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ESON.
Mr. J. S. JAM
THE STORY OF
foe KEAK COLUMN
OF THE
EMIN PASHA
PELIER EXPEDITION
JAMES SY AMESON
NATURALIST TO THE EXPEDITION
EDITED BY
Mrs. JAMES S. JAMESON
ILLUSTRATED BY C. WHYMPER FROM THE AUTHOR’S ORIGINAL
SKETCHES
WITH NEW MAP AND FAC SIMILE LETTER FROM TIPPU TIB
NATURAL HISTORY APPENDIX:
BIRDS, BY R. R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.Z. S.
COLEOPTERA, BY H. W. BATES, F.R.S.
LEPIDOPTERA, RHOPALOCERA AanpD HETEROCERA
BY OSBERT SALVIN, F.R.S., F. DU CANE GODMAN, F.R.S,
H. DRUCE, F.L.S.
Authorized Edition
NEW YORK
UNITED STATES BOOK COMPANY
SUCCESSORS TO
JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY
150 WORTH ST., COR. MISSION PLACE
Cc"
PRINTING AND BOO!
: NEW Y
CONTENTS,
List oF ILLUSTRATIONS eRe icici: Gail Catvet taller to Montane ko
HMTLORSE OLR ihc hon Gn alae Uo hevert Soa Siar stele
PREFACE ee oe ee ee eo ee ee ee es ee
INTRODUCTION ee ee ees ee ee ee ee ee ee
CHAPTER I.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
Joming Stanley and Orficers of the Expedition.—Zanzibar.—
Tippu-Tib.—War between Soudanese and Zanzibaris, —
Stories about Tippu-Tib.—Cape Town.—Buying dogs.—
Stanley refuses carrier for Jameson’s collecting-things and
big rifle-——Banana Point
CHAPTER II.
DIARY.—JOURNEY UP THE CONGO.
1887.—March 19th to April 30th.
Boma.—Ango-Ango.— Mpalaballa Mission Station.—March to
Congo da Lemba.—Banza Manteka.—Day’s march resembling
slave-driving.—Kuilu River.—March to Vombo.—Stanley
doing rear-guard.—Barttelot sent on with Soudanese.—Sick
chief. — Lutété. — Kindness of the missionaries.—Stanley
settling a row.—Inkissi River.—Thief.—Stanley’s punish-
ment of chiefs.— Off to shoot hippo. — Difficulty about —
steamers.—Kinshassa.— Ward joins the Expedition
iV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
THE UPPER CONGO.
May \st to June 7th.
Start up the Upper Congo.—Scenery on the Pool.—Spiders’ webs.
—Mswata.—Bula Matadi.—Man proposes, and God disposes.
-—Bolobo.—Buffalo hunt.—Jameson is informed that he is
to be left at Yambuya.—Looting.—Lukulela.—Scenes with
PAGE
Stanley.—Equator Station.—Dine with Mr. Glave.— Uranga. .
—Bangala.—Houssas eaten by natives.—Fever.—Upoto.—
Stanley’s distrust of his oilicers’ V5.2 ss isle) eee
CHAPTER IV.
OCCUPATION OF YAMBUYA,
June 8th to July 31st.
Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—Pass burning villages.—Arrival at Aru-
wimi River.—Conical-shaped huts.—Occupation of Yambuya.
—Arrival of the Henry Reed.—Stanley’s letter of instruc-
tions.— Re-packing bales for Emin.—Barttelot made “ blood-
brother” with native chief.—Rations for six months.—
‘‘ Beggars must not be choosers.”—Stanley’s departure.—
Building boma.— Extraordinary flight of butterflies — Palaver
with natives.—‘“‘ Collecting” captives.— Natives capture Omari.
—Woman escapes.—Uselessness of chiefs—Gum-copal
CHAPTER V.
YAMBUYA CAMP.
July 27th to December 31st.
Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—No news of Tippu-Tib.—Promise to
protect natives.—Reported arrival of Tippu’s men.—Return
of deserter from Stanley’s party.—His statement.—Arrival
60
CONTENTS. Vv
PAGE
of the Stanley.—Raid on the natives by Tippu-Tib’s people.
—Final departure of the Stanley.—First visit of Tippu-Tib’s
Arabs to Yambuya Camp.—Bonny crosses river to native
village.—Abdullah punished for stealing an axe.—Jameson
and Ward start for Stanley Falls.—Natives offer to make
them princes.—Yalisula.—Arrival at the Falls.—Received
by Tippu-Tib.—He explains non-arrival of men.—Native
wrestling-match.—Jameson makes Tippu present of big rifle.
—Return to Yambuya.—Soudanese punished for theft.—
Selim bin Mahommed.—Arabs shoot down natives.—Dis-
appointing news from Tippu-Tib.—Rumours of Stanley’s
return.—Barttelot and Troup start for Falls—A man pos-
sessed by a devil.—Deserter’s story.—Bonny’s surgical skill.
—The Major returns.—Omaha.—Report of a white man
coming down river.—Fresh disappointment.—Jaundice.—
Arabs try to prevent trade with natives.—Burgari Mahom-
med steals meat from Ward’s house.—Living skeletons.— .
Three dreams.—Ungungu captured by Arabs.—Christmas
Day.—Fresh trouble between Arabs and natives SUG Aiea nS Ly
CHAPTER VI.
YAMBUYA CAMP.
1888.—January Ist to February 13th,
New Year’s Day.—Natives return with captured Arab.—Barttelot
and Jameson have palaver with natives.—Natives consult the
oracles and inspect white men.—More reports from Stanley’s
deserters.—Assad Farran sees a whale.—Visit from Arab
Venuses.—Sobarus Pogge: beetle.—Dead bodies floating down
river.—Wretched state of Zanzibaris in camp.—One fifth of
entire force lost.—Goliath beetle.—Conversation with Selim
Mahommed.—Probable dangers to Mr. Stanley’s force from
death and desertion.—Arabs attack natives.—Arabs fight
among themselves.—Natives steal canoes from -Arabs.—
Anniversary of Jameson’s wedding.—More raids on the
natives.—Burgari Mahommed at large.—Natives eat cap-
tured Arabs.—Burgari captured, and shot .. .. .. «. 177
vi CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII,
KASSONGO.
February 14th to April 26th.
Start with the Major for Stanley Falls.—Meet a number of men
from Kassongo.—Singatini.—Interview with Nzige.—No
news of Stanley.—Hunting for game in the jungle.—Letter
from Yambuya Camp.—Shock of earthquake.—Anxious
waiting.—Sketching regarded as sorcery by Mahommedans.
—Fever.—Letter from Troup.—Barttelot arranges to send
Jameson to Kassongo.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—Start for
Kassongo.— Yankéwé. — Wild-looking natives.— Wamanga
Rapids.—Meet men from Kassongo.—Kibongé.—Jameson
writes to Stanley.—Kapruta.—Assad Farran hunts for
onions. — Kasuku.— Kindness of Arab chief. — Poisoned
arrows.—Riba-Riba.—Shooting hippos.—Three great chiefs.
Tippu-Tib’s names.—Dangerous natives.—Head men fear a
night attack. Quanga.—Nyangwé.—Kindness of Arabs.—
Arrival at Kassongo.—Tippu-Tib.—Fertile country.—Salem
Masudi.— Tippu agrees to provide men.— Sketching.—
Jameson writes to Mr. Mackinnon.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson.
—Arab customs.—Conversation with ‘Tippu-Tib.—Muni
Ketomba. cjg (sks ilele arene Si one om eesuanie ten satuen. Damian
PAGE
CHAPTER VIII.
RETURN TO YAMBUYA.
April 27th to June 10th.
Start back for Yambuya.—Delay at starting-point on the river.—
Thirty-four of Tippu’s men run away.—Tippu and Cameron.
—Chiefs arrive to bid farewell to Tippu-Tib.—Mirésa.—
Tippu’s conversation in Swahili—Two canoes sunk.—A
narrow escape.—Assad Farran’s uselessness.—Riba-Riba.—
Wacusu dance.—Cannibals.—Conversation with Tippu.—
CONTENTS. vil
PAGE
Muni Somai.—Kibongé.—Chimpanzees.—Tippu’s account of
a journey with Stanley.—Stanley Falls.—Barttelot’s inter-
view with Tippu-Tib.—Start for Yambuya.—Troup sends in
application to be sent home.—Hard at work reducing loads,
—Caps turn out to be bad.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson .._ .. 277
CHAPTER IX.
THE LAST MARCH.
June 11th to August 8th.
Final start from Yambuya Camp.—Manyémas loot the Camp.—
Abdullah’s village.—Muni Somai has trouble with Manyémas.
Fourteen men desert.—Jameson returns to Yambuya in
search of missing loads.—-Selim Mahommed guarantees to
recover loads and rifles.—More desertions.—Small-pox.—
Muni Somai goes in search of deserters, and is fired at.—
Theft of beads.—Trouble with the Muniaparas.—A long day
of disaster.— Major Barttelot returns to Stanley Falls, leaving
Jameson in command.—Fresh trouble with Manyémas.—
Jameson arrives at Ujéle-—Takes over command from Bonny.
—Muni Somai utterly useless as a commander.—Mquan-
gandy.—Letters from Barttelot ordering whole force to pro-
ceed to Unaria.— War amongst head men.—A night fusillade.
— Bonny loses his way.—Muni Haméla hands over to
Jameson 40,000 Enfield caps.—News of Major Barttelot’s
death.—Arrival at Unaria.—Interview with three head
Manyémas.—Jameson offers reward for Sanga’s arrest.—
Jameson proceeds to Stanley Falls.—Finds the Manyémas
camped in forest.—Meets Muni Somai.—Nasoro Masudi
warns Jameson that Manyémas have threatened to shoot
him.—Arival at Stanley Falls.—Interview with Tippu.—
Muni Somai tried and convicted of desertion.—Letter to
Andrew Jameson.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson.— Rachid declines
to accompany Jameson.—Tippu volunteers to do so for
£20,000.—Trial and death of Sanga.—Jameson determines
to go to Bangala in order to obtain reply from Committee.—
Mr. Stanley’s letter toJameson .. .. «2 eo «of «+ 308
Vill CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X.
LAST SCENES,
August 9th to August 18th.
PAGE
Last Journey.—Mr. Ward’s diary—Death .. .. .. .. .«. 367
Apprnpices I.—XI. Reel hides i SORES hee) eee
Facsimile of Agreement written by Mr. Jameson forms
Appendix IX.
Facsimile of Tippu-Tib’s letter faces translation on page 391.
NATURAT-HIstTORY ‘APPENDIX 05 (cc) 00 Sea 0 a a ee
Expranation or Map or Upper Conco.. .. 1. .. .. 453-455
Map or River Conao, trom Stanley Falls to Kassongo (end of volume),
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Ae ie eae
PAGE
Portrait of the late Jamus S. JamEson sist plete orale Frontispiece
| White or Square-mouthed Rhinoceros (Hhinoceros simus) .. xi
Slave Girl | 9
Peter’s Fetish 10
Boma ne Tt
Ango-Ango .. .. 12
Mission Road near Moalahalle 14
Native Justice ee 22
Native Method of iisd-exteldne Bs 23
Ivory War Horn .. . 34
Diagram of Spiders’ Webs 36
Head of Native of Mswata .. a7
Kwamouth +U
Fisherman’s Hut .. Bel ar aye pliers ate mace 46
ECHL: 8 ARS SSM ea aE Ss 58
Shields ee cat ea Ie aaa sega) ee. OO
Memerer Or WOLO. 590 ae) eat es wee Sele fee ee ws 59
Re Se et te NS at foie h ioe) fee Co 3) os 60
Native Chief in top. tak. Coin eaven cersy shadee whore 62
Spears and Shield Le ease ate ENO RR EU ING 66
Tattooing .. SNE MORE mene 66
Entrenched ia Main ees os 69
mapas, irom the Camp .. 2.0 ss» 80
LL ieee nT Ren tral Vy ee aa Re 84
Water Pot, Sonebuya te 85
Mego lah 250. es ss 92
Wataku Box. : : 96
Yambuya. So irew ee deat river bao Hatronehod ca. 98
Plan of Entrenched Camp, Yambuya 101
Bell and Musical Instrument BOP MeN A ocd A gd 106
Matajabu i... Nee eh ota a elenyiciecel ites | 6s ot
Native Bee howls, LOA (SPUR Ome a Sa ea 112
Chief’s Grave, Yaweeko 6) ie ON rae SA ees gk ra a re Lt7
Stanley Falls 12]
x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
A Champion... ..
SID Catal es Ss
Elephant’s Head ..
Yambau
Selim bin Nehotmned
A Native of the Upper Gees
Sucking-Fish sete fe
Yambuya Palisade
Pattern on inside of Dish
Native Stool, Yambuya
Starving Zanzibari
War-Knife, Upoto ea
Native Method of adeaas 36
Mr. Jameson, drawn | H. Ward
My Home eS civke kee itiove Stun
Tattooing
Cowrie Head- fireke: a aieis
War-Knife from Lumami River ..
Wataku Pottery ..
Tattooing ‘
A Glimpse across rerett River
Small War-Knife .
Slave Girl :
My Friend “ Mined a
Ks Lea 4
“ Curry-Eyes ’ :
A Savage hae his ease
My Bow Paddle’ a5 ei) Sis
Wamanga Rapids aie
Kibongé sive ee
Native of Wamanea
‘‘ A long shove, and a strong shove, ail a she, goes”
‘¢ And down she comes with a run”
Knife from Kassongo
‘Lukutula”
Wagania Village, near assongs
Landing-place, Kassongo .. ..
Double Drum, and Striker ..
Waper Moneys eas sie) ere
KASEI O Ua Mic cl) haven iva eic Palen ty a
Road to Ujiji SOEs tech Se
Native of Unyanembi ... .. ,-
PAGE
125
127
133
134
136
140
143
155
159
160
165
166
176
10%
179
186
195
201
205
Z11
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. x]
PAGE
Drummer and Dancer of Quemba See ry chee Mim eM tee yaoi aide gus we FO)
Peeraral nes hatin Waewi este Wane ee ties veranda Wake sid) Capen: Otel huge code! EL
OU Woe er the lurian tetera acl ia ns ha thr bel abe a Sa age
Wagania Huts .. ices UEC Hea oaks Seed Inge al eR aK 6
“* Nothing like Independence” Rea bia ie erate ike Ni Peis! = ehh
Mittine \Womatmiim Market Ga este oceroce a es ae ce ee
Oneso tippu- Dib sun pedrers! 56°. Soe Pe eu BOT
Longa-Longa BO ere a rae Aad aM rent ie abies Male, Ue bo OO
ae Mulan Onna atbeper eon! We hee eat! Nard walewnt era) oy eels dco hy anes OO
Assimene .. Deane Car aserrc em RGN Un Tae camara. Og
Bunch of Pientaina Me Han GPR an) Vi erdake CCR. ois | OO
A New Way of i peaae Gactans seitiewee Oo a wa ey ergiad OOF
River Scene... .. Sahin ie eile pate mee rie OO
Major Barttelot seed on ae old Deum wee woul Wey ep aie: canees OOO
Perea Or MNO sOl MEARE Ay. ee eh ee ae bs ie) acer Oe
Native of Upper Congo ean cee Warne (Nari irene state nicl) kena. Sesee
A Canoe Journey... serie Aaa OE
The House in Sek ue ce ameson died at ene, Sea i mars 740)
The Last Journey Pee aii SRL Nea ieee aL.” BLO
ME PeGOOUU Cai Mee vtce teeth iene mane og) ana eee BD
Serre Pere einai d \eie cae! Bate yi lrmie Nee! Vee, Wat cage, ADO
WHITE oR SQUARE-MOUTHED RHINOCEROS,
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EDITOR’S NOTE.
Tues letters and diaries were not originally intended for pub-
lication ; but it has been thought that they may be read with
interest by many, and that, having regard to the accusations
recently made against the leaders of the Rear Column, it is
desirable that they should be published in what is practically
their original form, with only such alterations as their private
nature required.
_ In the preparation of this work, I have throughout had the
advantage of the constant advice and sympathetic help of my
brother-in-law, Mr. ANDREW JAMESON.
I have received much kindness from Mr. Herpert Warp,
who sealed and sent home those of Mr. Jameson’s diaries and
papers which he brought with him to the coast, and gave me
several interesting sketches of his own for insertion in this
volume. A still deeper debt of gratitude is due to him for the
tender solicitude with which he nursed my husband during
those last hours at Bangala.
I wish further to express my hearty thanks to several of my
husband’s friends who have rendered me valuable assistance
by preparing the scientific parts of this book, contained in the
Appendices.
To Mr. R. Bowpier Suarre, F.Z.S., I am indebted both
for a sketch of Mr. Jameson’s career as a naturalist, and for
his very valuable paper on the birds of the Aruwimi; and
X1V EDITOR'S NOTE.
to Messrs. H. W. Bares, F.R.S., Osspert Satvin, F.B.S.,
F. DuCanz Gopman, F.R.S., and Hersert Drvcz, F.Z.S., my
thanks are most deservedly due for the care they have bestowed
upon the Entomological portion of the Appendices. It is
a matter of deep regret that only a remnant of the collec-
tions made by Mr. Jameson on the Aruwimi ever reached my
hands.
The Rev. J. M. Ropwett has kindly rendered the translatiou
of the Arabic letter from Tippu-Tib, and the Rev. Canon J. J.
CarmicuaEL, LL.D., has merited my warmest thanks for his
valuable help. |
Finally, I would acknowledge the artistic skill with which
Mr. CHartes Wuymper has reproduced the spirit of my
husbaud’s sketches, and the attention and courtesy shown me
throughout by Mr. R. H. Porter in the publication of this
book.
ETHEL JAMESON.
December 12th, 1890.
PREFACE,
“LET THERE BE LIGHT.”
(Mr. Stanley's motto for ‘In Darkest Africa.)
“Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse, steals trash: ’tis something, nothing ;
*T was mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands ;
But he, that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.”
Never was the truth of these lines more vividly illustrated
than in the case of the writer of this Diary. The dream of his
early life was to add his name to the long roll of those who
have striven for some good and useful object. At length the
occasion offered itself, as he believed, in the Expedition in which
he lost his hfe; to join it he sacrificed his wealth, his home,
his family joys and comfort, to live “laborious days,” and find
some scope for the pent-up energies within him. He went to
his work with a strong zeal and lofty sense of right, did his
duty with unselfish heroism in the face of treacheries and
overwhelming difficulties, and died a martyr to the cause for
which he had so nobly laboured. What is his reward? He
is sought to be made the scapegoat of his Commander’s ill-
judgment and neglect! Charges of disobedience, disloyalty,
forgetfulness of promises, desertion, cruelty, cowardice, and
murder are brought against him, on the authority of discredited
liars, by a man who is driven to his wits’ end to sustain his
Xvi PREFACE.
reputation against serious imperative accusations. The charges
are brought against Jameson when he is in his grave, when the
common usage of humanity suggests silence, and when a man
of a noble and honourable cast of nature would altogether
prefer to lie under an unjust suspicion rather than asperse and
defame the voiceless dead. This, however, is not the course which
Mr. Stanley has followed. Lest any tinge of discredit should
rest on his own fame, he has striven to destroy that of others who
are powerless to reply. Upon his remarkable Expedition into
Central Africa there rests one dark blot—the disastrous fate of
his Rear-Guard, and Mr. Stanley is not a man to admit that he
can make mistakes: no blame of any sort can be allowed to sully
his record; if the Rear-Guard was wrecked, it was, of course,
because his skilful plans and careful orders were neglected and
disobeyed; no statement, however desperate and imaginary, will
be kept back if only it serve to sustain his egotistical demands
upon the credulous admiration of his readers; and so, apparently
unconscious of the possibility of contradiction, and fully con-
scious of the fact that the men whom he defames are dead, he
casts the whole weight of blame upon their helpless heads. The
first answer to Mr. Stanley’s charges comes from Captain Walter
Barttelot; and it is a crushing one. His reply to this is a
flood of malevolent gossip as wicked as it is unproven, in which
good care is taken to make the least serious charges against
the living, the gravest and most defamatory against the dead.
The amount of reliance that can be placed upon Mr. Stauley’s
accuracy is an easy question to determine. He suffers even
abnormally from that shortness of memory which is, according
to a well-known proverb, said to be characteristic of a certain
class of people. Thus, on November 8th, 1890, he denies
the truth of statements respecting the Rear-Guard made by
himself in a book published in the month of June of that
self-same year. In Volume I. of ‘In Darkest Africa,’ page
478, after giving a history of all the information he could
get from Mr. Bonny, he says, “I have never obtained further
light from Mr. Bonny, though at every leisure hour it was
a constant theme” (and indeed, from all accounts, it ap-
pears that Stanley spared no pains to get from him all he
A
PREFACE. XVli
knew). In the beginning of Vol. II. we find an account of
the examination of witnesses from amongst the survivors of
the Camp at Yambuya, and the conclusions arrived at are
plainly stated—the deaths at Yambuya were due to the
manner in which the men cooked their food, among the
members of the garrison there were many thieves, and punish-
ments were numerous, but were never inflicted except on those
who deserved them. All this appears in the month of June
1890. Then Captain Walter Barttelot’s book is published, and
Mr. Stanley must needs mend his hand, and so on the 8th of
November, 1890, he comes forth with fresh allegations against
his officers, and tells a tale quite different from that which he had
already published in ‘ In Darkest Africa.’ His first statement
about the November story casts the gravest doubt upon it, for he
says he heard it all at Yambuya in August 1888 (Banalya, a
place ninety miles from Yambuya, must be what is meant, as Mr.
Stanley never returned to Yambuya, but the mistake, whether
intentional or not, is very convenient for him, and, curious to
say, he has not yet corrected it). A considerable part of the
November story comes from the lips of Mr. Bonny, but if
Mr. Stanley heard it all in August 1888, how could he, although
omitting all mention of it in ‘ In Darkest Africa,’ write that he
had inserted therein all he had heard from Mr. Bonny 2 Was,
then, the statement published November 8th, 1890, that which
was told him by Bonny in August 1888, or was it not? If
it was, then the above statement by Mr. Stanley on the
subject, published in ‘In Darkest Africa,’ was not true; if
it was not the story told him in 1888, then Mr. Stanley’s
account of the real reasons which led him to condemn his
officers, given in the most public and final manner, is absolutely
false. On the second horn of this dilemma Mr. Stanley is
inexorably fixed, for Mr. Bonny, in his statement to the ¢ Times,’
declares that he told these things to Stanley for the first time
on Sunday, October 26th, 1890, and not at Banalya, on the
Congo, in August 1888. That is to say, the only justification
which Mr. Stanley, when put on his defence, produces for
the condemnation of his officers in 1888, is hearsay evidence
procured by him in 1890.
b
XVill PREFACE.
It is worth while to expatiate a little upon this bold attempt of
Mr. Stanley’s to mislead people into believing that the evidence
upon which he grounded his charge was obtained from a
general inquiry into the matter made by him upon the Congo
in 1888, and not upon the particular evidence of three witnesses
obtained in 1890. For instance, he talks on this wise when in-
troducing to public notice his charges of November 8th, 1890 :—~_
“The sentence of my report with which Mr. Barttelot finds
fault, and in which I censure the commander of the Rear
Column, was written in August 1888, two days after I had met
Mr. Bonny and the emaciated remnant of the Rear Column.
On learning then the details of what had transpired during my
absence, I wrote that the irresolution of the officers, the neglect
of their promises, and their indifference to the written orders I
gave them, had caused this woful collapse. You ask me to
justify that censure, It will probably be the best way, in order
to satisfy any legitimate interest in this question, to tell the
story as I heard it at Yambuya, because in that way the public
will better understand the shocking effect it had on me when,
hastening to their relief, I was met by the following reve-
lations*. And here comes the point. You will find in the log
of my book ‘In Darkest Africa,’ even in its abridged form, that
the men of the Rear Column came forward to present their
complaints; and much of the following information I obtained
from Mr. Bonny, the Zanzibaris, the Arabs, and the Man-
yéma.” Then follow the statements which Stanley says were
at that time made to him, the very first of them being the
poisoning story, with which Mr. Bonny’s most exciting state-
ment has since made us familiar. But alas! for the accu-
racy of Mr. Stanley, Bonny informs us that he told Stanley
that tale on Sunday, October 26th, 1890, two years and two
months after the date which Mr. Stanley fixes for its first
recital. The fact is that Stanley deliberately endeavours to
lead the public to believe that the evidence upon which he
bases his foulest charges against the officers of the Rear-Guard
was obtained by him in August 1888, when, beyond yea or nay,
* The italics are my own.—A. J.
PREFACE. x1x
he never got it till October 1890, so far as Bonny is concerned,
and Assad Farran only made his statement to him in Cairo in
March of the same year.
In respect of the cannibal story, a reader of Mr. Stanley’s
statement of November 8th, 1890, would conclude that at Yam-
buya in 1888, an eye-witness of the scene drew up a statement
in his own handwriting in the presence of witnesses; that
this statement was shown to Mr. Stanley there, and is the one
he publishes; that the evidence taken on the subject by the
Congo Free State authorities was also shown to him there,
and that these facts were the principal reasons for the letter
which he says he wrote to Jameson, but which has never
since been seen, or even heard of, until now mentioned by ©
Mr. Stanley himself. On the 10th November, 1890, however, he
publishes another statement, in which he tells us that Bonny
told him the story, that a Zanzibari who had been at Stanley
Falls corroborated it, and that he was told the Congo Free
State authorities intended arresting Jameson. Where has the
eye-witness gone to, and the evidence taken by the authorities
which he relied on before? The eye-witness in this second
statement is revealed in Assad Farran, and the evidence taken
before the authorities dwindles to the story told him about
their intentions. But how do the two statements look when
read together? Was not the first a plain attempt to make it
appear that evidence obtained at a subsequent date was tendered
to him at Yambuya, and does the second statement not show
that Stanley’s real ‘‘ witnesses ” were Bonny and Assad Farran ?
Dees not Stanley publish the story Assad Farran tells him in
1890, and Bonny vouch for the truth of it, only placing it all
in the mouth of Jameson himself?
It is absolutely necessary to nail Mr. Stanley to names and
dates. He wants the public now to believe, contra his own
already expressed statement, contra the inexorable logic of
proven facts, that he was acquainted in August 1888 with all the
charges of his outrageous indictment of November 8th, 1890,
and that he then obtained the proofs of them from various
witnesses among the survivors of the Rear-Guard, from Bonny,
Arabs, Zanzibaris, and Manyéma, and that, on the information
62
xx PREFACE,
obtained in those two days of inquiry, he wrote his condemnation
of his officers.
“T had a grandmother, she had a donkey,
And when that donkey looked her in the face,
His face was sad, and you are sad, my public.”
In the enthusiasm of an evanescent hero-worship the British
public sinks occasionally for a time below the level of its
average sagacity It gazes with a sweet confiding affection
upon the masculine idol of its temporary adoration ; but woe
to him who would presume upon the constancy of that love;
it is too fickle and fastidious to have time or temper for
lovers’ quarrels and their proverbial results. By an inevitable
reaction, it is certain soon to become as suspicious and exacting
as it was once full of loud and intolerant confidence; the more
so, if it comes to think that there is any attempt to trifle with
its amiable credulity. This is what Mr. Stanley will soon
begin to feel. The idea is already abroad that he is seeking to
delude the public judgment, especially in the way of insinuating
that he is embarrassed by the number of his witnesses, when,
in point of fact, he has produced but three—Bonny, Assad
Farran, and Saleh ben Osman, his own Zanzibari servant.
That it is perfectly possible for Mr. Stanley to produce many
more witnesses of the type of Saleh ben Osman no one can
doubt who is acquainted with the real nature of native evidence
of this description ; and if the Congo Free State authorities had
any wish to adopt his peculiar line of conduct, it is equally
certain the application of the “ questioning” system would be
attended with satisfactory results.
But in what a light does all this place the author of ‘In
Darkest Africa’! Is it the pure light which shines round a_
man striving to make the truth known? or is it the baneful
gleam of those darksome shades in which Mr. Stanley tells us
a vast crop of lying is germinated ?
He deals with his evidence like the Irish planners of an alibi,
He changes the date to suit the necessities of his case; with an
astounding unfairness, he condemns his officers first, and tries
them afterwards. Having failed in his efforts at the time and —
on the spot to obtain from Bonny and the coloured witnesses
PREFACE. xxi
sufficient condemnatory evidence against those whom he had
deserted and misled, he strove to work up a case against them
by straiming the obvious sense and purport of his orders; by
twisting and misrepresenting the writings of Barttelot and
Jameson, so as to condemn them, if possible, out of their own
mouths, then silenced for ever; and even by daring to break
open the seals upon Jameson’s private diary and papers.
Never, in the history of slander, were charges so inju-
rious as those levelled against the officers dependent upon
- more worthless testimony. It is incomprehensible how any
man, with the barest respect for his reputation, could make
use of such instruments as two of Mr. Stanley’s witnesses.
Assad Farran, the prime concocter of these shameless inven-
tions, is a man who (as he himself puts it) would, if he
were only questioned enough, “give all the information his
examiners wanted ;”’ a man who, when he was asked by the
Secretary of the Emin Pasha Relief Committee, Mr. Mac-
Dermott, why he had told stories about the officers which
he admitted were exaggerated and incorrect, replied “that he
thought Major Barttelot and Mr. Jameson had not treated him
well, that he had been sent away without clothes or food, and
his feeling was bad;” and then he added, “that when those to
whom he made his statement on the Congo kept questioning,
questioning, and would not let him alone, he had to say all
they wanted him to say.”
This is the man who, in March 1890, first told Mr. Stanley
some of the stories which that gentleman stated he heard on
the Congo in 1888. Nor is Saleh ben Osman, Mr. Stanley’s
Zanzibari servant, a more reliable witness than the pitifully
discredited Assad Farran. The statement of this worthy, who
does not pretend to be an eye-witness of anything, is translated
by Mr. Glave, and is a most extraordinary document, bearing
its own refutation on its face. At the best it is a mere ré-
chauffé of what he had heard concerning these events from
Zanzibaris, Arabs, Manyémas, and Soudanese, and if the in-
formation derived at first hand from such witnesses is unreli-
able, what does it become when filtered through the head of a
Zanzibari servant two years after he had heard the tales he
tells ?
XXll PREFACE.
No one knows better than Mr. Stanley the utter untrust-
worthiness of these Zanzibaris, and the ease with which they may
be made to say anything by “ questioning, questioning.” Even
his own character is not safe in their hands, for he is accused
by one of the tribe of ordering a live baby to be drowned in
the Congo (vide page 111 in Diary), and the Zanzibari who
made this statement had no apparent motive for telling a lie,
which can hardly be asserted about Mr. Stanley’s most useful
witness.
Mr. Stanley is certainly unfortunate in being placed in a
position where he must stake his credit on the veracity of such
men as these. He has only produced three witnesses at the
best: two of them have been proved unworthy of the slightest
belief, and the third, his piéce de résistance, Mr. Bonny, is far
from being as satisfactory as the cause of justice would require.
Bonny is an ex-sergeant of the Army Hospital Corps, and
was a paid servant of Mr. Stanley’s, who styles himself his
employer. Our trust in his accuracy of recollection and in-
telligent appreciation of facts is somewhat enfeebled, when we
remember that Mr. Stanley informs us how Bonny told him
that Barttelot, in view of his possible death, had left to him
(Bonny) the succession in command over Jameson, an absurd
misapprehension, to say the least of it, complicated moreover by
a most unpleasant controversy respecting the genuineness of
certain orders produced by Bonny, and the alleged suppression
of those he was bound to obey. ‘There seems to be a certain
amount of inaccuracy about Mr. Bonny. He is unable to adhere
to one story, even in the case of such an important incident as
that of Major Barttelot’s murder, and varies his description of
it, and the circumstances attending it, some three or four times
in most vital particulars. But all the same, we are requested
to believe that Mr. Bonny is a rare being, gifted with a sym-
pathetic attractiveness that draws towards him the inmost
confidences of all those with whom he comes in contact.
According to Mr. Stanley’s account, he must have been “ father-
confessor ”’ to all in the Camp, for to him, without any sigillum
confessionis, men appear to have confided the darkest records
and intentions of their lives.
PREFACE. XX1li
The terrible Barttelot reveals to him his intention to poison
Selim Mahommed ; tells him that he is getting his brother so to
take care of Troup that he will tell no tales at home; imparts
to him plots to start expeditions independent of Stanley, and at
last even begs of him a medical certificate and leave to retire
from the Expedition !
No conditions of existence such as those which apply to
ordinary human beings seem able to make such things credible ;
and if reliance is to be placed on this part of Stanley’s case, it
can only be justified by a belief in some intense magnetic or
hypnotic influence exercised by Bonny on those around him.
With all the elaboration, care, and publicity which Mr. Stanley
has given to the evidence of these three witnesses, he has failed
to produce a statement from their mouths which justifies his
charge that “ the Rear Column was wrecked by the irresolution,
the neglect of promises, and the indifference to written orders
of the officers he left m command of it,” and he has not
lightened in the slightest degree the load of blame under which
he himself at present lies.
One turns, as in search of a great relief, from this story
of self-seeking, unfairness, and deception, to the record of -
a uoble and unselfish life. It must indeed be a strongly
prejudiced mind that can read this Diary without being
impressed by the sense of the immediate presence of a
gentle, loving, and sympathetic nature, keen and true of
observation, quick-willed and suggestive, with a pleasant
humour and a gallant heart. A man’s diary is a self-revela-
tion. His true personality is as certain to present itself
continually as the refrain in a theme of music. No man lies
to himself, when night after night, as his work is done, he
sits down to write out the story of his life from day to day;
and the life which Jameson reveals to us in his Diary is one
whose keynote is duty, kindliness, and hard work. ‘“ Little did
I think,” he writes to Mrs. Jameson a fortnight before his
death, “when I spoke to you of my feelings of duty, that |
should ever be placed in such a position as I now am, in which
all that I feel for you and for our little ones cries out against
XX1V PREFACE.
what I must do as an officer of this Expedition. With one
word or even a show of weakness on my part, I could stop the
whole Expedition, which seems fated to meet with nothing but
reverses, and return to you. But God knows such a thought
never entered my heart, although I could easily defend such
an action on my part. The first thing that flashed across my
brain on finding myself so placed was your father’s favourite
text, ‘ Know, O man, that to know and love justice and do the
thing that is right, that shall bring a man peace at the last ;’
and you will see what a help every word in that verse has been
to me now.”
On the same day he writes to his brother, “ Whatever
happens to me, old man, I tried to do my duty to this blessed
Expedition ; and many a time, when I have thought of Ethel
and home, I would have liked to chuck the whole thing up
when there were plenty of officers to take my place.” A brave
resolve to go through with what he had undertaken sustained
him to the last in the face of dreadful odds. The neglect and
unfairness of the Commander of the Expedition—who, as he
says, “it is evident takes the word of the Zanzibaris before
that of the white men,’’—the cruelty, dishonesty, treachery, and
. falsehood of the Arabs with whom he had to deal, the miserable
conditions of existence growing worse from day to day, the
hope deferred, the bitter consciousness that the slanderer was
at work to defame his honour,—however these irons cut into his
soul, they dimmed not that gallant sense of duty, which most
touchingly displayed itself as a ruling passion, strong in death,
when, as he breathed his last, with husky voice he answered to
the faintly-heard roll of the drums, “ They are coming ; they
are coming. Let us stand together.”
Numerous and suggestive also are the indications of his
kindliness of heart in his anxieties about the sick people in the
Camp—African and English, and the grief he so evidently feels
at being utterly unable to give them the help they so sorely
need. His pity for the natives, too, and the efforts that both
he and Barttelot made to save them from the Arabs; the
regret he expresses at the inevitable punishments and floggings,
all indicate a kind, helpful, and unselfish nature. “ Poor
PREFACE. XXV
old Derrier Moussa, a Somali,” he writes, “ who has been our
cook for the greater part of our journey, died to-day. He
has been ill for a long time. It is horrible to watch these men
slowly dying before your face, and not be able to do anything
for them.” “Poor Alexander, one of the Soudanese inter-
preters, died to-day ; he has been ill for a long time.” “It is
a sad, sad sight to see men dying round you every day, and not
be able to put out a hand to save them. Without a single
fight we have lost close upon seventy men out of our small
force, and there are many more who, I am sorry to say, will
never leave that Camp. And now good night and good-bye.
Kiss the little ones for me, and may God have you all in his
safe keeping.”
As to the flogging, he writes—‘‘ Two sentries, who deserted
their post last night, were flogged this morning. It is sickening,
this continual flogging, but there is no help for it;” and
again—‘‘ Went the rounds last night. No sentries asleep, so
no flogging this morning, thank goodness.”
The Diary abounds with indications of a vigorous, capable,
and unflinching personality. His determination and skill in
working with and managing the Arabs, particularly displayed
in his politic negotiations with Tippu-Tib, by which at last he
obtained the carriers he required—his interview with Muni
Katomba at Kassongo—his ungrudging labours at Yambuya
before the last start from that home of misery—his unmur-
muring endurance of toil and hunger in the march through the
forest to Banalya—his fearless return march to Stanley Falls
in the face of great dangers—his untiring efforts to secure
another Arab commander to come with him—his splendid offer
to pledge his fortune for the sake of the Expedition—his
unflinching refusal to depart from the route which Stanley
had ordered him to follow—his declaration that Barttelot,
when he was murdered, was carrying out Stanley’s orders, and
that he meant to do the same—all of which acts show how he
rose to the occasion of a great crisis: these are the doings of a
competent and sagacious man, worthy of the part to which he
had been appointed and of the praise of which his Commander
has most selfishly and ungenerously sought to rob him.
XXVl PREFACE.
Amidst all the toils and changes of camp-life Jameson found
time to gratify his love of natural history and to employ his
valuable powers of observation. Unhappily, a large part of
his valuable collection was lost when the camp he had just
marched from was looted by the Arabs, in whose charge it was
left.
There is no doubt that, if he had been possessed of more
opportunity and had his life been spared, he would have con-
tributed largely to the scientific results of the Expedition.
All noble lives are instinct with a purpose. They read the
secret of their destiny, and find no rest until they work it out,
wherever it may lead. Results they fear not, although it be
their fate, as that of many gone before, to “perish in the
wilderness.”
ANDREW JAMESON.
D:blin, December 1Uth, 1890.
INTRODUCTION.
James Sutico JameEson was born on the 17th of August, 1856,
at the Walk House, Alloa, Clackmannanshire. His father,
Andrew Jameson, was a son of John Jameson, of Dublin. He
held agencies for some estates in Scotland, and was a man of
great cultivation and refinement, possessed of both literary
and scientific tastes. His wife, Margaret, daughter of James
Cochrane, of Glen Lodge, Sligo, died a few days after the
birth of their third son, James.
At a very early age the tastes of the child foretokened those
which were to form the ruling interest of his after-life, viz.
those for travel and natural history in all its branches. When
quite a small boy, between four and five years old, his grand-
mother once found him, at a late hour of the night, poring
over a map, which, strangely enough, was the map of Africa.
She asked him why. he had not gone to bed, as it was some
hours past his usual time. “Oh, grandmamma!” he said, “I
want to learn all about these strange countries, for I mean to
be a big traveller some day.” —
In 1867 Jameson was sent to Dreghorn, a boarding-school
near Edinburgh, under Mr. Dalgleish, of which, in after-life,
he always spoke as “ an ideal school for boys.”
Dreghorn lies at the foot of the Pentland hills, surrounded
by woods. Through the beautiful park flows a stream which
then held many a trout; and here it was that Jameson first
developed those instinctive tastes for natural history, love
for all animals, and keen interest in their habits, which
formed such a marked trait in his character, even in childhood.
Many are the treasures which even in those early days were
XXV1il INTRODUCTION.
accumulated, and which formed the nucleus of his later valuable
collection. ;
Speaking of his childhood, his aunt, Mrs. Burd, writes :—
‘He knew every bird and live thing in the neighbourhood and
their habits; and his joy and pride when he found a Roseate
Tern is a thing not to be forgotten. Ido not think he knew
what the word fear meant.”
He had long been anxious to procure some young Choughs
which had built their nest high up on the cliffs at the back of
Glen Lodge. At last he devised a plan by laying three ladders
together, and, at the risk of his neck, succeeded in reaching
the nest and bringing down four little ones. He took the
greatest trouble in preparing their food, making it as like what
he thought their mother would give them as possible, and even
feeding them with a match which he shaped like her bill. He
kept them in his own room, so that he might hear them the
moment they cried for food, which was usually about five in the
morning, and he refused to go on a shooting expedition to which
he had long looked forward, until one of his cousins promised
faithfully to take charge of and feed them at the same early hour.
He kept them for about three weeks, putting them, in the day-
time, in a pheasant-box on the lawn. But, alas! on the very
night of his return from his shooting, a Bedlington named
“ Peachem” got at the box and killed them all! The boy was
dreadfully grieved, and retired to his own room for some time.
When asked by his uncle whether he had “given Peachem a
good licking,” he rephed, “‘No; why should I hurt the poor
brute and make him miserable as well as myself? It’s only
his nature, and he knew no better.”
Small traits of this kind were an early indication. of the kind
and gentle nature which, in later life, so fascinated all who
knew him.
Upon quitting Dreghorn, he went to the Internationa)
College at Isleworth, until, in 1873, he began reading for the
army. This, however, he abandoned in 1877, when he started
on the first of his travels to Ceylon, Calcutta, Singapore, and
Borneo. From Borneo he returned with a fine collection of ©
birds, butterflies, and beetles.
)
7
INTRODUCTION. XX1x
At the close of 1878 he went out again,—this time to South
Africa,—in search of big game.
After a few weeks’ hunting on the borders of the Kalahari
Desert, where he obtained excellent sport in the veldt belonging
to the chief Montsioa, he returned to Potchefstroom, to com-
mence preparations for a more extensive trip into the Zambesi
District. The town was at this time in a general state of
excitement, owing to the presence of some 700 disaffected
Boers, who, fully armed, were camped just outside the town,
blocking the road to Pretoria, and stopping all the mails.
Their latest act of audacity had been to seize and detain a
special despatch sent by Colonel Tucker, of the 80th Regt.,
then quartered in the town, to Sir Garnet Wolseley. Upon
hearing of this, Jameson at once offered to ride to Pretoria
with a second despatch. His offer was accepted, and he started
- that night bearing the important document, with power to shoot
anyone who might attempt to detain him. The next morning
he encountered a party of about sixty Boers, who stopped and
closely questioned him. MHaving allayed their suspicions,
Jameson rode on, making no pause and taking no rest until
he reached Pretoria, and safely delivered the despatch to Sir
Garnet Wolseley.
Having completed his outfit, he now started for the interior,
leaving Zeerust as the last civilized town on his route. From
here he trekked along the Great Marico River, where he had
excellent fishing, up to the Crocodile or Limpopo River,
meeting with large game in great abundance. At Shoshong
he was jomed by Mr. H. Collison, who had been hunting in
Africa for four years; and at this place he also heard from
Mr. F. C. Selous, the well-known African hunter, who pro-
mised to join the party at Gubuluwayo. Pushing on, therefore,
through the “Great Thirst-Land,” Jameson arrived at Um-
ganin, where he made acquaintance with Lo Bengula, King of
the Matabeles, who received the travellers with great cordiality,
granting them willing permission to hunt in his country. His
friendly behaviour towards Jameson was on this, as on all
subsequent occasions, unvarying.
Mr. Selous having joined them, they now took leave of the
Xxx INTRODUCTION.
King, who sent with them an induna to guard their waggons
and property ; and the party proceeded into Mashona Land,
where they obtained splendid shooting.
In July, Selous and Jameson started for six weeks’ hunting
in the Fly Country, and were able to demonstrate the junction
of the two rivers, the Umvuli and the Umnyati*.
In connexion with this shooting-expedition of 1879, the
following letter trom J. M. Sadleir, Esq., will not be without
interest to the reader :—
Kaston Neston, Towcester,
7 November 29, 1890.
My pEAR JAMESON,
.... I must say I can never forget your brother’s
kindness to me in Africa. I send you the particulars.
In the month of April, 1879, I was travelling from Durban,
Natal, up country. I was taken ill with dysentery at Colenzo.
When I had been bad for a fortnight, and was lying in a shed
attached to the hotel, your brother, who was trekking to the
Zambesi, found me. He at once went back to his camp and
brought Dr. Sketchly, one of his party, who attended to me
for some days, till I could be moved. Jameson then had a
hammock slung for me in one of his waggons, and took me up
country with him, till I was strong enough to go back to
Durban. To his treatment and care alone I believe I owe my
life.
Very sincerely yours,
J. M. Sapieir.
Andrew Jameson, Esq.
In the spring of 1881, Jameson returned to England,
bringing with him a fine collection of large heads, as well as
birds, butterflies, beetles, flowers, and grasses.
In the following year he went out to the Rocky Mountains
with his brother, Mr. John A. Jameson. In the Crazy
Mountains, and near the upper waters of the Musselshell in
Eastern Montana, they shot several hear, wapiti, buffalo, deer,
and antelope.
* See ‘Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society,’ June 1881
F. C. Selous.
INTRODUCTION. XXX
In 1883 they went through the Crow Reservation, Montana
Territory, on to the North Fork of the Stinking Water, in |
search of sheep, of which they obtained thirty-six, besides
several buffalo, bears, wapiti, &c.
In 1884 Jameson travelled through Spain and Algeria; and
upon his return in 1885 he married Ethel, daughter of the late
Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand, R.E., K.C.S.I., C.B.
Two years Jater,in January 1887, the attention and sym-
pathy of all England were attracted to the Expedition for the
relief of Emin Pasha—Gordon’s worthy lieutenant and friend—
which was on the eve of departure for Africa, under the com-
mand of Mr. H. M. Stanley. The scheme was one which
could not fail to appeal most strongly to Jameson’s chivalrous
nature; moreover, it promised almost boundless scope for the
exercise of his special talent for natural history research. He
at once volunteered his services to Mr. Stanley, who readily
accepted them.
The following words are taken from a letter written on
January 22, 1887, by him to Lady Durand :—
«. ... Why all'the ambitions of my lifetime should have
been concentrated at this time, with a seemingly prosperous
issue, I know not; but I assure you that I did not accept
the position without weighing well all there was for and
against it. Ever since my childhood I have dreamt of doing
some good in this world, and making a name which was more
than an idle one. My life has been a more or less selfish
one, and now springs up the opportunity of wiping off a little
of the long score standing against me. Do not blame me too
much. .. . I must thank you for your generous kind-hearted
misnes: 6 17” )
A sadder tale than that contained in these diaries has seldom
been told; for, strive as he would to lighten its hopeless
misery, even Jameson’s bright and dauntless spirit was weighed
down by the wretchedness of the position in which he was
placed; and, had it not been for the sincere friendship which
arose between Edmund Musgrave Barttelot and himself, the
tale would have b:en sadder still.
XXXll INTRODUCTION.
The letters and diaries graphically describe his share in the
Expedition, speaking more powerfully than any panegyric could
do for the single-hearted, loyal, and courageous spirit in which
he met all difficulties and bore every hardship and bitter dis-
appointment, as he saw his dearest hopes, one after the other,
shattered by the exigencies of a position in which the revolting
duties of a slave-driver were forced upon him; whilst every
opportunity for scientific work was ruthlessly withdrawn.
a Aa a OR A SiC Sle ON | Se i See ce i Saleen
We only add a few words, written by one who knew and
appreciated him :— |
“ His character was one which it was impossible to know
without loving—unselfish and generous, pure-hearted and
brave ; a rare combination of manly strength and courage with
the most tender sweetness and gentleness of spirit. Seldom, if
ever, has such an instance been known to me of utter forget-
fulness of self and thoughtfulness for others, at all times and
under all circumstances.”
CHAPTER I.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
Joining Stanley and Officers of the Expedition.—Zanzibar.—Tippu-Tib.—
War between Soudanese and Zanzibaris.—Stories about Tippu-Tib.—
Cape Town.—Buying dogs.—Stanley refuses carrier for Jameson's
collecting-things and big rifle—Banana Point.
Untin the start up the Congo, on March 19th, 1887,
Jameson kept no regular diary. ‘The following extracts
are taken from letters to his wife :—
SS. Peshawur. Red Sea.
February 1887.—. . . | met Stanley at Suez, with the
black troops, awaiting the Navarino, which had not
yet come through the Canal. He advised me to go on
to Aden, where I should meet Major Barttelot, who is
one of the staff. We have got Dr. Parke as doctor to
the Expedition, who went through the Soudanese War
and behaved splendidly... .
S.S. Oriental. Aden.
February 10th—... I have met Barttelot, and
like him very much indeed. He is to have command
of the black troops, as he speaks their language and
has seen a good deal of them in Egypt. We are
going to have a charming night of it. Another British-
India boat has just arrived, and they will be all night
transhipping their cargo on to our steamer. ‘lo-morrow
B
1887.
February.
Red Sea.
1887.
Feb. 10.
Aden.
2 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
we go into the outer harbour to await the arrival
of the Navarino. . ..I have just tried to spear an
enormous cockroach with my pen, but he escaped me!
February 12th—The Navarino has turned up at last,
and we start some time to-day. Stanley and the whole
party are here.
February 17th—Jephson is in my cabin; he is a
volunteer, having joined the Expedition on the same.
terms as myself. Stairs has been teaching us mapping,
and we all get on, so far, capitally together, and I think
we are likely to go on well, as each man will have his
own particular duties to attend to.... The trying part
of this Expedition will be the want of news from home.
However, 1 am sure to get letters from you on our
arrival at the Congo.
S.S. Madura. Zanzibar.
February 23rd.—... At last we are on board the
steamer which is to take us to the Congo. At Lamu I
landed with Dr. Parke at daybreak, and we spent a few
hours in quest of game, succeeding, after long waiking
under a hot sun, in shooting three birds—a species of
partridge. We saw a good many gazelle, but did not
get any 1 made a sketch of the village. Next day we
stopped at Mombasa, but I had no time to go on shore.
Yesterday we arrived here; and I must say I was
agreeably surprised with the whole place—town, har-
bour, and people. The streets are only about five feet
wide; but the windows and doors are all carved in dif-
ferent designs, and the effect of the black carved wood
against the pure white building is very picturesque. I
wish I had time to etch some of them, or even to
make rough sketches. ‘This morning we got up at
5 aM. and went on shore to the powder-magazine,
where we remained at work until 6.50 Pm. I don’t
think I ever put in a harder twelve hours’ work; but it.
does one good. We packed 4,500 lbs. of powder in
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. 3
special cases which came out from home, besides a
lot of work with caps. To-morrow evening we are
all dining at the British Consulate, and next morning
(thank goodness!) we sail for the Congo. We have
sixty-one donkeys on board, and the braying that they
keep up at night is dreadful. One starts it, and the
others prolong the chorus in different keys ad infinitum.
To-morrow morning 600 Zanzibaris are coming on board ;
then we get at least 600 more at the Congo, which,
with the Soudanese troops, will make a good lot of men.
Goodness knows how we are going to feed them all,
for they seem a hungry set! ...
february 25th—I am not going to keep a diary
until I start up the Congo, that all the time that I
can give to writing may be given to you. So [I shall
write every day, and send it all from the Cape when
we call there.... At Lamu, of which I spoke in my
last letter, there are the remains of a great battle, the
whole shore being covered with bones and skulls.
Some of our party gathered very good specimens. I
believe the fight was one between the Arabs and the
natives. Mombasa—a quaint old town, full of old
Portuguese ruins—possesses a pretty and almost land-
locked harbour. Off the Island of Pemba we fished
with land-lines over the stern of the steamer, and
caught a number of fish, small, but of the most beau-
tiful colours—some bright red, others barred with blue,
silver, and brown—a kind of bream or sea-perch, I
think....The Sultan’s Palace at Zanzibar is a won-
derful structure, quite square, with an enormous cor-
rugated iron roof, about four stories high—quite the
ugliest building I have ever seen, looking very lke
an immense doll’s house. Imagine my surprise when
I heard that the famous Tippu-Tib was coming
with us round to the Congo and on to Emin Bey.
Six hundred of his fighting men are to meet us at
Stanley Falls. After dinner, at the Consulate, we
were all introduced to Tippu-Tib, who is a fine old
Arab, very lively, and a thorough old gentleman.
B2
1887.
Feb. 23.
Zanzibar.
1887.
Feb, 25.
Zanzibar.
4 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
We started to-day at daybreak. Tippu-Tib has about
20 wives on board, and, including wives, 90 followers
altogether. ‘They have all been more or less sea-sick,
with the exception of his interpreter. It was most
amusing to see old Tippu led off by the interpreter
and taken below, trying to walk straight, and make
jokes—his man in fits of laughter. War broke out
this morning between the Soudanese and the Zan-
zibaris. It was not until some damage had been done
to both sides that order was restored. I was standing
by the main hatch with Mr. Stanley, when his servant
ran up to him, and said the niggers in the fore-
hold were killing one another. Mr. Stanley, Nelson,
Jephson and I ran forward, and the sight that met
our eyes was exactly like an “ Inferno ” by Gustave Dore.
They all had great clubs, and were fighting like
demons. We went down and drove the Zanzibaris
into one place and the Soudanese into another; but
it took some time to disarm them and get them to
cool down. I took an iron bar from a man who had
broken one man’s arm, and the finger of another.
These, and a large number of broken heads, con-
stituted the results of the fight. All has been quiet
since.
February 26th—Busy all day, making vocabulary
of Swahili language, which the Zanzibaris and Somalis
all speak. The Somalis are twelve picked men, pro-
cured at Aden; they are to be armed with Winchester
rifles, for Stanley’s special guard—splendid fellows, and
they all speak English. In the afternoon I had to find
out, and write down, the names of the 117 men who
have been placed under my charge. I have one
splendid boy amongst them, who is my interpreter,
and whom I am going to teach to skin birds ; he is one
of the most intelligent little chaps I have ever seen.
To-day some of those troublesome Soudanese soldiers
attempted to take liberties with some of Tippu-Tib’s
Wives; in consequence there has been a row, and a
special sentry placed over their apartments.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. 8
After dinner Mr. Stanley told us a few stories about
Tippu-Tib. It seems that at one time he borrowed
about £4,000 from the Rothschild of Zanzibar, and
started into the interior with a good many followers
to trade for ivory. After some time he came to a very
large native town, enclosed within double palisades.
The town was so large that, if a gun was fired off at
any point in the outer circle, it could not be heard at
an opposite point in the same circle. The king kept
all his ivory and wives within the inner palisade, and
there were 10,000 warriors guarding him in the outer
circle. After keeping Tippu for a long time in his
town, the king gave an order that, should any of his
men catch Tippu alone outside, they should kill him.
One day he left the town by himself, and on his way
back he met two of the king’s men, who began to shoot
at him with bows and arrows. He ran for the gate of
the town, but just as he reached it an arrow struck him
im the leg and brought him down; he got up again
and running towards his own camp, he shouted out to
his people to bring him his gun. He was again struck
and knocked down, but his wife managed to give him
his gun, with which he shot both of the king’s men.
The shots roused the king’s warriors, and brought all
Tippu’s men running into his camp. ‘They first shot
down a number of the natives, and when about one
hundred of them had mustered, Tippu ordered them to
rush for the gate of the big town, and to fire all
together as the warriors came on. ‘This they did, and
burned the houses nearest to them. The fight lasted
three days, by which time they had burned all the
outer circle of the town. They then proceeded to fire
through the inner palisade, until they had decimated
the people gathered inside; then they made a rush,
seized and beheaded the king, and captured all the
ivory and women. ‘Tippu next went to all the smaller
towns in the kingdom and collected enormous quan-
tities of ivory, which he afterwards sold at the coast
for £40,000. He became king of a whole country,
entirely through his own cunning. He once came to
1887.
Feh. 26
At sea.
6 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
a strange country, where he was told that the king had
been taken away years before, with his little son, and
that the natives had long expected his return. Having
asked numerous questions of every native he met,
without saying who he was, Tippu-Tib at length said to
one man, “‘ Had your king not such and such coloured
eyes?” The man said, “Yes.” Tippu then exactly |
described the king, until the native said, ‘‘ Why, that
is the very man!”—when Tippu told him he was the
son who had gone away with the old king, and that he
was to go and tell all the people. ‘This he at once did,
when they came to him with presents of all kinds: and
to make a long story short, he is king of that country at
the present time. ‘The following is a specimen of his
cruelty :—He was once attacked by a tribe, of whom he
succeeded in making some prisoners. He knew he
would be attacked by them again, so he killed all the
captives, and having cut them up small, he put them in
large pots to boil, mixing up bananas and all sorts of
things, until a rich savoury aroma arose from the pots.
When he was attacked by the natives, he pretended to
retreat, and watched his enemies—who had found the
pots on the fire—set to and ravenously eat up their
own people.
March 2nd.—...'This morning Mr. Stanley read to
me Tennyson’s ‘ Ulysses.’.. . All the spare time I had
to-day I was reading the ‘ Light of Asia.’. . . Stanley
says he has got a copy with him, too. He gave us all
the most lovely little medicine-chests to-day.
March 3rd—Out of the tropics at last, and the
weather is decidedly cooler. ... Not an item of interest,
again! The only things which seem to change at all
on board are the horrible smells from the crowd of
natives; and they only change in so far that they are at
times much worse than at others... .
March Tth—...I have heard the real story from
Stanley as to how he got Tippu-Tib to come with us.
Before leaving England, he heard that Tippu was in
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. | 7
Zanzibar. He at once telegraphed that he particularly
wished to see him, and to keep him at any price until
his arrival. When Stanley saw him at Zanzibar, Tippu
first said he would stop our going in at all; so Stanley
assured him that we were quite willing and prepared to
fight him, but that he had better take care what he was
about. He then gave him the choice of fighting us
and taking the consequences, or of helping us and
being made Governor of Stanley Falls, under the King |
of the Belgians. Next day Tippu-Tib said he would
accept the latter ; and Stanley telegraphed the same to
Belgium, and received a reply confirming the appoint-
ment. ‘The night we dined at the British Consulate,
Tippu-Tib signed an agreement to help us in every
way, and was made Governor. He is not going with
us further than Stanley Falls himself, but is sending his
head men with us, and 600 fighting-men. We expect to
reach Emin Bey in July; so that, if we come back
down the Congo, we ought to be home in no time. A
more definite time than this I cannot give you: I wish
to God 1 could! ...
March 8th.—Arrived in Simon’s Bay. ...
March 9th—Lady Hunt-Grubbe and her daughters
came with the Governor and inspected the ship, and
showed great interest in Tippu-Tib and especially in
his wives. Reached Cape Town about 7 o'clock.
March 10th.—Went on shore with Jephson and
Nelson to buy a lot of things and to get dogs...
Had a delicious breakfast on shore, ...and searched
all the morning for dogs. We collected a very curious
lot, consisting of bull-dogs, bull-terriers, fox-terriers, a
Bedlington, and several unknown species. Mr. Stanley
bought the two fox-terriers—one for himself, and one
as a present for Tippu-Tib. Jephson and I secured the
two large bull-terriers, and tossed up for them. ‘The
large brindled one fell to me, and a horribly low white
one to Jephson. They are about the two most ruffianly-
_ looking dogs I have ever seen.
1887
Mar. 7
At sea
1887.
Mar. 11.
Cape
Town.
8 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
March 11th.—...The deck is quite lively with all
the dogs; but the increase of insects of the carnivorous
species is much to be deplored. ...
March 13th—A donkey died: the first death on
board, with the exception of a few goats....
March 14th-—A Zanzibari died to-day, and was con-—
signed to the deep. It is horrible the way the natives
neglect their sick, or any one of them who is hurt.
Busy most of the day in packing musket-caps into new
boxes for Emin Pasha... .
March 15th.—Jephson, disgusted with the low habits
and appearance of his dog, flung him overboard in the
dead of the night, with a furnace-bar attached to him.
Alas! poor Bill, his life on board was a short and any-
thing but a merry one.
March 16th.—Another Zanzibari died to-day, of in-
flammation of the lungs.
March 17th.—You cannot tell what real joy your
letter and telegram brought me at the Cape. I could
hardly believe my eyes when they brought them to me!
... One thing that makes one sad is knowing that,
after a time, it will be hard to send you any letters
or news.... To add to my cheerfulness, Mr. Stanley
informed me yesterday that he would not give me a
man either to carry my collecting-things, or my big
rifle and its ammunition. This is a bright look-out
for me, who came to collect, and shoot meat for the
Expedition. Mr. Stanley was present when I was
speaking to De Winton about my big rifle, and advised
me to take shells for it. I have, however, reduced my
wearing-apparel and my bedding to so little that I can
take most of my collecting-things ; and some of the other
fellows have been good enough to offer to carry some
of them for me. I have reduced myself to one spare
coat besides the one on my back, one pair of boots on
and one pair packed, one blanket, and all the rest on
the same scale. Thus, at the expense of all my own
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. 9
personal comfort, I can take my collecting-things—or
at least some of them. All this certainly takes a
good deal of the gilt off the trip to me; but though I
must say I was rather mad at first, I am now making
the best of a bad business. I have had to give or
throw away every ounce of my tobacco; but the empty
tins will come in beautifully for “bugs” and small bird-
skins. ...I shall take the big rifle on shore, and hire
men myself to carry it, whenever we have to go overland,
until we reach Stanley Falls, where I hope to geta couple
of men from ‘lippu-Tib to carry it on to Wadelai.
March 18th [Banana Point].—... We start up the
river to-morrow; and as we begin to put everything on
board at daybreak, I shall have no time to write to you
in the morning, and must make up my mind to say
“Good-bye ;” for this is at last the great start of the
Expedition: God knows, I can hardly pluck up courage
to say it!
SLAVE GIRL.
1887.
Mar. 17.
Cape
Town.
1887.
Mar. 19.
Congo.
Perer’s Ferisu.
CHAPTER ILI.
DIARY.
Marcu 19ruH Tro APRIL 30TH.
Boma.—Ango-Ango.-—Mpalaballa Mission Station.—March to Congo da
Lemba.-—Banza Manteka.—Day’s march resembling slave-driving.—
Kuilu River.—March to Vombo.—Stanley doing rear-guard.—Barttelot
sent on with Soudanese.—Sick chief—Lutété.—Kindness of the mis-
sionaries.—Stanley settling a row.—Inkissi River.—Thief.—Stanley’s
punishment of chiefs.—Otf to shoot hippo.—Difficulty about steamers.
—Kinshassa.— Ward joins the Expedition.
March 19th, 1887.—Started up the Congo at last in the
Dutch Co.’s steamer Meman, Nelson, myself, and 252
men. We were the first to start. Next came the
British Congo Co.’s steamer Albuquerque with cargo,
and Dr. Parke and his company. Mr. Stanley follows
in the Portuguese steamer Serpa Pinto, with about 300
men and the donkeys, and Major Barttelot and Jephson
bring up the rear in another steamer with the remainder
of the men. The view as far as Kishanga is very
limited, as the banks are covered with dense tropical
DIARY. iy
vegetation, and the high land at the back is only now
and again visible. After Kishanga the river opens out,
with beautiful undulating country on either side, and
we pass numerous large grass-covered islands. The
English Mission Station appears on the sky-lne of the
uplands on the right, immediately after entering the
river. A good fresh breeze blowing from the sea all
day prevented one feeling the heat. At Mataba, the
river opens out grandly. Here the banks are low,
discovering beautiful undulating grassy country at the
back. Anchored at Alligator River at one o'clock.
From the top deck of the steamer we could see nearly
twenty miles of country on everyside. We lay opposite
Peter's Fetish, a beautiful rock, partially covered with
trees.
Boma.
March 20th—Passed Boraa, the principal town (?)
of the Congo Free State. It consists of a few factories
or trading-houses, Dutch, French, Belgian, and Por-
tuguese, also a French and English Mission. It is very
prettily situated, and in a more flourishing condition of
things may, I suppose, become a big place. ‘There 1s
a large, beautiful pool above Boma, after which the
river runs between high barren hills on both sides,
for although they appear brilliantly verdant, the hard
1887
\ Mar. 19.
Congo.
1887.
Mar. 20.
Ango-
Ango.
12 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
red rock betrays itself on every square yard. Arrived
at Ango-Ango at 2.40. Mr. Stanley passed at 5 o'clock
in the Serpa Pinto for Matadi, and shouted out a
message which I could not understand. Sent a mes-
senger overland to him. The answer arrived at 10 P.M.
to have everything ready to shiv on board the Serpa
Pinto at 7 o'clock next morning, and Parke and Nelson -
to walk with their men overland.
March 21st.—Stayed at the Dutch House with Mr.
Cramer, who gave Nelson and myself beds, and the best
of everything. Parke and Nelson started for Matadi.
The Serpa Pinto steamed past about 10 o’clock without
stopping, leaving Mr. Walker and myself with the cargo
on shore looking after her! A little later the Por-
tuguese gunboat came up with Barttelot on board, and
took off most of the cargo. ‘Then Jephson came down
from Matadi in the //eron, and took off the remainder
with my men. Arrived at Matadi about 5 o’clock,
having had nothing to eat all day, and then had to tow
AncGo-ANGo.
up the cargo in a lighter to Stanley, who was at the
Portuguese Factory. I tramped back in the dark,
thoroughly disgusted with everyone and everything, to
vet my first square meal that day. Visions of sketching
&c. are rapidly fading.
SPR eh See ee
[-e, e8eg] ‘vIIVaVIVd]T UVEN AVOY NOISSIP
DIARY. 13
March 22nd.—Hard at work all day breaking open
cases and making up loads. Slept in the Portuguese
House. They are very kind to us, and feed and “ drink ”
us right royally.
March 23rd.—The cry is still we ee open cases
and make up loads. Had a grand parade of men and
distributed Remington rifles, with which I hope they
won't shoot us, and spears, which from their rottenness
are comparatively harmless, half of them being already
without heads.
March 24th—Marched about three quarters of a mile
over to the Congo State Station. They gave us breakfast,
but after that left us entirely to ourselves. Had some
practice with the Maxim gun, which worked wonderfully
well. Mr. Walker left for the Mposo River, with the iron
boat, in order to put it together.
March 25th—Marched to the Mposo River, over one
of the worst roads I have ever seen, up and down masses
of cinder-like rock and. broken quartz: my donkey fell
three times, and it was lucky I did not attempt to
ride him; I very nearly shot him in simple disgust.
Found the boat not put together, and when we did get
it in the river, it took us hours to cross, pulling it
backwards and forwards on a rope. ‘This miserable
little river is scarcely more than thirty yards wide.
March 26th.—Marched to Mpalaballa Mission Station.
Went ahead of most of my men, and had a de-
hightful walk. The road much better than yesterday,
and the country very pretty indeed. Shot a Whydah
finch, black, with yellow shoulders. Mr. Clarke, the
head of the Mission, and the ladies treated us with the
greatest hospitality.
March 27th.—Remained all day at Mpalaballa, waiting
for men with loads from Matadi. Met Mr. Ingham,
who is one of our staff, and came out here straight from
England, coming down with native carriers to carry our
loads up country, which are far in excess of the number
1887.
Mar. 22
Matadi.
1887.
Mar. 27.
Mpala-
balla.
14 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
of the Zanzibaris. He gave us a very bad account of
the condition of the steamers on the Upper Congo
The country round here is very beautiful, but without
any game, although bird and insect life seem to be on
the increase. I was very busy all day sorting loads, and
parading men.
March 28th—Marched to Massam Mankengi. The
path seems to be made to cut the soles off one’s boots,
and the donkeys do nothing but tumble up the hills, or
tumble down them. The order was given this morning
that we were to march in the rear of the men, and assist
them with their loads, so good-bye to all chances of
collecting.
March 29th.—Marched to the deserted native village
of Congo da Lemba, which, until burnt by the Congo
Free State, was a flourishing native town. ‘The Congo
Free State people have burnt the huts and driven away
the natives from nearly every village on the road,
consequently there is not a scrap of food to be obtained
for love or money. ‘They say that the natives inter-
fered with their carriers on the road. The work we
are doing is not fit for any white man, but ought to be
given to slave-drivers. It is all very nice for Mr. Stanley,
who rides ahead straight on to the next camp, where
we atrive hours afterwards, having done nothing all day
but kick lazy carriers, and put the loads on to the heads
of those who choose to fling them down. On arriving
in camp one has to go over all the loads to see that
they are correct, then stack them and interview the men
about the loads that have gone wrong; so that it is
dark before one has even time to wash. I have given
up all hopes of collecting, although I have seen many
birds, and especially butterflies, that I should dearly
like to have obtained.
March 30th.—Rained nearly all morning, so did not
start until late for the Lufu River. The Bembezi
River was in flood, and having got all the men and
loads over, we found Mr. Stanley had gone on miles
DIARY. 15
ahead. We eventually pulled up in the dark, in the
middle of a tropical forest, the men throwing down
their loads, and going to sleep in every direction.
Dr. Parke was in the front of the column, Stairs and
myself in the centre, next came Jephson and Barttelot,
Nelson bringing up the rear-guard. The column being
over a mile long, when it became dark some of the
most advanced had reached camp. Stairs and Parke
soon gave it up as hopeless, and bolted for camp. I,
finding myself deserted, lit my lantern and only piece
of candle, and struck out for camp also, leaving the
men hopelessly lost in the bush to make the best of
the night. Shortly after arriving in camp (where
Mr. Stanley regaled us with rice, biscuit, tea and
brandy, and the latter was very acceptable, as I had
waded the river and been soaking wet for hours),
Barttelot and Jephson turned up, but Nelson slept in
the wood, in the camp belonging to a man who was
bringing up things for the Sanford Expedition. In
consequence of this night, some of the loads were lost,
and several of the men bolted. I slept on the ground
in Mr. Stanley’s tent, on my waterproof—about as hard
a bed as I ever had. From this you will observe what
a splendid expedition it is for a naturalist. It is some-
times very hard to think of all the glory of relieving
Emin Bey.
March 3\st.—Having got the men and the loads
out of the wood, we started amidst much grumbling
from the men, who had had nothing to eat, and marched
to the Lufu River. Here there is a ford, and also a
curious old swinging bridge of native construction,
with large gaps in it every few yards, and a deep drop
into the river if one fell. A couple of miles further on
we camped.
Mr. Stanley here behaved to me in a way which was
utterly undeserved, and which I did not expect from
him. On passing the Lufu River he was attacked with
acute dysentery, and although he was apparently all
right again in the evening, he was weak, and had to be
1887,
Mar. 30,
Lufu
River.
1887.
Mar. 31.
Lufu R.
16 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
carried from the river tothecamp. When there I went
to him to report that one of my men had deserted with
his gun on the march, and at the same time said I was
very sorry to hear that he had been so ill. He turned
round very sharply and said, “‘ No wonder. I have only
you to thank for it. I have had nothing but tea for
two days, whilst you have had meat for your breakfast
yesterday, and I consider you are entirely to blame for
my illness.” I may here state that I had volunteered to
take over the cooking and ration arrangements for a
week, as no one else seemed inclined to look after them,
and before we really could often get nothing to eat.
The facts about his having had no meat for two days
are the following :—The evening before leaving Congo
da Lemba I sent a messenger to ask him if I should kill
a goat or the four fowls which were in camp, as there
was no meat. ‘The message sent back by his own
servant, William, was, “Save the goat and kill the four
fowls, if they will be enough for to-night.” I killed the
fowls, and they were quite enough, for some of the
other officers had some in the morning. Jephson, Stairs,
and I breakfasted next morning in my tent on a tin of
sardines, the last but one that I had, so that Mr. Stan-
ley’s taunt that I had meat when he had none falls to the -
ground. ‘That morning it rained for hours, and he would
not say whether we were to march or remain, so that it
was utterly impossible to kill any meat. He then ar-
ranged his march, so that in the middle of the night the
goats were left in the wood, and he marched again next
morning before they were out of it. He then turns
round and says that it is entirely my fault that he is ill.
Altogether I think the whole business is a very thank-
less job, and the moment this week is over the cooking
arrangements may go to the devil for all I care.
April ist.— Marched to the American Mission
Station, Banza Manteka, a beautifully situated spot,
standing high and surrounded by wooded valleys,
brilhant with tropical verdure. ‘The water here is
worse than any I have seen, too dirty to wash in.
DIARY. ly
I obtained a number of good butterflies out of the
Mission garden. After dinner a fearful thunderstorm
came on, and blew in the end of the officers’ tent.
From the door of mine, which was snug and dry, I had
a beautiful view of all the fun, in the middle of which
a whole pile of ammunition-boxes fell down, to add to
the confusion.
April 2nd.—In the morning we had a general parade
of all the men, and Mr. Stanley addressed each com-
pany in turn, and I noticed that all the lazy blackguards,
who had given us the most trouble, were foremost in
shouting out all sorts of fine things about going on to
the end of the world with him! After this came a
drenching storm of rain, and then we marched six or
seven miles across the valley and camped.
April 3rd.—Had an awful day’s work. Had to 20
with Barttelot as rear-guard. Started at 6 a.m., and
did not get into camp near the Kuilu River until
nearly 6 p.m. I had nothing to eat the whole day but
the fifth part of a tin of sardines, and did not sit down
for more than a quarter of an hour. The work was truly
sickening, as every twenty yards one had to stop to put
a load on a man’s head who had flung it down, and
very likely give him a good dose of stick before he
would go on. There was no rest upon getting into
camp either, for I had to go over all my loads, stack
them, and send out men to find those who had not
come in. ‘The work must greatly resemble slave-
driving. I succeeded in shooting a swallow, which is the
same as the small South-African one, and a bee-eater
which is new to me. Both were skinned by the light
of a small’ piece of candle, and the skins are worthless,
as two days elapsed before I had a chance of drying
them. , |
April 4th—Marched on to the Kuilu River, a muddy
rapid stream, which we had to cross, ten men at a time,
in an old dug-out canoe. Such is the great road of the
Congo Free State! This morning, in trying for the
C
1887.
April 1.
Banza
Manteka.
(‘The
town of
mud.”)
18 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Pech , first time to ride my donkey across a muddy marsh, he
Kun tell and was nearly drowned, precipitating me into the
River. mud (the blackest I ever have seen), which filled my
saddle-bags containing my collecting-things! arly in
the march we crossed a lovely clear trout-suggestive
stream, running over and between ridges of pure lime-
stone, which, says Mr. Stanley, is about the only lime-
stone we shall see in the whole country.
April dth.—Still at the Kuilu River—from 6 A.M. to
early in the afternoon still getting men, loads, and
donkeys across.
April 6th.—Marched to Mwembi. On reaching the
top of a hill, I found all the baggage and tents lying
on the side of the road, the men being about a quarter
of a mile off in a native garden, pulling up manioc, and
seizing whatever they could. No shouts on my part or
from the chiefs could bring them back, so, taking up a
good stick, I ran down the hill towards them, and
having waded through a swamp for about 150 yards, I
met the first man trying to sneak back. J appled my
stick, and he made such a row that all the others
decamped, and when I regained the top of the hill, I
found all the tents and baggage gone on. On arrival
at Mwembi, the news was brought to us that one of
our chiefs had been shot dead, and one of Tippu-Tib’s
men shot in the hand by some of the natives of a
village which they had been looting. Went to bed
dead beat.
April Tth—Marched to Vombo, quite the quickest
march we have done, owing to a good level road, and
Mr. Stanley doing rear-guard with some of his Somalis
himself. How he did lay his stick about the lazy ones,
and the Somalis whacked away too. It was a sight for
sore eyes to see the lame, the sick, the halt, and the
blind running with their loads, as if they were feathers ;
and I was delighted to see some of my men catch it
hot, after I had been told by Mr. Stanley himself not
to strike them. The march was otherwise uninteresting,
DIARY. 19
over a high plateau, covered with long rank grass,|
which cut off any view of the land. Camped in an old
native village amongst palms, and collected a small
number of butterflies.
