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Je ee oe bebe’ du ttt ft aed ora j bones fF oaaed tan de add ie “ ay det Rene } Pdieigh ast daaeh ws uine sats ah (eed 4 cand Re kee viesad: ae SAT hak bth ite Oded Pali etree. a att Ye teat we) diet Gitiargeg ef eget Or rab geleaseaten a vd eae Ol ae te ct " wes ved daty He rans tit oy) eo Soe . eer cr tr . he be eh, eye arg ry Wi ober able nae Sy ht *” “ Cr dd BR de be Dede bed dt be eT eee nga etait OE RATT TRUE te esl Laws ee ih ere Reet sw he fethy ete i La ed Ly bade rote be Toad sa ste ey — ¢ dds Perera iat he oe Le a om a hee 1 a G8 ‘ uf wae aes ab : i : So = ape ‘ een ee a an peas ee a 2 hbidetien eee aie " L rf U7 By Veet me 4 oy “yy il i] Lbpiide Tr ‘ irs [(pa= Woe Oe bile AT = iG RETRY FROM ASHANGO-LAND. 3 Pe '" &- sae Ho Hi = A JOURNEY TO ASHANGO- LAND AND FURTHER PENETRATION - INTO EQUATORIAL AFRICA. a By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU AUTHOR OF EXPLORATIONS IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA, | a Potamogale Velox, Mythomys of Gray. oO za o = NEW YORK: D,. APPLETON AND CO BROADWAY. at; 1867. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1867, by D. APPLETON & Co, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. PREFACE. THE position of an explorer of unknown countries in England is peculiar, and very difficult. If he returns home with nothing new or striking to relate he is voted a bore, and his book has no chance of being read; if he has some wonders to unfold, con- nected with Geography, the Natives, or Natural History, the fate of Abyssinian Bruce too often awaits him : his narrative being held up to scorn and ridi- cule, as a tissue of figments. It was my lot, on the publication of my first volume of travels in Equatorial Africa, to meet with a reception of that sort from many persons in England -and Germany. In fact I had visited a country pre- viously unexplored by Huropeans—the wooded region bordering the Equator, in the interior of Western Africa—and thus it was my good fortune to observe the habits of several remarkable species of animals found nowhere else. Hence my narrative describing unknown animals was condemned. The novelty cf the subject was too striking for some of my critics; and not only were the accounts I gave of the animals and native tribes stigmatized as false, but my journey into the interior itself was pronounced a fiction. vi PREFACE. Although hurt to the quick by these unfair and ungenerous criticisms, I cherished no malice towards my detractors, for I knew the time would come when the truth of all that was essential in the statements which had been disputed would be made clear; I was consoled, besides, by the support of many emi- nent men, who refused to believe that my narrative and observations were deliberate falsehoods. Making no pretensions to infallibility, any more than. other travellers, I was ready to acknowledge any mistake that I might have fallen into, in the course of com- piling my book from my rough notes. The only revenge I cherished was that of better preparing myself for another journey into the same region, providing myself with instruments and apparatus which I did not possess on my first exploration, and thus being enabled to vindicate my former accounts by facts not to be controverted. It is necessary, however, to inform my English readers that most of the principal statements in my former book which were sneered at, by my critics, have been already amply confirmed by other travellers in the same part of Africa, or by evidence which has reached England. I may first mention the geographical part of my work. No portion of my book was more discredited than the Journeys into the interior, and it will be recollected by many persons that the learned geo- grapher, Dr. Barth, a man whose great attainments and services as an African traveller I esteemed most PREFACE. vil highly, published his disbelief in these interior explo- rations altogether. A map is in existence, showing the probable extent of my journeys according to Dr. Barth, and it marks my various excursions as not being in any case more than a few miles from the coast. My visit to Ashira-land, and discovery of the Ngouyai River, were thus considered pure inventions. Dr. Petermann, the well-known geographer, in con- structing his map. of my journeys, published in the ‘Geographische Mittheilungen’ in 1862, took into consideration the doubts of Dr. Barth and others, and though not so extreme a sceptic himself, believed it necessary to move all the positions I had given of places visited, much nearer the coast, so as to reduce greatly the length of my routes. It must be recollected that I made no pretension to close accuracy in my own map. I had no instru- ments, and projected my route only by an estimate, necessarily rough, of the distances travelled. The circumstance of having been the first to explore the region was, besides, a disadvantage to me, for I had _ no previous map, however rough, to guide me; and in travelling with negroes day after day, under the shade of forests, often by circuitous routes, I was misled as to the length of the marches I made towards the east. I was therefore inclined to accept the eorrec- tions of Dr. Petermann, who had studied well the sub- ject, and adopted his map in the French edition of my ‘Equatorial Africa.’ It was not long, however, before fresh evidence arrived, which proved that Dr. Peter- vill PREFACE. mann had gone too far in his corrections. In 1862 a French Government expedition, under Messrs. Serval and Griffon Du Bellay, explored the Ogobai river, and not only proved the general truth of my account of that great stream, but showed that the country of the Ashira, visited by me, had not been placed far wrong. Dr. Petermann, on the receipt of the French map, published in the ‘Revue Maritime et Coloniale,’ reconstructed his own map, and again moved my principal positions nearly to the same longitude in which I had originally placed them. The text accompanying the map (‘ Geographische Mittheil- ungen, 1863, p. 446 et seq.), contains an explana- tion, couched in terms which I cannot but consider as highly flattering to me. Similar confirmation of the accounts I gave of the cannibal Fans have been published by Captain Burton, the distinguished African traveller, and by others. The fact of the native harp possessing strings made of vegetable fibre—my statement of which roused a violent outburst of animosity against me—has been satisfactorily confirmed by the arrival of several such harps in England, and the examina- tion of their strings. Other disputed facts I have discussed in the body of the present volume; such for instance as the structure and affinities of that curious animal the Potamogale velox, concerning which an eminent zoologist, Professor Allman, has published a memoir, in which he shows that my critic was wrong, and I was right. With regard PREFACE. ix to the accounts I gave of the existence of several distinct varieties, if not species, of chimpanzee, in the present absence amongst naturalists of a definite criterion of what constitutes a species, I must con- tent myself by repeating that the negroes always distinguish these different kinds, and zoologists have published scientific descriptions of more than one species, considered distinct, from other parts of Western Tropical Africa. Concerning the gorilla, the greatest of all the wonders of Western Equatorial Africa, I must refer my readers to the body of the present volume for the additional information I have been able to gather, during my last journey, concerning this formidable ape. It was not my object on the present journey to slaughter unnecessarily these animals, as the prin- cipal museums in civilized countries were already well supplied with skins and skeletons, but I devoted myself, when in the district inhabited by the gorilla, to the further study of its habits, and the effort to obtain the animal alive and send it to England ; hop- ing that the observation of its actions in life would enable persons in England to judge of the accuracy of the description I gave of its disposition and habits ; at least to some extent, as the actions of most animals differ much in confinement from what they are in the wild state. I had the good fortune again to see the gorilla several times in its native wilds, and ob- tained several living specimens through the natives. Some of the statements relating to its habits, such x PREFACE. as its association only in very small bands, I have found reason, on further observation, to modify; but with regard to its beating its breast when enraged, and the savage nature of the young animals, as compared with young chimpanzees, fresh observa- tions have confirmed my former statements. I suc- ceeded in shipping one live gorilla for London, but, to my regret, it died during the passage. The principal object I had in view in my last journey, was to make known with more accuracy than I had been able to do in my former one, the geographical features of the country, believing this to be the first duty of a traveller in exploring new regions. To enable me to do this I went through a course of instruction in the use of instruments, to enable me to fix positions by astronomidal observa- tions and compass bearings, and to ascertain the alti- tudes of places. I learnt also how to compute my observations, and test myself their correctness. It is for others to judge of the results of my endeavours in this important department of a traveller’s work; I can only say that I laboured hard to make my work as accurate as possible, and although I was compelled, much to my sorrow, to abandon photo- graphy and meteorological observations, through the loss of my apparatus and instruments, I was fortu- nately able to continue astronomical observations nearly to the end of my route. In camp at night, after my work with the sextant was done, I spent the still hours in noting down the PREFACE. xi observations, making three copies in as many dif- | ferent books, entrusted to different negro porters, so as to lessen the risk of loss of the whole. In our disastrous retreat from Ashango-land one. only of these copies escaped being thrown into the bush, and this was the original one in my journal, where the entries were made from day to day; but it is not quite complete, as one volume out of five of my journal was lost with nearly all the rest of my outfit, On my return to England, the whole of these obser- vations were submitted by the Council of the Royal Geographical Society to Mr. Edwin Dunkin, the Superintendent of the Altazimuth Department at Greenwich Observatory, who computed them, and furnished the results which are printed at the end of this volume, and which form the basis of the map of my routes now given to the public. I have thought it best to print also, without alteration, the original observations for latitude, longitude, and heights in the order in which they occur in my journal, and in- cluding a few that were incorrect. By this means cartographers will be able to see on how many sepa- rate observations a result for latitude or longitude is founded, and judge what degree of reliance may be placed upon them. I think it would be better if all travellers in new countries published in the same way, at the end of their narratives, their ori- ginal observations, instead of the computed results solely, as is generally done. Adopted positions are generally the mean of the results of several obser- xii PREFACE. vations, and unless the original data are published, geographers and future travellers are unable to judge to what degree the separate observations differed, or what reliance is to be placed on the observing powers of the earlier traveller. In giving to the public a much-improved map of the field of my African explorations south of the Equator, Iam glad to have been able to correct the errors of my former one. Most of the principal posi- tions were there placed much too far to the east and north; and even those given by Dr. Petermann in his second map, already mentioned, prove to be a few miles too far in the same direction. Mr. Dunkin has stated, at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, that he considers the position of Mayolo as perfectly well determined by my observations : this may there- fore be considered a fixed point by cartographers in reviewing my geographical work. But I must men- tion that two places, to the west of Mayolo, namely, Niembai and Obindji, have been placed on my map according to a calculation of distances travelled, as I had taken only one observation at each place. By the position of Mayolo, and that of the Samba Na- goshi Falls, visited by me in the last journey, I have been able to correct greatly the course given in my former map, and adopted by Dr. Petermann, of the great River Ngouyai. Unfortunately, my longitudes of these places render it difficult to connect my map with that given by Lieutenant Serval, of the Ogobai . between Lake Anengue and the junction of the PREFACE. Xili Okanda. It would appear that M. Serval has ex- - tended the Ogobai much too far east. The second French expedition under Messrs. Labigot and Touchard, which carried the exploration of the Ogobai as far as the junction of the Ngouyai and Okanda, has probably made observations which would enable us to settle this doubtful part of the geography of the region; but I have been informed by my friend M. Malte-Brun, that the results of the expe- dition are not yet published. Next to geography, I paid most attention, during my last expedition, to the study of the natives. My long experience amongst the tribes of the Fernand Vaz, and knowledge of the Commi and Ashira lan- guages, gave me some facilities in investigating the political state of the tribes, and comprehending their customs, the meaning of their legends, and. so forth. There is no part of Africa hitherto visited by tra- vellers: where the negro exists in a more primitive condition ; for in the regions of the Niger and the Nile he has been much modified by the influences of Mahommedanism, in the interior of South Africa by the incursions of the Boers, and in Hastern Africa by contact with Arab traders. The descriptions I have given in the present volume ought therefore to be of some interest, as representing the negro as he is, undisturbed by the slave-dealing practices, the proselytism or the trading enterprise of other races. The irreparable loss of the collection of photo- graphs which I made myself on the earlier part of XIV PREFACE. the journey, as related in the narrative, compelled me to have recourse to some rough pen-and-ink sketches in my journal, which have served as guides for the engravings in this volume, which have been drawn by competent artists under my own direction. The pleasing duty now remains of thanking those gentlemen who have encouraged me by their sym- pathy and aid throughout my African explorations, or assisted me in the preparation of the present volume. To the Council of the Royal Geographical Society my first thanks are due, who have adhered to me in spite of adverse criticism from other quar- ters, and who were pleased to express their satisfac- — tion with the geographical work I have performed, by presenting me with a testimonial at the last Annual Meeting of the Society. But I feel that I ought especially to thank the noble-hearted Pre- sident of the Society, Sir Roderick Murchison, who sped me on my mission with hopeful words, and wrote frequently to me whilst I was in Africa, encouraging me when I stood sorely in need of it. To my honoured friend, Professor Owen, I am also indebted, for his steadfast support, and for the valuable Essay on my collection of African skulls which enriches this volume. Other friends who have assisted me I have mentioned in the course of my narrative, amongst them Commander George, my kind instructor in the use of astronomical and surveying instruments, and M. Claudet, my master in photography. I ought also to express my thanks PREFACE. = to Mr. Dunkin, for the great labour and care he > has shown in personally computing my observations, and to Mr. J. R. Hind, the distinguished astronomer, for many acts of kindness. ‘To Mr. Glaisher I indebted for the benefit of his great Pee in the testing of my aneroids. It was my good — fortune, when preparing for my last expedition, to receive tokens of good-will ffom many persons, some of whom were personally unknown to me. I have mentioned in the body of the work the names of some of these friends; and I must not omit to add to the list those of Messrs. Howard and Co., who pre- sented me with an ample stock of quinine, which | proved of great service to me. | Lastly, I have to acknowledge my oreat obligation to my friend Mr. H. W. Bates, the well-known author of the ‘Naturalist on the River Amazons, who has given me his advice and assistance in the preparation of my journals for publication ; and to another valued friend, Mr. George Bishop, under whose hospitable roof, on the banks of the Thames at Twickenham, the greater part of the present volute has been prepared for the press, of ones on mA, ; sta PS oe ' a he, a ae , n’ Vi ye ff 4 4 : | ‘2 bed a co, Ba vs ae Wee: 2. Pe - xe & ‘ ; : af P a c Pi an 4 a, a . «4 ef « § ‘ew a rie ee : yt e, Pp Po a —_ Bo ie ‘ ‘a % 4 ' vee: nat Q Petite: ke Be Reet: ; ) . he ' = i ¢ ? Fame ‘ P " ra Age CaS f 4 < v. a ‘Utne wt gt be eA ? * F - f ol ” ‘ y ' ‘ - lat ‘ ‘ a a il i 7 * % : MA - ie — u 1 i ao a + f aw al ] ~ i " , P, ‘ , ’ ; , + ‘ . & - te - ‘ f : ‘ : - - - “ . 4 i] . CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE. Objects of the Journey—Preparatory studies—Difficulties in obtaining a passage—Departure from England—Arrival off the Coast—Miss the mouth of the Fernand Vaz—Return up the Coast—Hxcitement of the Natives—Old acquaintances—Changes in the bar of the River—Choice of a settlement near Djombouai’s Village—-Bonfires and rejoicings on the river banks—Commencement of disembarkation—Dangerous state of the shore—The boat upset in the breakers—Saved by the Negroes— Price ob mciruments and StOLes ~..), 0. as,.) oe se: ae » vo Page ¥ CHAPTER II. THE FERNAND VAZ. Nutlines of the Coast region—The Ogobai—Pyairies of the Fernand Vaz— ‘The Commi nation—Distribution of the Clans—Chief Ranpano and his Spells—News of arrival sent to Quengueza, King of the Rembo— Arrival of Quengueza—His alarm at the great wealth I had brought him—A pet Chimpanzee, and his departure for England—Visit to Elindé and the mouth-of the river—My illness—Tenderness of Ran- pano—King Olenga-Yombi—Grand palaver of Commi chiefs—Permis- sion granted me to ascend the river into the interior—Visit to my old place and to Rinkimongani’s grave—Superstition of the natives—The Bola Ivoga—Rabolo’s fetich—Departure of the Mentor for England 18 : CHAPTER ITI. EXCURSIONS IN SEARCH OF THE GORILLA AND THE IPI. Visit to King Olenga-Yombi—Storm on the Fernand Vaz—Land journey to Aniambié—First traces of Gorilla—Form of its tracks—Drunken orgies of the King— Magic island of Nengué Ncoma — Village of Nkongon i aia tae of the Ipi, or great Pangolin—Its habits— Xvill CONTENTS. Village of Mburu Shara—Nkengo Nschiego variety of Chimpanzee— Bowers of the Chimpanzee—Group of Gorillas in a plantain-grove— Their mode of walking—Horrid form of monomania—Akondogo brings a live Gorilla—Return to the Fernand Vaz—Three more live Gorillas —Account of their capture—Modification of opinions concerning the Goria =... se a ae! fee | de lou) Sec CHAPTER IV. START FOR THE INTERIOR. Arrival of a fresh supply of Scientific Instruments—The first Steamer on the Fernand Vaz—Preliminary trip to Goumbi—Astonishment of the Natives at the fire-vessel—Despatch Collections to England—Live Gorilla embarked for London—His habits in confinement—Narrow escape of drowning when embarked—Preparations completed—Last look at the sea—Outfit—Body-guard of Commi men—Affecting part- ing scenes—I am deceived by Olenga-Yombi—The renowned doctor, Oune-jiou-e-niaré—Arrival at Goumbi—Observations to fix latitude and altitude of Goumbi—Quengueza’s invocation of his Forefathers—Dis- obedient Wives—Excessive Drought—Obindji—Opposition of Bakalai —Arrival of Ashira Porters—Passage of the hills to Olenda.. .., 60 CHAPTER V. VISIT TO THE SAMBA NAGOSHI FALLS. King Olenda, his great age—Preparations for the journey to the Falls— We cross the Ovigui—Opangano Prairie—Ndgewho Mountains—Bakalai Village—A flock of Gorillas in the Forest—The Louvendji River— Dihaou and the Ashira Kambas—Navigate the Ngouyai River—The Aviia Tribe—Village of Mandji—River Scenery—Nkoumou Nabouali Mountains—Nami Gemba—Village of Luba—The Spirit of the Falls— Village Deity—Arrival at Fougamou, the principal Fall—Legend of Fougamou—Night Encampment—Return to Dihaou—We sup on a poisonous serpent—Forced March through flooded forest to Olenda 88 CHAPTER VI. ASHIRA-LAND. Grand Palaver to discuss the route into the interior—I am forbidden to pass through the Apingi country—Messengers sent to the Chief of Otando— Changes in Ashira Customs—Decrease of Population—The Potamogale CONTENTS. xix veloc—Its habits—My former description of this Animal—Visit to . Angouka—Immense Plantation of Plantain-trees—Quarrel with Mpoto, nephew of Olenda—Difficulties and anxieties—First rumours of the ML POR Upc... ial) Lacs Pnediden Mme es! lew teas M600) Page 114 CHAPTER VII. THE PLAGUE IN ASHIRA~LAND. Breaking out of the Small-pox Epidemic—Noble Conduct of Quengueza— Departure of Quengueza’s People—lIllness of the Porters—My Commi Body-guard refuse to leave me—Departure of part of the baggage to Otando-land—Quengueza returns to Goumbi—Letters from Europe— Death of Mpoto—Death of King Olenda—His burial—Cemetery of the Ademba Chiefs—Wailing for the Dead—Death of Retonda—Arrival of Messengers from Mayolo—Distrust of the Natives—Trickery of Arangui—I am robbed by the Ashira People—Diminution of the Pestilence—Quengueza’s message to the people of Olenda .. .. 124 CHAPTER VIII. FROM OLENDA TO MAYOLO, , & Departure from Ashira-land—Passage of the Ovigui—Slave Village of King Olenda—A Slave Chief—Difficulties with the Porters—More Robberies—Illness of Macondai—Leave him behind—The Otando Range of Hills—Picturesque Cascade in the Forest—Cross the Louvendji— More difficulties with the Porters—Hunger in the Forest—Men sent to Mayolo for Relief—A Night in the Forest—Myth of Atungulu Shimba —Koola Nut-trees—Search for Food—Meet with a Gorilla—A Hungry Night—Unselfish act of the Ashira—Help arrives from Mayolo— Mpegui Nuts—Arrival in Otando-land .. .. 