSPICIONS
AROUSED.--ROBBERY.--PAUL IN PERPLEXING CIRCUMSTANCES.--FREEING A MAN
FROM THE STOCKS.--RAVAGES OF THE PLAGUE.
THE day of Olenda's burial had come, but there were hardly people
enough left to bury him--such had been the devastations of the plague.
Not far from the village stood in the prairie a little grove of trees,
beneath whose shade the chiefs of the Ademba clan, to which Olenda
belonged, were always buried; but it had been long since an interment
had taken place there, for Olenda had outlived his brothers a score of
years. All the people who could came to the funeral of their chief.
Olenda looked as if he were asleep. They had dressed him in the big
coat I had given him, and came to ask me if I would give to my friend
Olenda the umbrella I had. It was the only one I had, but I could not
well refuse, and I said, "Take it."
They bore Olenda's body to the grove of trees with many manifestations
of deep sorrow, shouting, "He will not talk of us any more; he will not
speak to us any more. Oh, Olenda, why have you left us? Is it because
we are all dying?" I followed the body to the grave, and I saw that
they seated him on his big coat, and put over his head the umbrella
I had given them for him. By his side was placed a chest containing
the presents I had brought for him, and also plates, jugs, cooking
utensils, his favorite pipe, and some tobacco; a fire was kindled,
which was to be kept up from day to day for a long time, and food
and water was brought, which was also to be daily replenished for an
indefinite period.
Before dying, Olenda had told his people that he was not to leave them
entirely; he would come back from time to time to see how they were
getting on; so, for a few days after his death, the people would swear
that they saw Olenda in the middle of the night walking in the village,
and that he had repeated to them that he had not left them entirely.
The once beautiful Ashira, at the sight of which I had fallen into
ecstasies, had now become the valley of death. Crazy men and women,
made crazy only by the plague, wandered about till they died on the
road-side. Every body was afraid of his neighbor; they had found out,
at last, that the disease was contagious, and when one got it he was
left to himself, and the poor creature would die of starvation: his
wife, his father, his mother, his sister, his brother, if any such
relatives had been left to him by the plague, would fly away from him
as from the curse of God.
My Commi men did not come back; I wondered why, and began to feel very
anxious about them. What had become of them? What a blunder I had made
in letting these men go ahead of me! I would have given the world to
see them again with me, for I did not know what those far-away people
would do to them.
Strange rumors came from the Otando country: the news was that the
people did not want me to come, as I carried with me the _eviva_
(plague) wherever I went.
Several weeks passed away; no tidings of my men, no tidings of
Arangui, or of the Ashiras who had gone with them. The plague was now
diminishing in virulence for want of victims, for, except Macondai and
myself, every body had been attacked with it, and those who did not
succumb had recovered or were fast recovering. In the beginning, every
body attacked was sure to die.
I began to feel suspicious, for three Otando men had come to me and
told me they had important intelligence to communicate, but could not
give it just then, and had promised to come back after two days. Three
days had passed away, and I heard one night somebody talking in a hut;
I listened outside, and was rewarded by finding out that the Ashiras
had frightened away the three Otando men, who had gone back to Mayolo.
At length three of my Commi men suddenly made their appearance from
Mayolo by themselves. I was thunderstruck; the Ashiras of the village
were frightened. What did all this mean?
Rebouka, Mouitchi, and Rapelina were the good fellows. Though it had
taken four days to come from the Otando country, they had found their
way back. They were armed to the teeth, and looked like terrible
warriors. Igala, tired of waiting for me, had sent them back to see
what was the matter.
I now learned that the Ashiras had returned long ago, and, though weeks
had passed away, I had seen none of them. I heard also that several of
the loads had never reached Mayolo; that the porters had gone back to
their plantations with them; that Arangui was at the bottom of all
the thieving; and that Igala, with all his threats, could not make the
porters sleep together near him at night. Then, to cap the whole thing,
they told me that Arangui had seized one of the Otando men that had
come to see me, and that this was the reason why the other two had fled.
"What is to be done?" said I to myself. "I must be crafty and cunning,
and as wise as a serpent." It would never have done to get in a rage.
I told my men to keep quiet, and not to say a word about the robbery. I
did not want to frighten them--I wanted more porters.
It did, indeed, require a great amount of self-control for me to keep
cool when I was quite certain that all the men of the village knew
that I had been plundered by their own people, and that probably most
of them had been sharers of the plunder. Even Ondonga, who now was
chief of the village and a cousin of Arangui, knew all about it. It is
wonderful how savages can keep secrets: not a child, not a woman, not a
man in the country had breathed to me the slightest word on the subject.