April 8th.—Marched from Vombo to Lukungu Station. |
The road lay through beautiful country, affording
glimpses on both sides of valleys filled with tropical
vegetation. Shortly after leaving camp a severe
thunderstorm came on. JBarttelot and I were doing
rear-guard, with Stanley a little ahead of us. We both
saw one of the lightning flashes strike the side of a hill,
about 150 yards off, and a small cloud of dust and
smoke immediately floated away from the spot. It wasa
severe march, as some of the hills were bad, and the wet
made them worse. Stairs had to shoot his donkey, as his
boy led it badly down a steep place, and it broke its leg.
I was getting intensely annoyed with the carriers, who,
since Mr. Stanley went ahead, had done nothing but sit
down, and was generally down on my luck towards the
end of the march, when I saw Parke seated under a
tree. He gave me a drink of my own whiskey, thirteen
years old, and then everything changed to a brighter
hue; but it also lent strength to my arm, when, within
a mile from camp, I found all the men had flung down
their loads, and gone off looting in the native gardens.
I seized a large stick and went for them. It was more
than I could bear to be stopped within sight of camp,
at the end of a long march. [ laid about me, and soon
had them all in camp. |
April 9th.—Barttelot was sent on in the afternoon
with the Soudanese, and all the worst men in camp, all
by himself, to be always one day ahead on the road to
the Pool. It looks strange on Mr. Stanley’s part to
send him by himself with the very worst and most
rebellious lot in camp, who will not move a yard so
long as they know that all the food is behind them.
Barttelot has done a lot of work which he need not
have done, as it was beyond his actual duties, and it
seems a poor return for it all.
C2
1887.
April 7.
Vombo.
1887,
April 10
Kimbam-
wanga. °
20 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
April 10th.—After sending Jephson’s men to Many-
anga to meet him and bring the boat on to Lutété, we
marched to Kimbamwanga, where our advanced guard
ran into Barttelot’s rear-guard, already proving that it
was wrong to send him ahead. ‘This morning Mr. Stanley
placed me in a very false position with my men. Just
as we were starting, I told him that one of my chiefs
was very ill indeed, and that I did not think he could
o on. He told me not to bring him any reports of
the kind, that he would not listen to them, and that his
orders were for all the sick to go on, and that I was to
see that they did so. I only said, “‘ Very well, sir.” I
behaved very cruelly in making the man get up, amidst
the murmurs of all the chiefs, and then driving him on.
In a few yards he fell down, and could not get up.
Mr. Stanley, on passing, recognized him, and went up to
see how he was. He called to Dr. Parke to come to
him, and told him that, as he was a good man, we must
not lose him; gave him medicine then, and left more
with him, at the same time telling one of the officers of
the State to look after him, get him into a hut, and do
everything he could for him. Of course all the men
now look upon me as a brute, and Mr. Stanley as a sort
of guardian-angel, although I was only carrying out his
own orders. My dog Bull ran away back to the Station
at Lukungu, and, poor beast, I am not sorry, for there
he will be well looked after, and in camp 1 could not
get him enough to eat.
April 11th.—Marched to the Mpwka River; a short
march, brought to a close by the river itself being in full
flood, with only an old rickety wicker-bridge, a few feet
wide, over which to cross. We felled two trees; but of
course they both fell in the wrong direction, as every-
thing does in this beastly country! By the time the
donkeys were swum over it was nearly dark. ‘The wood
was too thick to put up the big tent, which is the worst
and most useless of its kind I have ever seen in my life.
Stairs and Nelson slept in part of it which they put up.
As it promised to be a fine night, Parke and I slept in
DIARY. 2]
our Ashantee hammocks. Before retiring, we killed a
magnificent specimen of a centipede in Stairs’ tent. I
was sleeping soundly when, towards morning, down
came a fearful thunder-plump, and before I could get
my waterproof sheet over me it wetted all my bedding
and myself; the rest of the night was not pleasant. Saw
two splendid kingfishers, and many beautiful butterflies
on the river; but it made me quite sick not to have a
moment to collect anything. Got a beautiful shell-
packed spider with horns on the back, the same that I
have seen in Borneo; but I lost it in the confusion of
the next camp.
April 12th.—Did a good long march over beautiful
country to Lutété, where we found Jephson, who had
got in before us from Manyanga. He gave me the most
glowing account of the birds and insects on the river,
which made my mouth water. Barttelot stayed with
us, as half his men had gone on to Lutété, and the
other half were so far behind that they were too late to
goon. ‘The whole idea of his going ahead with these
men is a perfect farce. The march lay over beautiful
country gradually rising all the way, the highest hill we
climbed being 500 feet, measured by Stairs from the
creek at its foot. From this point there was a lovely
view down to the Congo on one side, to Lutété on
another, and behind us to the Mpwka River. One of the
Somalis died this morning, and several others are very
bad indeed.
April 15th—Had a very easy day. Marched to
Lutété, the English Baptist Mission Station, beautifully
situated, standing very high, and I should say quite
healthy. ‘The missionaries received us with kindness,
but did not ask us to feast with them; I suppose we
were rather a rough-looking lot. Personally, I must
say I am not so “ genteel” looking as when I left town,
being of a kind of brick-colour, with an untrimmed
beard of no great length, of a colour to match. One of
the men was to-day placed in chains for stealing pota-
toes. Poor Barttelot has a terribly rough time of it
1887.
April 11.
Mpwka
River.
1887.
April 138.
Lutété.
22, STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
with the Soudanese, as he cannot get them along at any
price. It is a splendid sight to see Mr. Stanley settle
arow. ‘To-day some of the Soudanese and Zanzibaris
began fighting about a cooking-pot, and awoke Mr.
Stanley, who was asleep. He seized a stick, ran in,
and whacked away right and left, giving one fellow a
regular facer with his fist, and, in less time than it
takes to write this, there was perfect quiet!
April 14th—Had a long march; but the men did
it splendidly. Made an early start, and camped at
Nzungi. Bonny lost two of the pack-donkeys at
Lutété, but turned up about 5 oclock in the evening
with them, Mr. Stanley’s orders to him being that
he need not turn up at all unless he found them!
Bonny suspects the missionaries of having hidden
them ; for, when he was left behind, they asked him to
breakfast, and inquired how long he would wait for the
7 \|
donkeys. He replied, probably three or four days,
that all his boys would be with him, and that the
DIARY. Za
missionaries would have to find them in everything, as
Mr. Stanley had left them nothing. Two of the mis-
sionaries then went out, and returned in about an hour
with the two donkeys, saying that as they were taking
a stroll they heard one of them bray in response to one
belonging to the station. Bonny, however, thinks that
the prospect of keeping him and his boys for three or
four days produced the donkeys.
April 15th.—Marched to the Inkissi River. It is
now quite a pleasure to see the men walk along cheerily
with their loads. Ourroad lay for a long distance close
to the banks of the Congo. Some of the glimpses of
the river were very beautiful. I would give anything
to have time to make a sketch, no matter how rough,
of some of them. The foliage is gorgeous in colouring.
Some of the palms bear a bright scarlet flower, growing
in great clusters down the centre of each branch.
About half-an-hour from here we passed a dead native
tied upright to a pole, by the side of the path. Mr.
Stanley says it is the body of a thief, put up thus asa
warning to others, and that he was executed by the
natives themselves. The body was there when Mr.
Stanley camped in the same place three or four years
ago, and is mentioned in his book on the Congo Free
al
it
WS
@,
J
ue (Mi . v
State. The natives here have a curious method of
catching birds by hanging long ropes, formed of
1887.
April 14.
Nzungi.
1887.
April 15.
Inkissi
River.
24 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
creepers, from the trees on the edge of the forest to
poles stuck up in the ground about 15 or 20 yards off.
Hanging from these ropes are numbers of snares, made
from finer creepers, in which the birds are caught as
they fly past.
April 16th.—All day long crossing the Inkissi River.
I luckily got across early with all my men, and hada
glorious time amongst the butterflies, getting some
magnificent ones, though I daresay the more insig-
nificant, which [I did not fail to catch also, will turn
out to be the rarest, as is usually the case. Last
night was a horrible one. We slept in a deserted
native hut which looked waterproof, and retired with
fond hopes of a good night; but about four hours
before daylight it began to pour, and poured on until
7 oclock. The water came in through the roof just
above my head and shoulders in torrents; and although
I had an umbrella up, and two coats over me, I was
drenched and all my bedding, which, by the bye, con-
sists of one blanket and a waterproof sheet with some
grass under it.
April 17th—Had along march. I had to do rear-
guard, but now that the Zanzibaris go so well, it is not
nearly so tedious or heart-breaking a business as it
used to be. The birds all seem to be in bad plumage
for skinning, as most of the feathers are still in the
quill, and they make the most horribly bare-looking
skins.
April 18th.—Marched to Nkalama. ‘There is a most
beautiful waterfall just below camp, where the Mpwka
falls into the Congo. The Congo itself is remarkable
for the masses of bare, black, horribly forbidding rocks
which abound on either shore, and crop up here and
there in reefs all over the river. Shot a warbler, the
skin of which I saved. I found out that one of the
ammunition-boxes carried by my company had been
DIARY. 25
lost to-day, so I reported the matter to Mr. Stanley after
sending back two chiefs all along the road to look for
it. Mr. Stanley ordered the whole company to fall in,
and then made each man take a load from the heap of
loads brought in. He asked the chief who had received
the loads in camp to recognize those of the men who
had brought in theirs. He did not remember seeing
one unfortunate man, so Mr. Stanley fixed upon him as
the man who had lost the box, although he is really
one of my best carriers, and swore he brought in his
box, and showed Mr. Stanley the tree he cut down to
keep the boxes off the ground. Mr. Stanley then called
the Somalis, and gave all my chiefs, with the ex-
ception of the one who had received the loads in camp,
fifty cuts each with a stick, whilst they were held down
on the ground. He then gave to the man, whom he
accused of having lost the box, a hundred lashes, asking
him several times during the beating where the box was,
—the man each time still swearing that hzs box was in
camp. He then chained and padlocked the chiefs all
together, and accused me of losing three boxes of ammu-
nition (which I flatly denied), and told me that in 77 it
would have been death*, and if it happened again we
must part. If this sort of thing is to go on, and he
speaks to me again as he did to-day before the men, I
should not be sorry if we did part, for I certainly will not
keep my temper again. Afterwards I went to his tent,
and asked him to explain his statement that I had lost
three boxes of ammunition; and this he utterly failed
to do. He said, ‘‘ You have three times reported to me
boxes lost.” I then told him that the last time was
only two days ago, when Dr. Parke and I had explained
the matter to him, and Parke had handed over to me
the box missing from my loads; and the only other
time I had reported a load lost, I had also reported to
him its recovery. If he goes on much more like this, I
shall get sick of the whole thing. He has failed to
* 1877 was the date of Mr. Stanley’s return journey ‘Through the
Dark Continent.’— Ep.
1887.
April 18.
Congo
River.
26 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1887. find out the man who lost the box, and has degraded
a 'S. three of my chiefs, who were simply the best men I have
River, ever seen. They are to carry loads to-morrow, and I
don’t know how to fill their places. I heard from
Stairs to-day that at present the Stanley is the only
steamer ready to take us up the Congo from the
Pool. The English Mission has refused the use of its
steamer, and the American Mission is awaiting in-
structions. This is the magnificent fleet of steamers
placed at Mr. Stanley’s disposal for ninety days by the
King of the Belgians! !
April 19th.—This morning Mr. Stanley succeeded in
breaking up my company, I think for good. He made
my chiefs, all chained together as they were, carry loads
of ammunition, and made new chiefs, picking out two
of the worst men amongst them. We marched on to
the Luila River, and having crossed it, camped just
above it.
April 20th—Marched to Makoko’s village. Here,
thank Heaven, Tippu-Tib interceded on behalf of my
chiefs with Mr. Stanley, and he ordered them to be
unchained. I at once gave them back their rifles, and
made chiefs of them again. Old Makoko, the chief
here, is an extraordinary-looking object, possessing what
the Americans call a chin-whisker, which he has divided
into two, making each division into a ringlet. His old
visage is wrinkled and of a perfect chocolate hue.
Parke is very seedy with dysentery.
April 21st.—Arrived at Leopoldville, which is a
pretty spot, looking right up the Pool, the views of
which are rather too peaceful from this end to please
me, and not what I had expected.
April 22nd.—Very busy until midday making out
returns of men, rifles, hoes, axes, spades, billhooks,
loads, &c. for Mr. Stanley. Then Major Barttelot
came and told me I could start off at once and try and
kill some hippos, for there were no more rations in
DIARY. 21
camp forthe men. I got my things together as quickly
as possible, and of course, in my excitement and eager-
ness, forgot the two most important things—food and a
mosquito curtain! Such small details as these were
quite secondary as compared to hippopotami. I trusted
to getting some biscuits and tinned stuff at the Dutch
trading-house, higher up the Pool, where I had to call
for my big rifle; but, on arriving there, found neither
rifle nor edibles, but a most acceptable drink of very
excellent cognac. Jl was in a fine big canoe with ten
Bangalas to paddle me, and camped some distance
above Kinshassa on the river-bank. Never did I spend
a more miserable night. My boy had forgotten my
waterproof; the rain came down in torrents; and I was
wet through before retiring to bed in my tent, and
passed the whole night in this soaking condition.
Sleep I could not, for the mosquitoes were in thousands;
and next morning I was a perfect wreck.
April 25rd.—Ii started at daybreak; and although I
shot two hippos, I only succeeded in getting one of
them, as the Bangala, whom [I left to watch the first one
rise, went sound asleep, and let it float down the Congo,
I returned in triumph, however, with the meat to
camp. The Bangalas are the greatest savages I ever
came across, and about the most difficult to manage.
They simply do nothing except when it suits their
fancy, although they are splendid men when they do
work. On returning to Leopoldville, I heard of great
rows going on about the steamers. It appears that,
after all, the missionaries had refused to lend the Henry
Feed, as one of them (the engineer) was going down
to the coast to be married. (This steamer, with the
Peace and the Stanley, are the only three available to
take us up the river.) They had taken away some
parts of the machinery to render her useless, so
Mr. Stanley sent down a guard of Soudanese under
Major Barttelot to the Mission House, with orders that
if the pieces were not given up, the house was to be
searched, and a second guard. under Jephson to take
1887.
April 23
Leopold-
ville.
1887.
April 23.
Stanley
Pool.
28 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
charge of the steamer. Then the chief of the station,
Mr. Liebrichts, said that Mr. Stanley was wrong in
acting as he had, but that he could make it all right,
as the State has the power of taking the Mission
steamers whenever they are required; so he removed
the Soudanese, replacing them by his own guards. The
missionary who was going to be married, said he had
considered the whole matter over with God, as Mr.
Stanley says, “‘even to the third watch,” and that he
could not lend her.
April 24th—This morning I hear the matter about
the steamer is satisfactorily arranged ; and Mr. Walker
goes as engineer, the steamer being lent under protest,
although very well paid for. Meat is so badly wanted
that I am off again up the Pool to shoot more hippos.
This time, however, I am not going without food or a
mosquito curtain. Mr. Liebrichts is sending one of the
officers of the State also, as he wants meat for the men
of the station. Mr. Stanley has the mails intercepted
before reaching Leopoldville, so that the missionaries
cannot receive unfavourable advice about lending their
steamers.
April 25th—The Free State officer started this
morning in the large canoe, leaving me the small one,
out of which it was simply impossible to shoot. His pro-
position was that, when we saw hippos, one of us should
go to the other side of them, that they might be driven
from one canoe to the other. I did not quite see this,
as the river is narrow between the islands, and I
_ thought of the bullets that would be flying about when
one rose between us; so shortly after starting I took a
line of my own, and soon shot one, more by good luck
than good guidance, as the moment I raised the rifle to
fire, over went the canoe on one side. I unfortunately ©
lost this hippo, as I shot it in a rapid current between
two islands, and it was carried down before rising. I
had a tiresome wait on a sandbank in a scorching sun
for four hours; but no hippo came up. I shot another
later, and it did not rise before dark; so we lost it also.
DIARY. 29
April 26th.—Got up with a distinct touch of fever,
and very shaky; but as I saw some hippos not far off,
and succeeded in making some natives lend me a big
canoe for the promise of meat, I started off after them,
and with the very first shot killed a large cow stone
dead—she just opened her jaws and sank. I then
struck another, which came up, but I had shot it too
far forward, and so it could not keep under water.
This one gave me a lot of trouble, charging the canoe
over and over again; and although I stopped it each
time with a bullet in the head, it was not until the fifth
time that I killed it. The way that the Bangalas
shouted, and darted round and round him in the canoe,
was great fun. Went on shore to wait for the hippos
to rise; and while the natives were cutting them up I
began a letter home.
Extract from a letter to Mrs. Jameson, dated April
26th :—* On a sandbank in the middle of Stanley Pool,
cutting up a hippopotamus just killed... . . This is
the first chance of writing to you I have had since
leaving Banana. It is a cloudy day and cool, so I am
writing whilst waiting for a canoe from Leopoldville to
take away the meat. I had rather a sharp touch of
fever this morning at daybreak, the first I have had,
although everyone else has been ill. Stanley has hada
bad attack of dysentery, Parke is very ill with it, and
Jephson, Stairs, and Nelson have all had fever, while
Barttelot has had nothing but bad headaches, and your
husband has been in splendid health! There was little
or no food for our 700 or 800 men at Leopoldville, so
they have sent me to kill meat for them. I have shot
a lot of hippos, and would have shot a number more if
I had had my big rifle. I got it forwarded from Ango-
Ango by the Dutch House, as Stanley would not give
me carriers for it. I am shooting with an express
of Barttelot’s, which, although a good gun, is no
weapon for hippopotami. The march from Matadi was
one of the most disgusting pieces of work I have ever
had to do, until the latter part, when the men marched
1887.
April 26.
Stanley
Pool.
30 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
i887, better. A lot of slave-drivers of the old days would
“ae have done it much better, for that—slave-driving—is
Pool. what it often resolved itself into. (There is a big hippo
in the middle of the river looking at me, but I will not
try to shoot him as I have not canoes enough to carry
the meat.) I have no letters from you later than the
one dated February 3rd; the Portuguese mail having
broken down, we are without any news, and it is
awfully disheartening. The sport and natural-history
part of this Expedition is a regular farce, and I can
see very little hope of its being any better later on.
This is very tiring work to be at so long, sleeping in a
swamp at night, and, after shooting a hippo, remaining
for three or four hours on a sandbank in a blazing sun,
until he rises to the surface, and two hours more, while
the superbly lazy, though savage, natives cut it up. I
have never been in a country where I believe there is
more to be collected. ‘The birds and insects are lovely,
but with the work one has to do it is impossible to get
anything. All my lovely dreams have been very roughly
knocked on the head. I will give you a specimen of a
day’s work on the march. Barttelot and I started one
day as rear-guard a little after 6 a.M., and did not reach
camp until after 6 P.M., with not a quarter of an hour’s
rest all day. Nothing but beating niggers with a stick,
and lifting their loads on to their heads, and day after
day the same disgusting work. It must take a great
deal of glory to make up for it all. Iam keeping a
diary for you i. 0%
“ Wednesday, 27th.—Still on this sandbank; the canoes
have not arrived. When I finished writing yesterday, I
went and lay for over an hour in the sun to try and get
that big hippo that I told you was looking at me. At
last he got up on a bank, and I shot him through the
heart, although it was a very long shot. It brought on
the fever twice as bad, and I had a very bad time of it
all yesterday and last night. . . . It seems years since
I left home, and the want of all news from you makes
it seem much longer. I am very shaky this morning,
so I will lie down fora little... .
EXTRACT FROM LETTER. 31
“8 pm. The Camp, Leopoldville——I arrived here
safely a few hours ago; the canoes turned up at noon.
The fever has quite left me. ...A moment ago a
perfect tornado of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind
came on, and I had to jump up and make the tent
right. Thank Heaven, I am not on that sandbank!
The natives here seem very much like those of the
Mashona country. They have the same kind of
‘pianos’ *, and there is a great similarity of language,
but they are not nearly so far advanced in agriculture.
The Bangalas who were with me in the canoe came
from higher up the river, and are the people whom
Stanley fought. They have never fergiven him for
killing the brother of their chief. They are cannibals,
and file all their teeth into points. ‘They told me that
one of their chiefs, who was very rich, is now quite
poor from buying nice, fat, young women to eat; this I
know to be a fact. The price of one is from three to
four hundred kantakas (short brass rods, which are the
money of the country). They eat all those whom they
kill in battle. ‘They remove the inside, stuff them with
bananas, and roast them whole over a big fire. I can
believe anything of them from the little I have had to
do with them. The Pool is full of lovely birds, many
of which I know to be very rare. We have all had one
or two rather disagreeable moments with Mr. Stanley,
but I think they are over for the present. I cannot
help admiring him immensely for his great strength of
will and power of overcoming difficulties ; but there are
some points in his character which I cannot admire.
I will give you an instance. One day, whilst talking to
Dr. Parke, he told him that he had heard that two of
the boxes of provisions had been opened by the white
men—meaning the officers. Dr. Parke asked him who
told him. He replied, some of his Zanzibaris. Parke
then told him that the only two cases opened were
opened to get out arrowroot and milk for himself
(Stanley), when he had dysentery, and that he could not
understand his listening to tales about the officers from
* See sketch on page 106.—Ep.
1887.
April 27.
Leopold.
ille.
B2 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Avent. the niggers. He had a row with Stairs in exactly the
Leopold- Same way. Stairs’ donkey broke its leg *, and he had
vill. to shoot it. I saw the broken leg myself. When he
reported the matter, Mr. Stanley informed him that he
had been told that the leg was not broken, and that he
shot it ina rage; and when asked who had told him,
said, “Some of Tippu-Tib’s people.” Stairs then gave
him areal good piece of his mind on the subject. It
is impossible for any one calling himself a gentleman,
and an officer, to stand this sort of thing. The fact is,
this is the first time Stanley has ever had gentlemen to
deal with on an expedition of this sort.”
DIARY (continued).
April 27th.—Arrived at camp about 5 o'clock. The
meat had nearly all gone bad, and the voyage down the
Pool, in a hot sun, with the stinking meat, was anything
but pleasant in the condition I was in. I was greatly
amused with the Bangalas’ method of buying fish from
the natives. I landed one day on a sandbank to wait
for a hippo to rise, and I noticed all the Bangalas
going off to the shore, where there were three native
canoes full of fish. I asked my boy where they were
going. He replied, “To buy fish.” The Bangalas
suddenly made a rush at the canoes, upset the natives —
from out of them, beat them with their paddles, and
returned loaded with cooking-pots, young crocodile
ready cut up, fish, native bread, and water-bottles made
of gourds. I saw some very fine darters, larger than
any I saw in South Africa. Shot a spur-winged plover,
with beautiful bright orange wattles and pale lemon-
ereen coloured legs.
April 28th.—Marched to Kinshassa. Dined with
Mr. Greshoff, who gave us the best of everything.
April 29th.—I saw the natives bringing in a num-
ber of fish exactly like our barbel—scales, beard,
* See Diary, April Sth.
DIARY. aa
mouth, tail, and everything. After dinner Mr. Gres-
hoff showed us a beautiful chart of the Kwanga River,
which led to Mr. Stanley producing Dr. Junker’s map
(his original one), which he has kindly lent him, also a
skeleton map of the country between Stanley Falls and
Wadelai, ready to fill in all the unknown country. We
had a long conversation about natives, geography, &c.,
and I spent quite one of the pleasantest evenings since
I started. Mr. Stanley, when he throws off his reserve,
‘is one of the most agreeable of men and full of infor-
mation.
April 30th.—Two hundred men went off under Nelson
and Stairs to try and get the Florida into the water, as
the slips, on which she was, had broken down when
they tried to launch her. Mr. Greshoff very kindly
filed my large silver flask with spirits of wine for
beetles*. This will be invaluable to me for collecting
on the march. In about three hours’ time the men
returned, having successfully launched the florida.
About 8 o'clock the Stanley and Henry Reed came
round from Kinshassa, followed by the Peace from
Leopoldville, and by our iron boat, which has been
christened the Advance. Before dark we had them all
loaded, and ready for the men and donkeys to be put
on board in the morning. Just as we were finishing,
Ward and Troup turned up in a canoe from Leopold-
ville. Mr. Stanley has decided to take Ward with
him; he was originally in the employ of the State,
later on in the Sanford Expedition, and has now joined
Mr. Stanley. Mr. Troup was formerly in the Free
State service.
* This flask (containing beetles), with the bulk of Jameson’s colleo-
tion, never reached England,—Ep.
1887.
April 29.
Kinshassa
1887.
May 1.
Upper
Congo.
34 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
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CHAPTER III.
May Ist To JUNE 7TH.
Start up the Upper Congo.—Scenery on the Pool.—Spiders’ webs.— Mswata.
—Bula Matadi.—Man proposes, and God disposes.—Bolobo.—Buffalo
hunt.—Jameson is informed that he is to be left at Yambuya.—Looting.
—Lukulela—sScenes with Stanley—Equator Station.—Dine with Mr.
Glave.— Uranga. — Bangala.—Houssas eaten by natives—Fever.—
Upoto.—Stanley’s distrust of his officers,
Sunday, May 1st.—At last we have made our final
start up the Upper Congo, and on a lucky day. The
Henry Reed went first with Tippu-Tib, all his people, and
Bonny and Walker on board, towing two whale-boats
full of men. We came next in the Stanley, towing the
Florida.. Towing is not the right word, as both the
Henry Reed and the Stanley are stern paddle-wheel
steamers; they have to make both boats fast alongside.
Stairs, Nelson, Jephson and myself, the Captain, engi-
neer, and 168 men, with three donkeys, made up our
number. Next came the Peace with Mr. Stanley, his
servant William, and Ward on board. We steamed on.
to Kimpoko, where the American Mission is (Bishop
Taylor’s). We landed all the men to cut wood for the
DIARY. 39
steamer, and finished by moonlight. My head has been
very bad ever since that dose of fever, and, although
desperately hungry, I cannot enjoy food. I saw two
beautiful large black-backed terns on the Pool, the only
ones I have ever seen; but I did not get a shot at
them. ‘The scenery on the Pool is completely spoilt by
the numbers of low sandy islands, covered with long
rank grass, upon which the hippos feast, and where I
found large colonies of pigeons and numbers of small
herons.
May 2nd.—Mr,. Walker and Bonny turned up while
we were at dinner, and complained bitterly of the man-
ners and customs of Tippu-Tib and his people on the
Henry Reed, their ways not being European ways.
The upper end of the Pool is much finer than the
lower; the hills are higher, and the vegetation more
luxuriant. Perhaps for the first time you realize what
1887.
May 1.
Stanley
Pool.
a splendid river the Congo is, as you see it in one grand )
unbroken stream, not inclosed by rocks as below, but |
flowing between beautifully wooded hills, their sides |
covered with tropical forests right down to the water's
edge, and their tops with bright green grass, and small °
clumps of trees dotted here and there. At the end of
the Pool are some sandstone cliffs, which, with the
morning sun upon them, look exactly like the cliffs of
Dover, and are named after them.
May 3rd.—Passed a very large crocodile, numbers
of large geese, and several white eagles with brown
wings and tail. Saw a nightjar, apparently larger than
the Mosambicus, but same colouring, and plenty of
elephant-tracks for the first time. We stayed just
below the Black River for the night. We could see
large and small fish rising at insects all day; I feel
sure they would take the fly. It is very disappointing
for a sportsman to pass through a country that looks as
if it ought to abound with game, and then see nothing
but a few old elephant-tracks and crocodiles.
May 4tk.—At some places to-day I should say the
D2
1887.
May 4.
Congo
River.
36 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
river was quite a mile anda half wide. The hills are
much lower, and on the right-hand bank the forest
grows only along the water's edge. The landscape is
altogether much tamer. Saw a beautiful pure white
heron (about the size of our common English one),
many spur-winged plover, hornbills, and geese. ‘There
D1aGRam oF SprpEeRS’ WEBS,
is almost a total absence of swifts and swallows, which
is curious, as the Lower Congo abounded with different
kinds. Saw a few guinea-fowl, of the common species,
and not the crested variety I expected to see. Ele-
phant-tracks again abounded in the forest, which is
full of giant creepers. In it I noticed a curious colony
of spiders. There were four trees at equal distances,
forming a square, and near to the top of each a spider
had attached one corner of his web, so that it hung
from the four corners just like a blanket. About a foot.
below this one was another exactly similar, and again
a third below it, and so on to within a few feet of the
DIARY. 37
sround. There were at least six or eight webs. Each
spider took up his station at the centre point of his
web, which was a thicker part than the rest, and cup-
shaped. Between these suspended webs were others
upright, connecting them, so as to catch anything flying
between. Enormous quantities of ants, of every size
and description, swarmed in the forest, and made it
anything but a pleasure to walk therein. In the night
the men started off to some manioc plantations a long
way from the steamer, and returned loaded with roots;
and the noise with which the others in camp greeted
them was enough to waken the dead. For nearly the
whole of the night they did nothing but shout, cook,
and eat.
May 5th.—Reached Mswata at 9.30 a.M., where we
found Barttelot and Parke flourishing. Their tent was
pitched right in the centre of the main street of the
town, if it may so be called, and amidst quantities of
bananas. The old chief was most friendly and anxious
to see “ Bula Matadi,” as all the natives call Mr.
Stanley. The meaning of the name is ‘“ Stone-breaker,”
and it was given him whilst at Vivi. One of the
Zanzibaris was trying to break a large rock, and striking
it in the wrong direction. Stanley noticed the lay of
the cleavage and took the hammer, sending the stone
flying in pieces with one blow. ‘This so astonished the
natives that they at once called him Bula Matadi,
and he is universally known all over the country by
this name and no other. Mswata in Stanley’s time was
one of the Congo State stations, but, like many others,
has been abandoned. The chief has the same mark of
1887.
May 4,
Congo
River.
1887.
May 5.
Mswata.
38 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
distinction as old Makoko, namely a chin-whisker,
divided into two curls. ‘They divide their hair into two
long tails, one on each side of the forehead, bending
outwards, exactly in the shape of buffalo horns, and
sometimes have one in the middle also. The number
of these horns is evidently a sign of the degree of rank
of the wearer, the greatest swells having the largest
number. I went for a stroll through a lovely forest,
full of small streams, at the back of the town, and got
a glorious lot of new butterflies. This is the first place
where I have noticed a decided change in the butterflies
from those of the Lower Congo, some of them being
very beautiful. Barttelot and Parke are to march to
Kwamouth. They dined with us, and we spent a very
pleasant evening. Mr. Stanley sent for Stairs after
dinner, and told him we were to go on straight to
Bolobo with as little delay as possible, and there to ask
the chief's leave to land our men for a few days, as the
last time Stanley was there he was fired upon, and
they had to burn down the town. Whilst it was a Free
State station and Mr. Liebrichts was in command, they
had no palavers, and burnt the town both times; so no
wonder the natives don't like the white man. Mr. Stanley
says, if they refuse to let us land, we must occupy one
of the islands opposite to the town, and await his
arrival. He thinks it is about even chances that we
have a row.
May 6th.—Never came a saying more true than did
the old one to-day, ‘‘ Man proposes, and God disposes.”
We were hours ahead of both the other steamers,
boasting by how far we should beat the Peace up to the
Falls, if we were allowed to go ahead, all sitting in
the top deck-house with the Captain, when there came
a violent bump, then another, and another, and we
were stuck fast on the top of a rock, with the water
pouring into three compartments, through about five
holes in our bottom, and we three or four hundred
yards well out in the river! Luckily the Zanzibaris
behaved splendidly, sitting perfectly still and doing as
DIARY. | og
they were told. With the aid of buckets we could just
keep the water from gaining, but could not get it
down. Upon sounding, we found ourselves on the top
of a large flat rock, with not more than three feet of
water on any partofit. Luckily the florida, which was
fastened alongside with 168 men on board, numerous
loads and donkeys, was drawing so little water that she
did not touch. The holes were all in the afterpart of
the forward compartments; and, as she is built in nine
water-tight compartments, as long as we could keep the
water from gaining and the steamer from bumping, we
were safe. We shifted the whole of the cargo into the
stern, and dropped two anchors. Just then a thunder-
storm came up, with a strong breeze; she at once swung
round, and we started the engine full speed astern;
with one more bump we swung clear right into the
deep water, breaking one anchor, and leaving the other
with a lump of chain on the reck. Then we went full
speed ahead up-stream, and baled away with the
buckets, as our lives depended upon it. We ran both
boats on to a sandy beach on the mainland, half a mile
above the scene of our disaster. That puff of wind just
came in time, and saved us. Had we sunk, probably the
Florida would have been wrecked too. In any case
most of the ammunition, and all the European provisions
and stuff to buy food, would have been lost in the
Stanley. I thanked God, not once but a good many
times, that we got out of it as well as we did. ‘The
view passing Kwamouth is very pretty. The Kwa,
which is really only the mouth of the Kassai River
(which runs into it), is the largest tributary of the
Congo, being navigable for over 400 miles.
Uay Tth—Up at daylight, but very sleepy. The
Henry Reed appeared in the mirage, down river, about
8.30 A.M., so we sent our pilot off in a canoe, to warn
them about the rock, as they were steering straight for
it. Much later we saw the Peace going along close in
to the opposite shore; we signalled, and the Henry
feed whistled, and they came across to us. Mr. Stanley,
1887.
May 6
Congo
River.
1887.
May 7.
Congo
River.
4() STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
of course, was rather annoyed at our disaster, and told
the Captain he had no business to come over to this side
of the river, but he replied that this side was the course
marked on his chart, and explained to him by Captain
Anderson, the late commander of the Stanley, and that
the missionaries also used the same course. Mr. Stanley
then took in hand the directions for patching up the
steamer, and the Captain and the three engineers carried
them out. We first of all removed all the cargo, and
swung her round side on to the beach, then dug a trench
with hoes right under her to the largest of the holes. A
plate was passed through the water on to the outside and
screwed on by bolts. Little hopes of starting to-morrow.
Mr. Stanley said to-day that every day of delay cost
the Expedition £25 in wages to the men alone.
KwaMourTtH.
May 8th.—Mr. Stanley, the Captain, and engineers
worked away until about 8 o'clock at the leaks witha
good deal of success.
May 9th.—Loading up the Stanley ready for a start
in the morning. Mr. Stanley and the engineers finished
DIARY. 4]
putting the plates on by 11 o’clock; the former left for
Bolobo at 12.30.
May 10th.—To-day the scenery became very beau-
- tiful. The river widened to about four miles, and was
dotted all over with small islands covered with tropical
foliage. At the back of every sandbank or island, in
the still water, the heads of the hippopotami could be
seen moving up and down, or their long backs just
above the water resting on the banks. Numbers of
geese were wading on the shores, while large black
and white eagles soared from island to island, and ever
and again gorgeous bee-eaters and kingfishers darted
out of the forest, the bee-eaters hawking away, then
tumbling over and floating away to another tree, their
colours glittering in the sun. The kingfishers would
dart out, hover for a moment over the water, then ap-
parently dive into it, to return to their perch, and sit
pensively gazing down at the river below them. Large
cranes stood solemnly on the banks, absorbed in the
contemplation of some deep and momentous subject.
Then a heavy thunderstorm passed over us, in the midst
of which the far shore stood out in bright sunlight,
with a background of exquisite mountains and valleys,
and one longed for the skill of an artist to give to the
people at home an idea of this magnificent river. The
villages of brown huts, embedded in the gorgeous green
of the plantains, with giant trees towering all around
them, the canoes lying on the sandy beach, with the
fishing-nets hung out to dry, here and there a native
with spear in hand—all these scenes furnished splendid
subjects for the artist—who is not with us!
May 11th—Arrived at Bolobo, which is prettily
situated, looking over one of the broadest parts of the
river. Found fresh buffalo-tracks to-day, and for the,
first time saw the crested guinea-fowl which I expected
to meet. The natives here paint themselves in an ex-
traordinary fashion, some having a black band across
the forehead with white lines drawn over and under
the eyes. Others have long white lines running down
1887.
M
ay 9.
Congo
River,
1887.
May II.
Bolobo.
42 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
the shoulders and arms, and the same down the forehead
and nose. Some of the lines are blue and yellow for a
variety. ‘The knives and axes are very fine, but they
will not part with them. Their spears resemble the
Mashona spears. Their guns are old flint-muskets.
May 12th.—The Henry Reed arrived with the Peace
in tow. Mr. Stanley came to the officers’ tent in the
afternoon, and had a long chat with us. He is going
to reorganize all the companies, and only take on the
best men, leaving the bad ones here with Major
Barttelot to come on when the Stanley returns down
the river. Had to go off very early to cut wood for the
Stanley.
May 13th.—We are are all going to be put on short
rations now; + ounce of tea a day for each man, and
everything else in proportion. Major Barttelot is to
come on to the entrenched camp after all, and Ward is
to be left here. I feel very sorry for him, as up to the
very last moment he thought he was going on. Mr.
Bonny is also being left here. Good news! Mr. Stanley
has given me leave to start at daybreak to-morrow for a
buffalo hunt, and get meat for the men.
May 14th.—After about three and a half hours’ walk-
ing, [came upon one of the most lovely valleys for game
I think I have ever seen or dreamt of, and in any other
country but this it would simply swarm. A few clumps
of trees grew here and there close to some pools of
water, the rest of the valley being covered with luxuriant
grass, amongst which shone out patches of tender green,
where it had once been burnt. After walking about a
mile up along the pools, I came across the tracks of a
bull buffalo, two cows and a calf, which had evidently
passed just before I arrived on the scene. I tracked
them until after 1 o’clock into the middle of a dense
forest, so thick that I had to leave my helmet and go
down on my hands and knees, and crawl nearly every
yard of the road. I heard them break once quite close
to me, but could not see them. Finally I gave it up,
DIARY. 43
and tried the rest of the valley without finding a single
fresh track. JI broke one of my big-toe nails, right
across the very centre, against a stump in the beastly
wood, and had to walk the six or seven miles back to
camp in anything but a nice frame of mind. I was
ereatly surprised to find the Stanley had just arrived
with Barttelot and Parke, for we did not expect them
until to-morrow. Mr. Stanley has rearranged all the
companies, and mine is entirely broken up; he has
taken a lot of the best men from nearly every company
to make up his own to its full strength. Mine was
used to fill up the others, so at present I am without
one. We all start to-morrow.
May 15th.—Alas for all my bright dreams about the
march from the Falls to Wadelai. ‘To-day Mr. Stanley
- informed me that I was to be left with Major Barttelot
in command of the entrenched camp on the Aruwimi.
Of course he tried to soften the matter as much as he
possibly could, by telling me that as most of the ammu-
nition and stores were being left here, he required two
of the best men to remain and guard them, for if any-
thing happened to them the whole Expedition would be.
atanend. He also told me that the men who went on
must not think that they would have the larger share
of honour; but whatever he may say about it, it makes
me mad to think of it. When he told me, I merely
replied “ Very well, Sir,” as I knew that somebody must
be left. I am quite sure that Major Barttelot had
already asked him to leave me with him as his leu-
tenant, his chief reason being that he was afraid he
would not pull so well with some of the other officers.
It is frightfully hard luck on me. Mr. Stanley told me
to get a canoe, and find out as much as I possibly could
about the river. ‘The natives are a bad lot, and I
believe we will have to fight for food for the men by
looting villages. The bright side of the whole thing is
the splendid opportunity it gives me of collecting in a
country never collected in before, and altogether, as far
as I can make out, we shall have rather an exciting time
of it.
1887.
May 14,
Bolobo,
1887.
May 15.
Bolobo.
44 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
[Extract from letter to his wife, June 8th, 1887 :—
“‘ He (Stanley) also told me that those, who went on first
“to the Albert Nyanza Lake, must not think that they
‘‘had one atom more honour attached to what they did,
‘as he himself would be the only one to meet Emin
‘* Pasha in his steamers on the Lake; the others would
“be left in a camp on its shores.” |
The Peace started first this morning, then the Henry
Reed, and lastly ourselves in the Stanley. We made
fast to the shore at a village about twelve miles above
Bolobo, and when Stairs and Nelson landed with the
axe-men, it seems the natives did not want to let them
go through the village. Some of the men ran back
yelling out that the natives were coming, and to bring
all the guns. Barttelot thought they were being at-
tacked, so he landed all the Soudanese and a box of
ammunition, but on getting up into the village not a
native was to be seen; they had all run away. When
the Soudanese returned to the shore, they made a rush
across a small stream to the village on the opposite
side, followed by the Zanzibaris, when an awful scene
of loot commenced. ‘They seized goats, fowls, bananas,
manioc, spears, and everything that they could lay
their hands on. I saw one man with an enormous
wooden stool which he could not possibly have taken
with him on the steamer, and I caught a Somali red-
handed with an immense bundle of manioc and a spear;
I smote him rather hard and he dropped the lot. The
spear I attached to my person. ‘The river to-day
widened out very much, being dotted over with small
and large islands. I am trying hard to look at the
bright side of my being left at the entrenched camp—
the collecting, sketching and fighting—but I cannot get
over a thorough feeling of disappointment.
May 16th.—Just as we were leaving the natives began
to return, and were in a fearful rage when they missed
their things, though some of them were willing to trade,
and we got a few fish and bananas from them.
a
Oe > WW
SERA
NS
FISHERMAN’S Hut.
[Page 47. |]
DIARY. 47
May \7th.—Very seedy. Last night I had to stand
over half an hour in water above my ankles waiting for
the wood-carriers, who could not find us in the dark,
the consequence of which is a bad internal chill.
May 18th.—Too seedy to do anything. This evening
we made fast to the shore at a little fisherman’s hut,
which had a regular palisade and gateway between it
and the river. Our only hope of wuod was a large dead
tree which stood inside the palisade.
May 19th.—Still seedy. Reached Lukulela, after
steaming for twelve hours. We saw two small elephants
within 150 yards of the steamer in the long grass.
Stairs and Barttelot landed and tried to get a shot, but
the noise from the steamer had sent them away at a
quick march. ‘They saw any quantity of fresh tracks
of both elephant and buffalo. It is great fun to see the
Stanley start in the morning; before they can get her
head well up-stream, she waltzes round and round two
or three times, sticking her stern and bows alternately
into the bushes, exactly like a toy boat in a stream.
The Doctor came on board to-night and saw me. Thank
goodness, | am much better.
May 20th.— This morning, I am sorry to say
that the most disgraceful row I have ever heard of
happened between Mr. Stanley and Jephson and Stairs.
It appears that early this morning a number of the men
and chiefs went to Mr. Stanley, and complained that the
officers had flung away their rations for one day. Mr.
Stanley sent for Stairs. The men swore they had bought
the food from the natives last Sunday at the village they
looted (for description of how they bought it, see diary
of that day, May 15th). Stairs told Mr. Stanley this,
assuring him that only stolen stuff was taken away from
them, and sent for Jephson, who gave the same testimony.
It is still quite evident that Mr. Stanley takes the word of
the Zanzibaris on every occasion before that of the white
men, and when he saw that he had hold of rather the
wrong end of this stick, he attacked them about their
1887.
May 17.
Congo
River.
1887.
May 20.
Lukulela.
48 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
tyranny to the men. He attacked them in a frantic
state, stamping up and down the deck of the Feace.
He called Jephson all sorts of names, a “‘G—d d—n son
*‘ of a sea-cook,” ‘* You d——d ass, you're tired of me, of
“the Expedition, and of my men. Go into the bush, get,
“T’ve done with you. And you too, Lieutenant Stairs,
“you and I will part to-day ; you're tired of me, Sir, I can
“see. Get; away into the bush.” Then he turned round
to the men (about 150) sitting down, and spoke Swahili
to the effect that the men were to obey us no more, and
that if Lieutenant Stairs or Jephson issued any orders to
them, or dared to lift a hand, they were to tie them up
to trees. He had already told Stairs that he had only
to lift his hand for the men to throw him into the sea.
He lastly offered to fight Jephson, “ If you want to fight,
““G—d d—n you, I'll give you a bellyful. If I were
“only where you are, I'd go for you. It’s lucky for you
““T’m where Lam.” Mr. Stanley was on the deck of the
Peace, Jephson on shore. All this was said before the
missionaries, Tippu-Tib, and every one. As for Stairs
or Jephson being tired of the Expedition, no men could
work harder or have their hearts more init. I should
think a repetition of this kind of thing would make them
both pretty sick of Mr. Stanley and the Expedition He
also called Jephson, “G—d d—d impudent puppy.”
Barttelot next interviewed him, and he told him that he
was very sorry for Stairs, but had made up his mind
they should stay where they were—that there was evi-
dently a compact among us against him. Barttelot
assured him that there was nothing of the kind. Stairs
next went to him, and after a long interview it ended
in Mr. Stanley taking him back, and telling him that he
had given orders to the chiefs to obey him as before.
Imagine this being necessary, simply from what he had
himself said to them! Jephson went last, and the
interview ended by Mr. Stanley apologizing for the
language he had used, and taking him back also. I had
no idea until to-day what an extremely dangerous man
Stanley was. Could there be anything more inciting
to mutiny than what he had told the Zanzibaris? He for-
DIARY. 49
gets one thing, however, that if they dared to lift a hand
to one of us there would be a terrible lot of them shot,
which would rather weaken his Expedition. It is a
curious fact, when one thinks over it, that the very
men who complained to Mr. Stanley ought, by his own
orders, issued when we left the Pool, to have been
severely flogged. Such is life! Thank goodness, I am
beginning to feel myself again. On his way back from
Mr. Stanley, Jephson brought me an enormous spider,
quite the biggest I have ever seen, although rather
mutilated. One of the men brought me a splendid
crested lory; I skinned it, but am puzzled how to
carry it because of its size, which is about that of a
hornbill. The village here stands amidst beautiful
timber, and the huts shine out like gold in the sunset
against the dark shadows of the forest, making a
beautiful picture.
May 21st—We did not start for a good hour after
the Peace and. Henry Reed, the engineer said because
the wood was too wet, and they could not get up steam.
Mr. Stanley's orders were that all the steamers were to
keep within sight of each other in case of anything
going wrong. We came in sight of them early in the
forenoon; a little later they stopped because of a storm
which came on, and we stopped to cut wood, having
run short. ‘They have now both gone on out of sight ;
itis 4 pmM.,and I should think there must be miles
between us. The Henry Reed and the Peace took dif-
ferent routes, and we are staying here for the night.
This is keeping within sight of one another with a
vengeance !
May 22nd. — Until about 12 o'clock to-day we
were passing through the most lovely tropical forest
scenery. Our passage lay through long lanes of water,
_ that seemed to be cut like canals through the centre of
the forest, the right bank being the mainland. Every
now and again we could catch a glimpse of the great
river covered with islands. ‘The rainy season has set in
now, and every afternoon, as regularly as clockwork, at
E
1887.
May 20:
Congo
River.
Me tole
May 22.
Congo.
River.
50 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
three or four o’clock, up comes a storm which lasts
until nightfall.
May 23rd.—Started at 5.30 well ahead of the Henry
feed and Peace, which we had caught up yesterday
evening, but ours was a short-lived glory, for we very
soon ran short of wood, and at 11 o’clock had to stop
and cut some. Started again at 2 o'clock, and steamed
until 5 o'clock. More woodcutting, dinner, and to
bed. It is beginning to be decidedly monotonous.
May 24th.—We all reached Equator Station shortly
after 5 o'clock. ‘This is one of the nicest looking stations
we have yet seen. We have been passing numerous
native villages very prettily situated on the edge of the
forest, and of which the huts are now changing in shape
altogether, and a good many of them are stockaded.
Some are very long, with angular-shaped roofs, and
many doors to them. ‘The spears, too, have changed in
shape; they are very light in shaft and blade, being
used for throwing only, whereas those lower down the
river are heavy-bladed and are used for stabbing. The
palm-trees here are curiously ragged in appearance,
owing to the attacks of the weaver-birds, who have
stripped them of almost all their leaves, with which
they build their nests on other trees. ‘The natives are
a finer-looking people, resembling the Bangalas I saw
at the Pool. Iwas delighted to hear that the Peace
_ had to stop and cut wood as well as ourselves, for Mr.
Stanley had been blaming us for loitering on the road.
May 25th.—Went on shore early with the axemen to .
cut wood. In the afternoon, Mr. Glave, who now
belongs to the Sanford Expedition*, came on board, and
asked us all to dine. He was formerly in the service
of the Free State, but has left it like many more, as rats
leave asinking ship. I notice that one of the chief occu-
pations of the Belgian officers at the different stations is
to civilize the country by adding to the population
* The Sanford Expedition was an Ivory Trading Company, called the
Sanford Exploring Company ; vide ‘ Darkest Africa,’ vol. i. p. 93.—En.
DIARY. 51
specimens of half-breeds, as they are all more or less
married to native women. This mode of civilization
seems to be adopted by all the white men here, whether
officers of the State or not. I saw some beautiful perch,
almost exactly like our own. We dined with Mr.
Glave, and during dinner Captain Van Geéle related a
“story about some wonderful river, a tributary of the
Congo, which he had been exploring, and from which
he had brought some zvory mallets, used for crushing
corn or manioc. He produced them, and was greatly
annoyed when both Dr. Parke and I declared them to
be bone, and not ivory at all! This, I am sorry to say,
damped the conversation. ‘The ivory here is very large
indeed. Amongst a lot bought by Glave for the San-
ford Expedition were tusks of 118, 111, 97, 95, and
90 lbs. Much of it is greatly discoloured through
having been buried. He only paid 2s. 2d. a lb. for the
118 lb. tusk, which is a fairly white one.
May 26th.—Steamed all day through the usual num-
ber of wooded islands. Close to where we made fast
for the night was a small bare sandbank, inhabited by
a small colony of the most beautiful terns I have ever
seen. The top of the head, neck, and back are all
black ; throat, breast, and belly are pure white; bill and
legs red. ‘They are, I think, similar to two which I
observed at Stanley Pool. As I had no small boat, I
could not get a shot. We had the usual woodcutting
business in the jungle, became covered as usual with
the ants, and later on up came the usual thunderstorm.
Mr. Stanley’s orders are that we are not to go ahead of
the Peace, and the Henry Reed has to obey the same
orders. Mr. Stanley has ordered Parke to come on with
us in the Stanley, and Jephson to take his place in the
Henry Reed, because he says there are so many sick on
the Stanley and Florida. However that may be, it
seems a mistake putting Jephson on the same steamer
with Tippu-Tib and his men, as he has already had one
rather nasty row with Salem, Tippu’s brother-in-law.
May 27th.—After a very short piece of steaming and
E 2
1887.
May 25
Equator
Station.
1887.
May 27.
Uranga.
52 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN
going frightfully slowly to keep behind the Peace, we
reached Uranga at 10.30 4.m. Mr. Stanley is a “ blood-
brother ” of the chief of this place. I try every conceiv-
able plan to protect my specimens from the ants, but
though I may succeed for a short time they are sure to
defeat me at last. I noticed many of the spears here re-
semble the Mashona ones, having a long piece of iron |
between the blade and the ordinary wooden shaft, which
latter 1s bound round by rings of iron ; they also have the
leaf-shaped blade. [unintentionally swindled an old chief
out of a goat, but it served him right, as he swindled me
about a spear which I bought from him with cloth,
knowing that I was giving too much; but as [ wanted it
badly I did not wrangle over the price. He then said he
would make mea present ofa goat, which in this country
means that I had to give him a presentinreturn. I told
him I did not want it; but when I came back, late in the
evening, it had been sent on board. After dinner he
came and made a great fuss, saying he must have the
goat or a present. Nelson, who was on deck, turned
him off. We started just after daybreak, and he tried
to board us with his canoe, instead of coming for his
present before we got under way. We left him in the
middle of the river, evidently using anything but nice
language. He will be rather chary of giving presents
again, and we will eat the goat, which seems fat.
May 28th—A most monotonous day’s steaming. I
am sorry to say I have read nearly all our small store
of books. |
May 29th.—Islands, river, scenery, natives, canoes,
&c., just the same as yesterday. The only excitement
was caused by a troop of large brown monkeys who
appeared on some trees on the banks, and who seemed
not to be the least bit frightened at the steamer, but
went on scratching and hunting as though nothing out
of the common was near them. Stopped for the night
on an island opposite Bolombo.
May 30th.—Numbers of natives in canoes came round
the steamers, trying to persuade us to stop at Bolombo
DIARY. 93
and trade for food; but as Iboko, or Bangala, was only a
few hours ahead there was not much chance of that.
Bolombo is on the south bank, and Iboko on the north
bank of the river. We arrived at the latter place at
12.30. Mr. Stanley was saluted from the Station by
shots from one of the Krupp guns, of which they have
two. ‘The Houssas and Zanzibaris were drawn up in a
line, and the excitement on shore was intense to know
what on earth so many steamers and people had come
for. They thought it was an Expedition to retake the
Falls, as they had not heard any news for four months.
The Station, which is the last, and one of the largest on
the Congo, consists of three white buildings, constructed
of mud, plaster, and stick walls, with a thatched roof,
beneath which is built, I believe, a solid ceiling of
mud to prevent it falling-in in case of fire. A French-
man here, by trade a brickmaker, has utilized all the
different kinds of clay to be found on the shore, with
which he has constructed regular brick sheds, yards, and
kilns; when I saw them there were 300,000 bricks,
principally on the floors, but one very large kiln was
already made and burning. ‘The women here dress in
quite a different way to any I have yet seen, their cos-
tume being composed of a light band of palm-fibres,
made from the bark, and dyed—some orange, some
lemon and orange, others black or deep lake-red; they
look for all the world like a ballet-dancer’s skirts. Both
men and women are a very fine-looking race. The new
Station is defended by three palisades and a ditch; at
the corners are raised platforms for the Krupp guns.
There is the making of a good garden, which is the
result of Mr. Bailey’s teaching, who seems to have
taught them more than half of what they know on the
Congo, especially in matters connected with sport,
gardening, and planting. Mons. Baert give us dinner
in the evening, after which Mr. Stanley rose, and in a
speech proposed the health of the King of the Belgians.
He began by telling us of the state Bangala and the
other places on the river were in when he passed down
ten years ago, and had the great fight with the natives
here. He continued :—“‘ Now here I find an hotel
1887.
May 30)
Bangala
1887.
May 30.
Bangala.
54. STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
(doubtful compliment to the Belgians, who call it a Free
State station!), where one can have a good bed, good
dinner, and everything that one wants.” He then traced
how this was all owing to the King of the Belgians, and
went on to say that we were here at the very last point
of civilization between us and Zanzibar. ‘The speech
ended by his proposing the health of the King of the
Belgians, which was duly drunk. |
Major Barttelot, with forty of the best of the Souda-
nese, goes on to Stanley Falls in the Henry Reed, where
he leaves ‘Tippu-Tib, and comes up the Aruwimi to
where we are to make the entrenched camp, about 120
miles up the river. ‘The reason that Stanley is sending
the Soudanese instead of the Zanzibaris, is that he fears
that if they saw Tippu’s place and people, the discon-
tented ones would come back to the camp, and persuade
the others to desert us; as, should they once get to
Tippu-Tib’s camp, it would be a simple matter for them
to get out to Zanzibar with one of his caravans, o1
find employment in some of his towns. ‘The tribes on
the Aruwimi are very fierce and warlike, and are real
cannibals, so they will be rather interesting to study.
Mr. Stanley is the only white man who has been any
distance up the river, and I believe he has not been so
far as where we intend to make our camp.
Captain Hausen, in the Free State service, left three
of his Houssas at one of the towns near the mouth of
the Aruwimi, and the natives tied them to trees, and
crammed them with food until they considered them
sufficiently fat, when they ate two of them, but the
third, being a thin old fellow, was reserved. How-
ever, he escaped, and was caught and tied up again;
this happened twice, but the third time he got away to
the river, and was picked up by one of the steamers.
The same curious appearance is given to the palm-irees
here as at Equator Station, by the weaver-birds stripping
off all the leaves for their nests, which they have built
on a large tree without any leaves in the centre of the
Station. The hippopotamiare becoming very scarce ; we
have hardly seen one since leaving Equator Station.
DIARY. 5d
May 31st.—The Henry Reed left for the Falls, with
Major Barttelot and Tippu-Tib, at 6 a.m. Mr. Stanley
left in the Peace at noon. Our men strolled on board
evidently just as they pleased, and we did not get
away for a good hour and a half after him. Since
that speech of his to them at Lukulela they have lost
what little sense of discipline they ever had. We all
lunched with Mons. Baert, and a capital lunch he
gave us.
Major Barttelot left nineteen of the Soudanese and
Alexander (one of the interpreters) in my charge until
he arrives at the Aruwimi camp. Alexander and four
others are in a very bad state, and one of the men espe-
cially I do not expect to live more than a few days.
They are the most helpless and desponding lot of men
when they are at all sick that I ever came across. I
tried to buy a very curious knife from one of the Ban-
galas this morning, but he asked such an absurd price
for it that I told him he ought to keep it at home for
fear of losing it. The Captain told us to-day that
at Manyanga, on the lower Congo, a hippo that was on
shore was fired at, and, charging through the village,
ran clean through the middle of the walls of a house on
to the roof of which a lot of people had retreated.
June 1st.—Kept steaming away all day behind the
Peace until nearly sunset. Went to bed with a distinct
touch of fever.
June 2nd.—Had to lie up all day.
June 3rd.—Bad night; had to lie up again all day,
but got better towards evening, thanks to old Parke,
who has given me the right medicine to begin with,
and topped it up with arrowroot, milk, and brandy.
There are enormous quantities of orchilla-weed all
along the south bank, and for the last three days we
have passed through one continuous stream of the
common white butterfly of the Congo, all migrating
from the south bank to the north. A day or two before
I saw them crossing the river I noticed them flying
1887.
May 31
Congo
River.
56 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
poe through the trees on the south bank in enormous
Congo) numbers, and all going eastward in the same direction
River. as ourselves; then suddenly they began to cross in
thousands, and have been crossing ever since.
June 4th—Thank goodness, feel myself again.
Steamed away all day through the same monotonous
scenery, although I must say some of the gorgeous
colouring can never seem anything but fresh and pleas-
ing to the eye. A few monkeys looked at us, and
helped to relieve the monotony of the scene. We
never managed to catch up the Peace. The first hippos
we have seen for a long time came up close to the
steamer after we had made fast for the night, and Parke
had a shot at one of them, but put the bullet just over
his head. After he fired I noticed a very large flight of
birds, all flying due south, and from their form and
flight, seen in the dusky light, they appeared to be
medium-sized owls. The flight continued for quite
twenty minutes. One of the Somalis died to- ae he
had only been ill about twenty-four hours.
Sunday, June dth.—Started very early—almost in the
dark—in hopes of catching up the Peace; this we failed
to do. One of the Soudanese died to-day, the second
death amongst them since leaving Bangala. When they
once get sick they neither eat, drink, nor move; in fact,
like the Somalis, they simply make up their minds to
die. I saw many very fine orchids in the jungle to-day,
but none of them in flower, and one beautiful fern
growing high up in the palm-trees. The leaves of it
erow outwards for only a few inches, and then hang
straight down in perfect masses round the trunk of
the palm. This would be a most effective plant in a
European hothouse.
June 6th.—Quite an exciting day. Made an early
start, and after going through the most difficult passages
between islands and sandbanks, we at last came within
sight of Upoto, which stands at the foot of the first high
eround we have seen for some time. No signs of either
DIARY. OT
the Peace or the Henry Reed! ‘There were three sepa-
rate villages some distance apart, so we steamed up to
the one highest up river, to see if the steamers could be
there. Not finding them, we made for the middle
village, and upon our approach to land, all the natives
rushed down to the shore with their spears, shields, and
guns, yelling and shouting at us to keep back. They
certainly meant an attack, so we started for the lowest
village, the natives following us and running along the
shore, where they were joined by all the men of the
third village. As wood was very short, and we must
get food for the men, we ran the steamer straight for
shore, and they all stood about forty yards off, making
a terrific noise. ‘They at length listened to our spokes-
man, and agreed to allow us to land if one of the white
men would come on shore and be made blood-brother
to their chief. Stairs and the Captain of the steamer
landed, and the ceremony was performed with much
pomp. Stairs’ arm was slightly cut until blood came,
and the chief's also, then the bleeding parts were rubbed
together, each man swearing to be a “ true brother” to
the other. All this time a wild song was kept up by
the natives, beer was drunk, and the chief sent us a
present of a goat. The fierce natives of half an hour
ago were in one moment transformed into the sharpest
‘and most eager traders, ready to sell everything they
possessed. What little modesty one has left, after see-
ing daily so many naked forms, here received rather a
shock, for the women are as Eve was before she went
to Madame Figuier for her costumes. There were a few
exceptions among the elder women, but their attempts
at dress are so much of a failure that they had far better
remain as their sisters. The people here are the genuine
savage, without a vestige of civilization. I bought three
very curious knives, two handsome spears, and a shield,
which, if they ever reach home, will be great curiosities.
In the afternoon up steamed the Peace. Mr. Stanley
was in a fearful rage. It appears that after missing us
yesterday he steamed back down river to look for us,
thereby losing a whole day. He told us that had he
1887.
June 6,
Upoto.
1887.
June 6.
Upoto.
a8 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
not found the steamer here, he would have treated us
all as deserters. Now this is hardly fair, as from what
the Captain and Engineer of the Peace both say it is
evident that he missed us owing to a fault of his own.
He mistook a channel of the main river for a small river
which he thought ran into the Congo at this place. He
therefore steamed away outside an island when we went
up the passage along the mainland. He used some very
hard words whilst talking to us, and it seems as if he
did not trust us when one yard away from him. As for
myself, [ know I have done nothing, but then I have
been so seedy until yesterday; but the other officers
have worked away as hard as any white man can, stand-
ing for hours in the most horrible swamps till long after
dark to get enough wood. What sickens one of the
whole thing is the utter distrust which Mr. Stanley
plainly tells us he has of us all; and how long this state
of things is going to last I cannot tell, but it is frightfully
DIARY. og
disheartening. The necklaces in fashion here are
mostly of human or crocodile teeth, which are bored
and hung in large numbers on a piece of string; the
earrings worn by men, instead of the women, are of
cowrie-shells. They had a lot of ivory to sell at absurdly
low prices, but all very small and discoloured. ‘Their
huts, which are miserable, are built in small streets at
right angles to the river-bank. Had an interesting chat
with Mr. Charters of the Peace, who confirmed in every
particular the story of the Houssas being eaten at
Basoko.
June Tth.—The war-like natives of yesterday are
peaceful traders now, coming up with a shield and spear
in one hand, and two eggs or a fowl in the other, and
begging one to buy. Mr. Stanley told them that had
they attacked us yesterday, there would not have been
a vestige of their village left this morning. We started
at 12 o'clock, and steamed away into the usual maze of
islands, quickly losing sight of the high mainland,
which had been so refreshing to our eyes. We started
this time with every intention of its not being our fault
if we lose the Peace again. Both steamers stopped. at
5 o'clock, and the usual cutting of wood in swamps was
gone through. This time I was fit and went out too.
Native or Uroro,
1887.
June 6
Upoto.
Native VILLAGe.
CHAPTER IV.
JUNE 8TH TO JULY 3lIsT.
Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—Pass burning villages.—Arrival at Aruwimi River.
—Conical-shaped huts.—Occupation of Yambuya.—Arrival of Henry
Reed.—Stanley’s letter of instructions.—Re-packing bales for Emin.
—Barttelot made “ blood-brother ” with native chief—Rations for six
months.—“ Beggars must not be choosers.”—Stanley’s departure.—
Building boma.—Extraordinary flight of butterflies—Palaver with
natives.— Collecting” captives.— Natives capture Omari.— Woman
escapes.— Uselessness of chiefs.—Gum-copal.
FROM A LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON.
iss7. June 8th.—I will now give you a general idea of the
June8. lan of campaign. At present we have left behind us
a” eo
aT ae *
EXTRACT FROM LETTER. 61
a force of 124 men at Bolobo under Ward and Bonny,
At Leopoldville is an enormous quantity of stores and
ammunition which we could not bring. When the
steamers leave us at the entrenched camp, they return
down the Congo, and the Stanley will bring up all the
stores and ammunition with the 124 men from Bolobo.
In the meanwhile Stanley will have gone on with 350
men (leaving 100 men with us in camp), carrying light
loads, to make a forced march through the unknown
country to Lake Albert Nyanza, where he expects Emin
Bey to come down from Wadelai to meet him. On the
return of the Stanley to the Aruwimi camp with the
stores and the 124 men, our force will consist of a
little over 200 men. Tippu-Tib will then send us about
400 men from Stanley Falls. When they arrive we shall
take all the stores and ammunition and march after
Stanley; he will have marked the trees on his route.
And now I think I have told you as much as any of us,
except Stanley, know about our plans for the future.
June 10th.—I must give you the menu of our mid-
day meal, which we have just finished :—
Soup.
Weevil-eaten beans, flavoured with goat.
Entrée.
Stewed goat and rice.
Roast.
Roast leg of goat and rice.
Vegetable.
Rice and fried manioc-four,
Sweet.
Fried bananas.
So you see we are not so badly off! We have no spirits
of any kind, but drink boiled Congo water.
I enclose a little sketch I made of a native chief who
came to make a present of a goat to Mr. Stanley ata
1887.
dune 8
Conge
River.
62 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1887. place called Nzungi, on the march from Matadi to
June 10. ;
Congo Ptanley Pool.
River.
I have never been on any trip where there is so little
enjoyment of any kind ; it is all so serious, and a sort of
gloom hangs overitall. If one does say anything which
raises a laugh, it is the most ghastly imitation of one,
and dies a sudden death, not to be raised again, per-
haps, that day.
DIARY (continued).
June 8th.—Just after starting this morning we dis-
turbed an old hippo at his breakfast in the long grass,
and he walked quietly into the water, giving us a splen-
did view of his person. In the afternoon we passed one
very large native village, which is the first I have seen
really constructed on a definite plan. It was all built.
in small squares, the river forming the fourth side, with
a regular landing-place for canoes to each little square,
and roughly-made ladders up the bank. ‘The people
were very eager to trade, and followed us a long way in
their canoes. The women, with few exceptions, still
DIARY. 63
continue to wear nothing whatever. I must say that at
one village, however, most of the women had tied round
their waists large green banana-leaves, cut into fine long
shreds, and just pulled off the trees, as if they knew we
were coming. ‘Ihe bright green against their dusky
skins was very effective. I noticed one very large black
monkey to-day, with an immensely long tail.
June 9th.—Cup-day at Ascot. What crowds of
recollections suddenly spring up when one thinks of
this, and how I wonder if, amongst the number of one’s
friends there, any of them will give a thought to
those who are absent like myself. We passed great
numbers of native villages, the inhabitants of which are
a really savage-looking people, of whom it is very easy
to believe all the stories of cannibalism ; they all, how-
ever, wanted us to land and trade, holding up goats
and fowls, and following us for long distances in
their canoes. The whole of the deck-cabin nearly came
down to-day, owing to the great pressure of the top
deck, which is crowded with men. We had to move
half the men off it on to the lower one, where they
are now packed like sardines. If the top deck comes
down, it will burst all the steam-pipes, scald a lot of us,
and throw most of the men into the river.
June 10th.—Some of the villages we passed on the
banks of the mainland are very large. The natives
were collected in groups at every landing place opposite
to the huts, some of them with their bodies entirely
covered with bright red clay, and their black faces yet
more blackened and shining, presented a very curious
appearance. It is very funny to see them in some
places, peering out of holes in the dense undergrowth
of the forest, just like frightened animals. At one
village their principal occupation seemed to be in
making canoes; they use a tool very like our adze. I
noticed a creat number of elephant tracks all through
the forest. It was my turn to sit up and see the wood
split for the steamer. Did not get to bed until 2.30 p.m.
1887.
June 8,
Congo
River.
1887.
June 11.
Congo
River.
64 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
June 11th.—Passed some very large villages, one o1
them extending over two miles; they seem to be very
thickly populated. They are all built on the same plan
as that one described above Upoto, in small squares,
the river-bank forming the fourth side of the square,
with a bare courtyard in the centre, where they make
their pottery, &c. The native shields are nearly all
made of hide of some kind, I think goat, but I saw one
which looked very like bush buckskin; they have a
raised basin-shaped dome in the centre in some cases,
made of metal. Between the small squares of the
villages are either patches of plantains and bananas or
jungle, while at the rear there is generally a strip of
Indian corn or manioc, and then comes the forest. ‘There
are evidently great manufactures of pottery, for I saw
great heaps of pottery in all stages. In all the squares
is a great drum formed of a hollow log, covered at the
end with skin. Many of the natives dye their bodies
bright red with cam-wood, others are blackened all
over with the forehead painted pure white, and a small
patch under each eye. ‘This gives them the most
ghastly appearance. One of the largest villages, Mbunan,
had just been burned the night before we passed, and
some of the huts were still burning. A few of the in-
habitants were wandering about in their war-paint, and
looking at the ruins, but they all fled at our approach.
They are anything but friendly, as at nearly every village
they yelled and shouted at us, shaking their spears and
shields, and making signs of cutting our throats, heaping
all sorts of insults upon us. It is a bad look-out for
our chances of trading for food at the entrenched camp.
June 12th.—Arrived at the Aruwimi at last. Did
not pass as many villages as yesterday. One large one
on the north bank is called Yalumbo. ‘The natives
seem to be of a much lighter colour than those we have
seen on the south bank; they are shorter and better
built. Their paddles are very long in the blade, and
beautifully shaped. We came in sight of the mouth of
the Aruwimi about 4 P.M., and entered by the channel
DIARY. 65
on the north bank; the other channel is hidden by a
large island which stands in the centre of the mouth of
the river. Mr. Stanley steamed across to Basoko, a
large town on the opposite bank, and told the people
he wished them to bring us food. He then returned to
an old camping-place of his, and we put in a little
lower down. At our approach immense numbers of
canoes left the town for the opposite banks and islands.
The view at the mouth of the river is very pretty, as
there is a grand stretch of the Congo without islands,
and the forest is very fine. JBaruti, Stanley’s native
servant, originally came from Basoko, and I believe
there was a most interesting scene when the Peace
went over there, between him and his relations. Much
weeping and kissing! Basoko stands in lat. 1° 15” and
long. 24° 12". The river here is just 900 yards wide.
The natives all have their ears stretched in several
places by pieces of stick placed in the holes.
June 13th.—Orders came from the Peace that we
were not to start until 12 o’clock, in the hope that the
people would bring us food, but no canoes came near
us. The Stanley was the steamer which carried the
men belonging to the Free State, who burnt the town
about fourteen months ago, and they are still afraid to
come near her. Not five minutes after we had started,
a number of natives who must have been hidden quite
close to us in the bush, ran down to our landing-place.
We all went into fits of laughter at a few men on the
bank (further up) who gave us a regular war dance, the
principal features of which were insulting gestures.
The banks of the river are far more thickly populated
than the Congo. If they chose to attack us when
we are scattered in small parties through the dense
forest, woodcutting, where one could not use a rifle
until they were close to one, they could easily finish us
all. I was to-night in the dark, on one of the native
paths, without a light of any kind for over an hour, not
a dozen men with me, and I have not the least doubt
that the natives were close to us in the bush. J
F
1887.
June 14
Aruwimi
River.
-1887.
June 13.
Aruwimi
River.
66 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
see that the curious appearance of their ears is due to
tufts of dry coloured grasses, bunches of teeth, and all
sorts of things stuck into the holes bored all along
their edges. I saw one man to-day, with a long piece
of stick, put right through both nostrils at right angles
ap
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t
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(
tohis nose. They have small oval shields, sharp-pointed
at both ends, with a raised dome in the centre, different
from any others down river.
DIARY, 67
June 14th.—Just before we started some of Mr.
Stanley's company set fire to the huts, a most uncalled-
for piece of devilment, and a thing to be regretted, as
it is more likely to set the natives against us than
anything. Saw the first of the conical-shaped huts
mentioned in Stanley’s book; they are made of the
leaves of palms cut off near the trunk, and overlapping
one another layer upon layer, like a shingle roof. The
door is small and low, the huts being generally very
high. Some of the natives came across and wished to
trade. Most of their paddles have a knob of ivory
on the end, and are of the most graceful shapes.
June 15th.—Last night ten rounds of ammunition
per man were served out, and now we go about in fear
of our lives that they will be trying the cartridges in
their rifles, and letting them off by accident. ‘The river
is now very much narrower, not over 500 yards wide,
and the north bank is much higher than the south. A
little after 5 o’clock we came within sight of the rapids,
and the town of Yambuya, where the entrenched camp
is to be, and which is to be our home for so long. I
was greatly disappointed with the rapids, which are
nothing in appearance but a few lines of broken water,
although a great volume of water must pass over them.
We made fast to the bank opposite the town, and
Stairs went over to see Mr. Stanley, and returned with
the following orders. We were to have steam up at
6am. The Peace was to start first, go over to the
village, and if possible have a palaver with the natives.
We were to steam out into the middle of the river, and
just keep headway against the stream. No whistle
would be blown except by the Peace, and that would be
a signal that negotiations had failed. We'were then to
cross over to her, when Jephson would land his company,
Stanley having already landed his; they were to ascend
the bank, and spread in skirmishing order through the
village. Whilst the others were landing, Stairs, if
necessary, was to work the Maxim gun from the top.
deck of the Stanley. As I had no company, I was
F 2
1887.
June 14
Aruwimi
River.
1887.
dune 15.
68 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
prepared to do any general fighting. No shots were to
Yambuya, De fired, and no damage done to the village unless the
natives showed active resistance.
Jine 16th.—At 6 a.m. the Peace steamed over to the
village, and Mr. Stanley had a very long palaver with —
the natives, who would not hear of our landing there.
So the whistle was at last blown, and we at once cast
off and joined the Peace, which had dropped down
below the landing-place. ‘The orders were carried out
exactly, and it was a ludicrous sight to see Jephson’s
chief going up the bank first, which was fearfully steep,
and about 40 ft. high, holding his rifle as far out in
front of him as possible, and peering on every side for
a lurking foe. Not a native was to be seen when they
did get up, and the whole village was occupied in
perfect peace. We put up our tents, and destroyed the
huts which were not required for our men. After
dinner Mr. Stanley called us all to his tent, and hada
long talk with us. He explained the plan of the fort,
which was to be a triangle, with its base the river-bank,
stockaded, and with an outside ditch of 6 ft. wide and
4 ft. deep, 10 ft. from the boma (stockade). He told us
that ‘Tippu-Tib was coming with as many men as he
could get together, seven days after our landing, and
going on with him to the Lake. He would also send
enough men to enable us to follow after him with all
the stores left here, and those brought up by the Stanley
on her return journey. He also said that where there
was enough food for so many natives, there must be far
more than enough for us. He dwelt a long time on the
great importance of Barttelot’s and my position, being
left in charge of the fort to guard all the stores, as, if
anything should happen to them, the Expedition would
be at an end. Mr. Stanley said he would finish the
stockade, and as much of the defences as possible, and
that he would not in any case leave us until we were in
what he considered a position of perfect safety. He also
told us of his intention of returning from Lake Albert
Nyanza on the route which he will take from here, in
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ENTRENCHED CAMP, MAIN STREET, [Page 68 ]
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DIARY. 71
case we had not enough men to come on with the
ammunition and stores; in any case we would meet on
the road. ‘The natives have removed every vestige of
food. In the centre of this village are three poles
between which are built up the most extraordinary
collection of native skulls, baskets, and all sorts of
implements.
June 17th.—My orders for the day were to unload
the Stanley and Florida, and stack all the stores and
ammunition. ‘This took the whole day to finish. Nelson
and his company were all day making a road up the
river through the villages in that direction, so as to
give Mr. Stanley and his party a fair start on their long
journey. All the villages were deserted. Stairs finished
the clearing round the camp, and began the stockade,
Jephson and his men cut wood for the steamers, and
Parke explored in search of manioc plantations. A few
natives came in and told Mr. Stanley that the country
further up the river becomes very hilly, the travelling
stony and rough, but that there are plenty of villages.