1. 0 « o- 139 CHAPTER IX. MAYOLO. Arrival at M&yolo—Reception by the Chief—Discovery of more Losses— I accuse the Ashira—Their Flight—Seizure of a Hostage—Gathering of the Head men of Otando—Mayolo falls ill—I am attacked by Fever— Great Heat and Thunderstorm—dArrival of Macondai and Igalo—Their Ill-treatment by the Ashira — Loss of Photographic Camera .and Chemicals — Surgical Practice of the Otando—A Female Doctor— Matrimonial Squabbles—Mayolo’s health improves—Witchcraft Ordeal + xXx CONTENTS. —My Speech to the People—Speech of Mayolo—Curiosity of the Otando—A Female Duel—The Bashikouay Ants—A Precocious Thief —MAayolo again falls il—Good news from the Apono country—Asto- nishment of the Natives at the Musical-box and Magnets—Climate of Mayolo—Deposit of Dew—The Otolicnus—Recovery of Macondai— The Alumbi Fetich—Departure from Mayolo .. .. .. Page 156 CHAPTER X. THE OTANDO AND APONO REGION. Geographical Position of Mayolo—Splendour of the Constellations as seen from the Equatorial Regions—The Zodiacal Light—Twinkling of the Stars—Meteoric Showers—The Otando and Apono Plains, or Prairies —The Otando People a branch of the Ashira Nation—Their Customs— Filing the Teeth—Tattooing—Native Dogs ... .. .. « ee 208 CHAPTER XI. ANTS. The White Ants of the Prairies—The Mushroom-hived Termes—Interior of their Hives—Three classes in each Community: Soldiers, Workers, and Chiefs—Their mode of building—The Tree Ants—Curious struc- ture of their Hives—Their process of constructing them—The Bark Ants—Curious tunnels formed by them—The Forest Ants—Large size of their Shelters or Hives—The stinging Black Ant .. .. .. 218 CHAPTER XII. MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Leave Mayolo—Cross the Nomba Obana Hill—River Dooya—Arrival at Mouendi—Timidity of the Inhabitants—The Chief Nchiengain—Ar- rival of Apingi Men—Loss and Recovery of a Thermometer—Nocturnal Reflections—African Story of the Sun and Moon—Smelling the White Man’s Presents—Passage of the Ngouyai—Hippopotami and Crocodiles ; seasons of their scarcity and abundance—Arrival at Dilolo—Opposition of the Inhabitants to our entering the Village—Pluck of my Commi Boys—aAzrrival at Mokaba—My system of a Medicine Parade for my Men .. oe eo we we ee eo ee 6 ee eo 8 —te ee 200 CONTENTS. p.0.4| CHAPTER XIII. THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Mokaba—Curiosity of the People—Renewed illness of Mayolo—His return to Otando—Nchiengain’s Speech—The Apono agree to take me to the Ishogo country—Description of the Apono Tribe—Their sprightly character —Arts —Weapons — Population— Description of Mokaba— Palm wine—Drunkenness—Ocuya Performances—Leave Mokaba— River Dougoundo—Arrival at Igoumbié—Invitation from the elders of the village to remain there—Manners of the Ishogos—Description of Tgoumbié — The Ishogo huts— Arrival at Yeneué, in Ishogo-land Page 250 CHAPTER XIV. JOURNEY THROUGH ISHOGO-LAND. Village of the Obongos or Dwarf Negroes—Their Dwellings—Absence of the Inhabitants—The Elders and People of Yengué—Arrival of the Chief of Yengué—War Dance of the Aponos—Ceremony of the Mpaza —An uproarious Night—Good conduct of the Apono Porters—The River Ogoulou—Geographical Position and Altitude of Yengué—Pass- _age of the Ogoulou—March to the Plateau of Mokenga—Hastern Limits of Ishogo-land—Quembila, King of Mokenga—Palavers—Contention between Chiefs for the possession of the “ Ibamba”—Panic in Mokenga —Re-adjustment of Baggage—Ishogo Porters... .. .. .. «» 269 CHAPTER XV. FROM ISHOGO TO ASHANGO-LAND. The Ishogos—Their Modes of dressing the Hair—AIshogo Villages — Picturesque Scenery—Granitic Boulders— Grooved Rocks— Leave Mokenga—Cross the Dongon— Continued Ascent— Mount Migoma —The River Odiganga—Boundaries of Ishogo and Ashango-lands— Arrival at Magonga—Plateau of Madombo—Mutiny of Ishogo Porters —An unfriendly Village—Elevated Country—Arrival and friendly Reception at Niembouai—The King’s Wives—Prejudices of the Commi Men—Hear of a large River towards the Hast—The Ashangui Tribe— The Obongos CY ee | ee Y | Cy ee) ee Ye Ye eo RE 015) a Se xxi CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVI. ASHANGO-LAND, Cloudy Skies of Ashango-land—Grand Palaver—Ishogo Porters dismissed —The Village Idol—Religious Rites—Visit to an Obongo Village— Abodes and Habits of the Dwarf Race—Measurements of their Height —River Ouano—Singular Ferry—Mount Mogiama—lIts Altitude— Village of Mongon, its Latitude, Longitude, and Height above the Sea-level—Village of Niembouai Olomba—lIts picturesque Site—Ba- shikouay Ants—Ascend Mount Birogou Bouanga—lIts Altitude—More Troubles—Robbed by the Ashango Porters—Summary Measures— Resume our March—Arrive at Mobana—Departure of a Bride—Arrival at Mouzou Komho..” 9 2. © s. es) ee | ont ot pe es CHAPTER XVIL FATAL DISASTERS AT MOUAOU KOMBO. Unpromising state of affairs on arriving at Mouaou Kombo—Rakombo is threatened—Obstacles raised by the Villagers—Fair promises of the Chief—A Secret Meeting of the Villagers—Demands of the People— We leave the Village—Night Encampment in the Forest—Threats and Promises from the next Village—Invited to return to Mouaou—Re- conciliation—Arrival of a hostile Deputation from the next Village— AA Man accidentally Shetes. % so) 05) jor ne ee) Spd von yl ee CHAPTER XVIII. RETREAT FROM ASHANGO-LAND. A Palaver proposed to settle the Death of the Man—A Woman killed— The War. Cry !—Retreat commenced—Igala and myself wounded with Poisoned Arrows—Narrow Escape of Macondai and Rebouka—We are closely pursued by the Natives—Collections and Note-books thrown into the Bush—We make a Stand—Two Men Shot—Pursuit continued —I am wounded a second time—Igalo shoots the Bowman—We make another Stand—Cross the Bembo—Pass Mobana—Still pursued—Make a final Stand—The Pursuers driven off at last—A Halt—The Party all collected together—Sleep in the Forest~-Night-March through Niembouai — Friendly conduct of the Head Chief —We are well received at a Plantation—Arrival of Magouga—We continue the March foTshosp-land 2. ies be ger ee tu ee , 354 CONTENTS. XXlil CHAPTER XIX. JOURNEY TO THE COAST. Arrival at Mongon—Magouga recounts the Story of our Adventures to the Villagers—Reach Niembouai—Mistrust of the People—Restitution of Stolen Property—Magouga consents to guide us to Mokenga—Reach the last of the Ashango Villages—Passage into Ishogo-land, and out of danger of Pursuit— Magouga’s Diplomacy—Arrival at Mokenga— Friendly Reception—Magouga delivers us safely into the hands of the Villagers—My Men exaggerate the Deeds of Valour they had performed —Arrival at Yengué—Project of descending the Ogoulou in a Canoe— Lose our Way— Distant View of the Apono Prairie—Igoumbié — Reach Mokaba—The Ngouyai—March to Nchiengain’s—Cross the River —wNchiengain’s Village—Reception at Mayolo—Operation of the African Law of Inheritance—March to Ashira-land—Alarm of the Ashira People—Avoid Olenda—Sojourn at Angouka’s—Cross the Ofoubou— Quengueza’s Encampment—Sorrows of the old King—Devastations of the Placue at Goumbi—Quengueza wants to go to the White Man’s Country—Descend the River—Arrival at “ Plateau ”—Gratitude of the Commi People—Departure for England... .. .. .. .. Page 871 CHAPTER XX. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE. Great Forest of Equatorial Africa—Scanty Population—Scarcity or absence of large African Animals—Hilly Ranges—River Systems—The Ogobai —French exploring expeditions— Amount of rain—Seasons—Rainy climate of Central Equatorial Africa—Temperature—Heat of the sun’s rays—Coolness of the forest shades .. .. .. 22 oe = ee Swe 406 CHAPTER XXI. ETHNOLOGY. Isolation of the tribes in the interior of Western Equatorial Africa—Scan- tiness of the Population—Divisions of tribes and clans—Patriarchal form of Government—Comparison of Customs between Western Equa- torial tribes and Eastern—Laws of inheritance—Cannibalism—Miera- tions always towards the West—Decrease of Population—Its Causes— The African race doomed to extinction .. .. of ef o « 424 xxiv | CONTENTS. APPENDIX I. Descriptions of Three Skulls of Western Equatorial Africans—Fan, Ashira, and Fernand Vaz—with some Admeasurements of the rest of the Col- lection of Skulls, transmitted to the British Museum from the Fernand Vaz, by P. B. Du Cuartiv. By Professor Owen, F.R.S., &c. Page 489 APPENDIX II. Instruments used in the Expedition to Ashango-land—Observations for Latitude—Observations for Lunar Distances—Heights of Stations— Synopsis of Results * 2°... a. 3. |) deg jem ee APPENDIX III. Comparative Table of Words in several Languages of Western Equatorial DXi: Soe er ee see LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Retreat from Ashango-land .. .. .. .. « «. «. Lrontispiece. PTD WU ag in es ee tee ee oe se Title. igi, or scaly Ant-Hater-..0 2. (se fee! oe ce oe ee (ieee. or Porters Pasket. «2.2 wile eee ee os 84 Group of Bakalai_ .. Be be be ere Lee a eee ns OL - Gorillas surprised in the ons abr jemaeee heen sam of ee - 92 “Prisoner in Nchogo .... ence ee ee >» Jen Nests of Mushroom Ants and Thee ‘ene Sy amare ia ee tan, 3) ee Nest of Forest Ants ae tes eae cinee, tala eaee aa. a » 224 Mokaba—Apone Village... .. ba) AO Res! Sie: fe eae iy | Ishogo Houses, with ornamented Doors Bor tse ee ee 9, 204 Ishogo Fashions—Oblique Chignon ..) ww ww cee » 208 Ishogo Fashions—Horizontal Chignon .. .. 2 ee ee » 286 Ishogo Fashions—Vertical Chignon seat are an ibe! bets aes 3) ae Ishogo Fashions—Male Head-Dress .. .. 02 eee » ae Tshogo Loom and Shuttle Sar re FE ee Ar >» aa Approach to the Camp of the Dlausp Seca: oe bie ak » ee An African Group .. . pe EE » ~ 02a Fan Warriors. From a French Photograph +, » 424 Fan Woman and Child. From a French Photograph Ee 3) » ‘4oal Skull, Male, Fernand Vaz ww Cw. on as » 441 ay mealo, Wan ‘Tribe 2. >: os ian \oan > cae Sku, acon Wemale, Fan Trib) ... 1.) el os. “ee ieee » 448 Map ise ‘cs oe se se ce ae ge ee) ewe JOURNEY IN ASHANGO-LAND, CHAPTER L THE VOYAGE. Objects of the Journey—Preparatory studies—Difficulties in obtaining a passage—Departure from England—Arrival off the Coast—Miss the mouth of the Fernand Vaz—Return up the Coast—Excitement of the Natives—Old acquaintances—Changes in the bar of the River—Choice of a settlement near Djombouai’s Village—Bonfires and rejoicings on the river banks—Commencement of disembarkation—Dangerous state of the shore—The boat upset in the breakers—Saved by the Negroes— Loss of instruments and stores. Harty in 1863, after three years’ recreation in the civilized countries of Europe and North America, I began to entertain the idea of undertaking a new journey into Western Equatorial Africa. My main object in this journey was to attempt to penetrate still further into the interior than I had done hitherto, taking the route of the Fernand Vaz River, the starting point of my principal expedition in the former journey. I had also a strong desire to fix with scientific accuracy the geographical positions of the places I had already discovered, and to vindicate by fresh observations, and the acquisition of further specimens, the truth of the remarks I had published on the eth- nology and natural history of the country. Beyond 2 THE VOYAGE. Cuap. I. this, there was the vague hope of being able to reach, in the far interior, some unknown western tributary of the Nile, and to descend by it to the great river, - and thence to the Mediterranean. To qualify myself for such a task, I went through a course of instruction™ in the use of instruments, to enable me to project my route by dead-reckoning and astronomical observations, and supplied, myself — with a complete outfit for this purpose, as well as for taking the altitudes of places above the sea-level. I also learnt practical photography,j and laid in a store of materials necessary to make 2,000 pictures, having felt the importance of obtaining faithful representa- — tions of the scenery, natives, and animals of these remote countries. In natural history I did not expect to find many novelties near the coast, at least in the larger animals, but I took pains to learn what was most likely to be interesting to zoologists, and hoped to be able to make many discoveries in the far interior. Besides materials for preserving large animals, I provided myself with a stock of boxes, olass tubes, &c., in order to collect insects, worms, and the like classes of animals, which I had neglected in my former journey. I also took fifty pounds of arsenic for the preservation of stuffed specimens. My hope of traversing the whole of Equatorial Africa to the head of the Nile, although acting as a strong incitement to me, was kept secret, except from a few * Under Staff-Commander C. George, Map Curator, Royal Geographical Society ; to whom I am, besides, much indebted for the trouble he took in selecting instruments for me, and for his care in testing them. + Under M. Ciaudet, and his sen M. Henri Claudet. CHap.I. DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING A PASSAGE. 3 intimate friends. I was resolved, however, that if the achievement of this splendid feat should be denied me, I would spare no effort in advancing as far to- wards the east as was practicable, and in obtaining © accurate information regarding those portions of the country which I might be able to explore. There is no direct trade between England—or, indeed, between any part of Europe or America—and the Fernand Vaz, and this gave rise to the chief difficulty I had to encounter at the outset. How was I to get there? My outfit was too large to think of transhipping it from one port to another. I must here remind my readers that the mouth of the Fer- nand Vaz lies about 110 miles to the south of the Gaboon, which is the principal centre of trade in Western Equatorial Africa. ‘What little trade there is ig carried on by native boats, which pass from the Gaboon to the negro villages on the banks of the Fernand Vaz, by way of the narrow channels of the delta of the Ogobai River, thus avoiding the detour round Cape Lopez. The negro tribes of the Fernand Vaz have never had much communication with the white man; there is no permanent trading settlement there, although sometimes the captain of a ship may come with his vessel and put up a factory for a short time ; indeed, I must add that I was the first to ascend the river and make known its geography, its in- habitants, and its productions. I chose this river as the starting-point of my new exploration because I was already well known to the inhabitants of its banks, through my long previous residence amongst them ; they loved me, and my life was safe in their 4 THE VOYAGE. Cuap. I. hands, and having acquired some influence over them, I could depend upon obtaining an escort to enable. me to advance into the interior. I do not know any other point of the West African coast, between the Congo and the Niger, where I, or indeed any white man, could have any chance of penetrating more than a short distance into the interior. After making some inquiries, I found my best course would be to freight a vessel specially to take me to the Fernand Vaz. I therefore engaged with the owners of the schooner Mentor, Captain Vardon, a little vessel of less than 100 tons measurement, and all preparations beig complete, embarked on board of her at Graves- end on the 6th of August, 1863. Although I looked forward with great pleasure to — my new journey of exploration, I left old England with a heavy heart. The land where I had received so much kindness and sympathy, so much genuine hospitality, and where I had made so many true friends, had become to me a second home. I could not repress the feeling of sadness which came over me, and the pang I felt at parting was the greater | from the thought that I might never return from an undertaking beset with such various perils. We were detained with a crowd of other vessels off Deal, for several days, by a strong wind from the south-west. I was much struck, part of the time, by the strong contrast between the weather we had at sea and that which prevailed on shore. With us the wind was blowing strong and the sea rough, whilst on land the sun was shining beautifully on the golden eorn-fields, and the reapers were at work gathering / Cuap. I. ARRIVAL OFF THE COAST. D in the bountiful harvest. My ardent longing to be - on shore with them and have a last look at the happy land of England was one day gratified, for Mr. Don- brain, the ship-missionary of Deal, kindly took the captain and myself to the town, and we had a charm- ing drive through the country lanes. I never enjoyed the country so much. Every face we met seemed so pleasant, and Nature seemed so tranquil; I felt that England was more than ever dear to me. I will not weary my readers by a description of our voyage to the West Coast. As far as the weather and the captain were concerned, it was a pleasant one. We arrived at Accra, a British settlement, east of Sierra Leone, in the Gulf of Guinea, on the 20th of September. According to my agreement with the owners of the vessel, the Mentor ought to have sailed direct from this place to the Fernand Vaz, but I now made the discovery that she was ordered to call at Lagos. At this unhealthy spot I declined the invita- — tion to go ashore. We left it on the 2nd of October, and after a few days pleasant sailing came in sight of the Commi Coast on the 8th of the same month. The part of the African coast in the neighbourhood of the mouth of the Fernand Vaz has a monotonous aspect as viewed from the sea. A long line of country, elevated only a few feet above the sea-level, stretches away towards the south, diversified here and there by groups of trees, and enlivened only at inter- vals of a few miles by a cluster of palm-clad huts of the natives, amongst which is always conspicuous the big house which the villagers construct for the “ fac- tory” that they are always expecting to be established 6 THE VOYAGE. | Cuap. I. at their village. The mouth of the river itself is very difficult to discover. In my former journey it was recognisable only by the white surf which foamed over its bar, and by the flocks of fish-eating birds hovering in the air above it. The bar, however, seemed now to have shifted, for we passed by it with- out perceiving it. We sailed along the coast the same evening, and, after anchoring for the night, still continued the same course, under light sail, the next morning, looking out for some native canoe to come to us, and tell us our whereabouts. At length a canoe put off from the shore and came alongside, and we then discovered that. we were several miles to the south of the Fernand Vaz. The head man of the boat recognised me, and thinking at first that I had come to establish a trading post at his village, could not contain his delight. He knew a few words of English, and shouted out: “ Put down the anchor; plenty ivory ; load the ship in a fortnight!” It was a wretched take-down for the poor fellow to learn that I intended to establish my head-quarters in a rival village on the banks of the river. He wanted to make me believe that Ranpano, the chief of my former place, was dead, and that his village was scattered—this was the old African trick, which I knew too well to be deceived by. The fellow, in his spite and dis- appointment, on leaving us went out of his way to prevent other canoes from coming to us, and so we were unable to get a pilot. As we returned up the coast, we saw the natives running about from house to house along the beach Ouap. I. OLD ACQUAINTANCES. 7 in great excitement. In every village the big flag kept by the chiefs for this purpose was hoisted on the top of a long pole to attract the white man ashore. to trade, and at night a line of bonfires shone along the coast. 7 At length, on the morning of the 10th, I recog nised the country near the mouth of the river. We shortened sail, and two canoes soon put off and made for the vessel. In the first, as it approached, I recog- nised my old friend Adjouatonga, a chief of one of the villages belonging to the clan Adjiena, which occupies the mouth of the river. He climbed up the vessel’s side, and after shaking hands with the captain, advanced towards me to do the same. On my turning round to him, he stepped back in astonishment, and exclaimed— “ Are you Chaillie, or are you his spirit? Have you come from the dead? Tell me quick, for I don’t know whether I am to believe my own eyes; perhaps I am getting a kendé (fool).” The good fellow hugged me in a transport of joy, but so tightly and so long that I wished his friendship had been a little less enthusiastic, especially as his skin was dripping with a strong mixture of oil and perspiration. In the second canoe came another old friend, Sholomba, nephew of the chief, Ranpano, of my own village of former days. In short, I was surrounded by a crowd of old acquaintances, and had to listen to a confused account of the chief events that had happened since my departure, related by half-a-dozen eager informants. The next subject to be considered was how we were to get ashore. Sholomba assured me that the mouth 8 THE VOYAGE. Cuap. I. of the Fernand Vaz had changed much for the worse since I had left, and that it would be less dangerous to run a canoe through the surf to the beach than to attempt an entry into the mouth of the river. It was now the beginning of the rainy season, when the winds are less rough than in the dry season, but the surf, under the influence of the steady south-west winds, was still frightful. However, the first landing, in Adjouatonga’s boat, which was much steadier than the rest, was made with safety. ‘The frail canoe was skilfully directed towards a promising roller at the right moment, and we were carried on its back with lightening speed to the beach, where we were snatched. up by the natives assembled to meet us. After this hazardous landing, 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 Fernand Vaz, where canoes were ready to take us up the river to the village of Ranpano. Although I had been absent only four years— years so full of events to me!—time had wrought great changes in the scene of my. former adventures. The mouth of the river had altered so much that I scarcely knew it again. The long, sandy, reed- covered spit, which formerly projected three miles from the southern point of the river’s mouth, had disappeared, and the sea had washed up the sand so much on the northern side that the village of Elindé, whose chief, Sangala, had given me so much trouble in former times, had become untenantable, and the people had removed. Many little islands had also been sub- Onap. L CHOICE OF A SETTLEMENT. 