That night I kept revolving in my mind how I must act to get out of the
scrape. I said to myself, "I must become a hypocrite, and fight cunning
with cunning, in order to win."
The next morning I said to my men, "Tell the Ashiras that you have
not said a word to me about the robbery, for you were afraid that I
might kill some of them if I knew it; and tell Ondonga, Mintcho, and
their people that you know they are too great friends of mine and of
Quengueza to have had any thing to do with the plunder. Tell them that
you were obliged to tell me about Arangui and the seizure of the man
in order to give an excuse for your coming." I then dismissed them with
saying, "Boys, mind and do just as I have told you."
To Ondonga, patting him on the shoulder, though I felt like blowing out
his brains, I said, "Ondonga, I know that you are my friend; I know
that the Olenda people are good people. I know that you never knew of
the return of Arangui; if you had known it you would have surely told
me."
Ondonga swore that it was so; he would have told me at once.
I shouted so that every body could hear me, "Of course, Ondonga; I know
that you would have told me, for you have a heart, and would not tell
a lie. Why did friend Arangui do such a thing as to seize that Otando
man--Arangui, whom I loved so much? The only thing Arangui can do is to
give up the man. Must he not give up the man, Ashiras?" I cried.
"Yes!" exclaimed the people; "Arangui must give up the man."
I knew very well that no Ashira man would dare to go into the Otando
country after having put in nchogo an Otando man, for they would all be
seized, and then who should carry my baggage?
Mintcho and Ondonga said to me, "We will go at once to Arangui's
plantation to see if he is there." "He must have been hiding from us,"
said Mintcho, with a laugh. "Hypocrite," said I to myself, "what a
lying rascal you are!"
They went to Arangui's plantation, and on their return, as soon as
they saw me, they shouted, "That is so; Arangui is back. Arangui is a
_noka_ (rogue, liar), and none of us knew it."
"Ondonga, my friend," I whispered, "a necklace of beads shall be on
your neck to-night" (and I felt very much like putting a rope around
his neck and choking him). "Now tell me the palaver."
Ondonga said, "Two dry and two rainy seasons ago, the Otando people
seized a relative of Arangui because Arangui owed them two slaves and
had not brought the goods, and the man is still kept in nchogo (the
native stocks). Arangui wanted his relative back, and by keeping that
man he thought they would send back his relative."
[Illustration: PRISONER IN NCHOGO.]
I knew that, according to African fashion, this palaver would last
several years. That would never do for me, for I must be off.
My men said that what Ondonga had said was true; they had heard so in
the Otando country; so I sent Mintcho back, and said to him, "Tell
friend Arangui that he must give up the man. If I had not to take care
of my people I would go and see him. Tell him that he must do that
for his friend Chally. Did not Arangui take Quengueza and myself from
Obindji's place to come here?"
The two rascals Mintcho and Ondonga went again, and several days
elapsed before Arangui let the man go. He did not do it until he was
taken ill with the plague; then he became frightened, and thought I
was going to kill him, so he immediately gave up the man, and Ondonga
and Mintcho brought him in triumph to me. Poor fellow! his legs were
dreadfully lacerated.
The plague was in its last stage. Arangui had been the only one who had
not taken it before. The Otando man had not had it, and I was afraid he
would catch it. If he were to die of it in the country of the Ashiras,
not one of them would dare to go into that of the Otandos, and that
would be the end of my trip; so it was necessary that I should hurry my
departure. If it had not been for the rascality of Arangui I would have
been in the Otando country two months ago. The thought of this made my
blood boil, and I felt very much like hanging Arangui to the nearest
tree.
It was the first time that I had been robbed in Africa, and that by
Olenda's people. I knew they would not have done it if their old chief
had been alive.
What a sea of trouble poor Paul Du Chaillu had to contend with! Indeed,
these were days of trial; but I had to face them, and I faced them
manfully, though several times I was on the verge of despair.
By some means news of the death of Olenda had reached Quengueza, and
I was astonished one day to receive a messenger from him with word
that, as Olenda had left no people to carry me and my goods to the
next country, he was coming to take me to another Ashira clan that had
people. This frightened Ondonga, and he tried hard to get porters for
me.
Terrible tidings now came from Goumbi: all the Goumbi people that had
come with Quengueza to the Ashira country had died of the plague;
nearly all the nephews of Quengueza were dead; Obindji had died, and
every Bakalai chief. In some of the Bakalai villages not a human being
had been left. Death had come over the land. But Quengueza had been
spared; the plague had not touched him, though his head slave, good old
Mombon, was no more.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XIV.