News gradually spread through camp that Baruti, Mr.
Stanley’s native boy, whom he has had for years, had
run away, taking with him Mr. Stanley’s belt with
cartridges, revolver, and compass, and also a rifle be-
longing to William Hoffman, his servant. Feruzi and
Bulla, boys belonging: to the Captain of the Stanley,
and one of the Engineers had bolted too. ‘This proves
how the savage in a man will out, no matter how you
train him. ‘The natives have crossed the river, and
formed a large camp on the opposite shore.
In a letter to his wife, dated the 14th June, Jameson
writes :-—
“IT cannot get over the feeling of disappointment at
being left alone here with only Major Barttelot, when
all the others are marching on to the Lakes. We shall
have to do afterwards by ourselves, with Troup, Ward,
and Bonny, the same march through the same unknown
country as the others are doing with Stanley as their
1887.
June 16.
Yambuya.
1887.
June 18.
Yambuya.
72 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
leader, and all the picked Zanzibaris in the Expedition.
I suppose we shall be here about two months before the
steamer returns up river, and we can start. I ama
giant of health just now, and once we are settled in
the camp I shall have time to draw, paint, and write all
sorts of things for you. I like to linger over my letters
to you for hours, for then the Expedition and all its
surroundings seem to fade far away, but I am rudely
awakened, as usual, to the dry hard facts of our progress
up this river. .
And later on, from Yambuya, he says :—(June 18th)
“This is an unfortunate place for me to be confined
to, as there is not a single track of game of any kind . .
June 19th. . . To-morrow morning we shall eat our last
piece of the old milk-goat, and I expect it will bea
good two months before Barttelot and I get any more,
for the natives have brought in nothing. Stanley and
his party, however, should get plenty, as they will come
upon as before the people have time to carry away
anything .
DIARY (continued).
June 18th.—Nelson, Parke, and Jephson were all
out cutting wood. Stairs was finishing poles for
stockade, whilst I was collecting wood, and seeing it
stacked. No natives came in; not a bit of meat in
Camp.
June 19th.—Nothing of interest.
June 20th.—Every one out woodcutting. I again
superintended splitting and stacking. The Stan/ey left
at last for Leopoldville, carrying all our mails. ‘There
were many happy hearts when she started, we had had
to cut ten days’ wood for her, which was an enormous
pile. The Peace is to remain and go back with the
Henry Reed. 'The Stanley is to make all haste en route,
and return as soon as possible with all the stores and
a i nas
DIARY. 13
ammunition from Leopoldville, and the men from ,/8%,
Bolobo. Mr. Stanley has promised the Captain and Yuubeges
Engineer £50 each, if they return in August, or at the
latest in September, and handed to me the orders on
the bank to give them if they do so.
June 2\st—Have been very seedy for the last week,
and felt worse to-day. Inspecting stacking and splitting
wood again. Mr. Stanley began to build the store,
which is also to be my house, and blamed me for not
having done so before, although he must have known
that for the last three days I could not have got a man
or an axe to help me, and he himself told me to look
after the splitting and stacking of wood. The Henry
fteed, with Barttelot, never turned up, although over-
due. Some natives came into camp to have a palaver
with Mr. Stanley; they proposed that we should send
five Zanzibaris over with them to the other side of the
river to show confidence, and make palaver. Stanley
said no, but that they must send two goats and ten
fowls to us, and then palaver. Still no meat in camp.
Living on rice, manioc cakes, and beans with biscuit ;
no sugar or salt—a fact! The natives get manioc by
crossing the river below camp at night, and going up
into the plantations.
June 22nd.—Myr. Stanley was getting very anxious
to-day about the Henry Reed, and ordered the Peace to
start down the river with Stairs and 30 men on board
to-morrow, and proceed to the Falls. He thought
that perhaps Tippu-Tib might have seized the steamer
—rather a curious fact, since he stated to us that he
considered Tippu’s word as good as any white man’s.
However, when we had given up all hope, late in the
evening she appeared round the bend of the river, and
Barttelot brought two magnificent, big, fat goats and
some bananas and plantains. ‘There was also a splendid
fat cow on board, a present from Tippu-Tib to the
native chief at Leopoldville, which I wish Mr. Stanley
would have allowed us to seize, as I do not see a chance
1887.
June 22.
Yambuya.
74. STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
of our getting any meat after he is gone. The large
town we saw burning on the Congo was burnt by the
people on the Henry feed after all, as Tippu-Tib’s
people had been looting and were attacked, and some
of them were badly wounded, after which they burnt
the whole place. ‘Tippu-Tib is not coming after all,
but is going to send a chief and some men instead.
It appears that in Mr. Stanley’s contract with him, Mr.
Stanley promised to supply all his men with ammuni-
tion; Tippu-Tib found out that he could not do this,
as all the powder and caps are still at Leopoldville, so
he is very much annoyed, and at first was not going to
send anyone; but Major Barttelot persuaded him,
telling him that all the ammunition would be here on
the return of the Stanley. Mr. Charters, the missionary
engineer of the Peace, made me exceedingly anxious
this morning by informing me that there is a great
chance that my letters sent by the Stanley will never
reach home, as they would almost certainly be opened,
read, and destroyed at Boma; he told me that letters
are constantly stopped there*. This is a most dis-
graceful thing, for if there is one thing ever respected
in any country by the governing body, it is the
mails.
June 23rd.—All day stacking stores and ammunition.
In the afternoon four or five Soudanese came in,
carrying one of their party, who had been speared by a
native; they had been looting a village, when the
natives attacked them. ‘T'wo Zanzibaris, who were with
them, fired and killed a native, when the others all ran
away. Dr. Parke says it is a dangerous wound (in the
groin), although he ought to live. ‘There was great
beating of drums after this, but no further attack. Poor
Alexander, one of the Soudanese interpreters, died
to-day. He has been ill for a long time, and ought
never to have been taken on the Expedition.
* In justice to the Congo authorities on this occasion, it must be
stated that all the letters sent by Jameson arrived safe and unopened.
—Ep.
DIARY. 79
June 24th—The Henry Reed and Peace left early this
morning. All men out cutting poles for palisade, which
was partly finished by evening.
June 25th.—Jephson and I had to write a report
upon the state of the bales of clothes &c. for Emin.
In consequenc of the way in which they were packed,
nearly the whole of them were rotten; but there were
a good many which, with patching, might still be made
wearable, so we decided to repack these, and use the
rest for medical bandages. Stairs is really very bad
with fever ; in fact, so bad that Mr. Stanley warned me
to be ready to go instead of him at a moment’s notice.
To-day Mr. Stanley gave Major Barttelot a long letter
of instructions and advice, of which I had to make two
copies *. I was very glad indeed to get the letter, as it
cleared up many things, of which I had only a very
hazy idea. It is clear upon every point, but as regards
our relations with Tippu-Tib’s people, I think more
might have been told us on this subject.
June 26th.—Engaged all morning in re-packing the
bales for Emin Pasha, which are now reduced from five
to three. I had to use the cover of my tent to pack a
good many of the things in, which is a great loss to
me, but it is in a good cause. ‘The chief of the natives
came over to-day, with whom Major Barttelot was made
“‘blood-brother,” in order to increase our friendly rela-
tions with them after Mr. Stanley’s departure.
“woman with a baby. We caught her too, but she
DIARY. 85
screamed fearfully, and I thought she would bring a
perfect hornets’ nest about us; but the noise of the
rapids drowned her voice. In the meantime there were
now five men and two boys standing up to their necks
in the water, as we had got between them and the
canoe. The Soudanese officer advanced to the edge of
the water, and, pointing his gun at one of the boys,
he swore he would shoot him if he did not come out.
He came out, and we promptly collared him, tied the
two women together, and went off at the double for
Basksl- wrork ORT a thy &
a eb ter Bk z
camp. We passed a great number of canoes full of
natives, close to the bank, who, when they saw our
prisoners, started off at once for their villages across
river. Major Barttelot was delighted when I returned
with the captives. He sent the boy away to his village
to tell the chief that he would only give up the women
for goats and fowls, and that he must come and have a
palaver himself, as his people had not fulfilled their
promises to us, for which reason we had taken the
women. We gave the little chap four matakas for
himself. He had hardly gone, when we observed a
canoe coming down river straight for camp, and the
enraged husband of the woman with the picaninny
arrived. Luckily he turned out tobe the same man who
was here yesterday, and who had broken his promise of
bringing us fowls and goats. He now assured us he
would bring us five goats and ten fowls for his wife and
baby, if he might take them away. We told him that
» 1887.
July 10.
Yambuya.
1887.
July 10.
Yambuya.
86 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
had he kept his former promises the women would not
have been taken, that the moment ten goats, twenty
chickens, and some honey for the baby were brought
over, the two women and the child would be given back
at once. He promised to come to-morrow morning
without fail, and left camp quite gaily, shaking hands
with everyone all round. ‘This will bring things to a
definite issue, either peace and trade, or war. The
two surviving cheeping chickens were slaughtered for
our Sunday dinner, and an excellent little stew they
made—the first bit of meat we have had for a good
many days, and oh such a small bit!
July 11th.—After breakfast the native arrived to
palaver about his wife. He brought one fowl and some
fish to show that he was in earnest. We allowed him
' to see the women and the baby. He said the chief
was up the river somewhere. I then went off to look
after the men cutting poles, taking my small gun and
butterfly-net with me; so the collecting has begun at
last! The butterflies are rather disappointing, as there
are not many different from those on the Congo, nor as
large a variety. Returned at 11.45, and found Barttelot
had been palavering nearly all morning with the native
about his wife, and was very sick of it. He arrived
again after lunch, but refused to come into camp. I
went out with the men again, and heard tremendous
shouting amongst them; and found that the natives
had seized Omari, one of the donkey-boys, and taken
him across the river. He had strict orders not to go
out of sight of the camp; but he left the donkeys, and
went to the next village where the natives sell fish,
and there they seized him; so he has only himself to
blame for it. If the gentleman comes about his wife
to-morrow, he will find himself tied up, and told he
will be shot if Omari is not given up. Iam sure they
had not meant to capture any of our men, as they had
a dozen fowls and a goat in the canoe, which they were
bringing as part ransom for the woman. On seeing
Omari, the sudden idea must have entered their heads
DIARY. 87
to take him prisoner. JBarttelot is suffering from a
kind of low fever. At present our situation with the
natives is this :—we have two fowls and some fish, two
women and a baby; the natives have got Omari. I hope
things will be straightened out a little to-morrow.
Visited sentries last night as usual.
July 12th—Gave orders this morning that no man
is to leave camp without an order from Barttelot or
myself, nor without a rifle. One of the Somalis died
to-day; he has been ill for a long time, and had almost
entirely lost the use of his legs. Barttelot still seedy ;
he eats simply nothing. Certainly plain boiled rice
and musty beans do not encourage a weak appetite.
July 13th.—After parade sent the men to continue
clearing the river-bank, and to deepen the ditch at both
ends where it joins the boma. At the end next the
spring the bottom of the ditch is stone, and the men
have regularly to quarry it. They have built a wall
across the end, which would be quite a respectable one,
even in Ireland. The natives have made no signs of
coming to terms. I shot a small bird, black, with white
spots on the wings, which is quite new to me. After
lunch had a tremendous time amongst my collections,
drying them in the sun. Killed one of the chickens,
and ate it stewed in rice for dinner. A little bit of
meat like this is a great godsend, but I manage to
thrive wonderfully on rice and beans. I proposed
to-day that one of us ought to take Matajabu and some
of the Soudanese to-morrow to the place where the
natives land for manioc, and, hiding the men, see if
Matajabu cannot get them to have a palaver.
July 14th—Had to begin the day by flogging a
sentry, whom I caught so sound asleep that I had to
strike him three times with a stick before he awoke.
To this class of men we have to trust ourselves at
night! Major Barttelot took Matajabu and some of the
Soudanese to palaver with the natives. They proposed.
to give back Omari and six fowls for the women; but
1887.
July 11.
Yambuya
1887.
July 14.
Yambuya.
88 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Barttelot told them if they did not bring Omari, five
goats, and twenty fowls, the women would cease to
exist. They came in the afternoon, and asked to see
the women, thinking we had already killed them. We
allowed the women to go just outside the gate. The
husband stood about 150 yards off; and the conversation
was kept up by screaming and shouting, the women
telling the men they were fools, and calling them bad
names for not bringing the fowls and goats, and freeing
them. The husband then brought six fowls and a kid
as an instalment of the ransom. Omari, who was in
the canoe, says the kid is the only one in the village ;
he tells us they treat him very well.
July 15th—Began to-day to cut wood for the
Stanley. We have only five axes, three of which are
almost useless ; so it. promises to be a long business, for
we have to cut wood for ten days. The natives came
again with a few more fowls, and a promise to get five
goats from a village lower down the river. They asked
first for the baby, then for the mother; but were told
that when they brought the ransom they would get them.
Just before returning to camp this afternoon I heard the
natives making a fearful noise, and then two shots were
fired. J was certain it must be Tippu-Tib’s people
arriving; but on getting into camp I found a very dif- |
ferent state of affairs. It appears that the two Sou-
danese guarding the women had taken them down to
the river to wash. When their backs were turned, the
women jumped into the river. The one without the
baby was caught, and Omaha, one of the Soudanese
officers, and another man jumped in and swam after the
other; they caught her, but were surrounded by canoes
with armed natives in them, and were obliged to let her
go. A number of the Soudanese had run down the
bank after them, and fired two shots at the canoes, but
without any effect. All our chances of goats and fowls
are gone, I fear, as the natives do not seem to care a
bit about the other woman,—and they have got Omari.
I'he position now is:—we have got eight fowls, a kid,
DIARY. 89
some fish, and one woman; the natives have got back a
woman and the baby, and still have Omari: so I should
say the balance is in their favour. Major Barttelot is a
little better to-day, as I have persuaded him to take
some Liebig and sago, for he cannot eat the rice and
beans.
July 16th.—Whilst out with the men this morning I
shot a woodpecker and a very pretty bird, which I
believe to be a redstart or some species of warbler.
Matajabu has succeeded in making a very good skin
of it. On return to camp, I found Omari had effected
his escape from the natives, and reached camp. It
appears that last night they forgot to tie him up as
usual, and he got into a canoe and came down river.
He was followed, and did not reach this side until far
below the camp at the big native village. His pursuers
shouted out to the men on _ shore to catch him;
but he got into the water amongst the bushes at the
side of the river, and managed to elude them, getting
back to camp all safe. It was a very plucky thing for
a small boy like himself to do. He says the natives
treated him well, and that when the woman and the
child got back, the chief told his men to seize any of
our men they could. The husband of the woman
whom we still have came to-day, and offered to ransom
her. He says that they wish to re-occupy the villages
up river. Major Barttelot says he will certainly
not allow them to do so, as they are much safer
on the other side. He believes the man who came
over to-day had leprosy, and he got rid of him as
quickly as possible. The position is now altered with
regard to ourselves and the natives. They have got one
woman and the baby back. We have got Omari back,
still have one woman, one kid, eight or nine fowls, and ~
some fish; so I think the balance is now in our favour.
A tremendous thunderstorm came on to-night, and my
house is flooded and my bed wet. I had no time
to-day to put the tarpaulin on the roof. The smell
from the wet rotten grass on it is frightful, and I
should say anything but healthy.
1887.
July 15.
Yambuya
1887.
July 17.
Yambuya.
90 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
July 17th, Sunday.—Awoke at 5 o’clock, to find it
raining away steadily. It cleared up, however, before
, and we sent the men off to clear the rest of the
village. Shortly after 10 o’clock down came the rain
again; and we knocked the men off work for the day,
as it was pay-day, and a half-holiday in any case. Just
as we were finishing our usual repast of rice and beans
at mid-day, the leprous native arrived with two others,
and brought a fair-sized goat, which we took, giving
him back the woman. Great rejoicings took place
amongst the natives; and I do hope they will come and
trade after this. Spent most of my day in etching, and
writing out a new store-book, lists of men, rations
issued, &c. Our position with the natives now is:—
we have got two goats, nine fowls, and some fish, with
a promise that they will trade; and they have got back
both their women and the baby.
July 18th—Had to flog a sentry this morning.
Caught him sound asleep at 4 a.m. Major Barttelot
and i still take turns in going the rounds. My hours
for going the rounds are—a little after 8 p.m. with
Barttelot, then alone at 11,2, and 4. It is wonderful
how one wakes every night within a quarter of an hour
of the hours without being called. The big drum is
sounded at 5 o'clock, the men fall in at 5.30, and are
all started off to work before 6 o'clock. Went off
woodcutting again, also cutting poles for Barttelot’s
new house. ‘The dews are so heavy here at night that
in going through the bush and manioc plantations one
gets soaked, and has to dry gradually as the sun gets
up. Shot a black and white finch, and a very handsome
pair of birds, with beaks like barbets. I also got a
lovely warbler that I have never seen before, olive-
green in colour, with grey breast and yellow spots on
the wings, and a yellow line over the eyes. I took out
my birds’ skins to give them a drying in the sun, when,
to my horror, I found a number of small black-beetles
(grey underneath), hard at work eating them. How
they got into my tin box is a mystery to me. They
DIARY. 91
have damaged several skins, ‘“‘bad luck to them,” and
are the same kind that used to eat our antelope skins
in South Africa. I shall now only use the arsenical
soap I bought at Zanzibar. One soldier managed to
buy a little fish to-day.
July 19th.—It is hopeless to send the men out with
any of the muniaparas (chiefs), as they sit down and
let the men do just as they lke; the consequence is
that from 6 a.M. until after 11 in the forenoon, and
from 1.30 until after 5 p.u.,I have to do nothing but
stand over them and make them work. It is a wretched
way to spend one’s time. It is only by sitting up at
night, and on the Sunday half-holiday, that I get any
time to do anything. I have now 25 birds’ skins, and
this morning added some lovely specimens to my
butterfly collection. Spread two tarpaulins over the
roof of my house, hoping to prevent the rain from
flooding it as the last did. The Majors house is now
in an advanced state, as nearly all the framework is up.
Fared sumptuously to-day, lunching off a stewed pigeon
and dining off a stewed chicken. ‘There has been no
trading with the natives. ‘The rats are getting very
numerous in my house, and I must begin to shoot
them, or, if I get the time, make a trap. They fight
and scamper about across the floor and over the boxes
without taking the slightest notice of anyone.
July 20th—Spent the whole day with the men
cutting and carrying wood. I took my painting
things out with me in the hopes that I might be able
to get a few sketches of some of the principal trees;
but what with looking after the men, and my drawing
being visited (whilst wet) by every known species of
insect, I found it a very hopeless task. The moment
that you move a few yards from the men they stop
cutting, and when you shout at them to show that you
are quite close, they cut a few strokes, stop, and wait
until you shout again; then at last you fling down
everything in a rage, rush at them, swear, threaten and
“cuss” the chief as well as the men, then go back to find
1887.
July 18.
Yambuya.
92 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
all your things one mass of ants, and that the men have
stopped cutting again, when you give it up, and go and
sit down on a log beside them. Of course, if one only
had a decent chief, things would be very different. Just
after lunch I heard two shots fired, and found that two
of the Soudanese stated that they had been surrounded
by the natives, and had fired. I wish they would shoot
some one when they do fire, as ever since that woman
escaped and the Soudanese fired two shots and hit
nothing—not even a canoe—the natives now swear
that the guns are harmless. One miserable canoe,
with some stale fish for sale, was the only sign of trade
to-day.
July 21st.—The chief of my men being ill, I could
not leave them for five minutes all day, so I had a
really nice time of it. The weather has been lovely
ever since Mr. Stanley left, broken only by a few
thunderstorms. The prevailing winds are from the
westward. We finished our last plantain to-day, and
have only two more fowls left, a kid and a goat; I see
no chance of getting any more, for the natives do not
trade, or offer to, in the least. As a last resource we
must catch some more of their women.
July 22nd.—Woodcutting without a chief over the
men is pretty bad when you are well, but when you
DIARY. 93
have a racking headache, and are full of rheumatism, it
is simply—detestable. So I found it to-day. Major
Barttelot is himself again, Iam happy to say. ‘Trade
still stagnant.
July 23rd.—Some men, I believe they were Zanzi-
baris, tried to steal our two goats last night, but were
surprised, and did not succeed, although they managed
to get away without being identified. The men, both
Soudanese and Zanzibaris, are in a very discontented,
mutinous state, and I shall be very glad when either
Tippu-Tib’s people or the steamer arrive.
duly 24th, Sunday.—Began the day by flogging one
of the sentries, whom I caught sound asleep last night,
as early as 8 o'clock. So fast asleep was he that I took
away his gun from him without awakening him. Half-
holiday to-day, so the men only worked till 11.30.
The Major went down river on an exploring trip.
He brought back some delicious ripe bananas. We
killed the small goat this morning, and the consequence
is, we have simply feasted like kings. In a conver-
sation after dinner, Barttelot and I came to the con-
clusion that, in all the countries we have been to, we
have never seen any place so utterly devoid of all sport
as this. There is not a game-bird of any kind, and I
have only once seen the tracks of a wild pig. He came
back to-day quite delighted because he had found a lot
of salt for his men in the village they visited; but
when one of the men—haying, I suppose, tried it—
brought some of it up to my house, I told the Major
what it really was—gum-copal.
July 25th.—Barttelot caught one of my men asleep
last night, and took his rifle away, without awakening
him, to his tent. This morning I asked him where his
rifle was, when Barttelot was standing beside me on
parade. The man coolly said some Zanzibari had stolen
it, and described his dress, and was greatly astonished
when the Major told him it was in his tent. As the
man was only a poor half-demented sort of creature,
1887.
July 22.
Yambuya
1887.
July 25.
Yambuya.
94 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
who, as I told my chief, ought never to have been on
guard, I only gave him six light strokes with a cane for
orm’s sake. I think the Zanzibaris are quite the most
barefaced liars I ever met in mylife. One night I took
a rifle from one of the sentries who was asleep, and
brought it to my house, leaving it against a palm at the
door. I went back and woke up the sentry, asking him
where his gun was. He at once took hold of the other
man’s gun, and said that was his. I told him to come
with me, and that I would show him where it was, ~
which I did, and he then calmly told me, oh yes, he
had left it there, and making a sign with his finger
across his throat, said I might cut it if he had been
asleep. He found out, however, who had taken it when
he got his 25 strokes in the morning. It is really a
ereat shame the state our biscuits are in; we opened a
fresh box to-day, one of the tin-lined ones, and the
water had got in so that the biscuits were a mass of
blue mould, weevils, and small maggots. The only
way we can eat them is by roasting them in the
hot embers or in the frying-pan, which kills the “ bastes.”
I have no doubt that they are more nourishing with the
quantity of animal matter in them, but we prefer them
without.
July 26¢th.—Shot a sandpiper with ruffs on the neck.
The country was frightfully wet, so Major Barttelot did
not go on his usual exploring expedition. After lunch,
I made a sketch of him seated on the old drum opposite
my door, with all its surroundings. I cannot believe
this to be so large a river as is supposed, for last night's
rain, though apparently local, was sufficient to raise the
river at the very least two feet, and from the highest
rapids down as far as we could see was a smooth un-
broken sheet of water. Yesterday there were three
distinct bars of broken water across the river, in some
of which the rocks were showing. ‘This rapid rise takes
place whenever we have any heavy rain, and the river
falls with equal rapidity. A terrible calamity happened
to-day. The uncooked piece of the goat which was
DIARY. 95.
hung up last night, being affected by the thunderstorm,
I suppose, took it into its head to go bad, and so we
have only one small scrap left for to-morrow, and meat
is very, very precious.
July 27th.—Shot one pigeon, two woodpeckers, and
a swallow. ‘The men were greatly astonished at my
shooting the swallow. He was flying very high and
fast, and coming straight at me; he fell yards behind
my back, amidst all sorts of exclamations! We are
down again on rice and beans, very wholesome, but
not appetizing !
July 28th.—The men still splitting wood, and I make
them work in relays, so that none of them are idle all
day. One of the Zanzibaris died to-day, a poor miser-
able little man, whom I always thought half-witted.
We bought some honey to-day, and opened a tin of
butter, half a teaspoonful of which, added to the rice
and beans, makes them slip down in a way they never
did before. Did a little etching, wrote a lot of pages
for home consumption, and had out all the birds. I
have a busy time of it, but life is very much pleasanter
than it was.
July 29th.—Poor old Derrier Moussa, a Somali, who
has been our cook for the greater part of our journey,
died to-day. He has been ill for a longtime. It is
horrible to watch these men slowly dying before your
face, and not be able to do anything for them. The
moment a man falls really ill with dysentery, or any
other affection of the stomach, he slowly wastes away,
becoming a living skeleton, sometimes lingering for
weeks before he finally goes out. Shot a woodpecker
and a weaver-bird; the latter of the bright rich golden
kind, with black neck and throat.
July 30th.—Had a bad night to go round the sentries,
for shortly after 11 p.m. it commenced to thunder, blow,
and rain in torrents, continuing until 5 a.m. Barttelot
started with 20 Soudanese for a big village down river,
1887.
July 26.
Yambuyax
but he found the natives had bolted, taking everything
1887.
July 30.
Yambuya.
96 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
with them, so our visions of goats and fowls are dis-
pelled. I shot a swift with a curious spined tail, each
feather of which ends in a short bare point like a needle.
I also got a large, handsome, black-and-orange weaver-
bird, and the hen of the spur-winged plover.
July 31st, Sunday.—Shot a nightjar, with which I
was quite elated, as it is the first I have seen here, and
was a very difficult snap-shot, flying very fast through a
lot of high manioc.
[66 93eg] ‘ANVO CHHONTUING WOUd AHAIY NMOG PNIMOOT MAIA—VANENVA
CHAPTER V.
JuLy 27TH TO DECEMBER 3l1sr,
Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—No news of Tippu-Tib.—Promise to protect natives.
—Reported arrival of Tippu’s men.—Return of deserter from Stanley’s
arty.—His statement.— Arrival of the Stanley.—Raid on the natives by
ippu-Tib' people.—Final departure of the Stan/ey.—First visit of Tippu-
Tib’s Arabs to Yambuya Camp.—Bonny crosses river to native village.—
Abdullah punished for stealing an axe.—Jameson and Ward start for
Stanley Falls.—Natives offer to make them princes.— Yalisula.—Arrival
at the Falls.—Received by Tippu-Tib.—He explains non-arrival of men.
—Native wrestling-match.—Jameson makes Tippu present of big rifle.
—Return to Yambuya.—Soudanese punished for theft.—Selim bin
Mahommed.—Arabs shoot down natives.—Disappointing news from
Tippu-Tib.— Rumours of Stanley’s return.—Barttelot and Troup start
for Falls—A man possessed by & devil.—Deserter’s story.—Bonny’s
surgical skill—The Major returns.—Omaha.—Report of a white man
coming down river.—Fresh disappointment.—Jaundice.—Arabhs try to
revent trade with natives—Burgari Mahommed steals meat from
ard’s house.—Living skeletons.—Three dreams.—Ungungu captured
by Arabs.—Christmas Day.—Fresh trouble between Arabs and natives.
EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON.
July 27th, 1887.— . . . It is just a month since Mr.
Stanley left us here. Tippu-Tib’s men have not yet
arrived, and we are both very anxious about them, for
should they not turn up we shall have to wait here until
Mr. Stanley comes back from Lake Albert Nyanza, and
goodness knows when that may be, perhaps not until
November. The men are mutinous enough already, and I
do not like to think of what they will be like before then.
I must make a little sketch-map of the Camp for you.
August 1st.—I am so thankful that I have a taste for
collecting, etching, and things of that kind, for had I
not I don’t know how I could possibly exist here.
Now that the whole of the fortifications are finished,
H 2
1887.
July 276
Yambuya,
1887.
August 1.
Yambuya.
100 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
there is nothing to be done but cut wood for the
steamer. I manage to enliven that work by taking my
collecting-gun and butterfly-net with me, and generally
manage to pick up something. All my spare time in
camp is taken up with skinning, attending to collec-
tions, drawing and writing, so that it is very seldom I
have a single idle moment. Barttelot does none of
these things, so I am afraid he often finds me a poor
companion, and the time falls rather heavily on his
hands, although he is a most active man, and always
wants to be busy at something. I don’t think Stanley
could have left a better man here in command. The
natives have deserted all the villages for miles round,
and gone over to the other side of the river, unfortu-
nately taking all their goats and chickens with them.
So there is no loot of any kind, although we continually
make long excursions, seeking what we may devour.
We sometimes come suddenly upon a large village and
find not a living thing in it, although the fires are still
smoking, and it has evidently been full of life only a
few minutes before. How they know we are coming
often puzzles me. I have got about half a dozen nice
spears, two fine shields, and four very fine battle-knives,
which will make a nice addition to our collection.
August 3rd.—I will now tell you something about
our entrenched camp and its surroundings. As you
will see in the plan, it 1s shaped in a sort of triangle,
the river forming one side, a natural ravine and part of
a ditch another, and the rest of the ditch the third.
Our chief defence is a strong palisade surrounding the
whole camp, composed of strong poles placed close
together, about 3 feet deep in the ground, and 10 feet
high, with long horizontal bars fastened along it.
There are only two gates. The main gate, D, looks up
the river over a large flat clearing where the rest of the
village originally stood. The other gate, E, is at the top
of the steep path down to the river, the bank of which
can only be ascended at this one point ; there is another
opening in the palisade down to the spring C. The
ditch is 10 feet from the palisade, 7 feet wide, and
41 deep; so that the place is pretty strongly fortified
Meanioe Plantations
MMantoce Plantatons
| Vays
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ehl, LAL
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lulu UAC SMW
— ee tl] os
al — i y Medhvelllage 2 Ye, th
~——_- re ae . . Z f
Od Kika e Ola Ved - e ay Witt \\ S Ne ae oo eseried May 2 fF ¢
= = Cleared clea soy . Ss 4 ef ate inte es ma bs Beran ADRAL ASHEN Sa a Sag = a
Ty LS Se Se ne eee =
—— SS ee Se —— - Sete rg
= SS SS a =r Sa
Mew Village > Built ty Ratives TE PET NB Te Qf. ts oy every muck larger Scale
Knee “our anrrval han any f Ca SUrPOUNAUGS
Puan or EntrRencnrp Camp.—YAmBvrYa.
A. Raised platforms for six men to fire from. HK. Gate at path to river. L. Palisade.
B. Ditto, very high, commanding every place. F. My house and store. M. Oookhouse.
C. Spring, with covered way, protected by G. Major B.’s new house. N. Major B.’s tent.
alisade.
H. Huts of Zanzibaris. O. Paths in use to plantations,
D. Main gate. K. Huts of Soudanese.
DIARY. 103
against natives without guns. The places you see
marked ‘ Clearing” were all originally dense bush,
which we cut down and carried away, so as to see
anyone attacking from that side. Inside the camp are
four raised platforms, to hold six men, each of which
commands a long range on every side, and can sweep
the ditch and ravine up and down. The camp is not
over 50 yards wide at its broadest part, and about 150
to 200 yards long. ‘The river here is from 600 to 700
yards wide. In my plan you will see that the camp is
drawn on a much larger scale than any of its sur-
roundings; this I did to give you a better idea of what
it is like. All the natives who inhabited the places
you see marked “ Old village cleared” have gone over
to the other side of the river, and formed one immense
village, where you will see it marked just under the
upper rapids. The road Stanley has taken to the Lake,
and the one we hope soon to be travelling, is an old
native path going from village to village up the niver,
and leading nearly due east.
August 5th.—Barttelot and I sat on after dinner
to-night talking of home and old times. ‘These chats
cheer us both up immensely. I am so glad that he
and I pull so well together, for if we did not, life here
would be unbearable. I wonder how he guessed we
should do so well together; for he asked Stanley espe-
cially to leave me with him. I cannot help still feeling
. terribly disappointed at not having gone on; but I try
to think of it as little as possible, and make myself as
useful as I can here. After leaving for the Lake, I do
not care if I never have time to collect a single thing,
as every step will be one nearer home... . It will be
wonderfully interesting marching through that new
country.
DIARY (continued).
August 1st—Bank holiday in England, but not re-
cognized on the Aruwimi river. Barttelot went out
with the men woodcutting, so that I had a great time
amongst my birds and butterflies, and also found time to
etch one of the giants of the forest here. The natives
1887.
August 3,
Yambuya.
1887.
August 1,
Yambuya.
104 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
have heard that Tippu-Tib’s people are on their way
here, which is joyful news for us, but as these natives
are the same as those who killed a lot of his people some
time ago, they believe that the men are not coming to
us, but to revenge themselves upon them, so they say
that they will remain on the other side of the river, and
bring us no more fish or honey. If this news be true,
it is a splendid thing for us, as we shall be able to start
for the Lake almost immediately after the arrival of the
Stanley. We are beginning to have a little too much
of rice and beans, and each time we pass the goat, still
in camp, our glances have a terrible look of hunger in
them, and I don’t think he will survive another day or
two. |
August 2nd.—No more news of Tippu-Tib, but the
natives will not trade. A lot of black weaver-birds
have made a colony in the palms over my house, and
~ have stripped all the other palms, far and near, of their
leaves, for the nests. It is very interesting to watch
them building their nests. ‘They tear a long thin slip
off a palm leaf, hold it tight to the side of the nest with
one foot, take hold of the loose end in the beak, push
it through a small hole in the side, pull it out through
another, and make it fast, using the unemployed foot
as well as the beak the whole time, regularly weaving
the strip of leaf in and out in a wonderful manner.
August 3rd.—Last night I caught two of the men
asleep on sentry duty. This morning, on parade, I told
one of them that, as I had never caught him before and
he had had a hard day’s woodcutting, 1 would let him
off with a caution; but he at once proceeded to say
that he had not been asleep at all, and had been
sitting up awake. When I caught him, he was lying
on the ground at full length, and I gave him two
kicks before he even stirred. However, he persisted
in the lie, and I ordered him twenty-five, at the
same time explaining it was for the lie he was
flogged. Taking thirty men with me I went to the big
village down river, where Barttelot had been about
a week ago, and on our way we passed a strongly
DIARY. 105
stockaded village, the gate of which had been newly
blocked up. We had to climb over and cut it away from
inside. Some of the huts here were most beautiful, quite
works of art. I have not seen any like them; they are
very low, their walls about 4 ft. high, perfectly circular,
ending in a dome-shaped roof. I am going back to
make sketches of them. ‘The large village we found to
be deserted. The natives here place a number of small
sharp spikes of very hard wood round their huts, and
in the paths; the points stick up, and are calculated to
give very nasty wounds to bare feet. We found that
all the people were encamped on the opposite side of
the river, and when they saw us they set up the most
hideous noise, yelling, beating drums, and blowing large
horns. As they did not attempt to attack us, we pro-
ceeded to gather quantities of corn, bananas, plantains,
and tobacco, all the men returning to camp well
loaded. On my arrival in camp, in the absence of Major
Barttelot, I interviewed a native, who informed me that
a number of Zanzibaris were coming down the river in
canoes, and had fought the natives, and burnt the village
above the rapids, where their chief was, in spite of
their having told them that they were “ blood-brothers ”
of Bula Matadi; and he asked if he might move all
the people across to the deserted village above camp,
that we might protect them. I told him I would allow
him to occupy the deserted village below camp, and
that then we should be between them and their enemies.
He fairly shouted with joy. I gave him a small piece
of cloth, and sent him off to tell his people that we
would not hurt them, and would try and keep others
from doing so. I cannot understand Tippu-Tib’s people
coming down the river, unless they struck it far above
us. ‘They ought to be here to-morrow.
August 4th—The natives came and had a palaver
with Barttelot, telling him that Tippu-Tib’s people will
be here in two days, and again asking for protection.
They have begun to occupy the villages on this side,
and are evidently in an awful fright, though they seem
to have great confidence in us.
1887.
August 3.
fambuya.
106 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
eae 5. August 5th—We at last summoned up sufficient
Yambuya, courage to kill the goat, in spite of the great uncer-
tainty as to when we shall get another, but one really
cannot live altogether on rice and beans, and see a live
goat walking about, and eating the grass in camp.
As there was too much meat to use whilst fresh, I cut
off all from the hind legs into strips, salted it, and hung
it in the sun to dry. No more news of Tippu-Tib’s
people. One of the Soudanese officers told me that
there were four Zanzibaris about a mile from camp,
right at the end of the furthest village, buying stuff
from the natives. I put on my hat and started off to
catch them, and found them at the very spot where the
officer said they were. They were awfully astonished
when I came upon them; they had broken every one of
our rules, they were far from camp without rifles, had
DIARY. 107
not asked leave to go, and had deliberately left their
work. The officer told me the same four were there
every day; each man had five or six matakas with him,
and this made me nearly certain the chiefs had sent
them, although of course they denied it. Some one
must have given them matakas to go with, for they only
get one each aweek. I was going to have them flogged
as an example, but Major Barttelot advised me to fine
them each the amount of matakas they had. This will
punish whoever gave them the matakas, so I told them
that I would let them off the flogging, and for the next
five or six weeks would pay them out of their own
matakas.
August 6th—The Major went out in the morning
with the woodcutters, whilst I looked after camp,
and the men were employed stacking wood. I dried
and packed ready for home all my Aruwimi collec-
tion of butterflies, consisting of just 100 specimens,
did a little etching, dried the beltong, and went through
my birds before packing. I have had the old flag
of my company tied to the highest post in the boma,
that ‘Tippu-Tib’s ee can make no mistake and
pass us*,
August Tth—After breakfast Barttelot went off with
some Zanzibaris and Soudanese to a village some dis-
tance away from the river, and returned with a splendid
lot of plantains. ‘The natives are evidently still in a great
fright, as they send all their women every. night down
to the village below camp, and the men themselves
sleep on this side of the river, above it. No news of
Tippu’s people! Hoisted another flag at the river-gate,
so that no one can very well miss us passing down
* From letter to Mrs. Jameson, August 6th.—*I do hope Tippu-Tib’s
people will come soon, and then we shall be able to start for the Lakes
at once, and save some months. Had the wonderful fleet of steamers
of the King of the Belgians, which Stanley spoke about before leaving
England, really existed, we could all have gone on to the Lake at one
time, and saved six weary months, which have been added on to this
trip.”
1887.
August 5.
Yambuya.
1887.
August 7.
Yambuya.
108 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
the river. Still feasting away like kings on the old
goat. Well miss him when he’s gone!
August 8th.—Started the men at building a hospital.
August 9th.—Major Barttelot and I are both decidedly
seedy. Very bad news to-day, according to which
the supposed Tippu’s men up-river are a body of wan-
dering Arabs, who are looting and destroying every
village they come across. This is a dreadful damper to
us, as we were sure they were Tippu-Tib’s men, although
from the beginning I was puzzled to understand why
they were coming down the river in canoes. The native
who came over and told us this returned this afternoon
with a small pot of palm-oil. He seems to bear us no
ill-will for having taken his wife and child, but was as
merry as possible.
August 10¢th.—Heard heavy firing up the river in
the direction of the Arab camp. One of the men
lost one of the axes to-day. He was going out with
the rest of the men woodcutting, and stopped just
outside the boma to sharpen the axe on a large flat
stone, after which he left it on the side of the road, and
ran back into camp for a moment to get something.
On returning he found the axe gone. He says that
Munichandi and Songoro were close behind him when
he left it, but they both deny having seen it. I have
told him that unless it is found he will be fined 25
dollars. Some of our own men, either Zanzibaris or
Soudanese, must have stolen it to sell to the natives,
as they have asked for one several times, and no one
else but our own men could have stolen it. The Major
says the best plan will be to stop all the men’s matakas
until it is produced. Sawa couple of rollers hawking
away from the top of the highest tree near camp. I
shot them both, and they are different from any I have
shot in 8. Africa.
August 11th.—Told the men this morning on parade
that not a single mataka would be issued until the axe
was found and the man who stole it. If this does not
get it back, nothing will, but there were no signs of it
DIARY. 109
this evening. Shot four beautiful bee-eaters and two
shrikes, one black, the other black and white. Found
a very curious small rat or mouse in the ditch with a
long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk. No sign of
Tippu-lib’s men or the steamer.
August 12th.—News of Stanley arrived unexpectedly
to-day. Barttelot and I were standing at the gate, when
we saw a Zanzibari coming along the up-river road,
leaning on a stick, very lame. We recognized in him
one of Stanley’s party. Barttelot and I took him to my
house, and interviewed him. From what he says it
appears he left Mr. Stanley after they had been march-
ing for a month, when they reached a large river run-
ning into the Aruwimi, on this bank, from the south.
This they had to cross in the boat; and this man and
another, being too done up to go on, were left behind,
Mr. Stanley advising them not to remain in the camp,
but to go some distance into the bush and wait there
until they were stronger. ‘The natives speared one of
them, but this man made his escape, and got back here
frightfully done up and with very sore feet. The officers
were all well, but there was great scarcity of food. The
men had sometimes been four days without food, and
were so weak that as many as twenty had often to be
used to carry one section of the boat. It appears that
one day they succeeded in capturing a large canoe, four
men, a goat, and some women with babies. They had
first of all shot one man in the canoe. The women ran
away, and left the babies in the camp, so they were
drowned in the river. Stairs had to be carried twelve
days from this camp, so he must have been ill for some
time. The road is level and all through dense bush.
They passed many villages, but the majority of the
manioc was very small, with no roots, so they had to
eat the green tops. Mr. Stanley put the four natives
captured in chains, also one of the Soudanese who lost
his rifle, after giving him 170 strokes with arod. We
are going to have a regular examination of the man to-
morrow, writing down the questions and answers, as
this news of Stanley is important.
1887.
August 11.
Yambuya
1887.
August 13,
Yambuya.
110 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
August 13th.— Yesterday being the first day of grouse-
shooting, Barttelot and I had serious thoughts of taking
a whole holiday, but, as the steamer is due, we thought
it better not to do so. Our friend the native came
over and offered to take me to where there are buffalo,
not a day from here. He is very anxious we should
lend him ten men with rifles to go and take a village
lower down, where there are goats and chickens, and
the men of which captured two of his wives some time
ago. The result of our cross-questioning of the man from
Stanley’s party is this:—It took Mr. Stanley eighteen
days to reach the river, which they had to cross ina
boat. The road lies close to the river for two days
after leaving this camp. All bomas were still standing
on the road when the man returned. Mr. Stanley made
a zariba in each village he camped in. Kight men
were left sick on the road ; one was killed, six were left
in the bush, the last returned here. No men died on
the road. Only one skirmish with natives the day they
left here, at the village where they slept. One man
was wounded in the forehead with an arrow. In the
night four natives threw spears behind Mr. Stanley’s
tent. There are six villages in the first two days’
march; none between that and the river they had to
cross. They walked for five days, when the road left
the river through a swamp. ‘This river was smaller than
the Aruwimi. Great want of food after the first two
days. After crossing, Mr. Stanley still appeared to con-
tinue along the main river. Mr. Stanley still had two.
bags of rice, the other officers none; but they still had
biscuit. They only got one goat, and no chickens, on
the march. They saw no game but elephants, and never
used the Maxim gun. The men were very weak. They
started each day at daybreak, marched till noon, cooked
and ate food, then marched until 5 o'clock. The man
who returned, belonged to Nelson’s company, and was
named Moussa bin Dhama. When they reached the river
running into this one they saw a canoe with eight men
in it, and a woman and baby, also a goat. I suppose
they would not stop, but in any case they were fired
DIARY. bel
upon, and three of the eight men shot. Mr. Stanley , |
then took the canoe, men, woman, goat, and some pots y,
of palm-oil which were in it. The men were taken
away by Mr. Stanley as guides, and the woman escaped
in the night, leaving the baby in the camp. The man
says that Mr. Stanley ordered it to be thrown in the water
next morning*. About two days up the river, whilst he
was lying down, two elephants passed close to him.
This is the man’s account, translated by my boy Mata-
jabu.
MATAJABU.
August 14th—The Stanley arrived to-day. About
11.530 she was sighted coming round the bend, and |
don’t think anything ever gave me such a thrill of
pleasure as this news did, for I have looked forward
most anxiously for her arrival, as she brought us the
last letters we shall get until we reach Zanzibar. It
appears that a second time the Expedition was nearly
wrecked. My letters from home revived all my fading
spirits, and I went to bed happier than I have been
* Mr. Stanley published in ‘The Times’ of Nov. 17th, 1890, the
statement of Saleh ben Osman, another Zanzibari follower, as reliable
evidence of atrocities committed by Jameson and Barttelot.—Ep.
1887.
gust 13,
mbuya.
1887.
August 14.
Yambuya.
112 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
for a long time, after sitting up till three in the morning
finishing my letter home.
Auqust 15th.—After lunch the natives on the opposite
shore made a fearful noise, and began going down
stream as fast as they could. Then we heard shots, and
on running out with my glasses I saw the smoke still
hanging in the bushes behind the village, and a number
of natives swimming in the water. Presently our native
friend, with a few more, turned up, and said they had
been attacked by Tippu-Tib’s people, and some of their
women taken. ‘They begged for a white man to be sent
out to ask the Arabs not to fight them. Lots being
drawn as to who should go, it fell to Bonny and Ward;
and they went over, but could see nothing of the Arabs,
who had decamped. They had killed two men and taken
some women.
August 16th.—Ward at work all day packing curios.
The Captain and Mr. Walker gave us a little help
towards our stores in the way of some pepper and a few
Native DRINKING-BOWLS.
matches, of which we were sadly in want. Ward had
very bad news to-day, as he saw in one of the papers
that the steamer in which he had sent home a, large
collection of curios, and all his notes for the last two or
three years, had been run into and sunk in the Mersey,
DIARY. 113
with all her cargo. It was awfully cold, and rained
nearly all day.
The Stanley starts at 6 oclock to-morrow morning.
She only brought us one goat and some plantains.
Hard lines, as the Major and I had been dreaming of
her decks crowded with goats and chickens! I am
sending my boy Matajabu back to Leopoldville, as he
would only die on the road, not being strong enough to
keep up with us, and then the natives would get him.
He is a great loss to me, as not only was he a capital
servant, but he could speak the language of the natives,
and was our interpreter with them and the Zanzibaris,
and he did all my bird-skinning.
August 17th.—Settled down to our old work again.
Started men to cut poles for a mess-house. Opened
Kuropean provisions in order to give out three months’
rations to ‘Troup, Ward,and Bonny. Barttelot has sent
three Zanzibaris in a canoe up to the Arab camp to find
out who they are. We are now fairly cut off from
the world. We have almost given up hope of Tippu-
Lib’s men, and are already talking about how we shall
employ our time until November. The Stanley left at
6 a.m. for Leopoldville.
August 18th.—The Zanzibaris returned with ten of
the Arabs, who really are Tippu-Tib’s men. Their head
chief and two others came into the house, shook hands,
and had a long palaver with Major Barttelot and myself.
It appears that they were sent from the Falls by Tippu-
Lib to collect men, but, as far as we know of their pro-
ceedings, it looks ‘far more like collecting slaves and
ivory. ‘They said that 700 men had started under
Sheik Rachid to come to us, but that upon arriving at
a camp on Mr. Stanley’s road, where he had left some
mark, they had concluded that the whole Expedition
had gone on, and had returned, now being encamped
on some river between this and the Falls. ‘This Sheik’s
name is Abdullah Coroni, and he offered either to
send a letter to Tippu-Tib for us, or to escort one of
us to the Falls, four days from here. After thinking it
. I
1887.
August 16
Yambuya.
1887.
August 13.
Yambuya.
114 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
well over, and speaking to all of us about it, Major
Barttelot has decided to send two of us, and got the
Sheik’s promise to return in two days with twenty men to
escort us. ‘This, of course, will be our only chance of
getting the men now, for, if we did not go for the men,
the chances are that they would be scattered all over
the country, and we should never see them. Iam more
than glad that Barttelot has decided upon sending me,
and Ward to accompany me as a witness of the inter-
view with ippu-lib. The tramp will be through a
piece of unknown country, and full of interest.
While the Arabs were talking with us, I could not
make out where I had seen one of them before, as I
seemed to know his face, when it suddenly dawned
upon me that he bore a wonderful resemblance to
Florence St. John, the actress. I never saw a more
remarkable likeness, and Ward, to whom I mentioned
it, saw it at once.
Before leaving, Sheik Abdullah promised not to
molest any of the natives near us.
August 19th.—The men worked at the mess-house,
and brought in fire-wood, and cleaned up the camp, a
daily duty which we look upon as the most important
one of all. In the afternoon Bonny went over, with the
chief, to the village on the other side. He says that on
his arrival the people were tremendously excited and
pleased at a white man coming over. The men in his
canoe made a circle with the poles they use for poling
up the rapids, to keep the crowd back, for the natives
were even up in all the trees. ‘They made such a noise
that he could not hear the chiefs speak, but when he rose
and put up his hand, they were all silent at once. He
then waved his hand, and they all sat down. He first
asked them if they were not glad that the white men
had prevented their being killed by the Arabs, to which
they all shouted an assent. .They then brought a lot
of leaves from the roof of one of the huts, closely rolled
together, and made Bonny hold one end, while an old
chief held the other; they next gave him a knife and
DIARY. 115
told him to cut the leaves in two, after which the chief
cut them, when they were dipped in water, with which
the bystanders were sprinkled. All the people then
shouted, “We are at peace! We are at peace!”
Bonny told them that we wanted goats and fowls,
not as presents, but that we would pay for them.
They said that Tippu-Tib’s people had taken all their
goats, but that they had a village inland where they
kept all their fowls, and they would bring them. The
natives made him a present of six fowls, one man
actually bringing a little chicken with no feathers on,
saying it was all he had. Bonny gave the chief a piece
of handkerchief.
I received my letter of instructions from Major
Barttelot, and to-morrow I hope to start for the Falls.
August 20th—The Arabs never turned up all day,
much to our disgust. Just as I came out of my bath
to-night, a large centipede nearly walked right over my
foot; this is only one of the many insects of every
abominable species that infest my house.
August 21st.—My birthday *, which reminds me that
I have spent two others in South Africa, and two in
America, all under canvas, for although this is a wooden
hut with a grass roof, a tarpaulin covers the whole.
Some of the Arabs have arrived, the rest come to-
morrow, under the chief Abdullah, and on the following
day we begin our march, thank goodness! ‘They say it
will take at least six days, and at an ordinary pace
nine. They brought with them two little dots of
children, the eldest, I should say, not more than five
years old, and a small dog, all proceeds, I suppose, of
their late raid on the natives.
On the strength of its being my birthday, we opened
a tin of sardines, and feasted off them with some rice.
There was great grumbling among the men because
their matakas are still stopped, as they have not given
* This is a mistake ; his birthday was on the 17th August, the very
aate upon which he died at Bangala, in the following year, 1888.— Ep,
12
1887.
August 19
Yambuya.
1887.
August 21.
Yambuya.
116 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
up the man who stole the axe. Deputations both from
the Soudanese and Zanzibaris waited on us, and at last
the Major told them that as they could not find out the
man who stole it, and as Abdullah was really the cause
of its being stolen, if by to-morrow morning they had
all come to the conclusion that he ought to be punished,
we would give him fifty lashes, and give them their
matakas.
August 22nd.—It was decided by all the men that
Abdullah should be flogged, and so he was. From the
quiet way in which he received it, I begin to think that
he stole the axe himself, or lost it. After lunch, Sheik
Abdullah arrived with the rest of the Arabs, about thirty
men in all, including those in camp, and a number of
native slaves (armed with splendid spears), who are their
carriers. Sheik Abdullah brought his wife with him,
and a very fine fowl, which he gave to Major Barttelot.
They say there is not the least doubt that we shall get
the men from ‘Tippu-Tib. The natives with them are
the most horrible-looking lot I have ever seen, beauti-
fully tattooed with cuts from a knife, and with their
upper and lower lips cut into fringes, and their teeth
filed into points.
August 23rd.—Started for the Falls at 7 o’clock.
For the first two hours our road lay parallel to the
river, then struck off through the forest. The general
direction was 8.S.W., sometimes due 8. A struggle
took place on the way between some of Tippu-Tib’s men
and the natives from near Yalisula, which was rather
exciting while it lasted. At one time we heard a
tremendous noise ahead, and found all hands hunting
like hounds in a swamp, and they at length returned
with an old man, a woman, and a child, whom they
made captives, but Sheik Abdullah made them release
them. Had we not been there, little chance would they
have had of escape, as the Arabs would have kept the
woman and child until they were ransomed with ivory
by the husband. It was pitiable to see the old man
following his wife and child, although the Arabs did
DIARY. 117
not want him. It is wonderful what they will pay to _ 1887.
get back their women. ‘Tippu-Tib’s men’s faces of 40st
disgust showed plainly that this was not their ordinary ane
treatment. ‘The natives buy ivory with large pieces of Falls.
iron shaped like a spear-head, and about six feet long,
of which ten will buy a good tusk, and should they
have no ivory they pay the Arabs for their women in
these iron pieces. For the first part of our road we had
to walk like tight-rope dancers along immense fallen
trees, wade numerous swamps and small rivers, after
which the path lay through splendid open forest, witk
very fine timber in it.
August 24th.—Started at 6 o'clock. The road was
hilly, and led through the same forest. At one vil-
lage the natives said we were the first white men they
}
——
ee)
————
had ever seen, and that they must make us princes, bu’
they did not do more than produce a pot of malafu.
1887.
August 24,
March to
Stanley
Falls,
118 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
The ceremony is therefore much simpler than in ow
country. Fancy the big potentates at home sitting
down round a pot of beer to make two new princes!
Eight or nine Arabs then arrived, some of them great
men, in the most spotless turbans, of whom Bartho-
lomew told us that they had hidden all their slaves
in the bush, being afraid we would come to their
village, which I quite believe, for when I asked them
where it was they said ‘ Very far, too far to go to,” yet
they had just left it!
August 25th—The guides turned up about 6 A.M.,
and we began one of the worst marches I have had for
along time. At first the road lay through groves of
plantains and small villages, until about one o’clock,
when we entered a large cane-brake intermixed with
prickly palms and creepers, and of all the roads I ever
travelled this was the worst. At one moment you were
caught by the throat and your helmet knocked off; then,
having struggled out of that fix, you were next tripped
up by a creeper, and fell on your nose. We met some
of Tippu-Tib’s people coming from Singatini, who told
us that Tippu-Tib was going off to see Sheik Rachid at
the Lumami River in two or three days, so we pushed on,
doing, I should think, very little short of twenty miles.
The natives of the last village we passed said that as
we were the first white men they had ever seen they
must make us a present, and they started off to get us a
small dog to eat, which they consider a great delicacy,
but we had not time to wait for it. About a hundred
yards from our camping-ground we had to wade waist-
deep through a river, and as the man with my bag did
not turn up until long after dark, I had rather a bad
time of it. Our road lay S.E. nearly all day. We had
nothing to eat since morning but some mouldy biscuits,
and dined off the remnants of the cold rice and fowl of
yesterday.
August 26th.—Started at 6 a.M., and our road lay for
some hours through a beautiful open forest, then down
a steep hill, and along the bed of a river for nearly a
DIARY. 119
mile. As our caravan slowly wound its way up the
silvery bed of the stream, gleams of light fell here and
there, piercing the shadows of the tropical forest.
At last, after many steep hills, and having crossed
one very broad river in a canoe, we suddenly came upon
a full view of the Congo, and descended into a large
village called Yalisula, where we changed our wet
clothes, got into canoes, and went on to Yawamli, a
village higher up the river on the left bank. Here we
slept in a whitewashed mud house belonging to the Arabs.
At both villages we were objects of the greatest
curiosity, especially while changing our things, when
there was perfect quiet amongst the two or three
hundred onlookers. The Arabs treated us very kindly,
making us presents of rice and fish. We marched
fifteen miles, and came about two miles in the canoes,
our road again lying S.E.
August 27th.—Started at 6 o'clock in canoes, and
after two hours reached Yadzembi, where we changed
canoes; in each village the Arabs sent us on with their
own natives to the next. Those who accompanied us
from this place were great swells, wearing brass and
iron wire right up to their elbows; and their hair was
dyed bright red with cam-wood. At two o'clock we
reached a large village on the right-hand bank named
Yatuka, at which there was a market going on. Sheik
Abdullah’s village is about an hour from here, up a
small river, and he very much wished us to stay at
Yatuka for the night, but I insisted on going on at
once. Opposite this place lies Yarracombi, another of
Tippu-Tib’s villages. After we had started, a terrific
thunderstorm came on, half filling the canoe with water.
We went on after dark for a couple of hours, finally
reaching Tatiacusu, where we stayed for the night.
The Arabs gave us a fowl, two eggs, and a lot of rice.
Unfortunately I had had nothing to eat all day but some
raw chiquanga, with a drink of malafu, and I was so sick
that I could eat nothing when we did get food. I
must here say a word for our waterproof bags. Mine had
1887.
August 26
Congo
River.
1887.
August 27.
Tatia-
cusu.
120 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
been lying all the evening in a good half-foot of water,
with me sitting on the top of it, and yet not a thing
inside it was wet. Ward’s things, which were all in a
waterproof sheet, were soaked through. We slept in
the verandah of the Arabs’ house, surrounded by the
usual crowd of inquisitive natives.
August 28th.—Left Tatiacusu at 5.30, and, after
about three hours in the canoes, reached Atiacusu, where
we saw no Arabs, but an immense number of natives.
Here we had to change canoes. ‘There was rather a row
about poles and men for our canoe, which at one time
threatened to be serious, but it ended in a slogging
match with sticks and logs of wood. I was greatly
amused with Abdullah, who rushed back to our canoe,
and seized my big revolver, and was going to shoot a
native with it, with the leather cover on.
About two hours before coming to the Falls, we
passed the mouth of the river Wamanga, and further
on that of the Chopo River, both on the left bank.
We arrived at the Falls about 5 o'clock. Tippu-Tib
himself came down to meet us, and conducted us to
his reception house, where his brother and all his
officers were assembled. He gave us some delicious
fried plantains, tea, and coffee, and made Sheik Abd-
ullah tell him all about our journey, camp, &c. I then
told him I had a letter for him from Major Barttelot,
which I would present after we had changed our wet
clothes. We went to the house he had placed at our
disposal, where a man presently brought us some
excellently cooked fowl and rice. We then went down,
with Bartholomew as interpreter, to present the letter,
and I told Tippu-Tib that anything in it that he could
not understand I would explain, as I held a translation
in English. I used Bartholomew as interpreter, but
Tippu replied to me each time through Salem, making
him ask me any questions he had to put. I then gave
him the revolver from Barttelot, and a knife from
myself. He thanked me for them, and explained
the reason for the men promised to us not having
STaNLEY Fas. [Page 120. ]
Miter e nels ale te so nee i Liam ree ae
DIARY. 123
reached our camp. ‘They started from the Falls with
Tippu-Tib himself, 500 men for Mr. Stanley, and
with the men paddling the canoes (of which there
were fifty), 1,500 in all. Arriving at a small village,
which must be within half a day of our camp, they
sent over some men to a large village which lay on
the opposite bank of the river, to get food. ‘The natives
all ran away at their approach ; but they had no sooner
taken fowls and plantains, and were returning to their
canoes, than the natives, who had been hidden in the
bush, rushed down and killed four of them, cutting
them up and dividing the meat on the spot. Tippu-Tib
attacked the village that evening, and burned it next
morning.
By this time all the paddlers in the canoes were
either sick with fever, or their hands were sore, so they
had to return. He says Mr. Stanley had told him the
camp would be at Basoko, or near it, at least not so far
up the Aruwimi. He then sent 200 men to try and
find the camp overland, but they returned, saying they
could not find it. He again sent 200 men under
Abdullah, with orders not to return until they had
found it, or Mr. Stanley’s road. This is the Abdullah
who brought us to the Falls, but he must have known
about our camp long before we sent up to him. ‘Tippu
then promised to send out to-morrow morning to collect
as many men as he could, and that after three days, it
now being their Christmas, he would start himself with
them for our camp, leaving his brother to send on the
rest. He asked me if we should start after Mr. Stanley
with the men he brought with him, leaving some of the
white officers to bring on the remainder when they
arrived. I told him I had no authority to say what we
should do, but that I thought the Major would not
start at all until he knew definitely how many men there
would be, or until they were all there. He again
promised to start in three days, but said he was not
sure if he should be able to give 100 men, as they were
now scattered all over the country. This ended the
conference.
1887.
August 28,
Stanley
Falls.
1887.
Sugust 29.
Stanley
Falls.
124 STORY OF THE REAK COLUMN.
August 29th.— Was awakened by a boy bringing in a
most delicious breakfast of vermicelli and plantains
fried in ghee, followed by a chicken and rice. Aftei
breakfast Tippu-Tib sent to say he would like to show
his brother my Winchester and revolver, so I took them
down to the reception house. After everyone had
examined them, I told Tippu-Tib that, upon reflection,
I thought it might be better for him to stay here a few
days longer than the three days he proposed, in order
that he might collect more men, and gain a definite
idea of how many men he would be able to give us.
He seemed rather annoyed at this, and explained that
his reason for wishing to start in three days is that the
majority of the men are in villages below the Falls,
and that by thus going down himself he will have far
less difficulty in collecting them. ‘This sounded reason-
able, so I let well alone, and said nothing more. I
shall now start with him, and when we leave the canoes
shall send Ward ahead as fast as possible with a
letter to the Major. After this there was a regular
reception of about twenty Arab Sheiks, who had come
to breakfast, and then Tippu asked us if we would
like to go round the station. We all crossed the river
to the old Free State Station beiow the Falls, and
examined the Krupp guns, and found they still have
the breech blocks, which were not destroyed as stated
by Mr. Deane. Then large canoes were summoned
to take us to the island above the Falls. Here we
witnessed a great wrestling match between two picked
men, one from the village we had left, the other
from the island village, which was a very grand affair.
In the centre of the main street a space had been
cleared, and at one end were all the chiefs, athletes,
and girls of one village, with their champion, and
opposite them stood the rival party. The two cham-
pions were splendid-looking men, covered over with
different coloured clays, these being their distinguishing
colours. ‘The girls all wore a small piece of cloth in
front, and a long tail of black palm-fibre, which waved
about as they danced. Those belonging to the one —
DIARY. 135
village began the ceremony by dancing, clapping their
hands, and singing a wild chant, taunting the opposite
party with being afraid of their champion, upon which the
3)
Gham hiom
others went through the same performance. Finally the
champions came forward, and after many attempts at
getting fair grips they closed, and after a short wrestle,
in which neither got a fall, they parted amidst tremendous
uproar. All the girls of both parties then danced up and
down the centre. Before the men began to wrestle, old
women came and spat on them and jeered at them, evi-
dently for the purpose of arousing their courage. There
was also great running up and down of magnificently
attired chiefs, with small brooms in their hands, to clear
the arena. ‘The wrestlers came out again, but this time
there were so many disputes about the grips that finally
the party from the mainland led off their man altogether.
These disputes often end in blows, and sometimes in
bloodshed. We then rejoined Tippu-Tib, and crossed
to the other island above the Falls, to see a tree which
was considered a great marvel. It had lain on the
eround for a long time, and quantities of fire-wood had
been chopped off it, notwithstanding which it had
suddenly sprung upright again. This was easily ex-
plained, for the roots had never been cut, and after
some of the stem and many of the branches had been
1887.
August 29.
Stanley
Falls,
1887.
Augnst 29.
Stanley
Falls,
126 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
removed, they were sufficiently strong to raise it up
again. ‘The view of the Falls is greatly spoilt by
the enormous poles which are placed across them,
holding large baskets swinging in the water ta
catch fish. The Arabs are wonderful civilizers; they
erow quantities of rice, sweet potatoes, onions, guava
trees, mangoes, paw-paws, and pomegranates. A black-
smith’s shop is one of the sights here. One very good
law made by them to encourage trade is, that no natives
living near the water are allowed to cut fire-wood, and
no natives from inland are allowed to catch fish, thus
the dwellers by the river buy their fire-wood with fish.
Two of the big chiefs here speak Swahili.
August 30th.—After breakfast we took our sketching
things and went down to see Tippu-Tib. He gave us
a boy and Salem to take us all about the place. We
crossed to the old Station below the Falls, where we
were met by Sheik Selim Mahommed, Tippu-Tib’s
nephew, one of the nicest of all the Arabs, a gentleman
every inch, down to the soles of his feet. We went on
to lunch with old Sheik Nasoro, a very courtly old
gentleman. From his house we could see the natives
coming down to the edge of the Falls, some holding on
to the poles, whilst others mounted them, and dragged
up the large baskets of fish. After saying good evening
to Tippu-Tib, we sat on the rocks by the river, and,
smoking our pipes, watched the setting sun. I can
easily understand anyone getting quite fond of this
place. There is a mixture of wildness and quiet
about it which is really charming. Whilst resting at
Sheik Mahommed bin Said’s house, an Arab brought
in seven or eight small tins of Crosse and Blackwell’s
Liebig, a large tin of lard, and a ripe paw-paw, an
excellent fruit, which I had not eaten before. He
asked what was in the tins, and, to our great amusement,
told us they had been in the habit of using it for sores on
the legs. He gave us all the Liebig, but took away the
lard in disgust upon hearing it was hogs’ fat. History
does not relate from whom he had got all this, and
; DIARY. Ley
the small packet of lettuce seed which he also showed
us; I feel sure they were stores taken when the old
Station was captured from Deane. I am trying to get
one man to buy all the fowls we want, and settle with
him.
August 31st.—The laziest day I have spent since
joining the Expedition! It was the Mahommedan
Christmas, and we did nothing but eat all day. All
the Arabs were in Sunday best, and looked very hand-
some in their long black embroidered cloaks over
snowy white linen. One Sheik had on a buff-coloured
robe, embroidered with gold and silver. Tippu-Tib’s
nephew, a handsome little Arab, paid me a visit, and
he was delighted by my giving him my Egyptian
tobacco-box. His father is Tippu’s philanthropist
brother, a tall, light-coloured Arab with a long beard,
the most benevolent and pious-looking old gentleman.
We were informed that he is very religious, and might
be rich, but that he gives away nearly all his ivory to
1887.
August 30,
Stanley
Falls.
1887.
August 31.
Stanley
Falls.
128 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
very poor Arabs. This is very different from the opinion
I first had of him! Late in the evening Tippu-Tib
sent word that he could not start until the day after
to-morrow, as the natives have refused to lend their
canoes, or to paddle others, saying they believed we
were going up the Aruwimi again. This makes. me
believe the story of their refusing to go higher up with
Tippu-Tib before. We were honoured by a visit from
four or five of Tippu-Tib’s Lights of the Harem, who
are not his real wives, as those are never seen by any
one. ‘The Arabs and natives here appear to live in the
most perfect harmony. You will meet an Arab strolling
along hand in hand with one of the native chiefs, and
if a canoe is wanted, it is ready in a moment, the chiefs
themselves paddling it. All day long we were visited
by people who either wanted presents, as it was Christ-
mas, or had something to sell, until it got so bad that
we had to close our doors. With the exception of a
few guns being fired off, and a great quantity of food
being eaten, there did not appear to be much rejoicing,
and they all wished they were at Zanzibar, where
Christmas could be kept in a proper fashion.
September 1st.—Had a most enjoyable day, and, I am
sorry to say, the last here. After breakfast Salem came
to say that the natives of the island village were going |
to have another day’s wrestling, so we started at once, and
whilst waiting for a canoe at Sheik Nasoro’s house, saw
the old gentleman cupped on the legs for rheumatism.
The Arabs put up an awning for us to see the sports;
the wrestling was much better than the last, and I saw
one really good fall. Both Ward and I got some
sketches. Salem informed me that it is almost im-
possible to get any fowls, as the people will not sell
them on trust. Iam going to try to make them bring
some anyhow. We had enough matakas to buy a
dozen, but they were all stolen. This morning I
wanted one or two to make a present to a girl who
brought back one of my tortoises which had strayed.
Upon asking Bartholomew for them, he at first pre-
DIARY. 129
tended not to understand, and then could not answer
at all. He confessed to having received seventy, and
upon adding up all that had been spent, I found that
it was only thirteen, so that he must have stolen fifty-
seven. When I accused him, he did not even deny it.
This is one of those beautiful boys brought up at
a Mission, and I must say that I have always found
them beat any savage at lying and thieving! This
man had been most energetic in reviling Msa for
stealing Munichandi’s knife and Koran.
September 2nd.—Went down before lunch to thank
Tippu-Tib for his kindness to us. I told him I was
going to make him a present of my big rifle, which
pleased him greatly. He gave us two sheep, three
fowls, two large baskets of sweet potatoes, and a bag of
rice. He also wrote a letter which he gave me, telling
everyone that I had been his guest, and that they were
to look after me. He intends to start to-morrow, and
if the canoes arrive from Kassongo, he will bring goats
and rice. He gave us some of the most delicious coffee
I have ever tasted, which grows wild at Kassongo.
After lunch we started, Tippu-Tib and all his followers
coming to see us off. Five canoes in all. Selim
Mahommed and Salem went with us. We found upon
- examination that a piece of cloth had been stolen, so I
asked Tippu-Tib to put Bartholomew and Msa in
chains, as I felt sure they would attempt to escape.
They had, I afterwards discovered, told Tippu-Tib they
meant to run away, but he declined to connive at
their escape, so the two gentlemen are now in irons.
Salem told us that Taboro, the chief of the Manyéma,
had refused to allow his men to carry Tippu-Tib’s goods,
either to the Falls or to Zanzibar, so that he now has to
send his own men all the way, which makes it doubly
difficult for him to give us men. Salem also told us
that he now owns thirty men with guns, but he means
soon to have 150. We asked him if he had the money
to pay for them, upon which he said, “Oh! that is
simple enough. I have a razor and some white cloth.
I go down to either Kassongo or Manyéma, take hold
K
1887.
Sept. 1.
Stanley
Falls.
130 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
i887. of a man and shave his head, put a gun into his hands,
a ae and give him enough cloth to make him decent, and he
Falls. becomes my follower.” He says they never start on
any journey without consulting the Koran to see if the
day and hour are lucky. If they did not do this, he
says, they would certainly all go to Jehannum. Ac-
cording to him, no one owns anything but Tippu-Tib,
and they all covet whatever he has. They all wanted the
knife I gave him, and would stealitif they dared. Tippu-
Tib’s brother will succeed him as chief, and afterwards
Sefo, his son. We suggested that his brother was too
peaceful a man to be chief of the Arabs, but he replied,
“Oh! Sefo and Rachid will do quite enough fighting.”
He also told us that ‘Tippu-Tib had made an agreement
to settle up the whole country as far as Bangala, and to
establish stations; this means that he will fight every
tribe in succession, and then put his Arabs in.
September 3rd. — Left Tatiacusu at six, and only
went as faras Yatuka. Here we stopped all day to buy
food for the men, and pick up Abdullah and his men.
I to-day saw the most horrible sight, a woman was nursing
a child not bigger than a three or four-year old boy, but
whose head might have belonged to a grown-up person,
while its body was an absolute skeleton, every bone (even
the very smallest) being visible,and covered only by loose
skin. ‘Tippu-Tib shows what a gentleman he really is,
in his thoughtfulness for others. He noticed that Ward
had no umbrella, and at once insisted on giving him
one of his own; and, as our two men were in chains,
he sent his wife’s boy, Farani, who speaks a little
English, to look after us on the road.
September 4th.—Bartholomew and Msa broke their
irons and escaped during the night. Selim bin Mahom-
med assured me that they would be caught, and that
we had better go on, as they would have to come into
the villages for food, and would not do so until we
were gone. I found out, on arriving at the next camp,
that Bartholomew had stolen altogether 57 matakas,
one piece of cloth, one axe, one knife, one plate, a pair
————
DIARY. 3 131
of scissors, and a table-napkin. Selim and Farani
informed me that they knew him well. He had been
servant to a German on the coast near Zanzibar;
he there stole two bales of cloth, a lot of clothes, and
whatever he could lay hands on, and then set fire to
the place. He enlisted with Mr. Stanley because he
was running away from the people who were after
him at Zanzibar. The German had offered Selim and
Tippu-Tib £3 for his recovery. Reached Yalisula
at midday, frightfully hungry, as we had no time for
breakfast before starting, and no amount of “ cussing”
would make the Arabs paddle a bit quicker; they
simply floated with the current, or we should have
arrived a good three hours sooner. I was so hungry
that on arrival I devoured mouldy, weevily, maggoty
biscuits, rancid butter, and Liebig, with avidity. It
was one of the most curious luncheons I have ever
eaten. J made arrangements with Selim Mahommed
for Ward to start back to camp to-morrow, and deter-
mined to wait here myself another day to see if the two
culprits would turn up. I had some difficulty in getting
men for Ward, as, although we had hired Abdullah’s
men at our camp to go to the Falls and back for a
certain price, Selim said they were not Abdullah’s men,
but Tippu-Tib’s, and Tippu-Tib had given orders that
we were to be sent back to our camp without any
expense. I at last succeeded in making Selim under-
stand that we had entered into a contract with the men,
and that, according to our views, payment was due to
them.
September 5th—The market in the evening was
interesting. About 4 oclock a drum is beaten to
collect the natives from the villages near, when each
party of villagers takes up a separate position on the
ground, bringing with them all they have to sell.
Those from inland supply plantains and manioc, both
roots and tops, the green leaves of which are tied up in
plantain leaves as neatly as though they were to go to
Covent Garden market. The salt which they sell they
K2
1887.
Sept. 4
Yatuka
1887.
Sept. 5.
Yalisula.
132 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
obtain by burning grass and plantain husks and stems;
they also bring fire-wood and fishing-nets. The natives
from the shores bring fish and pottery. Once all are
assembled at the sound of the drum, a tremendous
trade begins, accompanied by an uproar very much akin
to that proceeding from the betting-ring at the Derby.
No form of money is used; the articles are exchanged
for one another. I bought two ivory pestles for
pounding manioc. Neither of our escaped thieves
has turned up to-day, so we are obliged to stay another
day, although this is a horrible spot; I can only get
rice and plantains to eat, but endeavour to discover a
new flavour in each at every meal.
September 6th.—No signs of Bartholomew, so we start
for camp to-morrow. At the Falls, and wherever the
Arabs trade on the river, the only form of money used,
except the large pieces of iron for buying ivory, is small
iron axe-heads. Kassongo must be a wonderfully rich
place, for according to the Arabs everything, iron,
copper, rice, goats, salt, coffee, chickens, &c., comes
from there. 3
September Tth—Started at 8 aM. and marched
steadily, with one small break, until 5 p.m. I find that
Selim Mahommed’s band accompanies him on land as
well as water. It consists of three Kassongo drums,
played by men, and three hand-rattles, played by
women; and they all sing, or rather wail and grunt.
We took a different road to the Falls from that which we
had followed before. I told the Arabs it was far too
much to the east, but they maintained that it was
shorter. It lay nearly due north of Yalisula. The
small rivers were so high that we had to wade them
up to our arm-pits, which made the walking very
unpleasant.
September 8th.—Got under way at 6 o'clock, and
reached a very large village held by Tippu-Tib’s people,
called Sugurru, at about 4 p.m. This village was about
twenty miles out of our course. I told the Arabs that
DIARY. 133
the road was all wrong, as I could see by my compass,
but they persisted in believing the natives. We were
at one time completely lost, but luckily caught two
women, who brought us to Sugurru. Passed an immense
number of monkeys, and I shot one for the natives,
who use the skin for helmets, and consider the
flesh a great delicacy. There were numerous fresh
elephant-tracks; the whole bush was in some places
trodden down by them. It was positively dangerous
work walking fast in the forest, for the natives have
1887.