9 merged or washed. away, and I no longer saw those © flocks of sea birds which formerly frequented the locality. Paddling up the stream we came to my old settlement, which I had called Washington; it was deserted and in ruins, a few loose bamboos and rotting poles alone remained to show me where it stood. The house of my honest old friend, Rinkimongani, was there, looking like a wreck, for this excellent fellow had gone to his rest and his family was scattered. After a brief survey of the altered state of the country, I resolved to fix my new quarters at a little village near the residence of Djom- bouai, two miles above my last place: the situ- ation was a good one, and, besides, it would con- ciliate the prejudices of the Commi, who opposed my settlement at the old spot on account of the suspicion of witchcraft which attached to it, and which had increased since the death of Rinkimongani. Meantime, the news spread that I had arrived in the country, and for several days people came trooping in by land and water to see their old friend, and the stores of good things he had brought with him. Ran- pano was away from home, on the Ogobai River, but messengers were sent to him to hasten his return. I soon felt that I had returned to wild life. At night bonfires were lit, and the crowd of half-dressed and rude, but good-humoured, savages danced around them, and dinned my ears with their monotonous drumming and songs. It was now necessary to return on board the schooner, and arrange the mode of disembarkation of my extensive outfit and stock of goods. As the 3 £0! THE VOYAGE. eae: mouth of the river had become so unsafe, from the breaking up of the sandy spit, and as no one knew the direction of the deep channels—for the whole breadth of the mouth of the river was one unin- terrupted line of breakers—swve resolved to land everything on the beach through the surf. But on some days the breakers were so bad, continuing all day long without a single lull, that it was impossible to do anything. On the 15th of October we made a commencement. Three native canoes were brought alongside, and I began by loading them with my most valuable articles. In one of them I placed all my scientific © instruments, sextants, chronometers, prismatic com- passes, barometers, &c., besides five large Geneva musical boxes (intended as presents to the native chiefs), and five barrels of salt meat, a case containing 1,500 rifle bullets, a box of medicines, and many other things. Captain Vardon and myself embarked in this boat on account of the value of its cargo, and away we went amidst the cheers of the dusky paddlers. The two other canoes took the surf first. The rollers were terrific, and the boats seemed buried in the seething spray without a chance of coming out of it safely, but they reached the shore without up- setting. The captain himself had misgivings as to the result of our venture. I advised him to put on his life-belt, but in the excitement of the moment he neglected the precaution. We now came near the ranges of breakers, and our only chance of safety was to ride on the back of one of those smoother rollers Cuap. l. BOAT UPSET BY THE BREAKERS. , 11 which from time to time swelled up and arched - gently over, but with headlong speed, towards the shore. We had not, however, the good fortune to be borne by it in safety; our boatmen, in their great anxiety to avoid a mishap, were not venturesome enough, they waited a few moments too long. In- stead of carrying us onward, the huge wave broke over our canoe, upsetting it and hurling us to a distance away from it. Heavy, short breakers now succeeded each other with awful rapidity; the sea all around became one mass of foaming billows; and in a few moments we-were almost exhausted with the buffetings we received. The negroes who had formed the crew of the canoe, most of whom were my own “boys,” companions of my former expedition, swam towards me, and with great exertions kept me from sinking. They assisted me to divest myself of my shoes and my coat, the pockets of which were filled with small weighty articles, and as I became weaker, through the effects of drinking so much salt water, they swam under me and buoyed me up with their own bodies. I caught a glimpse of poor Captain Vardon at a distance from me, struggling with the waves; the men had devoted all their attentions to me, so I shouted to some of them to go and help him. Meantime, several unsuccessful attempts were made by the negroes ashore to launch canoes to the rescue, but they were all swamped one after the other. No- thing could be done until the tumult of the waves subsided ; for after the breakers have spent their fury there is usually a lull, and it is during these lulls, which are, however, very uncertain and limited in 12 THE VOYAGE. Cuap. IJ. their duration, that the only chances occur of reaching this difficult shore. When the sea is rough, in the height of the dry season, these lulls do not occur for days together. A favourable moment at length arrived ; a canoe reached us, and we were delivered from our perilous situation. | This was the fifth time during my experience of this coast that I had been upset in the breakers, and saved by the exertions of these faithful negroes. After landing, the magnitude of the loss which I had sustained presented itself with full force to my mind. All my astronomical instruments were spoilt by the salt water, and with them the power of carrying out the principal object of my journey. There was no help for it but to submit to a weary delay, whilst a second set was sent for from England. ) As soon as I reached the shore, I found myself surrounded by the blacks; the women being con- — spicuous by their sympathies. A general shout arose —‘‘ Who are the people who are jealous of us, de- siring the death of our white man?” In this country all misfortunes are attributed to some evil influence, bewitching the sufferer ; and they referred to the jealousy of some neighbouring village, the catastrophe from which I had so narrowly escaped. CHAPTER II. THE FERNAND VAZ. Outlines of the Coast rezion—The Ogobai—Prairies of the Fernand Vaz— The Commi nation—Distribution of the Clans—Chief Ranpano and his Spells—News of arrival sent to Quengueza, King of the Rembo— Arrival of Quengueza—His alarm at the great wealth I had brought him—A pet Chimpanzee, and his departure for England—Visit to Elindé and the mouth of the river—My illness—Tenderness of Ran- pano—King Olenga-Yombi—Grand paiaver of Commi chiefs—Permis- sion granted me to ascend the river into the interior—Visit to my old place and to Rinkimongani’s grave—Superstition of the natives—The Bola Ivoga—Rahbolo’s fetich—Departure of the Mentor for England. In my former work on Equatorial Africa, I gave my readers a short account of the neighbourhood of the Fernand Vaz and of the natives who inhabit this part of the West African coast. The country on both sides the river, which flows for some forty miles nearly parallel to the sea-shore, is for the most part level and of little elevation. Between the river and the sea the plain is sandy, and covered with a grassy and shrubby vegetation, with here and there a cluster of trees, and often a fringe of palm-trees by the river side. Travelling southward from the mouth of the river the “islands” of trees become larger, and unite to form a considerable forest, which contains many timber-trees of great size and beauty. (This is to-, wards Cape St. Catherine, where, between the river and the sea, lies the inhospitable jungle which forms 14 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. II. the principal home of the gorilla, of which I shall have more to say presently. Towards the north stretches the delta of the great Ogobai River, a much larger stream than the Fernand Vaz, with its network of channels densely fringed with mangrove-trees. The country on the right bank of the Fernand Vaz is thickly wooded, and consists principally of mangrove swamps. ‘Thus, on one side of the broad sluggish stream, lies a tract of dense woodland, and, on the other, an expanse of open prairie. The Ogobai is the only West African river at present known, between the Niger and the Congo, which rises far in the interior and breaks through the great coast range of mountains. One of the channels from the Ogobai combines with the Fernand. Vaz a few miles from its mouth. About forty miles up stream the bed of the Fernand Vaz becomes contracted; higher up, wooded hills hem it in on both sides—the portals of the mountainous and picturesque African interior, and the river changes its name to Rembo, meaning the River ‘par excellence. | The prairies of the Fernand Vaz are not unhealthy. Durimg the dry season, from June to September, a steady, strong, and cool sea-breeze blows over the land, without, however, raising dunes or sandy hil- locks of the beautiful white sand which forms the soil of the prairie. All the pools and marshes dry up; and, before the continued dryness has parched up the herbage, the aspect is that of an extensive English park, especially when in the cool hours of early morning a herd of wild cattle (Bos brachy- Cuap. II. THE COMMI TRIBE. 15 ceros) or a troop of antelopes, grazing by a wood-° side in the distance, remind one, for the moment, of the cattle and deer of more cultivated scenes. But as the dry season continues, the grass dries up or becomes burnt, and the country then wears a more desolate aspect: the sky is generally overcast. In- numerable flocks of marabouts come to lay their eggs on the prairies ; the prodigious number of these birds and their sudden appearance are quite astounding. In the wet season the numerous pools and marshy places afford another attraction, for they teem with life; and I used to notice, especially, the quantity of eel-like fishes which appeared in a mysterious manner almost as soon as the pools began to form, they having no doubt buried themselves in the mud and passed the dry season in a dormant state. Flocks of sand-pipers trot along the sandy margins of the rivers and pools, and numbers of gulls, terns, shear-waters, and pelicans enliven the scene with their movements and their cries, The plain along the banks of the river is dotted with villages of the great Commi tribe of negroes, whose plantations, however, are on the opposite wooded side of the Fernand Vaz, and also along the banks of the Npoulounay channel, as the sandy soil of the plain is unfitted for bananas, sugar- cane, and other cultivated plants and trees. Hach village is under the patriarchal government of its hereditary chief, and all are nominally subject to the king of the tribe residing at Aniambié, formerly a large village on the sea-shore near Cape St. Cathe- rine, but now reduced to a few dilapidated huts. The king lives on his plantation. 16 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. Il. The clan of the Commi to which I was attached (Abogo) had several villages occupying the banks of the river for a few miles near its mouth. Its present chief—at least the chief of the river-side villagers— was my old friend Ranpano, a slow, phlegmatic negro, with a pleasant expression of countenance and good honest intentions. The quality in Ranpano for which he was most lauded by the negroes was his habit of going to sleep when he was drunk, instead of quar- relling. His authority in the clan was less, how- ever, than that of Olenga-Yombi, the superior: chief or king of the Commi tribe, which inhabits the Eliva, or Fernand Vaz district. The distribution of the population comprised in a clan of these African tribes presents some curious features; for instance, the people under the imme- diate authority of Olenga-Yombi live near the sea- coast, about thirty miles to the south of the villages of Ranpano; thus they are. separated, by numerous villages belonging to other clafis, from the rest of their clan-relations. The head chiefship had _be- longed to the family of Olenga-Yombi for many generations, and it shows the respect these primitive negroes entertain for hereditary, rank that they con- tinue to acknowledge the sovereignty of the present representative of the title, although the villages under his immediate authority have declined greatly in population and influence. If I could succeed in preserving the friendship of these two men and that of Quengueza, the powerful chief of Goumbi, eighty miles further up the river, my objects in coming to the country would most Guar. I. | CHIEF RANPANO AND HIS SPELLS. 17 likely be attained, and I should not only meet with ~ no political obstacle, but have all the assistance the coast tribes could give me to enable me to penetrate ‘into the interior. I had brought goods for the trade- loving Commi, to exchange with them for the produce of their country, in order to secure their good will. The people of the West Coast have no consideration for any one but a trader, and even amongst them- selves a man is more respected for his trading goods than for the territory or land that he possesses. My first object, therefore, was to settle myself for a few weeks amongst them, and cultivate the friendship ot the people and their chiefs. I sent Sholomba up the river to apprise Quengueza of my arrival, and mean- _ time went to pay my court to Ranpano, who had just arrived from the Ogobai. | I knew that Ranpano had arrived during my absence on board the schooner, and I felt vexed that he was not amongst the number of those who waited for me on thé beach when the accident occurred. I now learnt that he was in a hut at no great distance. Thither I went, and found the fat, grey-headed old fellow sitting motionless, with grave countenance, over a bundle of fetiches or mondahs, muttering his spells. I drew mF up, tryme to look haughty, and reproached him for his indifference to the fate of his old friend, knowing, as he did, the dangers of passing the surf at this season. To “all this he remained immoveable as a stone, and replied, pointing to his fetiches, “My white man die in the water? never, whilst Iam alive! How could it be?” and, looking round at his people, he repeated, “‘ How could it be?” 18 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cup. II, I let the old man welcome me in his own way. Even his gloomy superstition could not in the end destroy the natural benevolence of his disposition. One night shortly after my arrival, after I had retired to bed in the hut lent to me by the negroes, I heard the sound of the native bugle on the river, and the songs of a multitude of paddlers. It was King Quengueza, who had arrived for the purpose of welcoming me back to his country. I got up at once, and found at the door the venerable chief; who received me with open arms, declaring that he could not go to sleep until he had embraced me, and - had assured me of his enduring affection. When I despatched Sholomba with a canoe to fetch him, to prevent any doubt on his part, and having nothing else to send him at the time, I sent him a bottle of brandy, the sight of which convinced him at once that it was I and no other. I was truly glad to see - this noble old chief, the King of the Rembo, or Upper River. He was a man of great and wide influence, not only on account of his hereditary rank, but also from the energy and dignity of his character.” He was fond of Europeans, but I could never induce him to wear in public the fine European clothes I gave him; he had a firm idea that he should die if he put on any dress, as he was still in mourning for his brother, who had died several years before I made ~ the old chief’s acquaintance. I felt and still feel the ~— warmest friendship towards this stern, hard-featured_ old man; and, in recalling his many good qualities, cannot bring myself to think of him as an untutored — savage. " Guar. IT. ARRIVAL OF QUENGUEZA. 19 Next day Quengueza brought me as a present a very fine goat, the largest I had ever seen in Africa. Goats are regal presents in this part of the continent, and Quengueza had reared the one he brought with the express intention of giving it to me, if I should fulfil my promise of returning from the white man’s country. Our formal meeting next day was an 1m- portant one; and I chose the opportunity to renew our pact of friendship. After the first cordial greetings were over, I told him, in a set speech, how I had been received in America and Europe, and how his name, and the ereat service he had rendered me in enabling me to penetrate into the far interior, had become widely known among the nations of white men. I also told him, in a low whisper, that I had brought from one of his well-wishers in England a present of a chest- full of fine things.* The old man rose in his turn, and made an eloquent reply. With the ficurative politeness of a negro chief, he assured me that his town, his forests, his slaves, and his wives were mine (he was quite sincere with regard to the last), that henceforth he should have no will of his own, but that I might do whatever I chose, that “my belly should be full every day,” meaning that I should never be hungry, and, what was of more importance, he would assist me with all his influence, and even accompany me, in my proposed journey towards the interior, quietly adding, in a tone not to be heard * My friend, Mr. John Murray, of Albemarle Street, gave me £00 for the purpose of purchasing suitable presents for Quengueza and other chiefs, . 20 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. If, by the bystanders, “If you love me, do not say a - word to any one that you have brought me any presents.” During the interview I showed Quengueza, amongst other things, a copy of my book ‘ Adventures in Equatorial Africa,’ and pointed out to him the plate which represents him and myself seated in the palaver house of Goumbi. It delighted him amazingly: he shouted, “Am I then known so well in the white man’s country that they make my picture?” Then turning with an air of ineffable contempt to the crowd around us, and pointing to the engraving, he said, “Pigs, look here! what do yow know about the white man? Quengueza is the white man’s friend; what would you be without me?” He asked me who made the book. I told him ‘it was the same good friend who had sent him such beautiful presents. He did not forget this; and the next day he put into my hands a handsome leopard’s skin, with the request that I would send it to the ntangani (white man) who had put him in a book and sent him so many things to do him good. Conforming to his wish for strict secresy regarding the presents, I appointed a day on which to receive him alone. He chose an hour in the afternoon when most of his people were asleep, enjoying the usual siesta. He came accompanied by a select party of relatives and wives, for kings in these parts must always be accompanied by some retinue or escort. But his Majesty was determined not to let his people see what I was going to give him. Touching me gently with his elbow, he told me, in a whisper, to Cuap. II. QUENGUEZA AND HIS PRESENTS. . send them all away, and not to let any of them come in. Entering my hut alone, he closed the door, and, sitting down, told me that he was ready to see the presents I had brought him. The first thing that I displayed before his eee eyes was the coat of a London beadle, made expressly to fit his tall figure, and, to please fie taste, 1t was of the most glaring colours, blue, with yellow fringe, lined with red. There was also a splendid plush waistcoat. As his Majesty does not wear trowsers those articles did not form part of the suit, any more than did a shirt. “Let us try them on,” said the king, in a ies ee : but, before doing so, he went to the door to make sure that no one was peeping in. Having put on the robes, and taking in his hand the beadle’s staff, which I had not omitted to bring also, he asked for a looking-glass, in which he admired himself vasily ; whilst I completed the costume by placing on his head my opera-hat, which, to his utter astonishment, I had caused to spring up from: its flattened state. After surveying himself for some time in the glass, with evident satisfaction, he drew himself up to hig full height, and strutted up and down the room, “as happy as a king.” Having indulged his vanity for a few minutes, he replaced in the chest the various articles of this imperial costume, and proceeded to inspect the other presents. . I had myself brought a large amount of presents and goods for the old chief, and besides these I had many valuable articles of Huropean workmanship, some of which were purchased with money given me 22 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. IL. by another friend* in England to lay out in presents for African chiefs, which I thought I could not better bestow than on the King of the Rembo. Amongst them were a quantity of silks and fine cotton goods, silver knives, forks, and spoons, gunpowder, trade guns, kettles, and beads for his numerous wives. All were packed in chests secured with lock and key; the chests being an important part of the donation, for the propert of an African chief, in this part, is estimated in slaves, wives, and chests. The sight of all this wealth almost dumbfoundered the old man. When I commenced showing the contents of the chests to him he stopped me, and said—* Do you love me, Chaillie? Then do not tell the people what you have given me, or they will bewitch me.” There was an internal struggle between avarice and fear expressed in his countenance. His fear of witchcraft was a great defect in his character as a chief, for it had led to the depopulation of Goumbi, his capital on the Rembo. Going to the door, he looked out to see that no one was listening; then he knelt down, and clasped my feet with his hands, and, with the stern lineaments of his face distorted by fear, begged me again to keep secret the account of the wealth I had given him. No sooner had he left me than I heard him declaring to his people that the white man had brought him nothing. As I approached, instead of being disconcerted by my appearance on the scene, he repeated the same statement, in a louder voice, but looked towards me at the same time with an expression of countenance that was clearly meant to * Henry Johnson, Hsq., of 89, Crutched Friars. Cuap. II. A PET CHIMPANZEE. 