DEPARTURE FROM ASHIRA LAND.--A SILENT LEAVE-TAKING.--THIEVISH
PORTERS.--A CUNNING OLD RASCAL.--MISFORTUNE ON MISFORTUNE.--WITHOUT
FOOD IN THE FOREST.--A DESPERATE PLOT.--FEASTING ON MONKEY-MEAT.--OUT
OF THE WOODS.
THE threat of Quengueza had the desired effect. At last Ondonga
succeeded in getting porters, who, with my own men, made the number of
our company about thirty. No amount of pay could induce more to come.
They were afraid of trouble. They could not tell what the trouble would
be, but they had a vague fear that something dreadful was impending.
Every thing that we could not take with us I either gave away or
destroyed.
Early in the morning of the 16th of March I left Ashira Land. How I had
suffered in that poor, unfortunate land! The plague had destroyed the
people, and the survivors accused me of having destroyed the victims of
the plague. Then things had looked so dark that many and many a time I
thought the end had come; that no more explorations were to be made,
and I fully expected to be murdered by the infuriated savages.
My party of ten Commi men had been reduced to seven. Retonda had died;
Rogueri, a slave, had run away, and it was he who had advised the
Ashira to rob me, and who had tried to disabuse them of my power. The
plague had disabled Igala-Yengo. He was going back to Goumbi now that
he was much better, and he was to take letters for me.
I felt thankful that God had spared the lives of so many of my men, for
Rebouka, Mouitchi, and Rapelina took it on their return from Otando.
I was anxious about Macondai; he was the only one who had not had the
plague, as you are aware; and, leaving the Ashira country, I knew that
I was going into a country where the plague had not yet disappeared.
This time there was no gun-firing as we left old Olenda's village, no
singing, nothing--we left silently. I had misgivings. I thought of
mischief brewing ahead, and I was not mistaken.
That day we crossed the Ovenga, and followed a path which led to one
of Olenda's large plantations; there I found a considerable village of
Olenda's slaves, a slave himself being chief over the village. His name
was Mayombo.
All the porters did not reach the place that evening. Ondonga himself
had not come. The next morning he came with the news that several of
the porters had run away, leaving their boxes in the path, and that he
had been compelled to go back and fetch more porters.
Then I discovered that three boxes of goods were missing, and I became
furious. Ondonga got frightened; I knew the rascal was at the bottom of
the mischief, and once or twice I felt like making an example of him by
calling a council of war, composed of my men and myself, and, upon the
clear proof of his guilt, shooting him dead on the spot.
Ondonga swore that he would find the thieves; but the boxes came back,
and they had been broken open, and many things were missing. Ondonga
pretended to be in a violent rage, and declared in a loud voice that
there should be war, and that the thieves should be sold into slavery.
It was all I could do to restrain myself from breaking the fellow's
head.
The acting was superb. The old chief and some of the slaves seized
their spears, and shouted, "Let us go after the thieves!" They hurried
out of the place shouting, cursing, and vowing death to the thieves.
They were the thieves themselves; but I kept cool, and thought the day
of reckoning would come.
Misfortune seemed to come upon misfortune. That day Macondai complained
of a violent back-ache. He had the plague; this was one of the first
symptoms.
What could I do? When we left the plantation the dear good fellow tried
to walk with us, but he became so ill that we were forced to come to a
stand in the woods. No greater calamity could have befallen me. I felt
as if I could cry, for my fortitude was on the point of giving way, and
it seemed as though the hand of God was against me.
When any thing very important had taken or was about to take place, it
was always my custom to summon my Commi men, and hold a council to see
what was to be done. So my faithful body-guard were now summoned to my
side. As soon as we were seated together, every one of us wearing an
anxious look, I said, "Boys, you will go ahead; I will remain here and
take care of Macondai."
The men said, "No, Chally." Macondai himself said no. "If we go
without you," said the men, "they will begin stealing again." "If you
do not go," said Macondai at once, "you will not have one porter left,
for I heard to-day some say they were afraid to follow you; they were
afraid on account of those who had robbed you; and if you give them
time to talk together, they will agree to run away. Go now, Chally,"
said Macondai, "for if you do not you will never reach Mayolo. I shall
get well."
After some consultation it was agreed that Igalo should remain with
Macondai on a small plantation near at hand, and Ondonga said the
Ashira would take care of him. I could not bear parting with Macondai.
I knew, of course, that the Ashira would not dare to murder him, but
then he was ill.