Sept. 8.
Sugurru.
large poisoned spears tied to immense logs of timber,
suspended between trees over the elephant-path, and
across which they place a light rope attached to a
trigger, so that the moment the rope is touched by an
elephant, down comes the spear into his back. ‘Two or
three times I very nearly walked under one. We
escaped this danger to run into a worse, for the Arabs
at the next village all but fired at us, thinking we were
enemies. Crossed a great number of rivers and
swamps. Was wet through all day.
September 9th.—One of the most disagreeable days I
1887.
Sept. 9.
Sugurru
to
Yambau.
134 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
have ever spent. Started at 6 a.m., and could get no
natives to carry the sheep. Our road lay through the
most horrible country, for more than an hour down the
bed of a small river, which was dammed up in places,
and through them one had to flounder up to one’s
waist and sometimes higher. ‘Then followed another
river, cane-brake, and swamp. I walked ahead with
the natives, and we went for a good ten hours with only
one short break. We pulled up at 4.30, a long way from
Yambau (which should have been our camp), in a village
where not a drop of water was to be had for love or
money. I had nothing to eat all day but a few plantains
before starting, and a little cold rice cooked yesterday,
before I turned in for the night; so that, after ten
hours’ hard work, I went to bed more hungry and thirsty
than I think I ever have been before. Had Selim
‘Mahommed not been so far behind, I should have
walked on, as I am sure we should have reached
Yambau, or at least water, before dark; but as it was
the Arabs were evidently annoyed with me for having
come so far.
September 10th.—Owing to heavy rain we did not
start till 6.30. Went nearly due north until we struck
our old road to the Falls, which I recognized at once.
The native guides were so troublesome, stopping fre-
quently, that at last I went ahead with my boy, and
soon struck the village, where Ward and I had slept
before, and there I got an Arab to take us into Yambau.
One of the Arabs brought me a magnificent ivory horn,
which, when standing on the ground, came up to my
chin; but he would take nothing but a revolver for it,
so I could not buy it. I wronged the Arabs when I
was last near here, by saying that I thought they lied
when they declared their town to be a long way from
where Ward and I slept. ‘The road is a bad one, with
two nasty rivers to wade, and it takes about an hour.
I succeeded in getting a very small fowl here, which I
deyoured (body and bones), for I had nothing for break-
fast but a cup of malafu and a few plantains.
YAMBAU. [Page 134. ]
* 2 i, Pa
EUAN
DIARY. 135
September 11th—Got away before 6 o’clock, and
went steadily on until 1 o’clock, when we reached the
river, on the further side of which Ward and I had
slept our first night out. News came that the two men
who escaped had not been captured, but a letter had
_been received from Tippu-Tib telling the Arabs they
must be careful, and a number of men had been sent
out after them.
September 12th.—Reached Yambuya at 12 o’clock.
About three hours from camp came across fresh elephant
and buffalo-tracks. Found poor Ward very seedy. The
others all in good health, and eager to get on the
march again.
September 13th—During my absence the natives
have been giving trouble, and brought nothing to sell,
so the Major sent Bonny to catch some of their women.
He caught eight women and a baby. ‘Two have been
ransomed for a gun which they had stolen, 13 fowls,
and a lot of fish. Selim Mahommed has formed a
camp on the rising ground behind our camp.
It is a very true saying that when thieves fall out
some crime is sure to come to light. ‘To-day, through
some row among the Soudanese, the whole story of the
stolen axe came out. It appears that, between the
stealing and selling of it, there were five of the Sou-
danese implicated in it! ‘They were the very men who
had made most fuss about their matakas being stopped
for a theft which they said they had not committed.
September 14th_—This morning, after breakfast, we
had a second parade for the punishment of the Sou-
danese who stole the axe. The Zanzibaris having
always been blamed for the theft, Major Barttelot
wished them to witness the punishment of the real
thieves. The two companies of Zanzibaris fell in out-
side the boma, and the Soudanese fell in between them.
The prisoners were then led out, and the two who stole
the axe received 100 lashes each, and those who had
connived at the theft received 75 each. The men
to
Yambuya
1887.
Sept. 14.
Yambuya.
136 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Setim BIN MAHoMMED.
were then warned that any one of them losing an axe
or a gun would receive the same punishment. Ward
still very seedy, but decidedly improving, I think. The
natives brought us a splendid fish to-day, exactly hke an
English chub, and weighing about 12 lbs.; the best
fish I have tasted on the Congo. Our evenings are very
pleasant; we all dine together and yarn about old times
and future prospects.
September 15th.—Our men put up a railing round the
graveyard, in which there are now fifteen graves, and I
fear, if we are much longer here, there will be a good
many more. Rather an unpleasant business with the
Arabs to-day. One of our men brought a large fish
into camp, when Salem came down and claimed it,
a a | ———
DIARY. 137
saying he had given Munichandi two axe-heads and
some matakas to buy it with. The Major was naturally
much annoyed about this, and he told Salem that he
did not wish them to have anything to do with our
men, but to keep to their own camp; if they wanted
fish they could perfectly well buy it for themselves.
Down came Selim Mahommed with Salem, very much
annoyed at the order to keep his men to their camp,
wishing to know if it was only on account of the fuss
about the fish. Barttelot explained that it was not only
because of that, but because we are very crowded, and
that if they used our camp, on Tippu’s arrival his men
would think they could do the same, and as a good
many of our men wished to run away, they could then
plot with his people how to do so. Selim Mahommed
then gave back the revolver Major Barttelot had sent to
Tippu-Tib, and said he had sent it back owing to there
being so few cartridges for it, and his inability to get
any more; it would therefore be quite useless to him,
but at the same time he thanked the Major for it very
much.
YAMBUYA PALISADE, [Page 154. ]
DIARY. 157
would reach the Lake. The natives brought this
deserter in a canoe as far as the rapids yesterday, from
which point he dragged himself here. The names of
the two deserters now here are Dahoma and Mutfta.
Selim Mahommed came down to tell me that two of his
men had been badly stabbed by natives not far from
camp, and he wished to know if we could do anything
for them. ‘They met two natives, one of whom sat
down with them in quite a friendly manner, but after
talking for a bit he suddenly jumped up, pulled out
his knife, and stabbed the two Arabs, one in the chest,
the other in the stomach. They say that they killed
him, but I do not believe it, for their wounds are too
bad. Bonny and I went up to see them. The man
stabbed in the stomach was very bad, a large portion of
the entrails protruding from the wound, and he has not
a shadow of chance, for the entrails themselves are
badly cut; however, after much difficulty, Bonny suc-
ceeded in pushing them back again, and sewed up the
wound. ‘The other man had a large wound in the left
breast. Were other natives as plucky as the man
who assaulted these two Arabs, the slaves would not be
so easily captured!
October 28th.—Strange to say, the man who was stabbed
in the stomach was much better this morning. I shot a
yellow wagtail and two spine-tailed swifts. The wagtail
I have been after for some time, and the swifts were
really sporting shots, flying very fast at a great height.
One of the Soudanese was bitten by a snake; the bite
is a nasty one on the ankle, with the marks of the fangs
very wide apart. We put a tourniquet on above the
wound, cut it open, and burned it with a red-hot ram-
rod. We had no ammonia. The leg was very little
swollen, but the man complained of pains in the stomach
and left side, especially over the heart. As far as I
1887.
Oct. 27.
Yambuya.
could see, he was suffering more from fright than any- —
thing else. The snake was described as a small, thin,
red one; the marks of the fangs were about an inch and
a half apart. I have never in my life spent such an
1887.
Oct. 28.
Yambuya.
158 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
utterly useless four months, and I hope I may never
have to do so again.
October 29th.—The man who was stabbed in the stomach
is to-day walking about, fetching wood and water. I
have heard of miracles before, but never seen one until
now! I found my boy Mufta, whom I was really
beginning to trust, had been stealing my salt, so I had
to recur to the only method to make a nigger honest,
and gave him fifty well-applied strokes. It is only
through fear that one can make them speak the truth.
October 30¢th.—Another axe is missing to-day, and a
spade, so I stopped all the men’s payment until they
are produced. At 3.30 this afternoon Barttelot came
into camp, all by himself, having come ahead of his
‘men. ‘Troup he had left at Yalisula, with Salem
Masudi the interpreter, to come on with the goats and
fowls. They had 16 goats and 52 fowls when the
Major left. There is no hope of getting men from
Kassongo, as Sefo has some war going on there. The
Major says Tippu-Tib was greatly pleased with the rifle
I gave him, and had sent me a present of two goats.
They seem to have had a very pleasant time at the
Falls, and enjoyed their trip very much. ‘The five de-
serters from Stanley are coming on here with Troup.
They give the most contradictory reports about Stanley,
and about the amount of food they found on the road.
Tippu-Tib does not seem to be playing a straight game,
and the Major thinks that he is probably hanging back
on the chance of Stanley having eventually to place the
whole thing in his hands for so much powder and a
lump sum.
October 31st.—Four of our men went up to the village
where Selim Mahommed’s Arabs had been stabbed in
search of plantains, when the natives seized one of
them, and were going to kill and eat him, as they
thought he belonged to the Arabs. They have been
driven out of their village on the mainland and are now
living on an island. As soon as our man succeeded in
DIARY. 159
making them understand that he was one of Mr. Stanley’s
men, and not Tippu-Tib’s, they let him go. It is a good
point in favour of the natives, that they will not willingly
molest any of our men. The Major to-day released the
two deserters from Stanley, and the thief, but Bartho-
lomew is stillin chains. One of the Soudanese was
reported dead, and a burying party was told off, when
he suddenly came to life again, and is still alive. Selim
Mahommed sent to the natives on the island, who
stabbed his two men, to tell them that he will spare
them if they will send him two large tusks of ivory,
but if not he will annihilate them.
November 1st.—Ungungu, the native chief, paid Selim
Mahommed in ivory to-day for some of his captured
women. When Selim Mahommed first came here, he
talked a great deal about making our camp into a
permanent station after we leave it, as they wished to
settle all the natives and live amongst them. However,
the other day he showed his true colours, when, in reply
to some remarks of the Major’s about what a good camp
it would be for them, anda sudden inquiry as to whether
he really was going to occupy it, he exclaimed, “ Oh, no!
there is very little ivory about here!” Directly they find
ivory scarce amongst the natives, and that they cannot
ransom their captured women, the Arabs at once move
on to pastures new.
November 2nd.—This morning Major B. had a long in-
terview with the deserter who is stabbed through the
legs. He told us that a very long way from here they had
1887.
Oct. 31.
Yambuya
1887.
Nov. 2.
Yambuya.
160 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
come to a native village in which some of Tippu-Tib’s
Arabs are living. They made friends all round, and
Stanley bought fowls and goats. Next morning, when
they started, he found that fifty men had deserted, and
not a trace of the Arabs was to be found. He also
said that a great many men had died on the road, and
a great many loads had been lost through the upsetting
Native Stool.
Oa,
ot the boat in the rapids, which naa occurred several
times. All the donkeys were dead except two. Mr.
Stanley would not allow the men to loot the native
gardens and villages, and therefore they were very short
of food. Salem, the interpreter, arrived shortly after
lunch, and Major B.’s luggage some time afterwards ;
the men carrying it said that Troup was some distance
behind, but would be in to-day. However, he did not
make his appearance by daylight. We had just finished
our pipes after dinner, when we heard five shots fired in
rapid succession, either from a revolver or a Winchester,
not far from camp. ‘Then came several dropping shots,
which we answered. I started off with Omaha, think-
ing that Troup was either in trouble with the natives
or lost in the bush, and found him about half an hour
from camp, stuck in a cane-swamp (having lost his way),
with fifteen goats and about forty fowls in baskets.
The air was blue all about the swamp with the bad
language that had been used in many tongues. Great
DIARY. 161
were the curses hurled against Salem, the interpreter,
for leaving them without a proper guide; however, we
got them all into the path, and safe into camp.
November 3rd.—Barttelot told Selim Mahommed to-
day that it would be much better if Salem, the interpreter,
did not come inside our camp at all, in consequence of
the many unpleasantnesses that have occurred since
leaving here for the Falls. Selim Mahommed told us
that Tippu-Tib had written to him, telling him that as
soon as Sheik Mahommed Ali arrived here, he was to
leave for the Falls, in order to go up to Kassongo, and
bring down the six hundred carriers Tippu-Tib is trying
to get from there. He afterwards brought down the
boy Farani, whom Tippu has sent me as a present to
keep as long as I like, either to take to England or to
send to Zanzibar, whichever I chose. It appears that
the Major and Troup have been fearfully taken in about
the payment for the goats. They paid three pieces of
handkerchief for each, quite double their value, all
being small, and a number of them kids.
November 4th.—Msa turned up in the charge of some of
Tippu-Tib’s Arabs. Ali Mahommed, Tippu-Tib’s chief
sheik at the Falls, arrived, also the chief of Yambau.
Selim Mahommed is going away the day after to-morrow,
and all his men cross to the other side of the river, so
we shall be left alone again. Ali Mahommed brought
the Major a young antelope, which I think must be a
bush buck. It is alive, but too young to live without
milk, sol am going to kill it and preserve the skin.
Salem Masudi, the interpreter, left for the Falls to-day,
evidently in high dudgeon. Both the Major and
Troup had to use very plain language to him on their
trip to the Falls. He is one of those men who, sooner
than remain silent, lie, simply to make conversation.
Captured a lovely goliath beetle this morning, the first
I have seen here, and another rare beetle figured in »
Herr Pogge’s work.
November 5th——The Major left it to Troup, Bonny,
M
1887.
Nov. 2.
Yambuya.
1887.
Nov. 5.
Yambuya.
162 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Ward, and myself to try, and pass sentence on, Msa and
Bartholomew. I proposed working them hard every
day in chains, as I am sick of flogging, but the other
three proposed 150 lashes each, and as they are in the
majority, that sentence will be administered to-morrow
morning. Selim Mahommed leaves to-morrow for the
Falls, and is to start immediately from thence to Kas-
songo to collect carriers for us. We had sat down to
dinner, when Bonny noticed a light in the other store,
and upon going over, discovered his boy and Troup's
filling a large basket with manioc flour out of one of
our bags. ‘They were placed in the guard-room for the
night, and there will be more flogging to-morrow.
November 6th.—Major Barttelot postponed the pri-
soners’ punishment till to-morrow morning, but the two
boys received thirty lashes each.
November Tth.—Msa took his 150 lashes, Bartho-
lomew only 75, as he is still tender from his last
flogging. Shot a beautiful paradise flycatcher, and a
small barbet with lovely turquoise wattles round its eyes.
Troup and the Major very seedy.
November 8th.—There is the beginning of what might
be a very serious disagreement between the Arabs and
ourselves. ‘They are beginning to prevent the natives
trading with us. Both yesterday and to-day, when
Omaha was sent to buy honey and fish, the Arabs
interfered and prevented the natives selling him any-
thing. The Major spoke to the Arab left in charge
of Selim Mahommed’s men, and told him that if it
occurred again he should send at once to Tippu-Tib,
and make a formal complaint.
November 9th.—Omaha crossed to the native village,
accompanied by the Arab left in charge by Selim
Mahommed, but returned with only a small pot of
palm-oil. It now appears that a few days ago he had
some dispute with the natives in a canoe, and threw
stones at them, and now they will sell him nothing.
The natives say if we send another man, not Omaha,
DIARY. 163
they will sell to him. This, it seems, ’s the real reason
why he got nothing yesterday.
Glorious news, if it only turns out to be true! A
white man (or men) is coming down the river with a
large party, some in canoes, some on land, and they will
be here in three days’ time. This must be Stanley or
messengers from him. Thank God, there are now
hopes of doing something at last. The day I hear we
have to go up to the Lake, I shall certainly do a dance
round my old helmet and jump upon it! The Major
has a bad touch of fever.
November 10th.—Natives still tell the same tale about
the white man and many followers coming down the
river. We are all in great spirits at the prospect of
making a move at last! Had the fence round our
graveyard repaired to-day, and new headstones, or rather
sticks, placed to all the graves, which now number
twenty-five.
November 11th.—To-day all our hopes were scattered
to the winds. The chief Arab informed us that the
news of Stanley’s approach is false. A large party of
Arabs, the chief of whom is almost white, passed through
here some time ago, and went up the river on an ivory
and slave-hunting expedition, and it is their return to
which the natives refer. Sketched a couple of barbets.
The Major is better. A Zanzibari died to-day, making
the 26th mound in our graveyard.
November 12th.—Shot a small squirrel, of which I
made a sketch life-size. Began building a large new
house to-day, half of it for a mess-room, the other half
as the Major’s dwelling-house.
November 13th.—Had to lie up all day. Full of
rheumatism.
November 14th
to Laid up with jaundice.
November 30th.
M 2
1887.
Nov. 9.
Yambuya.
1887.
Dee. 1.
Yambuya.
164 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
December 1st.—Yesterday for the first time I was
able to take a short walk up and down the road, and
join the others at meals. ‘The Arabs left behind by Selim
Mahommed have been giving a great deal of trouble for
some time, by preventing the natives from selling us
food. They tried to make us buy things through them-
selves, of course at treble value. At last Major Bart-
telot determined to send a letter to Tippu-Tib, and ask
him to set matters straight. Ward accordingly started
on the 19th November, and got back here yesterday
evening. ‘Tippu-Tib had started for Kassongo five days
before his arrival at the Falls. The Arabs assured
Ward he had gone to collect men for Mr. Stanley.
Selim Mahommed said he would return here himself in
afew days. After all Ward need never have left, as a
few days after his departure for the Falls all the Arabs
went down river to “make war,” as they call it, with
some village near Basoko. ‘Troup has been very ill;
at one time it was quite serious, but yesterday, thank
goodness, he began to mend. Ward brought about
forty eggs with him from the Falls, so he ought to pull
himself together with them. Last night the men killed
a poisonous snake, which I have made sketches of. It
measured 5 ft. 9in. Whilst writing this I heard a
great uproar, and on going out found they had killed
another snake, similar to the one I killed in Ward’s
house. ‘There is one in my house, and I hear him
chasing the rats all round the place at night, but have
not yet seen him. No news of Mr. Stanley.
December 2nd.—A whole half and a separate leg of a
goat were stolen from Ward’s house last night. Some
of the picked bones were discovered in the camp close
to the Soudanese quarters. This is the most daring
robbery they have yet attempted. |
December 3rd.—The greater part of the meat was dis-
covered in the thatch of the hut of Burgari Mahommed,
the suspected Soudanese sentry. He was at once put
under arrest, when he accused Mulédi, the Major's
boy, of having actually stolen it, a most improbable
DIARY. 165
tale. Last night the snakes made a regular attack
on the camp, and I heard this morning of five having
been killed. The natives on the other side of the river
had quite a gala afternoon, canoe-racing, manceuvering,
dancing, singing, and tomtoming to any extent. One
of my men died to-day. Several of the men in camp
are only walking skeletons, and the marvel is how they
exist or move at all. One man, who walks with rather
an active upright motion, is a horrible sight, having
nothing but loose folds of skin over his bones.
December 4th_— Burgari Mahommed was flogged to-
day, before all the men. ‘The Soudanese are wonder-
fully plucky in bearing pain, for although he received
150 strokes, which cut him up very much, he never
uttered a sound. One of the Zanzibaris from Bolobo
died, making thirty deaths. Had my first good night’s
sleep for a long time, and woke up quite a new man.
December 5th.—I was perfectly right in thinking that
Barttelot’s boy, Mulédi, had not stolen the meat, for
to-day Burgari Mahommed confessed that he had lied,
and that the boy had not taken it.
1887.
Dee. 3.
Yambuya
‘1887.
Dec. 6
-Yambuya.
166 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
December 6th.—Every day that passes without news
of Stanley makes me think that he has persuaded Emin
Bey to come out with him by this route, and then
across to Zanzibar by Tippu-Tib’s route. It is perfectly
sickening to. think of it all. Here am I within nine
days of having been six months in this camp! Had I
ever dreamt of such a thing, I would certainly never have
joined the Expedition. There is not a new variety of
bird, beast, fish, or insect to give a moment's excitement
to the naturalist’s side of my nature; and the deadly
monotony of an existence, for it cannot be called living,
may be imagined, in which the only incident to be
noted is the occasional flogging of a man.
December Tth.—A Soudanese soldier died to-day, the
31st death in this camp. When one of them gets
really sick here, his comrades will not do one single
thing to help him, unless positively ordered to do so;
and yet these are the very men who, on the march,
from Matadi to the Pool, swore that they would rather
remain behind than desert a sick comrade, and if a
man fell out, two or three more fell out with him at
once, according to their oath, making Major Barttelot
mad with the constant delays. Dinner to-night con-
sisted of plain boiled rice and fried plantains, ditto for
breakfast.
December 8th.—Heavy rain. Spent great part of the
day in drawing Christmas cards to give to the other
officers on Christmas Day. To-night, fhanks to Ward
who is mess-president, we had the best dinner I have
eaten since we left the coast. Since he has taken over
DIARY. 167
the mess, there is great improvement in the cooking in
every way.
December 9th—Two more deaths. Shot two .very
handsome plovers, chocolate-coloured breasts, and bright
lemon-coloured wattles over the eyes. ‘The Major told
me that he had heard to-day that 'Tippu-Tib sent mes-
sengers after Stanley, who had followed his route nearly
to the Lake, as far as he could gather, but that they
could hear nothing of him. He seems to think this
bad news, but I consider it good, for it proves that
Stanley must have got on at a good pace; had he heen
stopped anywhere, they would have heard of it.
December 10¢th.—Another Zanzibari from Bolobo
died. Ward has been sketching some of our living
skeletons. A great many of them have a most horrible
disease. ‘They break out all over in pimples, which
gradually grow together and form great sores. Others
have their legs covered with large ulcers, and out of all
the men in camp there are not more than 130 who
could carry loads.
December 11th—Some of Selim Mahommed’s men
have arrived, with orders to build him a house, so he
really is coming. It is a great nuisance, as we get on
so much better without him and his men. ‘The first
birth we have had in camp took place to-day. One of
the goats had a kid, and both mother and child are
doing well.
December 12th—Another of the Zanzibaris from
Bolobo died to-day. In the morning Bonny had told
one of his men to cook some food for the sick in his
company, and also told him to bring the food, so that
he might see it given to the sick. When the man
brought it, he went up to the huts where the sick are,
and, after seeing some of them, he turned to one of the
huts and said, ““ Who is in here?”, at the same time
pushing the door open, and was astonished to find a
man inside dead and quite cold. When asked, they
said it was not long since they had attended to him;
1887.
Dec. 8.
Yambuya,
1887.
Dec. 12.
Yambuya.
168 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
but I expect the truth is they had not seen him since
yesterday. Unless made to do it, they would not move
a hand to help a sick man, but just leave him to die,
even if he were their own brother.
December 13th.—As Troup was ill on his birthday,
we had the great dinner to-day which we intended to
have had on that festival, as Barttelot said the 13th of
this month is a great day with him. Dined off soup,
roast shoulder of goat, and arolly-poly pudding. ‘Troup
supplied a pot of jam, and the Major and I gave the
flour, which constituted the whole of one of our tins,
or one man’s allowance for six months. No news what-
ever of Stanley. If he is bringing out Emin Bey and his
ivory, that would certainly-delay him a good deal.
December 14th—Spent part of the day in making a
sketch from one of Ward’s drawings of a Soudanese
soldier. Both in the morning and evening I took a
stroll with my gun, but did not get a shot or see a bird
to shoot at, that I have not already got. Nota single
thing of interest to make a note of. The monotony of
this camp life, without one atom of sport or excitement
of any kind to relieve it, is becoming perfectly sickening.
December 15th.—I find the average temperature here
to be from 72° to 85° in the shade, up to 110° in the
sun; very seldom lower than 72° or higher than 85° in
- the shade. Lowest temperature at night 69°. Bart-
telot brought me a lovely beetle to-day, a longicorn.
It is quite new to me, and I believe I put the female
into spirits this morning without taking much note of
it. ‘This day six months ago we arrived at Yambuya!
December 16th.—The natives across the river killed
an elephant yesterday; they have done nothing but
feast ever since. Killed a tortoise to-day; it has a
beautiful shell, which I shall take home. Made a
sketch of his head, which looks like that of some
antediluvian monster.
DIARY. 69
December 17th.—Troup, the Major, and I all dreamt
of Stanley’s return the night before last. Troup dreamt
that he came back by himself, without any of the other
white officers, and when asked where they were he
quite calmly remarked that he did not know, and evi-
dently did not care, merely saying that they had each.
chosen their own road, and he knew nothing about
them. The Major dreamt that he arrived at camp
looking jolly and well; that William, his servant, came
inside our boma, when the Major at once ordered him
out, and proceeded himself to Mr. Stanley’s tent, and
found him with a lawyer, upon which he at once re-
marked, “Oh, you are for the Crown, I won’t say any-
thing ;” and the dream ended. I dreamt that we saw a
number of canoes coming down the river in a long line,
and in one of them a large white umbrella, and I at
once saw that it was Mr. Stanley, at which moment I
awoke.
December 18¢th.—Shot the handsomest sunbirds I
have yet seen, much resembling some I got in the
Mashona country.
December 19th—Two deaths in camp to-day. Cut
open the throat of a goat which was dying. It ap-
peared healthy, with the exception of the lungs, where
there was a black spot, which when opened proved to
be a regular cell; inside this again was an egg-shaped
semi-transparent body, with a white worm inside, and
two black marks on it, caused by some body of that
colour, inside, near the outer shell. There were no
signs of inflammation about the black spots on the
lungs, and the cells were completely buried in the
lung itself. The two sunbirds I shot yesterday were
evidently breeding, for the hen had fully developed
eggs inside her, and yet the cock was quite a young
bird in immature plumage, which makes me think
that they must rear more than one brood in the
year. I notice the chanting falcon is still going about
single, and has not paired again since I shot its mate
about two months ago. I tried to kill a splendid
1887.
Dec. 17.
Yambuya..
1887.
Dec. 19.
Yambuya.
170 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
emerald-green snake to-day, but it escaped through the
boma on to the river-bank. The men commenced this
afternoon to put up the frames of the house for Stanley’s
men when they come back.
December 20th.—Succeeded in getting three beetles
to-day, quite new to me, one of them a very beautifully
marked longicorn. Our days are divided by break-
fast, lunch, and dinner, which, in their turn, are regu-
lated by the sun, as there is only one watch that goes
—Troup’s—and that only goes by fits and starts. It is
very like life at sea, the same deadly monotony, only
broken by intervals of eating.
December 21st—Shot a beautiful golden cuckoo,
larger than any I have seen before, a large blue and
white kinghunter, and found two longicorns quite new
tome. ‘The men are cutting poles for the new houses,
and the beetles are all to be found on the piles of freshly
cut poles. According to Selim Mahommed’s orders,
the Arabs this morning captured Ungungu, the native
chief, and put him in chains as hostage, until his people
begin to build their village on this side, and commence
a regular market, which they promised to do long ago.
The natives, to retaliate, seized one of our men, who
was gathering manioc, thinking he was an Arab.
Daodi, hearing him scream, ran to his assistance; but
the natives seized him then, letting the first man go, as
they recognized him to be one of ours; but Daodi they
said was an Arab, and took him across to the other side
of the river. We at once sent for the chief of the
Arabs, and told him to take Ungungu down to the side
of the river, and make him shout across to his people
to let Daodi go. This they did, and he was at once
brought back across the river and released. ‘The natives
will not willingly interfere with any of our men; but
they distinguish them with difficulty from the Arabs,
whom they hate, and justly.
December 22nd.—Shot a pair of swallows I have been
after a long, long time. JI have never seen more than
DIARY. 171
the pair here, and they arrived about a month after we
came; they are a much brighter blue than any swallows
I have ever seen before.
December 23rd.—One of my men brought me a very
curious mole. Its fur is a beautiful light grey, which,
in the sun, has many opal tints. The hair is stiff, and
shines exactly like unplucked otter or beaver. We
are making preparations for our Christmas dinner.
Barttelot and I are contributing a tin of flour (our last)
and a tin of jam; Ward gives a tin of flour, and Troup
a ham, a bottle of prunes, a tin of marmalade, a bottle
of pickles, and some English mustard, a thing I have
not tasted since we left the steamer.
December 24th.—Our Christmas goat was killed at
daybreak, and he is the largest and finest I have
ever seen, and just as good to eat as he looks. Ward
and I both made sketches of his head. We gave the
men a half-holiday, and shall give them a whole one
to-morrow.
December 25th.—Christmas Day has come and gone,
and I must say it was a much pleasanter one than I
ever anticipated. Great were our efforts in the cooking
line, and singing after dinner, and I noticed that songs
of a more sober nature than usual, and those which
reminded one of home, were by far the most popular.
Troup gave us a beautiful ham, which, with cold mutton
in the morning, made a capital breakfast. For lunch
we had a meat pudding, consisting of five eggs, parrots
(species unknown, but good), two small doves, and a
chicken (same size), ham finely chopped up, suet and
mutton (Christmas name for goat), onions, pickles, and
a little Worcester sauce; the whole enveloped in a
blanket of dough and boiled. This pudding was cer-
tainly one of the best I have ever eaten anywhere. We
all took violent walking exercise when the sun sank
low enough to admit of it. Our dinner consisted of
soup, mutton steaks done on the gridiron, a roast leg of
mutton which no one tried to eat. reserving themselves
1887.
Dee. 22.
Yambuya
1887.
Dec. 25.
Yambuya.
172 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
for the pudding, which was a superb rolly-poly made
with raspberry jam. ‘The whole dinner was an immense
success, and we gave a hearty vote of thanks to Ward,
who superintended everything, and made both puddings
himself. There were still about two glasses of brandy
left in the two bottles Mr. Stanley left the Major and
me when he went away, so there was just enough to
give each of us a taste after dinner, and I don’t think a
drink was ever more appreciated. We tried to make
the day a happy one for the men too, giving them a
whole holiday and a present of two matakas and twelve
cowries to each man, and three matakas and eighteen
cowries to all the muniaparas; to Assad Farran we
gave a lot of meat and a cupful of salt, and I gave
him and each of the Soudanese officers a piece of
tobacco. My Christmas cards to the other officers were
a great success, and Ward gave me a bar of soap, which
is simply invaluable. My only pipe was just burnt
through, and what was my delight when Troup made
me a present of a new one! We all regretted Mr.
Stanley's party not being with us, and many were our
speculations as to how and where they were spending
their Christmas.
December 26th.—Feasting again to-day, but after that
we shall have to go down to our old rations of rice and
plantains, with an occasional bit of fish. There are
only four boxes of biscuits left to do until we get to
Zanzibar, so we have determined not to touch them
until Mr. Stanley’s return. ‘Those four boxes represent
the whole of our bread-stuff for the rest of the Expe-
dition, and yet there were over twenty boxes left lying
at Leopoldville. Gave the men another holiday to-day.
The chief of Selim Mahommed’s men here informed me
that the natives had refused to come over and build a
village, or start a market. J wish they would leave the
mitives alone, as we get on perfectly well without any
Arab interference.
December 27th.—Shot a beautiful sparrow or finch
which I have never seen anywhere except here. Head,
DIARY. 173
neck, breast, and some way down the back and sides are
bright, dark, crimson; all the rest of the bird is a beau-
tiful velvety-black. I have seen several of them here,
and shot two, but lost them in the long grass. It has
suddenly dawned upon me since that it is a cardinal
erosbeak, only a young bird. Hard at work all day
writing out my bird-notes.
December 28th.—This morning, about two or three
o'clock, I was wakened out of a sound sleep by a great
yelling amongst the Arabs outside the camp. On going
out I heard loud singing proceeding from a large canoe
which was going down the river, on the opposite side,
and it was at this canoe that the yells of the Arabs were
evidently directed. After a time a gun was fired below
our camp, and then all was still. This morning we
heard the following story :—Yesterday the Arabs cap-
tured a large canoe from a village down river, and took
it up to a small camp they have formed just above us.
This morning at about three o'clock, when the moon
was shining brightly, some natives came up from the
village in a canoe and surprised the Arabs who were
asleep in the captured canoe, and who were supposed
to be guarding it. According to one version of the tale,
there were five men in the canoe, of whom three
escaped without wounds, one escaped badly stabbed,
and the fifth was killed or taken captive by the natives.
The other account said there were three men in the
canoe, of whom one was taken prisoner, the second
stabbed, and the third killed. Both stories agree on
one point, that the natives captured four guns. The
Arab chief came and asked if we could do anything for
the wounded man, so Bonny went up after breakfast,
and found him lying with a very severe cut in the
stomach, through which about four yards of the intes-
tines were protruding. He had received two other bad
stabs on the left side. Bonny succeeded in sewing
up the cuts, but as the man was bleeding internally I
don't think there is a chance of his living. How he
ever succeeded in escaping by swimming after receiving
1887.
Dec. 27.
Yambuya
1887.
Dec. 28.
Yambuya.
174 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
such wounds, and still to be alive, is a perfect marvel
to me, but I can believe anything respecting the re-
covery of these men, after seeing the recovery of the
last man that Bonny sewed up. Khamis, Jephson’s
boy, who was left behind sick, when Stanley went away,
died to-day. He has been nothing but a living skeleton
for the last four months, and it is a wonder that he has
lived so long. ‘This makes the thirty-ninth death in
camp. |
December 29th.—Another of the little boys, Abadi,
died to-day. He and Khamis lived in a house we
had built specially for them, and they have both been
ill ever since last June. Curiously enough, I said to
the Major last night, “ You will see that Abadi will die
almost immediately, for I have always noticed that
where there are two people together, who have both
been ill for a long time, when one dies the other is
almost sure to follow.” I hear that the natives from
down river have captured four more Arabs, and the
chief came to-day to know if we would help them to
attack the natives, but if they choose to slave-hunt,
I do not see that we have anything to do with it.
The man that Bonny sewed up yesterday died to-day ;
the marvel is that he lived so long In the evening
I took a walk through the manioc plantations, and suc-
ceeded in obtaining one of the large swifts which I may
say I have been after for months. I have fired at them
several times, but they fly at such a height that I have
to use very large shot, and this, combined with their
very swift flight, makes it difficult to shoot them.
December 30th.—This morning we heard three shots
fired in quick succession, just above the camp, and
saw a canoe rapidly paddling across to the other side
with a few natives in it. When half-way across a
number of canoes came to meet them from the opposite
bank, and we saw a man lifted out of the first canoe
and placed in one of the others, when they all returned
to the village. Presently some of the Arabs from up
river arrived and told us what had happened. It seems
DIARY. 175
that the Arabs asked some natives in a canoe if they
knew anything about the four missing men. They
replied, in a jeering tone, “Oh, we have made soup of
them,” upon which the Arabs at once fired into the
canoe, killing one man and wounding another. The
Arabs then all went to the village down river. The
Major started off after lunch with two of the Soudanese
to see what had happened, but he had not gone far
before he met the Arabs returning with one native
prisoner. They said they had found the village de-
serted, but had captured this man, who told them that
Ungungu (after having been released by the Arabs)
had gone down there and captured three of their men,
and wounded the fourth. The Major told the Arabs
that if they would leave Ungungu alone, he would try
and get him over here, and recover the men, if they were
not already eaten. ‘This morning a dead body was dis-
covered in the river close in to the bank of our camp; it
was that of one of Tippu-Tib’s men who was with Sheik
Abdullah a long way up this river. He was tied toa
stick and was horribly wounded.
December 31st.—1887 passes away to-night, and here
we are still in Yambuya Camp. The last six months
have been the most miserable and useless I have ever
spent anywhere, and goodness knows when it is going to
end. Barttelot means to go to Stanley Falls at the end of
the second week in January (if he hears that Tippu-Tib
has returned from Kassongo), and ask him finally if he
has got all the men for us, and if not, how many he can
let us have. If he can give us a hundred men, the
Major will then start with them and the fittest men in
camp, leaving two white officers in charge here, and
1887.
Dec. 30.
Yambuya,
go on Stanley's route to find out what he is doing; ©
so that, whether Mr. Stanley returns or not, there is a
chance of our making some kind of move at last. Had
it not been for odd little bits of collecting and drawing,
which filled up a lot of my time, I think I certainly
should have become an idiot here. None of us can
summon up interest enough to sit up and see the old
1887.
Dee. 31.
Yambuya.
176 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
year out, and the new year in, and I must say there
is very little inducement to do so. We had a great
number of ripe plantains, so we determined to make
some plantain beer or malafu. The only vessel large
enough for the purpose was my bath, which is a large
zinc-lined biscuit-box, so we made it in that, but no
one has had the courage to drink it yet. This finishes
this book, and my diary for the old year, 1887.
Nastiise method. of
bird catthing
Mr. JAMESON, DRAWN BY H. Warp.
CHAPTER VI.
1888.—JANUARY IST To FEBRUARY 13TH.
New Year’s Day.—Natives return with captured Arab.—Barttelot and
Jameson have palaver with natives—Natives consult the oracles and
inspect white men.—More reports from Stanley’s deserters.—Assad
Farran sees a whale.—Visit from Arab Venuses.—Sobarus Pogget beetle.
—Dead bodies floating down river.—Wretched state of Zanzibaris in
camp.—One fifth of entire force lost.—Goliath beetle—Conversation
with Selim Mahommed.—Probable dangers to Mr. Stanley’s force from
death and desertion.—Arabs attack natives.—Arabs fight among them-
selves—Natives steal canoes from Arabs.—Anniversary of Jameson’s
wedding.—More raids on the natives.—Burgari Mahommed at large.—
Natives eat captured Arabs.—Burgari captured, and shot.
January 1st, 1888, Sunday.—We have begun the New _ iggs.
Year with one of the finest days I think I have ever seen. J. 1-
We made a mild attempt at feasting, having meat at Yer>ur
every meal, prunes at luncheon, and a rolly-poly at
dinner. ‘Troup presented the mess with a tin of flour,
one of jam, and one of prunes. I am sorry to say the
rolly-poly was not quite such a success as the last, for
N
1888.
Jan. l.
Yambuya.
178 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
the flour was a trifle musty, but I noticed that we ate
quite as much of it, none the less. I had just sat down
to skin some birds this morning, when the natives
arrived opposite to the camp in a canoe, with one of
Tippu-Tib’s captured people in it. They said that if
one of us white men would come over to their village,
and hold a palaver with them, they would hand over
the three men and the guns to us. Major Barttelot
then sent for the Arab head-man and told him that,
if he would allow the natives to fish in peace, and
promise not to molest them in any way, he would
get the men back. He agreed to this. The natives then
asked for a white man to go to a landing-place higher
up the river, without any of the Arabs, as they wanted
to speak to us. Major Barttelot and I went up the
river, and after waiting some time, a canoe arrived with
some natives in it, and one of the captives with his
arms bound. At first they were in a great fright about
coming near the shore, but eventually did so, and told
us that all their chiefs were up the river, but that if we
would come to the same place to-morrow morning
early, they would bring a large canoe to take us over to
the other side, as the chiefs would then have arrived.
We told them we would be there, and left, after buy-
ing some fish from them. I am sure that although
we may obtain for the natives a short time of peace, the
Arabs will have a terrible day of reckoning with them
when we leave.
January 2nd.—Spent a most interesting forenoon.
The Major and I started after breakfast up the river
to wait for the canoe to take us across to the native
village for the big palaver about their Arab prisoners.
After waiting quite half-an-hour, two natives came
across in an old canoe with one end broken, and in a
shocking condition, so we told them they must get
another. ‘This one arrived in an equally broken-down
state; the nose being smashed off, the smallest waves came
in, and a hole was in the side, over which one native had
to hold his hand in order to prevent the canoe from
‘HNOPL ATA
[gu seq]
DIARY. 181
filling. Into this one we got, and crossed over. We
found a small piece of ground, under some trees, swept
clean, and they brought us stools to sit on. Presently
a great crowd collected, men, women, and children.
The men nearly all had their knives, and a good many,
spears. After waiting some time amidst a perfect babel
of voices, a chief arrived with his face all blackened ;
the two prisoners (one of the three having escaped, or
been eaten) being also present. He opened the ball
with a long speech about friendliness to the white men,
or “ Tuku-Tukus” as theycall us. This name is animita-
tion of the puffing of the steamer in which we arrived.
When he had finished, and silence was again restored,
Major Barttelot told them that, if they gave up the two
remaining prisoners and the three guns to us, he would
guarantee that they would be left in peace as long as he
remained here. This having been translated to them,
there was more noise, and the chief finally retired to
consult the oracles. After some time a man, evidently of
authority, arrived with two sticks, one with what looked
exactly like a bunch of small carrots tied on to the end,
1888,
Jan. 2.
Yambuya
the other a short thick one tied up in dried palm leaves, —
having one end bare. ‘These he solemnly placed on the
eround, and informed us that any man, white, black,
native, or Arab, who looked upon them, and had witch-
craft in him, would die. They did not like the presence
of my boy Farani, whom Tippu-Tib gave me, recognizing
him as an Arab at once, so they gave him first of all the
short thick stick, which he had to hold in his hand close
to his face, and look at the bare end, whilst he swore
friendship towards them, and finally he had to blow
upon it, which was the great test. Next he had to take
up the stick with the “carrots” (which I noticed were
the dried seed-pods of some plant like a poppy), and
whilst he chipped it with his knife, looking at it all the
time, repeat the same oath. The chief then took the
short stick, and holding it in turn to his eyes, ears, and
mouth, blew across it on to him; then, taking one of
the “ carrots,” passed it in a circle round his chest and
back. As Farani did not die during the process, they
1888.
Jan. 2.
Yambuya.
182 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
considered it allright. ‘The chief then informed us that
the guns were away at another place up the river, that
to-day they would hand over to us one of the prisoners,
and to-morrow the other man and three guns. We
said we would agree to this, and the palaver ended,
the chief walking off solemnly with his medicine
sticks. We had to undergo a general inspection before
getting into the canoes, and two natives, much lighter
coloured than the rest, and who, as they informed us,
came from a country far away to the north, where all
the people were being killed, and who had never seen
white men before, had a very close inspection of us.
They wanted the Major to open his collar, and let them
see if he was the same as other people inside it. During
the long pause, whilst they were consulting the oracle,
they asked Farani what was inside my tobacco-box, and
when told, expressed a wish to see me smoke, so to
oblige them I filled my pipe, and lit it with a flint and
steel. There was breathless silence during the per-
formance, but when I lit my fuse. with the flint and
steel, they could contain themselves no longer, and burst
out into loud expressions of astonishment. My umbrella
and its uses were next explained to them, and im-
mensely admired. My rings were also a source of
interest, but I am sorry to say were considered to be
brass, like their own bracelets. One native noticed the
point of Farani’s revolver sticking out from under his
coat, and remonstrated with him on the subject. Taking
Farani’s hand in his, he closed it, then opening it, he
swept his hand across the open palm, saying, “‘ Why do
you come with your hands closed—not open as they
ought to be?” meaning why had he concealed weapons
about him. I too had a very good revolver with me,
but as it was inside the large breast-pocket of my coat,
they did not see it. We finally got back to camp, with
the released prisoner, after 12 o’clock, quite tired out
by the noise, smell, and heat, for these natives are any-
thing but savoury. A heavy thunderstorm came on
after lunch, and it rained nearly all the afternoon, so I
made a sketch of a goat’s head, which died this morning,
DIARY. 183
and we distributed the meat amongst the muniaparas 5°85,
and the Soudanese officers, the cook and our boys also yanbuya
getting a bit. This is the first real rain we have had
for over a month, and the river has never been so low
since we have been here. I am afraid, with the return
of the wet and cold, some more of the men will die.
January 3rd.—Went for a stroll with Ward this
morning up the river, he doing a little sketching, and
I a little collecting. I shot a hornbill, which turned
out to be too young to be of any use, and amongst
other birds a very handsome one, of which I do not
know the name, and which I have often tried to shoot
before, but they have always been too high. I also got
the most peculiar caterpillar I have ever seen. I made
a couple of drawings of it, which fail to do it justice,
and then deposited it, with all the other curious
beetles, spiders, bees, bugs, &c., in my silver flask full of
spirits of wine. The natives did not fulfil their promise
to-day of bringing over the other prisoner and the three
guns, so Major Barttelot told the Arab head-man that
he ought to send them a message to-morrow, and, if
they did not give them up, he was to take his own way of
getting them.
Not a word of news of any kind about Mr. Stanley.
If we do not hear of him soon now, it will look serious.
January 4th.—The three men who were sent up to
Abdullah’s camp to try and buy fowls returned with
four. Some of the reports we receive about Mr. Stanley
are certainly very curious. These men say that, when
_ they reached Abdullah’s camp, some natives had just
arrived there, who said that they had seen Mr. Stanley
four days’ march from there, still on his way to the
Lake. Bonny has been cross-examining some of the
deserters from Stanley with the following result :—They
were two months and a half with him before they
deserted. They do not know of any other deserters
besides themselves, except Msa and three others who
left with them, but who have never been heard of since.
The reason they gave for leaving was that they were
1888.
Jan, 4.
Yambuya.
184: STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
badly treated about food. Although there was plenty
of manioc (and plantains) on the road, Mr. Stanley would
not allow them to take it, and in fact often took manioc
from them. The country became very hilly, with
quantities of water. The boat was always kept upon
the main river, the party going by land; when they
came to an unfordable stream they had frequently to go
a long distance up it before they reached a village where
_ they could procure canoes to cross in. At one of these
villages they were fighting for three days. This is
where Nelson was wounded, and two men killed, besides
some wounded. Just before leaving Stanley, they had
passed through a place where there were fifty of Tippu-
Tib’s people. The natives used bows and arrows with
iron heads. There was plenty of food all along the
road, but the natives, on their approach, removed all
their fowls and goats into the bush. They were 25
days coming down the river from where they left
Mr. Stanley, to Abdullah’s camp.—Went for a stroll
down the river with Ward this morning, but shot
nothing. We both got a sketch of the rapids, and a
general view of the river, looking up it. Took out my
gun in the evening, but unfortunately lost two very good
birds in the thick bush, after shooting them. Painted
some birds in the afternoon.
January 5th.—Yesterday the natives sent over the
remaining prisoner, but no guns were givenup. The
men who came back from Abdullah’s camp said that
Ungungu, the native chief, had passed up the river
with several canoes, and seven guns which he had
taken from the Arabs. They were looking for a new
place in which to make a village. The Arabs were
going to let them settle, then surround them, and take
Ungungu, and as many of them as they could. It is
now evident that it was Ungungu who stabbed the Arabs
in the canoe, and took their guns, and not the natives
from down river. The Major had just dictated a letter w
Assad Farran, to be put into Arabic, and sent to Selim
Mahommed, asking him to get us goats and fowls, and
DIARY, 185
to let us know the exact date of Tippu-Tib’s return
from Kassongo, when two of his men arrived, and told
us that he was on his way to our camp, and would be
here in three days, bringing with him fowls, goats,
potatoes, and rice. They brought us six beautiful pine-
apples, and two fowls. The pine-apples were simply
delicious. I spent most of the day in making a sketch
in black and white of the view I took of the river
yesterday. Last night I was wakened out of my sleep
Nei
fants
by a gun being fired off in the Arab camp, and then I
heard them all give chase to something. ‘Their cries
and shouts to one another were exactly like a pack of
hounds giving tongue. I believe one of their native
prisoners escaped, although of course they denied it
this morning.
January 6th.—Just after lunch to-day, the Arabs
returned from a slave-raiding expedition beyond
Abdullah’s camp, up river, bringing with them three
women with babies and two children, whom they had
captured. We had one of the first rain-storms un-
_ accompanied by thunder that I have seen in this country.
It was very cold and cloudy all forenoon, and after mid-
day heavy clouds drifted up with a westerly breeze,
ending in a storm of wind and rain. Barttelot has
been very seedy for the last three or four days, and
had to lie in bed most of to-day. I had a great day,
cleaning up all my weapons, and finishing sketches of
scenery, birds, beetles, &c. Saw four large ducks pass
the camp to-day; they looked to me like wild muscovy,
and are the first | have seen on this river. I fear our
fish supply is over for the present, for the natives are
afraid to come over to this side, as — have not yet
returned the guns to the Arabs.
January Tth—This morning Nasibu, the Arab chief
of Yambau, Yalisula, and all the surrounding dis-
tricts, arrived, bringing us a present of a goat, and
nearly a sackful of beautiful fresh rice. We bought
two goats from the Arabs who came with him. He
told us that news of Mr. Stanley had been brought by
1888.
Jan. 7.
Yambuya.
186 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
TaATTooING.
natives to Abdullah’s camp up the river, according to
which Abdullah had gone with his men after Stanley,
and had caught him up, assisting him in his fights with
the natives. Abdullah had remained at Upi to form a
large camp and raid for ivory. This place is only
sixteen days’ march from Stanley Falls, so that Stanley
must have been travelling very slowly. Nasibu is going
up to Abdullah’s camp to-morrow, when he says he will
be able to give us more definite information. ‘Tippu-Tib
is still at Kassongo, but will return next month. ‘They
say he is bringing a great many people for us, and is
arranging for canoes in which to convey them. Selim
Mahommed is at Yambau, one day’s march from here.
I had a very busy day, beginning by shooting a small
finch which I wished to draw, but on my way back to
camp with it I passed a tree covered with lovely
blossoms which I had often longed to paint, but was
afraid to try, as I am no good at flower-painting; in
fact, I never tried it before I came here. However, I
got some cut down, and set to work, and I think the
result is a success. I was just finishing the leaves when
DIARY. 187
Bonny brought me in a beautiful lizard, which I at
once painted, as I am certain its colours will fade unless
put into spirits. Assad Farran came to me this morning,
and told me that a curious beast, which he was sure was
a whale, habitually came out of the water near our
two canoes, and fed on the grass on the bank, but dis-
appeared back into the water on the approach of any
one. He said the sentry over the canoes constantly
saw it, and on my inquiring if he was certain that it
was.a whale, said, ‘Oh yes! it is something like the
shape of a crocodile; [I am sure it is a whale.” I
imagine the animal to be an iguana; however, he is to
let me know the next time it is visible, for me to shoot
it. Just after Nasibu arrived, the Arabs who are at this
camp fired on a canoe full of natives, and killed several
of them, so there is little hope of our getting any more
fish.
January 8th, Sunday.—Nasibu came down to-day,
but could give us no more information than yesterday.
He spoke of a curious tribe of natives who live near
Upi, the women of which, instead of wearing the
usual small apron of a few square inches, and a dress-
improver not much larger, wear two pairs of living
fowls, one pair as an apron, the other as the dress-
improver. When the fowls die, they are thrown away,
and fresh ones substituted; they are only used for this
purpose, and not for food. He told us that some of the
Lights of his Harem had never seen white men, and
had expressed the wish to come down and visit us,
especially a woman who came from Upi. We told him
we were quite willing to be inspected, and shortly after
his departure a man came down in charge of four black
Venuses, evidently in their Sunday best. Two of their
names were translated as “ Sugar-stick” and “ Finish
Everything.” When asked to be seated, they all sat
down in a body on my poor camp-bed ; but luckily, just
as it was going smash, they got up and dispersed. The
lady from Upi was certainly the best-looking of the lot,
but the gilt of civilization sat very lightly upon her.
1888.
Jan..7.
Yambuya,
1883.
dan. 8.
Yambuya.
188 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
We presented each with a few matakas, and they went
away evidently much pleased with their visit. Nasibu
says that the natives here have no religion of any sort,
and consequently no worship, even of fetishes, but they
have a firm belief that, when they die, they will come to
life again. ‘They affirm, however, that we must come
from heaven, for all people are white there. Another
of the men who came up from Bolobo died to-day,
making forty-one deaths in camp since we arrived, and
I hear another of the Soudanese is dying.
January 9th.—Selim Mahommed arrived to-day, and
brought no end of presents with him, giving me
a very good ivory-handled knife, manufactured at the
Falls; to the Major and myself jointly a small bag of
candied sugar, which is a great luxury, as I have not
tasted sugar now for over seven months, a box of vermi-
celli, and a small sack of coffee-beans; and a fowl to
Ward. He brought me, as a present from Tippu-Tib,
a splendid big goat. My boy Farani also gave me a very
good spear, so the day seemed like a birthday. Selim
told us that they had not heard from Tippu-Tib since
he went to Kassongo, but that he was expected back at
the Falls by the 12th February. He said that the men
coming from Kassongo could only arrive slowly in.
small detachments, as the Congo is now very low, and
they have to travel in very small canoes. He has had
no news of Stanley later than that brought by the
deserters, and he does not believe in the statement that
Abdullah had caught him up, and fought the natives
with him. Selim’s intention is to make treaties of
peace, and trade with all the natives round here, and not
punish Ungungu, as it was wrong in the first place for
his head-man to have tied him up. One of the head
Arabs at Stanley Falls, called Nasoro, fired off the big
rifle I gave to Tippu-Tib, but came to grief in doing so.
He knelt down, imagining it to be the safest plan, but
it kicked him right over on to his back. ‘Tippu told
Selim Mahommed, when he left for Kassongo, to fire
the rifle, but he said that, after hearing of Nasoro’s
DIARY. 189
mishap, he thought it wiser to leave it alone! This
afternoon I took a long walk, and shot a beautiful
warbler, that I have never seen before, and one of the
black shrikes, which, although only about the size of
blackbirds, look as big as crows, owing to the effect of
the masses of black, fluffy feathers with which they are
covered. I stood and listened to the warbler singing
for a long time before I noticed that he was a new one
to me, and then, alas! he also had to die!
January 10¢h.—Major Barttelot sent for Selim
Mahommed this morning, and asked him to tell the
plain truth as to whether we were likely to receive
the men promised by Tippu-Tib or not. Selim answered
that he could not read Tippu’s heart, but he believed
we should get the men, and that Tippu himself would
return to Stanley Falls on the fifteenth of next month,
when he expected to have 200 men there from Kassongo.
It was very difficult, he added, to get the men to carry
loads, so they were told that they were required here to
fight the natives. The Major asked him why, in the first
place, we did not get the men who were on the Lumami
River. He said (as Farran translated it) there were
murmurs amongst them, which I suppose simply meant
that they flatly refused to carry loads. The Major then
asked if there was any personal feeling of dislike to
himself in the matter, and Selim said there was none.
I am afraid that if we do get the men from Tippu-Tib,
once they discover that they have been taken in, we
shall be unable to do anything with them. Selim told
the Major that there were two more deserters from
Mr. Stanley at Abdullah’s camp, besides the man who
led him to the place where the ivory was.
January 11th.—A most unpleasant accident happened
to me last night. I wasin the midst of pleasant dreams,
when, with a crash, my bed broke down, and I fell with
my head and shoulders on to the ground, and my feet
in the air. I put my hands out to see what on earth
had happened, when they met with the mosquito curtain,
which I found all round me, and at once commenced to
1888.
Jan. 9.
Yambuya,
1888.
Jan. Li.
Yambuya.
190 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
struggle with. Luckily I realized what had happened
before I had torn the curtain too badly, and I fixed
the whole thing up somehow, but for the rest of the
night had to sleep with my heels in the air, and my
head almost on the ground. It is a curious thing what
an amount of thought goes through one’s brain in a
second of time when one is asleep. JI remember per-
fectly well that my last dreaming thoughts were of being
in a chair which kept tilting over backwards, and yet,
from the manner in which the bed was broken, it must
have happened instantaneously. One thing is certain,
however: the next time we receive the Lights of any
one’s Harem, they will not sit on my bed! Spent most
of the day in skinning birds and painting. A boy came
in the evening from Nasibu’s camp, which is about an
hour from here, and told me that Nasibu had a full-
srown antelope, with horns, for me, and wanted two
men sent out to bring itin. When it arrived we untied
its legs, and put it in my house on some grass; it then
appeared to be all right, but on coming out from dinner
we found it dead, which is a great pity, as I wished to
sketch it before killing it. Unfortunately it has only
one horn, having evidently lost the other in the wars.
Just as 1 was going for a stroll with my gun, I met one
of my sick men, who presented me with a Doo-Doo, as
they call every species of fly, beetle, bug, or any other
insect. This one was wrapped up in a leaf, and turned
out to be a beautiful longicorn beetle, which figures in
Herr Pogge’s book, and I have only seen one other
specimen of it here. This was Ward’s birthday, so we
had quite a feast at dinner, soup and grilled meat, topped
up with the best rolly-poly we have had yet, made
with some flour we had over from Christmas Day, and
a pot of gooseberry jam. Unfortunately Bonny was
feeling very seedy, and had to go to bed before dinner.
January 12th—It was so hot that I had to skin
the antelope, fearing the meat would go, and I had
not time to get much of a sketch, even of the head.
Nasibu told me he thought this one was about eight or
ees ee ae
DIARY. 191
nine months old, that a full-grown one was not much
larger, and had straight horns about eight or nine inches
long. He has promised to get me a full-grown one, as
I have never seen any like it. It is certainly different
from any of the South-African antelopes that I know of.
We cut up and grilled one of the hind legs, and made
soup of some of the meat for dinner, and it was excel-
lent. ‘To-day was one of the hottest days we have had
yet. The thermometer went up to 130° in the sun, and
then I took it in, as it only measures 145°, and I feared
it would burst. It stood at 89° in the shade. All the
degrees of heat in the shade are taken in my house,
which is the coolest spot in camp, as it is open
at both ends, so that every breeze blows right
through it. An Arab who came in on his way to
Stanley Falls says that Abdullah has gone back to his
camp beyond Upi, and that the two last deserters from
Stanley are there, sick, eight men having deserted at the
same time, when six died, or were killed. lam thankful
to say that I have not had a single day in this camp
with nothing to do, except when I have been ill.
January 13th.—Stretched the antelope skin this
morning, and finished the drawing of its head. In
the afternoon made a sketch of the Sobarus Pogqget
beetle, which I find is far from correctly drawn in the
plates in his book. Another of the men who came up
from Bolobo died to-day, making the 42nd death in camp.
Some of the Soudanese are in a wretched condition, and
will, I fear, die very soon. Nasibu paid us another visit
to-day. He is certainly one of the nicest of all the
Arabs, and quite the most straightforward. As a rule,
when they have not much to say their conversation is a
tissue of lies, made up of information which they think
will please you. Salem Masudi was one of these men,
who, rather than say nothing, told a lie.
January 14th.—Spent most of the day in making
coloured drawings of some of the native pottery.
The designs are occasionally very beautiful, and would
be still better, if they were left without the small cross
1888.
Jan. 12.
Yambuya
1888.
Jan. 14.
Yambuya.
192 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
strokes with which they are covered. ‘The pots are jet-
black when new, and the designs are coloured by rubbing
cam-wood into all the sunken lines. The forms of some.
of their vase-shaped pottery, used for carrying water
or palm-oil, are very fine. Dead bodies of natives and
Manyéma men are constantly caught by the trees which
have fallen into the river from the bank below our
camp. Yesterday there was one, and again to-day, a
most loathsome object to be seen—a woman with her
throat cut in such a way that the head was almost
severed from the body. A rope was tied round her
wrist, and the sight was rendered more horrible from
portions of the skin having come off the face, breasts,
and other parts of the body in large patches. I believe
the Arabs living at Abdullah’s old camp up the river
had a fight to-day with the natives on some islands
above the rapids, killing eight or nine of them, and
capturing over twenty women. When Ward was at
Stanley Falls the last time, Rachid, the Arab chief on
the Lumami River, promised to send him some knives
and spears from there, and to-day they arrived. They
are quite the finest I have ever seen. He was kind
enough to make me a present of one of the spears and
a knife, which were very acceptable, as I have nothing
whatever to buy anything with.
January 15th, Sunday.—Dhuma Bisalum, one of my
men, died to-day, making the 43rd death in camp. He
has been in a sort of decline ever since arriving here,
and for the last two or three months has been merely an
animated skeleton. In the morning I shot a couple of
swifts, and a very beautiful swallow. Made a sketch of
the large native knife sent by Rachid to Ward. A
hippo passed down the river to-day in front of the camp.
It was the first I had seen, although there are a good
many tracks of them between this and Abdullah’s camp.
Gave the men a whole holiday.
January 16th.—We had a hot sun, and I got all my
skins dried. Took a long walk in the evening with my
gun, but only succeeded in shooting one big pigeon.
DIARY. 193
January 17th—Had a great slice of luck in the
way of collecting to-day. After breakfast, Ward and
I started on a botanizing expedition, and I took my
gun. Just opposite the graveyard, I noticed a small
bird dart into a tree. I said to Ward, “I must geta
shot at that bird; it’s a new one.” We lost sight of it
for some time, but luckily I stood still, and presently I
saw it through the branches and fired, when to my
surprise I saw two birds fall, and found I had shota
pair, both cock and hen. ‘They turned out to be the
most beautiful sunbirds I have ever seen, and quite
different from any I know of. There is a humming-
bird in Gould’s collection, as far as I remember, exactly
like them. We got a number of botanical specimens,
but unfortunately did not press them sufficiently, and
had to throw the whole lot away.
January 18th.—Saw the natives catch two very large
fish to-day, in nets just below the camp; one of
them must have weighed from 40 to 50 Ibs. Just
as I got into my bath this afternoon, I saw a snake
climbing up the end of the house, and presently he pro-
ceeded to come inside through the sticks. I jumped
out, seized Barttelot’s stick, and gave him what I
thought was a nasty jar, but he wriggled over the top of
the boxes, and disappeared. I had just got into my
tub again, when I saw him going along where the roof
joins the wall. Went at him and gave him a knock,
upon which he fell at the back of the boxes, and I saw
him no more, although I hunted everywhere for him.
This life is becoming tedious and monotonous beyond
measure, and God knows when and how it will end!
January 19th—Made a sketch of five spears used
by the natives on this river. Some of them are very
handsome, the blades ornamented by cam-wood being
rubbed into the deep lines graved on them. One of
them, belonging to Bonny, has a blade 234 inches long,
and is quite the finest I have seen anywhere. One of
my men brought me a most extraordinary caterpillar.
Tt has two long horns of lovely silky hair, black and
O
1888.
Jan. 17.
Yambuya
1888.
Jan. 19.
Yambuya.
194 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
white, and a tail of pure white spun silk. Its back is
a rich velvety dark olive-brown, barred with yellowish-
creamy white, like satin, and the sides are pure
snowy white, shining like the richest silk. The head
is ochre and perfectly bare like a skull, with jet-black
eves. Another man brought me a very fine specimen
cf the leaf-insect. One of the Soudanese is dead. He
has long been ill with dysentery, and was reported dead
a fortnight ago. This is the 44th death in camp.
January 20¢th.—Another of the Zanzibaris from Bolobo
died to-day. A cold wet day or night is almost sure
to be followed by the death of one or more of these
wretched men, who are simply living skeletons. They
are nearly all without blankets or clothing of any kind
whatever except a ragged piece of cotton, or native
cloth, round the loins, and having no flesh on their
bones, the cold kills them at once. We have now lost
a fifth of the entire force in camp. [I find it almost
impossible to paint the leaf-insect, on account of the
marbled veining and the thousand shades of colour
which render it so beautiful. This evening I shot
another new sunbird, if possible more brilliantly
coloured than the last. Throat rich grey, fading into
bright metallic green on the breast, succeeded by a bar
of orange, merging into grey on the belly, which in its
turn changes into lemon-yellow on the vent. It has
a tuft of bright lemon-yellow feathers on each side of
the breast, which project over the shoulder of the wings.
The head and back are a metallic green, and the wings
are a beautiful mixture of dark olive and lighter greens.
It is a remarkably small sunbird, and the first that I
have seen of the kind. Unfortunately the hen flew away
when I shot this one, and although I waited a long
time did not return.
January 21st—A splendid addition to my collection
arrived to-day! One of the Zanzibaris brought me a
magnificent Goliath beetle, the largest I have ever
seen, but not so brightly coloured as those I got in the
Transvaal and Mashona country. J saw one some time
Sen a
DIARY. 195
Cowrie H&AD-DREss.
ago, flying very high, and could not geta shot at it; and
to-night, just before dinner, I had sent my gun in with
one of the men, when one flew right over my head, but
did not settle anywhere within sight. ‘These are the
only three I have seen during this trip. There seem
to be very few beetles here, but the few there are, I think,
are most of them rare specimens. Saw a very large
hippo going down the river to-day.
January 22nd, Sunday.—Took a walk with Ward up
the river. It is now evidently the flowering season
for almost every tree and shrub; and some of them are
very beautiful. I did not shoot anything then; but in
the evening I had a grand time with my gun and the
birds, getting three which are new tome. [I first saw
a sunbird dart over the path and fly into a tree some
distance in the jungle. As far as I could see in the
moment's time, it was a cock bird, with a bright red
breast, belly, and vent, and the rest of it dark blue or
green. It flew away before I could get a shot, when
the hen made her appearance, and was shot instead.
02
1888.
Jan. 21.
Yambuya.
1888.
Jan, 22.
Yambuya.
196 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Shortly afterwards I got a very handsome bird, of
what species I do not know. It is a little larger than
a thrush, and has a powerful and crow-shaped beak.
The breast is very flat, and the colouring resembles
that of the barbets. It has large bright orange wattles .
and beak; head, neck,and throat being of very deep
claret. The feathers are glossy and hard like short
hackles; the breast and belly are bright lemon-yellow,
spotted here and there with black; vent black;
shoulders white; wings, back, and tail black; eyes
very dark red. I also got a beautiful Paradise fly-
catcher; and on the road home a large black shrike,
which Bonny wanted. Having left the birds in my
house, I went out again, and shot a very handsome
warbler, almost as large as a thrush, which I have
never seen before, so that to-morrow I shall have a
really busy day. It was great luck getting the large
bird and the warbler, as I should never have seen
them had I not gone into the thickest part of the
jungle in search of birds I thought I had wounded.
January 23rd.—Got a few good new beetles. A heavy
- thunderstorm came on about an hour ago, after dinner,
and has wetted nearly everything in my house, as the
wind drove the rain clean through the sides, so I expect
to pass a pretty damp night! I am afraid the long spell
of fine weather we have had is drawing to a close.
January 24th.—Selim Mahommed came down to
my house this morning, and we had a long talk with
him. It appears that he has with him a man who
left Emin Bey’s territory some time after Dr. Junker,
and came down through Uganda and on to Kassongo,
reaching Stanley Falls a few days before Ward’s last
visit there. Emin Bey has been known to the Arabs
for a long time, but always as Abdul Emin; and
they heard him named Emin Bey for the first time
by Dr. Junker. He states that, when he left, Emin
Bey was at his station, which, from his description,
appears to be at the northern end of Lake Albert Nyanza,
on an island, with the river on one side and the lake
on the other, close to a very large mountain. The
DIARY. 197
people of whom he stands in danger are the kings of
the three surrounding native kingdoms, all three very
powerful. From what this man says he is not on
friendly terms with any one of them, and appears to be
more or less hemmed in on this island. He has two
steamers in which he goes backwards and forwards
between his stations. Selim Mahommed says that he
heard of Emin Bey going down to Uganda a long time
ago to try and make terms with the king about getting
out that way; but he has not heard of his being there
a second time. The Arabs know all his movements,
the Sultan of Zanzibar having sent orders to all the
Arab stations to the effect that, should Emin Bey come
to any of them and be in need of anything, they were
to supply it, the Sultan himself repaying them for it.
This man says that when Dr. Junker left he took with
him a lot of Emin Bey’s ivory to Uyoro (Ugogo 2), where
he bought cloth and other necessaries with it, and sent
them back to Emin; also that Emin has a quantity of
ivory, but that it 1s scattered among his different
stations. He says the natives at this end of Lake Albert
Nyanza are a very savage and warlike people. ‘They
have no guns or spears, but fight with a large knife
and shield. They are not like the natives here, who
are afraid of guns, and run away when a few of them
are shot, but they come right on in great numbers.
Thus the great danger to which it appears Mr. Stanley
is open is being attacked on the march when his men
are tired and straggling, and the Maxim gun can only
be used at one point. Another danger is the weakness
of his force, owing to the great number of desertions
and deaths; for although we only know definitely of
23 or 24 desertions, these men and the Arabs all say
that many others have left him, principally owing to his
treatment of them on the road. We have not seen or
heard of those other deserters, because they have gone
down by another route,—probably wid Kibongé to
Kassongo; but very likely Tippu-Tib on his return will
have heard something of them. For these reasons
Selim Mahommed inclines to the belief that Stanley
is In some way hampered, and unable to get on or
1888,
Jan. 24.
Yambuya
1888.
Jan. 24.
Yambuya.
198 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
send men back; he thinks that only his oldest and
most faithful followers have stuck to him. We have
talked the matter over amongst ourselves, and can
only await Tippu-Tib’s return from Kassongo, and see
how many men he will give us. If we only get two
or three hundred, we shall start with them and the
pick of the men here, with light loads (principally
ammunition), and force our way through to see what
has become of Stanley, leaving two white officers here,
with the rest of the men and loads. I told Selim, in
chaff, that if I remained out here much longer they
would think at home that I was dead, and that I should
find, on my return, my wife had married some one else.
He laughed very much, and told me about one of the
Arabs at the Falls called Nasoro Masudi. Some time
ago there were two men of this name, one at Many-
angwé and this one at the Falls. The man at Many-
angwé was killed in a fight; and when the news
reached Zanzibar, the relations of Nasoro Masudi (of
Stanley Falls) thought it was he. His wife, mother,
and some relatives then divided his property amongst
themselves, and his wife married another man; but
before long she received a letter from her husband at
the Falls, saying he had made some money and was
returning to Zanzibar. This rather took them aback;
but the men relatives bolted with their share of the
property, and poor Nasoro returned to this painful
state of affairs. Selim Mahommed told me that justice
does not exist at Zanzibar ; everything is done by bribery,
and the case is always gained by the richest man. If
a rich man beats or ill-treats a poor one, and he com-
plains, he is at once accused of having cursed the rich
man, or some other crime of that description, and is
put into prison, the rich man having bribed the judge.
January 25th.—One of my Zanzibaris died yesterday,
and one of the men from Bolobo to-day. This makes
47 deaths in camp. My man has been ill ever since
August, when he was so bad that I took his rifle from
him, as he could scarcely carry it. The man who died
to-day was well except for a sore leg. He was found
DIARY. 193
dead this morning, with a quantity of blood which had
flowed from the leg right outside the hut. The sore
had evidently eaten into a vein, which had burst in his
sleep, and he had bled to death. He was one of our
camp policemen, and quite one of the best men we had.
Selim Mahommed spoke very cheerfully about the cer-
tainty of the men arriving from Tippu-Tib, saying that
he himself much wished to see the country that we should
go through, and that we could go by a much straighter
road than Stanley’s, for where he had made a détour
from the river and returned to it again, we could go
straight on. Had a great day painting beetles and
drying specimens. In the evening I shot a sparrow
almost identical with our English one.
January 26th.—The forenoon was so dark that I
could hardly see to do anything. It was just like a
day at home—cold and cloudy. No news of any kind,
either from the Falls or of Stanley. It is now a very
serious question as to what has befallen him, and
what we are to do should Tippu-Tib not bring enough
men with him from Kassongo. Make a move of some
kind we must; but it is useless to do so unless we are
in a position to be of real help to Stanley.
January 27th.—Had a most successful day’s collecting.
In the morning I shot two cock sunbirds, quite new
to me, one of them the most beautiful I think I
have ever seen. The throat and upper half of breast
are bright metallic golden green, and below this.
on the breast, is a line of prussian blue, edged with
carmine. ‘The lower part of the breast, belly, and vent
are a rich, dark velvety brown. ‘There is a small patch
on the crown of dark green and purple, and on the
cheeks a line of dark green. The rest of the bird isa
rich golden olive-brown in dark and light shades.
The other is much smaller, and not nearly so beautiful.
Painted and skinned them. In the evening I shot a
very handsome pair of weaver-birds. Selim Ma-
hommed’s men attacked Ungungu’s brother’s village
this morning. It lies lower down the river, on the
opposite bank. We heard the firing quite distinctly.
1888.
Jan. 25.
Yambuya,
1888.
Jan. 27.
Yambuya.
200 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
They killed the chief, and brought back his right hand
with them. ‘They captured twenty-seven women and -
children, and killed four men besides the chief. Un-
gungu will be a great fool if he does not give up the
guns now, as this will certainly happen to him also.
Selim Mahommed’s band from Kassongo came down,
and played and sang to us whilst we were at dinner.
January 28th.— Ahmed Abdullah, a Soudanese
soldier, died to-day. Spent most of the day in painting
birds and flowers. In the evening I took a stroll
through the manioc plantations and shot a beautiful
paradise flycatcher, the cock bird of the hen which I
got a few days ago. It appears that the native
chief whom Selim Mahommed’s men killed was under
the protection of an Arab, called Ali Mahommed,
and so trouble has arisen amongst themselves, and I
heard that Selim Mahommed had sent off a lot of his
men to fight the others. It must be rather a curious
and pleasing sight for the poor natives to see them
fighting among themselves.
January 29th, Sunday.—This was one of the hottest
days we have had. The thermometer stood at 88° |
nearly all day in my house, and 136° in the sun.
Skinned some birds, dried specimens, and finished
painting some flowers. In the evening shot a small
warbler, which is new tome. ‘The natives of the village
on the other side evidently had a fright to-day. I heard
a great row, and on going out with the glasses, saw
them all tumbling into their canoes as fast as they
could, and pushing out into the stream. Some of those
who were left behind were jumping into the water and
swimming. It was only a scare, for they all soon
returned. Theirs must be a miserable existence, liable
to be attacked at any moment by the Arabs, their
women and children taken, and the men shot; yet they
always appear light-hearted and jolly in spite of all.
The chief who was killed the other day is the head
chief of the whole district.
7 Oe em
DIARY. 201
January 30th.—Bought a very curious native war- _1888
knife to-day. The man wanted cloth for it, but as I Ps pies!
had none, I offered him gunpowder, which he declined. :
Preadth of
i Bilt oy 5:
i \ —Qith Sher pd eng te of Fa we. Ri Ys zoe
AAPOLGY
Be wise
War-Knire rrom Lumamr River.
The Major then tried to buy it for me with the canvas
_ off his old bed, but he would not have that either, when
I remembered that I had an old Pigou and Wilks
powder-flask painted black, with a bright yellow paper-
label on it. I showed him this, and extolled its value ;
he jumped at it and asked for some powder in it, so I
put a little in and obtained the knife. The curious
shape of the top of the blade is evidently taken from
the bill of a hornbill.
January 51st—This morning I shot a pair of finches,
of which I have only seen one specimen before, and
that was one I shot on our arrival here, the skin of
which was destroyed by beetles. ‘This evening I shot a
beautiful small warbler. I find that every minute
of the day I have something to do. First thing in
the morning parade men and tell them off to their
work, then breakfast, followed by a stroll with the
gun as long as it is cool. Most likely a new bird is
shot, when he has to be drawn, painted, and skinned ;
then perhaps a boy will come in with a new beetle or a
curious insect, which is subject to the same fate; then,
before the sun goes down, another ramble with the gun.
Through it all, one cannot help feeling how utterly one
1888.
Jan. 31.
Yambuya.
202 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
is left out of all the real work we came to do, and the
sense of keen disappointment crops up at all times.
February 1st.—The men came back from Yalisula to-
day, with palm-oil and fowls, and a present of a goat from
Saidi Chongo * to the Major. They had been lost in the
forest for three days, having mistaken a large elephant-
track for the right road. ‘They brought a great many
reports, but no definite news. Tippu-Tib, they say,
will soon be back from Kassongo. Already nine or ten
canoes have arrived from there with men, but they have
been sent off to a river called the Lumami (not the one
we know of), to settle some dispute, after which they
will come here. Another report says that the white
men (Stanley and his party) are on an island fighting
an angry king. Selim Mahommed places no faith in
this rumour. He is expecting a letter from Tippu-
- Tib. Had a good evening’s shooting, viz. one warbler,
a sunbird, and a finch. A curious thing happened on
my way back. I had shot a sunbird close to where I
shot the warbler last night, and pointing out the shot-
holes through the top of the small bush where he had
been, I said to Barttelot, “I wonder if there are any
feathers from the tail of that bird. I looked yesterday
but could find none.” On stooping down, what was my
surprise to find a dead bird exactly resembling that which
I shot yesterday, lying in the same spot, but in this one
the tail was perfect. I must have shot both birds, but
I certainly only saw the one when I fired, and I fail to
understand how I missed seeing this one.