93 implore me not to say a word to the contrary. The ~ people were smiling all the while, for they knew better, and were well acquainted with the ways of their beloved old chief. He would not remove the chests to his canoe in the day-time, but came at night, on the eve of his departure, when every one was asleep, and stealthily took them himself, with the aid of two slaves, down to the water-side. In a few days the vessel was unloaded, and my goods stored in several huts which were secured only by a door tied with a rope of lianas to the bamboo wall. My property, however, was respected, and the honest Commi people did not rob me of a single article. Quengueza returned to Goumbi, and I gradually inured myself again to the climate and ways of the country. I made short excursions in various direc- tions, visited numerous petty chiefs, besides receiving - visits from others, and stimulated them and their people to the collection of produce, that Captain Vardon might reload his vessel and return to Eng- land. As I have described the coast country at length | in my former book, a few incidents only of my stay need be recorded here, together with some stray notes on the natural history, before I commence the narrative of my expedition into the interior. On the Ist of November a negro from a neighbour- ing village brought me a young male chimpanzee about three years old, which had been caught in the woods on the banks of the Npoulounay about three months previously. Thomas, for so I christened my little protégé, was a tricky little rascal, and afforded 24 THE FERNAND VAZ. Coan i 7 me no end of amusement; he was, however, very tame, like all young chimpanzees. Unfortunately Thomas was lame in one hand, several of the fingers having been broken and healed up in a distorted position. This was caused by his having been mal- treated by the village dogs, who were sent in chase of him one day when he escaped from his captors and ran into the neighbourmg woods. I had Tom tied by a cord to a pole in the verandah of my hut, and fed him with cooked plantains and other food from my own table. He soon got to prefer cooked to raw food, and rejected raw plantains whenever they were offered to him. The difference in tameability between — the young chimpanzee and the young gorilla is a fact which I have confirmed by numerous observations, | and I must repeat it here as it was one of those points which were disputed in my former work. A young chimpanzee becomes tame and apparently reconciled _ to captivity in two or three days after he is brought from the woods. The young gorilla I have never yet seen tame in confinement, although I have had four of them in custody, while still of very early age. One day I witnessed an act of Master Thomas which seemed to me to illustrate the habits of his species in the wild state. A few days after he came into my possession I bought a domestic cat for my house; as soon as the young chimpanzee saw it he flew in alarm to his pole and clambered up it, the hair of his body becoming erect and his eyes bright with excitement. In a moment recovering himself he came down, and rushing on the cat, with one of his feet seized the nape of the animal, and with the Cur. I. THE CHIMPANZEE SENT TO ENGLAND. 25 other pressed on its back, as if trying to break its neck. Not wishing to lose my cat, I interfered and saved its life. The negroes say that the chimpanzee attacks the leopard in this way, and I have no doubt, from what I saw, that their statement is correct. My pet preserved his good health and increased in intelligence and gentleness until the departure of Captain Vardon for England. I then sent him home, and on his arrival he was deposited by my friend in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, where, I dare say, very many of my readers have seen him, and have laughed at his amusing tricks. I am credibly informed that his education at the Palace has become so far advanced that he understands what is going on when his own “cartes de visite” are sold. A feint is sometimes made of carrying off one without paying for it, but Thomas rushes forward, screaming, to the leneth of his tether, to prevent the irregular trans- action, and does not cease his noisy expressions of dissatisfaction until the money is paid down. Whilst waiting for the erection of a new house and store-rooms, I made several little trips down the river, visiting the Commi settlements and examining the altered state of the river banks. ‘The alterations in the mouth of the Fernand Vaz I found had arisen from the currents of the river and the sea having broken through the long sandy spit, making the embouchure broader but more dangerous, because portions of the spit had been converted into sand- banks with but a small depth of water over them; and, the sand having shifted, no one knew the situa- 26 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. I. tion of the deep channel. Old Sangala, the chief of Elindé at the mouth of the river, was dead; and his heir, the present chief, who had taken the name of his predecessor, was a drunkard, and was held in very little estimation. JI missed, near the river’s mouth, the beautiful little island on which I used to shoot so many water birds, and where, as also on the sandy spit, the grotesque and large crane Mycteria senegal- ensis used to be found, together with thousands of sea- birds of many species. The widows of old Sangala had all married again; but they gave me a warm welcome, especially the old kondé (head wife or Queen) who cooked my food for me whilst I stayed, and became eloquent in recalling the events of the good old times when Sangala was’ alive. Her hus- band showed no jealousy at this discourse, for here widows are allowed freely to praise their former husbands. Death had been busy in other places besides Elindé. At the village of Makombé I found that the chief was dead, and that Ilougou, his heir, who had helped me to build my former settlement of Washington, had been accused of having caused his death by witch- craft, and forced to drink the poison ordeal, which ended in his own life being sacrificed. Similar scenes — had been enacted in other villages. It is dangerous in this unhappy country to be the heir of any man who sickens and dies. The day after my return from visiting the mouth of the river, I was seized with a severe fit of fever, which laid me prostrate for four days. I was-obliged to send on board the Mentor for a supply of calomel Cuap. II. ‘ MY ILLNESS. 27 and jalap, as my medicine chest had been lost in the ~ upsetting of the canoe, a box of quinine only having been saved. I was touched during my illness by the great sympathy shown to me by the natives. The most perfect silence was observed round the hut where I lay, day and night; tam-tamming, singing and dancing were forbidden, lest they should disturb me ; and the old chief, Ranpano, came and sat every day for hours together by my bed-side. He very seldom spoke, but his countenance manifested the anxiety which the good old fellow felt. He would sometimes say “Chaillie! Chaillie! you must not be ill while you stay in my village. None among my people are glad to see you ill. I love you, for you came to me, and I have no better friend in the world.” When he went out he used to mutter words which I did not understand, but which were probably invocations to some spirit to watch over me. Old Ranpano had some strange notions about spirits good and_ bad, which I think were peculiar to him. One day he took it into his head that he should die if he entered my hut, for he had been told that some one having an aniemba (a witch) had made a mondah, and had put it under the threshold of my door, so that, should . he enter my hut, the witch would go into him and he. would die. No persuasion of mine could induce the old chief to come into my hut, and after a time I got angry with him, and told him that he ought not to refuse to come and see me. The good old chief immediately sent for some doctors, who, of course, at once declared that it was true that some one wanted to bewitch him, 28 THE FERNAND VAZ. ° Cuap. II, and had put a mondah at my door to kill him. But _ they said that it could be removed now that the people knew that there was one. Immediately the ceremonies for banishing the witch began. For three consecutive days they danced almost incessantly, and invoked the good spirits; and one fine morning, whilst I was occupied in writing inside the hut, unaware that any one was approaching, Ranpano came to my door, fired a gun, and entered the hut in a great hurry, muttermg invocations and curses ; he then became easier in his manners, haying as he thought, thus cleared the moral atmosphere. An event of great importance in relation to my expedition occurred on the 22nd of November and | following ‘days. During my absence in Europe the assembled chiefs of the Commi clans under the pre- sidency of King Olenga-Yombi (who had now taken the name of Rigoundo) had passed a law to the effect that no Mpongweé (the trading tribe of the Gaboon) or white man should be allowed to ascend the river Fernand Vaz or the Ogobai. It is the universal rule among the coast tribes of West Africa to prevent, if possible, all strangers from penetrating into the inte- rior, even if it be only to the next tribe, through fear that they should lose the exclusive privilege of trading with these tribes. Indeed every tribe tries to pre- vent all strangers from communicating with the tribe next in advance of them. The spirit of commercial and political monopoly, so natural to the heart of uncivi- lized as well as semi-civilized man, is the cause of this; and the rule had only been broken through in Cup. II. KING OLENGA-YOMBI. - oe my own case, on my former journey, owing to my — popularity among the chiefs and the powerful. friend- ship of Quengueza. It was now my aim to get this new law repealed, at least as far as I was concerned ; and on the 22nd of November King Olenga-Yombi came in person to my village on the Fernand Vaz, to hold a palaver thereupon. King Olenga-Yombi still retaimed his old habits of drunkenness, which I have described in ‘ Equatorial Africa ;’ and although it was early in the morn- ing when he came to see me, he was already fuddled with palm wine. I made him a present of a very long blue coat, the tails of which dangled about his ankles when he walked, and a light yellow waistcoat with gilt buttons; with these he strutted about with the true pride of an African king, and they seemed to please him quite as much as the muskets and many other more useful articles which I added to the gift. A single word from Olenga-Yombi might have hin- dered me from passing up the river ; for, although in _ council the head chiefs of these tribes have no more influence than the other speakers, they have the power of veto in many things. There is a certain spirit of loyalty amongst these Africans which leads them not to disobey a positive prohibition by the superior chief, although he may not have the physical power to enforce obedience. It was important there- fore for me to conciliate this drunken negro chief. The palaver was held in the council-house of the village, a large open shed, chairs being placed for the principal speakers. There was a Mpongwé man present who had recently come from the Gaboon, en- 30 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap, IL. trusted by one of the traders there with about eight hundred pounds worth of goods. When the palaver began, I took care that my own case and that of the Mponewé should be treated of separately. The result was most satisfactory. JI was allowed the right of the river, whilst the Mpongwé was refused. Long speeches.were made, and the king finally issued his decree that whatever village allowed the Mpongwé trader to pass up the river should be burnt and the plantations destroyed. The speakers argued that I did not go into the interior to trade, but to shoot animals and bring away the skins and_ bones. “Truly,” they said, “we do not know what our — Chaillie has in his stomach to want such things, but we must let him go.” Orders were given to the . Makaga to see that the law was executed; and the king concluded by assuring me that not only would no resistance be offered to my progress, but that, when I was ready to depart, he would send some of his own slaves to accompany me. He told me, when we were alone afterwards, that I was his “big white man.” “What you say,” he continued, “ we do, for we know it is for our good.” He wished me to go and esta- blish a factory at his village near Cape St. Catherine, — saying that he had made a law that whoever robbed a white man should have his ears cut off, and that his people, who were formerly great thieves, did not now steal any longer. On the 25th he departed, after having made me promise to visit him at his village. On the 27th of November I paid a visit to the ruins of my old establishment, ‘“ Washington,” and Cuar.IL VISIT TO RINKIMONGANT’S GRAVE. pike to the burial-place of my faithful guardian Rinki- mongani, which were a mile distant from my new settlement. I felt the loss of the honest old fellow ~more than ever, for the man who now filled the same office, Malonga, the brother of Ranpano, was a tricky knave, whom I disliked thoroughly. The natives told me that Rinkimongani was continually talking of me during my absence, counting the seasons as they rolled past, and carefully guarding the house and gardens, in the firm hope that I should soon return. It was universally believed, of course, that he had been bewitched through jealousy of my friendship for him, and that foul play had been used to cause his death. I was accompanied by one of my boys to the burial-ground. The road to it from my place led across the prairie and through a few groves of trees to the margins of one of those pretty islands of wood, which diversify the sandy grass-land of the Fernand Vaz. The cemetery was recognisable from a distance by the numerous poles fixed in the ground. Rinki- monganis body had been placed in a box or coffin, for the Commi people are now so far advanced in civilisation that they have adopted the white man’s customs in this respect; it is only, however, the head men who are laid in boxes, and they are not interred in the earth, but laid according to the old native habit on the surface, or inserted a small depth into the ground. The wood of my poor old friend’s coffin was decayed, and I could see his mouldering bones inside, together with the remains of his valuables that were buried with him, consisting of jugs and 32 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. II. pots, a quantity of brass buttons, the remains of a eoat, and an old umbrella-stick, which was all that was left of this article, a present from me, and which he always carried about with him. All around were skeletons and bones crumbling to powder, the frag- ments of mats and cloth which had served the corpses as their winding-sheets, and broken relics which had been reverently buried with the dead. It was a place that one might moralise in—the humble, fragile grave-yard of a tribe of poor negroes, which represented in their eyes quite as much as our proud monuments of stone that will also in their turn disappear. | Returning to the old settlement I saw the house in which Rinkimongani died. It was still standing close to my own place, which had been partly de- stroyed by fire in the burning of the prairie. All the out-buildings and huts of my men were com- plete ruins, but the old man’s house was in tolerable — preservation. The faith of Rinkimongani in my return had overcome his superstitious scruples; for every negro believed the settlement had been be- witched, and wondered at the old man’s folly and obstinacy in remaining there after so many had died. It will be remembered that the place was once abandoned on account of its evil reputation during my former residence. As I wandered about the ruins I thought of the many happy hours I had spent here in the days of my Natural History en- thusiasm, when I was amassing my collections, and the addition of a new species was the coveted reward of a long day’s hunt. The birds which used to build Crap. II. THE BOLA IVOGA. Sa their nests by hundreds in the surrounding trees had ~ forsaken the place; and in the rank grass near the river I saw a huge python coiled up, like an evil spirit on the watch. When I told my companion that I regretted not having returned to the old spot, he looked at me with horror expressed in his coun- tenance. The place was thought to be bewitched and accursed. | All the fixtures and household property of Rin- kimongani remained intact, for the bola ivoga, or breaking up of the mourning-time and division of his effects,* had not yet been celebrated. Contrary to African custom, the wives of the deceased had deserted the place before the bola ivoga, on account of its bad reputation. They ought to have remained here in chaste widowhood until the proper time had arrived for the ceremony (generally a year or two after the death of the husband), when the wives, slaves, and other property of the deceased, are divided amongst his rightful heirs, and the house burnt to the ground. Soon after this the building of my new palm- wood house approached completion, in the litile village which I had chosen for my residence, and which I had bought of Rabolo, a petty chief. Nothing remained to be put up except the verandah, but an obstacle existed to its erection which my men dared not remove. This was a formidable mondah or fetich, which my friend Rabolo had made in his village before I purchased it, and which I now found was * See, for a description of this custom, ‘ Adventures in Equatorial Africa,’ p. 289. 34 THE FERNAND VAZ. Cuap. IL. close’ to the site of my house, at what was formerly the entrance to the single street of the village. Almost all the villages in this country have some- thing of this kind at their entrance, constructed to prevent the entry of witchcraft and death, or to bring good luck to the inhabitants. Rabolo’s talis- man was considered to be a very effective one, for since the village was established, twelve dry seasons ago, no one had died there. This was no great wonder, since there were only fifteen inhabitants in the place. My builders came to me to say they dared not remove Rabolo’s fetich, and prayed me not to touch it until Rabolo came, otherwise there would be a big palaver. It seemed likely I should have some diffi- culty, for Rabolo had already spent the purchase- money of his village, distributing the goods amongst his wives and numerous fathers-in-law. However, I was frm, and when Rabolo came I was peremptory in demanding that the rubbish should be cleared away. He submitted at last, and commenced to cut down the bushes which covered the talisman, and dig up the mysterious relics. The first thing that I saw turned up was the skull of a chimpanzee buried in the sand; then came the skull of a man, probably an ancestor of Rabolo, and a mass of broken plates, glasses, and crockery of all sorts, which had been placed there to keep company with the mondah. He then removed the two upright poles with cross-bar and talismanic creeper growing at their foot, which constituted the protecting portal of the village, the negroes all the while standing around with looks of Cuap. II. RABOLO’S FETICH. 35 blank amazement. It is the belief of the negioes — that, as long as the creeping-plant keeps alive, so long will the fetich retain its efficacy. \ 176 MAYOLO. Cuap. IX. on the bodies of the victims if they should succumb under the ordeal; if the accused should become un- ~ steady under the influence of the poison and stumble, the now quiet crowd would become suddenly frenzied and unmanageable. All seemed eager for the sacrifice of victims to their superstitious fears. It is chiefly through the immunity with which they can drink the poison that the doctors obtain such power over the people; and no wonder, when so many people die under it. The mboundou is a most violent poison. This was proved by the analysis of its roots which I caused to be made after my former journey. A breathless silence prevailed whilst the young men took the much-dreaded cups of liquid and boldly . swallowed the contents; the whispering of the wind could be heard through the leaves of the surrounding trees. But it was only of short duration. As soon as the poison was drunk, the crowd began to beat their sticks on the ground, and shout, “If they are wizards, let the mboundou kill them; if innocent, let it go out!” repeating the words as long as the suspense lasted. The struggle was a severe one; the eyes of the young men became bloodshot, their limbs trembled convulsively, and every muscle in their bodies was visibly working under the potent irritation. The more acute their sufferings became, the louder vocife- rated the excited assembly. I was horror-stricken, and, although I would gladly have fled from the place, felt transfixed to the spot. I knew that if they fell I should have no power to save them, but should be forced to see them torn limb from limb. At length, however, the crisis came—a sudden shiver of “ Cuap. IX, RESULT OF THE ORDEAL. 