After making every possible provision I could for the comfort of the
sick boy, and enjoining upon Igalo never to leave him, and after
weighing out medicine to be given him at stated times, we continued our
march; but I was so wretched that I can not describe to you my feelings.
The traveling was exceedingly toilsome. The men were overloaded,
and I myself carried on my back in my otaitai over sixty pounds of
ammunition, besides having my heavy revolvers slung by my side, and
my most formidable double-barreled breech-loader on my shoulder. The
path--for there was a path--lay through a most picturesque country, and
along a mountain range, extending north and south, which lies between
the country of the Ashira and the Otandos. The hills of this range were
very much broken up, so that we did nothing else than make continuous
ascents and descents. The forest was dense, and impeded with numerous
blocks of quartz which lay strewn along the path nearly all the way,
and quartz crystals covered the beds of the sparkling rivulets that
flowed at the bottom of every valley.
It was very tiresome indeed, and I felt sad, very sad, for I knew not
how things would end. I kept thinking of Macondai. I was not master of
the position; they might rob me. I could do nothing, for two of my men
were left in their hands--Igalo and Macondai.
The second day of our march we came to the River Louvendji, which I had
crossed, if you remember, in former years going to the Apingi country;
and very beautiful the Louvendji is. The banks where we forded the
river were lined with beautiful palm-trees.
The porters began to lag behind under the pretext that the loads were
too heavy for them. For two days I had succeeded in making all the
porters keep up with me and sleep in my bivouac; but there was not much
sleep for me or my men, for we had to keep a sharp look on the porters,
though they were not armed, lest they should have given word to their
people beforehand to hide spears and bows and arrows somewhere in the
forest near where they knew we would camp for the night.
The third night, in despite of all my endeavors, some of the men would
not keep pace with us; so, when I ordered the people to stop for
the night, Mintcho and a few men were missing. I knew at once that
something was wrong, and I said to the Ashira that were with me that if
I saw one of them move off I would shoot him on the spot.
The next morning we waited for Mintcho and the men, and they made their
appearance an hour after sunrise. Mintcho immediately affected to be
very angry with them. "I waited for you," shouted he, "and you did not
come, so I could not come and sleep by the side of my friend Chally.
Where did you sleep? I blew the horn and you did not answer."
He raised some of the boxes from the ground, and cried, "Yes, these
are not as heavy as they were; you have been stealing my white man's
things; you are thieves." At this the culprits got frightened for fear
of punishment from me, and, leaving their loads in the road, fled into
the jungle.
Then came a tremendous excitement. The men openly declared that it was
no use to go farther with the white man, for they would not get any
pay, as some people had robbed him; that they had worked for nothing.
It was a plot; they were all in it. I saw that they wanted to leave me
in the forest. Some had not dared to steal, but Mintcho was the chief
thief. I forgot myself, and accused him of it. It was a mistake on
my part. Mintcho appeared to be terribly angry at my accusing him. I
saw the blunder at once, and I retracted and said that his people had
stolen my property, and I did not see why he should not be responsible
for them; that such was the law of the country. "But," said I,
"Mintcho, I know that you are my friend, and that you would not do such
a thing yourself." As we were talking, more porters ran away, leaving
their loads on the ground.
This strange scene had taken place at a distance from any river. Things
had come to a crisis; something was to be done at once, or I should
be left alone in the woods. Mintcho and a few porters were the only
ones left. I could not allow them to go; so, calling my Commi men,
I said, pointing my gun at Mintcho, "If you make a step one way or
the other, you are a dead man." In the mean time my men, pointing
their guns at the Ashira, shouted, "You are dead men if you move." The
fact was simply that, if Macondai and Igalo had not been left behind,
there would have been bloodshed. Apprehensions for their safety alone
prevented me from resorting to very strong measures.
[Illustration: DECISIVE MEASURES.]
So I said, "Mintcho and you Ashira men must take those loads and carry
them to the river; then you will come back and take what remains to the
same place, till every one of the packages has been carried thither. If
you try to run away you will be shot;" and I ordered all my Commi men,
who had now become furious, to shoot down the first man that tried to
escape into the jungle. "Follow them," said I to Rebouka; "never let
Mintcho move from you more than a step; shoot him dead if he goes two
yards." Rebouka swore that he would shoot him dead. Mouitchi, Ngoma,
and Rapelina followed the other Ashiras.
So they went, I remaining all alone to watch the goods. I had become
furious, and it required all my self-command not to shoot Mintcho as a
robber. I kept the sharpest lookout in every direction; my revolvers
were ready, and all my double-barreled guns were loaded and by me; but
nobody came.