February 2nd.—ULast night the natives stole two
large canoes belonging to Selim Mahommed, which he
had placed below our camp for safety. A man must
have swum down and cut them loose with a knife, for
the sentry says that although he heard a slight noise,
he could see no one to fire at, and immediately after-
wards he saw the canoes floating away down the stream.
The natives, however, were only taking what belonged
* Chief of Yalisula.—Ep.
DIARY. 203
to them, for the canoes had been taken from them about
a week ago. Madeasketch of a very handsome Goliath
beetle which Bonny got to-day.
February 3rd.—One of my men died to-day who has
been ill for the last two months. He seemed to be
getting better, but the last two or three nights have
been very cold, and have evidently finished him. Shot
three finches, a sunbird, and a warbler. I have only
one specimen of the sunbird and warbler. Selim
Mahommed has sent over twenty-eight men to the other
side of the river, there to le in wait during the night,
and attack and burn Ungungu’s village at daybreak
to-morrow. He has not given up the guns, and has
broken faith in every way with Selim Mahommed. A
brother of the chief whom the Arabs killed the other
day paid us a visit to-day, and was shown round
the camp. The Major and I have talked matters
over together, and have decided, in case we hear of
Mr. Stanley having either met with disaster or being
hemmed in, that we will personally sign a guarantee
for £5,000, which we will give to Tippu-Tib upon his
signing an agreement to give us sufficient men to go
up to the Lake, and see what has really happened;
that is, if he will not do it for less, or if he will not give
us enough men to move the loads now. If we have to
do this, we shall only take food and ammunition, and go
simply to fight our way through if necessary. The
man who died to-day makes the 49th death in camp.
February 4th.—To-day was the third anniversary of
my wedding, so we killed the big goat, Tippu-Tib’s
present to me, and feasted. Bonny contributed a tin of
flour, and the Major a tin of jam, and the result
was a splendid culinary surprise to me, for they had
purposely not told me about it. We had, unfortu-
nately, nothing stronger than tea to drink my wife’s
health in. ‘This morning, shortly after daybreak, I
was awakened by the guns of the Arabs who were
attacking Ungungu’s village, almost opposite our camp.
Tran out with the glasses, but there was a thick mist,
1888.
Feb. 2.
Yambuya
i888.
Feb. 4.
Yambuya.
204 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
and nothing to be seen but the flashes of the guns as
they shot the unfortunate natives swimming in the
water, and the shadowy furms of the canoes gcing up
stream. Nearly all the canoes made for the rushes in
the centre of the rapids, where they had built a lot of
huts, but they were soon driven out of that refuge, and
went in a body away up the river. Selim Mahommed
himself, with some men, was stationed on this side to
guard against their landing. I saw two poor fellows, in
a canoe which came rather close in, have a very narrow
escape, as Selim began shooting at them with his
Martini, but they jumped out and put the canoe
between them and the shore. A number of natives
were shot, but I cannot tell how many, as most of them
sank in the water; however, they captured one man,
and brought back one head with them, which Ward
and IL sketched. Afterwards I skinned and preserved
it, and shall try to get it home with me*. The Arabs
captured five canoes, some very fine ones, and I fear
the natives have little chance of escape, as Abdullah’s
people hold the islands up river, and have canoes.
The Arabs had burnt the whole of the village, which
now made a beautiful picture, with the smoke and
flames rising up from under the dark foliage of the
forest, and reflected as in a mirror across the sunlit
waters, while higher up the river the canoes were
disappearing into the mist which still hung over the
rapids. When one thinks that Selim Mahommed is
one of Tippu-Tib’s head men, Tippu now being an officer
of the Congo Free State, whose charter binds him to
put down all forms of slavery, and that these head men
of his send out parties in all directions to hunt ivory
and slaves every day, it seems a curious medley.
To-night Burgari Mahommed, the man who stole the
meat out of Ward’s house (and who has been in chains
ever since, doing walking-punishment every day),
escaped from the guard-house, taking with him the ser-
geant’s rifle and twelve cartridges.
* This head reached home safely, and was the one which gave rise
to the atrocious attacks in the Press on the late Mr. Jameson.—Ep.
So:
DIARY. 205
Wataku Porrery.
February 5th, Sunday. Another of the Soudanese
soldiers died to-day. The Arabs, who tried to intercept
the natives going up river yesterday, met with decided
reverses. Ten of them, in a canoe which stuck on a
rock, were killed by the natives, who took all their guns.
Last night all the natives passed the camp and went away
down the river; thus of course Selim Mahommed, who
went up river to-day to hunt for them, did not succeed
in his quest. Selim, however, shot two unfortunates,
who were fools enough to show themselves. It is not
1888.
Feb. 5.
Yambuya.
1888.
Feb. 5.
Yambuya.
206 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
pleasant to reflect that Burgari Mahommed is still loose
round about the camp with a rifle and 12 cartridges!
February 6th.—I painted a lovely snake which a man
brought in, anda fish, which I had in a large earthenware
jar. Selim Mahommed says that when they reached
the place, yesterday, where the ten Arabs had been killed
by the natives, they found the native fires still burning,
and a lot of the dead men’s flesh left in the pots.
The natives had eaten nearly all the bodies, and had
nailed their fingers to the surrounding trees. I believe
it is quite a common practice amongst the Arabs, when
they have made friendly terms with one village, to
capture the natives of another place, men or boys, and give
them over to be eaten, as a present, to the natives of
the friendly village. When the Arabs brought back the
hand of the chief whom they killed the other day, some
natives, who were in his camp, said to Selim Mahommed,
*¢ You say you are a friend to us, and yet you give us no
one to eat! Give us the hand!” This is the hottest day
we have had, 90° in the shade, 137° in the sun.
February 7th.—Thunderstorm and torrents of rain all
forenoon. Wrote up my bird notes. Some Arabs
arrived from the Lumami River, and we succeeded in buy-
ing seven goats and some fowls from them. Nota word
of news of any kind about Stanley! The Major and 1
start on Saturday for Stanley Falls to meet Tippu-Tib,
and force him, if possible, to show his hand tous. If he
will only give us a few men, we will go up and see what
has happened. This waiting here in utter darkness is
sickening, and the men are dying off like rotten sheep.
February 8th.—Another man from Bolobo died to-
day (51 deaths). It is almost certain that a death
will be reported after any of the cold storms which visit
us. Did a little painting to-day, but it was so cold and
dark inside my house that I did not feel much inclined
to do anything. When it is fearfully hot we all pray
for cold weather, and when it comes it upsets our livers,
and then we prav for the heat again. This is the worst
DIARY. 207
place I have ever collected in; it is almost impossible to
get anything I do not already possess, and yet I have
only a few specimens.
February 9th.—Burgari Mahommed was captured and
brought into camp this morning. One of my men
who was out a long way from camp yesterday, getting
manioc, saw him sitting down, and told the Arabs ina
village close by. They went out this morning, and
Burgari fired at one of the natives; but when the Arabs
came up, and said “ Do not fire at us, we are friends,
come into our village,” he did so, and was then sur-
prised, disarmed, tied up and brought into camp. He
is to be shot to-morrow morning. ‘Troup and I were
the only ones who thought the extreme penalty might
be mitigated. No one can deny that, according to
military law on active service, he ought to be shot,
and there is no doubt that it ought to have a very good
effect upon the others; but when one thinks what a
miserable poor wretch he is, and from what a miserable
existence he tried to escape, one cannot help pitying
him. It is a long time now since he stole the meat out
of Ward’s house, which was the offence for which he
was punished originally. I think, all things taken
into consideration, a little leniency to such a poor
wretch would’ not be flung away. We have arranged
to start for the Falls on Sunday, and the idea of the
change from this horrible existence is delicious.
February 10th.—Took everything out of the store and
gave it all a sunning. After lunch had all my birds’
skins out in the sun, and got them thoroughly dried.
They are all in capital condition, and no sign of beetle
amongst them. Burgari was shot this morning, and all
the men in camp were paraded to witness it. He was
tied up to the flogging post on the road outside the
camp, and eight Soudanese formed the firing party.
Death was instantaneous, one bullet going right through
the backbone, and another through the heart. He
took the whole thing quite coolly, without the sign of
a tremble, or an utterance of any kind, and waited
1888.
Feb. 8.
Yambuya
1888.
Feb. 10.
Yambuya
208 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
quietly with his head slightly bent for the signal to fire.
The Major has decided to start for the Falls on Sunday.
Selim Mahommed says Tippu-Tib is not there, and he
does not know when he will return. We may have to
wait there a month or more before he arrives, knowing
all the time that we are unwelcome guests. Good-
ness knows I shall be glad of the change, but I don’t
think it a good move until we hear of Tippu-Tib having
left Kassongo.
February ilth.—Another Bolobo man dead (53
deaths). Our departure is put off to ‘Tuesday.
February 12th, Sunday.—The men had a _ whole
holiday, as usual on Sunday. Bonny bought a very
good specimen of the white-nosed monkey yesterday.
The river is so low now that in some places I think one
could wade across.
February 13th.—Busy all day arranging my store and
packing.
TATTOOING.
ee
hie nc a ake _
A Gutpss across ARuwimr River.
CHAPTER VIL.
FEBRUARY 14TH To APRIL 26TH.
Start with the Major for Stanley Falls—Meet a number of men from
Kassongo.—Singatini.—Interview with Nzige.—No news of Stanley.—
Hunting for game in the jungle.—Letter from Yambuya Camp.—Shock
of earthquake.—Anxious waiting.—Sketching regarded as sorcery by
Mahommedans.—Fever.—Letter from Troup.—Barttelot arranges to
send Jameson to Kassongo.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—Start for Kas-
songo. — Tankeewee. — Wild-looking natives. ——- Wamanga Rapids.—
Meet men from Kassongo.—Kibongé.—Jameson writes to Stanley.—
Kapruta.—Assad Farran hunts for onions.—Kosuku.—Kindness of Arab
chief.—Poisoned arrows.—Riba-Riba.—Shooting hippos.—Three great
P
1888.
Feb. 14.
Yaweeko.
210 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
chiefs.—Tippu-Tib’s names.—Dangerous natives.—Head men fear a
night attack.—Quanga.—Nyanewé.—Kindness of Arabs.—Arrival at
Kassongo. — Tippu-Tib.—Fertile country. —Salem Masudi. —Tippu
agrees to provide men.—Sketching.—Jameson writes to Mr. Mackin-
non.—Letter to Mrs. Jameson.—Arab customs.—Conversation with
Tippu-Tib.—Muni Katomba.
February 14th—Left Yambuya Camp for Singatini.
Did a long march to Yaweeko. Crossed nineteen
streams. Found a very beautiful small white tree-frog
in the forest. Belly bright lemon-orange. Toes dark
orange. Rest of body pure milky white. Eyes, black
centre, surrounded by ring of bright gold, rest of eye
reddish gold. Same size as small green tree-frog com-
monly sold at home. When put into a box, it faded
into pale reddish white. It was found close to shrubs,
some with pure white leaves, and others with light red
leaves. Assad Farran was behind, took the wrong path,
and did not get into camp until next morning.
February 15th—Passed a very bad night. My
clothes were wet, and as my bag did not arrive until
this morning, I had to sleep in my shirt and waterproof.
Mosquitoes and a host of detestable insects fed on my
legs all night. Started late, and marched through the
cane-brake beyond Yarina, when we missed our road
and camped for the night. Assad Farran was again
lost; he declared in the morning that whilst going up
the bed of the stream yesterday he heard a fearful noise
above the bank, and thinking it was some very large
beast trying to climb a tree, he hurried on. In the village
of Yarina there was a small patch of millet growing.
When Assad Farran heard us discuss what sort of corn
it was, he remarked that he thought it must be macaroni.
The cane-brake was so trodden down by elephants that
it was almost impossible to follow the track.
February 16th.—Some of the men went out at day-
break to look for Assad Farran, and Selim Mahommed
went to find the right road. ‘The men returned without
Assad, so the Major and I started off to look for him.
After going some distance, we heard shots in camp,
and found that he had returned. Selim soon came in,
A tee ty
DIARY. 211
and we made a start about midday, camping near the
long water just as it got dark. Assad was again left
behind, and men had to be sent out for him.
February 17th—Marched into Yalisula about 3 o'clock,
just in time to miss a heavy thunderstorm. One scene
on the march formed a very beautiful picture. As
the carriers wound their way in a long line over the
white sand, now thickly strewn with brown dead leaves,
1888.
Feb. 18.
Yalisula,
SMALL WAR-EKNIFE.
and up the high wooded banks, gleams of sunshine
fell upon them through the dark tropical foliage. In
the foreground lay an old log across the stream, over
which had crept mosses and large ferns, and far away
through the depths of the forest, every now and again
gleamed patches of sunlight on water and figures, while
from bough to bough, hanging in graceful festoons, clung
giant creepers. Saidi Chongo, the Arab in charge of
Yalisula, made us a present of a splendid fish, carp-
shaped, weighing close on 20 lbs., and a goat, so we
were in clover. Spent most of the evening in endea-
vouring to avoid the streams of water which came
through the roof of our house.
February 18th.—After paying carriers, &c., we got
into canoes, and started up river about midday, and
reached Yatuka, where we stopped for the night, at
9 p.m. Shortly after leaving Yalisula, we passed a
number of canoes, filled with men from Kassongo, who
we found were on their way to Selim Mahommed, at
P2
1888.
Feb. 18.
Yatuka.
PAD STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
our camp. He told the Arab in charge of them to
wait near Yalisula a few days, until his return. We
left Yalisula in great style, with chiefs paddling us,
and a band of drums in each canoe. The group of men
paddling, and musicians in the stern, made a fine picture,
full of life and action, and the singing and drumming
added to the wildness of the scene. The Major, in
the foreground, lying on a bale of cloth, surrounded by
euns, bags, and cooking-pots; two boys seated behind
him, one a little in front of the other; then two men
paddling, standing on the bottom of the canoe, between
whom stood a man singing, his right hand raised,
using a switch as a bdton; beside him, seated on the
edge of the canoe, a boy, beating a drum between his
knees. Behind these again stood two men on the high
end of the canoe, paddling, and then another seated,
beating a drum. The red dye of the cam-wood, which
adorned their hair and clothes alike, the monkey skins
and feather hats, the knives hanging from the band
over the shoulders, the brass and copper bracelets and
anklets, all added to the bright and picturesque effect
of the scene, to which one element lent a strong cha-
racteristic, viz. the tattooing on all the figures. I shot
a very fine black monkey, with remarkably long hair.
It is jet-black all over with the exception of a tuft of
long white hair on each shoulder, and the lower half
of the tail, which is white. It measures five feet
two inches, from nose to tip of tail, the tail being very
long. Skinned him in the canoe, by the light of a
small palm-oil lamp, giving the meat to the natives,
who sang with delight.
February 19th, Sunday.—Left Yatuka early and
reached upper Tatiacusu about 5 P.M. Shot two large
white-nosed monkeys for the natives. Found black and
large orange weaver-birds breeding on the same tree.
Slept in a native hut. The natives kept up singing and
dancing nearly all night. We thought it was in honour
of us, but discovered it was in that of a small boy who
had been circumcised.
DIARY. 213
SnAveE GIRL.
February 20th.—Left Tatiacusu, 8 a.M., and reached
Singatini at 3 p.m. On our arrival we had an 1*terview
with Nzige, Tippu’s brother, who told us that the 150
men we had passed in the canoes near Yalisula had
come from Kassongo, besides 50 more, who were some-
where else. Tippu-Tib would not be back until next
month. No news whatever of Stanley. ‘Tippu-Tib
would bring more men with him, but how many he
could not say. Altogether the interview was most un-
satisfactory. He gave us the same house that Ward
1888.
Feb. 20.
Singatini.
1888.
Feb. 20.
Singatini.
214 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
and I had before. Heavy thunderstorm and rain nearly
all night.
February 21st.—Had an interview with Nzige, when
Barttelot presented him with a very handsome knife.
He again told us that two hundred men had come with
orders to wait under Selim Mahommed at our camp
until Tippu-Tib’s arrival. The canoes have gone back
to Kassongo to bring more men with Tippu next month.
He was as anxious as we were about Mr. Stanley, and
was very glad to see us here. Selim Mahommed came
up to our house afterwards and gave us the same news,
and he said that the people most likely to stop Stanley
were those of the country at the southern end of Lake
Albert Nyanza, who had been feared by Dr. Lenz, and
who were governed by a very powerful king. He said
he should like to go with us himself. Arranged to go
after chimpanzees and buffalo to-morrow. ‘The river is
very full, and it is a fine sight to watch the natives
lifting the fish baskets under the falls. Called on old
Nasoro Masudi, who told us that Mahommed bin Said
had gone to Kassongo, where he had married the girl
intended for his grandson.
February 22nd.—Selim’s men never came, so I sent
down to Nzige for some, and as soon as they turned
up, went for a long round through the forest, at the
back of Singatini. Saw no fresh track of elephant
or buffalo, but a good many fresh ones of antelope,
although I did not get a shot. ‘The Major had a
bad bilious headache, so he did not come out. No
news of any kind. The natives cannot understand
where Tippu-Tib comes from; they declare his mother
is either here or at Kassongo, and they are puzzled
about his having come up the Congo with Stanley.
February 23rd—Had a long day in the jungle on
the other side of the river, looking for chimpanzees.
Lately I have heard nothing but tales of the wonderful
numbers of elephants, buffaloes, and chimpanzees which
ee ee
DIARY. 215
My Frrenp “ Masup1,” one or tHe TamBa-TAmBas.
haunt this neighbourhood, but to-day I did not see a ,j8%,
fresh track of one of them! A heavy thunderstorm gincatini.
came on at 2 o'clock, with torrents of rain and a gale
of wind. Altogether I had a bad time of it. It is
great fun crossing the river now, as it is in full flood,
1888.
Feb. 23.
Singatini.
216 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
and the canoes get twisted and turned about in the
most extraordinary way.
February 24th.—Another long day in the jungle on
the other side of the river. Not a sign of any game;
shot three small monkeys to pay the natives. Spent
the whole day, with my chin nearly between my knees,
going through cane-brakes, swamps, and thick jungle;
luckily there was no rain. Selim Mahommed left for
Yambuya. The white-nosed monkey (not the lesser)
seems to be the commonest here. Saw the natives
get a splendid fish out of one of the baskets to-day,
which must have weighed at least 60 or 70 lbs. It was
a large carp-like fish, and two men were carrying it.
February 25th—A lazy day. Nzge and a number
of Arabs paid us a visit and had a great inspection of
our guns, and Nzige said he would give us a canoe and
men to go up the Chopo River for two or three days’
shooting. Some men arrived from Kassongo or Nyangwé
this morning, but they were all for Sheik Habib on the
Lumami River. The only news they brought was that
Tippu was still collecting men at Kassongo. The
Major and I took a long walk through the forest, and I
shot a very fine nightjar and a large squirrel.
February 26th, Sunday.—Very dull day. Skinned
the nightjar and the squirrel, and found inside the
former a fully developed egg, pure white, and as large
as a pigeon’s. Bought some fowls and onions to take
with us to-morrow. As Nzige’s men did not turn up,
he is sending us to a village of his, about three hours’
walk on the other side of the river. Put a new sight
into the Major’s Winchester. Had a very vivid dream
last night of Mr. Stanley’s return.
February 27th.—Nzige asked us to start to-morrow,
so we put off going till then. He has written to Tippu-
Tib, telling him that we are both here anxiously await-
ing his arrival. From all accounts there seems to be
plenty of game where we are going, and poor old Nzige
seems quite pleased at the chance of our shooting him
in oe om ee
DIARY. 217
some ivory. Was rather seedy, so simply did nothing
all day.
February 28th.—Left soon after breakfast, and having
crossed the river and marched for three hours in a N.E.
direction, reached this village, called Batiumbele. The
head Arab, called Nunikatoto, had prepared a house for
us, the only drawback to which was that the mud-walls
were still dripping wet, it being only just finished.
Arranged with Mabruki, a native chief of the nearest
village, to start at daybreak to hunt for elephants.
February 29th—Mabruki did not arrive till late.
Saw fresh elephant-tracks, and having followed them
some distance found another native was after them a
long way ahead, so gave it up. Looked about through
jungle all day, but did no good.
March 1st.—Natives never came until 10 o’clock, and
the consequence was that although we found fresh
elephant-tracks and followed them until evening, we
never caught them up.. Got a shot at a chimpanzee,
but the cane-brake was too thick, so I did not get him.
The natives swear they will come to-morrow morning
at daybreak.
March 2nd.—Natives did not turn up until late, so
we packed up and returned to Singatini. The Major
told Nzige that he wished to see him privately on
business, so he came alone to our house. Barttelot
then informed him that in consequence of receiving no
news of Stanley, or from Tippu-Tib, and having im-
portant proposals to make to the latter, he meant to
send me to Kassongo, to meet Tippu there, on his
way to Singatini. ‘The Major explained to him that
the case was very urgent, and that he was going to
convert our loads into half loads, as he knew that their
weight was one of the reasons why we could not obtain
carriers. He wished Tippu to supply him with 400
fighting men, as well as the 600 carriers. Therefore it
was necessary to place before Tippu his proposals for
men and their payment as soon as possible. Nzige
1888.
Feb. 27.
Singatini
1888.
March 2.
Singatini.
218 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
replied that the natives here refuse to go up river, that
his men were not able to paddle, but if I would wait
ten or twelve days he expected canoes with letters
and men (from Tippu), with whom I could return. He
promised to send me by the first canoe that. came, which
possibly might be in a few days’ time. He was most
courteous, and assured us he would do all in his power
to help us. Two of the cocks at the back of the house
began to fight, a scene which appeared to be fraught with
interest to this philanthropically-minded old gentleman!
March 3rd.—The Major presented Nzige with a box
of matakas. He seems greatly annoyed at our getting
no elephants. Late last night, as we were going to
bed, two Zanzibaris from the camp arrived with a note
from ‘Troup to the Major. We both thought that it
would either announce news from Stanley or a mutiny
in the camp, but it contained no news beyond the general
condition of the camp, and the fact that fifty men from
Kassongo had arrived for us.
March 4th, Sunday.—Another lazy day. The Major
and I meant to take a long round through thejungle, but
it rained steadily most of the day. Nzige sent for us in the
afternoon to see some canoe races, which were a failure.
There were two canoes, one containing about fifty or
sixty men, the other about half that number, and all
they did was to paddle across to the other side! After
this we had a long talk with Nzige, and told him a lot
about England, and he expressed a wish to accompany
us thither on our return, but inquired anxiously if he
would receive many presents there, as, if he returned
here without any, lippu would request to know why he
ever went !
March 5th—We sent back Troup’s messengers and
one of our own men to the camp to-day. Sketched
some of the people here. About 10 o'clock this morn-
ing we felt a distinct shock of earthquake. ‘There was
a hollow rumbling sound like distant thunder, and the
whole earth trembled, giving our house and everything
DIARY 219
6¢ MASHUKULU.”
in it a decided shake. Barttelot and I took a long
ramble through the forest, where I shot a very hand-
some weaver-bird, a parrot, and a squirrel.
March 6th.—Another lazy day. Sketched a small
drummer-boy from Kassongo. The Major made two
trips into the jungle, whilst I was sketching, in search
of birds wounded yesterday. ‘The first time he returned
with a parrot, and the next with a large crested lory.
I skinned the weaver-bird and took plumes from both
the parrots. Im the evening I made a great stew of
1888.
March 5.
Singatini.
1888.
March 6.
Singatini.
220 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
parrots, lory, &c., which was voted a decided success.
The monotony of this existence is awful, and the harder
to bear with the consciousness that the fate of Mr.
Stanley and his party may hang upon our course of
action; and yet here we are, unable to move hand or «
foot, and praying daily for a canoe from Kassongo, that
I, at least, may be able to get hold of Tippu-Tib. About
one third of our force at Yambuya have died, and I fear
many more will die before we leave it.
March Tth.—Sketched one. of the chief Arabs here,
and two women of his harem. No news. A man died
here yesterday, and a good many are sick. _ It looks to
me like small-pox.
March 8th.—Finished the sketch of Yahid bin Hamis.
Never has life seemed so weary and utterly useless, and
yet one can do nothing to alter it.
March 9th.—I find that most of the unenlightened
Mahommedans look upon picture-drawing as a species
of sorcery, and will not allow me to sketch them at
any price. ‘They say, if you wish to kill the person
you have drawn, you have only’ to tear off the head
in the picture, when the subject of the sketch will
certainly lose his or her head. Even the more en-
lightened look askance at it. When I asked Nzige
to let me make a sketch of him, he replied that he
had not quite made up his mind, but would let me
know when he did!
March 10th.
March 1h, breve
March 12th. |
March 13th.—Up all day, but still seedy. Have lost
a stone in weight. Iwas to start to-morrow in a canoe,
but in a letter received by old Nasoro it is stated that
canoes and letters from Tippu-Tib will be here to-
morrow, so I shall most likely get away the day after.
Nzige urges that it is better for me to go in one of
Tippu-Tib’s canoes, as the men in the others do not
belong to him.
DIARY. | 221
C£4
*¢ Curry-Eyss,” THE Licut oF THE Harem oF YAHID BIN Hamts.
March 14th—Men arrived from Kassongo at last. ites
Sixty were sent for us, but only fifty-two arrived, eight gingatini,
having died on the road, of small-pox. ‘Tippu-Tib will
not leave Kassongo until after the return of these canoes,
so I start with them on Sunday. It takes thirty days
1888.
March 14.
Singatini.
222 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
to get there, weary work when one is not fit. The
Major is going back to Yambuya, and will make
arrangements to send a white officer down the Congo
in a canoe to despatch a telegram and letters to the
Committee, stating our present situation, and asking
their advice.
March 15th.—Took a stroll for the first time during
the last six days. The Major is arranging with Nzige
about a canoe. One of the head Arabs who live here,
Nasoro bin Saef, arrived to-day, returning from a big
slave and ivory hunt. There was the usual amount of
shouting and shooting. It almost always rains here now
at daybreak or in the evening.
March 16¢th.—Nasoro bin Saef brought letters to the
Major from Troup. All is right at Yambuya, except
that three of the men from Kassongo have got small-
pox. Nasoro bin Saef had seen two deserters from
Stanley's force, who are now at Abdullah Karongo’s
camp at Unaria. ‘They had been there over two months,
and asserted that Stanley had taken five months to reach
the point at which they deserted. Seven of them left
together, and it took them a month in a canoe, coming
down stream, to reach Abdullah’s camp. The canoe
had been upset, and five of them were drowned or eaten
by the cannibals. ‘The native villages they had come
to before they deserted were very large, but on the
approach of the force the natives crossed to the other
side of the river, so there was little fighting. All the
white men were well. Stanley had been wounded near
the ankle by an arrow, but was all right again. Ata
village above Unaria, Abdullah found a rifle and pieces
of cloth.
March 1\7th—Spent most of the day looking at
canoes, as the Major wants to buy two for Ward to
go down river in. He succeeded in getting one after a
weary hunt among rotten ones.
' EXTRACT FROM LETTER. 223
A SAVAGE TAKING HIS EASE.—STANLEY FALts.
FROM A LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON.
Stanley Falls,
Upper Congo,
March 17th, 1888.
_.. At last, after all these long weary months, I think
there is a chance of a letter reaching you. Not one
word have I heard from you since that letter written
from Italy, dated April 28th, 1887, now all but a year
ago, and you can imagine how anxious I often feel.
In my last letter to you in August, I told you that by
some bad luck we might be left in the camp at Yam-
buya until Mr. Stanley’s return in November. but,
alas! he has never come back, and we are there still.
I only left it the other day, with Barttelot, to come here
1888.
March 17.
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
March 17.
Stanley
Falls.
224 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
and see Tippu-Tib, but he is at Kassongo, about 300
miles from here, higher up the Congo, and not far from
Lake ‘Tanganyika, and I have to start off in a canoe
to-morrow, and do thirty weary days’ journey to see the
great Tippu-Tib, and force him to come to definite
terms once and for all. The Major goes back to Yam-
buya, and will send two canoes down the Congo with
letters and a white officer to send a telegram to the
Committee in London, telling them of the serious situa-
tion, and asking their advice. The last report of
_ Stanley's party that is at all authentic was brought
here yesterday by an Arab who has been at an Arab
camp a long way higher up the Aruwimi River than
Yambuya. . . . According to him, it must have taken
Stanley the whole time, in which he meant to go to the
Lake and return to our camp, to get to the point on
the Aruwimi River at which the deserters left him!
We have not heard a single word of really authentic
information about him, and not one atom of news sent
personally by him, so we take it for granted that he is
in a very bad scrape of some sort, and evidently in such
a position that he is unable to get any news out to us.
I will now tell you our part of the history. On August
23rd, the men from Tippu-Tib never having arrived,
Barttelot sent me off to Stanley Falls to interview Tippu-
Tib personally on the subject, and I did not return until
September 12th. My interview with him was most
satisfactory ; he made the most plausible excuses for the
non-arrival of his men, and gave the most gushing pro-
mises of instant aid. The result of all these promises
was that after many weeks sixty-four men arrived, which
small number was of not the slightest use to us. Bart-
telot then went in October to Stanley Falls, and there
saw Tippu-Tib, who informed him that he could not
vet the men there, and must go to Kassongo to obtain
them. He left for that purpose early in November, but
up to the present date he has only sent us two hundred
men altogether. You can imagine how utterly helpless
we are, and how utterly dependent upon Tippu-Tib,
when I tell you that we have already lost fully one
EXTRACT FROM LETTER. 725
third of our entire force at Yambuya Camp from sick-
ness, and that I do not believe we could produce eighty
really sound carriers to-morrow, and yet we have between
six and seven hundred loads there. ‘This hope de-
ferred, and weary waiting, month after month, with no
brighter outlook, is horrible work, far, far worse than
any amount of hardship and fighting. No steamer has
been up the Congo since the one that came to us in
August, so that we are completely shut off from all the
world. . . . When I look ahead and see nothing but
darkness, and no signs of its brightening, it drives me
nearly mad at times. If my interview with Tippu-Tib is
satisfactory, | may expect to be back at Yambuya at the
end of the second or third week in May, and then if we
have the whole 600 carriers and 400 fighting men we
want from Tippu-Tib, or as many under that number as
he can give us, we shall start at once up the Lake to
relieve Stanley, or at least find out what has happened
to him, and see if Emin Pasha is still there. If we do
not meet Stanley before we get to the Lake, and are
detained there for some time, I do not see that we can
get home much before the New Year; but, on the
other hand, Stanley may turn up any day, in which
case we could be home as soon as the end of
September, or beginning of October. If Stanley is
really in a bad fix, and we succeed in relieving him, I
am afraid that by that time there will be little hope of
our being able to relieve Emin Pasha; but still we
shall have done all that lies in our power.... . My
pleasures in this existence (I cannot call it anything
else) are few, but the most enjoyable of them was on
the anniversary of our wedding-day, when we had quite
_afeastin camp. We killed an enormous goat which
Tippu-Tib had sent me as a present, and feasted right
royally in your honour. We ate to your long life and
happiness, for we had nothing to drink it in. I have
done a great deal of drawing and painting in my diary,
and am looking longingly forward to the day when you
and I shall go through it all. Ever since Mr. Stanley’s
non-arrival in November there has been a sort of gloom
Q
1888.
March 17.
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
Mareb 17.
Stanley
Falls,
226 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
over all of us in Yambuya Camp, sometimes brightened
up by the news of approaching help from Tippu-Tib,
only to be made darker by the help being put off for
indefinite months. It is a sad, sad sight, to see men
dying round you every day and not to be able to put
out a hand to save them. Without a single fight we
have lost close upon seventy men out of our small
force, and there are many more who, I am sorry to say,
will never leave that camp, or, if we leave it, must be
left there to die. I have had my turn of health and
sickness, but I must thank God that I have been in
better health than almost any other officer. . . . I have
learned nearly the whole of the ‘Light of Asia’ by
heart, and there is something of real comfort in the
many beautiful truths contained in it. I am sending
you a small telegram, just to tell you I am well, as I
know you will value one small one from me more than
the long one that goes to the Committee! Iam afraid
I shall arrive at Zanzibar with literally nothing but a
few rags upon my back. As Stanley would not give
me another carrier, I had to send a lot of really necessary
clothing, &c., to England, in order to be able to carry
my ammunition and collecting-things. I will write you
another long letter from Kassongo which I will send to
Zanzibar. JI am going alone, with only an interpreter
and two boys. It seems so sad to have to go all the
way to Kassongo (so far on my way to Zanzibar), and to
have to turn back again. And now good night and
good-bye; kiss the little ones for me, and may God
keep you all in His safe keeping... .
DIARY (continued),
March 18th, Sunday.—Started for Kassongo at last.
I am sorry to say I left the Major very seedy indeed,
and I attribute both our illnesses principally to the
want of proper food. We have had nothing to eat but
fish, seldom fresh, boiled to rags in a little water,
plantains and sweet potatoes soaked in palm-oil of the
coarsest description, and scarcely cooked. I had to
DIARY. 227
wait two hours while Nzige finished his letters, and to
while away the time Nasoro gave me about the best
curried fowl I have ever eaten, and I did not waste
either my time or the fowl! We got away at 2 o’clock
and camped at a village called Atkaléla* at dark. I
slept in the canoe, as there were only about four square
yards of open ground, upon which all the natives lay
around the fires. The smoke was so dense that the
mosquitoes had no chance of living, and human beings
but a poor one.
March 19th.—Started at daybreak and kept steadily
on all day until 5 oclock. The banks continue the
same as lower down, thickly covered with dense tropical
vegetation.
March 20th.—We sent the canoes up over the rapids
empty, and carried all the ivory and loads round by land.
The path was a good one, and we did it in little over
an hour, after which we journeyed on in the canoes till
sunset. JI again slept in the canoe. Had a bad night;
there was a lot of water in the canoe, and the Kassongo
natives are perfect devils at arguing all night at the top
of their voices. You stop them, but in about ten
minutes, just as you are dropping off to sleep, you will
hear a whisper, which soon swells into a louder dispute
than ever. ‘The village we stopped at, in common with
the whole group on this bank, is called Yankéwé. I
find all the villages are built in groups, each group
bearing a sepafate name. From the rapids (where
we had to portage) to Yankéwé it is navigable for a
steamer, but the numerous rocks make it very dangerous.
One very bad passage cannot be avoided. When we
camped, the natives came down in great numbers. They
are a very wild-looking set of fellows, many having guns.
Their spears are quite different from those used below
Stanley Falls and on the Aruwimi River, being very
long in the shaft, and having a short broad blade, some-
times not longer than three inches. They brought a
* See Map.
Q2
1888.
March 18.
Atkaléla.,
228 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
My Bow Papptt.
isss. small chimpanzee to sell, but wanted a gun for it, so I
ae *0. could not buy it. It was a comical beast, and the very
m=" image of the one at the Zoo, though not so large. I
saw the first limestone to-day since passing a small
river near Banza Mantéka, below Stanley Pool. The
banks of the river opposite Yankéwé are limestone,
with some very pretty caves in them.
DIARY. 229
March 21st.—Terribly slow day’s work, only going
for some time at the rate of one mile an hour. We
started before daybreak, and soon passed ten canoes full
of men from Kassongo, in charge of an Arab, Rachid
ben Serur. He stopped and came into our canoe, and
told me he did not know if any of the men in them
were for us, but that five of the canoes were for Nzige.
He did not know the number of men, and I could not
count them, as they were all mixed up with boys and
women. He said that Tippu had sent an Arab to
Ujiji for men, and that he thought Tippu-Tib would not
leave Kassongo until after Ramadan, which is in May.
The bank on our left is composed of sandstone rock,
and very steep. We passed numerous villages, the
natives of which wanted to exchange canoes for guns,
the price of a canoe being one gun. Some of the
canoe landing-places would make pretty sketches. They
are clefts in the sandstone rock, with steps worn or cut
in them, rising from a small open space at the water’s
edge, from which spring giant-stemmed trees, with
festoons of enormous creepers hanging fromthem. The
whole picture should lie in deep shadow, with a streak
of bright sunlight falling through the trees, from high
up in the cleft, on the dark forms of the natives as they
sit or stand round the bases of the giant stems. We
camped at Wonyakimbi, a village in charge of some of
Tippu’s Arabs, where I secured a hut, and passed a
much better night than the last, although the mos-
quitoes were bad. Opposite the village lies a low, long,
grass-covered island, with a number of hippopotami
on it.
March 22nd.—Started at daybreak and reached Wa-
manga Rapids about 12 o’clock. Here we passed three
canoes full of men from Kassongo, belonging to Tippu-
Tib, but I don’t think they were for us, as they were
most of them the white-shirted Tamba-Tambas. Pitched
my tent and made a sketch of the rapids. ‘The natives
here wear large ear-rings of semicircular teeth.
March 23rd.—It was almost a quarter of a mile to
1888.
March 2)
Wonya-
kimbi.
1888.
March 23.
Wamanga.
230 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
where the real rapids began. Here the whole river
rushes through a passage not more than one hundred
yards wide, and at very low water not more than sixty.
Everything was taken out of the canoes and carried up
to the head of the rapids by the Kassongo natives, or
Wagania, as they are called, to a distance of about two
miles. The natives of Wamanga hauled the canoes up
the rapids, and in many places over the bare rocks.
They are paid at the rate of an axe for every canoe.
The canoes and all the loads reached the head of the
rapids at mid-day, but not a foot further than this point
would the men go, although I used strong language,
and swore that Tippu-Tib would have vengeance on
them. Eventually I had nothing to do but to pitch my
tent and make the best of it. Got another sketch of
the rapids. ‘The view is not at all unlike Millais’s land-
scape ‘The sound of many waters,” strange as it may
seem.
March 24th.—Started at daybreak. After some
hours came to rapids, and passed the mouth of the
Waundwy River, which looks about the size of the
Chopo and Wamanga rivers, but from the little current
in it I should not think it is large. The colour of the
water is rich dark brown, quite different from the muddy
waters of the Congo. We stopped for the night at
Bangingélé, which is under Tippu-Tib’s Arabs. I slept
in the canoe, as we were to make an early start. At the
rapids we met two canoes full of men from Kibonge.
They told me there was a man named Mirabu at
Kibongé, who had seen Mr. Stanley a long time ago,
far up country, still on his road to the Lake; there
Stanley had given him two guns, and had spoken of
boxes which he wished to get to our camp. ‘This was
all I could elicit from Farani, whose English is very
imperfect.
March 25th, Sunday.—Started before daybreak and
reached Kibongé, about 5.30 p.m. It is a large place,
more than twice the size of Singatini: ‘There are a
great number of Arabs, evidently from all parts, here.
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DIARY. pS
Krsonek.
They gave me my choice of two houses, telling me to ee
ask for whatever I needed, and brought me one bowl of Kibonge.
the most delicious thick milk and another of fresh milk.
I am in luck, as I have every symptom of a dose of
dysentery, and the milk is the very thing I wanted.
They have four cows here; there were six, but two died
from the fly and eating bad grass. ‘They also gave me
lovely ripe bananas and guavas, but, alas! I could not
eat them. ‘The chief Arab, Kibongé, is away, but his
representative, Sala bin Ali, did all he could for me;
he assured me that men from this place had met
Stanley very far up the Aruwimi River, when he had
left forty sick men with them, and given their guns
into the Arabs’ charge. There is one Arab here from
Madagascar who speaks a little French, but it is very
difficult to understand the little he does speak. ‘The
whole place is under the chieftainship of Kibongé, an
Arab who came from Madagascar, and who has given
his name to the town. He is himself subservient to
Said bin Abéde, whose headquarters are at Nyangwé.
His people hunt for ivory and slaves, principally to the
N. East; in this way they avoid interfering with the
1888.
March 25,
Kibongé.
234 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
followers of other Arabs. Although I was given a
house, I could in no way call it my own. Every Arab
here appeared to have sent his women to see me, and
they were regularly ushered in, about ten at a time.
Every Arab who knew any language but his own at-
tempted to interview me in it; I was tried in English,
French, and Hindustani. Added to this my host started
a band of drums and women singing, so altogether I
had rather a bad time of it.
March 26th—Ali bin Hanis says there are no de-
serters from Stanley’s force here. The report arose
from the fact of the forty sick men having been left with
the Arabs, to whom also Stanley gave their guns, with
orders to keep them until his return along that road.
Spent most of the day and half the night in writing
letters to Mr. Stanley and the Major; the one* to
the former I am sending to Eturi, the place where the
Kibongé men met him, as it may find him on his
return, or before we meet. I find that Kibongé is an
independent chief, only slightly subservient to Said
bin Abéde. Kuibongé, Said bin Abéde, Said bin Habib,
Muni Mahara, and Hamed bin Hamis, chief of Riba-
Riba, are among the important Arab chiefs, who owe
no allegiance to Tippu-Tib, and only act with him in
any common cause, each owning a separate district for
slave and ivory hunting. In a very few years, I should
say, these Arabs will have overrun the whole of Central
Africa. There is no road between this and Stanley
Falls. The general opinion here is that Stanley has
met with no mishap. I was badgered the whole day
by interviews with all the Arabs, and finally refused to
see or to be seen by any one who was not of great
importance, the female element being entirely kept out.
The Kibongé people presented me with a large sack of
rice and a sheep. My host, whilst striving to impress
upon me the importance of such a present, told me he .
was one of the chief men at Kibongé, and had given me
his house, and suggested that I should therefore give
* See ‘ Life of Edmund Musgrave Barttelot,’ Appendix ITT.
DIARY. 235
NAtTIvE oF WAMANGA.
him a whole piece of handkerchief, and ten matakas for
each of his women, of whom he has fifty! Kuibongé’s
representative, Sala bin Ali, also presented me with a
sack of rice and a quantity of delicious limes and guavas.
My host, I am sorry to say, has been more or less intoxi-
cated with palm-wine during the whole of my stay
here. |
March 27th—My host, one Kapruta by name, told
me a long story last night of how he had met Stanley
on his road across Africa at Nyangwé. I started from
here with a fat-tailed sheep (only so in name!), two
sacks of rice, a lot of guavas and limes, and a large
bundle of sugar-cane—all presents from the Kibongé
folk. They have a donkey here as well as the cows.
1888.
March 26.
Kibongé.
1888.
March 27.
Kibongé.
236 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
The town is larger than I at first supposed, quite four
times as big as Singatini, and the gardens extend to a
ereat distance. ‘They say it is very unhealthy, fever
being prevalent, owing to the cold and damp. It seems
to be a great centre for ivory trading, which is of
course accompanied by slave-dealing. We did not
get away until 11 o'clock, principally owing to Assad
Farran, who was loafing about on his own account,
hunting for onions, and I had men out searching for
him for over an hour. ‘The head Arabs appear to
lead a very idle life, leaving all the slave and ivory
hunting to their followers. My host, a decidedly low-
caste Arab (if one at all), spent his evenings in the
midst of his fifty women, with a band of Kassongo
drums and rattles playing incessantly, whilst the women
erunted and squeaked a most unmelodious chant.
This was generally kept up till midnight, though I
think the time of duration greatly depended upon the
amount of palm-wine he had drunk. We did a good
day's work, camping about 5.30 amidst splendid timber
on the river-bank. JI had to kill the sheep, which,
having been tied to the bottom of the canoe, was nearly
dead from the heat of the sun. I find that a present
of a few matakas to the men in the canoe has a won-
derful effect; they worked splendidly, to-day. Five
canoes have joined us from Kibongé, so our fleet
consists of seventeen canoes, and a pretty picture they
make, winding up the river with their white awnings
and red and white flags, beneath the shadows of the
tall dark forest trees.
March 28th.—So far the birds and butterflies are
the same as on the Aruwimi River. Last night the
mosquitoes were terrible; they simply dragged the
handkerchief off my face!! Some of our camping
places are the most swampy, feverish spots J have ever
seen, notably the one we camped in this evening. As
caravan after caravan camp in the same place, without
paying any attention to cleanliness, the condition of
these resting-places can be better imagined than de-
DIARY. 237
scribed. Assad Farran says he has had a bad fever,
but I think he has overeaten himself on onions. The
river-banks here are low, but the timber is very
fine.
March 29th—Did the best day’s work since we
started. We kept in close to the bank on our right,
and although there were many villages on the other
side, we did not go near them. ‘The men say that the
natives living between our last resting-place and the
mouth of the Roba River are a very bad lot. The
Arabs can do little or nothing with them. Almost all
the villages have asked at different times to have a man
from the Arabs stationed with them, but as it always
ended in their being eaten, they have given up sending
them. These villages and the Roba River belong to
the Kibongé hunting-grounds. The Roba River flows
due East, but, as far as one can see up it, comes from
the N.E., and is very densely populated; the natives
are said to be very dangerous. Nearly all the villages
here have a number of guns, thus being on a more
equal footing with the Arab settlements. We had
some splendid canoe racing in the evening. I shall thank
Heaven when this monotonous journey is over. The
scenery never varies: nothing to be seen but timber,
water, and low islands, and one’s only possible attitude
is sitting cramped up like a trussed fowl the whole
time.
March 30th.—Reached Kasuku, an Arab village at
the mouth of the river of that name. During the last
two or three days I have noticed a great increase in the
number of palm-trees, which makes the vegetation look
more tropical. At mid-day we passed the mouth of
the Linde, a large river flowing into the Congo on the
left-hand bank, from the East. The Kasuku is not
more than twenty yards wide at its mouth, although
the Arabs tell me that it comes from a great distance.
The town is built on both sides of it. On my arrival I
was taken to a small reception shed, and inspected by
1888. ;
March 28,
Kibongé
to Kasuku.
236 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
“‘ A LONG SHOVE, AND A STRONG SHOVE, AND wp SHE cous!”
all the inhabitants, both Arab and native. Presently
pagan they brought me two enormous baskets of rice, which
Kasuku, filled three sacks, four fowls, and thirteen fresh eggs,
all of which I was told were presents from the chief
Arab, who was sick and could not see me. I asked
one of the head Arabs whether the natives used spears
or bows and arrows, and he repled the latter. He
DIARY. 239
«“ Anp down SHE COMES WITH A RUN.”
ordered one of the natives to bring some. The arrows ee
are long thin slips of hard wood, not much thicker than nae
a match. Some of them are poisoned and very deadly. )
On inquiring of the natives what the poison was and
where they got it from, they replied that they obtained
part of it from a tree, and mixed it with snake poison,
as well as with portions of the body of a child which
*
1888,
March 30.
Kasuku,
240 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
had been dead a long time, heating it all up together
in a pot, thus composing a veritable hell-broth! I was
given a house to sleep in. The women’s dress here
consists of a thin string round the waist, with a very
small piece of cloth hanging down behind, and a yet
smaller strip of plantain leaf hanging in front, which I
think was only put on for the occasion. The men, I
am happy to say, are more decent, which seems to be
the case with all the natives of the Upper Congo. The
hippos are distinctly on the increase. I would much
prefer to sleep in my tent, but one cannot well refuse
the chiefs’ hospitality, when they turn out themselves,
bag and baggage, leaving behind them, unfortunately,
legions of smaller inhabitants who are not so easily
evicted. I regret to say that the canoe is densely
inhabited by more than one species.
March 31st.—We started at 9 o'clock, and did not stop
until 9 p.m. Just before dark, the natives ran the
canoe under a tree, and all but upset us. An Arab
ran forward, and administered to one of them a licking
with a stick; the other at once jumped overboard.
When he got in, the belaboured man jumped over, but
after a great deal of talk and many threats we made a
fresh start. Finally, long after dark, we stopped at a
place where I was informed there was no fire-wood, and
therefore I could have no food, and the men refused to
goon. I sent for the head man and told him in very
forcible language that fire-wood must be produced, or I
would go on. The fire-wood was produced. It is no
use being complaisant to these head men; the only plan
is to let them know what you want, and that you mean
to be obeyed. The banks, and in some parts the
country inland, are now frequently covered with long
grass, and palm trees instead of forest, and I noticed
numerous buffalo-tracks in these places. My host of
last night evidently distrusted the white man. There
were two hens sitting on eggs in the room [I slept in,
and this morning, before we left, he asked leave to come
DIARY. 241
in and see if they wereall there. Although I took none
of the hens’ eggs, I am afraid I took with me a number
of the inhabitants of the small species mentioned
above.
Apri 1st, Sunday.—Started at the first streak of
light, and went on until 3 o'clock, when we reached
our camping-place. J had pitched my tent and made
everything ready for the night, when they informed
me that they would start again as soon as the moon
was up, so I took down the tent, and slept in the
canoe.
April 2nd—We started directly the moon was up,
but after a couple of hours had to put in for shelter to
escape a heavy thunderstorm. When it cleared a little
we made a fresh start, but before reaching Riba-Riba
the rain came down in torrents again and lasted until
10 o'clock. We have to sleep here to-night. The
chief, Mahommed bin Hamis, is a little old Arab with
very Jewish features, except about the lips, which are
very thin. He placed a house at my disposal, and sent
me an excellent breakfast of curried mutton cutlets and
coffee. After breakfast I got some of the Kassongo
natives and a canoe, and went off to shoot a hippo for
the men. Just opposite the town and at the back of an
island there were two, one of which I shot, and left a
man watching for it to rise. I then went after an old
bull, and fired four shots at him, missing him every
time. He was very mad, snorting and rearing his head
and neck clean out of the water. I was still more
mad! ‘The rifle was a Remington, with, I should say, a
4)-lb. pull, and each time I had to pull so hard it
threw the muzzle up. The men in the canoe were
fearfully disgusted ; so was I, so much so that I went
straight back to the town, where I found that the man
whom [I had left watching the hippo had been taken away
by the natives, so we never got one after all. I tooka
fairly good sketch of the chief. It is a curious fact
that the Arabs, and I may say all the natives, hold a
R
1888.
March 381
Congo
River.
1888.
April 2.
Riba-Riba.
242 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
picture sideways when they look at it, even after they
understand it. Landscape is quite beyond them; with
any amount of explanation they do not understand a
picture as a whole, although they will recognize trees
or figures in it.
Mahommed bin Hamis is anindependent chief. The
three great chiefs of this country are Tippu-Tib, Said
bin Abéde, and Said bin Habib. Then come such
others as Kibongé, Mahommed bin Hamis, and Muni
Mahara. ‘Tippu-Tib’s two chief towns are Kassongo
and Singatini, at Stanley Falls. Said bin Abéde’s head-
quarters are at Nyangwé, as are also Said bin Habib’s
and Muni Mahara’s. Tippu-Tib owns the whole of
Manyéma. At first there was much quarrelling and
fighting amongst them, but now they are settled, and each
chief owns large districts, in which they hunt for ivory and
slaves. ‘* Hamed bin Mahommed bin Dhuma,” better
known as Tippu-Tib, possesses three names—Tippu-Tib
or Tippu-Tippu, a name given to him from the sound
of his guns, when he first fought the natives; Mkangwa
Nzala, “afraid of hunger,” in reference to an old saying
of his that he does not mind a road where there is plenty
of fighting, for there there is food, but a road without
fighting means hunger; and lastly, Mtipoora, ‘“ foot-
steps” or “foot-marks.” When natives come to a village
which he has attacked, they look at the foot-marks, and
say, “Tippu-Tib has been here, it is a bad place, we
will leave it!” This latter name, Mtipoora, is the one
by which he is generally spoken of all over the country.
The people of Manyéma are cannibals, and the natives
between this and Nyangwé are a dangerous lot, and
possess many guns. They have lately looted two canoes
of ivory, taking twenty tusks at a time, and in one
village they received sixty guns in exchange for ivory.
There is not much regular slave- -dealing in this country ;
the Arab practice is to capture the native women,
keeping them until they are ransomed with ivory. The
real slaves of the country are the Manyéma and Wacusu,
the natives, or Washenzies as they are called, being con-
sidered too much disfigured by tattooing, slit ears and
DIARY. 243
lips, &c., to possess much value. The Manyéma and
Wacusu are bought and sold as slaves for household
work, agricultural purposes, and for fighting men
April 3rd.—I tried to get a sketch of some of the
natives in the market, but they would not hear of it, all
declaring they would dieif I were to draw them. Fowls,
fish, plantains, manioc, palm-nuts, ground-nuts, and
Indian corn appeared to be the principal articles for
sale. The chief sent me a breakfast of curried fish and
coffee, and, before I started, two fat Muscovy ducks, and
asked me to wait until the arrival of a goat ordered by
him for me, but I represented to him that I was very
anxious to advance, and could not delay. He was so
kind and civil, without asking for a single thing
in return, that he quite won my heart. He tried to
discover, through Assad Farran, what I stood in need
of, and what I should like to have. I gave him my
large pocket-knife, which has been my companion for
years, and is the only one I had, for I had nothing else
of my own, and I did not care about giving Expedition
cloth when I could avoid doing so. He was greatly
pleased. We passed a number of canoes bound for
Kibongé, and with them were two belonging to Tippu-
R
1888.
April 2.
Riba-Ribz
1888,
April 3.
Congo
River.
244 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Tib, on their way to Singatini, to one of which I entrusted
my letter to the Major. The head man informed me
that ten men had already run away, the usual occurrence
on these occasions. We camped at sunset, when I
roasted one of the ducks with some onions, and feasted
hkea king. Scarcely got a wink of sleep ; the rats were
in swarms, and ran all over one—every species of
vermin was largely represented. The house was far
filthier than any Irish mud-cabin that I have ever seen.
April 4th.—Started at daybreak, and camped at sun-
set. Did not sleep any better again last night, owing
to the mosquitoes. The natives we passed seem a
wild set; nearly all speak Swahili, and some wear white
cloth garments, like the Tamba-Tambas. Their hair is
dressed in a knot at the top of the head, from which
a long fringe hangs down behind. The Arabs appear
to be very much afraid of them, which seems a curious
reversion of their relations, compared with the state of
affairs on the Aruwimi, where the natives only ask to
be let alone. One would certainly have thought that
men like Tippu-Tib and Said bin Abéde would have
given them such a lesson that they would not so soon
have recovered it.
April 5th.—I said last night that it was a curious
thing to meet dangerous natives so near Nyangwé and
Kassongo, but they are having their lesson now. At
2 o'clock we passed one of the largest and worst of
all the villages, called Numbi, situated on an island,
close to the eastern bank. When we came within sight
of it, we noticed smoke rising in every direction, and
over forty Arab canoes lining the bank, the owners of
which were camped in the lowest village. It appears
that until a short time ago all the villages near here
were peaceful; but they lately took to looting canoes,
killing and eating the Arabs in charge of them, and
taking the ivory. ‘These villages are in Said bin Abéde’s
district, and most of the canoes looted were not his, so
complaints were carried to him, and he was told that if
he did not punish the natives other men would, and so
DIARY 245
Kibongé, his head chief, undertook todoso. It appears
that the rebel villages, the natives of which the Arabs have
never been able to tame, commence about a day above
this, and he came down from Nyangweé, destroying them
all as far as Numbi, which he attacked this morning.
He is going to wait here for two weeks, then go up to
Kibongé for more men, and return to settle them once
for all. He warned us that we should find the natives
in a very dangerous mood, as by this time they will
have returned to their villages, and be ready to take
any opportunity of revenge. We found his men
stationed at different points for some distance up the
river, and we camped just before sunset opposite a deep
bend in the river, surrounded by native villages. The
drums began to sound in every direction, and their
canoes came up very close, evidently not a bit afraid.
The men could not go to attack them, as they are not
allowed to leave the ivory in the canoes. The head
men told me that they very much feared a night attack,
and that we must keep on the alert all night. I then
asked a head Arab from Kibongé, and Nzige’s head
men, if I should fire a shot at them with my Remington,
to show them that they were not safe, although out of
reach of the Arab guns. ‘They at once asked me to do
so, as it would frighten them off, and very likely prevent
them from coming at night. I got the rifle and sat
down. I fired several shots at the most conspicuous
canoe, some three or four hundred yards away, and so
far as I could see hit two or three of the men in it.
There was a tremendous getting away in every direction,
and after putting some bullets right beside two or three
more, there was not a man to be seen. I think it gave
them a lesson, which will be useful to us to-morrow, for
we have to go up the rapids right through the middle
of them. After my shots a number of Kibongé’s men
came up with their guns and flags ready for a fight, and
they were quite disappointed. Below us, on the oppo-
site bank, are two high wooded hills, the sight of which
did one’s eyes good, for I have seen none since leaving
the Lower Congo. The only sleep I get now is in the
1888.
April 6,
Numbi.
246 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1888. early morning in the canoe, as it is impossible to sleep
April 5, : :
6 at night on account of the mosquitoes. We passed
ongo : : : x we
River. some very beautiful high cliffs to-day, of a sort of lime-
stone shale, thickly wooded on their summits.
April 6th—Passed up the rapids and through the
enemy withoutany mishap. All we saw of them was an
occasional canoe scurrying across the river in the dis-
tance. There was no venturing near us to-day, nor
beating of drums in canoes going up and down before
us, like yesterday. ‘The whole character of the river
has changed; it is now studded with long low islands,
destitute of any trees, save an occasional palm, and the
banks are covered, in some places for a long way inland,
with high grass.
April Tth.—After a heavy day’s work reached Quanga,
a large native village under Said bin Abéde. The chief
made a capital subject fur a sketch, and although the
old gentleman was very drunk with palm-wine, and
would not sit still, I got a fairly good likeness. He
had the usual band of drums with him, and every now
and then would get up and dance, going through the
most extraordinary contortions with his body. These
natives are the Wagania, and inhabit the banks between
this and Kassongo; they are not such a savage-looking
lot of men as those lower down the river, and trade only
for white cloth and blue beads, declining matakas.
April 8th, Sunday.—Left at 8 o'clock, reaching the
Gulungumweézé rapids at 11 o’clock, at the foot of which
we left the canoes and walked overland to the top, the
loads going inthe canoes. It took us about an hour and
a half to reach the head of the rapids. Here we stopped
for two or three hours, whilst all hands cooked food, as
we are going.on all night, in order to reach Nyangwé
early to-morrow.
It is a very remarkable thing, the sudden change
above the rapids, in the whole appearance of both the
country and the river. The banks are high and finely
timbered, but beyond them the country opens out into |
DIARY. 247
\
a great rolling grass-covered prairie, with little eeltohicn | io
of bush here and there, and a few palm-trees, while | ae .
‘ : / Gulun-
there is scarcely an island to be seen. When I went’ gumwézé
to sleep we were still steadily paddling ahead. I noticed Papi.
no remarkable change, during our walk, in either the
birds or butterflies, from those of the Aruwimi River.
April 9th.—The men had a short rest of two hours
in the night. After sunrise we passed the mouth of
the Lefubu River, flowing in from the West; reached
Nyangwé between 9 and 10 o’clock, and I was taken
to the house of a chief, Muni Mahara by name, with
whom Tippu-Tib always stays. He is the representative
1888.
April 9.
Nyangwé.
248 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Wacanta VILLAGE, NEAR Kassoneo.
of Mahara, a big chief in Bagamoya. Nyangwé is com-
posed of three villages, the one on the north being
subject to Muni Mahara, and peopled chiefly by settlers
from Bagamoya ; the central village is owned by Said bin
Abéde, and principally inhabited by Arabs of Zanzibar,
as is also the one on the south, belonging to Said bin
Habib. Muni Mahara’s house forms one side of the
large square in which the market is held. On my
arrival the natives picked up all the articles they had
for sale, and fled in the wildest disorder, shouting and
yelling at the pitch of their voices. I was shown into
the large reception-room, where a great number of Arabs
soon arrived, amongst them an old silvery-haired Arab,
almost blind. ‘The chief asked me if I would stay until
the following day. I sent for Nzige’s head man, who
promised to try and get the natives to push on about
sunset. J was then conducted to a house, and a man
soon airived with a large pot full of fresh milk, mpe
pineapples and bananas, a goat, a large basket of rice,
about fifty fresh limes, and some fire-wood—all presents
from Muni Mahara. While I was waiting for my food,
I was inspected by all the inhabitants of the town.
After dinner, the canoes being ready, I went and said
good-bye to the chief, and thanked him for his kindness.
DIARY. 249
At the landing-place I met the brother of the chief
of Riba-Riba, who was greatly astonished at my speedy
departure, and who told me he had sent a man
a whole day’s journey to a village to bring me a pig.
He is the very image of his brother, and seems just as
nice. We went on until 1l p.m., when we lost our
way, and finally camped in the middle of an immense
swamp. ‘The smell of the water and mud was awful,
and the mosquitoes were in thousands ; but we killed the
goat, and I gave all the men~-a big feed, dining myself
off fried liver and kidneys, followed by thick milk and
rice, then a pipe—and I slept like a top!
April 10th.—Started before daylight, and reached the
point of debarkation for Kassongo long after dark. The
river is very picturesque during the last four hours, the
banks being hilly and wooded, resembling many parts
of England. I heard on arrival that Tippu-Tib had
been ill, but was all right again. It would be fatal to
our hopes were he to become seriously ill now.
Curiously enough, with one or two exceptions, we
have escaped all storms during our twenty-four days’
journey in the canoe; and though they have passed
on every side of us, we have had but little rain.
The Arabs on the road have made me presents of five
sacks of rice, one sheep, one goat, four fowls, two ducks
and thirteen eggs, besides a quantity of limes, guavas,
bananas, papaw, and pineapples. We passed Kabanga,
a large native village, between 9 and 10 am. This
village marks the boundary of Tippu-Tib’s territory on
the river, all above it being his.
April \1th.—After a good sharp walk of two hours
we arrived at Kassongo. I went straight to Tippu-Tib’s
house, followed by an immense crowd, and after a little
while he came in and greeted me. I had no one to
interpret, as Assad Farran did not arrive for over two
hours. However, Salem Masudi soon came in, and I
told Tippu-Tib I was sorry to hear he had been ill, but
glad to see him all right again, and that I had been
sent here by Major Barttelot to speak with him about
1888.
April .
Nyangwé
250 ' STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Lanp1nc-PLAce, Kassoneo.
Apri 11. certain matters, and that as soon as Assad Farran ar-
Kassongo. rived, and I had changed my wet clothes, I should like
to see him about them. He said that a house was
being prepared for me, and that he would come there
to talk with me. He had not then read his letters from
Nzige. I told him of the kind treatment I had received
from every one on the road, and, after partaking of coffee
and pineapple, | was conducted to my house. Salem
Masudi came up to see me after Assad Farran had
arrived, and I told him, in Assad’s presence, that I was
quite ready to see Tippu-Tib at any time, that I should
use Assad as interpreter, according to my definite orders,
and asked him to tell Tippu-Tib, so that he might bring
with him a man who spoke Arabic. I waited in all the.
afternoon, but he did not come; he is going to see me
to-morrow.
There is no Kuropean news, except that there is no
ereat war. At Nyassa the English and the Arabs have
had a fight, in which the Arabs have been driven out.
They have come to Tippu-Tib to ask for men and
powder, which he refused them, telling them that he
DIARY. j 251
wanted all his powder and men in case of having to
fight Said bin Abéde, whose father had some dispute
with Tippu-Tib about some villages which they both
claimed. ‘The matter was settled by the Sultan in
Zanzibar, but on ‘Tippu-Tib’s arrival here Said bin
Abéde came and stayed for two or three days, and
at once reopened the quarrel (his father had died on
his way to Muscat); but Tippu-Tib told him that it
had all been settled in Zanzibar, and that he would
not talk to him on the subject, as he was only a boy,
but that his son Sefo, who was young, might do so.
Said bin Abéde then said “‘ he had strength enough now
to settle the matter.” Tippu-Tib told him to use it, but
warned him that if there was a row he would not leave
him a station, and would drive him clean out of the
country. ‘Tippu-Tib then went and burned the three
villages in dispute, and took from them a number of
men, one hundred of whom he sent to us, and these
were the canoes full of men I met near Riba-Riba.
He has sent away 700 men in all; a number of them
ran away on the road, but a great many have been
recaptured, and fifty of them are here now in chains;
Assad Farran saw them as he came in. ‘Tippu-Tib, it
appears, has collected men by going round personally,
and asking the different native chiefs for them. On
his return from this trip, he got a very bad attack of
fever, and for two days was not expected to live.
Salem Masudi let out one thing which rather corro-
borated the fact of Tippu-Tib’s having started in June
for our camp. Iasked him if Sefo was married; he
replied, “ Yes, to Rachid’s sister.” I mentioned that I
had never seen Rachid. Salem said, ‘ Well, he was
coming to Yambuya when we went up the Aruwimi,
but Tippu-Tib told him to wait until his return.”
Tippu-Tib, I believe, is ready to start for Singatini on
the 10th day of next moon, which will be April 24th.
Sefo, his son, is here. The only other news is that the
Germans have hired two ports from the Sultan of Zan-
zibar for the export of gum-copal, and are not likely to
give them up again. In the evening I received visits
1888.
April 11.
Kassongo.
252 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
eee from Sefo, Ali bin Mahommed, and other Arabs. They
eee are evidently very much puzzled at the non-arrival of
any steamer at Stanley Falls up to the time I Icft, and
IT do not wonder at it.
The country between the landing-place and this is
fine, open, and hilly, covered with very long OTass.
(Oude. of metammeh, Indian corn, manioc, ground-
nuts, and sweet potatoes are grown. ‘The sardens of
the town extend for a great distance all round it. The
town is built on both sides of the valley, and is very
large. My house is nice and clean, the best Arab
DovsLEe Drum, anp STRIKER. Coprer Money.
house I have yet been in. The money chiefly used
here is ribas, small pieces of native grass-cloth. Fifty
of these native cloths can be bought for six handker-
chiefs ; for one cloth you may buy twenty-five pieces of
dried manioc, or fourteen plantains ; for twelve pieces,
one fowl; for one hundred, a goat. A man can live
here for two days on one “cloth,” or less than half a
mataka. With one cloth he buys twenty-five pieces of
manioc; with two of these he purchases the green
leaves ; with three, salt ; with one, oil ; and with another
fire-wood, so that he still has eighteen pieces left for
other food. Aneshoka, or trade iron axe, can be bought
DIARY. 253
for five cloths, or less than two matakas. One cloth
will procure a measure of rice just under 2 lbs.
April 12th.—Tippu was busy writing letters when I
went down to him this morning, but he gave me a guide
to show me the town. It is really a very large place ;,
we walked for about an hour and a half through acres \
of rice, Indian corn, metammeh, &c., and did not go |
round a quarter of it. Judging from the crops, the soil |
must be splendid. Returned for breakfast, after which
Salem Masudi came in, and gave me the details of the
Nyassa row, in which he declares the Arabs were en-
tirely to blame, so much so that Tippu-Tib thought of
sending men to take them as prisoners to Zanzibar.
It apppears that the Arabs borrowed some money from
a merchant there, and promised to pay it back in six
months, in ivory. They never paid it, and he sent a
clerk to them, whom they insulted and abused. This
happened several times, and at last the merchant went
to the British Consul, Mr. Goodrich (?), who sent for
the Arabs to come in, but they refused to do so. He
sent three times altogether, and the last messenger they
killed, so he went out with his men, and there was a
fight, in which the Arabs were driven out.
I asked Salem if he had any idea of how many people
there are here; he told me no one had. He said it was
impossible to know, for they had no system like ours,
which I explained to him. Supposing one man, he
said, bought twenty slaves of the first class, these in a
short time would each have slaves of their own, and
those others—ad infinitum. No one took any note of
the death of a slave; when one died they generally
waited till nightfall, and then dragged him along the
ground and threw him into the river, or left him oppo-
site some one else’s house. For one load of cloth you
could buy at least twenty slaves. He presently said,
“There is no one here now-—it will be a good time for
Tippu-Tib to come,’ and went out, but soon returned,
saying thit Tippu-Tib had sent him to tell me that, from
Nzige’s letters from Stanley Falls, he knew all that I
1888.
April 11.
Kassongo,
1888.
April 12.
Kassongo.
254 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
had come for, and he would give us all the men we
wanted, and be ready to start on the 10th of next moon,
by which date his brother will have arrived from Ujjiji.
I told Salem that Nzige did not know all I had to say
to Tippu-Tib, and that I must see him, so I went straight
to him, taking Assad Farran, and told him that my
principal reason for coming was to get him to enter
into a contract for the supply of men (especially four
hundred extra fighting men), and to settle about pay-
ment for them. He told me that he would undoubtedly
give us the men, if not 400, then 300; that as regarded
the payment of the 600, he would see Mr. Stanley, and
settle it with him, and arrange with us for the 400
extra men, upon our return. I told him that, as the
men had been so long coming, Mr. Stanley might refuse
to pay the money, and that a contract with Major Bart-
telot was really a safeguard for himself, Barttelot and I
guaranteeing him the money. He then said he would
settle everything with Stanley, and would evidently
have nothing to do with the contract with Major Bart-
telot.. He assured me three or four times that I need
not be anxious, and promised to leave here on the 10th
of next moon, if I would wait quietly here and go with
him. He stated that he had received letters from Zan-
zibar, where it was reported that Mr. Stanley was dead,
asking him why there was no news of Mr. Stanley, and
what he (Tippu-Tib) was doing, to which he had re-
plied that Mr. Stanley was not dead, and that, Inshallah, —
he would get news of him. I strove to impress on him
the necessity of speed and the value of a contract to
himself, when he reiterated what he had said, and
seemed annoyed at my pressing the point. Two or
three times he tried to speak to me through Farani and
Aramense, but I told him that they did not understand
me, nor I them, so he had to use Assad Farran as in-
terpreter; he understood nearly every word that Assad
said, without the help of the third man, although he
used him in answering, as he evidently understands
more than he speaks of Arabic. I decided to accept
his promise and leave him alone for the day, deferring
Kassonco, [Page 254. |
DIARY. 2a8
my other questions till to-morrow, as he was evidently
not in good humour, and I can see that he is now as
anxious to see us start as we are to go; I think he has
been hurried up from Zanzibar. He says he has re-
ceived news, although he cannot vouch for its truth,
that the king of Unyoro had been collecting men to
carry out Emin Pasha’s ivory, and escort him to the
coast. He thinks, if this news is true, that Mr. Stanley
has gone down the other road by Unyoro and Uganda,
either with Emin Pasha or behind him. I told him
that had Mr. Stanley done so he would undoubtedly
have sent messengers back to us; it was the want of
news that made us so anxious.
Several of the Arabs called upon me in the afternoon.
Tippu-Tib supplies me with the best of food, and is
going to send me a bowl of milk every morning.
April 13th.—Again interviewed Tippu-Tib. I took
down my sketch-book with me, and I am glad I did so,
for I got him into a splendid humour. ‘The sketch of
Yahid made him roar with laughter, but when he came
to that of the chief of Riba-Riba he snatched it up,
and went off with it to Sefo, Ali Mahommed, and some
other Arabs, when I heard them all laughing. He
came back presently in an excellent humour, and gave
mea good dealof news. He told me that all the Indian
merchants in Zanzibar, and all English subjects, had
celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee for three days, scattering
presents broadcast to everyone. The Germans have
got Dar el Salem, and several other ports. ‘Tippu-Tib
says there are a great many discontented people in
Zanzibar, who are only waiting for an opportunity to
ask Germany to annex it, and pension the Sultan, and he
asked me what England would do. I told him that if
they took it against the Sultan’s wish he could appeal
to the Powers of Europe ; that they would call a congress
and settle the matter; and I added that I thought two
strong voices against its being taken by Germany would
_ be those of England and France. It would be a death-
blow to Tippu-Tib’s aspirations were Germany to take
S
1888.
April 1?
Kassonge
1882.
April 15.
Kassongo.
258 STORY OF THE REAK COLUMN.
Zanzibar, and I find his aspirations are enormous, far
oreater than most people think. An Arab arrived here
to-day from Zanzibar, and I hear that, upon his return
from Stanley Falls, Tippu-Tib is going to give him
1,000 men, with guns ; his destination is a gold country
south of Lake Banguela, as far as I can make out.
Tippu-Tib constantly questions me very closely about
all the parts of Africa where gold is found. I warned
him that if he crossed the Zambesi he would have to
fight either the Matabele or Khama, either of whom
would be far too strong for any thousand men of his.
I told him that north of the Zambesi I thought the
Barutzi were the strongest. He evidently means to
have the whole country up to Lake Albert Nyanza, and
God knows how much of the Congo. His son Sefo is
not going to be chief, and the great fighting man I
thought he was, for he is going to Mecca, which pro-
hibits him ever afterwards from doing anything but
praying. (I have since heard that he has given up this
idea.) He has two other sons, however, and Rachid,
Nzige’s son, will, I believe, be a very great man.
I asked Tippu-Tib who would command the men he
sent with us, and he told me he was going to ask Selim
Mahommed. I told him he was the very man Major
Barttelot wanted ; that of course, as he would command,
and give all orders with regard to marching and fighting,
it would be a splendid thing to have a man whom we
all knew and liked. He said that if Selim would not
go, he would give us the very best man he could. I
next asked him for a definite date, at which all the men
would be delivered, and we could leave Yambuya Camp.
He said he thought the Ist of June would be the very
latest, and he certainly thought it would be before then,
for he would only wait one day at Singatini, and come
on straight to the camp himself. He is evidently now
in a desperate hurry to get us off. There are two
causes for this,—1st, he has been hurried up from Zan-
zibar; 2ndly, he has other big games on hand, which he
cannot attend to until we go. I can see perfectly that
he leaves very little for others todo. J asked him when
DIARY. 2959
I could send a letter to Major Barttelot, and he said
there were men just starting, and that if I wrote it
quickly it could go to-day. So I went straight home,
wrote my letter and sent it off; then went out and
made a sketch of the town from the eastern side of the
valley.
I heard an example to-day of how Tippu-Tib gives
slaves to poor Arabs. When he left his place to collect
men for us, two Arabs went with him to Nyangwé, and
in each village they stopped at Tippu-Tib called out a
lot of the people, women and children, and asked
the Arabs to take their pick. When they reached
Nyangwé, one man had fifteen slaves, the other over
twenty.
April 14th.—There are three classes of people in
this country—Arab gentlemen, slaves, and natives or
Washenzies. An Arab gentleman in this land may
have been of a very inferior class in his own. One of
these gentlemen,—a great swell with lots of ivory and
slaves,—on his road to Zanzibar, came here with us
from Kibongé, and told Assad Farran that he had left
Teheran when a child, and had been a servant to some
Europeans in Muscat, from which place he had come
to Zanzibar, and is now quite a great man in his way.
April 15th, Sunday.—Spent the whole forenoon in
writing to Mr. Mackinnon; Tippu-Tib will send my
letters by special messengers to-morrow morning. Before
dinner I went for a walk round the town, and the more
I see of it the more I perceive what a quantity of wealth
there is in the soil. After dinner I walked up over
the hills to the south, and got a beautiful view across
the valley to the hills on the road to Ujiji (eastward).
IT met two natives of Unyanembi, wild-looking
devils, with great feather hats, and bells on their legs,
under the knee. ‘They promised to come and be
sketched to-morrow. The great success of the day,
however, is a promise from Tippu-Tib to let me make a
sketch of him. How I wish I could do him justice!
s2
1888,
April 13.
Kassongo.
1888.
April 15.
Kassongo.
260 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON.
EY Kassongo,
April 15th, 1888.