177 the body and involuntary discharge—and the first intended victim had escaped. The same soon after happened to the second and to the third. They gradually came back to their former state, but ap- peared very much exhausted. Some people never get over the effects of drinking the mboundou, although they pass the ordeal without giving way. They linger for a long time in a sickly condition, and then die: The trial was over, and the doctor closed the cere- mony by himself drinking an enormous quantity of the poison, with a similar result to that which we had witnessed in the young men, only that he appeared quite tipsy; in his wild and incoherent sayings, whilst under the influence of the drink, he stated that the bewitchers of Mayolo and the bringers of the plague did not belong to the village, a deci- sion which was received with great acclamation. Mayolo was rejoiced that the wizards or witches did not belong to his own people, and the whole people were wild with joy: guns were fired, and the evening passed with beating of drums, singing, and dancing. | To protect the village from the wizards who might enter it from the neighbouring villages, and who had been accused as the cause of Méyolo’s troubles, the — doctor, accompanied by the whole of the people, went to the paths leading to Mayolo from other villages, and planted sticks at intervals across them, connecting the sticks. by strong woody creepers, and hanging on the ropes leaves from the core of the crowns of palm- trees, It is a recognised law among these people that no stranger can come within these lines When 178 MAYOLO. Omar. IX, I asked Mayolo what he would do if any one was to force the lines, he said that there would then be a grand palaver, but that there was no fear of such an event, for it never happened. Another reason for planting the lines was of a sanitary nature: small- pox was prevalent in several neighbouring villages, and Mayolo wished to prevent the relatives of the wives of his villagers (for people generally marry girls of distant places) from coming on a visit to them. I learnt to-day that the Otando man, who had accompanied me from Olenda, had since died of the — plague, and the people of other villages had natu- rally come to the conclusion that his being in con- tact with me was the cause. He was one of Mayolo’s fathers-in-law. It is marvellous how firm Mayolo adheres to the faith that I have nothing at all to do with the introduction of the plague. His influence is so great amongst his people that many have now come round to his opinion, and others dare not openly declare the contrary. Two days after the pona oganga I called my people, and Mayolo and his people, together, and made a formal and resolute demand to be furnished with guides and porters to the Apono country. The speech which I made on this occasion was, as - nearly as I can translate it, in the following words; I spoke in similitudes, African fashion, and used African expressions :— | “Mayolo, I have called you and your pegple together, in order that you may hear my mouth. When one of your people goes to the Ashira country to make trade, his heart is not glad until his friends Cuap. IX. MY SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE. 179 there have given him trade, although he may have been well treated in the meantime, had plenty given him to eat, and a fine woman lent him as a wife. When you go to the Apono country in order to get a slave on trust from your friend the chief, or some large tusk of ivory from an elephant he has killed, you are not satisfied until he has sent you back to your village with the slave or the ivory ; and your friend never fails to send you back with your desire granted. It is the same if you go to a man whose daughter you are very fond of, and who has promised to give her to you as awife. For if, when you go to his house to get his daughter, instead of her he gives you plenty of food, your heart is not glad, though you have plenty to eat. The food will taste bitter, for it is not what you came for! “So it is with me: I am not happy. I have not come to you, Mayolo, to make trade, to get slaves and ivory, or to marry your daughters. If I had come for these things, I am sure they would have been given to me long ago. (The assembly here all shouted ‘ Yes! they would have been given to you long ago!’) | “But you all know that I have not come for these things. I told you when I came, and you knew it before, that I wanted to go further away. I love you and your people. (Interruptions of ‘We know you loveus.’) You have been kind to me and to my men. Though some of them have slept with your women, you have done nothing to them. You have given us plenty to eat ; you have stolen nothing from my men or from me; I have been here as if in my own 180 MAYOLO. CHap. IX. | village. (Here they cried out, ‘It is your own village; you are our king, Mayolo leading the chorus.) If I wanted to get angry with you, I could not find a single cause for it. (At this Méyolo stiffened himself up and looked around, quite proud.) A few days after my arrival you, Mayolo, fell ill. You have a good head; you know that I did not make youll. I was very sorry to see you ill, forI — have a heart like yourself. How could I like to see | Mayolo, my only friend, ill? (Here Mayolo smiled, and looked prouder than ever.) I love you, and I love your people for your sake. (Shouts of ‘We are all your friends.’) I am not an evil Spirit; I do not delight in making people ill; I do not bring the . plague, for it was in your country before I came. (Loud shouts of ‘Rovano!’—it is so.) My own people have also been ill; how could I make them ill? Macondai, my beloved boy, who has been with me from a little child, has been more ill than any other of my men; how could I wish to make him ill? I sit by spreading death and disease before me that I can go into the interior? If you wanted to go amongst other tribes, would you spread illness before you? So it is with me; to go into the interior I must make friends. The plague goes where it likes and asks nobody. The people are afraid of me; they do not see that I bring them fine things: beads, looking-elasses, cloth, and red caps for their heads, These are things that I wish to leave with the people wherever I go. “ Now, Mayolo, you are getting better. You have a saying among yourselves that a man does not stand Cuap. UX. SPEECH OF CHIEF MAYOLO. 18] alone in the world; he has friends, and there are no people who are without friends. You Otando have friends among the Apono and Ishogo people, where I want to go. If you ask trade of these friends, they give it to you. I come to you to ask you the road. Come and show me the road through the Apono country ; it is the one I like the best; for it is the shortest. J will make your heart glad, if you make- my heart glad. I have things to give you all, and I want the news to spread that Méyolo and I are two — great friends, so that after I am gone people may say, ‘ Mayolo was the friend of the Oguizi.’” The last part of the speech was received with tre- mendous shouts of applause, and cries of “ Rovano! Rovano!” Mayolo joining in with the rest. When I had finished I sat down on my footstool. Mayolo deferred his answer to the next day, as all his people were not present, and we then had another palaver, which I hoped would be a final one. The men were seated round in a semi-circle, the women forming a cluster by themselves, and in front was stationed a boy holding a goat, by the side of which were two bunches of plantains; my own people were also present. Méayolo began his speech, and, as is customary, addressed a third person, Igala, saying :— “When a hunter goes into the forest in search of game, he is not glad until he returns home with meat. So Chaillie’s heart will not be glad, until he finishes what he wishes to do. I have heard what Chaillie has told me. I am a@ man. Chaillie, the Oguizi (Spirit) has come to Mayolo; I am Mayolo; there is no other Mayolo but me. I am ashamed at 182 MAYOLO. Crap, ik: this long delay; I have a heart, and Chaillie shall go on. I know that some people, jealous of me, have told you that I have palaver in the upper country ; that I have taken their slaves on trust, and am in debt to them; but itisa lie. The people are afraid of Chaillie ; we all know that he is a Spirit; from the time our fathers were born, his like has never been seen. The news has spread that he brings disease and death wherever he goes; and so the people are afraid of him. I have been ill, but it is not he that has caused it, but other people who want to bewitch me, because of the good things that he has given me. I will go myself, in three or four days, to visit an Apono chief, a friend of mine, and will tell him that. Chaillie eats like ourselves, drinks like ourselves, that he plays with our children, talks to our women and men, and does us good. I am Mayolo, and Chaillie shall go on his way, and then his heart will be glad.” | Then turning to me, he said: “ During the days you have to wait, take this goat and these two bunches of plantains, and eat them. We shall soon ~ be on the long road, but I must feel the way first ;- we must do things little by little. You cannot catch a monkey, unless you are very careful in going to it.” | I answered one of their sayings. “If you had said ‘ Wait, wait, and I saw that you were not telling me the truth, the goat you have just given me could not be good, and I would have returned it to you, for it would taste bitter; but I believe you.” Thus I had to content myself, whilst Mdyolo was Cuar. IX. REJOICING AT MAYOLO’S RECOVERY. 183 exerting himself to open the way for me into Apono- land, In the afternoon I made Igala cut, with a lancet, into the abscess on Mayolo’s shoulder, which gave him great relief after the discharge of the matter. The good fellow thanked me very much, and we became better friends than ever. Next day he was so much elated with the improvement in his health, that he got tipsy on a fermented beverage which he had prepared two days before he had fallen ill, and which was made by mixing honey and water, and adding to it pieces of bark of a certain tree. The long standing had improved the liquor in his eyes, for the older the beverage, the more intoxicating it becomes. All the people of the village had a jollification in the evening to celebrate the recovery of their chief; Mayolo being’ the most uproarious of all, dancing, slapping his chest, and shouting “Here I am alive; they said I should die because the Spirit had come, but here I am.” During all the time he was ill he had been con- _tinually looking forward to this “jolly treat.” He had several of the jars of the country full of the fer- mented beverage. Fortunately, he was very inoffen- sive when under the influence of drink. Scarcely able to stand steady, he came up to me, crying out, “ Here I am, Chaillie, well at last. I tell you I am well, Oguizi!” and, in order to prove it to me, he began to leap about and to strike the ground with his feet, saying, “Don’t you see that I am well? The Otando people said, the Apono said—as soon as they heard that you had arrived in my village— ‘Méyolo isa dead man!’ As soon as I fell ill, they + i LL EEE ee eee 184. . MAYOLO. Cuap. IX. said, ‘ Mdyolo will never get up again!’ But here I am, alive and well! Give me some powder, that I may fire off the guns, to let the surrounding people know that I am well!” I quietly said, “ Not to-day, Mayolo, for your head is still weak.” He laughed, and went away shouting, “I knew the Oguizi did not like to see me ill. IT am Mayolo! I will take him further on!” | Throughout the month of April I frequently re- galed myself with what I used to consider a very good dinner : that is, a haunch of monkey cooked on > the grille. Formerly I had always had a great aver- sion to eating monkeys (not, however, from any ideas. about their relationship to man), but hunger and the scarcity of other animal food had compelled me lately to make many a meal on these animals. This is the height of the monkey season in Otando-land, the season lasting through March, April and May, during which months they are so fat that their flesh is really exquisite eating. I know of no game better or more _ relishing ; the joints must be either roasted or grilled, to bring out the flavour of the meat to perfection. At all other times of the year except these three months monkeys are lean, tough, and tasteless. It is the same with the wild hog of these regions; from February to the beginning of May, when the fatten- ing Koola nut is ripe and falls in abundance from the trees, the wild hog gets something like an overfed pig at home, and the meat is delicious eating. I felt to-night that I had dined well, and did not envy Sardanapalus his dainties, for I doubted whether this Cuap. IX. CURIOSITY OF THE OTANDO. 185 luxurious monarch ever had fat monkey for dinner. I recommend all future travellers to cast aside their prejudices and try grilled monkey, at least during the months I have mentioned. They will thank me for the advice. Many wild fruit trees are now in full bearing and the monkeys have splendid feed. I finished my dinner with pine-apple as dessert; the season, however, is now past for pine-apples, it began when I entered the Ashira country and lasted during the whole of the time of my stay there. Mayolo after his recovery became more friendly than ever. He was naturally of an inquisitive turn of mind, and in his frequent conversations with me occupied all my time in answering his questions. One day he came with all his people and all the women of the village, to ask me a number of questions. He first asked how the women worked our plantations? I told him women did no field- work with us. They were astonished to hear this, and still more to hear that plantains and cassava were almost unknown in my country. They all shouted, “Then what do you eat?” I explained to them that we had always plenty to eat. I told them that we had bullocks like their wild cattle, which remained tame in our villages like their goats, and that we taught them to carry things. They would hardly believe me, when I added that in their own country there were tribes of black men who owned tame oxen. (Con- tinuing the subject, I said that there were countries in which even elephants were tamed, and taught to carry people on their backs. At this a wild shout of | 14 186 MAYOLO. Cuapr. IX. astonishment arose from the assembly, and remember- ing that I had a copy of the “Illustrated London News” containing an Indian scene with elephants, I went and fetched it to prove that I told them the truth. There was a rush forward to look at the picture over Mayolo’s shoulders. They all recog- nised the animals as elephants, and expressed their astonishment at the men on their backs; above all, they wondered to see the animals represented as tied by the feet and kept quiet. ‘Punch,’ the travellers’ friend, excited their wonder greatly. They all ex- claimed, “ What a fine cap he wears!” and asked me ~ if I had any like it. They were quite disappointed when I told them I had not. 7 | | Then came numerous questions about white men. How they stared when I told them that our houses were made of stone, the same material as was found on their mountains. The last question was a delicate one; it was, “ Do white men die?” I wished them to remain in their present belief that we did not die, for their superstitious feeling towards me was my best safeguard ; so I feigned not to hear the question, and turned their attention to another subject. — The people generally, and especially the women, became emboldened after this long chat; and I could see some of the buxom matrons laughingly conferrmg with one another, as if on some important business. At last one of them, bolder than the rest, said: “ We have seen your head and your hands since you have been among us, but we have never seen what the rest of your body is like; it would make our hearts glad, if you would take off your clothes and let us see.” Cuapr. IX. ' A FEMALE DUEL. 187 This polite request I of course flatly refused to comply with, and they did not press it. Another request they made I was able to grant: this was to talk the Oguizi language. I gave them a few samples of French and English, but I very much doubt if they could perceive the difference. They believe that all white men belong to one people, and of course, beyond the fact that they land on their shores from the great sea, know nothing of the different nations of the world or where they are situated. When I asked them where they thought the Ngouyai river ended, they answered, “Somewhere in the sand.” After our long conversation I felt tired and went for a walk over the prairie. This pleasant day was ruffled in the evening by a violent quarrel between two Ashira married women, one of them being a stranger who had come to Mayolo on a visit to her friends. It appeared that one of the men of the village called this woman towards him; and his wife, on hearing of it, asked her husband what business he had to call the woman, and, getting jealous, told him she must be his sweetheart. The husband’s reply being, I suppose, not altogether satisfactory, the en- raged wife rushed out to seek her supposed rival, and a battle ensued. Women’s fights in this country always begin by their throwing off their dengu, that is, stripping themselves entirely naked. The challenger having thus denuded herself, her enemy showed pluck and answered the challenge by promptly doing the same; so that the two elegant figures im- mediately went at it, literally tooth and nail, for they fought like cats, and between the rounds reviled each 188 MAYOLO. Cuap. IX. other in language the most filthy that could possibly be uttered. Mayolo being asleep in his house, and no one seeming ready to interfere, I went myself and separated the two furies. In the meantime Oshoumouna and the men sent by Mayolo to open the way for me into Apono-land, returned last night, frightened away by the recep- tion they had met with from the people of the Apono village to which they had gone, and which is situated on the right bank of the Rembo Ngouyai. As soon as they said who they were, and that they — had beads with which to buy some salt—for the > Apono trade a good deal in salt, paying for it in slaves—the villagers shouted out, “Go away! go. away! We don’t want to have anything to do with the Oguizi, or with the people who have come in contact with him! We do not want your beads! We want nothing that came with the Oguizi!” : This news filled me with sorrow. Mayolo tried to comfort me; but my prospects were indeed dark and gloomy. May 6th. After taking several lunar distances to- night between the moon and Jupiter, and feeling tired, as I generally do after night observations, I went into a little shed behind my house and took a cold shower-bath—at least, an imitation of one—by splashing water over me ; I find this very refreshing and cooling before retiring to rest. I then went into © my chamber; but I came out of it again faster than I entered, for I had stepped into a band of Bashi- kouay ants, and was quickly covered with the nimble Cuap. IX. THE BASHIKOUAY ANTS. 189 and savage little creatures, who bit me dreadfully. I was driven almost mad with pain. I did not dare to light paper or apply fire to the invading horde of ants, inside the place, on account of the quantity of gunpowder stored in my chamber; thus I had to abandon my house to the irresistible ants, who had become perfect masters of it. I at once called my men, and we succeeded in finding the line of the invading host outside of the house; to this we applied fire, and burnt many thousands of them; but it was not until half-past two in the morning that the house was cleared. 7 When I rose, feverish and unrefreshed, the next morning, I found the Bashikouays again in the house. This time they emerged from a number of holes which had newly made their appearance in the ground near my house, and which were the mouths of the tunnels or galleries leading from their sub- terranean abodes. I was thankful that it was day- time, for if it had been night they would not have been long before paying me another visit. An in- vasion of a sleeping-chamber by these ants at night is @ Very serious matter, for an army of Bashikouays swarming over the body during sleep would wake a person up rather disagreeably. There can be no doubt that if a man were firmly tied to a bed so that he could not escape, he would be entirely eaten up by these ants in a short space of time. I have heard that men have been put to death for witchcraft in this way. Happily their bite is not venomous. We poured boiling water down the newly-made galleries and over the columns of ants that were issuing from 190 MAYOLO. Cuar. IX, them, so that they were again driven away, and we were saved from another invasion. May 10th. I witnessed to-day a striking instance of the inborn cunning and deceit of the native African. My people had spread out on mats in front of my hut a quantity of ground-nuts, which we had bought, when I observed from the inside of the hut a little © urchin about four years old slily regaling himself with them, keeping his eyes on me, and believing himself unnoticed. I suddenly came out, but the little rascal, as quick as thought, seated himself on a piece of wood, — and dexterously concealed the nuts he had in his hand under the joints of his legs and in the folds of his abdominal skin; then looked up to me with an air of perfect innocence. This, thought I, is a bright ex- ample of the unsophisticated children of nature, whom some writers love to describe, to the disadvantage of the corrupted children of civilization! Thieving, in these savage countries, 1s not considered an offence against the community ; for no one complains but he who has been robbed. My precocious little pilferer would therefore have no teaching to prevent him from becoming an accomplished thief as he grew older. In the evening, as I was computing the lunar dis- tances I had taken, I was startled by the sudden screech of a woman. I went out immediately, and found that it was the mbuiri woman, who had been suddenly seized with the spirit of divination—the mbuiri having entered into her. She raved on for ~ some time, the theme of her discourse being the ewva or plague. | Cuap. IX. GOOD NEWS FROM APONO-LAND. 191 May 14th. My misfortunes will never terminate! Mayolo has another abscess forming. I begin to - think I shall never get beyond this Otando country. Mayolo, however, assures me that he will send his nephew onward to Apono to prepare the way for us. He told me our great difficulty would be to get ferried across the river, which could only be done by the aid of the chief of Mouendi, a village near thebanks of the Ngouyai. I went to my hut and selected a pre- sent for the Apono chief, a bright red cap, a string of beads, and some powder; and in giving them to Mayolo to send by his messenger, I told him to say I should bring him many other fine things when I came myself. It was necessary to overcome the scruples of the Apono, who dreaded a visit from me lest I should bring evil on their village. May 15th. Mayolo’s messenger returned to-day with the joyful news that the Apono chief would receive us. The chief had sent a kendo as a return present to Mayolo, with the words “ Médyolo has given me birth, how can I refuse him what he asks? ‘Tell him to come with his idamba. Mayolo has not died through receiving the Spirit; why should I die?” Many people of Mayolo’s clan came to-day to see, before I left their country, the many wonderful things I had brought with me; and Madyolo himself, though not very well, could not resist the temptation to leave his hut and join the sightseers. I first brought out a large Geneva musical box, and having wound it up inside my house, set it down on a stool in the street. On hearing the mysterious sounds they all got up, looked at each other, then at me and the box, to see 192 MAYOLO. Cuap. IX. whether I had any communication with it, and worked themselves into such a state of fright that when a little drum inside beat, they all took to their heels and ran away as fast as they could to the other end of the village, Mayolo leading the van. I went after them, and tried to allay their fears, but their belief . was not to be shaken that a devil was inside the box. They came back, but would not sit down, holding themselves ready to run again, if anything startling occurred. They were completely mystified when they heard the music still going on although | was walk- ing about at a distance from the box, holding no com- munication with it. I remained away from it a long time walking about in the prairie, and the music was | still going on when I returned, to the great perplexity of the simple villagers. I offered to open the box to show them that there was no devil inside; but as soon as I touched the lid with that intention, they all started for another run; so I did not open it. I showed them an accordion ; and, being no player myself, made simply a noise with it, which pleased them amazingly. They were more pleased with it than with the musical box, for there was no mystery about the cause of the noise to alarm them. Then I got out a galvanic battery, and experimented on such of them as I could persuade to touch the handles. When they felt the shock they cried out “ Eninda!” this being the name of a species of electric fish found in the neighbouring streams. ‘They all cried, “ Why did you not show us these things before?” Finally, after showing them pictures and other objects—the portraits of the Movers of the Address in the ‘ Ilus- Cuar. IX. ASTONISHMENT OF THE NATIVES. 