Rebouka, my Commi, and the Ashira came back a short time afterward.
They had left the loads near a stream, and Mouitchi had remained behind
watching them with six guns by his side. His orders were to fire on the
first Ashira that came from the woods. Our blood was up, and we were
getting desperate.
The Ashiras took each another load, and I repeated again to Rebouka and
the Commi men to shoot them down as they would shoot a monkey if any
should try to run away.
At last all the baggage was safely deposited on the margin of a little
stream, where we were to build our camp.
The Ashiras then became really frightened, and began to think they
should never get back to their country. That night I remained awake
with my men, and they saw that they could not escape. I had become
vindictive, and they knew it. Mintcho seized my feet, and shouted,
"Do not kill us; let me go, and keep the other hostages. I will have
all the things that have been stolen restored to you. I will make the
porters come back." "No," said I, "Mintcho, there is no going away for
you; if you move a step you are dead;" and, to frighten him, I fired a
gun at a tree, and he saw that the bullet had made a great gash in the
tree.
Then I ordered Mintcho and an Ashira, with one of my Commi, to go to
Mayolo to get porters. At first they would not do it. They were afraid.
The game they had played had not been quite as successful as they had
expected.
We had no food; it rained every night, and we could find no large
leaves to shelter us from the heavy fall of water. Oh dear! how far off
was Mayolo? It was clear that strong measures must be taken immediately.
There was still with us our Otando prisoner whom Arangui had given
back to me. So I said, "Mouitchi, hurry to Mayolo with that man, and
tell Mayolo to send men and food at once, so that we may go to his
country." Mouitchi departed with the Otando man, taking with him a
necklace of large beads for Mayolo.
I was now left with Mintcho and seven Ashira rascals, and had only
two of my faithful Commi men with me--Rebouka and Ngoma--to keep
watch over them. We were encamped in a small open space in the
loneliest and gloomiest part of the forest, by the path leading to the
Otando country. We were absolutely without food. Rebouka, Ngoma, and
myself agreed to keep watch over our eight Ashiras, who were now our
prisoners. Now and then the rascals would pretend to be asleep, and
snored hard. They lay on one side of the path, and we were on the other
side, with the luggage piled by us. They saw there was no escape, for
two of us were always wide awake, with all our guns by our side ready
to fire into the first man who tried to run away.
The Ashiras felt that they were caught, and began to curse those who
had robbed me. Mintcho was accused by two of them as having been at the
bottom of the whole plot. Mintcho got angry, and swore that it was a
lie. I knew that they had told the truth.
It was very plain that something must be done, or we should die of
hunger, unless the Mayolo men came with food. If it had been the season
of the koola-nut, we should have had plenty to eat. So I determined to
go into the bush in search of food, and ordered an Ashira to follow me
to find berries for his people. I again instructed Rebouka and Ngoma
to shoot Mintcho or the Ashiras if they tried to escape. I was getting
very weak; for, besides the want of food, anxiety had almost killed me.
I really could hardly walk when I left the camp. I came back without
game. I had heard a gorilla, and if I could have killed him we should
have had plenty to eat, but he ran away before I came up with him.
That evening I felt so exhausted that I said to my Commi boys, "I will
rest a little. Keep watch; let not one of these rascals escape. Talk
all the time; tell stories; then I will keep watch after I awake, and
you shall go to sleep."
There was no sleep for me, and I began to think I was getting crazy for
want of food. I thought of home, of dinners, of beef and mutton, and I
recalled the hot turkey, and the fish, and the buckwheat cakes; I could
remember distinctly several dinners that had taken place years before,
and I could have named every dish that came on the table in those days
of plenty.
I sent two Ashiras with Rebouka out to hunt, warning them that if they
tried to run away they would be killed, and that I would put to death
every Ashira that remained in my hands. I assumed a fierce look, and
swore that I would do it.
They were more successful than I had been. They came back with two
monkeys.
Mintcho and the Ashiras put the meat before me, and insisted that I
should eat it all alone, saying that they were accustomed to starving,
and could wait. How strange, I thought, these Ashiras were! They
had tried to leave me in the woods; they had plundered me, no doubt
thinking that I could get other goods; and, in despite of the hard
treatment they were now subjected to, their hearts yearned toward me in
kindness.
I said, "Ashiras, we are all hungry together, and I will divide the
meat in exactly equal portions." This astounded the Ashiras, for with
them the chief had always the lion's share.
Those monkeys made a delicious repast. How I enjo
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