From the departure of Mr. Stanley in June, until
the arrival of the S.S. Stanley in August, we had
heard nothing whatever of the promised men from
Tippu-Tib, without whom we could make no move
after Stanley. On his departure in June, he had told us
that, should we not be able to come after him, he would
be back at the camp in November; but November,
December, January, and February came, and still no
news from Mr. Stanley, and no men from Tippu-Tib.
. TL left Stanley Falls on March 18th, and reached
Kassongo on April llth, having been twenty-four days
in the canoe. It generally takes thirty days, but twice
we pushed on all night as well as day. What a weary
journey that was, sitting all day in the canoe, doubled
up like a trussed fowl, and at night often sleeping there
too, devoured by mosquitoes, or, if on land, lying in
the middle of a swamp, and how terribly hot it was!
I had little or no medicine with me, and scarcely any
clothes, as when I left Yambuya I had not the remotest
idea that I should have to go upon this journey. How-
ever, the Arabs were very kind to me all along the
river, and made me presents of all sorts of food, so that
I arrived here quite fit, in spite of having been very
seedy for the first week, from a bad touch of fever at
the Falls. ‘Tippu-Tib has given me his word that he
will give us all the men we want; he will leave this on
the 24th inst. for Stanley Falls, and has asked me to
go with him. He will make no agreement about the
money or anything except with Mr. Stanley, but that
does not matter to us provided he gives us all the men
we want. ‘Tippu told me that he had received letters
from Zanzibar, where it was reported that Stanley was
dead, asking him why there was no news of him, and
what he, Tippu-Tib, was doing. He had replied that
Stanley was not dead, and that he would get news of
hii... I was up nearly all last as writing to
Mr. Mackinnon.
LETTER. | 261
April 16th.—Night again, and time to write to you.
You have no idea what a lot of sketching I have done.
My diary at Yambuya Camp is very nearly one page of
writing and then one of drawing all through. I used
at first to copy figures, and faces drawn by Ward, but
when I left for Stanley Falls this last time I took to
drawing human figures, with and without clothes, my-
self. Iam awfully anxious to make a sketch of 'Tippu-
Tib, but my heart fails me every time I think of it, for
he is a difficult subject, and I am anything else you may
like to call me but a portrait painter. I sent home a
lot of drawing-paper which I could not carry, and now
I would willingly give a guinea a sheet for it.....
The Major and I have been thrown more together than
any of the others, having been left alone at the camp
for a long time, and we have kept up the same sort of
intimacy ever since the others arrived. He is a real
honest gentleman, and I cannot say more. We both
come to one another for advice at any moment, and he
has been placed in a hard and difficult position with
Mr. Stanley, who, no matter what you do, is sure to say
it is wrong. We shall both be blamed, I know, for the
long delay in Yambuya Camp, but God knows we have
done everything in our power to prevent it. Out of the
whole force in our camp, we could only muster eighty
sound men, and of what use would it be to go after
Mr. Stanley with this force, when he, with 400 men,
sixty of whom (besides officers) were armed with Win-
chester rifles, a Maxim gun, and all the rest armed
with Remingtons, has evidently met with opposition
which prevents him from either returning to us, or from
sending us any message? ‘Twice Barttelot and I have
been going to start with the few men we could scrape
together, and go after him, but wiser counsels have pre-
vailed, and we at last decided not to go until we hada
force sufficient to be of real aid to him. I cannot be-
lieve that Mr. Stanley would have gone out by any
other route, either with or without Emin Pasha, and
not have ensured a message getting back to us. If he
has done such a thing, he will be wasting a large sum
1888.
April 16.
Kassongo,
1888.
- April 16.
Kassongo.
262 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
of money, and risking the lives of all the men, for no
earthly purpose. . . . And now my little palm-oil lamp
is almost at its flicker, so I must bid you good-night.
How I wish that I could kiss little Gladys, and the
small baby that I have never seen! I pray for you all
so earnestly every night.
April 17th.—Some canoes returned to-day from Stanley
Falls, but there is no news of Mr. Stanley. It is
horrible to sit still here, and know that he may want
help, and be unable to stir hand or foot to help him.
We are entirely in the hands of Tippu-Tib, and dare not
have a row with him. Since I came here I have twice
succeeded in getting him into anything but a nice
temper, and he showed it, but I smoothed him down
again. He is now just as anxious as we are to get
us started, the letters from Zanzibar having evidently
hurried him up tremendously, and should we have a
row with him now, he would send up his men after
Stanley, and leave us in Yambuya Camp. He treats
me in the most princely manner. He sent for my boy
Farani this evening, and told him to tell me I was to
buy nothing at all, that I was his guest, and that he
would give me everything I wanted. Farani belongs
to me now entirely. He originally belonged to Tippu-
Tib, and when I went to Stanley Falls the first time
with Ward, he used to bring us our food. He speaks
a very little English, and I took a great fancy to him.
When the Major went to the Falls, I sent a message
to Tippu-Tib, asking him to lend me the boy for the
trip. He sent him to me, with the reply that he was
mine, and that I could do what I liked with him. He
is simply invaluable—cooks, pitches the tent, mends
my clothes, roasts the coffee, &c., and carries my gun.
He is a wild sort of savage, but honest and plucky.
My interpreter, whom I brought with me, Assad Farran
by name, is a Syrian from Jerusalem, and about as
good-for-nothing a specimen of a Jerusalemite as I ever
saw. He has succeeded in making himself properly
LETTER. 263
ill here, through over-eating, and taking no exercise.
1888.
April 17.
He would come to me at least four times a day, and Kano
say he was going out to “try his chance,” which is
a great expression of his. He would then go to the
Arabs and eat with them, and return very much swollen
out, and tell me of all the things he had eaten. It has,
however, done for him, as I warned him, and to-day he
has done nothing but le on his back and groan hor-
ribly. JI had no medicine for him, having scarcely an
atom for myself, but I procured a large half breakfast-
cup of native castor-oil from an Arab; it is fearfully
strong, and I made him swallow the whole. It has
done him a world of good, and I tell him he will be a
new man to-morrow. ‘This is certainly the cheapest
place I have ever been in. You can buy any quantity
of slaves here—good ones—for £1 per head. I bought
over 90 lbs. of rice to-day for less than half-a-crown. A
fine large goat costs 2s. 6d., and a great big fowl 10d.
A common man can live here on less than one farthing
a day. ‘The money used is small pieces of grass-cloth,
worth less than one half-penny each. A large market
goes on here for three or four hours every day. When
the metammeh harvest (a sort of corn) comes on, things
are cheaper still, so no wonder that a man can keep a
number of slaves, for these very slaves make the grass-
cloths which buy their food, and all he has to provide
is the grass of which they are made, which grows at
some distance from here. When we are both quite
“broken,” this will be the place to come to, but I
think that I have seen enough, and more than enough,
of this country, to last me a lifetime. . . . One day, as
I passed through a native village from which the people
had just run away, I picked up a thigh-bone freshly
cooked and picked. ‘The natives who live inland eat
any of the natives from the river whom they can catch,
and vice versd. . . .
April 18th— .. . I took a long walk this morning
along the road to Ujiji, which is the road to Zanzibar.
264 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1888,
April 18.
Kassongo.
Roap to Usis1.
Before turning back I took a long lingering look in
that direction, and my thoughts wandered over that
road homewards. . . . Another Arab came to me to-.
day to have his portrait painted, but I have no ees
to spare, and prefer to sketch the natives. .. .
The only book I have with me is the ‘ Light of Asia.’
I have read it so often.
April 19th.—Tippu-Tib came up to my house after
breakfast to let me take a sketch of him. About a
dozen of the head Arabs came with him and pressed
round me, making remarks all the time, which so
annoyed me that I could not make a really good pic-
ture; it is like him, everyone says, and he has promised
to come again for me to alter the face a little... .
Curious how one’s fate turns upon a hair sometimes!
Had I not gone to ——’s rooms that Sunday morning,
and read that paper whilst he was dressing, I should
probably never have been here now, for most likely I
should not have heard of the Expedition until it was
just starting. It does seem as if one were guided by
LETTER. . 266
an unseen hand or power, of which Edwin Arnold
writes :—
giN Pues yh. power divine which moves to good,
Only its laws endure. . .
This is its work upon the things ye see,
The unseen things are more; men’s hearts and minds,
The thoughts of peoples, and their ways and wills,
Those, too, the great law binds. ...
I shall surely have wrought out my mission in the
way of travel after this long journey is over. My
ambition to do something good in this world before
I died was right, but there were a thousand other
things which I might have dene which would never
have called me away so far.
April 20th.—Tippu-Tib has had some letters from
Ujiji to-day, but I cannot get any news out of him.
. | went for a long walk this morning; it is
delightful to be able to see far over the country again,
after being shut up in that camp for months... .
Almost all the Arabs’ slaves come from this country,
Manyéma, where they are very cheap. (They do not
take many slaves from the natives of the Aruwimi,
as they are of little value, being so disfigured by
tattooing, and having their ears and lips full of slits
and holes.) My boy Farani has two slaves of his own.
I saw one offered to him this morning for three pieces
of cotton cloth, worth 7s. 6d., but he said it was too
dear. Notwithstanding the slavery, I don’t think I
have ever seen a country where there is so much
general happiness, and so little misery; one sees far
more of the latter at home. ‘There is no starvation
here, and no one without work. When they do wrong,
instead of being imprisoned or dismissed, they get a
good sound beating with a stick, and I am not sure
that it is not the best plan. ‘The long grass-cloths
that are worn here are really very beautiful, and I am
going to try and buy one to-morrow for you. The
head chief of all the Wagania (the tribe living round
Kassongo) came to be sketched this morning; to show
1888.
April 19.
Kassongo.
1888.
April 20.
Kassongo.
266 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
me how much greater a chief he considered me than
himself, he picked up dust off the floor as he was
going away and threw it on to his shoulder... .
Major Barttelot has told me that when we start for
the Lake I am to go on in front, and give all direc-
tions about the road, as we shall have to steer by
compass, having no instruments with us. It will be
much pleasanter work than the slave-driving I had to
do between Matadi and Stanley Pool. Troup is to
be left behind at Stanley Falls, in charge of all the
loads we leave there, as the men are only to carry
half loads in order to accelerate our movements. . .
I am nearly in rags now, and am positively ashamed
to go about amongst these beautifully dressed, clean
Arabs with my elbows sticking out, and holes in the
knees of my trousers. But Tippu-Tib says that on
some of his trips he has had nothing to wear but a
piece of native grass-cloth! ...
April 21st.—The time has come when I must say
good-bye. In two days’ time I shall be returning to
that abominable camp. . . but it is pleasant to think
that the only news you will hear of me after this will
be of my return journey. . . . I cannot possibly think
why Stanley has never been able to send us any news,
unless he is in a very bad fix indeed. If he is and
we relieve him, of course it will be something done,
but what a fiasco after all we were going to do!
DIARY (continued).
April 16th—I got a splendid sketch of a native
of Unyanembi, and of Tippu-Tib’s two gun-bearers.
A great raid was made upon my cloth to-day. I
bought 100 native cloths from an Arab for one piece
of handkerchiefs, and Tippu-Tib happened to see the
piece, which had a good deal of white about it. He
sent to ask me if I had any more of the same, as he
would like to have some. I had none exactly the same,
but a few double pieces very like it, so I sent them
down to him. He wanted more, and said he would
give me other cloth for all of them, but I told him they
[Page 266. |
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DIARY. 269
were a present, and that I was glad to find I had some-
thing to give him that he wanted. I had also to
give Sefo, his son, a double piece. All the other
Arabs then begged me to sell cloth to them, but I
put my foot down, and refused to part with another
handkerchief. ‘They were exactly lke vultures round
a dead body. Fifty more men, for us, came in to-day.
Tippu-Tib sent me up some coffee-beans and sugar.
April 17th.—I bought three sacks full of rice, in
all I should think over 90 lbs., for 42 native cloths,
or ribas, or about ten matakas, or 2s. ld. An Arab
sent up two large baskets of rice, for which he
wanted cloth in exchange, and I was just asking
how much they wanted for it, when Tippu-Tib sent
up one of my boys to tell me not to buy it, or any
more rice at all, as he would give me all I required.
The Arab was annoyed, to say the very least of it.
Tippu-Tib then sent Salem Masudi up with the same
message and another lot of coffee-beans.
April 18th.—This morning I took a long walle
along the road to Ujiji; I passed through nothing
but gardens for about an hour and a half, and
they extend on all sides of the town. After
breakfast Farani brought me a splendid specimen of
a savage to sketch. He belongs to some tribe far
away to the south, and has come, I believe, from
Quemba; he is a drummer and dancer. After I had
sketched him he treated me to a dance, which is
exactly like the Highland fling. It is a curious thing
that some of the steps were the very same. ‘This
sketch is the best I have attempted, both as a like-
ness and a drawing. It has just struck me as pos-
sible that Mr. Stanley may be in Uganda, and have
told the king that we are coming on with plenty of
stuff to pay him with, and he may be kept there
waiting for us. Last night I was awakened by the
most dreadful noise, all the people in the town
seemed to be yelling; this morning it was still going
on, and I found out that an Arab woman had died,
and nearly everyone in the town was at the house
1888.
April 16.
Kassongo
270 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1888.
April 18.
Kassongo.
DRUMMER AND DANCER OF QUEMBA.
Tippu-Tib amongst the rest. When, as in this case,
it is a woman who is dead, the men all sit inside
the house and in the road, while the women assemble
in the small enclosure at the back of the house where
they bury the body. ‘The moment she is buried, the
men go home, and the women go and wash them-
selves in the river. In the case of a man’s death,
the men all stay in the house for three days, at the
end of which time there is an enormous quantity of
rice cooked, and all comers have a great feed.
April 19th.—In the afternoon I got a good sketch
of Lamba Lamba, one of the native chiefs of this place.
Salem Masudi let out to-day that Tippu-Tib had received
the news about the king of Unyoro collecting men for
Emin Pasha, in a letter. I asked Tippu-Tib if I
could send a letter to Major Barttelot, but he told me
that no one would go to Stanley Falls before we did.
[Page 2770. ]
, A WAGAUIA CHIEF.
LAMBA-LAMBA
DIARY. 273
April 20¢th.—Sketched Mwana Halumba, the head
native chief of Kassongo, then took a portrait of an
Arab gentleman of this place at his request, and pre-
sented him with it. ‘Tippu received letters from Ujiji.
April 21st.—I believe Tippu-Tib will really start
on the 24th, as all his things go down to the canoes
to-morrow. I made a drawing of a curious native stool
from Walua, shaped like an idol. Another Arab
bothered me to take his portrait. ‘Tippu-Tib gave me
six sacks of rice. Had a row with Assad about not
washing himself. He confessed to not having washed
since we have been here. |
April 22nd, Sunday.—Tippu-Tib informed me this
morning that the canoes had not yet returned from
Kibongé, but were expected here either to-day or to-
morrow, and that he would start without fail in four days’
time for the river, sleep there that night, and go on next
morning. When coming here on the river, I was told that
he could not start until these canoes returned. Had to
do another portrait of an Arab, and there are many more
applicants, but I have shut up shop. Went for a long
walk in the evening, to get some axes made for the camp.
April 23rd.—Tippu-Tib is really going; he is paying
the paddlers. Finished letters home.
April 24th—Had a long talk to-day with Tippu-Tib,
whom I found in a particularly good humour. I took
down my letters, and asked him to send them for me.
He said they would not take long on the road; he is
sending some himself, and they go with the regular
monthly Mission post. He told me that he could give us
any number of canoes, carriers, &c., in the event of our
return by this route. I asked him, in case of our return
by Uganda, what we should do with his men, and he
told me that he would give all necessary orders to Selim
Mahommed, or whoever went in command of them. I
then asked him what were the best trading things to take.
He said that beads, cowries, and brass wire would do as
far as Uganda and Unyoro, and that the particular kind
of beads did not signify, as no one had been up the road
T
1888.
April 20.
Kassongo.
274. STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
1888.
April 24.
Kassongo.
Trippu-Trs.
before to spoil the market. He then brought me some
cloth which is good in Uganda and Unyoro, much smaller
and thinner than ours, and said, ‘‘ Where this is good,
how much more valuable must yours be.” I had a
long talk with him on various subjects, Germany and
France, Germany and Zanzibar, gold, silver, and
diamond countries, &c. He showed me some copper
money, and said that, when he first came to this country,
for one or two pieces of copper money, worth about
ls. 3d. each, you could buy five 60- or 70-lb. tusks of
ivory, but that day is all over. There are two places
from which the copper comes; one south, the other
north of Kassongo. He seemed anxious that France
DIARY. 275
should go to war with Germany, evidently thinking that
1888.
April 24.
it would check the progress of the Germans in this Kasionee
country for a little. He also asked me a great deal
about the Congo Free State. He sent me up word later
in the day that he would startin three days. Tippu does
not allow the natives here to be ill-treated by his own
men. An Arab was flogged by his command to-day for
having unjustly struck a native. There was a regular
sale of slaves to-day, about fifteen being sold by auction,
of whom Tippu bought eight.
April 25th.—I generally take a walk every evening
up the hill, at the top of which lives a rich Arab, called
Muni Katomba, from Bagamoya. Two evenings ago,
on my way home, he came out and said to me, “ You
pass my house every day; why do you not come in and
see me!” I promised to do so the next time I passed,
and called on him this evening. He was delighted to
see me, and we had a long talk. These Arabs cannot
believe that there are many poor white men (I opened
his eyes on that subject), nor can they understand that
there are people in England richer than the Queen and
the Prince of Wales. He asked me why I had bought
the native axes, and when I told him, he brought me
out four large native knives, and asked me if they
would be of any use, and I gladly accepted them. He
took me into his house, and into the large courtyard at
the back, in which he showed me all his women slaves,
of whom there must have been two hundred of all
manner of tribes. The women brought me a mat to sit
on, and they crowded round to see’ me, most of them
never having seen a white man before. On my de-
parture he presented me with a goat, a quantity of
fruit, and a beautiful Zanzibar mat, and then walked
half-way down the hill to bid me good-bye. How
different his treatment of me from that of the Arabs who
live near Tippu-Tib’s house, whose only object is to try
and get everything they can out of one! He isa perfect
gentleman in manner, and he is the only Arab who has
taken me inside his house and shown me his women.
The scene inside the courtyard would have made a
yee ae
1888.
April 25.
Kassongo.
276 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
splendid picture. Women of all tribes, in every sort of
dress (and many with scarcely any), stood in groups all
round the enclosure, engaged in different kinds of work.
My interview with Muni Katomba certainly did much
to raise my opinion of the Arabs, not by his presents,
but by his manner of giving them, and his whole treat-
ment of me. I believe he is very rich, and owns many
villages and slaves. He cannot at all understand why
white men, with plenty of money, should leave their own
country (and risk their lives) to see others. I bade him
farewell in true Oriental fashion, placing my hand upon
my heart, telling him that his kindness to me, a stranger
and a passer-by, had made a mark upon it, which would
never be obliterated.
April 26th.—Gave a copy of my sketch of the chief
of Riba-Riba to him, according to my promise. Tippu-
Tib really means starting to-morrow. Thank God! there
is a chance of our making a start in the right direction at
last. ‘Tippu-Tib gave me a piece of the copper money.
Waacanta Hors.
‘¢ NOTHING LIKE INDEPENDENCE.”
CHAPTER VIII.
Aprit 27TH TO JUNE 10TH.
Start back for Yambuya.—Delay at starting-point on the river.—Thirty-four
of Tippu’s men run away.—Tippu and Cameron.—Chiefs arrive to bid
farewell to Tippu-Tib.—Mirésa.—Tippu’s conversation in Swahili.—
Two canoes sunk.—A narrow escape.—Assad Farran’s uselessness.—
Riba-Riba.—Wacusu dance.—Cannibals.— Conversation with Tippu.—
Muni Somai.—Kibongé.—Chimpanzees.—Tippu’s account of a journey
with Stanley.—Stanley Falls.—Barttelot’s interview with Tippu-Tib.—
Start for Yambuya.—Troup sends in application to be sent home.—
Hard at work reducing loads.—Caps turn out to be bad.—Letter to
Mrs. Jameson.
April 27th.—Off at last, thank Heaven! On my way
down to the river, I stopped to ask my friend Muni
Katomba for his proper name, as I want to send him
something from England. I now understand why his
heart went out to me, for he must be a Scotchman, or
at least of Scottish descent, his name being Abéde bin
Mackya, or Abéde the son of Macky. It is curious
that he was the only Arab who was generous to me
besides Tippu-Tib. The walk to the starting-place on
the river took about two hours’ good going. It was a
lovely day, with a fresh breeze blowing. Strings of
1888.
April 27.
Return
Journey,
1888.
April 27.
Return
Journey,
278 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
slaves, chained together, carried our loads. Most of
them came from Maléla and the other side of the
Congo, a great many from the head of the Lumami
River. They, in most cases, carried their spears, bows,
and arrows, just as they had left their villages. They are
all for us, I believe. About a quarter of a mile before
reaching the landing-place, I had to wade a river up to my
waist. I thought it would be all right, knowing that
my clothes had left hours before I did, but out of all
the loads they were the only ones that did not arrive. I
am now sitting, long after dark, cold and nearly naked,
as there is scarcely any fire-wood here. On _ passing
Tippu’s house, about half a mile from here (the landing-
place for Kassongo), I met Said bin Habib, a venerable
white-bearded old Arab, with whom Tippu-Tib was —
having a conference. He was on his way to Zanzibar ;
he is very rich, and is one of the Arabs who questioned
Tippu-Tib’s authority as an officer of the Free State, as
he had no visible signs of authority. Assad Farran did
not arrive until long after dark, having started at least
two hours before we did. No signs of clothes to-night.
April 28th.—I am afraid there is little chauce of our
getting away from Yambuya by the 24th May. There
is another delay here which I had not bargained for,
and a serious one; there are not nearly sufficient canoes
to take us all at one time. This morning, when I went
to see Tippu-Tib, he made me a present of a very
handsome leopard skin upon which he was seated, and
I went down with him to the canoes, as he was sending
away about one hundred of the men to an island opposite
Nyangwé, where they could not runaway. Unless Tippu-
Tib has more canoes further down river, this delay will
occur again and again. ‘The place has been really
lively all day long, men arriving with drums beating
and flags flying. ‘They are always saying that all the
canoes on the river belong to Tippu-Tib, but this is
merely an empty boast. Iwas told the other day that
he owned one hundred canoes and meant to buy more,
but it looks to me as if he only owned about twenty!
DIARY. 279
Native Woman In MARKET.
Passed a sleepless night from the cold and mosquitoes, Aged 8
for my clothes never came till this morning. They Qongo
were carried by the men of one of Tippu’s muniaparas, _ River.
who is himself bringing a lot of men for us, and, I
believe, is going with us from Yambuya. Thirty-four of
his men ran away yesterday, hence the delay. Patience
is a virtue you need to acquire in this country, if you
have it not. ‘Tippu-Tib gave Assad Farran a small boy
to-day, belonging to the tribe Banga-Banga. ‘The boy —
can speak no language but his own, and Assad is afraid
1888.
April 28.
Congo
River,
280 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
to send him on any errand, lest he should run away.
A dirtier, more helpless and useless specimen than
Assad Farran I have never met in my life.
April 29th, Sunday.—Was awakened by the drums
of fresh arrivals. Tippu-Tib personally superintends
the shipping of all the men, whom he sends off to
Nyangwé as fast as they arrive, for he is afraid of their
deserting us here. |
Mirésa, the Arab chief of Ujiji and Tanganyika, was
to arrive at Kassongo to-day, and comes here to-morrow.
Tippu-Tib told me this morning that the road from
Kibongé is the one we ought to have gone by, as it
is a much shorter and better one than Stanley's road.
He says that most likely there will not be much water
on our road, as after Ramadan, which is next month,
there is less rain. He told me how he had met
Cameron. He was at that time south of the Congo, in
a large tract of country he had conquered below Malela.
Tippu did not then know that there were any Arabs at
Kassongo and Nyangwé, nor did they know he was
there. At the same time that he was fighting the
natives to the north of him, the Arabs from Nyangwé
crossed the Congo and went south, and as the natives
about there had no guns, the Nyangwé people were
astonished to hear shots fired near them, and they found
Tippu-Tib’s men fighting the natives. ‘Tippu then
came to Nyangwé, where he found Cameron, who wished
to go on down the Congo, but the Arabs of Nyangwé
refused to help him in any way; so he asked Tippu-Tib
to take him back to his country south of the Congo,
but Tippu-Tib told him he wished to go to Kassongo,
to his brother Nzige. Cameron, however, asked
him so often that at last he took him back to his
country, where they met some Portuguese, with whom
Cameron eventually travelled towards Loanda. Tippu-
Tib told me that Stanley had tried to strike across
country to the north of this place, but found the bush
so thick and the road so bad that he turned back, and
begged Tippu-Tib to assist him to go down the Congo.
DIARY. 281
F
g
Z
ONG a
ES
One oF Trppu-T1p’s GUN-BEARERS.
They struck the river at the rapids a day below Nyangweé,
and there fought the natives, capturing canoes from
them, in which Mr. Stanley descended the river.
I was rather amused to-day, when the canoes were
starting, to see a lot of women crowding into one,
leaving a number of men on the bank. ‘Tippu-Tib
handed all the women out, and put the men in, turning
round to me and saying, “I don’t want to see women
going; I want to see men.” ‘The Manyéma men will
1888.
April 29.
Congo
River.
1888.
April 29.
Congo
River.
282 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
not go without some of their women, and, as far as 1
can see, there are nearly as many women as men.
On the way tothe river from Kassongo a man tried to
run away, but he was caught by Sefo and made to carry
a load for me. On our arrival here, Farani handed him
over to Tippu, who put him in chains with a lot of
others, and sent him off to Nyangwé next morning. ‘To-
day his owner caught us up here, and asked Farani for
him, Sefo having told him that the man was with me.
Farani referred him to 'Tippu-Tib, to whom he then
went, and who said to him, ‘“ Oh, yes, he was brought
here, but he must have run away in the night, as I
have not seen him since.” This is the way in which
one of our men was obtained! ‘They have only a little
over three months’ rainfall here and the rest of the year
is dry, so the river gets terribly low.
April 30¢th.—Tippu-Tib told me yesterday that he
had received a letter from Selim Mahommed, who said
that the men he had sent across the Aruwimi River to
the north of our camp had crossed four rivers, and
reached an open country with high grass, where the
natives grew metammeh and Indian corn, not manioc.
Here they had met a number of natives who had run
away from some big chief to the north, who was fighting,
and had been beaten by, some white men. ‘Tippu-Tib
asked me if I knew who the white men could be, but
I told him I did not know of any one travelling in that
direction. (Found out afterwards that this was M. Van
Géle, of the Free State, on the Mobangwé or Wellé.)
Only one canoe has arrived so far from Nyangweé.
More men were sent away, but none arrived; there are
many men here still in chains. God knows how long
the delay here is going to be. When I speak to Tippu-
Tib about it, he only loses his temper. One of his gun-
carriers was drowned to-day whilst bathing ; he got into
the current, which looks quite slow, but an eddy seemed
simply to suck him down, although he was a good
swimmer. Assad gets dirtier and more lazy than ever.
May 1st.—There is a hope of our getting off the day
DIARY. 283
Lonea-Lonea, Carer oF THE Mcunust.—Ripa-Rrza.
after to-morrow. All the grandees of the place arrive jggg.
to-morrow, to bid farewell to Tippu-Tib. Spent most of May!.
the day with Tippu-Tib, sending off the loads in the $0n8°
canoes.
May 2nd.—My heart is lighter to-night than it has
1888.
May 2.
Congo
River.
284 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
been for a long time. Mahommed bin Alfan, better
known as Mirésa, arrived to-day, and I believe we shall
really start the day after to-morrow. He is a very light-
coloured Arab, almost as fair as a white man, and, were
it not for the scars of small-pox, would be a good-look-
ing fellow; his manners are those of an English gentle-
man. His head-quarters are close to the missionary,
Mr. Hoare, at Tanganyika. Iam beginning to under-
stand a good deal of Swahili now, especially if the
person gesticulates and acts. Whilst I was sitting with
Tippu-Tib and Mirésa to-day, Tippu-Tib told him all
about Stanley and the Expedition. From what I under-
stood, Tippu-Tib knows nothing of Mr. Stanley’s where- .
abouts, and he went on to tell Mirésa that Mr. Holm-
wood had been making a row about the men; he also
made the old excuses about the powder not having come
up with us at first,and the Soudanese not being allowed
to fire when his men were wounded, and finally said that
Mr. Stanley had gone off with a lift of his helmet, and
nothing more was known of him. ‘Tippu-Tib does not
think that I understand a word of Swahili. Mirésa is
a quiet-looking man, but from all I hear is a very
devil at fighting the natives, and feared accordingly.
Muni Katomba, my friend of Scottish descent, came to
say good-bye. 7
May 3rd.—Sefo and Ali Mahommed came to bid us
farewell. ‘The former has a splendid band. Two girls
go in front, singing and keeping time with bead rattles.
Then come three men with side drums played by the
hand, and last of all one man with a large drum, or
chondo as it is called, slung before him, and played with |
drum-sticks. All the drums are slung on broad bands
of leopard skin over the shoulders, and on the big drum
are small bells, which tinkle when it is struck. The
men sing as well as the women. Early in the afternoon
a terrible storm came on, and, in spite of every effort,
two canoes sank, and three others were only just saved.
This was the result of loading the canoes several days
before the start. When I was sitting with Tippu-Tib in
—
DIARY. 285
the evening, about ten more men arrived from Maldla.
There is no canoe for them. He remarked, “‘ ‘lhe more
the better,” and I agree with him. ‘They will go over-
land to Nyangwé. ‘Tippu gave me the choice of one of
four enormous goats to-day. I chose a beauty, the first
long-haired one I have seen in this country, and it is as
fat as butter; he gave mea very large one the other day,
and this evening sent me two tins of sugar, and some
Arab biscuits. I really do think that he is anxious to
give us all the men, and to see us start. He will have
to wait till midday to-morrow to dry his bales, which
were nearly drowned to-day.
May 4th.—Tippu-Tib’s things certainly did want dry-
ing; his cloth was all wet, and most of the gunpowder.
The river-bank looked exactly like a bleaching-green, with
the long strips of white cloth spread all over the grass.
Sefo asked me to take a sketch of him, which I was
only too happy to do, and Mahommed bin Kassim ex-
pressed the hope that “God would take me safely to
my home, where I should find all well.” Surely nothing
will occur to delay us now; but the old song of “‘ What
will to-morrow bring ? Who can tell?” is most applicable
to this country and these people.
May 5th.—Off at last, thank Heaven! but—we had
not gone far when we were nearly stopped for good and
all. I have thought several times that the canoe was
too small, and when everything was in it to-day it
nearly sank. Hveryone declared it was all right, but I
put my foot down when Farani’s women arrived, and
insisted on their going in another canoe. Had I not
done so, this diary would never have been written to-
night. In the canoe were nine men, two boys, three
goats (two very large), ten fowls, fourteen sacks of rice,
one sack of peanuts, one large heavy tin box, two wooden
boxes, three enormous loads of manioc, one tent, one
lot of bedding, one bed, bags, baskets, plantains, cook-
ing-pots, guns, mats, &c. &c. If a goat or a man
moved one inch, in came the water! We went on,
however, like a water-logged ship, until after midday,
1888.
May 3.
Congo
River.
1888.
May 5.
Wagania
village.
286 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
when a sudden heavy thunderstorm came up behind us.
The men lost all control over the canoe, and she turned
sideways to the squall; as it caught the large awning,
there was no way of letting it go. I flung myself
on to the board of the awning outside the canoe,
and made my boy Farani do so too. For about a
minute we were rushing through the water on our
side, out into the middle of the river, luckily at such a
pace that although the water was three or four inches
over the side of the canoe, not very much came in.
At last the men got her before the wind, when in
came the waves, and we reached a bed of rushes near
the bank only just in time. I have not had such a
squeak for many a day, and I thanked God when it was
well over. Had Farani and I not flung ourselves as far
out of the canoe as possible, she certainly must have gone
over. The two women of his, whom we did not take,
would have done it, and the awning would have drowned
us like rats in a hole. We camped at sunset in a small
Wagania village ina swamp. ‘Tippu-Tib’s canoe came
past some time afterwards, but 1 was not going on in
the dark, when a single knock against a stump would
have sent us to the bottom !
May 6th, Sunday.—Passed a terrible night between
the mosquitoes and feeling very seedy. Hired a canoe
from the Waganias, and put into it the three goats,
six sacks of rice, and two boys. Reached Nyangwé
early. Told Tippu that if I did not get another canoe
I should have to leave the goats and rice behind.
After some trouble, he promised I should have another
canoe in the morning. Had to lie down all day, but
luckily got some fresh milk; violent sickness all day.
Said bin Abéde came in to see Tippu-Tib. He is nine-
teen, but looks younger. Had a great show of guns
with him—silver-plated Winchesters, &c. Mirésa had
a Colt’s repeating-rifle, about the same as a Winchester.
Tippu-Tib is certainly wonderfully kind to me; he sent
all sorts of food to try and make me eat, and after dark
came up himself to the house, and brought me a large
DIARY. 287
bowl of milk with his own hands, asking me if I was
all right for the night.
May tth—Did not get away till about 1 o'clock.
Passed a very bad night and morning. Brandy-and-
milk is the only thing I can take. Seedy as I was, I
had to stand out in the sun by the canoes, and super-
intend everything myself. I often wish Assad could
be removed to another sphere of labour, as he is worse
than useless in this one, only taking up the place of a
better man. As I went down to the canoes for the last
time, Mahommed bin Alfan and Salem Masudi ran after
me, to bid me a last good-bye and a safe journey and
return to England, and to ask if I had any messages to
send to Ujiji. I begged them tell Mr. Hoare that all
the officers were well, and that we were just about to
start after Mr. Stanley. ‘Tippu-Tib presented me with
a puppy, bred in this country from English parents,
one of which belonged to Mr. Deane at Stanley Falls.
Assad is even more useless than I thought he was.
Reached the rapids after dark. |
May 8th.—Passed another very bad night. My boys
let the canoe go over to the island, from whence it did
not return until morning, with my coffee, milk, fruit,
salt, and everything I required,in it. Assad sat on the
bank and looked on. Consequently I had only some
rice to eat and water to drink. ‘The mosquitoes were
frightful. Made an early start, and walked to the foot
of the rapids, the canoes taking the loads. To mend
matters, Assad, although he knew that to lighten the
canoes everyone, even the men in chains, had to come
out of them, walked quietly down to one of them, got
into it, and went off. When I asked for him, he had
gone. Last night he ate the rice which I was keeping
for my breakfast this morning, so I started on nothing.
I told him, when we met, that had anything happened
to the loads in the canoe in which he went, I would
have shot him, and so I should, for he is a positive
danger to any boat. It took a good sharp hour and
a half’s walk to get to the foot of the rapids. The
1888,
May 6.
Wagznia
village.
1888.
May 8.
Rapids.
288 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
picture was a bright one along the road to the foot of the
rapids, with the strings of Arab women in gay-coloured
dresses, interspersed among the lines of chained men,
and here and there the Arab chiefs in their robes of
spotless white. Tippu met me at the foot of the rapids,
and sent me a breakfast of pineapple, cakes, and thick
milk. He considers yesterday a capital day’s work.
We camped at 4 o'clock, sending all our men on to
an island. Iam going to follow Tippu-Tib’s example
and sleep in the canoe. My little dog follows me about
everywhere, as though he knew his parents were Eng-
lish, and recognizes me as his lawful master.
May 9th.—Got away, before sunrise, and did a good
day’s work, camping near Numbi, which was the place
where we found the natives fighting with Kibongé.
They are all quiet now, as he gave them a tremendous
hammering, and took all their guns away. ‘Tippu
offered to take me down the rapids in a long canoe,
but I told him the walk was what I wanted. Assad,
as usual, kept everyone waiting. The start this morn-
ing was a fine sight,—the white awnings, red flags, and
dark figures of the natives under a bright sun were
very picturesque. I counted forty-five canoes, but there
were many more which I could not see, and the men
singing, drums beating, and the shouts of the paddlers
made it very lively. A journey of this sort is an expe-
rience worth having, but I am afraid it is too late to
be of any use.
May 10th.—Started long before sunrise, and reached
Riba-Riba at sunset, making a long, hot day’s work.
I am so cramped up in this canoe that I am twice as
tired as I should be after a hard day’s walking, and for
the same reason get no sleep at night. The chief here
came down to meet and conduct me to the same house
I occupied before. It is being re-mudded, and is more
filthy and damp than ever, nor is there any diminution
in the number of rats. I found out my dog’s age to-
day. She is between five and six months old. I don't
think I have ever seen so young a dog with the same
DIARY. 289
amount of sense. We have to stay here all to-morrow
to buy food for the men, which is a pity, as we were
getting on so well. However, it is no light matter to
arrive in a place like this suddenly, and find food for
four hundred men.
May 11th.—Took a long walk round the outskirts of,
the town, and found some parts very pretty, standing
in small clearings in the forest on little hills, with
streams running between them. Opposite many of the
houses I noticed small huts, not over two or three feet
in height, made of grass mats, which, I was told, were
graves, and in one I found a circular mound with a
hole in the centre, resembling the one in the chief’s
grave at Yaweeko. Salem told me that they had heard
from the Falls that Major Barttelot had sent Ward
down to Banana, and that he was asking for a steamer.
As ‘Tippu-Tib was very busy, I went over to the old
chief's house to have a talk with him, when presently
a band, consisting of four drummers, arrived with three
pedestal-shaped side-drums, and one wedge-shaped
chondo. The players, whose heads were covered with
thick white clay, and ornamented with a coronet of
white feathers, knelt in front of the house, one a little
in front of the others. The upper part of their bodies
was streaked with the same white clay, and their dress
consisted of strips of fresh palm-leaves hanging from a
ereen branch fastened round their waists. Presently
there danced into the reception house two men and a
woman ; the first man was dressed like the drummers,
but the other man and the woman were clad in the
ordinary Tamba-Tamba cloths. ‘The first man held a
large bunch of small branches and leaves in each hand,
which he struck together over the head of each of us,
dancing all the time, and all three singing a wild sort
of chant. ‘The woman had a knife in one hand, and a
bunch of leaves in the other, with a circle of saffron-
colour surrounding each eye. The other man held a
spear and a bunch of leaves. These were followed by
six men and the same number of women, with heads
U
1888.
May 10.
Riba-Riba.
1888.
May 11.
Riba-Riba.
290 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
whitened, and dressed the same as the drummers.
They danced in, and, each in turn, clapped their
branches of leaves together over our heads, and danced
out again. The man and woman with the spear and
knife, as well as a small boy holding two chickens
with their throats cut, and two youths, all dressed the
same as the others, went and stood behind the
drummers. ‘The other men and women then danced
forward in a line, the men first, then the women, the
drums striking up a lively measure. They now moved
round the band in a circle, their bodies bent forward
in a half-sitting posture, going through the most extra-
ordinary contortions. ‘This was kept up for some time
by the men and women alternately, but at last they all
stood still in a half-circle round the band, and sang a
wild chant. Next came a handsome, tall young nigger,
in the long white Arab dress, with a head-dress of red
parrot feathers, and a woman dressed in gaudy-coloured
clothes, and this couple, having become the centre
figures of the group, went through a sort of benedic-
tion pantomime, raising their hands as the others all
bowed their heads. ‘The chief then presented them
with a gun, and explained to me all about them. They
are slaves from the Wacusu, and a good many of them
have been dying lately, so these men and women went
away into the bush for two months, during which time
they have not been seen by anyone. ‘They only re-
turned to-day, having finished their medicine-making.
Tippu-Tib, who came in before it was over, told me
that they usually kill several people, and have a grand
feast, for the Wacusu are terrible cannibals. He then
told me, amongst other stories, that long ago, when
fighting near Maléla, they killed a great many of the
enemy. The natives who were with him were cannibals,
and not a body could be found next morning. (He tells
me that two men will easily eat one man in a night.)
He sent for water in the night to wash his hands and
to drink, the water there being in a well. When it
was brought, he could not make out why it stuck to
his hands, and was so oily and bad to drink. Next
DIARY. 291
day he and several Arabs went up to see what was the
matter with the water, and there they saw a most
horrible sight. The top of the water was all covered
with a thick layer of yellow fat, which was running
over the side, and he found out that his natives had
taken all the human meat to the well to wash it before
eating. At the next place he camped by a stream, and
made the natives camp below him. I told him that
people at home generally believed that these were only
“travellers tales,’ as they are called in our country, or,
in other words, lies. He then said something to an Arab
called Ali, seated next him, who turned round to me
and said, “‘ Give me a bit of cloth, and see.” I sent
my boy for six handkerchiefs, thinking it was all a joke,
and that they were not in earnest, but presently a man
appeared, leading a young girl of about ten years old
by the hand, and I then witnessed the most horribly
sickening sight I am ever likely to see in my life. He
plunged a knife quickly into her breast twice, and she
fell on her face, turning over on her side. ‘Three men
then ran forward, and began to cut up the body of the
girl; finally her head was cut off, and not a particle
remained, each man taking his piece away down to the
river to wash it. The most extraordinary thing was
that the girl never uttered a sound, nor struggled, until
she fell. Until the last moment, I could not believe
that they were in earnest. I have heard many stories
of this kind snce I have been in this country, but
never could believe them, and I never would have been
such a beast as to witness this, but I could not bring
myself to believe that it was anything save a ruse to
get money out of me, until the last moment.
The girl was a slave captured from a village close to
this town, and the cannibals were Wacusu slaves, and
natives of this place, called Mculusi. When I went
home I tried to make some small sketches of the scene
while still fresh in my memory, not that it is ever likely
to fade from it. No one here seemed to be in the least
astonished at it.
In the afternoon I had a long talk with Tippu-Tib.
U2
1888.
May 11
Riba-Riba,
1888.
May 11.
Riba-Riba.
292 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
T explained to him that Mr. Stanley had left orders to
communicate with the Committee when pcssible,
and that, as no steamer had come to the Falls, Major
Barttelot had considered it necessary before leaving on
such a journey to telegraph the facts to the Committee,
also to try to obtain a steamer for the conveyance of
Mr. Troup away from the Falls, in case of our going home
by another route. I considered it necessary to explain
these matters to Tippu-Tib, as he seemed to think there
was some other end in view, and had said last night
that did we not send the loads, he would send the men
after Mr. Stanley without them. This makes me all
the more certain of what I have thought ever since
reaching Kassongo, that if we had any row with him,
this is what he would do. He told me to-day that Bart-
telot had had a row with Selim Mahommed, and that
Nzige had written to Selim Mahommed, telling him on
no account to have any row with the Major. ‘Tippu-
Tib could not tell me what it was about. [told him
that he must remember that the Major was quick-
tempered, and had been fearfully tried by the long
delay at the camp; that he must not think much about
it, as I knew Selim Mahommed was the man the Major
wanted to go with us; that he, the Major, was only
quick-tempered, not bad-tempered; that we all had
had rows with one another in camp; and that we should
be sure to find it all settled when we returned. He
told me that he would wait three days at the Falls,
then start all the men overland from Yalisula for our
camp, and go himself with his chief Arabs up the Aru-
Wimi in canoes. He asked me whether I would wait
at the Falls and accompany the men, or go on straight to
our camp. I told him I thought it better to go straight
on to camp. I want to see Major Barttelot before he
sees Tippu-Tib.
May 12th.—Left Riba-Riba just before sunrise, and
camped on the river-bank about an hour before sunset.
Had a long conversation with Tippu-Tib this evening.
He began by asking me how we had obtained India,
DIARY. 293
the Cape, and most of our Colonies. I told him most
of them by conquest, and that the last of them was
Burmah, where our troops were fighting when we left
Emeland. Hie said, “‘ You see all this river from
Nyangwé to the Falls, it is all quiet now, but when we
first came the natives were very warlike, and we had to
fight every village in turn. The Belgians have made me
chief of Stanley Falls Station down to Bangala, and I
want to see all that part of the river like this. What I
propose doing is to fight each lot of natives on both sides
of the river all the way from Basoko to Bangala, and
leave men in charge of each large place; but the Bel-
gians have never communicated with me since I came up
to Stanley Falls last year.” I told him I was as much
astonished as he was that they had not done so; we had
often talked about it in camp, and Mr. Ward might say
something about it on his way to Banana; their only
excuse could be that they had no steamer. He then
said, ‘‘ We were at the Falls long before the Belgians.
I had been wandering about and fighting in Central
Africa for fourteen years, when I met a Belgian officer
near Tanganyika, who asked me whether I agreed to
the Falls belonging to Belgium. I asked him whether
he had consulted the Sultan of Zanzibar. He said, ‘ No.’
So I replied, ‘ Unless the Sultan gives the Falls to you,
I will not.’” Tippu-Tib then saw the Sultan, who at
that time would not have giventhem up. He returned
to the Falls, where Mr. Deane then was, and settled
numerous matters about the Lumami River and other
places, and again left for Zanzibar, telling his brother
Nzige not to quarrel with Mr. Deane, but that they
ought both rather to try and help one another. Just
after his arrival at Zanzibar, the news was brought to
him of the fighting at the Falls, and he went straight
to the Sultan, but, as he expressed it, “‘he found his
power all gone,” for the Sultan declined to have any-
thing to do with it. Tippu-Tib told him he would go
to England about it, and he replied, “ All right.”
Tippu-Tib then went to Mr. Holmwood, who told him
there was no occasion to go to England, that he could
1888,
May 12
Congo
River.
294 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Sayer settle the matter from Zanzibar, and the present state
a vi of affairs is the result of that settlement. He said,
Rive, laughing, “If I find all the power gone from the Bel-
gians as it is from the Sultan, then I will take it all
myself.” He has written to the King of the Belgians,
asking him to send two officers and about thirty men
to the Falls, not to assist him in any fighting, but as
visible authority on behalf of the State, during his own
stay there, and in case of his absence at any time; but
ever since the despatch of this letter (about a year ago)
not a word have they sent him to the Falls.
He told me that if no steamer arrived before we left
Yambuya, he would go himself to Bangala and ask for
an explanation. I told him I thought he was perfectly
right, as they had no business to keep him in suspense
all this time, and that, when Mr. Stanley left, I did not
think he ever expected they would have behaved as
they had done. He said that the Germans had been
treating with him for that country, but he had told
them that as the Belgians were friends of England, and
he wished to remain friends with both, he would settle
matters with the Belgians. I told him that if I could
help him by wiiting a letter to Mr. Liebrichts, fully ex-
plaining what his views were on the matter, I would
willingly do so, and he said that if a steamer did not
come before we left he would beg me to do this. He
then asked me what it cost the King of the Belgians a
year. I said I believed about £40,000. He asked if
he got any return for this. I said, No; that the only
people who made any money out of the country were
the trading-houses, Dutch, English, and Portuguese.
Tippu-Tib said, “if he will only give me half of it, I
will guarantee him a handsome return from a tax on
all ivory from Nyangwé to Bangala.” The way the
Belgians have treated Tippu-Tib seems very strange. He
is extremely anxious to have a definite settlement made
about the matter, and they have kept him for a whole
year without any communication whatever. Tippu-Tib
naturally cannot understand this way of doing things,
and looks upon it as a decided slight upon himself.
DIARY, 295
Moni Somat,
May 13th, Sunday.—Started before sunrise, but did
not do avery good day’s work. We camped on an island
just below the entrance of the Linde River. Tippu-Tib
told me last night that the second chief of Riba-Riba, a
tall dark Arab called Muni Somai, was coming with us,
and would command the men, whether Selim Mahommed
went or not. He seems pleasant, and Tippu-Tib says
he is a good man for the work. When I told Assad
Farran of this to-day, he quietly informed me that he
had known it before, as the other Riba-Riba chief had
told him that Muni Somai was paying Tippu-Tib £300
in order to go with us! Had I not spoken to Assad
about it, he would never have mentioned this to me,
and yet Major Barttelot’s definite orders to him were to
find out all he could from the Arabs that had to do
with the Expedition, and to tell it to me at once. I
1888.
May 13.
Congo
River.
eae
1888.
May 13.
Oongo
River.
296 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN
asked him this very morning whether he had heard
anything new, and he said “No.” He is the dirtiest,
laziest, and most useless specimen I have had to deal
with, and is simply an encumbrance to me instead of a
help.
May 14th—Got away again before daybreak, and
did the best day’s work we have yet done, camping on
the mainland about an hour before sunset. We ought
to reach Kibongé early to-morrow.
May 15th.—Started after sunrise, as it rained heavily
for about an hour. Reached Kibongé at 11 o'clock.
Three of Tippu-Tib’s men took some fish from the
natives this morning, who in their turn took the men’s
guns. J was shown into the reception house, where
Kibongé, the chief, Tippu-Tib, and all the head men
were assembled. Among them was a tall dark Arab
with a long black beard, exactly like one of the Indian
Sikh Cavalry, who was giving Tippu-Tib all the infor-
mation about the men left by Stanley at Etun, and
about the country itself. This man is a Soudanese, and
deserted from Sir Samuel Baker in Uganda. It seems
that he is the first man who has taught them how to
make soap in this country. On my questioning him,
Tippu-Tib declared he had received no other news of
Stanley than what I already knew. Kibongé himself
conducted me to the same house which I had before
stayed in! This time, however, I had it to myself, as my
host Kapruta was away fighting the natives at Yan-
kéwé, beyond Wamanga Rapids. Kibongé, the chief,
is exactly like a Chinese mandarin. In the afternoon
I went to see two chimpanzees, just brought by the
natives to an Arab. They are both females, and fine
large specimens. Their owner keeps them in strong
baskets slung from the roof of the verandah, and it is
most amusing to see them rocking themselves backwards
and forwards, evidently enjoying the motion. In the
evening I made a sketch of one of Kapruta’s Lights of
the Harem, called Assimene, whom he has left behind
in charge of the house. One great drawback to art in
DIARY. 297
ASSIMENE.
this country is the fact that all the natives and a great
many of the Arabs believe that they will certainly die if
you make a picture of them, and so one loses many
sketches. Another whole day will have to be spent
here for the men to collect food, which principally con-
sists of sweet potatoes. The race of the whole fleet of
canoes into Kibongé this morning was a fine sight.
May 16th—Bad news to-day. Three guns were
taken from the last lot of Tippu-Tib’s canoes, that went
down the river, by the same natives who took those
yesterday, so men have been sent to recover them, and
we shall have to wait here over to-morrow. Salem
Masudi told me this morning that he had dreamed last
night that he was with me on the march from our
camp, just after we had left it, and that a messenger
arrived to say that Stairs was at Tanganyika, and that
we were to return and go down that way. Salem said
that his dreams always came true, and that he was
willing to bet one hundred dollars that we should never
go to the Lake, and that most likely a canoe would
come after us with the news, before we reached the
Falls. Whether this is a quiet way of breaking some
news to me, or an invention of his brain, remains to be
1888.
May 15.
Kibongé,
1888.
May 16.
Kibongé.
298 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
proved. I asked Tippu-Tib in Kibongé’s presence this
afternoon whether any of Mr. Stanley’s men had reached
this place. He turned round and asked Kibongé, who
assured him that none had come here, and that all the
men that Stanley had left were stillat Eturi. Headded
they were all sick, and could not move when left.
Tippu-Tib then said to me, “If one or two men had
reached this place, I should have known it, for I am
just as anxious to see them as you are.” ‘Took a
sketch of one of the chimpanzees to-day, but it would
not remain still for one instant.
May 17th.—After breakfast I went to see Tippu-Tib,
and found with him Muni Somai, the chief from Riba-
Riba, who has a fine, good-natured, intelligent face,
and I like the little I have seen of him. I told him I
hoped we shouldsoon know one another, and be good
friends, as we should have to spend a fong time to-
gether. Thank goodness! the guns have been returned,
and we. shall get away to-morrow. Kibongé came to
my house and we had a long talk. He told me that he
was here before Mr. Stanley went down the Congo, and
that he had sent with him men to help him; that Stanley
had given him and his men nothing, and that the only
thing he got was a present of a 20 lb. keg of gun-
powder from Negalyéma, the native chief at Stanley
Pool. He said that if Mr. Stanley had behaved well to
him then, he would have sent all his men after him
now. He told:me that he had been with Livingstone,
with the chief Sekrutu, and the Makalolos. It took’ him
five years’ hard fighting to conquer the country in which
he now is. He said he would have found me in food,
and taken me through the whole of Equatorial Africa,
for the money which I paid Mr. Stanley. The camp at
Eturi, on the Aruwimi River, is only one month’s journey
from the Lake. He was as much astonished as all the
other Arabs at my coming on this Expedition, but came
to the conclusion that ‘‘ white men are curious people.”
He asked me if Stanley would make me no return in the
way of money or land, and was greatly astonished when
DIARY. 299
I told him that I should not make a farthing out of the
whole Expedition! There is a fence of about 10 ft. in
height all round the yard at the
back of the house, and I succeeded
to-day, after much persuasion, in
getting a woman, who had come
in to sell manioc, to stand for a
sketch. I had hardly begun to
draw, when she made a race at
the fence, went over it like a bird,
and alighted like a sack of coals
on the other side. I saw no more
of her. Tippu-Tib sent for me this
morning to look at a large bunch of
plantains. Two men were carrying
it, and it measured 6 ft. 9 in. in
length, and had nine points of
fruit upon it.
May 18th—Got away early,
before the market opened, and
reached the rapids above those at
Wamanga. The river was so low
that everything had to be taken
out of the canoes and carried over-
land. Two of the canoes were
very nearly lost.
Buncad oF PLANTAINS,
May 19th.—Tippu-Tib’s canoe did not get over until
late, and we had to wait at the head of the Wamanga
Rapids until he arrived. There are about forty canoes
belonging to Kibongé coming up the rapids, which
causes a delay. Tippu-Tib camped at the head of the
rapids, and I followed suit. He told us that Major
Barttelot would meet us at the Falls; he also told me
all about himself and Mr. Stanley, at the time when the
latter crossed Africa. .Tippu-lib was at Kassongo,
when Mr. Stanley arrived there and told him he wanted
to go up north into the Munza country, promising him
a lot of money if he would help him. He started with
1888.
May 17.
Kibongé
1888.
May 19.
Wamanga
Rapids.
300 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Stanley, taking a number of men, and they went for about
fifteen days, through thick forest, water, and mud.
Tippu-Tib had told Stanley that it would take them
sixty days, but the road was so bad that Stanley asked
Tippu to take him back to the Congo that he might
go down the river. ‘They went back accordingly, and
struck the river at the rapids, a day below Nyangweé.
Here they tried to obtain canoes from the natives, but
as they could not get them they put the boat together,
crossed, fought the natives, and got canoes. Stanley and
his men then proceeded down the river in the boat and
canoes, whilst ‘Tippu-Tib went along the bank. They
journeyed on thus to Kasuku, when Tippu-lib decided
to return. Mr. Stanley agreed to his doing so, but when
he wished to start all his men deserted, and said they
were going back with Tippu-Tib. He went to Tippu,
who promised to make it allright. Next morning, how-
ever, Stanley went again to Tippu, and told him that if
he allowed his men to desert, and go back with him, he
would write to the Sultan of Zanzibar, and have all his
country taken away from him. ‘Tippu-Tib then told
Mr. Stanley's men that he would shoot any of them who
followed him (‘lippu), and at last got them into the
canoes, and saw them start. Mr. Stanley said to him,
“If I cannot get through, I will return, so wait here
for some time; but if I get through, I don’t know what
present will be good enough to send you, for it will make
a great name for me,and much money. I will send you
my watch, which is a very valuable one, my gun, my
tent, and anything you may fancy of mine,” and then
bade him good-bye. From that day to this he never
sent him a thing, and Tippu-Tib told him so on board
the Madura. Myr. Stanley replied, “ Did you not get
the beautiful cloth and gun I sent you?” ‘Tippu said,
“No. You sent the gun, a Winchester, to the Sultan,
and the cloth to Terria Topin.” ‘There was a short
amusing scene, I hear, to-day, when some of the natives,
who were getting the canoes over the rapids, tried to run
away. There was a grand hunt over the rocks and
through the water.
DIARY. 301
May 20th, Sunday.—Struck tents soon after day-
break. It is a fine sight to see the canoes shoot the
last piece of the rapids, which they do right down the
centre fall. Sometimes half of the canoe is clean out
of the water. Four were smashed and lost, but no one
was drowned. It is a curious sight to see one of these
great, long canoes shoot up in the air, and then come
crash down on a rock, when the longer half may be
seen standing straight on end, and whirling round and
round, only to disappear suddenly for good and all.
I got a sketch of Tippu-Tib to- yulbe and one of Muni
Somali.
May 2\st——Two more canoes were smashed this
morning, but Tippu did not wait to buy more; we went
straight on till sunset, when we camped at Yankéwé.
There is not a native to be seen, and only the charred
ruins remain of their villages. Kibongé’s men have
done their ruthless work thoroughly. The natives sent
a present of ivory to Nzige, begging him to intercede
for them, which he did.
May 22nd.—Started before sunrise and reached
Stanley Falls at sunset. Found Major Barttelot and
Mons. Van Kerckhoven, the chief of Bangala, here, the
latter having come up in the SS. A. J. A., on hearing
of Tippu-Tib’s annoyance at the non-arrival of any
steamer. It is areal pleasure to talk to a white man
again. It appears that Selim Mahommed has been
trying to turn the natives against us, and there has
been serious trouble between his men and ours. At
one time, from his misbehaviour, the camp was con-
sidered to be in danger.
_ May 23rd.—Major Barttelot had a long interview
to-day with Tippu-Tib, who said he could only give us
400 men altogether, and pretended that he did not un-
derstand at Kassongo that the 400 men asked for then
were to be extra, besides the 600 already promised ;
yet at my interview with him on April 12th, at Kas-
1888.
May 20:
Wamanga
Rapids.
1888.
May 28.
Stanley
Falls.
o
302 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
songo, he distinctly stated to me that the payment for
the 600 men he would settle with Stanley, and that he
would leave the payment for the 400 extra men until
our return. Every man of the 400 now given came
with us from Kassongo this time, and he told me him-
self, on my arrival there, that he had already sent away
700 men. Judging from the number I met coming to
the Falls on my road to Kassongo, in addition to the
250 already sent to the Aruwimi, he must have sent
about 700, and I have not the slightest doubt that he
would have given them all to us, had it not been for
the arrival of Mons. Van Kerckhoven. This has caused
him to hold back the men, either for fear of trouble
with the Belgians, or in consequence of Van Kerckhoven
having informed him that he would give him a pro-
tectorate over all the Aruwimi and up to the Wellé,
or Mobangé, where Selim Mahommed’s people have
already been, and advised him to put as many men
into that country as possible. It is a very serious blow
to us. Muni Somai agreed to come as commander of
the 400 men supplied by Tippu-Tib, on the payment
of £1,000, and a right to any ivory he might get on the
road. ‘Tippu-Tib swore that he did not care whether
he was paid one farthing for his men. He stipulated,
however, that they were not to go into Uganda, and
were to return to his territory, either to Stanley Falls,
Kassongo, or Ujiji. Barttelot has explained to Tippu-
Tib his differences with Selim Mahommed. ‘Tippu
himself, and several other Arabs, said he was a bad man,
and no friend to the white men. It is agreed that we
start the day after to-morrow.
May 24th.—Tippu-Tib came over early and settled
everything finally with us, and then had an interview
with Van Kerckhoven. Tippu-Tib requested us not to
go until the day after to-morrow. Wrote out agree-
ments between Muni Somai and ourselves ready for
signing, and bought fowls for the road.
May 25th—Went over to the other side before
DIARY. 303
breakfast, and got the agreements signed. In the
afternoon crossed again, to say good-bye to old Nasoro
Masudi. ;
May 26th.—A terrific storm of wind and rain came
on last night, and fairly flooded me out of my bed.
We did not get away until after lunch, having said
good-bye to Tippu-Tib, and all the chief Arabs. We
stopped at Tatiacusu for the night. We are eighty men
short of the 400, but Tippu-Tib says we shall get those
at our camp. He himself follows in three days with
Van Kerckhoven in the A. /. A. Muni Somai follows
to-morrow. Van Kerckhoven has been very kind indeed
to us, giving us everything he could spare, and doing
all he could to help us.
May 27th, Sunday.—Started at daylight, and reached
Yangumbi, below Yalisula, about 3 o’clock. Men met
us in canoes from every village, without our having to
land, and took us on to the next. The head munia-
para did not arrive until late, and as Muni Somai did
not turn up, we had some difficulty in arranging about
carriers.
May 28th—Muni Somai arrived, and settled the
question of carriers by giving us forty. Did not get
away until 11.30, and camped at the third water. The
road is a very good one, so far the best I have seen in
this country.
May 29th.—Got away at 7 o'clock, and camped at a
village called Yerina. ‘The road was bad, owing to a _
quantity of cane-brake.
May 30th.—Barttelot went on ahead to the camp,
while I followed with the carriers. Passed a number
of the Aruwimi natives (under two Arabs), who were
being taken from near our camp to fight some natives
on the Congo. When Abdullah Karongo guided me
to Stanley Falls the first time, he had natives with him
from close to Stanley Falls, whom he had employed to
1888.
May 25,
Stanley
Falls.
1888,
May 30.
Return to
Yambuya
304 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
fight the Aruwimi natives. The muniapara with our
carriers got drunk on malafu, or palm-wine, to-day, and
fell off a log into a deep spot in one of the rivers,
ereatly to every one’s amusement.
May 31st.—Reached camp before 11 o’clock. I was
quite glad to get back to the old place again, for it has
been a kind of home to me for a long time. Found
Troup very ill in bed, and to-day he sent in an appli-
cation to Major Barttelot to be sent home, which was
granted. Busy repacking rice all the afternoon. Selim
Mahommed came into camp and gave me a most
A New Way or Carcuine CHICKENS.
affectionate greeting. Over eighty men have died in
this camp altogether, and there are a good many little
better than dead. I can see that I have a heavy task
before me in the reduction of the loads. Barttelot has
too much writing to do to be able to help, Troup is ill
in bed, and Bonny has a very bad hand, which quite
incapacitates him from doing any work whatever, so that
I must do the whole lot myself.
June 1st.—Busy reducing loads all day. Muni
Somai arrived, and said that Selim Mahommed will do
nothing for him. He can get no fish, and says he
came away in such a hurry that he has no rice, or any-
thing to eat, and no clothes for his women!
DIARY. 305
June 2nd.—A hard day again at the stores.
June 3rd, Sunday.—All day again at the stores.
Heavy rain.
June 4th.—All day at the ammunition boxes. The
Stanley and the A. J. A. arrived, bringing Tippu-
Tib, Mons. Van Géle, Mons. Baert, who is to be
Tippu-Tib’s secretary, and Mons. Van Kerckhoven, and
the new Belgian officer for Stanley Falls Station. The
Stanley brought a great number of letters, principally
for Troup and Bonny. My share of them, alas! con-
sisted only of a receipt from Rowland Ward for things
sent home with Mr. Walker. No news of Mr. Stanley.
Ward cannot possibly return before July. Thank good-
ness, Mr. Werner, the engineer of the 4. /. A., has
offered his services in assisting me with the ammu-
nition, and is bringing three carpenters from the
steamers.
June d5th.—Busy again all day and part of the
night at the stores. Barttelot had an interview with
Tippu-Tib, and succeeded in getting thirty more men.
June 6th.—Still at loads all day, and busy at night
writing out list, &c., for the Major. Mons. Van Géle
has agreed to keep the steamers here until Saturday,
we having given him six goats as food. Barttelot again
interviewed 'Tippu-Tib, and obtained fifteen slaves for
his 500 express rifle.
June 7th—Busy day at the loads. Tippu-Tib and
Muni Somai signed agreements, on receiving part pay-
ment of their money. I hear that the relations be-
tween Tippu-Tib and Van Kerckhoven are decidedly
strained at present. We discovered three parts of a
bottle of whiskey in an old box of William’s, the last
remains of that which I brought from England. Needless
to remark, it was seized upon, and consumed at intervals
during the next three days. I have not had a moment
of time to pack my collection or to write home.
x
1888.
June 2.
Ya nbuya
1888.
June 8,
Yambuya,
306 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
June 8th.—The loads that Tippu-Tib’s people are to
carry were handed over to him to-day. A good many
of them were a pound or two over the exact weight,
and he refused point-blank to carry them, although
yesterday he himself handled many of those now objected
to, and said they were perfectly right. Whilst re-
packing them, I had called Barttelot’s attention to the
fact that some of them were over weight, asking him
if he thought it would matter, to which he replied,
‘Certainly not.” We therefore cannot start to-morrow,
but must re-open a number of the cases, and reduce them,
in many cases by only two small packets of cartridges.
The chief objection raised was that the specially packed
Remington ammunition had not been reduced. Troup
was carried on board the Stanley this evening.*
June 9th.—Got all the loads finished to-day. The
Stanley and A. J. A. left for Stanley Falls.
June 10th, Sunday—Gave out loads, guns, &c.
Nearly all the caps turn out to be bad. When packing
them on board the 8.8. Madura, I tried some of them,
and told Mr. Stanley that they were bad, but he would
not listen to me; the consequence is, we have had to
buy 40,000 from Tippu-Tib. I had just time to pack
my collections roughly, but God knows how they willall
get home! Iam sending them by Tippu-Tib to Stanley
Falls, there to await the arrival of Mr. Greshoff, whom
I have asked to forward them home. Had scarcely an
hour left to write my letter for home.
* From a letter to Mr. Andrew Jameson, dated June 8th :—“ Major
Barttelot and I have had to sign our names to an agreement to pay the
man going in charge of the 400 men, of Tippu-Tib’s, the sum of £1,000
on the completion of our journey after Mr. Stanley and Emin Pasha.
We are almost certain the Committee will give this sum; but, so that
there may be no mistake about it, Major Barttelot has asked his father
to place £500 to his credit at Zanzibar, in about six months’ time ; so
I want you to send me a letter of credit for that amount in about six
or seven months.”
LETTER. 307
LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON,
Yambuya Camp,
June 8th, 1888.
.... Ward is away down the Congo sending
telegrams to England. ‘Troup has just gone off in the
Stanley, I fear in a dying state, leaving only Barttelot,
Bonny, and myself to do all the work. Bonny has a
frightfully bad hand, which prevents his doing anything
at all, and the Major’s time is entirely taken up with
official correspondence, so I have had a bad time of it.
I have had to convert nearly 500 loads of 60 Ibs. each
into loads of 40 lbs. each, and write out all the lists,
&c., for the Major. We start the day after to-morrow,
and I have had not one atom of time to pack my col-
lections, and the steamers are gone. I don’t know
what I shall do. I will try and get Tippu-Tib, who is
here, to take them to Stanley Falls for me, where they
may catch one of the Belgian steamers. We have only
got 400 men from Tippu-Tib after all his promises to
me at Kassongo, so we have to leave many of our loads,
but are going to do our best to reach the Lake, and
find out something about Stanley and Emin Pasha... .
I do hope we shall be able to get home in about nine
months from now. . . . It was so sad to see the steamer
arrive the other day, and not a letter for me*. I am
to do all the advance work of the march; Mr. Bonny
will be in the centre, and the Major in the rear. ....
The next news you will hear from me will be a tele-
eram from Zanzibar, telling you I am just leaving for
England. Not one word of news have I had since your
letter from Italy of April, a year ago; it is this entire
lack of news that makes it so hard to one. And now I
must bid you a long good-bye, and may God bless and
guard you and our little ones until my return... .
* By some inexplicable mischance, Jameson’s letters were detained
at Banana, and even upon Mr. Walker’s application for them, with a
written order from Jameson, they were not given up to him.—Eb.
x2
1888.
June 8,
Yambuya
River Screne.
CHAPTER IX.
JuNE llru to AvuGuST 8TH.
Final start from Yambuya Camp.—Manyémas loot the camp.—Abdullah’s
village.—Muni Somai has trouble with Manyémas.—Fourteen men de-
sert.—Jameson returns to Yambuya in search of missing loads.—Selim
Mahommed guarantees to recover loads and rifles.—More desertions.—
Small-pox.—Muni Somai goes in search of deserters, and is fired at.—
Theft of beads.—Trouble with the Muniaparas.—A long day of disaster.
—Major Barttelot returns to Stanley Falls, leaving Jameson in com-
mand.—Fresh trouble with Manyémas.—Jameson arrives at Ujéle.—
Takes over command from Bonny.—Muni Somai utterly useless as a
commander.—Mquangandy.—Letters from Barttelot ordering whole
force to proceed to Unaria.— War amongst head men.—A night fus¢dlade.
—Bonny loses his way.—Muni Haméla hands over to Jameson 40,000
Enfield caps.—News of Major Barttelot’s death.—Arrival at Unaria.—
Interview with three head Manyémas.—Jameson offers reward for
Sanga’s arrest—Jameson proceeds to Stanley Falls.—Finds the Man-
yémas camped in forest.—Meets Muni Somai.—Nasoro Masudi warns
Jameson that Manyémas have threatened to shoot him.—Arrival at
Stanley Falls.—Interview with Tippu.—Muni Somai tried and con-
victed of desertion.—Letter to Andrew Jameson.—Letter to Mrs. Jame-
son.—Rachid declines to accompany Jameson.—Tippu volunteers to do
so for £20,000.—Trial and death of Sanga.—Jameson determines to go
to Bangala in order to obtain reply from Committee.—Mr. Stanley’s
letter to Jameson.
DIARY (continued).
June 11th, Suédi’s Village ——Thank God, we have left
Yambuya Camp at last, and Ihope for good. Got all the
vei
RX
\ ae ie \ ‘=
WA OSE
eee Saag
Eee we
FAC-SIMILE OF A PEN-AND-INK SKETCH By J. S. JAMESON. [Page 308. ]
DIARY. 311
men and loads started at 7.30. Before we had actually
quitted the camp, and were standing outside, Tippu-Tib’s
people made a rush in, and looted everything remaining
in it. I had left five cases in my house, containing all
my natural history collections and curios firmly screwed
down, and in charge of Mons. Baert, Tippu-Tib’s new
‘Belgian secretary, who was kind enough to say he
would look after them for me, until Mr. Greshoff’s
arrival at the Falls, to which place Tippu-Tib had pro-
mised to take them himself. ‘The following letter from
Mons. Baert, sent after me, will show what happened
to them :—
DEar SIR,
I have abad news to announce you. Whilst I was
going to ask Tippu to take your loads, the Manyémas
came in the camp, and robbed all what they could.
Just in returning I saw one man with one of your
boxes, and I took it with me. But when I arrived at
your house, I find one of your boxes broken and all that
was in it stolen. I immediately made a furious talk to
Tippu, and his man slave been send over the camp.
Lucky have found of your boxes, and I will do all what
I can to have the rest, but I have not a great hope. I
am very sorry of that, but I assure you it is not my
fault. It is a good lesson for my future conduct with
those beggars. A last time, good chance, and my com-
pliments to Major and Mr. Bonny.
Yours sincerely,
A. Bakrt.
You may imagine my feelings on receiving this note.
Our men followed the example of the Manyémas, and
before starting fired off about twenty rounds before we
could stop them. They marched well, and seemed
willing. Frightful bother with Muni Somai’s loads in
camp. Men continually firing off guns. The road lay
for the most part up the bed of streams, which made
the going bad.
June 12th.—Reached Abdullah’s village at the rapids
1888.
June 11,
Suédi’s
Village.
1888.
June 12.
Abdullah’s
Village.
312 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
about 4 o'clock. The road is the worst I have seen in
this country, lying through old plantations, overgrown
with manioc, and full of large fallen timber, with one
bad river to cross. Muni Somai’s men did not start
until after us, and only reached a village not quite half-
way, where they camped. Bonny’s donkey could not
get over the fallen timber, and was left on the road. A
little more than half-way here we crossed Stanley’s
road, running parallel to the river about a mile above it.
The men came along very well. No loads lost. I fear
there will be trouble before long between our men and
the Manyémas. Our men are afraid of them, but taunt
them for not carrying heavier loads, and for being can-
nibals, as, for a fact, the majority of them are. Canoes
pass the rapids here up the northern bank. ‘There are
hippos below the rapids on the southern bank. ‘This is
one of the advanced posts of the Arabs on the Aru-
wimi, and was formed by an Arab of Tippu-Tib’s called
Abdullah Corona, after our arrival at Yambuya this time
last year, when it was a native village. It is now in
the charge of an Arab called Sala Sala; it possesses
four or five large Arab houses, and, many smaller
ones, and promises to be a large post. Abdullah has
formed another camp at Unaria, about nine days from
here, higher up the river, which is ‘lippu-Tib’s most
advanced post. ‘The only other Arab camp is at Eturi,
said to be within a month of Lake Albert Nyanza,
formed by Arabs from Kibongé on the Congo, the head
of it being Lugalowa, an Arab and a freed slave.
June 13th—Halted all day. Muni Somai’s men
began to pass through about 11 o'clock, but he himself,
with the rear-guard, did not come in until two hours
later. Had a busy day, mending helmet, boots, revolver,
holster, &c., and making a bed. One man ran away
yesterday with two guns.
June 14th.—Started at 6.30 from Abdullah’s camp,
and reached the last native village between it and one
of Nasoro bin Saef’s, which is five days further on. I
arrived about 10 o’clock. the rear at 11 o'clock. The
DIARY. 313
road lay for the first hour amongst low bush and
manioc plantations, then through a large village into
a swamp, and on to another long native village of
huts shaped exactly like bee-hives (not the candle-
extinguisher type met with lower down the river); then
passing very large plantations of manioc and plan-
tains, led through another village into this one. Muni
Somai says his men cannot start till the day after to-
morrow, as they have to collect four days’ food. The
Major decided upon going on slowly to Nasoro bin
Saef’s village to-morrow (as his men had plenty of
time to get food), and to leave me to follow with Muni
Somai and look after his loads. A few of the worst
men made a complaint about starting, but none of the
good ones, which makes the Major all the more anxious
to start to-morrow. Muni Somai seems very anxious to
get on well with us, and to make the whole thing a
success, but he evidently has a good deal of trouble
with the Manyémas.
June 15th.—The Major, Bonny, and myself all break-
fasted together before daylight. ‘Tents were struck, the
men took their loads, and all went quietly off, only my
own carriers and bags remaining with me. Just after they
had left, Muni Somai brought me one of our rifles, and
said that one of his men had caught one of ours deserting
in the night, and had tied him up, but in the morning
the man had gone, having left his rifle. He told me
that after the Major had gone, Dahomey, the head man
in charge of our goats, had passed, going back on our
old road, and when stopped had stated that the Major
had ordered him to go after the other man to try and
catch him. I told Muni Somai to send men after him
at once, and started off to the far village next Sala Sala’s
myself, offering a reward there to any man who would
catch him. I had just returned, when the Major came
back into camp, telling me that fourteen men with their
loads and rifles had bolted between this and his camp,
about four hours from here. He said they might have
lost their road, but he thought not, and returned to his
1888.
June 14,
Native
Village.
One rifle
from Muni
Somai;
took one
rifle from
sick man.
1888.
June 15.
Sala
Sala’s
Village.
Two rifles
given up
by Selim
Mahom-
med to me.
314 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
camp to see. About 4 o'clock I received a note from
im, by the man who brought me some meat, saying
eleven loads were missing, amongst them three boxes of
provisions, one double load of medicines, and two bales
of our most valuable cloth, as well as that for present
expenditure. He asked me to start for Sala Sala’s at
once, which I did. The meat had gone bad, so I had
nothing to eat but a little rice, and a few biscuits to
take with me. Gotinto Sala’s village before dark. He
told me he knew nothing about the loads, but had sent
in two of our rifles (which the man Mabruki had run
away with on our second march) to Selim Mahommed,
so I determined to start for Yambuya at daybreak and
get the rifles if I could not get the loads. About 10
o'clock p.M. Salem sent me in a little rice, and a chicken
the size of a sparrow.