193 trated London News’ attracting their notice more than anything else—I exhibited my large magnet, which I knew would astonish them. I. asked one man to come near with his Apono sword, and stag- gered him by taking it out of his hand with the magnet. I asked for other swords, and knives. All were handed to me at arm’s length, for they were afraid of approaching the magical instrument, to which the red paint gave additional terrors. When they saw their knives and swords sticking to the magnet without dropping, sometimes by the edges and sometimes sideways, they all shouted out: “He is surely an Oguizi (Spirit) to do these things.” I invited them to take the instrument in their hands, but they dared not; Mayolo’s curiosity eventually overcame his fears, and he handled the magnet with the air of a man who is doing something very courageous. At the conclusion of the exhibition the old chief exclaimed that I was immensely rich, and that if I was not a king I must be next in rank to the king in my country. He was astonished when I told him that the kings of the white men had pro- bably never heard of me. He thought I was telling him a very wicked story, and did not believe me. The day previous to this I had a good laugh at the alarm of one of these simple Otando people, when using my boiling-point apparatus to ascertain the heicht of the place. I was engaged in taking the observation, when a native, attracted by curiosity, came to see what Iwas doing. He looked earnestly at the aneroids, then at the bull’s-eye lantern on the top of which was the little kettle where water was to 7 | \ if 194 MAYOLO. Cuap. IX, be boiled, and then at the thermometer screwed into the kettle: when he had finished his inspection he withdrew to a distance, in a state of bewilderment and fear that was comical to behold; but I pretended to be taking no notice of him. These people fancy that I travel with all sorts of fetiches and am possessed of supernatural power—a belief which I did not try to upset, as 1t stood me in good stead. I now lighted the lamp and proceeded to boil the water; as soon as the negro saw the steam ascending, and heard the bubbling of the water, his courage finally gave way. . and he fled with the utmost precipitation. My photographic apparatus, or at least what re- mained of it, was much admired by friend Mayolo. He was the most inquisitive man of his tribe, none of whom were wanting in curiosity, and he was never weary of asking me questions and inspecting my wonderful stores. When I first took out the photo- eraphic tent from its box, he was amazed, after seeing it fixed, to discover what a bulky affair could come out of so small a box. After fixing the tent I with- drew the slide and exposed the orange-coloured glass, and invited the mystified chief to look through it at the prairie. At first he was afraid and declined to come into the tent; but on my telling him that he knew I should never do anything to harm him, he consented. He could not comprehend it. He looked at me, at my hands, then at the glass, and believed there was witchcraft at the bottom of it. After Mayolo had come out of the tent unharmed, the rest of the negroes took courage, and my tent was made a peep-show for the remainder of the day. Cuap. IX. CLIMATE OF MAYOLO. 195 _ The climate of Mayolo seems very variable and uncertain; and night after night I was disappointed when preparing to take lunar distances or meridian altitudes of stars, by the sudden clouding of the heavens. The sky would often be very clear and settled, inducing me to get my sextant in order, prepare a quicksilver artificial horizon, and note the index error; but a thick mist would suddenly arise and put an end to all operations. But now and then I had magnificent nights, so that I sue- ceeded in taking a pretty long series of obser- vations for latitude and longitude before I left Mayolo; so complete are they, that the position of the town may be considered as well fixed; but I should fail were I to attempt to describe the diffi- culties and disappointments I had to contend with in completing them. There was something rather remarkable also about the deposit of dew. I re- marked that at Mayolo and Ashira the grass was often very damp before sunset, when the sun had dis- appeared behind the mountains. It was so damp that it wetted my shoes in walking through ; and, at ten minutes after sunset, dew drops were plentiful along the edges of the plantain leaves, even on those trees which the sun had shone upon just before dis- appearing below the horizon. The dew drops olittering on the margins of these beautiful leaves looked like crystal drops or gems, appearing the brighter from the contrast with the velvety green hue of the magnificent foliage. One evening I watched closely the first appearance of these dew drops. At a quarter past five, before the sun had quite 196 | MAYOLO. Citar. Et disappeared behind the hill-tops, I counted thirty-six | drops of dew on the leaves of one tree; but three quarters of an hour later the edges of the leaves were quite surrounded with water. The sky at the same time was very clear, only a few clouds near the horizon could be seen. At six o’clock the grass was not sufficiently damp to leave water-marks on my boots; so that it is to be concluded that the leaves of the plantain are the first to condense the invisible vapour of the atmosphere. Up to the present time (May 18th) I have only twice seen the sky entirely free from cloud since my arrival at Fernand Vaz from England. On the 16th of May, whilst I was in the prairie at: a short distance from Mayolo, studying the habits of the white ants, I was aroused from my meditations by sudden screams from the town. I was afraid some- thing tragical was taking place, and made haste for the village. I found the place in an uproar; all caused by an influx of poor relations. It appeared that the news of the vast wealth Mayolo had obtained from the Oguizi had spread far and wide over the neighbouring country, and, getting to the ears of the old chief’s numerous fathers-in-law and brothers-in- law, some of them had journeyed to his village with a view to getting a share of the spoils, their greediness overcoming their fear of me. The people of the village had been plagued to death with these avaricious guests, for they were all thought to have become rich since I am living amongst them. As time is of no importance to the African, and during their stay they were living at the expense of the Cap. IX. DOMESTIC QUARREL. 197 villagers, it was no easy matter to get rid of them. The fathers-in-law praised the beauty and all the good qualities of their daughters married to the chief, hinted that he had got a cheap bargain in this one and had not paid enough for the other; and some of them actually threatened to take away their daughters unless something more was given. Poor _Mayolo, sick of the worry, had asked me for various things to give them in order to get rid of them, but they were insatiable. | The row this morning was between Oshoumouna, Mayolo’s nephew, and his father-in-law, arising out of these unsatisfied demands for more pay. The old man was very discontented, saying, that though he had given him his daughter, he had not had a single thing given him by the Oguizi. It was im vain that Oshoumouna assured him that I never gave presents for nothing. Whilst I was absent, the father-in-law had ventured to use force to take away his daughter. It is a very common thing in Africa for a father-in-law to take away his daughter, if he is not satisfied with the husband’s conduct. Oshou- mouna took no notice of the abduction, and the row was caused by the father-in-law, enraged at this cool- ness, proceeding to demolish his son-in-law’s house. A general mélée ensued; old Mayolo rushed out and belaboured the aggressor with a club; the women screamed, and a fearful uproar took place. iin te 234 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cap. XII. clayey. I notice that many of the men have their two middle upper incisor teeth pulled out, and the two next to them filed to a point. Some of the women beautify themselves in a similar way; they also endeavour to improve their looks by tattooing themselves in long scars on their foreheads, between their eyebrows, and on their cheeks in a line with the middle of the ear. The people of Nchiengain’s village are all Bam- bais or Bambas—that is, the children of slaves, born in the country. The women are the prettiest — I have seen in Africa; and many of them had very small feet and hands, which I have remarked is the case with many of the negroes of Equatorial | Africa. Although the chief seems to be of a good disposition, — I found him no better inclined to forward my journey than any of the others I had had dealings with. Like the Olenda people, he wanted the chief who had brought me to his place to leave me in his hands; this being the first step necessary to enable the rapacious negroes to get all they could out of me at their leisure. Mayolo was firm in his demand to have me forwarded across the Rembo in two days, and I supported his arguments by feionine anger at the chief’s proposal, and refusing to eat the presents of food he had made me. Our palavers lasted all this day and the next. I gave him. a quantity of goods, but, as was to be expected, he expressed his dissatisfaction, with a view to get more out of me. I left Mayolo with him, and by some means or other he persuaded him to be contented. Cuap. XII. ARRIVAL OF APINGI MEN. 239 What could I do with a man who believed that I made all these things myself, by some conjuring process ? for it is thus that Nchiengain argued with Mayolo: “The cloth and beads and guns cost him no trouble to make; why does he not give me more of these things which do me so much good?” “ Mayolo,” he would continue in course of his many palavers with him, “ you eat me with jealousy. Why do you want yourself to take the Oguizi to the Ashango country? why not go back and leave him to me? I want it to go far and wide that the Oguizi and Nchiengain are big friends.” At length he offered himself to accom- pany me across the Rembo, and to give me some porters, for our loads were too heavy for our present numbers. It was the passage of this river (the upper Ngouyai) that offered our next difficulty ; it was too wide and deep to ford or swim across, and we needed a good canoe to ferry the party over. June lst. A number of Apingi men came up the river: to-day from their villages, which are situated a few miles lower down, on the river banks, to- wards the north or north-west, but belonging to a different clan from Remandji’s, which I visited in my former journey. They fraternised with the Apono, and we had great noise, tam-tamming, and confusion. They brought about 100 bunches of plantains for sale, which my men purchased. I find the Apingi are generally lighter and redder in colour than the Apono, and they are not so well-made a people or so handsome (or less ugly) in features. But there are no sharp lines of distinction between. these African tribes. They intermarry a good deal with 236 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap. XII. each other, and, besides, the chiefs have children with their slaves who are brought from various tribes, far and near. The Apingi wére not so much accustomed to me as the Apono were, and whenever they caught sight of me they fled. The noise made by these fellows was quite unbearable. I took a walk into the neighbouring woods ; and on my return, going to look at the thermometer hung under the verandah of my hut, I found it had been stolen. This was too much to be borne, as it was the only thermometer remaining to me after the plun- - dering of the Ashira. I felt that I must use energetic measures to recover the instrument, so I seized two men who were running away from the heap of plantains | in front of my hut, and calling on my Commi boys to eock their guns, I sent for Nchiengain and said that I would shoot a man if the instrument was not re- turned to me. Nchiengain and the Apono declared that the Apingi were the thieves. Two chiefs who were with the Apingi protested that the theft was committed by none of their men, that they did not come to steal, &c., &. My strong measures, how- ever, had the desired effect; the thermometer, for- tunately unbroken, was found shortly after lying on the ground near a neighbourmg hut. Many of the Apingi were armed with spears, but they are not so warlike as the Apono. They are more accustomed to the water, and build large canoes, which they sell to the Apono. June 1st. I paid the new Apono porters to-day. We were obliged to have seven more men than before, as the loads were so heavy that the former ——— Crap. XI. NOCTURNAL REFLECTIONS. 237 number was insufficient, and three of my people had the skin worn off their backs on the march from Mayolo. To-night the air was colder than I ever recollect to have found it in Western Africa. The sky was cloudless but hazy—as, indeed, it often is in the interior, in the clearest weather during the dry season—a reddish halo surrounded the moon. I sat up as usual to take lunar distances and altitudes of stars. Indeed, I seldom retire before one am., and enjoy the silent nights, when the hubbub and torment of a crowd of whimsical, restless savages are stilled by sleep. I sometimes stretched myself on the ground after the work was done, and enjoyed the contemplation of the starry heavens, thinking of the far-off northern land, lying under constellations so different from these of the southern hemisphere. My thoughts would wander to my distant friends in Europe and North America, and my eyes would fill with tears when I dwelt on the many acts of kindness I had received from them. Did they now think of the poor lonely traveller working out his mission amidst savages in the heart of Africa ! I was not always so solitary in taking my nightly observations, for sometimes one or other of my men or Mayolo would stand by me. Of course I could never make them comprehend what I was doing. Sometimes I used to be amused by their ideas about the heavenly bodies. Like all other remarkable natural objects, they are the subjects of whimsical myths amongst them. According to them, the sun and moon are of the same age, but the sun brings daylight and gladness and the moon brings darkness, ee 238 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Crap. XII. witchcraft and death—for death comes from sleep, and sleep commences in darkness. The sun and moon, they say, once got angry with each other, each one claiming to be the eldest. The moon said: “ Who are you, to dare to speak to me? you are alone, you have no people; what, are you to consider yourself equal tome? Look at me,’ she continued, showing the stars shining around her, “ these are my people ; IT am not alone in the world like you.” The sun answered, ‘Oh, moon, you bring witchcraft, and it is you who have killed all my people, or I should have as many attendants as you.” According to the ne- groes, people are more liable to die when the moon first makes her appearance and when she is last visible. They say that she calls the people her in- sects, and devours them. ‘The moon with them is the emblem of time and of death. I was much amused to-day. Some of the inha- bitants of a neighbouring Apono village, who had been most hostile to my coming to their country, having since heard that I had brought no evil or sickness with me here, now came to see me. As soon as my friend Nchiengain saw them, he went up to them in great anger, crying out, “Go away, go away! Now that you have smelt niva (my goods or presents), you are no longer afraid, but want to come!” So the men went away without my speaking to them. June 2nd. Towards evening both Nchiengain and Mayolo got drunk with palm wine, and their ardour to. go forward with me was something astonishing. They say they are going with me far beyond the 2 . ee i ee Cuap. XII. AN APONO IDOL. 239 Ashango; they are men; they will even travel by night, as there will be the moon with us. I wanted to obtain one of the idols of the Apono, so to-day, on asking Nchiengain, he took me out of the village along a path which led to a grove of trees, and thence he sent his head wife to a mbuiri house to fetch an idol. When it came, I found it so large (it was, in fact,a load for one man) and so disgustingly indecent, that I was obliged to refuse it. I felt that if I accepted it I should be like the worthy mayor in the well-known story, who received the present of a white elephant. Like other idols which I had seen, it was a female. The villagers have the largest ngoma, or tam-tam, [ have ever seen. It measures very nearly nine feet in length, and the hollowing of the log must have cost the Apono a great deal of labour. Many of the people are drunk to-night, following the example of the two chiefs. I had always heard from the slaves near the coast that the Apono were a merry race, and I now find it so with a vengeance. Since my arrival here there has been nothing but dancing and singing every night. I distributed beads among the women, and this has had a great effect. So we are all good friends together. June 3rd. We left Mouendi with a great deal of trouble this morning. Nchiengain and Mayolo wanted to renew the libations of the previous even- ing, and, in fact, were half-drunk soon after daylight ; but I went to the hut where the symposium was going on, and, kicking over the calabashes of palm wine, sent the chiefs and their attendants to the 240 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap. XII. right-about. I could not, however, get Nchiengain away, and we started without him. I wondered afterwards at the good-nature of these people, who saw with composure ‘a stranger knocking over so large a quantity of their cherished beverage. They did not resent my act, but only grumbled that so much good liquor was spilt instead of going down | their throats. We reached the banks of the river, distant about three miles from the village, at two p.m. The Neouyai was here a fine stream, nearly as wide as the Thames at London Bridge, and from ten to fifteen feet deep, flowing from the 8.8.W. It was now the dry season, when the water is about ten feet below the level of the rainy season. The yellow waters formed a curious contrast to the dark green vegetation of its banks. I could not but admire the magnificent trees which towered above the masses of lower trees and bushes growing from the rich soil; some of them grew on the very brink of the stream, and their trunks were supported by erect roots, looking like May-poles, eight or ten feet high, and projecting in places over the water. Open- ings in the wall of foliage revealed to us the interior of the jungle, where the trees were interlaced with creepers of all kinds, especially the india-rubber vine, which is here very abundant. I was surprised to find Nchiengain’s flat-bottomed canoe, or ferry-boat, large and well-made. It carried my party and baggage across in seven journeys. We finished at half-past four p.m., and encamped for the night on the opposite side. Nechiengain Guar. XII. HIPPOPOTAMI AND CROCODILES. — 241 arrived at the river-side, reeling drunk, just as we were shoving off with the last load, and I told the men to pretend not to hear his shouts for the return of the canoe to embark him, so he had to come over alone when we had all landed on the other side. T was struck with the scarcity of animal life on and near the river. But the rich and open valley through which it flows must teem with Natural History wealth in its varied woods; we could not expect to see much amid the noise of our crossing, and in the short time we remained in the district. There were no aquatic birds in sight, not even pelicans. The water was too deep and there were too few sand and mud banks for hippopotami; for I have always noticed that these animals are found only in rivers which abound in shallows. If the rivers have shallows in the dry season only, then hippopotami are to be seen there only in the dry season. It is the same with crocodiles. In the seasons of flood one may travel for weeks without seeing a single individual of either species in rivers and lakes which nevertheless swarm with them in the dry season. Thus it is with the lake Anengue of the Ogobai, which I described in my former work as full of crocodiles, although when Messrs. Serval and Griffon Du Bellay visited it, after me, in 1862, they were unable to see any of these reptiles. Indeed, I myself found none on my first visit to the lake, as related in ‘ Adventures in Equa- torial Africa ;’ on my second visit I was surprised to find them.so abundant. Hven a month or a fort- night makes a great difference, and one wonders where all the crocodiles come from. It is well known 242, MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap. XII. to travellers that fishes are very scarce in seasons of flood, and abundant in the dry season, in the same rivers. The scarcity and abundance, of course, are only apparent; the total population of the water must remain pretty nearly the same all the year round, but we are apt to lose sight of the fact that the area of the waters of any river with many arms and lakes must be immensely greater in the flood season than in the dry, and thus the population is more scattered and hidden from view. Ath, We left the banks of the river at a quarter- past six a.m. Shortly afterwards we passed through an Apono village, and at half-past eight a.m. came to three Ishogo villages close together. All three pro- bably belonged to the same clan, and they contained a considerable population. It was no new feature to find a settlement of a tribe living in the middle of a district belonging to another tribe. The Ishogos had been driven by war from their own territory, and have thus intruded on unoccupied lands within the territory of their neighbours. The Ishogos of these Silk ots knew that I was to pass Beant the places. They had heard of the untold wealth I brought with me, and were annoyed when they perceived my intention to pass on without stopping. The villages are built in an open grassy space ; and as soon as the caravan came in sight the excitement was intense. Women, children, and armed men came around, shouting and entreating ; some running along the line of march, with goats in tow, offering them as presents if I would stay with them, even if it was only for a night. It is the ee Se Cuar. XIL ISHOGO VILLAGES. Ome custom in all these villages to offer a present of food to a stranger if the inhabitants wish him to stay with them; and the acceptance of the present by the stranger is a token of his intention to remain in the place for a time. They offered also ivory, and slaves, and the more I refused the offers, the more pertina- cious they became. Their sole wish, of course, in asking me to stay, was to get as much as they could of the coveted goods I brought with me. It was droll to see, when I stopped in my walk, how they fled in alarm to a distance, and then stood still to gaze at me. ‘Two of the chiefs followed us for miles, with their proffered present of a goat each trotting along by their sides. They finally gave in and went back, saying to Mayolo and Nechiengain that it was their fault that I did not stop. Our Apono companions mourned over the goats that I might have had: they thought only of their share of the meat, as the animals, when killed, would have been cut up and distributed amongst them. About mid-day we halted in a beautiful wooded hollow, through which ran a picturesque rivulet. There we stopped about an hour and breakfasted. The direct. easterly path from here led to a number of Apono villages; these we wished to avoid in order to escape a similar annoyance to that which we had undergone in the morning from the Ishogos, and so struck a little more southerly, or S.S.E. by compass. Our road lay for three hours over undulating prairie land, with occasional woods; one of the open spaces was a prairie called Matimbié irimba (the prairie of stones) stretching 8.H. and N.W. 244 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap, XII. At the §.E. end of the prairie we came to a village | called Dilolo. Our reception here was anything but friendly. We found the entrance to the one street of the village barricaded and guarded by all the fighting men, armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres. When within earshot, they vented bitter curses against Nchiengain for wanting to bring the Oguizi, who carries with him the ewva (plague), into their village, and prohibited us from entering if we did not want war. The war drums beat, and the men advanced and retired before us, spear in hand. We marched forward nevertheless, and the determined fellows then set fire to the grass of the open space leading to the village barricade. Wishing to avoid an encounter, and also the fire which was spread- ing at a great rate over the prairie, we turned by a path leading round the village; but when we had reached the rear of the place, we found a body of the villagers moving in the same direction, to stop our further progress. Most of them appeared half- intoxicated with palm wine, and I now felt that we were going to have a fight. Presently two poisoned arrows were shot at us, but they fell short. Nchien- gain then came up and walked between my men and the irritated warriors, begging me not to fire unless some of us were hit. The villagers, seeing that we made no display of force, became bolder, and one of them came right up and with his bow bent threat- ened to shoot Rapelina. My plucky lad faced the fellow boldly, and, showing him the muzzle of his gun, told him he would be a dead man if he did not instantly put down his bow. All my Commi boys Oar. XII. PLUCK OF MY COMMI BOYS. 245 came up, and ranging themselves on the flanks of our caravan with their guns pointed at the enemy, protected the train of porters as they filed past. I was glad to see also our Apono companions taking our part; they got enraged with the villagers, and some of them laid down their loads, and rushed to the front waving their swords. Strange to say, not one of the villagers came near me, or threatened me in any way. I watched the scene calmly, and surveyed the field where war might at any moment break out. Behind us the country was all in a blaze, for the fire had spread with great rapidity. The Apono porters being so resolutely on our side, I had no fear as to how the conflict would end. If we had been travelling alone, without guides and porters, we should have had a serious fight, and it is probable my journey would have come to a termination here in a similar way to that which afterwards happened in Ashango- land; but it is a point of honour with these primitive Africans that they are bound to defend the strangers whom they have undertaken to convey from one tribe to another. Had I not been deserted by my guides in the village where I was finally driven back, as will be hereafter narrated, I should have been enabled to continue my journey. We went on our way, Nehiengain shouting from the rear to the discomfited warriors that there would be a palaver to settle for this, when he came back. I was prouder then ever of my boys after this, and profited by the occasion to strengthen them in their determination to go forward. There was no going back after this, I told them; they all shouted, “We 246 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap. XII. must go forward; we are going to the white man’s country ; we are going to London!” We continued our march till half-past four p.m., when we encamped for the night in the middle of a wood, where there wasa cool spring of water, close to a cluster of Apono villages. It appeared that these people also dreaded our approach on account of the eva. In the evening we heard the cries of the people, the weeping of the women, and the beating of the war drums. The burthen of their lamentations was “OQ Nchiengain, why have you brought this curse upon us? We do not want the Oguizi, who brings . the plague with him. The Ishogo are all dead, the © Ashango have left; 1t is of no use your taking the » white man to them; go back, go back!” We slept with our loaded guns by our side; the war drums ceased beating about 10 o’clock. My men were tired and foot-sore, on account of the sharp stones and pebbles of the prairie paths. June 5th. At daylight this morning I got up and looked out over the broad prairie, quite expecting to see a war-party watching us through the long orass ; but to my agreeable surprise, I saw no signs of war. Shortly afterwards a deputation of three men came from the village to try to persuade Nchiengain not to pass through, on account of my bringing death wherever I went. But the trusty and sensible old chief, in a long speech, showed them that it was a foolish alarm about my bringing the eviva, and that the plague came quite independent of me, for it had passed through his village long before the Oguizi had come near it. The argument seemed to have a Cuap. XII. _ ASSEMBLY OF APONOS. 247 good effect; they retired, and shortly afterwards both Nechiengain and Mayolo were sent for to the village ; this was followed by a messenger arriving for me. When I came into the open space chosen for the meeting, at some distance from the village, I was not a little surprised to see about 200 of the villagers assembled, all gravely seated on the grass, in a group of a semi-circular form. As I advanced towards them, I was amused to see the front row getting uneasy and wriggling off into the rear, followed by the next row, and so on. They put me in mind of a flock of sheep or a herd of deer in a park, when confronted by a man walking slowly up to them. Nchiengain, who appeared to have great influence here, and to be acknowledged as a superior chief among the A ponos, succeeded at last in arresting their laughable rear movement. He then addressed me, saying that he had sent for me to tell me that the villagers wished me to leave the wood in which I was encamped, and to move to the top of a grassy hill a little further off. If I did that all the people would come and see me, and brmg me food, and on the following day would be willing that I should continue my journey. I declined this proposal, as the top of the hill was too much exposed to the heat of the sun, and I pre- ferred the cool shade of the wood. They finally let me have my own way, and my encampment for several hours afterwards was thronged with people. They all said that the report of my bringing the eviva had been spread abroad amongst the tribes for a long distance in the interior by the Ashira people. Late in the afternoon, three head men of neigh- 248 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Cuap. XII. bouring villages came to invite us to their respective villages. One of the elders was from a large place not far distant, called Mokaba, and Méyolo recom- mended me to go to this village in preference to the others, because its representative had offered us the greatest number of goats, namely, three. When I gave my decision, the other two chiefs were greatly annoyed, and we were very near having a serious row amongst them. Nchiengain was too far gone in intoxication, having had a drinking bout with the chiefs of the village where we now were, to accompany us. As we moved off, the two disap- pointed elders followed, and continued to pester us. One of them had the boldness to come up to me and. try to lead me off to his village; it was droll to witness his fright when I turned sharply on him: he stepped backwards trembling with fear, and waved his leather fan before him, crying, “Oh, don’t, Oguizi!” After a short march we entered the more friendly town of Mokaba, amidst the shouts of the whole population. I was alarmed at night in finding Mayolo very feverish and unwell. I had noticed the first symp- toms when at Mouendi. I am happy to say that my own men now enjoy much better health than they did at the commence- ment of our expedition; for, strange to say, these negroes cannot bear as much fatigue and hardship as I do, and generally after a long march or a hunt they fell ill. But I could never make them come and tell me as soon as they felt the first symptoms of being un- well, so, at fixed periods—once a fortnight, or once a month, according to the season—they were summoned 5 rs Pa, 2's Cuap. XII. THE “MEDICINE PARADE.” 249 to my “dispensary” to be dosed all round. I had fixed days for the different medicines: one day was castor-oil day, another was blue-pill or calomel day, a third was the “feast of Epsom salts.” They all had to come up in single file, and, one after the other, were ordered to swallow their dose. Now and then one or two of them tried to escape the medicine parade; and, when I called them up, each had some ready excuse for his non-attendance, but in vain. This was generally on castor-oil day, for they said that they did not mind the other medicines, but that this was “so bad;” and many were the wry faces that were made before the dose was swallowed by the entire company. However, I found that my plan had very good results, as my men had much better health than they had before I adopted it. 18 CHAPTER Aitis THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Mokaba—Curiosity of the People—Renewed illness of Méyolo—His return to Otando——Nchiengain’s Speech—The Apono agree to take me to the Ishogo country — Description of the Apono Tribe —Their sprightly character—Arts— Weapons — Population — Description of Mokaba— ~ —Palm wine—Drunkenness—Ocuya Performances—Leave Mokaba— River Dougoundo—Arrival at Igoumbié—Invitation from the elders of the village to remain there—Manners of the Ishogos—Description of Igoumbié—The Ishogo huts—Arrival at Yengué, in Ishogo-land. June 6th. Mokaba and most of the other villages of the Apono tribe aré situated in an open tract of undu- lating country, partly wooded and partly open prairie. The distance of the town from Mayolo is not more than twenty-seven miles in a direct line, and the altitude above the sea-level is scarcely so great as at that place, being only 414 feet, whilst Mayolo is 496 feet ; but Mokaba, as I afterwards found, was within a short distance of the Ngouyai, and lay in the valley of the river, whilst Mayolo lies on the lower slope of the mountain range which separates Otando from Ashira-land. Close to the village, on its eastern side, are some fine wooded hills, which give the place a very picturesque appearance when viewed from the western side. The successive mountain ranges to- wards the east are not visible from the Apono plain, although they formed grand objects from the Otando ’ + oo) . WES a) SI a > S MOKABA. APONO VILLAGE. o Ran rar “ag 1 Gah oe al Cuar. XI. CURIOSITY OF THE MOKABA PEOPLE. 251 country, rising in three terrace-like ridges one behind the other. On the other hand, looking towards the west, I could see the fine hilly range beyond Otando, stretching in a semi-circle to the Ashira Kamba ter- ritory, and joining, on the north, the range which trends eastward from that point towards the Ashango mountains. The curiosity of the Mokaba people is most trou- blesome, so that, although the villagers have been go much more friendly than those we passed yesterday, I have not been much more comfortable. The place swarms with people, and I have been haunted, at my encampment, by numbers of sight-seers. The way they come upon me is sometimes quite startling ; they sidle up behind trees, or crawl up amongst the long grass until they are near enough, and then, from be- hind the tree trunks, or above the herbage, a number of soot-black faces suddenly bob out, staring at me, with eyes and mouth wide open. The least thing I do, elicits shouts of wonder; but if I look directly at them they take to their legs and run ag if for their lives. | June Tth. I cannot describe how low-spirited I feel at the condition of poor Méyolo this morning. I fear his days are numbered. He has a burning fever, and was too ill to speak to me, or even to recognise me, when I entered his hut. The Otando men, who are with us, are to carry him back to his place this after- noon. I thought it, just possible that he might have been poisoned by some of these hostile villagers. But he is a hard drinker and has been intoxicated almost every day, so that this may have been the 252 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Cnuapr. XIII. cause of his illness. His people begin to recollect that he was first taken ill the day after he had a dis- pute with his children about beads; and if he dies there will be a frightful witchcraft palaver in Otando. I shall feel his loss greatly, for, besides being a staunch friend, he speaks the Commi language a little, which I understand better than I do any other of these African idioms. He has been therefore a good guide in every way. Fortunately our long stay at Olenda and Mayolo has enabled me to acquire the Ashira language to some extent. Before the Otando men departed, I went and bid good-bye to Mayolo, but he was too ill to recognise me. After his departure I entreated Nchiengain to — hurry me off as quick as he could. He said “ You are in as great a hurry as if you had killed somebody.” I gave to each of Mayolo’s men and to his wife a parting present, and my Commi boys gave them their old garments. The Mokaba people took alarm at night in seeing me look at the stars with my instruments; and the chief, accompanied by his people, came and told me they would build a shed for me at a distance from the houses, as they were afraid of the mysterious work I was doing. I firmly refused, saying that they had made me come to the house where I was staying, and that now I would not remove. | ne June 8th—9th, Still at Mokaba, waiting for port- ers. Messengers came on the 9th for Nchiengain to return to his village, as one of his men had died; they brought also the news that Mdyolo had been vomiting blood. This was most. distressing Cuar. XII. NCHIENGAIN’S SPEECH. 253 intelligence for me. If Mayolo dies I am afraid his death will be imputed to me. I made presents to the chiefs and elders of Mokaba, to keep them in good humour, and gave a gun to Nchiengain. It is settled that nineteen Apono porters are to accompany me to the Ishogo country with their chief Kombila.* Nehiengain returns to his own place. Before he left me we assembled all our new men, and he made a speech to them whilst I distributed the pay. He told them how Olenda had delivered me to Mayolo and Mayolo to him, and that now they must take me safe to the Ishogo people, who would pass me over to the Ashango, and so on. They were to see that I had plenty of goats and plan- tains, and then if their task was well done they _ would receive their reward as he and his people had done. | These speeches always have a good effect for the moment, the excitable negroes become enthusiastic about the journey, and promise even more than they are required to do. When Nehiengain was about to leave, he delivered up to me a plate and a kettle which he had borrowed of me when we first became acquainted, that he might show the people how great * As proper names may be of some utility in the study of the native languages, I subjoin the names of my porters :— Head man, Kombila. Second in command, Mbouka. Ipandi, Kassa, Boushoubou, Foubou, Mondjego, - Djembé, Batali, Mombon, Boulingué, Njomba, Badinga, Nchago, Mozamba, Miyendo, Moueti, Mousoumbi, Mafoumbi, Momelou. 254 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Cuap. XIII. a man he had become to possess such utensils. When he came to borrow them, he said, “ Nchiengain must eat off a plate, and must cook his food with the Oguizi’s kettle; so that the people may know that Nechiengain is his friend.” I had quite forgotten the loan, and felt pleased at this display of the old man’s honesty. He gave us all his blessing as he started, and shouted to me, “I have done all I can for you! I have. not slighted you! my good wishes go wit 3? you. | | As I am about to leave the Apono country, I must say here. a few words about this tribe of negroes. They are no doubt a branch of the great Ashira nation, like the Ashira Kamba, the Ashira Ngozai, and the Otando, all of whom, as well as the Aponos, speak the Ashira language. The Ashangos. also speak the Ashira language, although they are divided from the Aponos by the Ishogo, who speak an entirely different language. But the Aponos are distinguished from all the other branches of the Ashira nation by their sprightliness of character ; and they are clean and well-looking. Their villages are larger, better arranged, and prettier than those of the Otando and Ashira Ngozai. Each house is built separate from its neighbours, and they attend to cleanliness in their domestic arrangements. Their country is an undulating plain, varied with open grassy places covered with a pebbly soil, and rich and extensive patches of woodland well adapted for agriculture, in which they make their plantations. I cannot make an estimate of the total population Cuar. XIII. DESCRIPTION OF THE APONO TRIBE. 2909 of the tribe; their villages were numerous along our line of march from Mouendi, but we travelled pro- bably through the most thickly-peopled district. As I have already said, the Aponos, both men and women, are distinguished by their habit of taking out the two middle upper incisors and filing the rest, as well as the four lower, to a pot. The women have for ornament tattooed scars on their forehead ; very often these consist of nine rounded prominences similar in size to peas, and arranged in the form of a lozenge between their eye-brows, and they have similar raised marks on their cheeks and a few irregular marks on the chest and abdomen, varying in pattern in different individuals. They also rub themselves with red powder derived from the common bar-wood of trade. They dress their hair in many ways, but never form it into a high mass as the Ashira used formerly to do, as I have described in ‘Equatorial Africa.” .The Aponos.do not practise tattooing so much as the Apingi, who decorate their chests and abdomens with various kinds of raised patterns. I once asked an Apingi man why his people covered themselves with such ugly scars; he replied that they were the same as clothing to them. “ Why,” retorted he, “do you cover your- self with so many curious garments?” The Apingi seem to be a small tribe, and the territory they occupy is a narrow strip along the banks of the Ngouyai. They and the Ishogos speak the same language. The Aponos are a warlike people, and are rather looked up to with fear by the Apingi and the Ishogos, 256 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. (nap. XIII. whose villages are close to theirs. They are not such skilful workers in iron as the Fans, or as some other tribes further to the east. The iron-ore which they use is found plentifully in some parts of their prairies; — it occurs in lumps of various sizes, and is dug from the soil; the deeper they dig the larger and purer are the lumps. They melt it in little thick earthen- ware pots, holding about a pint each, and use, of course, charcoal in tempering the metal. Their anvils are large and well-made, but the construction of them is apparently beyond their ability, as all the anvils which I saw came from the Abombo and Njavi tribes, who live further towards the east. The Abombos and Njavis manufacture also a superior - kind of straight sword four feet long, the handle of which is made of wood and is in the shape of a dice- box, through the middle of which the handle-end of the sword passes. The bows of the Aponos are very different from those of the Fans, which I described and figured in ‘ Adventures in Equatorial Africa ;’ they are not nearly so powerful, but, at the same time, not so clumsy; they are of very tough wood, and bent nearly in a semi-circle, with the chord measuring about two feet, and the string of vegetable fibre. The arrow is rather heavy; the head is of tempered iron, triangular in shape, and prolonged in a tubular form for the insertion of the shaft; the shaft is not secured into the head, so that when the arrow enters into the body of a man or animal, the sharp trian- oular lance-head, coated with poison, remains in the wound, whilst the shaft drops out. The arrows are > Cuap. XIII. APONO WEAPONS. 