June 16th.—Started about an hour after daylight;
reached Yambuya before 10 o’clock, although the
swamps and paths were very bad from the rising of the
rivers. Saw Bonny’s donkey quietly grazing in the
village where we slept the first night. Selim Mahom-
med sent out men at once to stop all the roads to the
Falls, and told me that though he meant to start for
Singatini next morning, he would wait and do all he
could to recover the loads. He had a big chief with
him from the country due north of the Aruwimi at
Yambuya, called Golema. ‘The country of which he
is chief is Oockwa, on the Wellé River, the people
being named Wackwa. He is a fine-looking native,
dressed like an Arab, and he wishes to see and treat
with Tippu-Tib, fearing that he means to invade his
country; he has brought him a present of sixty-seven very
fine tusks of ivory. It was into his country that Selim
Mahommed went north of our camp. It is a compli-
cated business. Mons. Van Géle, in the A. J. A., has
been up the Mobangé or Wellé, and endeavoured to
treat with his people, and Selim Mahommed’s men
attacked him from the south, overland, and he is now
going to treat with Tippu-Tib, little dreaming that
DIARY. 315
Tippu and Van Géle are both officers of the same Free
State. I wonder how much of the ivory the Free State
will get! After a frugal meal of some rice, flavoured with
fish, [ tramped back to Sala Sala’s, getting in there at
§ o'clock, too late to start for our camp. Salem again
gave me a sparrow, and having had no breakfast 1 went
to bed desperately hungry, but more sorry for my dog,
who had fared worse. No news of men or loads.
June 17th, Sunday.—Started at daylight, and reached
Muni Somai’s camp at 8 o’clock. No news of loads.
About an hour later the Major arrived, when we inter-
viewed Muni Somai. Selim Mahommed had told me,
and had written the same to Muni Somai, that if we would
wait five or six days, he would guarantee to get us back
the loads and rifles. This decided the Major to leave
me here with Muni Somai until Friday, as the loads are
about the most important we possess, and to start himself
to-morrow morning for Nasoro bin Saef’s village, five days
from here, where he will await us. He wrote all the
facts of the case to Tippu-Tib, and asked his aid. This
village consists of a long double row of small pent-
house-shaped huts; it is called Wobari, being inhabited
by the Wonga Wobari. Not two miles nearer Sala
Sala’s is a big village similarly shaped, of huts like bee-
hives, and built of large dried leaves. This is Bungari;
the people are called Wonga Bungari. ‘The tribes
seem to be very much mixed. In some villages the
three distinguishing huts, viz., the candle-extinguisher
type, as at Yambuya, beehive-shaped, as at Bungari, and
pent-house-shaped, as at Wobari, are all found repre-
sented. I have made sketches of both the latter villages,
showing the different huts. Just after our interview a
perfect torrent of rain came down, and although I had
a trench round my tent, it quickly filled with sand and
water.
June 18th.—Spent most of my day in cleaning rifles,
revolvers, &c., and in copying my diary to Kassongo and
back, in ink. I was greatly astonished, at 5 p.m., by the
arrival of Muni Hamésé, one of the Zanzibari munia-
1888.
June 16
Sala
Sala’s
Village.
1888.
June 18.
Wobari
Village.
Two rifles
rescued by
Muni
Somai.
316 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
paras, with a note from the Major. More desertions
have taken place. Munichandi, one of the men whom
we most trusted, has bolted with his rifle, and the fly
of the Major’s tent. A man called Rasasi has gone
also with two rifles. Munichandi left this place with
another man late last evening, for the Major’s camp. I
asked him before he started where he had been, and he
said only to the next village. I thought something was
wrong, so I sent a note to the Major telling him I ima-
gined Munichandi had been either to Sala Sala’s village
or with the deserters. It appears that Munichandi told
him he had been to Sala Sala’s village for food. I thought
of keeping him here last night, but the Major would have
been short of two carriers this morning, and I felt that
should he suspect him, after questioning him, the man
would be safer under a guard of Soudanese on the march
than here. This man, Munichandi, came to me during
our first march from Yambuya, and begged to have his
load lightened, as he wanted to be ahead with me, and
help to stack the loads and pitch the tents. I knew he
was a useful man, and gave hima very light load. This
is the result. It is awful to think that the very men
one trusts most, and is kindest to, may bolt at any
moment, perhaps with all one’s diaries, drawings, &c.
I left Yambuya full of bright hopes, but I must say they
have received rather a damper at the start. Muni Somai
received a letter from Selim Mahommed to-day, saying he
had sent natives after the Zanzibaris in every direction,
and had stopped the roads, and hoped to catch them in
two or three days at most.
June 19th—This morning Muni Somai brought a
rifle and a sack with corn-flour in it. He says that last
night one of the deserters, called Hamadi bin Masuri,
had tried to pass through the village next to Sala Sala’s.
When stopped, he flung down his rifle and the sack and
bolted, getting clean away. I think they must be mis-
taken in their man, as Hamadi was carrying a sack of
cloth, not corn. Just as I was going to have my dinner,
some of Muni Somai’s men brought in a deserter with
DIARY. 317
his rifle; they had caught him in the bush. He is an
old man who was employed as a goat-driver, not being
strong enough to carry a full load. I tied him up with
the three natives, under the Soudanese, and gave the
man who caught him twenty matakas. Muni Somai says
he has ordered all his men to come into this village, but
that they are not like Zanzibaris, who obey at once; they
are hard people to deal with. He told me he wanted
to start the day after to-morrow, as his men were getting
sick, and that he was going to Sala Sala’s village to-
morrow. I told him I was just as anxious to get ahead
as he was, but that the recovery of our loads was most
important to us. I was going to Sala Sala’s myself to
try to shoot some buffaloes near there, but as Muni Somai
is going I will remain in camp. He is very anxious to
start, as four of his men in another village have got
small-pox ; this is evidently his reason for not getting
them together.
June 20th.—Muni Somai left for Sala Sala’s village
after breakfast. Sadi, one of his head men, brought me
three sacks of beads and one of cowries, which were
damaged and required sewing. I pointed out to him
that a quantity of beads had been taken out of one of
the sacks, but he only said he knew nothing about it.
A heavy storm of rain, thunder, and wind came up
about I o’clock, and it rained steadily on until sunset.
One of Muni Somai’s men came in about an hour after
dark, to say he was not coming back to-night, but would
sleep in Sala Sala’s village. He had recovered two
rifles, a box of tea, and some matakas, also a sick man,
but no loads. It is a nuisance, his stopping away, as I
want to go there myself to-morrow, and mend any boxes
or sacks that were broken in the two villages where his
men are, as they evidently don’t mean coming in until
we start.
June 21st.—Awoke with a bad cold, whieh I hope
'vill go off before we start, as on the road one is wet all
day long. Muni Somai did not arrive until after 5
o'clock, which prevented my going to the other villages.
1888.
June 19.
Wobari
Village.
1888.
June 21
Wobari
Village.
318 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
He seemed very worried and tired. He told me that last
night natives had come in to Sala Sala’s village, reporting
that some of the deserters were camped in a village
some distance from the river to the south. Muni
Somai and Sala Sala then started for the village with
some of their men, taking the natives as guides. Upon
their approach one of the Zanzibaris jumped up out of
the path and ran into the village shouting, “The white
man is coming.” Muni Somai and his men ran in,
when one of the deserters fired a shot at him; they all
bolted, not one being caught or shot. They left six
rifles, a bottle of salt, a lot of cloth, cartridge-belts, &c.
Altogether Muni Somai handed over to me: 8 rifles, 10
pieces of cloth, 2 tins milk, 1 tin cocoa (broken), 1
bottle salt, 1 lot broken candles, 1 box tea open (box
had been used for cooking), 86 matakas, 1 cartridge-
pouch, 1 packet cartridges, 2 cartridge-belts, 1 bar soap.
No loads were recovered. From what we found it is
evident that they have broken open and are using the
provision boxes and cloth, but so far no signs of the
medicine-chest. ‘The natives tell Muni Somai that some
of them belonging to another village have caught and
eaten three of the deserters. He promised me to get
all his men in to-morrow, and to starton Saturday. Six
or seven of them now have the small-pox. I saw one
man with it here in the camp to-day. Sala Sala told
Muni Somai that he feared Tippu-Tib too much either to
hide the men or take the loads. Iwish I had another
officer with me, so that I could leave him here and go
and have a hunt for them myself. From the evidence
of a small skin pouch found in the deserters’ camp, my
men say that Mabruki, the deserter from Stanley, was
one of them.
June 22nd.—Another capture was made to-day, and
by one of my own men. He was out in the direction
of the Major’s first camp, where, I believe, there is
plenty of manioc, and he saw a man trying to run away;
shouting out that he would fire, he went up to him and
found it was Rasasi, with two rifles. He was one of.
the men who bolted the day Major Barttelot left this
DIARY. 319
ramp. I have put him in chains. I complained to
Muni Somai to-day about one of the sacks of beads being
short in weight. He called up Sadi, the muniapara, and
made him produce the sack. It was distinctly short,
but Sadi said he did not know where they could have
been taken, nor who carried the sack. Muni Somai pro-
mises faithfully to have every man and load at the
Major’s first camp from here by to-morrow. Some of
his men have been fighting with some of Tippu’s people
in another village, and one of the latter came in to-day
to complain, with a scratch upon his stomach where he
said he had been shot. No sign of loads. I handed
over 16 rifles (13 good and 3 bad) to Muni Somai to-
day, to convey as far as Nasoro bin Saef’s village. He
asked me if I handed them over to him for the use of
his men, and I said No, only to be taken to the next
village, where, I had no doubt, Major Barttelot would
give them to his men as he had promised. I also gave
him 110 matakas, the reward for each rifle recovered
being ten matakas. (Eleven of them were taken by his
men.) I also gave Suédi, my man, twenty matakas for
the two rifles captured with Rasasi. D.V. and the
Manyémas, we will make a fresh start to-morrow. What
a chapter might be written on the starts and delays ever
since we have been in Yambuya Camp! Muni Somai
told me to-day that the Manyémas were not men, but
simply “‘ meat like beasts,” for, said he, ‘“‘ How can they
be men and yet love to eat men as they do? If there
were two goats and one man offered them to choose
from for food, they would take the man; all they think
of now is what a lot of natives they will eat further on.”
He added, “ The first lot of natives that they fight, they
will eat as many as they can, and when their stomachs
are full will then catch others to carry their loads.”
He told me late last night that the man he had sent
after the Major as guide bolted, leaving his load in the
Major’s camp. This morning he had the man in chains.
June 23rd.—Just as I expected, wars and rumours
of wars about the stacking of the loads. I went on
ahead on purpose to see them properly stacked, and
1888.
June 22
Wobari
Village.
1888.
June 23.
Native
Village.
320 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
succeeded in getting four of the muniaparas to leave
theirs in the camp and stack them. Ngombé’s men
quietly went on, refusing to stop, and camped, I believe,
a long way ahead. Muni Somai’s people took all his
loads over to his tent across the river. It has been
simply impossible to take a correct tally of them.
When Muni Somai came up he made a great row about it,
but all to no purpose, for although he promised me that
the loads that had gone ahead should be returned, they
never appeared. ‘The men travelled remarkably well;
we could very easily have gone double the distance.
June 24th, Sunday—Had rather a serious row with
the muniaparas to-day, but one which I think has
cleared the atmosphere generally, more especially as
regards the loads being all in one place at night. Rain
came down heavily before daylight, and we did not get
away until about 7 o'clock. Muni Somai had promised
me that all the loads should be stopped at the Major’s
next camp, and asked me especially to be ahead to see
that it was all right. I was rather astonished to find
that Ngombé’s camp (the muniapara who went ahead
last night) was over two miles ahead of ours, and it
took me all my time to get through his men before we
reached the camp; but I got in about a quarter of an
hour before them. They flatly refused to stop, and
then there was war until the arrival of Muni Somai,
more than an hour afterwards. I made Ngombé stay
there until he arrived, although his loads had gone
ahead, and I trust now there is a thorough understand-
ing between all of us. I must say for Ngombé that he
had capital shelters made for his loads last night, and
his argument is a good one, viz., that whilst the men
are strong, the road good, and all in the shade, with
very little food, our marches ought to be longer. Just
now the men are quite fit to do longer marches, and
none of us know how far we have to go without food,
for we have no guide. I went out to try and shoota
monkey for my poor dog, who is starving, but could
not get one. was greatly astonished, on going down
DIARY. | 321
the small river at the back of the camp, to come upon
another road leading to another camp due E. of this
one, and evidently one of the Majors. ‘The road was
freshly blazed, but, as far as I could see, by only one
party. I then went ahead on the road we are now
taking, and found it also freshly blazed, but blazed by
many people at different dates. There is a very old
blazing on it, nearly overgrown, of four regular cuts,
equidistant, which I cannot believe to have been done
by Arabs, but think it must be Stanley’s. At present
we are a long way to the south of our right course, and
must some day make a lot of way north, to get into it
again.
I found a very beautiful flowering tree to-day; the
flower I could have believed to be that of an orchid,
but I shot down a branch and satisfied myself that it
1888.
June 24,
On the
march,
was not; took it into camp and drew it. J am in great |
trouble about the bales of Zanzibar cloth. The matting
on the outside is all tearing, and no sewing will hold it
together. The road lies through a beautiful open
forest, with every few miles a clear stream, and very
little swamp. This is my second day on nothing but a
cup of boiled rice and roast plantains. Iam afraid my
plantains will give out to-morrow. A row with these
Arabs is exactly like taking a ups of boiling water off
and on a fire.
June 25th.*—To-day is one long story of disaster.
We started off at daylight [from camp marked ++]
along the road well blazed, on which Ngombé had camped.
He promised yesterday not to let his men start before I
came up, but on my arrival I found they had all gone
on at daybreak, and were well ahead, on what I at once
saw was the wrong road altogether. ‘The road to his
camp [marked +--+] lay too much to the south, and,
beyond his camp, turned due south. I went on ahead
at a run, but what was my astonishment, after going
over a mile, to come upon another camp. [marked .
* Explanatory remarks in brackets inserted by Editor.—Ep.
Y
322 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Toss, T+++], which one of his head men had quietly
Onthe made on his own account! Here, thank Heaven, I
march. found all the men stuck. There was a perfect babel
of voices, but I elicited that yesterday some of the men
belonging to this muniapara had gone ahead on this
road, and had met five of Tippu-Tib’s people and two
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++++ His muniapara’s do.
+++++ Our present camp.
£Liti1141 Our road yesterday.
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natives. The latter they tried to catch to serve as guides,
but the Tamba-Tambas interfered, and stated that they
were Tippu’s people, and were coming from the village
where two white men and a number of Wangwana
‘ had arrived, and that, being afraid of them, they were
DIARY. 323
returning to Tippu. Upon our men’s inquity as to which
road led to the village they had left, they pointed back
to that by which they had just come. I now saw that
if it turned out to be a good road, it would be shorter
to take it than to go all the way back to the Major’s
other camp [marked + ], which I knew to be on the right
road. I took one of the men who had spoken to the
Tamba-Tambas and went ahead; the road lay N.E.,
which was right, but I presently came to nothing but a
mere track, which it was quite impossible for the
carriers to follow. I then stopped every one, and
waited until Muni Somai came up. We decided to
camp, and look out for the road. After making camp
[marked +-+-+-+-++]I settled to go due north and strike
either the Major’s road or our own further back. After
going through the most awful bush for about an hour,
straight as a line, without a path, I struck across our
own road, followed it to our camp |marked ++] of
last night, went to the next camp | marked + |, followed
the Major’s road out of it for a long way, saw that it
was undoubtedly the right one, and then struck back
across to our own road by a path that was blazed, and
which we could easily have seen had Ngombé’s people
_not gone ahead yesterday.
On my return to camp I told Muni Somai what I had
done, and he agreed to go back and camp on the Major’s
road to-morrow. I discovered afterwards that thirty of
his men had gone out to look for the road, and they
have not yet returned. Now comes the worst part of the
story. As I was just starting this morning, Muni Somai
brought me one of the sacks of cloth, and showed me
that it had been opened and some taken out, though not
much. [I had it carefully tied up, as the sewing things
were all packed away, and told him specially to look
after it, and give it to me at our next camp. He could
give me no explanation about it at all, but that the
cloth had been taken during the night. ‘The Soudanese
were flatly accused of the theft by the Manyémas,
although for no reason. I did not pretend to suspect
them at all, but when well started stopped them and
1888
June 25.
On the
march.
1888,
June 25.
On the
march.
324 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
searched all their bundles, loads, and persons, also the
loads of the deserters and natives in their charge, but
found no trace of the cloth. When Sadi brought me
the sack at this camp, I saw that more had been taken
out of it. Upon my return to camp, a few minutes
before this, I found that not more than half of the loads
were stacked together, although I had seen wood cut,
and started them at it before I left to hunt for the road.
I now sent for Muni Somai and asked him why there
were no people looking after the loads, and why they
were not all there. I could get no satisfactory reply
out of him about anything, and so I told him that since
he would not get in the loads together that I might
check them, and declined to put guards over them,
maintaining, at the same time, that he was looking
after them every day himself, I would take no further
responsibility about them until we saw Major Barttelot,
when he would have to answer for every load to him.
I also informed him that his people need no longer
accuse mine of stealing from the loads, for since I gave
Sadi the sack of cloth this morning more had been
stolen out of it. He then called Sadi, and there was
oreat war, but no satisfaction. I am more sick of the
whole business to-night than I have been since we
started.
June 26th.—It began to rain heavily before daylight,
and did not stop until about 11 o’clock. Muni Somai
came to me this morning, and asked me whether I had
noticed how Sadi had come when called to speak to
him yesterday about the cloth. I told him I did not
understand the question. He said, ‘Did you not see
that he had a revolver in his hand and a big knife with
him?” I told him I had noticed it. ‘These are the
men,’ said he, “that I have to deal with; they are only
meat, like beasts, not men. ‘There are three of us here
from Zanzibar, myself and those two men” (here he
called up two of the other head men); “ you must rely
on us.” He added that he and these two always
camped together, and that were he to hit Sadi, or
DIARY. 325
Ngombé, or any of the other head men, there would
be war at once, and this he wished to avoid—not that
he was afraid of them, for his guns and men were
better than theirs, but what would Tippu-Tib say if a
lot of men were shot and our loads left on the road?
He assured me that the loads were all right and well
looked after. At 2 -o’clock the thirty men returned,
having found the Major’s road and followed it to a
deserted village. They have discovered a path on which
the loads can be taken, so we will go that way, as it is
a shorter one to return. I had a great day among the
cloth bales and sacks, tying and sewing with camba as
best I could.
June 27th.—Reached Nasoro bin Saef’s village quite
unexpectedly after a long march of eight hours, cover-
ing about twelve miles. Had my advice been followed,
and our old road been returned to, the men would have
done it in much less time; but Muni Somai warned me
that there would be a mutiny if he tried to make the
men go back. We struck Major Barttelot’s road within
twenty yards of where I had marked it the day before
yesterday, and spent four hours wading through swamp
and cane-brake. They were rather astonished to find
my marks on the road ahead, as they none of them
believed I had found the right one. Two men actually
died to-day beside their loads. It is a nasty thing
suddenly to bump up against a man covered with small-
pox, as I did several times to-day. The men who died
had not got that disease. It is astonishing to see a man
covered from head to foot with the sores of small-pox
carrying a load. On arrival at this village, I was sur-
prised to hear from one of the Zanzibaris, and some
Scudanese who had come over from the Major’s camp
about three hours from here, that he had left for Stanley
Falls four days ago, and had missed us on the road.
Two more men and two of his boys have run away, one
of them with his revolver. I am sorry to have missed
him on the road, as I don’t suppose he can possibly get
back before another ten days at earliest. I will go over
1888.
June 26
On the
march.
1888.
June 27.
On the
march,
326 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
to the other camp to-morrow, which lies E. of this, and -
‘see Bonny, and I have advised Muni Somai to camp here
with his men, as I hear the men from the other camp
have to come here for food. I will remain with Muni
Somai until the Major’s return, as there is always a
chance of trouble in this camp.
June 28th.—Walked over to Ujéle, to the Major’s
camp. Three hours’ fast walking, distance about ten
miles. The road is on the whole good, save where it
hes through old manioc plantations. Passed two very
large native villages and several smaller ones. Found
Bonny rather seedy. SBarttelot left for Singatini on the
24th inst., with 14 Zanzibaris and 3 Soudanese, leaving
Bonny in charge of camp until my arrival, when I was
to take command, and proceed with our whole force to
Abdullah Karongo’s camp at Unaria*. Bonny says that
five Manyéma people from the village Mampuya came
in yesterday, and he succeeded in buying from them
aman as carrier and guide. ‘This village is a dayand a
half from Bonny’s present camp, but the men say it can
be done ix a day. There are eighteen or twenty loads
now without carriers, and all the rifles and ammunition
have been taken away from the Zanzibaris, in conse-
quence of which the Major has left orders for me to obtain
men from Muni Somai to carry these loads, and act as
escort to the Zanzibaris, their rifles being carried as loads.
One case of small-pox at Bonny’s camp. Upon my
return to this camp, I told Muni Somai that I wished
him to proceed to Bonny’s camp to-morrow, and that
the Major had left me in command, with orders to
proceed to Abdullah’s camp. Having called together
and consulted his head men, he told me that though
they were all most anxious to get on to Abdullah's
camp, they begged to be allowed to wait one day longer,
* According to Mr. Bonny’s statement, he was left in command over
Jameson, under orders dated April 22nd. ‘The orders referred to by
Jameson above are those of June 23rd (vide Log of the Rear Column,
June 24th, 1888; ‘ Darkest Africa,’ vol. 1. p. 506), curiously not men-
tioned by Mr. Bonny in his official report to Mr. Stanley; vide ‘ Darkest
Africa,’ vol, 1. p. 491.—Eb.
DIARY. 327
as so many of the men were weak, and one day’s rest
and good food would make all the difference to them.
(Handed over to Bonny :—2 tins milk, 1 tin cocoa
(condensed), 1 bottle salt, 2 tins tea, 1 bar soap, 1
sack 10 pieces of cloth, 95 cartridges in 2 belts. All
recovered from deserters’ loads.) Knowing the weak
state of the men, as illustrated by the two who died on
the road yesterday, | granted the extra day. He can-
not possibly give me the twenty men in order to move
all the loads from Bonny’s camp at once, so I propose to
move on all the Zanzibaris and a number of his men
always two days ahead, enough men returning each
time to carry on the extra loads. In this way an extra
chance is secured to our men of getting the pick of the
food on the road, wherever it is scarce. Abdullah’s
camp is said to be six days’ march from Ujéle, with
only one break of two days without food on the road.
Muni Somai reports one load of ammunition lost yester-
day. The Major has proceeded to Stanley Falls for the
purpose of obtaining more men from Tippu-Tib*, as well
as to try to recover some of the lost loads and rifles ;
he expected to be absent twenty-six days. The majority
of the huts in these villages are of the extinguisher
type, but the beehive-shape appears too, as do the pent-
house and round huts found below Yambuya. Some of
them are beautifully constructed, with hard floors of
baked clay, and are kept exceptionally clean. I hada
narrow escape of being bitten by a snake to-day. Iwas
walking along fast, bare-legged, and I stepped right
over one which was crossing the path.
June 29th.—Began the day by a regular inspection
of every load carried by the people supplied by Tippu-
Tib. Took the names of all the muniaparas, and made a
list of the loads carried byeach. In consequence of the
discovery that of the thirteen sacks carried by the muni-
apara Sadi, containing beads, cowries, and rice, several
were short of weight, I handed them over to Muni
Somai, taking from him in their place thirteen loads
* See Appendix VIII.
1888,
June 28,
On the
mareb,
1888.
June 29,
On the
march,
325 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
of ammunition, principally Winchester. Wrote out a
full report of inspection for the Major. Completed
map of road to this village: then came trouble. I
asked Muni Somai if he was ready to start for the other
camp to-morrow morning. He told me that all the
head men had been to speak with him, and told him
that their men were still weak. I replied that at
the next camp all the weak men could have a rest.
He declared himself and Kapranga ready and willing
to go, but that the others now said they had put manioc
into the water, and wanted another day for it to soak.
I said I would take no excuse about food, as they had
already been here two days, and were going to a camp
where they would find plenty of food, and that I could
not leave Bonny’s camp another day without a sufficient
armed force, as all the rifles had been taken away from
the Zanzibaris. He announced his intention of calling
together all his head men, after prayers, to consult with
them. ‘The result was a message to say they were still
unwilling to go. I then went up to see him, and gave
him my positive orders that he and all his head men
should proceed to-morrow morning to Bonny’s camp
with all the loads. I told him I should go, whatever
happened, and that whoever did not do so would be
positively disobeying orders, and that a direct report of
the same would be made to Tippu-Tib. I believe he
and Kapranga will be the only men who will obey, and
in this case I will try and get a letter conveyed to the
Major. I told Muni Somai that were I to allow them
to remain longer here I should be disobeying Barttelot’s
direct orders to me, and that if this sort of thing took
place at every pleasant village they came to, the Expe-
dition might as well be at an end. This row was bound
to take place sooner or later; I am only sorry it has:
occurred during Barttelot’s absence.
June 30th.—Struck my tent at daiytiht: Muni Somai
told me his head men still refuse to come on, and will
not start until the day after to-morrow, when their
manioc will be dried. I said my orders remained the
DIARY. 329
same. He said he and Kapranga would follow me.
On my arrival at Ujéle, took over command from Bonny.
Found everything quiet; no more desertions. One
Zanzibari had died yesterday. Muni Somai, Kapranga,
and Sadi arrived some time afterwards with their men
and loads, about 130 in all. I told Muni Somai, almost
immediately after his arrival, that Mr. Bonny would
start for Mampuya to-morrow morning, leaving the twenty
loads, for which men would return here, where I should
remain with him (Muni Somai), and that I required an
escort of his men, as I had before told him, to go with
Bonny to Mampuya, and return from thence with the
men for the loads. He then informed me that every
man they had brought had returned to Nasoro bin Saef’s
village for food, but that he would tell me later on if
he could get them. In the evening he said the men
would not return until to-morrow, at what time he did
not know. I asked him when he would ever be
able to obey my orders, to which he replied that the
Wacusu and Manyémas were very hard to deal with, and
would not leave the village until it pleased them. I
informed him that the sooner Tippu-Tib knew that his
men would not obey him the better, and that as he will
not send the men with Bonny, I would accompany him
myself, and return with the men for the loads left behind,
leaving him (Muni Somai) in charge of the said loads.
I cannot myself leave for Stanley Falls, nor can I send
any of our men, but I shall try to get a letter conveyed
to Barttelot from Mampuya, and in any case I will try
to get the whole force on as far as Abdullah Karongo’s.
I can now see that Muni Somai is utterly useless as a
commander, although himself willing.
July 1st, Sunday.—Got away about 7 o'clock, and
marched until 11 o’clock. Road lay nearly due N. all
the way, and a very bad one, through old plantations
full of fallen timber. Passed over three rivers. Latter
part of road lay through a long string of villages, all
lying close together, and due N. and 8. The country
must have been very thickly inhabited, although now
1888.
June 30.
Ujéle.
1888.
July 1.
On the
march,
330 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
many of the villages are deserted, and in several cases
burnt by the Tamba-Tambas. The majority of the huts
are still of the extinguisher type. Men marched well
and willingly. No deserters. In the evening three of
Barttelot’s slaves escaped from the Soudanese soldiers
in charge of them. Search party sent out under Omaha
had not returned at dark.
July 2nd.—Started at 7 o'clock, and marched until
12 a.M., reaching a village called Mquangandy, belong-
ing to the Waburu tribe. This part of the country is
inhabited by three tribes—the Waburu, Wamanga, and
Wabunga. ‘The road for the first mile lay through
six villages, which, with the four passed yesterday,
make ten all close together, lying due N.and S. After
these the road became very bad, running through swampy
forest and old plantations. The most important of the
villages is called Mpunga, and further on, about a mile
from this, we passed through a very pretty group of
villages called Lixari. Each village is situated on the
summit of a small hill, and consists of about six or
seven huts, all dotted about in the clearings close
together. Met Tamba-Tambas belonging to Tippu-
Tib, who say that the Aruwimi is three hours’ distant
to the N.W. Unaria, Abdullah Karongo’s camp, is
distant only one day’s march without loads, but three
with them. Stanley’s blazing on his road beyond
Unaria is still quite visible. They have promised to
convey a letter to Stanley Falls, the Congo being only
four days distant. They strike it at Atiacusu. The
search party failed to find the three women who escaped
yesterday. We marched a little over eight miles to-day.
I saw a conical hut, raised five feet off the ground, with
a ladder attached to it, at Mpunga, also telegraph from
road to village to tell of any one’s approach at night.
July 3rd.—Sat up last night, writing to Tippu-Tib and
the Major. One of Tippu’s people has promised to call
for my letters this morning, and take them to Singatini as
quickly as possible. Started at 7a.m. for Ujéle, with seven
Zanzibaris, thirteen slaves, and guard of one sergeant and
DIARY. 331
five Soudanese, to bring up the extra loads. Reached
our first camp from Ujéle about 10 a.m., and got in there
about 1 p.m. Muni Somai greeted me with the fact
that letters had come for him and for myself, stating
that the whole force was to return to Singatini. ‘This
rather took my breath away, and it was with anxious
hands that I opened the two letters which Muni Hamésé
had brought to me from Major Barttelot. ‘The first one
I opened contained orders to proceed with the whole
force with all possible despatch to Unaria, where Bart-
telot would join us about the 14th of July. I hastened
to open the other one, but it only contained the same
orders, and upon asking Muni Somai whence he had
received the other orders, he told me he had had a
letter from Sala Sala by the same messenger, stating
that Major Barttelot had arrived at his village, and had
written to me to say that the whole force was to return
to Singatini. I then told Muni Somai that the orders
remained the same, and he promised that all his men
should leave for my camp on the following day. He
says there are many cases of small-pox, and other sick-
ness (about sixty in all), and that seven of his men have
run away. Sala Sala told him that a large new steamer
had arrived at Yambuya Camp after the departure of
Selim Mahommed and everyone else, and had planted
a flag there. Major Barttelot’s boy Sadi, with his
revolver, came to his camp at Wobari, and gave himself
up, the others having run away from him. The Major’s
letters were dated June 25th.
July 4th—Told Muni Somai that my last orders to
him were to get the whole force together, and push on
to my camp with all possible despatch. It began to
rain before leaving, and came down in torrents when
we had gone a short distance. I pushed on, however,
and we reached Mpunga at 12 a.m., when it cleared up.
The natives carried the double loads remarkably well.
July 5th.—Paid for my wetting yesterday with a
fearful dose of rheumatism in my back; had not a wink
of sleep, but started and walked it off. Reached
1888,
July 3.
Ujéle.
1888.
July 5.
Mquan-
gandy.
332 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Mquangandy about 12 a.m.; the swamps are in a fearful
state after the rain. Bonny reports all quiet during my
absence. . Another Zanzibari dead. Bonny had not
been able to buy any carriers, as they only brought in
two small boys, for whom they wanted a gun, and two
girls, for a gun each.
July 6th.—Started Bonny off to the next village,
with all the loads he could possibly carry, with orders
to send back enough men under Soudanese escort to
bring up the extra loads with myself to-morrow. No
signs of Muni Somai !
July Tth.—Started soon after daylight and reached
Lipula, where Bonny is encamped, about 11 A.M.
It is not more than five miles, but the road is very
bad. Found one of the Zanzibaris had fallen behind
yesterday, and opened our chop box, smashing it with
a heavy stick. He was caught red-handed by Faragi,
who was sent back for him. One tin of milk and one
of corned beef were missing, three other tins being
opened. We gave him 100 lashes and put him in
chains. Dr. Parke’s box fell yesterday, and was
smashed beyond all repair. Made a list of the con-
tents, and discarded a lot of 12-bore bullets, cartridge
cases, &c., as we are very short of carriers, packing
what remained in Nelson’s and Stairs’ bags. Shortly
after my arrival, I he&ird that Muni Somai had come up
to the camp. I left this morning, so I sent back Muni
Hamésé and two Soudanese soldiers to tell him to come
on here to-morrow. Am sending on Bonny and all his
men to Unaria to-morrow, which is four easy marches
from here, with food to be had all the way. I shall
wait here till he sends back men for the extra loads.
There is a great deal of small-pox amongst Muni Somai’s
men, and I wish to avoid the chance of its breaking
out amongst ours as far as possible.
July 8th, Sunday.—Bonny left for Unaria. Muni
Somai and his men arrived about two hours later. There
DIARY. 330
was a grand row here shortly after their arrival. Muni
Somai was sitting drinking coffee with me in the shade
at the back of my tent, and several of the head men
were standing round. Muni Somai was telling me that
a good many of the people had lost the road to-day, and
I asked him how that was when it was so well blazed.
One of the head men called Kimputa exclaimed, ‘“ Oh,
if people will walk with their noses on the ground, and
not look at the trees, they must get lost.” Ngombé,
another head man, most of whose men were those that
were lost, took this as a personal insult, and said some-
thing rather nasty, for Kimputa retorted, “ You sit still
for months at Kassongo, eating manioc and getting
fat, whilst I am on the road! No wonder you know
nothing about it!” Then words rose very high, their
followers rushed up with guns, and a grand scene
ensued. Men with guns, trying to cock them, were
rolled over by men without guns, while others with logs
of wood and huge poles sailed in too. There were
broken heads and scars innumerable, and at one time it
looked serious, and I had thoughts of finding some-
thing myself, not a stick; but I sat still, and it gradu-
ally developed into a strife of words, and more allies
interfered to separate the aggrieved parties. Muni
Somai reports a good many deaths from small-pox.
July 9th.—A day of disaster. Last night, just as I
had turned in, nearly every man in camp began to fire
off his gun, as if at a given signal. Several of the shots
were fired at the very side of my tent. I jumped out
of bed, got my Winchester, sent for Muni Somai, and
told him, before all the men, that I would shoot the
very first man who fired another shot near my tent.
He said, “‘ Beat them with a stick;” but I said, ‘“ No,
you can do that. I will shoot. Let a man fire, and
you will see.” ‘There was perfect peace for the rest of
the night. I told Muni Somai that, had I men enough
to carry them, I would take all the rifles, and that I
should strongly advise the Major to take them from his
1888.
July 9.
Lipula
334 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
men, and give them to the men he got from Tippu-
Tib. Nota shot has been fired in this camp to-night.
About 12.30 a.m. some of Bonny’s men came into camp
to get plantains, and told me that he had lost the road,
and was camped not far from here. I waited until
3 o'clock, but got no message or note from him, so I
sent a man with a letter telling him to remain where he
was until he heard again from me, and in the meantime
I would try to procure a guide. I started off and
walked to Mampuya, but found that all the natives and
Tippu-Tib’s people had run away, and I don’t wonder
at it, after the fusillade of last night. Returned to
camp, and as there was still no note from Bonny, I
started off to his camp. MHalf-way there, met my
messenger returning with a note from him. Went on
to him. He says that yesterday the guides, two of
Tippu-Tib’s people, took him all wrong, and then
ran away. He then went too much to the north, and
sighted the Aruwimi. Went out with him along the
road he had blazed this morning, and found a path
which he had missed, going to the eastward and well
blazed. Returned to his camp, had a cup of tea, and
told him not to start until I arrived in the morning,
Came back here, and got in at dark, thoroughly beat.
Told Muni Somai that I would go with Bonny in the
morning, taking only one carrier with me, and leaving
my boys, two Zanzibaris, and two Soudanese here, and
that he must remain until my return. All loads left
behind will be placed in his tent. Bonny reports one
of the goats lost, which is very serious, for we cannot
get meat of any kind.
Muni Somai told me to-night that he owns a village
north of Riba-Riba, on the other side of the Congo.
It takes two months, going north, to get to it. The
country is open, as at Kassongo, but there are large
mountains there. Four rivers, he says, arise from one
of them: two called Lindé, one Lela, and I could not
catch the name of the fourth. He says no white man
has been in that country.
DIARY. 339
July 10th—Joined Bonny. Went on a road which
1 afterwards found to be the one he had followed the
day before. General direction S.E. Muni Hamela and
a lot of men turned up from Unaria. He told me he
had brought the caps from Tippu-Tib to Unaria, and
as we were so long in arriving he had come to meet us.
He handed over to me the three deserters from Mr.
Stanley, who have been so long at Unaria, and they all
swear that they did not desert, but were left sick on the
road, and that Mr. Stanley’s books will show this to be
the case. I made them guide us on to the right road.
They took us straight along the road Bonny had taken
the day before yesterday, and he camped to-day in the
very village, close to the Aruwimi, where he camped
the day before yesterday, and from which point he had
turned straight back. I placed the three men be-
longing to Stanley in the charge of the Soudanese, and
left Abdullah Karongo’s brother-in-law with Bonny, so
he has enough guides now. He told me of a much
shorter way back to camp which he had blazed, and
sent Faragi to show it to me. It turned out to be
twice as long as the way we had come.
When I returned here, Muni Hamela (who I find is
really the head man at Unaria, and not Abdullah
Karongo) handed over to me 40,000 Enfield caps, from
Tippu-Tib, for which we owe him £48. I gave him a
receipt for the caps, and another for the three men.
Although I told Muni Somai that there could now be
no difficulty about the road, and that he must therefore
send on all his people to Unaria, he now tells me
that he cannot tell till to-morrow when he will be able
to start them. He is simply utterly useless. Muni
Hamela gave me a letter from Mr. Greshoff, of the
Dutch house, who had arrived at Singatini, saying he
had not received the boxes I had sent him.
July 11th—It rained heavily, a miserable day.
Muni Somai busy writing to Tippu-lib. I warned
him, upon his stating that his men could not start
1888.
July 10
On the
march.
1888.
July 11.
On the
march.
356 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
until the day after to-morrow, that he must not think
he would have to wait long at Unaria, for he had
wasted all the time on the road, and Major Barttelot
would certainly expect us to be ready to start when he
arrived.
July 12th.—Told Muni Somai he must be ready to
start for Unaria to-morrow. He made another excuse,
saying they did not like to leave the white man behind.
I said that was my business, not his. He asked me to
give out some caps to the men, as they wished to catch
natives at Unaria. IJ told him I could not possibly do
so unless the Major ordered it.
July 13th—Muni Somai, with all his people and
loads, started for Unaria. He has left a good many
sick, who are going on slowly. Some in this village
who have small-pox will, I am afraid, die, they are such
bad cases. JI am in hopes that Barttelot will turn up
with enough men to carry the extra loads, before the
return of the men from Unaria. ‘The stench round this
camp is something frightful, and I have not enough
men to remove the loads to another village.
July 14th—Sent two men to Mampuya to bring
in Tippu-Tib’s people. ‘They arrived in about an
hour and a half. They have heard nothing of Major
Barttelot. Rained heavily.
July 15th, Sunday.— Another wretched day of waiting
at this camp. No signs of either Barttelot or the men
from Unaria. ‘The smell after the rain, with a hot sun,
is something horrible.
July 16th.—Tippu-Tib’s men from Mampuya came
into camp to-day, bringing with them a quantity of
plantains, a pleasant addition to plain boiled rice and
mouldy biscuit. They had with them some natives
of the Babura tribe, one of whom I sketched. His face
is very typical of the natives in these parts. I gavea
DIARY. 337
lot of plantains to the sick. The natives are quite
friendly to the white man, but had any of Muni
Somais people been here they would not have come
near the camp. The huts of the Babura tribe are
cylinder-shaped, with a domed roof; this village con-
sists entirely of their huts.
July lith—One of the messengers who took my
letter to Tippu-Tib came here, and told me that Tippu-
Tib had given Major Barttelot four chains to put on
any of the head men who refused to obey him. He says
the Major has gone by a short route to Unaria and
ought to be there by to-day, that he had no fresh men
with him, but had recovered several deserters. The
men from Unaria have not yet arrived, and are now two
days overdue.
July 18th.—Thank God, the men arrived this after-
noon. Told them to get as much food as they could.
Received a letter from Bonny. He states that he
arrived at Unaria on the loth, having taken five days
from his camp on the river (beyond this) to get there.
He says that there are three days without food in the
forest, and reports two desertions.
July 19th.—Started at 7 o’clock, and marched to
Bonny’s first camp, near the banks of the Aruwimi
River, where I stopped to let the men gather manioc.
One of my men brought in two beautiful longicorn
beetles, which I drew and coloured. Muni Somai’s
men have burnt nearly every village, which is a great
shame, as the natives have done nothing to them.
July 20¢th.—Our road lay right along the bank beside
the river, and through a long line of deserted villages,
all burnt a long time ago. ‘The natives have all crossed
to the other side of the river and built there. Opposite
the camp is a long series of rapids. Our road now is
the one taken by Mr. Stanley a year ago, and the
blazing on the trees is still quite distinct.
a
1888.
July 16.
On the
march,
1888.
July 21.
On the
march,
5338 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
July 21st.—Poor Major Barttelot was shot: dead by
one of the Manyémas early on the morning of the 19th
instant. Such is the news I have received from Bonny
to-day. It was a case of deliberate murder, as far as I
can judge from the scant knowledge his messengers
have of any details. Bonny’s note is shorter than a
telegram ought to have been, merely stating the fact that
he was shot, and that all the Manyémas, Muni Somai, and
Abdullah Karongo have left, also that he has written to
Tippu-Tib. As far as I can learn from the messenger,
early on the morning of the 19th, before daylight, some
of the Manyémas were making a great noise, beating on
their drums. Major Barttelot sent his boy Sudi to tell
them to be quiet, as he could not sleep. ‘They still
kept on beating the drums, and fired a couple of shots.
He then went down to stop this himself, and all that the
men know is that he was shot stone dead, through the
breast, the bullet passing out and grazing another man’s
face. It is a fearfully sad piece of news to me, for ever
since we were left alone together at Yambuya Camp,
more than a year ago, there has been the closest friend-
ship between us, never so much as a single quarrel.
In all difficulties we went to one another for advice,
and many a happy picture did we draw of times at
home together after all this unlucky Expedition was
over. He was a_ straightforward, honest English
gentleman; his only fault, being a little too quick-
tempered. He loved plain, straightforward dealing far
too much ever to get on well with the Arabs. He
hated their crafty, roundabout way oi doing everything,
and showed it to them, and, of course, was disliked in
turn. He was far too good a man to lose his life in a
miserable way like this, and God knows what I shall
do without him.
I am going right through to Unaria to-morrow, leaving
the loads to come on in charge of Muni Hamésé (%),
our head muniapara, and Sergeant Paquit, with eight of
the Soudanese. Our whole march to-day was done in
pouring rain, and it is raining still, 8 P.M.
DIARY. 339
July 22nd, Sunday.—Got away an hour after daybreak,
and reached Unaria an hour before sunset, over twenty
miles of the very worst road I have ever seen in any
country. Four of the natives ran away during a heavy
storm last night. On my arrival I found all quiet, only
Bonny and the Zanzibaris with the Soudanese occupying
the village, and two or three of the head muniaparas
of the Manyémas, with their men, camped outside the
village. Bonny had done all that a man could do under
very trying circumstances. He had recovered about three
hundred of the loads carried by the Manyémas, and had
succeeded in quieting those of them who remained. It
appears that just at daybreak, on the morning of the 19th,
one of the Manyémas camped in the village close to this
house began to beat his drum and sing, which is their
constant practice, although an unpleasant one. Barttelot
had been annoyed by the same noise early in the night,
between 9 and 10 o'clock, and had sent his boy Sudi to
them, when they had ceased. He sent his boy again
in the morning, when loud murmurs were heard,
and two guns were fired off intheair. He then jumped
out of bed, taking his revolver, and went out of the
house, although Bonny tried to persuade him not to do
so. Immediately afterwards a shot was fired, and shouts
were heard that the Major was killed. A fearful scene
of panic then followed. Bonny went out and could
not find a Zanzibari; called for Muni Somai, who did
not appear; ordered the Soudanese to follow him, but
they stood to arms, and refused to follow. Then
Bonny went towards the spot where the shot had been
fired, Chana, the Somali, and Omaha, the Soudanese
officer, following him. He proceeded until he came to
the body of Major Barttelot, which was lying face
upwards, with one hand under the body holding his
revolver, which had not been discharged. He must
have been shot dead on the spot, the bullet passing in
under the centre of the breast-bone, and out through
his back behind the heart, having travelled slightly
upwards ; not a muscle of the face had moved. Bonny
thinks that he was shot from a narrow passage between
7 2
1888.
July 22
Unaria.
1888.
July 22.
Unaria.
240 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN:
two houses, but all the men report that he was shot
from a door, and went a few steps before falling. The
body was then conveyed back to the house. The shouts
and cries through the village were frightful, so much so
that Bonny thought a general massacre was taking
place, but it was really a stampede. He did all he
— could to quiet them, but they all left the village. ‘The
Major was buried in a quiet spot in the forest, close to
the village, the same day, and Bonny spent the rest of
it in recovering loads.
July 23rd.—Made an inventory of all the effects of
poor Major Barttelot, and packed all those things we
considered necessary to send home, a full account of
the disposal of everything being sent to Sir Walter
Barttelot. Had an interview with three of the head
Manyémas who came into camp, and impressed upon
them the necessity for my seeing them all before leaving
for Stanley Falls to see Tippu-Tib. They said the
others were afraid to come in. I then offered to go out
alone, without arms, and meet them anywhere they
chose to name. Finally Sadi, one of the head men,
said he would go out and see them and bring me their
answer, and in case they would not see me, would bring
information respecting loads and number of men. I
then offered a reward for the arrest of Sanga, the man
who shot Major Barttelot. Any steps taken by us
against them now towards the finding of this man
would end in the loss of all the loads, and a general
massacre of us all, for were the Zanzibaris given their
ouns, they would either desert with them, or have them .
taken by the Manyémas, and we have only. a mere
handful of Soudanese to do guard, and upon whom we
can depend to use their guns in case of a fight. All
loads and men whom [I left arrived all right.
July 24th.—A very busy day. Began. by examining
and making a list of all the loads recovered from the
Manyémas. After this, we instituted a search amongst
the Soudanese, in consequence of one of the bales of
cloth in their charge having been tampered with, and
9
DIARY. 341
found a quantity of cloth, although none of it was taken
from these bales. Had just completed this, when Sadi
arrived with a number of the head Manyémas. I told
them that I was going to Stanley Falls to see Tippu-
Tib, and try to come to some arrangement with him, so
that all matters might be settled and the Expedition
proceed. I then gota list from each man, concerning
the loads he had returned, how many were lost, &c.
They told me that Muni Somai, six head men, and Sanga,
the man who shot Barttelot, were all at Stanley Falls.
I find there are 193 Manyéma carriers still camped in
the vicinity. We have recovered 2984 loads, and 473
are missing. I then arranged all the papers connected
with the Expedition found amongst the Major's effects.
There are missing a packet of letters to the officers who
went with Mr. Stanley, and a large sealed letter for
Mr. Stanley, which I handed to Barttelot at Yambuya
Camp, and for which I have a receipt. ‘These are
believed to have been lost in a bag of his which one of
his men ran away with, on his return here from Stanley
Falls. Had all the defects in the sacking of the loads
repaired. ‘There is a sadness hanging over everything,
which no amount of work will shake off.
July 25th.—Did not get away until 9 o’clock, but
marched until 5 o’clock, when we camped in the forest.
The men had to stop for half an hour to collect manioc,
as we shall have two days in the forest without food.
The road is a very bad one. Had to wade six streams
in the first hour, most of them up to myarm-pits. One
box and my rifle and cartridges were dropped in one of
the streams, so we made a bad start. I found Ngombé
and nearly all the head Manyémas camped in the forest,
about two hours from Unaria, close to the edge of the
manioc plantations. I stopped and spoke to them,
especially to those who did not come in yesterday. I
can now only find 183 men camped near Unaria. ‘The
camp had a strong zariba round it, with places cut in it
for the use of guns. The men were very civil, giving
me all the information they could; they all say that
1888.
July 24,
Unaria.
1888.
July 2°.
On the
march to
Stanley
Falls.
342 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Sanga is at Stanley Falls. They told me they would
do whatever I asked them to. Iam glad to get on the
march again, for one has not so much time to think. I
have not slept more than six hours altogether in the
last three nights.
July 26¢h.—Started at 6.30 a.M., camped at 4.50 P.M.
The road lay through forest and swamp, with cane-
brakes and creepers in abundance, of the very worst
description. It appears that a day beyond this, on the
road to Stanley Falls, Muni Somai met Nasoro Masudi
and Ali bin Saidi, on their way to Unaria with 200 guns,
to shoot natives, as they express it. Nasoro Masudi
asked him what business he had there, when he knew
his place was at Unaria, and told him to return at once.
I found him camped at this place with Kapranga, on
his way back to Unaria. He began a long explanation
to me of his reasons for going back to Stanley Falls,
saying that the morning the Major was shot the
Manyémas wanted to shoot him. I told him that he and
Kapranga had deliberately run away; that had he gone
straight to Mr. Bonny he would have been perfectly safe ;
and that there were forty-seven loads lost, for which he
would have to answer to Tippu-Tib. He told me that
he had twice sent out men to shoot Sanga, but that he
had gone to Tippu-Tib at Singatini. I told him to send
all his men with Kapranga to Unaria, to camp near Mr.
Bonny (but not into the village), and to come himself
straight to Tippu-Tib with me. He gave me two letters
addressed to Major Barttelot, one from Tippu-Tib, the
other from Mons. Baert. Tippu-Tib’s letter was to advise
him to be very careful with the Manyémas, as some of
them had died on the road; and always to stop some time
where there was food, as there were many places on the
road with no food to be got for three or four days.
Mons. Baert’s letter was merely sending his compliments
to all of us, and telling us that Tippu-Tib assured him
everything would be allright. These letters were brought
to Nasoro Masudi only a day beyond this, and it appears
Mr. Bonny’s letter was taken on by the same messenger
3)
DIARY. a4
yesterday, so that it is only two days ahead of me.
Nasoro Masudi and Co. evidently meant to follow up
on our road beyond Unaria, just as Abdullah Karongo
followed Mr. Stanley.
July 27th.—Started at 6 o’clock and camped at a
“large village called Unyoy, tribe Babura, at 5 o'clock,
doing a goodten hours’ march. ‘The road was one mass
of creepers, cane-brake, and swamp. Here I found
Nasoro Masudi and Ali bin Saidi. ‘The former, with his
usual hospitality, sent me a delicious curried fowl, and
offered me rice for the road, and chickens ; but I declined
them with thanks, telling him that he was going where
there was neither, and I was going where there was
plenty. His cooking is just as good in the bush as at
Stanley Falls. He wrote a letter for me to Tippu-
ib, telling him I am coming to Stanley Falls as fast as
possible, where all my business can be better settled
than if he were to meet me onthe road. ‘This letter
goes by special messenger, and ought to reach Singatini
at least a whole day before me. Nasoro Masudi and
Co. are going on beyond Unaria on Mr. Stanley’s road,
for nine or ten days, when they intend to make a strong
boma, and fight the natives there, settling up the vil-
lages as they have done here, and leaving a few men in
each. ‘The natives periodically rise and eat these men,
but fresh ones take their place. ‘Their force here is a
very strong one of 200 guns; they left Stanley Falls on
this big slave and ivory hunt, after the Belgians had
taken up their residence there. Nasoro Masudi tells
me that Tippu-Tib’s people at Mampuya had told him
that many of the Manyémas said they would shoot me,
but they did not expect me to get into Unariaas quickly
as I did.
July 28th.—Started at 6.80, and camped in the forest
at 5.30, having done a good twenty miles on the road.
Nasoro Masudi and Ali bin Saidi came to me this
morning before starting, and told me to be very careful
on the road, and sent nine men with guns, and a head
man with orders to keep close to me the whole time.
1888.
July 26
On the
march ta
Stanley
Falls.
34.4 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
July 93 They say that many of the men who tried to bolt to
Onthe Stanley Falls are on the road, and have no good inten-
mute ta tions towards me. ‘The worst of these brutes is that they
Falls. Will not fight openly, but will shake hands with you one
moment and shoot you the next.
July 29th, Sunday.—Got away shortly after 6 a.M., and
reached Tanjika, tribe Wamanga, at 5 o’clock. The road
good, and the men went very fast, doing in one day two
marches of Major Barttelot’s, distanceabout twenty miles. ©
On the road we met two of Muni Mahara’s head men
from Nyangwé, with about 200 guns, to whom Tippu-
Tib has given leave to hunt for ivory up the Aruwimi.
This means that they will fight the natives, settle a lot of
villages, and then he will claim them. The huts here are
long, low sheds, quite different from any on the Aruwimi.
July 30th.—Started at 6 a.m., and marched to a
village called Yarulea, where we stopped for three hours
to let the men buy and cook food. ‘This is a large
village, with many Arabs init. The head man Marijana
sent me lunch, and whilst waiting for the men I made
a sketch of the native chief Tina-Tina, tribe Wamanga.
Started again at 12 o’clock and marched until after 5 P.M.,
and having done a good sixteen miles, camped in the
forest. ‘The Arabs hate the way that the natives show
their liking for a white man, and try and prevent one’s
paying them for anything or giving them a present.
July 31st.—Started before 6 a.M., and reached the
first village at 12 o’clock, where I found Salem Masudi,
with a letter from Tippu-Tib, asking me to leave all
loads at Unaria, and to come to Stanley Falls as soon
as possible. Salem Masudi’s orders were to catch
Sanga, the man who shot Barttelot, and then to find
me. He has found and sent Sanga to Stanley Falls.
Marched to this village, Yatatuka, about four hours
further. Salem had orders to open the bundles of
every man he met on the road, and we found cloth and
beads on one of my men, who was with me, and not in
Unaria, when the things were stolen. He confessed
that Faragi, the head muniapara of our Zanzibaris, had
DIARY. 345
given them to him to buy rice at the Falls. Whom is
one to trust? I hear Tippu-Tib is in a terrible state
about the whole matter, and Muni Somai received such
a letter from him that it made him quite sick, and he
asked my leave to go ahead, as he felt bad! Salem
found some stolen cloth also on Abdullah Karongo’s men.
August 1st.—Started before 6 A.M. and reached Yarra-
combi, on the Congo, opposite to Yatuka, at a little
after 9 am. I allowed the men to buy food, and get
away ln canoes as fast as possible. Could obtain no
news of Heéri, or Daodi, the men who ran away from
the Major. Reached Upper Atiacusu at dark, where
the natives refused to go in canoes in the night,
but Salem Masudi threatened to burn their village, as
Tippu-Tib had sent for me, so we got away at last and
spent a most miserable night amongst the rocks, getting
in here (Stanley Falls) shortly after daybreak. |
August 2nd.—Found that the new Belgian paddle-
steamer Hn Avant arrived here yesterday, with the new
chief of this Station. Went straight to Tippu-Tib on
arrival, and told him I wished to have a house on this
side close to him, as I had much business to do with him
and not much time todo itin. He gave me the house of
Nasoro bin Saef, who isnot here. Wrote a note over to
Mons. Baert, as | heard Ward was at Bangala, asking him
if he had sent up any letters or telegrams, at the same
time thanking him (Baert) and his brother officers for
their kind invitation to go and stay with him on the
other side. Received a reply from Baert, saying Ward
was not very pleased with his position, but telling
me nothing about telegrams or letters, adding that he
would come over and see me in a few hours.
Later.—Mons. Baert arrived in about an hour. He
tells me that Ward had come up in the Ln Avant to
Bangala, having seen Van Kerckhoven on the road.
There he received his orders to remain in charge of the
loads, and it seems that he reserved the letters and the
reply to the telegram also on shore! The captain of the
steamer says there were boxes for me from England,
with 15 letters, and letters for the other officers, a reply
1858.
July 31.
On the
march te
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
August 2.
Stanley
Falls,
346 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
to telegram, from the Committee, &c. &. Now I am
left here in a most serious position, not knowing
what reply the Committee have sent, and I can only
judge that it is not a recall from the fact that Ward
did not send it on, and that, according to the last
news from Europe, nothing is known of Mr. Stanley.
Tippu-Tib sent me a capital breakfast, and after Baert’s
departure came over to have a private interview with
me. I told him all that I had done at Unaria, and that
I had come to him to help me to make such arrange-
ments as would permit of the Expedition proceeding as
soon as possible, and to demand justice on the murderer
of Major Barttelot. He said, “I am almost afraid to
send you with these men; I think Major Barttelot’s
murder must have been a thing thought of by many.”
I told him there might have been a bad feeling against
the Major, and there might be against me, but it was
evidently not a premeditated act, and that his murder
and the loss of so many loads were due undoubtedly to
the utter incapacity of Muni Somai to command the men ;
that if he could give me a man who was a sufficient repre-
sentative of his power, to command them, that I might
feel some safety for the loads, and some hope of success
in the undertaking, it was my duty, in the absence of
all news in Europe from Mr. Stanley, and with no news
from the Committee, to proceed at once. As regarded
my own life, I said that he could not be held answerable
for its safety, for there were a hundred ways in which I
might die on such an Expedition, and that if I undertook
it with my eyes open, I alone was answerable for anything
that might happen to me, or to the loads, and for the loss
of Mr. Bonny’s life, should such a thing occur. I told
him that Muni Somai’s contract with me was utterly
broken, and asked him if he could send Rachid, Nzige’s
son, with me. He made an excuse about his not being
able to march well, which I knew to be untrue, and
found out that the real reason was that Nzige does not
wish him to go. I told Tippu-Tib that if he sent
Rachid with me I would give him the same amount
that Muni Somai was to have received, and further,
DIARY. 347
that if he stuck to me right through I would guarantee
him £500 besides out of my own pocket. He asked
me for time until to-morrow to think it all over, and
inquired whether he would be held answerable for the
loss of the loads and Major Barttelot’s death. I told
him the truth, that according to his contract he was
not, but that Muni Somai was, according to his con-
tract, certainly answerable for all; that this was my
opinion, but that the real people to judge the matter
would be the Committee, when they knew all the facts
of the case. I then asked him for justice on Sanga,
the man who shot Major Barttelot. He rephed, “I
have him here in prison; it is your case; I will deliver
him over to you.” I told him that as the new Belgian
chief of the Station had arrived, and the act had been
committed in their territory, I should communicate
the facts to him without delay, and that although I
could, after what he had said, take Sanga out and have
him shot, many voices would be raised against such a
proceeding. He said, “ You are right.” Finally he
said he would think over everything and see me again
to-morrow morning. I then got a canoe and crossed
over to the Belgian Station, was introduced to Mons.
Haneuse, the new Resident, and told him about the
case of the man Sanga, and that he admitted his guilt.
He said, ‘‘ There is only one thing to be done. ‘Tippu-
Tib, Mons. Baert, and I will hold a council of war, call
out a file of men, and have him shot.” It is my duty
to answer the call of justice, and to see this man shot
before I leave. Yet, again, it may turn out against the
interests of the Expedition to have him executed until
after my departure, in that it may cause a doubly bad
feeling amongst the Manyémas against the white men.
It is, however, only just that he should be shot before
there is any possibility of his escape, and there is a chance
of its having a good effect on the Manyémas instead of
a bad one. Mons. Haneuse offered to send the steamer
back at once for the loads and letters, if I would write
to Ward telling him to deliver them all up, and make
arrangements with ‘Tippu-Tib that he might receive them.
1888.
August 2
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
August 2.
Stanley
Falls.
848 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
On my return to this side I again saw Tippu-Tib, who
appears to be very anxious about the news of the
Sultan of Zanzibar’s death, and wanted to know if the
news had gone to Kurope by telegram or letter. Told
him it would be probably by telegram, but that I would
find out. He said, “‘ 1 have been expecting canoes from
Kassongo since the middle of the month; they will be
here in the next two days; if there is any news from
Uganda or Unyoro I will know it” (concerning Stanley).
He was deeply interested in the news that General
Boulanger was likely to become head of the French
Government, as he hoped it might lead to a war with
Germany. I can only hope that he will send Rachid
with me, for he has more personal authority over the
Manyémas than any one except himself.
August 3rd.—Tippu-Tib crossed over to the Belgian
Station this morning, and told them that there are only
three men in the country who could now go in command
of the Manyémas: Sefo, his son, Rachid, Nzige’s son,
and himself. He said that he himself could go in
two days’ time, if it was necessary (this he told me yester-
day). They told him they could not consent to his
going, as all his duties lay here as chief of the Station,
but that he ought to use all his influence with Rachid
to make him go. Sefo is chief at Kassongo, and it
would take him too long to get here. Tippu-Tib says
he has sent for Rachid to the Lumami River to-day, and
that he will be here in two or three days’ time; that he
is -a perfectly free agent, having his own money and
men, and that I should have to treat with him per-
sonally. After breakfast I told Tippu-Tib that I wished
to have Muni Somai’s case tried before him and all the
other Arabs, so that no one could say I had torn up his
contract unfairly. They all accordingly assembled, and
he was sent for. I read out to them the whole of the
contract, and stated that at Nasoro bin Saef’s village he
had confessed to me that he could not make the Man-
yémas obey him, and that he had refused to send a
guard of his men with Mr. Bonny to Unaria. I then
LETTER, 349
stated all the facts concerning Major Barttelot’s death,
when Muni Somai had openly deserted, and I turned
round and asked him if he had anything to say against
these statements. He began to mutter something, when
Tippu-Tib said, “Stop, you have not one word to say
in defence; I know all this to be true.” He then asked
me what I wished to do. I answered that, in the first
place, I should destroy all the contracts, and then make
him deliver up all ammunition, rifles, tent, revolver, &c.
which he had received from us, and try to recover from
him the sums of money advanced: in part payment to
himself and his men. Tippu-Tib then asked me to
state the sums, and wrote them down on paper, saying,
“‘T will settle all this matter for you.” I mentioned the
fact to Mons. Baert to-day that Tippu-Tib was rather
puzzled at the arrival of a Belgian chief of the Station,
when he had himself been appointed chief. Baert ex-
plained that Mons. Haneuse was not to be chief here,
but only Resident, and promised to explain the position
to Tippu-Tib. I see from Barttelot’s instructions to
Ward, which I read to-day for the first time, that he is
not wrong in the matter of keeping things at Bangala,
for his instructions were that if on arrival there he
heard that we had left-Yambuya, he was to keep all
stores brought up by him there, and only forward the
reply of the Committee in case of its being a recall.
LETTER TO ANDREW JAMESON, Esa.
Stanley Falls,
August 3rd, 1888.
My DEAR ANDY,
. . . A few days after our departure from Yambuya
Camp, the desertions of the Zanzibaris with their loads
and rifles began, and at last they became so bad, fourteen
having bolted in one lot, that, on June 24th, Major
Barttelot left for Stanley Falls, leaving me in command,
to see what Tippu-Tib could do towards the recovery of
men and loads. My personal duties then lay almost
1888.
August 3
Stanley
Falls.
390 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
nas 3, entirely with the Manyémas (400) supplied by Tippu-
Stanley Lib. I had serious trouble with them on many ccca-
Falls. sions. When within four or five days of Unaria, a long
way up the Aruwimi River, I sent on Mr. Bonny with
the Soudanese and Zanzibaris to that place. At this
time we had a number of loads, and no men to carry
them, for we had had to take all the rifles and ammuni-
tion from the Zanzibaris, and carry them as loads, under
an escort, to prevent their deserting. I had therefore
to remain where I was, with those loads, until the
return of men from Unaria to carry them. At this
time the Manyémas were with me, and I had serious
trouble in getting them tv start for Unaria, and a pretty
narrow squeak for my life, when I think of poor Major
Barttelot’s death afterwards. One night, after Mr. Bonny
left, I had gone to bed, and out of pure devilment they
fired off about 100 guns in a minute round my tent, I
suppose to frighten me. Some of the guns were fired
off right beside the tent, lighting it up with the flash.
I jumped out of bed, and ran out, catching one man in
the act of firing off his gun at the back of the tent. I
ran at him, when he flung his gun to another man, and
I caught him by the arm, and shouted out to the head
Arab in charge (Muni Somai) to come tome. He had
run into his tent ina funk. The man was a big fellow,
and it was all I could do to hold him. I sent a Sou-
danese for Muni Somai, when another Manyéma came
up, and put his gun on full cock right up close to my
breast, when Muni Somai arrived, and then there was
a devil of arow. I told them all that I would shoot
the very next man that fired off his gun beside my tent,
and not another gun was fired whilst they remained in
that camp. I did not think much of it at the time, but
since then I have. I got the Manyémas at last to go on
to Unaria, and a few days afterwards the men returned
for the loads, and I started. On the 21st July at mid-
day, when nearing our camping-place, I met two mes-
sengers from Bonny, with a note simply stating the fact
that poor Major Barttelot had been shot dead by one
of the Manyémas, early on the morning of the 19th,
LETTER. 361
and that the head man and all of them had bolted.
There had been a perfect downpour of rain all morning,
so I camped, as the men were too tired to go on, and
my starting for Unaria that evening was useless. Next
morning at daybreak I started with three men, leaving
the loads to come on after me in charge of a Soudanese
escort, and reached Unaria at sunset, having done three
marches in one day. Here I found all quiet, and Mr.
Bonny told me the following story:—Major Barttelot
arrived at Unaria on the evening of the 17th. On the
18th he gave one of the Manyémas (the men supplied
by Tippu-Tib) a thrashing for firing off his gun in the
village. On the night of the 18th some of them were
beating their drums, and singing, when the Major
sent his boy to them, and the noise ceased. About 4
o'clock next morning, just before daybreak, they began
again (it is their constant practice every morning at
this hour). He again sent his boy to them, when loud
murmurs were heard, and two shots were fired off in
the air. The Major then jumped out of bed, put his
clothes on, and his revolver in his pocket, and left the
house, although Bonny tried to persuade him not to do
so. Immediately afterwards a shot was fired, and loud
shouts were heard of, “'The Major is killed.” A fearful
panic then took place, the Manyémas bolting in every
direction. Bonny went out, but could not find a Zan-
zibari; called for Muni Somai, but he did not come;
told the Soudanese to follow him; they stood to arms,
_ but would not follow. He then went towards where the
shot was fired, followed by Chana, a Somali, and Omaha,
a Soudanese officer, until he came to the Major’s body,
which was lying outside a house, quite close by. He
had been shot stone dead on the spot, for not a muscle
of his face had moved. He was lying on his back, with
one hand under him, holding his revolver, which had
not been discharged. From what I have heard since,
it appears he went to this house, where a woman was
beating a drum, and singing, and said, “ Who is that
making this noise? Stop it!” The man inside, on
seeing who it was, turned round to a boy of his, and
1888.
August 3.
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
August 3.
Stanley
Falls.
$52 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
said, “Oh! here is the white man come to beat my
wife; shoot him’—upon which the boy picked up a
gun, and shot him stone dead through the chest. He
was buried that afternoon in a quiet spot in the forest,
and Bonny spent the rest of the day in recovering loads.
Muni Somai had bolted in his shirt, leaving his praying
things on the ground, and was not seen again. Il re-
mained two days in Unaria, arranging everything and’
interviewing the head Manyémas, whom I succeeded in
getting to come in and see me. Any act of reprisal on
Mr. Bonny’s part at the time, or on my part after my
arrival, would have been fatal to the whole Expedition,
for had we given the Zanzibaris their guns, they would
only have run away with them, and that would have left us
with less than twenty Soudanese to fight 400 Manyémas.
I told all the head men that I was going straight to
Tippu-Tib to try and arrange for a fresh start, and that
I wanted them to camp in the vicinity, where there was
plenty of food; on no account to come into the village,
for that might only lead to fresh trouble, but to wait
quietly until I returned from Tippu-Tib, which I would
do as quickly as possible. ‘They all agreed to this, and
told me that Sanga, the man who had caused Major Bart-
telot to be shot, had gone to Stanley Falls. I started
on the 25th, and reached Yarracombi, on the Congo, on
Aug. Ist, having taken seven days and two hours to do
130 miles with loads. Our road lay through swamp
and cane-brake for the most part, and was in a frightful
state after the late heavy rains. Got a canoe, and
reached Stanley Falls morning at daybreak, having
spent all night dodging amongst the rocks in the river.
On my road I met Muni Somai returning to Unaria, he
having been turned back by one of Tippu-Tib’s head
Arabs. I told him to send all his men back, but to
come himself with me to Tippu-Tib. LI also met Nasoro
Masudi and Ali bin Saidi, two big Arabs, who were
very kind to me, and insisted on giving me a guard of
nine men, and a head man to stick to me day and night,
for they said that there were a good many of the men
on the road who had tried to bolt to Stanley Falls, and
LETTER, 393
that they had no good intentions towards me. They
also told me that some of them meant to have a shot at
me before I got into Unaria, but they never thought I
could get there so quickly. God bless them! Went
straight to Tippu-Tib on my arrival here, and had a
perfectly private interview with him. Told him that I
had come to seek his aid, in order to proceed at once, and
to demand justice on Sanga. He told me that he was
afraid to let the Expedition proceed—my life had been
threatened, Major Barttelot had been shot, and the
Manyémas were even worse than he thought. I told
him that, as regarded my own life, there were a hundred
ways on such an expedition in which I might lose it ;
my duty was to go on at all hazards, and if he could
get me a big Arab, sufficiently representative of his
authority to insure to some extent the safety of the
loads, and the ultimate success of the Expedition, I
would go on at once. I then told him I wanted Rachid,
his brother Nzige’s son. He asked me to give him until
the next day to think it all over, and said that he had
Sanga here in chains, and would deliver him over to me
for justice, as it was my case. I told him that as the deed
was done in what the Belgians call their territory, and
the new Resident had arrived here the day before, I
should see him about it. It appears that Ward, who
was sent down the Congo with telegrams in March,
returned on board the steamer that brought the Belgian
Resident here, but his orders were only to send on the
answer from the Committee if it was a recall, and if he
heard that we had left Yambuya Camp, he was to keep
all the stores, &c., which he had brought up, at Bangala.
This is an awful blow to me, as the captain of the steamer
told me he had about fifteen letters for me, also cases
from England, as well as letters for all the other officers.
serene Th dasa ee Poor Major Barttelot little thought
what was going to happen when he sent those orders
to Ward ; we expected by this time to be far on our
way to Albert Nyanza..... Tippu-Tib told me that
he had sent to the Lumami River for Rachid.
2A
1888.
August 3
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
August 5.
Stanley
Falls.
304 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Neve ee
‘Wiper Gng
(Aug. 5th.) Sefo has the command at Kassongo, and
it would take him too long to get here. You see I did
not make a bad choice in my man, and he (Rachid) is the
man that I always tried to get the poor Major to ask for,
but he had taken some dislike to him, and would not do so.
I know he dislikes Europeans, but he is a young man—
ambitious, and fond of money, and I think I can touch
him on all those points. He is feared like the very
devil by all the Manyémas, and will be about the biggest
man in the whole of this country. He is a perfectly
free agent, having his own money and men, and I shall
have to deal with him personally. Sanga, the man who
shot the Major, is to be tried to-morrow morning at the
Belgian Station, before the Resident and ‘Tippu-Tib, and
will be shot afterwards. As this will happen before I
leave for Unaria, they will hear of it there when I arrive,
and I suppose it will make a few more ambitious to have
a pot at me, but it 1s my pure bounden duty to see this
man shot before I leave, so I can’t help that. ....
peat: It is a long, long road that has no turning,
and I hope to God ours will take a turn in the right
LETTERS. 350
direction before long. The only game to play with the
Arabs is a perfectly open one, keeping your own hands
clean, and watching like the very devil to see what
cards they have up their sleeves. Whatever happens to
me, old man, I’ve tried to do my duty in this blessed Expe-
dition, and many a time, when I have thought of Ethel
and home, I would have liked to chuck the whole
thing up, when there were plenty of officers to take my
places: '. is.
LETTER TO MRS. JAMESON.
Stanley Falls,
August 3rd, 1888.
.. .. Little did I think, when I spoke to you of my
feelings of duty, that I should ever be placed in such a
position as I now am, in which all that I feel for you
and our little ones cries out against what I must do as
an officer of this Expedition. With one word, or even
a show of weakness on my part, I could stop the whole
Expedition, which seems fated to meet with nothing
but reverses, and return to you, but God knows such a
thought never entered my heart, although I could easily
defend such an action on my part. The first thing that
flashed across my brain on finding myself so placed was
your father’s favourite text, “‘ Know, O man, that to know
and love justice, and to do the thing that is right, that
shall bring a man peace at the last,” and you will see what
a help every word in that verse has been tome now. Poor
Major Barttelot was shot dead by one of the Manyémas
eqtly om the morning of the 19th July... .... . I
am writing this in the early morning before my inter-
view with Tippu-Tib, as I have to seize every moment I
can, for I have much to write to the Committee. Poor
Barttelot was one of the closest friends I ever had, and
the absence of all news from you makes me, as you
can imagine, rather low, to say the least of it. Tippu-
Tib is almost afraid to send on the Expedition for fear
of what would be said of him, should anything happen
to it, and I have to appear before him as full of life and
242
1888.
August 5.
Stanley
Falla.
1888,
August 3.
Stanley
Falls,
356 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
hope as I possibly can to keep him up to the mark. . .
Behind my back there are the most foul reports being
spread by Assad Farran, the dismissed Soudanese inter-
preter, but, thank God, I can clear my character from
them. I will fully explain all this afterwards.
(August 5th, Sunday). . . . I will try my utmost to
induce Rachid to go with us. ... The reports that
Assad Farran, the dismissed interpreter, wrote down on
paper for some of the Belgian officers are one tissue of
falsehoods. ‘They are about my shooting natives on the
way to Kassongo, and buying a gir] to be eaten by can-
nibals at Riba-Riba on my way back. Iam almost sure
that in my letter to you from Kassongo I. mentioned
the fact of having shot at some natives for the protection
of the caravan of canoes I was going with. I have sent
a true account of both affairs to Mr. Mackinnon, and I
am having the necessary witnesses examined here before
one of the Belgian officers, and papers signed to send
home. It isa blessing that [am enabled todoso. It is
an awful thing to think that a low scoundrel like Assad
Farran should be allowed to traduce one behind one’s
back, when one has not a chance of defending oneself!
I am so anxious about everything that I le awake for
hours at night thinking, but when once on the march
again, all that will pass. I only do pray that I may get
the Expedition started again, but the Arabs are very
hard customers to deal with. Whatever happens, you,
at any rate, will know that I have done my best.
DIARY (continued).
August 4th—Copying letters all day. Tippu-Tib is
sending men at once to a number of villages to try and
recover loads and deserters. He seems much more
hopeful to-day. Wrote to Mr. Mackinnon explaining
Assad Farran’s statements about me. ‘Took over all
letters and poor Barttelot’s things to the Belgian Station
in the evening. Wrote to Ward at Bangala, telling him
to hand over all letters for us to the captain of the first
steamer that passed up to the Falls, and on no account
DIARY. 307
to leave Bangala until hearing from the Committee, as
I might wish to employ him at any moment either with
the loads or telegrams.
August 5th, Sunday.—Mons. Haneuse, Botson, and
Baert came over to see Tippu-Tib and sent for me,
when it was agreed that Tippu-Tib should cross to the
Belgian Station to-morrow morning, bringing with him
Sanga, the man who shot Barttelot, when he will be
tried and executed. I know that his being shot before
I leave will create many enemies for me among the
Manyémas in our camp, as they will then’ hear of it,
but it is my duty to see it done myself. Wrote my
private letters. Muni Somai came to see me, and in
the most abject manner begged to be allowed to keep
the tent and revolver, or buy them. I told him they
were Mr. Stanley’s, and I could not think of such a
thing. He then insisted on presenting me with two
slaves of his who are at Unaria—a man to carry a load,
and a woman to cook and keep things tidy.
him I did not want either, and that they would be
much more useful to him. He said he might never see
me again, and that he would hand them over to Mr.