257 kept in cylindrical quivers made of the bark of a tree, and not in bags. Their spears, also, are different from those of the Fatis, and are similar to those described by Burton, Grant, Speke, and other travellers, as used by the tribes of Kastern Equatorial Africa.* They are much heavier and clumsier than the spears of the Fans, and cannot, therefore, like them, be thrown to a distance. The head is lance-shaped, without barbs, and a foot in length. In fight they are used for thrusting, at close quarters. Swords are the most common weapons with these people; they might, however, be more properly termed sabres than swords, being’ curved, and having wooden handles. The metal of which the blades are made, although pretty well tempered, by means of the charcoal used, is full of flaws. Some of the people use round shields made of wicker-work. Hach of my Apono porters carried a sabre, besides his bow and quiver of arrows. The possession of a sword is a mark of manhood with these people, and all the young men think it honourable to obtain a sword before they acquire a wife. In fact, the chief things coveted by the young dandies of the tribe are a sword, a grass- web cap of the country, and a handsome dengut, or garment of striped grass-cloth. The red worsted caps which I carried, as ‘part of my stores, immediately drove their native caps out of fashion, and, indeed, created a perfect furore. It was a sure way of gain- ing the good will of an Apono man to present him with one of these. caps. * © Adventures in Equatorial Africa,’ p. 80. 258 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Caapr. XIII. Like the Ashiras, the Aponos are industrious weavers of grass-cloth, which forms the clothing of both sexes. The cloth is woven in small pieces with a fringe, called bongos, and is sometimes beautifully fine; when several bongos are sewn together, the garment is called a dengui; the women wear only two pieces, or bongos, one on each side, secured at the top over the hips, and meeting in front at the upper edge. It might be supposed, from the frequency with which I met with villages on. the march, that the Apono country was thickly inhabited, especially as the villages were large, a few of them containing about a thousand inhabitants. But it must be recol- lected that the high-roads, or pathways, along which we were obliged to march, were the roads leading from one village to another. I travelled, therefore, through the peopled part of the country. Away from these main pathways there were vast tracts of prairie and some wooded land remaining in their original desert condition. _ Upon the whole, I liked the Aponos, and got on very well whilst in their country. They showed themselves to be honest, and were faithful in carrying out the engagements they entered into with me, in spite of the numerous palavers we had. I lost none of my property by theft whilst I was amongst them. The village of Mokaba is large and weil-arranged ; its site, as I have before remarked, is picturesque, and, in short, it was the prettiest village I have ever seen in Africa. There are upwards of 130 houses or huts, which, as in other West-African villages, are so arranged as to form one main street. But, in Mokaba, Cap. XIII. VILLAGE OF MOKABA. 259 several houses are connected so as to form a square, with a common yard or garden in the middle, in which erow magnificent palm-trees. Behind the houses, too, are very frequently groups of plantain and lime- trees. The village being thus composed of a series of small quadrangles and back-gardens containing trees with beautiful foliage, the whole effect is very charming. In the rear of the houses, amidst the plantain-groves, they keep their goats, fowls, and pigs. This was the only village where I saw tame pigs. I was struck with the regularity of the main street ; but, besides this, there was another narrower street on each side of the village, lying between the backs of the houses and the plantain-groves, and kept very neat and closely-weeded. Hach house has in front a verandah, or little open space without wall, occupying half the length of the house; the other half, in equal portions on each side, forms apartments in which the owners sleep and keep their little property. When a man marries, he imme- diately builds a house for his new wife; and, as the family mecreases, other houses are built; the house of each wife being kept separate. The palm-trees in the quadrangles are the property of the chief man of each group of houses; and, being valuable property, pass on his death to his heir, the next brother or the nephew, as in other tribes. . Some of these palm-trees tower up to a height of 50 feet, and have a singular appearance in the palm-wine season from being hung, beneath the crown, with hollowed gourds receiving the precious liquor. 260 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Cuap. XIII. The large quantity of palm-trees in and around the village furnish the Aponos of Mokaba with a ready supply of their favourite drink, palm-wine; for, as I have said before, they are a merry people, and make a regular practice of getting drunk every day as long as the wine is obtainable. I often saw them climb the trees in early morning, and take deep draughts from the calabashes suspended there. Like most drunken people, they become quarrelsome ; and being a lively and excitable race, many frays occur. Happily the palm-wine season lasts only a few months in the year: it was the height of the drunken season when I was at Mokaba. I saw very few men who had not scars, or the marks of one or more wounds, received in their merry-making scrimmages. Their holidays are very frequent. Unlimited drinking is the chief amusement, together with dancing, tam-tam- ming, and wild uproar, which last all night. They are very fond of the ocuya performances. The ocuya is a man supporting a large framework resembling a giant, and whimsically dressed and ornamented, who walks and dances on stilts. In Mokaba, he appears in a white mask with thick open lips, dis- closing the rows of teeth mznus the middle incisors, according to the Apono fashion. ‘The long gar- ment reaches to the ground, covering the stilts. It struck me as a droll coincidence that his head-dress resembled exactly a lady’s bonnet, at least the re- semblance held good before chignons came into vogue; it was surmounted by feathers and made of the skin of a monkey. Behind, however, hung the Cuap, XIII. DEPARTURE FROM MOKABA. 261 monkey’s tail, which I cannot say has its parallel in HKuropean fashions, at least at present. June 10th. We left Mokaba at a quarter-past ten, a.m., having) been detained since sunrise by the Biota of the palm wine. Every one of my porters was more or less tipsy ; ; and after they had drunk all the wine there was in the village they had not had enough, but went into the woods to fetch down the calabashes that had been left on the palm-trees to eatch the liquor. About an hour before starting we had a heavy shower of rain, which lasted a few minutes. It was the first rain we had had since we leit Mayolo. Leaving Mokaba, we pursued a direction a little north of east. The ground soon began to rise, and we entered on a richly-wooded hilly country, in which were numerous plantations and villages ot slaves belonging to the head men of Mokaba, At a plantation called Njavi, my aneroids showed me that we were 200 feet above Mokaba. This place is called Njavi probably on account of the plantation being worked by slaves from the Njavi country. We halted here a short time, for some of the _ porters were not very strong on their legs. From Njavi I could see the mountains where the Kamba people live. They seemed, after leaving a gap, to unite with a range on this side. The gap was a continuation of the valley in which flows the Rembo Negouyai. At twenty minutes to two we came to the dry bed of a stream with a slaty bottom, which ran from N.E. to S.W. Shortly afterwards, we crossed 262 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Caap. XIIL another similar stream flowing over slaty rocks, called Dougoundo; this had running water. We halted on its banks for about twenty minutes, and during our rest, I found by observations that we had descended since leaving the Njavi plantation. The altitude of the plantation was 610 feet, the rivulet Dougoundo was only 473 feet above the sea-level. Near our halting-place were two Ishogo villages, but we did not go to them. We continued our journey to the south-east, and at halfpast three arrived at a large Ishogo village called Igoumbié. We did not intend to stay, and marched straight through; the people all hiding themselves in their huts, with the exception of a few men bolder than the rest, who stood staring at us, without uttering a word, as we marched along. When we had passed through the village, we stopped near the road or pathway on the other side, about fifty yards beyond. Then Kombila and some of our Apono men went back to the village, and spoke to the people. One of the elders of the place was a great friend of Kombila’s, and they all knew the Mokaba people. So one of the elders, named Boulingué, Kombila’s friend, came back with him to our encampment, and begged me to come and stay in the village, saying that they did not wish us to pass their place without their giving us something to eat. As we had no meat in store, and one of my Commi men wanted rest for his sore leg, lamed by a kettle having fallen on it, I accepted the invitation, and we passed the night at this place. I could not ascertain who was the chief of this Cuap, XIII. ARRIVAL AT IGOUMBIE. 263 village, if there was any. Since I have left Mouendi I cannot find out that there are any head men or chiefs in the villages, but there seemed to be a certain number of elders, who hold authority over their respective villages. Here three elders, beating the kendo, came and presented me, each one, with a goat and several bunches of plantains—prefacing their presents with three tremendously long speeches. At a glance I perceived that I was among quite a different people from those I had hitherto met with. The mode of dressing the hair, both with men and women; the shape of their houses, each with its door; the men smeared with red powder; all these points denoted a perfectly different people. I was glad to remain for a couple of nights at Igoumbié, for I wanted to take as many observations as I could. After I had distributed some beads among the women in the evening, a few became more friendly —especially as my Apono porters were never tired of praising me. They seemed also to be much pleased at seeing that, of the three goats which the people of their village had presented to me, I had given two to my porters. I was very much amused with these Ishogos, especially with the women. When they thought I was not looking at them, they would partially open the door of their hut and peep out at me. As soon as I looked at them, they immediately closed the door, as if greatly alarmed. When they had to go from one house to another, and had to pass the hut in which I was located, and at the door of which I 264 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Cuapr. XIIL was seated, they hurriedly crossed to the other side of the street, putting their hand up to the side of their face so that they might not see me—apparently with a view to avoid or avert the “evil eye.” My Aponos were very indignant at this, and said, with an air of evident superiority, and as though they had been with me all their lives, “ When have these men of the woods seen an Oguizi before ?” ‘Though I was very tired, yet I did not go to bed until I had taken several meridian altitudes of stars, in order to ascertain my latitude. The process caused the greatest astonishment to the natives. June 11th. Tgoumbié is the largest village I have. met with yet, and forms one long and tolerably broad street. I counted 191 huts; each hut has a wooden door, and is divided into three compartments or chambers. The houses are generally placed close to each other, not wide apart like the houses of the Aponos. There are many of the curious alumbi houses scattered about. A large mbuiti or idol house stands about halfway down the street, with a mon- strous wooden image inside, which the villagers hold in great reverence. The village being so large, the inhabitants seem to have thought it required several palaver-houses, for I noticed four or five. The. palaver-house is an open shed, which answers the purpose of a public-house, club-room, or town-hall, to these people; they meet there daily to smoke and gossip, hold public trials or palavers, and receive strangers. What was most remarkable, there was here an attempt at decorative work on the doors of many of the houses. The huts, neatly built, with walls formed ISHOGO HOUSES, WITH ORNAMENTED DOORS. Cuap. XIII. HUTS OF THE ISHOGOS. 265 of the bark of trees, had their doors painted red, white, and black, in complicated and sometimes not inelegant patterns. These doors were very inge- niously made; they turned upon pivots above and below, which worked in the frame instead of hinges. Each house is of an oblong shape, about twenty-two feet long by ten or twelve feet broad; the door being in the middle of the front, three and a half feet high and two and a half feet broad. The walls are four and a half feet high and the highest part of the roof is about nine feet. IT could not sleep last night on account of the noise made by these Ishogos. They sang their mbuiti songs until daylight, marching from one end of the village to the other. When at a distance their singing did not sound unpleasant, but when close by it was almost deafening. During the day I made friends with the Ishogos, and gave them sundry small presents. Many of the women came and gave me bunches of plantains, sugar cane, and ground- nuts, and seemed much pleased when I tasted them. In the evening the atmosphere was very clear, and Iwas glad to be able to take some more meridian altitudes and a good many lunar distances. By the time I had written down my journal, and recorded my astronomical observations, it was half- past two in the morning, and, after a hard day’s work, I was glad to get to bed, especially as we had to leave Igoumbié early the next morning. June 12th, We took leave of Igoumbié a little before eight a.m. The people seemed unwilling to let us go, and the elders begged us to stay another 19 266 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Cuap. XIII. day. At nine we passed over a high hill called Neoondja. A number of Apono people from a vil- lage a few miles off, mcluding four of their head men, accompanied us for some distance. Some tam- pering took place with my Apono porters, and I had ereat difficulty in preventing them from throwing down their loads and going back. It was an awk- ward position to be placed in ; but, by dint of coaxing and promising extra pay if they would accompany Kombila to the place to which he and they had agreed to take me, they resumed their loads, and we continued our oe We passed two Apono villages near opine and halted for breakfast by a small stream of water near the second one. We were soon surrounded by villagers bringing fowls and plantains. The noise and confusion were so great that I went away alone for a walk in the thick of the forest, leaving my men to bargain for fowls and eggs. All the villagers wanted to get some of my beads. We resumed our march at half-past twelve. Kom- bila annoyed me much by slinking behind, and getting drunk with another of my men, named Mbouka, an elder of Mokaba, who at the last moment said he would accompany us for a walk. Under one pretext or another they had remained behind; and as they had told the villagers to follow them “with the drink,” when they knew that I was far enough off, they took their libations. They both made their appearance after causing a long delay, and Mbouka had a calabash of palma wine in one of the country bags, which I detected, the bag being of a great size. Cap. XIII. DIFFICULTIES WITH PORTERS. 267 I was resolved to put a stop to this, so forced the man to give up his bag, and poured the wine out on the ground, to the great dismay of Kombila, and to the extreme indignation of Mbouka, who grieved that the earth should receive the wine that would have so rejoiced his stomach. He protested that I ought to pay him back the beads he had paid for the wine. This palm-wine drinking had been for some time a great annoyance to me. Our porters squandered their pay (which consisted chiefly of beads) in buying wine at the villages, and were thus spending all their money before we reached the journey’s end. I was glad that at Tgoumbié there were no palm-trees, so they could get no wine there : besides, the Ishogos of that place are far more sober than the Aponos. What with this, and other inter- ruptions and squabbles, and losing the path for some time, we made but little progress ae although we marched till dark.. June 13th. We left our encampment at half-past six a.m. The Apono porters threatened again to leave their loads unless I gave them an increase of pay ; but I was determined to resist this imposition, and de- clared I would shoot down the first man that mutinied. My Commi boys kept close watch over the rascals during our morning’s march. We travelled in an easterly direction. In the course of an hour we crossed the Bouloungou, a dry stream, similar to those we had crossed on the 10th; its bed was slaty, as was the hill down which it flowed. We have met with no quartz blocks or granite since leaving Mokaba. The paths along which we have 268 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Czap. XIII. marched have been covered with fragments of fer- ruginous sandstone, the corners and edges of which hurt the feet of my men very much. We passed over a hill of considerable elevation, but, my aneroids being packed away, I did not stop to unload and take the altitude. Hastward, it sloped down rapidly until we reached a fine valley, with miles of plantations of ground-nuts, Finally, we came to Yengué, an Ishogo village, almost as large as Izoumbié, situated on the banks of a river called Ogoulou, one of the affluents of the Ngouyai. Before entering the village, we stopped until all the porters were foliated together. Then Kombila and I took the lead, followed by my Commi men, after whom came the Apono porters. We marched ‘ through the street of the village—the villagers look- ing at us, open-mouthed—until we reached the large ouandja, which was almost at the farthest extremity of the village; Kombila all the time exclaiming to the Neate’ villas “Do not be afraid; we — come to see you as friends!” Kombila then went and spoke to some of the elders, who came to me, and presented fowls and plantains—the presence of my Apono guides, whom they knew to be on good terms with me, re-assured them : and, after a short delay, they allotted a house _ to me and my Commi boys; while my Aponos went to lodge with their friends. CHAPTER XIV. JOURNEY THROUGH ISHOGO-LAND. Village of the Obongos or Dwarf Negroes — Their Dwellings — Absence of the Inhabitants— The Elders and People of Yengué— Arrival of the Chief of Yengué— War Dance of the Aponos — Ceremony of the Mpaza —An uproarious Night— Good conduct of the Apono Porters — The ‘River Ogoulou — Geographical Position and Altitude of Yengué — Pass- age of the Ogoulou— March to the Plateau of Mokenga+ Eastern Limits of Ishogo-land— Quembila King of Mokenga— Palavers — Contention between Chiefs for the possession of the “ Ibamba ”—Panic in Mokenga — Re-adjustment of Baggage — Ishogo Porters. On our way to Yengué, in traversing one of the tracts of wild forest through which runs the high- way of the country, we came suddenly upon a clus- ter of most extraordinary diminutive huts, which I should have passed by, thinking them to be some kind of fetich-houses, if I had not been told that we might meet in this district with villages of a tribe of dwarf negroes, who are scattered about the Ishogo and Ashango countries and other parts further east. I had heard of these people durmg my former journey in the Apingi country, under the name of Ashoungas; they are called here, however, Obongos. From the loose and exaggerated descriptions I had heard on my former journey, I had given no credence to the report of the existence of these dwarf tribes, and had not thought the subject worthy of mention in my former narrative. The sight of these extra- 270 JOURNEY THROUGH ISHOGO-LAND. Cuap. XIV. ordinary dwellings filled me with curiosity, for it was really a village of this curious people. I rushed forward, hoping to find some at least of their tenants inside, but they had fled on our approach into the neighbouring jungle. The huts were of a low oval shape, like a gipsey tent; the highest part—that nearest the entrance—was about four feet from the ground ; the greatest breadth was about four feet also. On each side were three or four sticks for the man and woman to sleep upon. The huts were made of flexible branches of trees, arched over and fixed into the ground at each end, the longest branches — being in the middle, and the others successively shorter, the whole being covered with large leaves. When I entered the huts, I found in each the remains of a fire in the middle of the floor. It was a sore disappointment for me to miss this opportunity of seeing and examining these people. We scoured the neighbourhood for some distance, but could find no traces of them.