Bonny at Unaria. I believe he would tell the man to
shoot me if he got the chance, and the woman to
poison me, for when he came in here, the evening after
his trial, while shaking hands with me before leaving,
he simply clenched his teeth and shivered from head to
foot, and I could see it was all he could do to contain
himself. He went to Tippu-Tib this morning, and
asked him who was going to pay him the money for his
men and himself, for the time they had been with us.
Tippu-lib merely said, “You had better go and ask
Mr. Jameson that.” He is going to join one of the
ivory-hunting parties from Unaria to-morrow, I believe
Nasoro Masudi’s. I wish them joy of him.
August 6th.—Rachid arrived from the Lumami River
this morning. After breakfast he came and had an
interview. I told him he was the man I wanted to
I told
1888.
August 4,
Stanley
Falls.
mai seven
good rifles,
137 rounds
for same;
one re-
volver,
18 rounds
for same;
one side of
tent.
398 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
pore help me, and that if he came now, after all that had
< ley laken place, and got us through either to Stanley or
anley Cee :
Falls. min Pasha, he would be making a very great name for
himself; few men have ever had the same chance. He
urged that he had a country of his own, many people,
and a regular quantity of ivory coming in every month,
and that there was no one left to look after his business.
I told him that I knew well that he was a very big man,
but that he would win a greater name than any one in
this country, should he be the means of our getting
through to Emin Pasha. I offered him £1,000 (the same
as to Muni Somai), and a further sum of £500, as wellas
hiring 100 of his men, not to carry loads, but as a fighting
force. He asked for a short time to think it over, and
returned in an hour to say that he was sorry that
he could not come this time. Next month he expected
to receive 500 tusks of ivory, his father was going
to Zanzibar, there was no one to look after his affairs,
the road was a long one, Mr. Stanley had gone away for
only some months, and had now been away for more
than a year, and no one knew anything of him. I
explained to him that Stanley’s men did not understand
fighting natives as well as the Manyémas did; that many
men had run away on the road, and many had died;
that from Eturi, where he was last heard of, to the Lake
was only a month’s journey; that nothing having been
heard of him beyond the Lake, it would appear that he
was somewhere on that month’s journey, most probably
In a strong camp, expecting us every day. He still
maintained that he could not come, and went away. I
sent for Tippu-Tib, and gave him the reasons Rachid
had given me, and asked him whether he thought that
I might yet induce him to go by guaranteeing him any
sum in case of any loss he might incur in ivory. He
told me No, that the veal reason of his refusal was that
he was afraid to come, for he feared death. He said
he had now sent for Selim Mahommed, thinking he
might come, as he is a man who is anxious to make
money. JI reminded him that Selim Mahommed
had had very serious trouble at Yambuya with Major
DIARY. 309
Barttelot and Mr. Bonny, and that should anything wrong
occur on the road, the Committee would justly blame
me for having taken him, knowing what I did; but that
if he, Tippu-Tib, would send him, not as a free agent,
but as a personal representative of his own, carrying out
_his (Tippu-Tib’s) orders, 1 might consider the matter.
I told ‘Tippu that I must go on in any case, whatever
happened; that I had come to him for his aid and
advice ; and that if he had given me all he could of both,
I must try and think of a means of going on still. He
jumped up out of his chair and said, “Give me £20,000
and I and my people will go with you, find Mr. Stanley,
and relieve Emin Bey,” and went out of the house.
This, to say the least of it, put me into a rather trying
position. Selim Mahommed is, I know, afraid to go,
and after what took place at Yambuya, I could not take
him even were he willing to do so. ‘There is not another
man in the whole country able to go, Sefo having gone to
Zanzibar. As a matter of fact the whole Expedition at
the present moment has broken down, and yet there
are all the loads and everything a long way on our
road, ready at Unaria. ‘Tippu-Tib will do it for no less,
for I afterwards tried to get him to agree to so much a
month, in case it took us only a very short time, when
£20,000 would be too large a sum to pay anyone. I
also tried to make it conditional on success, but he said
those were his terms. ‘The Belgians have refused to
allow him to go; they say his duties lie here, yet they
will let him go to Kassongo for ten months or a year
without a murmur. ‘Tippu-Tib’s proposition came from
himself, for after what he and the Belgians told me the
other day, I never thought of asking him. If I sign
for this £20,000, surely the Committee and the country
would not see me ruined by making me pay it all, and
refuse to acknowledge the contract. I will write to my
brothers at home, and tell them to see the Committee
on the subject, and if they will not pay more than part
of it, try to raise a subscription for the rest. ‘lippu-
Tib sent to me several times to know what my intentions
were, and at last I sent back to say that I would agree
1888.
August 6
Stanley
Falls.
360 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
be aces to his terms, being driven to desperation and having
Stanley thought of every other way out of it with a hope in it
Falls. of our going on. It must not be forgotten that since
my arrival here the Manyémas in our camp have openly
avowed their intention (if I went on with them myself)
of going on with the loads until they could take a good
village with a boma, where they would fling them
down, and go off ivory-hunting, leaving Mr. Bonny
and myself to do what we could. ‘Tippu-Tib sent in
the afternoon to beg me to cross to the other side
with him, and settle the question about his going, with
the Belgians. We crossed, and Tippu-Tib opened his
case by telling them he had tried to get Rachid to go
with me, but that he could not doso, and that there was
no one else in the country to go but himself. I had told
him that I would go on myself with his people, “ but,”
said he, “if they have already acted as they have in my
territory, what would they do further on?” He now
wished to know if Mons. Haneuse thought he was
right or wrong in going. Haneuse told him that
if he was going he had no power to stop him;
that Tippu-Tib himself knew what his contract with
the King of the Belgians was; that he (Mons. Haneuse) ~
thought he ought not to go, but that he had no power to
stop him. Tippu-Tib then said :—* At Zanzibar I signed
a contract with Mr. Stanley for the supply of 600 men;
and Mr. Holmwood said, ‘If you cannot get 600, get
as many as you can.’ I asked Mr. Stanley if he wanted
me to go, but Mr. Stanley said No. When I got to
Stanley Falls, I could not get men, so I went to Kas-
songo for them, where Mr. Jameson followed me; the
result of this was that we got 400 men. Whilst at
Kassongo I heard from Assad Farran that Major Bart-
telot wanted Selim Mahommed to go in command of
my men, but on asking Major Barttelot at Stanley Falls
if he wanted him, he said, ‘No, I do not even want
him near me.’ I then introduced him to Muni Somai,
with the result that Muni Somai signed an agreement
to belong to Major Barttelot and Mr. Jameson, and to-
command my men. I then handed my men over to
DIARY. 361
Muni Somai, giving him full powers over them, to cut
off their hands or do anything to them if necessary, but
he could not command them. Major Barttelot has been
killed. Mr. Jameson then came tome. I brought him
Rachid. Rachid would not go. Mr. Jameson said, ‘I
will go myself, for I must go on.’ I then told Mr.
Jameson that I would go myself. You and I, Mons.
Haneuse, are both officers of the State; will you tell me
if lam right in going?” Mons. Haneuse told him he
could not say he was right in going, but that if he was
bent on going, he could not stop him. It was then
agreed to settle the matter to-morrow morning, and
Sanga’s trial also. After Tippu-Tib had gone, I said te
Mons. Haneuse and the other Belgian officers present,
that I was sure the King of the Belgians would not
blame Tippu-Tib for what he was going to do, but
rather commend him. ‘They all agreed to this. I told
them that although it was a private Expedition, both
the English people and the English Government had a
ereat interest in it, and that the King of the Belgians
would never blame Tippu-Tib for helping us as he was
going to do. To this they also agreed. I said the
same to Tippu-Tib afterwards, and it greatly re-assured
him. Mons. Haneuse, in acting as he did, was only
doing his duty towards the State, for Tippu-Tib knows
perfectly well that his contract with the State forbids
his leaving their territory. He assured me that person-
ally he was prepared to do all he could to help the
Expedition, and I must say that he and all the other
officers have done so already.
August Tth.—Crossed to the other side after break-
fast, and Sanga was tried before Mons. Haneuse, three
other Belgian officers, and Tippu-Tib. Sanga was first
asked what he had to say. He told a rambling story
about Major Barttelot coming to his house where his
women were drumming and singing, and that Kapranga
came too; that Major Barttelot kicked him; and that
' when Kapranga, the Major, and he were outside, some
one fired a shot from behind him, and shot the Major
1888.
August 6
Stanley
Falls.
362 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
ance’, dead, the ball going in at his back, but that he had not
stanley oneit. Here Tippu-Tib stated that Sanga had told him,
Falls. on arrival here, that he was in bed at the time the Major
was shot. Mons. Haneuse asked him what made him
run away and come here. He said that many people had
accused him of having done it, and so he ran away. I
then made the statement which Mr. Bonny had given me
on my arrival at Unaria, and further stated that all the
muniaparas of the Manyéma had assured me that Sanga
had shot Major Barttelot. Sanga was asked if he had any-
thing further to say. He repeated that he had not done ~
it, and had run away because people said he had, and that
on the road to Yarracombi he had met MuniSomai, who,
when he saw him, ran away as fast as he could. Voting
papers were then given to Tippu-Tib, Mons. Haneuse,
and the three other Belgian officers, to mark with a
cross, if they considered him guilty, and to leave blank
if innocent. All five papers were found crossed, so
Mons. Haneuse told Sanga that he had been found
guilty and would be shot. He laughingly replied
“Well, do it quick.” He was chained to a large log,
and when carried outside said again with a laugh, “ It
is all right; the white man is dead, I am going to die
too.” He was carried down to the rocks on the shore,
where a firing-party of six Houssas, at six paces, fired at
him, and did not kill him ; fired a second time and did not
kill him; then one of the Belgian officers ran up with a
revolver, and fired two shots into his head. Only four
bullets had hit him, two in the right breast, one in the
knee, and one in the throat, besides the two from the
revolver. After the first discharge, when he was hit by
some of the bullets, the look he gave us was the most
horrible I think I ever saw on a man’s face.
We then had lunch, and afterwards tried to arrange a
contract with Tippu-Tib. He began by along statement,
saying that he would accept no less sum than £20,000,
and that he would not agree to that sum being lessened,
even were we to accomplish everything in three months
or less; that if beyond Eturi he met a man with a
stronger force, and was attacked by him, if he saw that
DIARY. 363
he would lose many men he should return, but would still
expect the £20,000; in fact, the only agreement he
would sign would be to go in command of his own men
_ for the sum of £20,000. He then said to me, “It is to
Unyoro you want to get the loads. I will take you
there for £20,000; Ist, guaranteeing to reach there in
six months from date of starting; 2nd, guaranteeing
payment of any loss of loads; 3rd, guaranteeing, after
delivery of loads at Kibero, to assist in finding Stanley.
Road by Kassongo, Tanganyika, and Unyoro. In case of
finding the kings of Unyoro and Uganda at war with
one another, I cannot guarantee reaching Kibero.” I
asked him to think over everything. After dark he
came to my house, and we had a perfectly private
interview. I told him that Mr. Stanley’s very last
orders on leaving Yambuya were to follow on his road.
Major Barttelot had written to Mr. Mackinnon to say
we had gone on that road, and his intention before he
was killed had been to continue on that road. The
reply to our telegram could not have been to go by
any other route, or we should have received it. Emin
Pasha’s last statement was to the effect that, were he
not soon relieved, he would put himself at the head of
his men and try and get out to the Congo. Finally, I
said that in the face of all this I could not adopt a new
route unless ordered to do so from home. ‘Tippu-Tib
said, “You are right.” I then said to him, “ You cannot
get me a head man to put over the Manyémas; you
yourself say you will turn back (should you go with me),
if any serious loss is threatened to your men; the only
thing left for me to do now is to get a canoe at once
and go to Bangala. If I find the reply from the Com-
mittee to be ‘go on at all hazards,’ I will return at once
and start with your men myself. IfI find that it does
not tell me to go onat all hazards, I will send Mr. Ward
with a telegram to Banana stating my present position,
your proposals, and asking for orders.” In this case,
IT told him, I should return with the steamer, which
ought to arrive in about a fortnight. Tipyu-Tib then
agreed to make his men at Unaria carry all their loads to
1888.
August 7
Stanley
Falls.
1888.
August 7.
Stanley
Falls.
364 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Yarracombi with Mr. Bonny, and there to dismiss his men
to business close by, they being paid only for carrying to
Unaria, and from Unaria to Yarracombi, so that in case
they were required again they could be called together
in two days’ time. He also agreed to find me canoes
and men to go to Bangala. One of my men told me
that it took Mr. Ward six days and six nights to reach
Bangala from Yalisula, and that after passing the mouth
of the Aruwimi we could buy food at all villages.
August 8th.—Tippu-Tib the first thing this morning
told me he did not think he would have the canoes
ready till to-morrow, so I told him if he did not it was
no use my going. He gave me his word they would
be ready. Reminded him about four times in the day.
Crossed over to the Belgian Station before breakfast to
ask Mons. Haneuse to give me a letter to the captain
of the Stanley, authorising him, if I met the steamer
within one day of Bangala, to return there with me,
and bring me up again. Baert told me that, according
to the State laws, no Zanzibaris could be taken to
Bangala, for fear of their telling the Arabs the road. As
if this would affect them in the least should the Arabs
wish to go there! Mons. Haneuse was not in, so I
returned and wrote two formal letters of application,
asking him to let the Zanzibaris go, and to write to the
captain of the Stanley for me; took these over, and
Mons. Haneuse said he would give me both the letters
I required. Tippu-Tib keeps getting in pieces of
Expedition cloth from all over the country, He has at
last discovered the refuge of the runaway Zanzibaris,
viz. Said bin Habib’s village behind Yatuka. He has
sent men down there with the promise that they shall
recover a number before I return.
[Vide Mr. Stanley’s charge of desertion against
Jameson, in ‘ Darkest Africa,’ vol. 11. page 15 :—“ Mr.
Jameson's letter from Stanley Falls arrived. Though
STANLEY’S LETTER. 365
the letter stated he purposed to descend to Bangala,
the messenger reported that he was likely to proceed
to Banana Point, but whether Banana Point or Ban-
gala mattered very little. When he descended from
Stanley Falls, he deliberately severed himself from the
Expedition, and no inducement would tempt me to
remain in the neighbourhood of Banalya... I wrote a
letter, however, to Mr. Jameson, wherein I suggested
that if he could muster sixty men, and immediately
follow our blazed path, which was too broad to be mis-
taken, he might easily overtake our large column,
marc! ing in single file through the forest, along a road.
bristling with obstacles, of sloughs, marshes, creeks,
amd T1iVers....
The letter itself is as follows :—
To J. S. JAMESON.
One March above Banalya.
August 30th, 1888.
Dear SIR,
I know that Bonny has written to you about my
arrival, so I may be brief. Arriving at Banalya 17th
inst. I have been busy ever since reorganising the
Expedition, which I found to be in a terrible state.
To-day the second march from Banalya has begun, and
we shall continue on. Bonny showed me your letter of
the 12th inst., wherein you stated it to be your purpose
to go to Bangala.
I cannot make out why the Major, you, Troup, and
Ward have been so demented—demented is the word.
You understand English; an English letter of instruc-
tions was given you. You said it was intelligible—yet
for some reason or another you have not followed one
paragraph. You paid £1,000 to go on this Expedition ;
you have voluntarily thrown your money away by leaving
the Expedition. Ward is not a whit better; he has
acted all through, as I hear, more like an idiot than a
sane being. You have left me naked. I have no
clothes, no medicine; I will say nothing of my soap
366 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
and candles, photograph apparatus and chemicals, two
silver watches, a cap, and a score of other trifles. You
believed I was dead, yet you brought along my boots,
and two hats, and a flannel jacket. You believed the
Expedition had gone to Ujiji, yet you took Stairs’ and
the other officers’ goods along. Is not this rather
inconsistent ?
I shall proceed along the-S. bank of the river for
nearly two months, and then cross the river to the N.
bank, thence straight to the Nyanza. If you can bring
my kit with you, you are welcome to go on with us if
you can catch us up. Forty guns will take you along
safely to the point when we cross the river. Emin
Pasha 1s quite well. All our officers are well. We
have lost none. We have lost 50 per cent. of men. I
came from the Nyanza in eighty-two days, and from
our fort in sixty-one days.
Our track will be quite clear, as a highway, two
marches from Banalya, or, as you call it, Unaria, it will
be white all the way to the crossing. If you can find
where we landed on the N. bank,—it will be one march
above Nepoko confluence with the Aruwimi,—you will
be able to follow us with 40 guns. With less it would
be dangerous.
The plains are 25 marches from the crossing place.
Splendid game country, game of all kinds. I have left
all the officers at Fort Bodo, except Jephson, who is
with Emin Pasha.
Though,—as reported to me,—you and all of you seem
to have acted like madmen,—your version may modify
my opinion. Therefore I write this brief note to you in
the midst of bustle and hurry.
Yours truly,
(Signed) Henry M. Stan ey.
Jameson never received this letter; it arrived after
his death and was sent home. Comment upon Mr.
Stanley's charge against Jameson, his description of
his own letter, and the letter itself, would be super-
fluous.—Eb. |
A Canor JOURNEY.
CHAPTER X.
Aveust 9TH To AvGusT 18TH.
Last Journey.—Mr. Ward’s diary.— Death.
August 9th.—Left Stanley Falls for Bangala. Did not
get away until nearly mid-day, one canoe not arriving
until very late. Started with six Zanzibaris, two boys,
1888.
August 9,
1888.
August 9.
Last
Journey.
368 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Farani, fourteen Waganias, and two of Tippu’s men in
charge. ‘Tippu-Tib promised me that everything would
be right at Unaria. Muni Hamela and Salem Masudi
leave for there to-morrow. I am sending Bonny two
sacks of rice and twenty fowls. I had to write letters
from Tippu-Tib to Mr. Greshoff, urging him to come up
without delay, as there was a great quantity of ivory.
August 10th, Friday.—Reached the Lumami River
at daybreak. I was frightfully seedy, having caught
cold inside after a big dose of medicine. Another
delay here. One of the canoes I bought from Tippu
leaked so much that I had to exchange it for one from
Rachid. A great quantity of ivory arrived for him, and
he could attend to nothing. Had the two canoes lashed
together at last and four days’ food on board, and started
early in the afternoon.
August 11th, Saturday.—After a long night’s work
found ourselves past the Aruwimi in the morning.
The natives told us to-day, a long way below the mouth
of the Aruwimi, that the Tamba-l'ambas had killed a
tremendous number of them on the south bank. This
is where Rachid’s enormous lot of ivory came from that
I saw arrive yesterday. I had the greatest difficulty
all day in quieting the natives, who thought we were
more Tamba-Tambas, and had to sit in the sun all day
to let them see me, and speak with them. They are
perfectly mad.
Auqust 12th, Sunday.—Got through the worst of the
natives during the night. One very curious scene.
Shot out of an open reach—fine clear night—into a
dark narrow channel, not more than forty yards wide.
All at once it became lit up with dozens of fires on
both sides, throwing a bright light back into the forest
and across the water. We glided on without a sound
from us but the zip-zip of the paddles, drums beating,
horns blowing, shouts and cries on every side, the
white loin-cloths of our men showing plainly who
DIARY. 369
they were. Down this lane of fires and noise we went
for nearly half a mile, when suddenly it opened out into
a grand open reach of the river on our right, the fires,
drums, &c., going on for more than a mile away down on
our left. Idon’t think I ever heard such a noise before.
We shot out away to our right, and soon left all the
tumult behind. What they thought of us I should like
to know. ‘This morning we passed a village, which one
of my men tells me it took them three days to reach
from Bangala in the steamer 4. /.A. Here the natives
came out in crowds, without spears or anything, and were
wishing to sell us everything they had. Passed three
large villages before sunset, but there was a strong
head wind the whole day, which knocked us back
frightfully.
Tuts vivid sketch of the weird night scene on the river
was the last pencilled entry ever made in his diary by
Jameson. The chill which he had contracted on the 10th
August rapidly developed into hematuric fever, and,
although he made no complaint and wrote bravely as
ever, he was then fighting his last battle with death.
Unable to take nourishment of the coarse description
which his Zanzibaris could offer him, he touched
nothing for all the days of the weary voyage, save one
or two bananas and a cup of soup made from goat’s
flesh. During the 11th and 12th, though able to write
short pencil notes in his pocket-book, he was gradually
sinking. For the next three days he lay dying in the
canoe, with not a soul to help him, and could only
murmur, ‘Quick! paddle quick,” to his men, who
night and day paddled on down the mighty river,
striving to reach Bangala in time to save their master’s
life. They reached it on the 16th, and Mr. Ward, who
the day before had received the sad news of Major
Barttelot’s murder, was summoned hurriedly to the
canoes, and lifted out the almost lifeless body of his
dying comrade.
2B
1888.
August 12
Last
Journey.
1888.
August 16.
Bangala.
370 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
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Tur House 1n wuicu Mr. JAMESON DIED AT BANGALA.
The following notes of the next two days are taken,
by kind permission, from Mr. Ward’s diary :—
August 16th—We carried him up into Van Kerck-
oven’s room; he did not recognize me. I took his
hand, his eyes were half closed, and his skin a ghastly
yellow colour. . . . When laid on the bed, he regained
consciousness, and said, ‘‘Oh, Ward, is that you?” and
again became insensible. With the aid of my Zanzi-
bari servant Msa, I bathed him carefully in warm water
. . . after which he brightened up, and took some
Madeira and chicken soup. He said that he had had
an awful journey down from Stanley Falls, exposed to
tornadoes of wind and rain, lying helpless in the canoe.
Being too feeble to converse, he only made occasional
remarks about his illness. He once said, “ You know,
Ward, if I could only get a square show at this sick-
ness, I should be all right.” He slept fairly well during
the night, but had several attacks of spasms. I
remained beside him all night.
[-exg oseg] “88ST ‘QL LSnHAVY—AUNUNOOL LSV]T AH,
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DIARY. oto
August 17th.—His pulse was feeble, and he could
not retain his senses for more than a minute or two,
and could only take a spoonful of soup at long intervals.
Every quarter of an hour or so, he came to, and, with
a faint smile of recognition, stretched out his hand and
clasped mine, as if by so doing he steadied his nerves,
and looking at me once, he said, “ Youre so well and
clean-looking that it does me good to look at you.”
His reply to almost every question was a feeble ‘‘ Splen-
did!” and to inquiries about his condition, “ Oh!
in-fi-nitely better,” but so feeble, and such an effort to
utter it, that he relapsed after every answer into un-
consciousness.
1 p.m. I asked him just now if he was in any pain.
“No, old chap, no pain, only tired—-Oh! so tired. I
think it’s time to turn in; it’s so dark—-so tired,” and
again became unconscious.—3 P.M. I have given him
nourishment upon every occasion, but he does not rally,
and only gets feebler—6 p.m. Daruru and I put hot
bricks round him, as his extremities have grown cold.
He grows weaker and weaker. The drums just now
sounded to knock off work in the Station, he opened
his eyes and stared at me, clutching my hands, and
said, with a husky voice, “ Ward ! Ward! they’re
coming; listen!” (and as the drums rumbled in the
distance), “Yes! theyre coming—now let’s stand to-
gether.” He was thinking of the drums calling the
savages to fight him, while he drifted down the river
past the villages.
7.20. His pulse grows weaker and weaker.—7.30. As
I supported him to administer brandy, he drew a long
breath, and his pulse stopped.
August 18th.—I walked about until daylight quite
beside myself with sadness. ... My “Union Jack”
covered the coffin, which was borne to the canoe by
four Houssa soldiers, and we all proceeded across the
river in the early morning, without a sound but the
splashing of the paddles. Upon arriving at the opposite
1888.
August 17.
Bangala.
374 ' STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
hee ae shore, we bore the coffin to. the grave, and I read a
Bangala, Chapter from the Bible. His resting-place is at the
foot of a giant cotton tree, on the island opposite
Bangala, one thousand miles from the sea.
PHOTOGRAPH oF GRAVE.
PALY. JUSTIFICATION;”®
OR
“THE LIGHT OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA,”
SLIGHTLY ALTERED FROM
“THE LIGHT OF ASIA.”
(With Apologies to Sir Epwmy ARnotp.)
Unto this
Came I, and unto this all nights and days
Have led me; for I cannot lead that life
Which may be mine—a life of empty pleasure
Which clogs the little spirit still within me.
My days shall not roll on with even wheels
From month to month, and year to year, till death
Ends the whole record of my name: I choose
Another life, to which that spirit leads me,
Making the dust my bed, the loneliest wastes
My dwelling, and the meanest men my mates ;
Clad in no woven garbs that mashers wear,
Fed with no savoury meats from cooks of France,
Mazed with no wine, sheltered by no more pomp
Than the thin canvas or the jungle bush.
How hath it steaded men to live and think
Of dining, drinking, sport, and lovely women,
To dress themselves for empty show, to rear
The stately house, to feed their so-called friends
And list to empty words of flattery
Ascending day by day like wasted smoke ?
Hath any of my town friends ’scaped thereby
The slow dull sinking into withered age ?—
Lighted by no bright thoughts of times gone by,
But sick to death of every thing they see,
Filled with cravings for some pleasures new
Which have their end in the old mockeries !
* Written by Jameson in a letter dated Yambuya Camp, June 8th, 1888.—Eb. ©
376
STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Truly, it may be some of them are good—
And eyil some, but all in action weak :
Both pitiful and pitiless, and all
Without a past to dwell upon when they
Can no more lead that life which is their being.
Man is not put upon this earth to live,
And spend, what others toil to make, on pleasures ;
There must be work, there must be work for all,
What good gift have my brothers, but it came
From search and strife, and loving sacrifice ?
If one, then, being rich and fortunate,
Young, dowered with health and ease, from birth designed
To live, if he would live, just as he chose—
If one not tired with life’s long day, but glad
I’ the freshness ef its morning, one not cloyed
With love’s delicious feasts, but hungry still—
If one not worn and wrinkled, sadly sage,
But joyous in the glory and the grace
Of living here below, with loving wife,
A little child, and many many friends—
If such a one, having so much to leave,
Left all, going forth to do some work
He felt was noble, and he fitted for,
Surely, at last, far off, sometime, somewhere,
His recompense would come, and he would meet
His death with no regrets for deeds not done!
APPENDIX I.
Contract between
I, James S. Jameson, agree to accompany the Emin Pasha
Relief Expedition, and place myself under the command of
Mr. H. M. Stanley, the leader of the Expedition, and to
accept any post or position in that Expedition which he may
assign to me.
I further agree to serve him loyally and devotedly, to obey
all his orders, and to use my utmost endeavours to bring the
Expedition to a successful issue.
I also agree to pay the sum of One Thousand Pounds to the
credit of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition at Messrs. Ransome,
Bouverie, and Sims, No. 1 Pall Mall, and to pay expenses of
my passage from and to England, and to forfeit the above
mentioned sum of £1,000 if I leave the Expedition through
sickness or my own free will.
For the above I am to receive a due share of the European
provisions provided for the Expedition, and also a share of
native provisions purchased in the country; also 1 Winchester
Rifle and 1 Revolver, with ammunition for the same.
I also undertake not to publish anything connected with the
Expedition, or to send any account to the newspapers, for six
months after the issue of the official publication of the Expe-
dition by the leader or his representative.
(Signed) JAMES S. JAMESON.
Approved,
HENRY M. STANLEY,
Jan. 20th, 1887.
F. pg Winton, Col.
Witnesses :
WiuuiAM HorrMANN.
bo
>)
378 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
APPENDIX. IL,
Copy of Letter of Instructions from Mr. Stantey, Commanding
Expedition, to Major Bartretor.
Major Barttelot’s Appointment as Commander of Stockaded
Camp at Yambuya Village, Aruwimi Rapids.
June 24th, 1887.
To Major Barttelot, &c. &c. &c.
SIR,
As the senior of those officers accompanying me on the
Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, the Command of this important
Post naturally devolves upon you. It is also for the interest
of this Expedition that you accept this Command, from the
fact that your Soudanese Company being only soldiers, and
more capable of garrison duty than the Zanzibaris, will be
better utilized here than on the road.
The steamer Stanley left Yambuya on the 22nd of this
month for Stanley Pool. If she meets with no mischance, she
ought to be at Leopoldville on the 2nd July. In two days
more she will be loaded with about 500 loads of our goods
which were left in charge of Mr. J. R. Troup. This gentleman
will embark, and on the 4th July I assume that the Stanley
will commence the ascent of the river and arrive at Bolobo on
the 9th July. Fuel being ready, the 125 men in charge of
Messrs. Ward and Bonny, now at Bolobo, will embark, and the
steamer will continue her journey. She will be at Bangala on
the 19th July, and arrive on the 3lst July. Of course the
lowness of the river in that month may delay her a few days,
but having great confidence in her Captain, you may certainly
expect her before the 10th August.
It is the non-arrival of these goods which compels me to
appoint you as Commandant of this Post. But as I shall
shortly expect the arrival of a strong re-inforcement of men,
greatly exceeding the Advance Force, which must at all hazards
push on to the rescue of Emin Pasha, I hope you will not be
detained longer than a few days after the departure of the
Stanley on her final return to Stanley Pool in August.
Meantime, pending the arrival of our men and goods, it
APPENDIX II. 379
behoves you to be very alert and wary in the Command of this
Stockaded Camp. Though the Camp is favourably situated and
naturally strong, a brave enemy would find it no difficult task
to capture if the Commandant 1s lax in discipline, vigour, and
energy. Therefore I feel sure that I have made a wise choice
in selecting you to guard our interests here during our absence.
The interests now entrusted to you are of vital importance to
this Expedition. The men you will eventually have under you
consist of more than an entire 3rd of the Expedition. The
goods that will be brought up are the currency needed for
transit through the regions beyond the Lakes; there will be a
vast store of ammunition and provisions, which are of equal
importance to us. The loss then of these men and goods
would be certain ruin to us, and the Advance Force would need
to solicit relief in its turn. Therefore, weighing this matter
well, I hope you will spare no pains to maintain order and
discipline in your Camp and make your defences complete, and
keep them in such a condition that however brave an enemy
may be he can make no impression on them. For this latter
purpose I would recommend you to make a ditch of 6 ft. wide
3 ft. deep, leading from the natural ditch where the spring is
round the Stockade. A platform like that on the Southern
side of the Camp, constructed near the Eastern as well as the
Western Gate, would be of advantage to the strength of the
Camp. For remember it is not the natives alone who may
wish to assail you, but the Arabs and their followers may
through some cause or other quarrel with you and assail your ~
Camp. Our course from here will be true East or by Magnetic
Compass East by S. as near as possible. Certain marches
that we may take may not exactly lead in the direction aimed
at, nevertheless it is the South-west corner of Lake Albert,
near or at Kavalli, that is owr destination. When we arrive
there we will form a strong Camp in the neighbourhood, launch
our boat and steer for Kibero, in Unyoro, to hear from Signor
Casati, if there, of the condition of Emin Pasha. If the latter
is alive and in the neighbourhood of the Lake, we shall com-
municate with him, and our after conduct must be guided by
what we learn of the intentions of Emin Pasha. We may
2c2
380 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
assume that we shall not be longer than a fortnight with him
before deciding on our return towards this Camp along the
same route traversed by us when going East.
We will endeavour, by blazing trees and cutting saplings
along our road, to leave sufficient traces of the route taken by
us. We shall always take by preference tracks leading east-
wards. At all crossways, where paths intersect, we shall hoe
up and make a hole a few inches deep across all paths not used
by us, besides blazing trees when possible.
It may happen, should Tippu-Tib have sent the full number
of adults promised by him to me, viz., 600 men (able to carry
loads), and the Stanley has arrived safely with the 125 men
left by me at Bolobo, that you will feel yourself sufficiently
competent to march the column, with all the goods brought by
the Stanley and those left by me at Yambuya, along the road
pursued by me. In that event, which would be very desirable,
you will follow closely our route, and before many days we
should most assuredly meet. No doubt you will find our
bomas intact and standing, and you should endeavour to make
your marches so that you could utilize these as you marched.
Better guides than these bomas of our route could not be
made. If you do not meet them in the course of two days’
march, you may rest assured that you are not on our route.
It may happen, also, that although Tippu-Tib has sent some
men, he has not sent enough men to carry the goods with your
own force. In that case, of course you will use your discretion
as to what goods you can dispense with to enable you to march.
For this purpose you should study your list attentively.
Ist. Ammunition especially fixed is most important.
2nd. Beads, brass wire, and cowries rank next.
8rd. Private baggage.
4th. Powder and caps.
5th. European provisions.
6th. Brass rods as used on the Congo.
7th. Provisions (rice, beans, peas, mettammeh, biscuits).
Therefore you must consider after those, sacking, tools,
such as shovels (never discard an axe or a bill-hook), how
many sacks of provisions you can distribute among your men
APPENDIX Il, 381
to enable you to march,—whether half of the brass rods in your
boxes could not go also, and there stop. If you still cannot
march, then it would be better to make marches of 6 miles
twice over, if you prefer marching to staying for our arrival,
than throw too many things away.
With the Stanley’s final departure from Yambuya, you
should not fail to send a report to Mr. William Mackinnon, of
Gray, Dawes, and Co., 13 Austin Friars, London, of what has
happened at your Camp in my absence, of when I started away
Kastward ; whether you have heard of or from me at all; when
you do expect to hear, and what you propose doing. You should
also send him a true copy of this order, that the Relief Com-
mittee may judge for themselves whether you have acted or
purpose to act judiciously.
Your present garrison shall consist of eighty rifles, and from
forty to fifty supernumeraries. The Standey is to bring you,
within a few weeks, fifty more rifles and seventy-five super-
numeraries under Messrs. Troup, Ward, and Bonny.
I associate Mr. J. S. Jameson with you at present. Messrs.
Troup, Ward, and Bonny will submit to your authority. In
the ordinary duties of the defence and conduct of the Camp or
of the march, there is only one chief—which is yourself; but
should any vital step be proposed to be taken, I beg you will
take the voice of Mr. Jameson also; and when Messrs. Troup
and Ward are here pray admit them to your confidence and let
them speak freely their opinions.
I think I have written very clearly upon everything that
strikes me as necessary. Your treatment of the natives, I
suggest, should depend entirely upon their conduct to you. If
they do not molest you, suffer them to return to the neigh-
bouring villages in peace; and if you can in any manner, by
moderation, small gifts occasionally of brass rods, &c., hasten
an amicable intercourse, I should recommend your doing so.
Lose no opportunity of gaining all kinds of information
respecting the natives, the position of the various villages in
your neighbourhood, &c., &e.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) HENRY M. STANLEY,
Commr. Expedition.
382 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
APPENDIX. III.
Extract from a Letter to ANDREW Jameson, Esq
Entrenched Camp,
Yambuya, Aruwimi Rapids,
Aug. 7th, 1887.
Having quoted Mr. Stanley’s letter of instructions to Major
Barttelot, Jameson goes on to say :—
“Well, suppose the Stanley arrived here on the 10th of
August, and Tippu-Tib’s men were here (which they are not
yet), and we started, say on the 17th, and did ten miles a day
(Mr. Stanley only proposed doing twelve on his forced march
when he left us). We have, roughly speaking, 400 miles to
do, and it would take us forty days, or until the 1st October,
giving us four days for delays. Say we started for Zanzibar
in a fortnight, or the 14th October, and it takes us six months
to reach Zanzibar, that would be the 14th April; then
supposing all these things happened quite smoothly, I should
get home by June in next year, or, if we missed the mail at
Zanzibar, July. Again, if Tippu-Tib’s people do not turn up
(which I shall know before this letter leaves, as if they do not
come before then, there is little chance of their coming at all),
—in that case we should have to wait here until late in
November or the beginning of December, when Mr. Stanley
would return with his men from Lake Albert to help us carry all
the goods up there. (He will start to return here in any case,
as he cannot know whether Tippu’s people have come or not;
if they have, we shall meet him on the road, and he will turn,
and we will all go on together.) Say we could leave here by the
middle of December, and reach the Lake in the first week of
February, leaving the Lake finally in the third week of that
month, we should reach Zanzibar in the third week of August,
and get home in October. In neither of those cases, with or
without Tippu-Tib’s men, have I allowed any time for his
exploration of Lake Muta Nzige. He himself, I believe, thinks
we may be home any time between June and September next
year. However, there is one thing certain, that I cannot be
APPENDIX III. 385
home before June in next year in any case. As regards
myself, the whole trip has been a vast sell. I have not had a
single chance the whole time of collecting, drawing, or doing
anything but the duties of a slave-driver. I have never been
on any trip which was so much like a funeral: no fun, all damp-
ness, and this is greatly owing to Stanley himself, for no matter _
how hard you work, or how well you do a thing, you get no
thanks, no encouragement, no cheery words, nothing but blame
and hard words, from him. I know, to give the devil his due,
that his anxiety and worry of mind, besides the immense
amount of things he has to think about, are immense, but he
ought not to be so single-minded and visit it upon us poor
devils. One cannot help admiring the man for his tremendous
strength of will, and power of overcoming all difficulties, also
for his great pluck, but he is a man one could never make a
friend of. My time here has been the happiest I have had
since leaving Banana, for the Major and I pull well together,
and I am gradually getting over the feeling I had of bitter
disappointment at being left here. The natives have only
killed one man (one of the Soudanese), whom they stabbed
with a spear in the stomach. We have had eight deaths from
sickness, however, and a good many more are little better than
dead. It is not easy, with not a single thing to cheer one, to
pick up when you are low, after a dose of fever, but, thank
Heaven, I do not have one often. JI had one bad dose whilst
shooting hippos, for I had to spend the whole day in a broiling
sun, partly on the water and partly on sand-banks, all the
time without a bit of shade, and sleep in a swamp at night.
This fever kept coming back to me for some time, but at
present I am in splendid health, and when marching I am
always well. I think Barttelot and I were the only two who
were not sick for a single day on the whole march from
Matadi to Stanley Pool. There is a comic side to everything
however, and I have often laughed heartily since at what
annoyed me most at the time. . . .”
384 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
APPENDIX IV.
Entrenched Camp,
Yambuya, Aruwimi River,
Aug. 15th, 1887.
Dear Mr. Batzs,
I am sorry to tell you that all my dreams of col.
lecting have proved only dreams after all, for my duties
have been such that they entirely stopped all my chances of
collecting. I have, however, picked up a few butterflies*,
which I hope will interest Lepidopterists, and which I will ask
you to be kind enough to keep for me until my return, when
we will have a long chat about them, and when I will bring
you the notes in my Diary about them. Please be careful to
keep the numbers aud letters on each paper attached to the
butterflies, as they correspond to the numbers in my Diary.
L. C. stands for Lower Congo, U. C. for Upper Congo, and A.
for Aruwimi R. In my Diary of course I have the localities
much more clearly specified. I am awfully disappointed with
the beetles, having heard so much about the wonderful quantity
and quality in the regions of the Congo. I unfortunately
found on putting spirits into the zinc bottles which I bought
in London that they leaked and were of no use. Luckily I
had a large silver flask with me which holds a quart; this I
filled with spirits which a Dutch gentleman at Kinshassa was
kind enough to give me, and have been popping a beetle into
it every now and again ever since. When I get home, I will
hand over to you all its treasures. I have really had no
chance whatever of collecting, as I will show you by my Diary
when I get back. I certainly did expect a little sport, but
that also has proved a myth. Mr. Stanley would not allow
me a single extra carrier to take my collecting things, and the
consequence was I had to give away all my pipes, tobacco, and
lots of clothes, and take the smallest possible quantity of any-
thing in order to carry the few things I did. It was rather
hard lines on me, as the other officers of course had to carry
nothing of the kind. Some of the butterflies are very beau-
tiful, but I was rather disappointed with the scarcity of new
* This collection was entrusted to Messrs. F. D. Godman and O. Salvin
for determination.
APPENDIX V. 385
species here differing from those on the Congo. “You must
tell me a lot about both the beetles and butterflies when we
meet, which will certainly not be before June or July at the
earliest. The few specimens of birds I got, I have sent to
Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, of the Natural History Museum, South
Kensington. You may imagine that if it was difficult to
collect butterflies and beetles, how much more so it was to
collect birds. How often, when toiling along and driving the
Zanzibaris with their loads, like slaves, I have seen gorgeous
specimens of all sorts of insect and bird life, and not been
able to stir one foot out of the way to gather them. Please
tell Mr. Sclater when you see him that I have not seen asingle
antelope of any kind, and no game except hippopotami. As
far as I can see, there will be no better chance between this
and Zanzibar. It will be one long time of driving niggers
and their loads, and the only thing one does collect at that
game isa bad temper. By the time you get this I suppose
you will have seen all Mr. Stanley’s report of our progress so
far, but I hope to have many pleasant talks with you about it
all. J am sending the butterflies home with Mr. Walker, the
engineer of the Expedition, who is going straight home, as,
thank goodness, we have now done with the steamers. I must
now say good-bye, as the steamer leaves to-morrow, and I have
a large number of letters still unwritten. Trusting to find you
none the worse for the horrible winter I hear you have had,
I remain, sincerely yours,
(Signed) JAMES §, JAMESON.
APPENDIX’ V.
Letter of Instructions from Major Barrretor,
Camp, Yambuya Village,
Aruwimi Falls,
Aug. 19th, 1887.
To Mr. Jameson,
Sir,
Owing to information received, I have determined to
386 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
send you with a party of these Arabs of Tippu-Tib’s, who
have their camp above us, to the Stanley Falls, Congo, where
Tippu-Tib now is.
The object for which I am sending you is this: that
having ascertained that through an error the men did not
come here, you will inform Tippu-Tib that we are still here,
and that if Tippu-Tib is still willing, and will allow the men
to come without delay, the agreement of Zanzibar will still
hold good.
You, and you alone, will hold speech with Tippu-Tib;
Mr. Ward, who accompanies you, being solely as a witness.
You will take Bartholomew as an interpreter, and will use
him and no other, more especially Salem. Should Tippu-Tib
allow the men to go, you and Mr. Ward will wait at the
Falls till such time as the men start, when you will start with
them. After one day’s march out, you will send Mr. Ward on
ahead with orders to proceed to this Camp with all dispatch ;
you yourself accompanying the men to this Camp.
By Mr. Ward you will send me a letter of what you have
done.
It may be that you come across the Arabs intended for us
on your way to the Falls, in which event you will ask them
whether they are willing to come back at once, but do not try
to coerce them. Should they be willing to come back at once,
there will be no necessity for your going to the Talls; and
you and Mr. Ward will accompany them back, and, as in
the former case, after one day’s march, you will send
Mr. Ward on, with all dispatch, with a letter. Should they
not be willing to come, or say they will come shortly, you will
go on to the Falls and acquaint Tippu-Tib of their whereabouts,
as it may aid him to collect them. Remember 600 men, able
to carry loads, is the number. In either the former or the
second case, you will inform Tippu-Tib, or the men, that the
powder and the caps are here; the Arabs who are with you
having had ocular demonstration of it.
Should your mission be unsuccessful, you will, after resting
yourselves and Arabs, come back here without delay.
Remember that expedition is all to us, and use all your
APPENDIX VI. 387
endeavours, should you obtain the men, to proceed with all
speed to this Camp. Do not force them, but persuade.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
EDMUND M. BARTTELOT, Major,
Commanding Camp, Yambnya Village, Aruwimi Falls.
APPENDIX VI.
Camp, Yambuya Village,
Aruwimi Falls,
Aug. 19th, 1887.
Tc Saerx Hauep prin Manomuuen, my Friend,
I, Major Barttelot, sending greeting, knowing that you
are willing to aid Mr. Stanley in his expedition, and that it
was through error that the 600 men you had already sent
did not come here to me, but turned back, thinking we had
gone away, I venture to solicit your aid by asking you to send
me the 600 men back again.
The powder and caps are here, and we are all ready to
start. : ,
I have sent Mr. Jameson in my place, as I could not come
myself; indeed, I am far from well, having had but little to
eat, and suffering from fever.
It was through your Arabs that we heard of the mistake,
and it is they who have undertaken to escort Mr. Jameson and
Mr. Ward to you, for which they shall be amply repaid.
Trusting you are in good health, also Sheik Selim Mahommed,
to whom I send greeting, and that you will do me the honour
to accept the small present I am sending you by Mr. Jameson,
I am your faithful friend,
(Signed) EDMUND M. BARTTELOT, Major.
388 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
APPENDIX VII.
Agreements between Muni Somai und
Masor Barttretot,
Mr. JAMESON.
I.
Stanley Falls,
May 24th, 1888.
I, the undersigned, Muni Somai, hereby agree for the sum of
£1,000 (one thousand pounds sterling), 600 dollars or £120
(one hundred and twenty pounds sterling) to be paid to me
in goods of that value before our departure from Yambuya
Camp, to faithfully serve Major Barttelot in my capacity of the
commander of the 400 men supplied to the Emin Pasha Relief
Expedition by Sheik Hamed bin Mahommed, and to accom-
pany him with these men as far as Wadelai, or whatever place
short of that it may be necessary for Major Barttelot to go to in
his quest of Emin Pasha and Mr. Stanley, and to return from
thence with the aforesaid men with him (Major Barttelot), or
whatever white officer he may appoint, by the nearest route
to the territory of Sheik Hamed bin Mahommed after he,
Major Barttelot, considers his relief of Emin Pasha or
Mr. Stanley, or both, to have been accomplished ; and I also
agree, in case of Major Barttelot being rendered incapable of
continuing his command, to fulfil all the above conditions,
under whatever white officer he, Major Barttelot, may appoint.
Sianad [ean BIN MAHOMMED.
MUNI SOMATL,
Witnessed,
Epmunp Barrrexort.
James 8. JAMESON.
II.
Stanley Falls.
May 24th, 1888.
We, the undersigned, Major Barttelot, Commander Rear-guard
of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, and Mr. James S.
Jameson, officer of the same, hereby agree to pay to Muni
Somai the sum of £1,000 (600 dollars of which sum to be paid
APPENDIX VIII. 389
to him in goods of that value before our departure from Yam.
buya Camp) under the following conditions :—
That he, Muni Somai, faithfully serves and obeys Major
Barttelot, in his (Muni Somai’s) capacity of leader of the 400
men supplied by Sheik Hamed bin Mahommed to the Emin
Pasha Relief Expedition, and to accompany him with these men
to Wadelai, or whatever place short of that he, Major Barttelot,
may have to go to in his quest of Emin Pasha or Mr. Stanley,
and that he, Muni Somai, returns with these men under
Major Barttelot, or whatever white officer he may appoint,
by the shortest route to the Territory of Sheik Hamed bin
Mahommed, at whatever time he, Major Barttelot, may con-
sider his relief of Emin Pasha or Mr. Stanley, or of both,
to have been accomplished, and that he, Muni Somai, also
agrees, in case of Major Barttelot being rendered incapable
of continuing his Command, to fulfil all the above conditions,
under whatever white officer he, Major Barttelot, may appoint.
The said Muni Somai having fulfilled all the above con-
ditions, we, the undersigned, Major Barttelot and Mr. J. S.
Jameson, agree to pay him the remaining sum, £880, as soon
as possible after our return to Zanzibar or Banana Point.
EDMUND M. BARTTELOT.
Signed | 5 S. JAMESON,
Witnesses :
¢ Trepu-Tis.
Muni Somat.
APPENDIX VIII.
June 25, 1888,
' Village Wobari.
Dear JAMESON,
You will not be surprised to hear I am off to
Tippu-Tib. Four more men, three loads and rifles, and my boy
Sadi with my revolver and knife, have deserted. ‘he latter I
caught here; he says he was with the others, but they ran
away from him. One of them is that man Jalu, who was with
Munichandi. We cannot go on losing rifles like this; we shall
soon be destitute. The loads that went last were a box of pro-
visions (not ours), the last of the assorted cloth, and the pot of
390 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
gee (?). That more men intend to desert I know, so I have
deprived them of their rifles. I want you to get Muni Somai
to let you have sixty men, good men, to go back with you to
where Bonny is, which cannot be far from Nasoro bin Saef’s,
to help bring up the loads and rifles and to act as guards to the
Zanzibaris, then go on together to Abdulla’s and wait me. I
am going to the Falls to ask Tippu either for sixty Manyémas
or for slaves; if the former I will arm them with the Zanzi-
baris’ rifles, so please make Muni Somai understand that he is
not to keep the rifles you get from Bonny. You had better get
a guide to go with you to take you from where Bonny is to
Nasoro’s. J am sending Muni Hamesi to show you B.’s camp.
I passed two of your camps to-day, leaving Bonny yesterday.
In the first the fires were alight. You appear to have gone the
same road I did; if so, it ends in a block, where you will
find one of our camps. By going up that stream to the N.W.
I hit off a road crossing it to the N.E., and that is the road I
_have pursued. There are many villages, plenty of food, and
good road to the N. and N.E., and well blazed. I am sure it
is the right one.
Sala, so everyone says, knows where our men are. I have
sent a Soudanese on to search his village to-night. Make it
clear to Muni Somai the sixty men he sends will have to help
carry loads, as we shall at least be ten men short, if not more.
Do not give more than two rounds apiece to the men who get
the rifles. Make the remainder up into loads,—400 rounds=
1 load,—and give it to Zanzibaris and put them under Soudanese
escort. If you had been with us, I should have sent you, but
it is imperative some one should go, and Bonny, owing to his
slowness &c., is not available. It is useless for me to tell you
about speed, for you always do your utmost, but we must have
men to help carry the loads. In case you should have gone on
to Abdulla’s, I am leaving another letter for you at Nasoro’s.
Hoping you are well,
Yours very sincerely,
EDMUND M. BARTTELOT.
Impress on Muni Somai the necessity of his aid. I go
straight to Abdulla’s from the Falls, and shall be there about
July 14th.
Upon t-Lotiern) Ahesk Mamecl to. Yurkaned. An. Phunaa , rn Ag
fe hand, and ial boa? S comeson, freer () the el,
Sefesitiaic n Ate Ahan
Lage |.
Jeffesed Ax acpt bony dg aun,
Oar ald keg ek, Bhaik eos, Deh om ancl os W hama farely
Aypee, or AE ate aA Pa Nene
— fully aeroe aud otty Int Samad, Sanuedoe tn agg ie:
ae nee ae
ES, Ce Pe asch a Ht ea
_ auch Hire to he, anc ts ts § toe
replete BEES ae
tes comma Ae fail oH be dns sal hatin. Shot
ee eee 1. Caonaay Latta en ee
— Hiwarg Hath qusct of Arar ratn. coset rrr Harley, Aalto apsec te dlebivo
All loacls canis Loy Le Zangilarie Gf tt Inne Saaka Cohig repeititeri tid,
theo all Apac carried by Him oppted by ome Me tha afpwanst $e
— fectchiin, he Ain Cheta, at-bf pdldbas wr te Ahapun Orvtte BN borg trl
— Unyono —— ancl To tncleevonr te Mhz Ait Gf may abilicte bs ferdl WA MaBy and
So ee ll, rifles tol. orm.
Slee ie TNT NORRIE PE
tnitra, Ghold tz Rabi of Ani Cahn 04S Mibly te ccermpbrdad. with:
uae Colander months Glbereegr fran tcdule Gt axgucy Ae Combat
UJ ape Fr estipl: UC doesn anew’ Gelst00 auc phanlel Lic Clalag, of Meuse
Dooka~t Ot Mcily Le wvermgbcked nfl ie tlasdate mathe (from the cote
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Andt ckontl. Ht policy off bare Deka. bud we Larue Z
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we
~-
jhe 965i 99 8 ety DN tal
VaPWs,y KF pla WO AY SMM
(esos < Sobol lilo le ablp
CHiN eaiait 9 bao leabaWhodth
J-53 irs yhy ils cles te»
i Moleacd\2 2 Iso SSH te
M33 Abe bly arabic Lawley y
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Cs wrisleebsl waco) o)s2 ial
EW Weare auc cil
Ad cz ZV hay Gut Sle WA sGueue
Laas 43
APPENDIX XI. 391
APPENDIX X.
Final Agreement drafted by Mr. J. 8. Jameson.
I, the undersigned Sue1x Hamep pin Manommep Bin Duvuma,
agree, for the sum of £20,000 (twenty thousand pounds ster-
ling) to faithfully serve and obey Mr. James S. Jameson in my
capacity of Commander of the four hundred men supplied by
me to the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, and to accompany
him with those men as far as Wadelai or to whatever place
short of that it may be necessary for Mr. James 8. Jameson to
go to in his quest of Emin Pasha and Mr. Stanley, and until
such time as he, Mr. James S. Jameson considers his relief of
Emin Pasha or Mr. Stanley, or both, to have been accomplished.
And I also agree, in case of Mr. James S. Jameson being
rendered incapable of continuing his command, to fulfil all the
above conditions under whatever white officer he, Mr. James 8.
Jameson, may appoint.
(Signed) -
APPENDIX XI.
Tipeu-Tip’s Lerrer.
To the excellent, beloved, honoured Friend the
Englishman, Anprew Jameson,
He who loves you in all that is beneficial for man
is, as I trust you also are, in the favour of God. May the
same be with thee, through the goodness of the Lord, the
Liberal, the Master of all things, the Merciful. We have
heard of the sad decease of thy brother, our friend Jameson, in
the environs of Bangala. I, the survivor of his so recent death,
could scarcely refrain from tears of weakness, for he was my
companion and loving friend, pure, courteous, wise, and sat
with me and gave me rest in difficulties; and I wish that his
place with me in friendship, and love and tender affection could
be filled by you. Jameson, however, has not perished so long
as you remain in life.
Do not, therefore, deprive him who loves you of the news of
your honourable state, of every want of yours, of any service or
order ; only let me know, and it shall be executed with obedience
and good will. TIPPU-TIB.
6 of Redjeb, 1888.
NATURAL-HISTORY APPENDIX.
THE ORNITHOLOGICAL WORK
OF
J. S. JAMESON.
BY
R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.LS. ete.,
ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISIT MUSEUM,
Ir must have been in the year 1877 that I first made the
acquaintance of my friend the late J.S. Jameson. I remember
his coming in to my room at the British Museum and intro-
ducing himself to me; and a bright, good-looking young fellow
he was. The conversation that ensued was somewhat as follows,
as far as I can recollect :—
“T am going to India, to travel and collect specimens of
Natural History, and I want to know something about the
birds, and if I can do anything for you.”
“ What part of India are you going to?”
“ Well, I thought of going to Kashmir, where there is some
big game in the shape of Deer and wild Sheep to be got, I
fancy.”
“That seems a useless sort of thing to do. Why, having the
time and the means, do you not go somewhere where you could
make some really useful discoveries for science? Kashmir is
well known, comparatively speaking.”
ORNITHOLOGY. 393
«That is what I should like to do, but I don’t know how to
set about it.”
«Will you take my advice ?”
Ves.”
“ Whereabouts in India are you bound for?”
** Calcutta.”
“Good! Now when you get to Calcutta, instead of turning
north, go south to Singapore, get across to Labuan, where my
friend Ussher is Governor, You will find native hunters who
will skin your birds for you, and he will tell you how to get up
the Lawas River or explore Kina Balu*, both comparatively
unknown localities.”
I gave Jameson a letter of introduction to Governor Ussher,
and, with many expressions of thanks, he departed. .
I heard occasionally about him in Borneo, but in the corre-
spondence with my friend Ussher, which I have preserved, I do
not now find any mention of Jameson, and I rather fancy that
the Governor was away from Labuan when he arrived there,
and that he was the guest of Mr. Treacher. Anyhow, thanks
to the hospitality of one of these gentlemen, Jameson was able to
ascend the Lawas River in North-western Borneo, and he made
a large collection of birds, which have been mounted for him
by Mr. Rowland Ward.
It is a great pity that no record of this collection was ever
published, for Jameson met with some interesting species,
and he was the first to discover the Black Pern, a kind of
Honey-Buzzard, in Borneo, a fact of singular importance at
the time. The genus Macherhamphus contains two species
of Black Pern—one Oriental (M. alcinus) and one African
(M. anderssoni). The latter was discovered by the late Mr.
C. J. Andersson in Damara-Land, and was named in his
honour by Mr. J. H. Gurney. It has since been found in
Somali-Land and in Madagascar. Previously to Mr. Andersson’s
discovery, the genus Macherhamphus was known only from the
* Within the last few years another young friend of mine, Mr. John
Whitehead, acting under my advice, ascended Kina Balu after great diffi-
culties, and obtained about fifty new species of birds, some of them of the
' most beautiful plumage and form.
ri i
394 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Malayan Peninsula, though it has since been found in Tenas-
serim and in New Guinea! Within the last few years it
has been met with in several parts of Borneo, but the first
discoverer of the species in that island was Jameson.
The expedition to Mashona-Land, which was his next ex-
ploit, was a very important one, and added a great deal to our
knowledge of the birds of South-eastern Africa. On this occa-
sion Jameson took with him Mr. Thomas Ayres, of Potchef-
stroom, one of the best field-naturalists of the day, and the
collection was described by Captain Shelley in the ‘ Ibis’ for
1882. During this expedition 219 species of birds were
observed, and the notes on habits written by Mr. Ayres were of
the highest interest.
_ Several species of birds were found for the first time in South
Africa, and our knowledge of the geographical distribution of
many forms was much extended. For instance, Salvadori’s
Creeper (Hylypsornis salvadorit) was discovered on the Gangani
River ; it was previously only known from Benguela. Sir John
Kirk’s Sun-bird ( Cinnyris kirki) was found on the Umvuli River,
never having been known from the south of the Zambesi before.
Andersson’s Penduline Tit (Anthoscopus caroli), supposed to be
peculiar to Ovampo-Land, was met with on the Gangani River.
Jameson’s Flycatcher (Hyliota australis) was a new species dis-
covered on the Umvuli River; and on the 28rd of October they
found our Common Martin (Chelidon urbica) on the Quae-Quae
River; its occurrence in winter so far south was previously
ihanepected.
Jardine’s Cuckoo-Shrike (Graucalus Haima hitherto be-
lieved to be peculiar to West Africa, was found on the Umvuli;
and the series of Weaver-birds (Plocetde) was most important,
two being new to science—Ayres’s Weaver (Sharpia ayresi,
Shelley) and Jameson’s Weaver (Hyphantornis jamesoni,
Sharpe).
Mr. Ayres gives the following account of the finding of the
first of these species :—
“This is by no means a common bit We found it breed-
ing at the Tatin. It makes a rough retort-shaped nest, which
it hangs, mouth downwards, from the outer twigs of rather tall
ORNITHOLOGY. 395
trees. Sometimes a new nest is hung on the tube of the last
year’s structure.
“Mr. Jameson found a nest to the north of the Umvuli in
October, with two blue eggs in it; and at the Tatin we pulled
down one of the double nests, and Mr. Jameson, on trying to
put his hand up the tube, very nearly got bitten by a snake
which was lying in the nest, and had swallowed the old bird as
well as her blue eggs. It-is evident, therefore, that nests of
this shape do not always keep out snakes.”
A new Weaver-Finch, named by Captain Shelley Lagono-
sticta jamesoni, was discovered on the Umvuli, and again seen on
the Tatin River. It has been figured by me in the ‘ Catalogue
of Birds’ (vol. xiii. pl. xi. fig. 1).
It only remains to add that Jameson’s Mashona collection
(which contained also a large series of Butterflies and Beetles,
some of which have been named after him) resulted in a very
marked improvement in our knowledge of South-African
birds; and as, with his usual liberality, he presented the most
interesting of his specimens to Captain Shelley, they will pass,
with the rest of the Shelley Collection, to the British Museum
and become national property.
It pleases me greatly to know that in his country’s Museum
will thus be found the evidences of Jameson’s zeal for Science,
while his memory will be treasured by the writer and other
students of African Zoology, who are able to appreciate the
good work he did on his Mashona Expedition.
NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE CONGO REGION.
So at last came the time of the Stanley Expedition, and
Jameson came to me and told me he was intending to join it.
He was full of delight at the prospect, especially at the thought of
meeting Emin Pasha, while I was equally pleased to think of the
gain to Science which would result from the work of these two
naturalists, if they could study together in Equatorial Africa.
2D2
396 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
I gave him a letter for Emin Pasha*, and he promised to come
and see me again before he sailed, though he was naturally
much occupied with his preparations for departure. This was
unfortunately my last interview with Jameson. The next day
he sent me his photograph, as I had begged him to do, and
shortly after I got a letter from him.
“8.8. ‘Assam,’ Brindisi,
Monday.
“My pEAR SHARPE,
“‘T was very sorry not to have time to call upon you again
before leaving. I found out, however, almost at the last
moment, that there was no possibility of my going through
with the mails on Friday evening, as they had been full up for
some time before, and they would not give me a seat or any-
thing. Thanks so much for your kind letter bidding me good-
bye and for the letters of introduction also, and I hope to have
many a long chat with you about our trip on our return, and
will attend to your instructions.
* Yours sincerely,
- “Jameus 8. Jameson.”
I only heard from my poor friend once more. In a letter
from Yambuya (which at the moment of writing I cannot find,
to my great regret) he announced the despatch of a collection
of birds, and expressing his disappointment at the locality as a
collecting-ground, and his regret that he had not got more
specimens together. The collection, however, though small,
proved of considerable value; and it was described by Captain
Shelley, to whom I handed it over, as he had already*worked
out the results of the Mashona collection. I cannot do better
than quote from Captain Shelley’s preface to show that, singu-
larly poor as Mr. Stanley’s Expedition has been in scientific
results, the efforts of Jameson and some of the officers of the
Rear Guard were not altogether unproductive. The collections
of Butterflies made by Mr. Bonny at Banalya and by Mr.
Herbert Ward at Bangala have been described by Mr. H.
* What became of this letter I do not know. Emin apparently never got
it; at least he does not mention it in his recent letters to me.
ORNITHOLOGY. 397
Grose-Smith and by my daughter, Miss Emily Mary Sharpe,
and both were found to contain several novelties. 3
Captain Shelley, who also knew Jameson well, thus writes
concerning his Yambuya collection in the ‘Ibis’ for 1890,
p. 156* :—
“Tn 1882 I had the pleasure of describing Mr. Jameson’s
ornithological collections from Matabele-Land. It is with the
greatest regret that I now have to give a final list of the birds
obtained by this ardent young naturalist during his residence
at Yambuya, on the Upper Congo, where he was stationed with
the rear guard of the Stanley Expedition for the relief of Emin
Pasha. His untimely death has been a loss to science, which
naturalists will regret equally with the loss of those scientific
pioneers of ornithology in Eastern Africa, Drs. G. A. Fischer
and R. Béhm, both cut off in their prime, when there was
every reason to expect that their work had only just commenced.
Mr. Stanley is more celebrated as an explorer than as a natu-
ralist, and the unfortunate death of Mr. Jameson, who would
have contributed much to the scientific interest of the expe-
dition, is therefore the more to be deplored.
“Small though the present collection be, it will be found to
be of great interest to students of Ethiopian ornithology, and
it is In some respects extremely important as regards the
geographical distribution of species, as it serves to show how
small is our knowledge of the range of African birds, and how
little we are acquainted with the physical configuration of the
interior of Africa, which might give us some explanation of the
distribution of species. The majority of the birds collected on
the Aruwhimi are identical with species from the Lower Congo,
and as these are mostly the same as the forms of Gaboon, the
affinities of the avifauna of these two districts receive ample
confirmation. Thus, when a species inhabiting the Gold Coast
or the Niger Region is represented by an allied species in
Gaboon or in the Congo district, the Aruwhimi bird will be
found to belong to the Congo species and not to that of the
Gold Coast. But this is not invariably so; for the Pholidornis
* “Qn a Collection of Birds made by the late Mr. J. S. Jameson on the
Aruwhimi River, Upper Congo.” By Capt. G. E. Shelley, F.Z.S.
398 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
discovered by Mr. Jameson is allied to the species of the Gold
Coast, as are also Pytelia schlegelti and Diaphorophyia blissetti*,
which are purely Guinean species. Many birds recorded by
Mr. Bowdler Sharpe as found in the Niam-Niam country,
from Mr. Bohndorff’s collection in 1884 (cf. Journ. Linn. Soc.,
Zool. xvii. p. 419), are now shown to have an intermediate
habitat, and a zoological connection is thus established with
the Monbuttu country explored by Emin Pasha. Mr. Jameson’s
collection, therefore, limited though it be by reason of the
distractions and responsibility of his position at Yambuya, is of
great importance for our knowledge of the geographical distri-
bution of African birds, and had he lived there is no doubt
that he would have added greatly to the renown of the Stanley
Expedition, to which he contributed a considerable sum of
money, and for which he ultimately sacrificed his life.”
The following extracts from Mr. Jameson’s diaries have been
supplied to me by Mrs. Jameson; and as nearly all the birds
were carefully labelled by her husband, I have been able to
identify the species referred to in nearly every case. I have
quoted Captain Shelley’s paper on the Collection in the ‘ Ibis’
for 1890, and have made one or two additional identifications.
BIRDS COLLECTED ON LOWER CONGO, BETWEEN
MATADI AND STANLEY POOL.
1. Wypau FIncu.
Head, breast, tail, and wings black. Shoulders and back
bright yellow. Common on the whole of Lower Congo.
[Penthetriopsis macrura (Gm.); Shelley, t. c. p. 166.]
2. SwALLow.
Wings, tail, and back blue-black. Rump reddish brown.
* I have re-examined the Diaphorophyia, and, having come to the con-
clusion that it is distinct from D. blissetiz, I have called it D. jamesont.—
R. B.S.
ORNITHOLOGY. 399
Top of head ditto. Breast white, with pointed spots of black.
Vent white. Common on whole of Lower Congo. [Hirundo
puella, T.; Shelley, t. c. p. 163.]
3. WEAVER-BIRD.
Cheeks, throat, wings, belly, and tail black. Head, neck,
breast, and rump bright orange-scarlet. Back, shoulders, and
vent pale reddish brown. Common on Lower Congo. [Pyro-
melana flammiceps (Sw.); Shelley, t. c. p. 166.]
4. WARBLER.
Head, wings, and back dark olive-green. Throat, breast,
belly, and vent pale olive-green. Tail light olive-brown. Com-
mon on whole of Lower Congo. [Andropadus curvirostris,
Cass.; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vi. p. 111 (1881).]
5. Brz-Eater.
- Throat, breast, and belly pale red. Vent grey. Head, back,
and wings olive-greenish grey. Tail grey with a reddish tinge.
White streak on each side of throat. Uncommon on Lower
Congo. [Merops malimbicus, Shaw; Shelley, t.c. p. 166.]
6. SMALL PARADISE-TAILED FINCH.
Top of head, wings, back, and tail black. Neck, throat,
breast, and vent white. Wing-coverts white, mottled with
black. Beak light red. Congo Da Lamba. Common up here,
but not observed nearer coast. [Vidua principalis (L.); Sharpe,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 203.]
7. Coty.
Forehead black. Top of head crested and light grey. Back
light brownish grey. Rump, tail, and upperside of wings olive-
brown. Tail very long. Throat black; breast light brown,
barred with black. Belly and vent dirty yellow. Inside of
wings light brownish red. Feet bright red. Could not ob-
serve whether common or uncommon. [Colius nigricollis, V. ;
Shelley, t. c. p. 168.]
400 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
BIRDS COLLECTED BETWEEN STANLEY POOL
7 AND ARUWIMI RIVER.
8. SUN-BIRD.
Head, throat, back, wing-coverts, and rump bright metallic
green; breast, belly, and vent lemon-yellow. ‘Tail metallic
green and dark blue. Wings brown tinged with olive-green.
Bolobo ; common on Upper Congo. [Anthothreptes hypodilus
(Jard.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 162.]
9. FLYcaTCcHER.
Head, back, wings, and tail of a sepia-colour. Throat grey.
Breast and belly greyish brown. Vent grey, with brown bars.
Scarce here at Bolobo, but common on Aruwimi. [Artomyias
fuliginosa, Verr.; Shelley, t. c. p. 158.]
10 and 11. Cock and Hen Woopprecker.
Throat barred black and white. Breast and belly olive-
greenish brown, barred with white. Vent greenish brown.
Cheeks white barred with black. Back and wings olive-green.
Tail black. Inside of wings dark brown, barred with white.
Rump greenish yellow tipped with gold. Head of hen dark
brown. Bright golden crest on cock bird. [Mesopicus xantho-
lophus, Hargitt; Shelley, t.c. p. 168.]
BIRDS COLLECTED AT ENTRENCHED CAMP,
ARUWIMI RIVER.
July 12th.
12. KINGHUNTER.
Throat white with tinge of grey. Breast: and belly grey.
Vent white. Head and neck dark grey. Wing-coverts and tip
of wing-feathers black. Centre of wing bright blue. Rump
and tail bright blue. Back darker blue tinged with grey.
Feet black. Upper mandible of beak deep red; lower one
black. Common. Female. [Halcyon cyanoleuca (V.); Shel-
ley, t. c. p. 167.]
13. Ditto.
ORNITHOLOGY. 40]
14, Buack WEAVER-BIRD.
Jet-black all over. Feet bright brown. Eyes bright lemon;
black pupil. Common. Cock. ([Melanopteryx nigerrimus
(V.); Sharpe, t.c. p. 476. Ploceus nigerrimus, Shelley, t. c.
p. 164. ]
15. Ditto.
July 18th.
16. Surixe ?
Head crested. Head, wings, back, neck, throat, and tail
black with dark green lustre. Belly and vent white; breast
and sides white barred with black. Underside of wings black,
with broad bar of white across centre. Feet pale lemon. LHyes
bright lemon, black pupil. Cock. Scarce, the pair shot bemg
the only ones seen. [Bias musicus (V.); Shelley, t. c. p. 159.]
17. Surixe? Hen bird of no. 16.
Top of head crested and dark brown. Cheeks and neck
lighter brown. Throat white. Breast, belly, and vent white,
with a light reddish-brown tint. Back, wings, rump, and tail
bright light red-brown. Eyes bright lemon. Feet pale lemon.
18. WARBLER.
Forehead, cheeks, and upper part of throat grey. Line of
bright yellow over each eye. Lower part of throat, vent, and
underside of wings bright yellow. Breast and sides grey with
a green tint. Belly grey; neck, back, and wing-coverts olive-_
green. Wings brown; two short rows of feathers in wing
pointed with yellow; three of principal feathers next body
pointed with yellow, rest of feathers in wing edged with yellow.
Tail olive-green, feathers tipped with yellow. yes sepia.
Feet lavender. Scarce. Cock. Only pair seen. [JNicator
vireo, Cab.; Shelley, t. c. p. 161.]
19. WaRBLER.
Head dark olive-brown. Throat grey tinged with brown.
Breast and belly light olive-brown. Sides darker. Vent light
brown. Neck light olive-brown. Back, wings, and tail olive-
brown. Rumpreddish brown. Eyes pale sepia. Feet lavender.
[Turdinus fulvescens, Sharpe; Shelley, t. c. p. 161.]
402 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN,
July 19th.
20. SMALL WARBLER. |
Head, back, and tail olive-green. Wings slightly brighter
green. Throat pale yellow. Breast pale olive-green tinged
with yellow. Belly bright pale yellow. Vent pale yellow.
Feet very light brown. Eyes dark brown. Common. Cock.
[Camaroptera brevicaudata (Cretzschm.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 160.]
21. Hen bird of no. 20.
Top of head, neck, and back greenish grey. Rump, sides,
and breast grey. Belly and vent white. Wings olive-green.
Tail olive-brown. Feathers of legs yellow. Feet very light
brown. Eyes dark brown.
22. Smart WaRBLER.
Forehead pale olive-green. Top of head bright reddish
brown. Cheeks pale olive-green. Throat bright yellow. Top
of breast black, lower part white and grey tinged with yellow ;
belly greyish white tinged with yellow. Vent yellow. Back
grey tinged with olive-green. Wings and tail olive-brown.
Feet ochre. Eyes dark grey. Scarce. Hen. [Hremomela
badiceps (Fras.), juv.; Shelley, t. c. p. 160.]
July 16th.
23. Repstart?
Top of head, neck, and cheeks black. Line of white running
from beak over eye to back of neck. Throat, breast, sides, and
. vent yellow-ochre. Belly white. Back very dark greyish olive.
Rump olive-brown. Shoulders sky-blue. Wings black, fea-
thers edged with pale blue. Tail bright light reddish brown,
with the two central feathers black. Feet dark brown. Eyes
very light brown. Hen. [Cossypha bariteloti, Shelley, t. e.
p. 159, pl. v. fig. 2.] |
July 19th.
24. Smaty Fincnw.
Cheeks, throat, and breast white. Belly white tinged with
grey. Vent light grey. Sides light grey tinged with crimson-
lake. Head black. Upper part of back, neck, and wing-
coverts dark grey, closely barred with black. Lower part of
ORNITHOLOGY. 408
back and rump crimson-lake. Wings and tail black. Feet
and eyes black. Cock. Scarce. Beak crimson-lake and
black. [Hstrelda nonnula, Hartl.; Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
July 11th.
25. SUN-BIRD.
Head, throat, neck, upper part of breast, back, shoulders,
and rump bright metallic green. Lower half of breast bright
red and yellow. Selly and vent dark olive-green. Wings and
tail black. Eyes dark brown. Cock. Common. [Cinnyris
chloropygius (Jard.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 162. ]
26. Ditto.
July 13th.
27. Smart KincuunveErR.
Throat white; cheeks lilac; line of very bright reddish
brown over eye. Top of head black barred with blue. Back
and wing-coverts very deep blue. Rump brighter blue. Tail
black. Neck, breast, belly, vent to underside of wings bright
light reddish brown. Wings black, feathers edged with dark
blue. Feet and beak vermilion. Eyes brown. Common.
Cock. ([Jspidina picta (Bodd.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
28. KINGHUNTER.
Same as no. 27 in description, but a hen.
29. Ditto. Hen.
July 15th.
380. Smaty FincH.
Head, neck, breast, back, wing-coverts, and tail black.
Belly and vent white. Centre of wings, rump, and sides black,
barred with white. Tips of wings black. Feet black. Eyes
black. Common. Cock. ([Spermestes poensis (Fras.) ; Shelley,
t. c. p. 166. ]
31. Ditto.
July 26th.
32. SANDPIPER.
Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, rump, tail, and feathers of
404 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
wing next body a shiny ashen brown, with dark streak down
centre. Wing-coverts, feathers of wing next body, and tail
barred with darker brown. Shoulder white, and streak of white
across outer part of wing. Throat white. Upper part of
breast grey, streaked with brown; rest of breast, belly, and
vent white. Legs pale yellowish grey. Eyes very dark brown;
large dark pupil. Hen; only one seen. Distinct ruffs on each
side of neck. [Tringoides hypoleucus in full breeding-plumage,
rather worn, as if on its way south after breeding. Cf. Shelley,
t.*e. p. 170.)
July 27th.
33. SWALLOW. :
Length from tip of tail to beak 84 inches. Head, neck,
wings, back, and tail deep blue-black. Throat, breast, belly,
vent, and rump light reddish buff. White bar across underside
of tail. Eyes very deep brown. Cock. [Hirundo gordoni,
Jard.; Shelley, t. c. p. 163.]
July 29th.
34. WEAVER-BIRD. Hen of no. 14.
Head, back, and wing-coverts dark olive-green, marked down
the centre with dark brown. Rump lighter olive-green. Tail
brown tinged with green. Wings very dark brown; feathers
edged with ochre. Throat greenish gold, breast darker ditto.
Belly and vent bright yellow. Eyes hazel. Feet pale pinky
brown. [Melanopteryx nigerrimus (V.); Ploceus nigerrimus,
Shelley, t. c. p. 164]
35. WEAVER-BIRD.
Throat, line round eyes, line at back of the neck and shoulders
black. Cheeks, top of head, sides of neck, and breast rich
deep gold. Belly and vent very bright yellow. Back very
dark brown. Wings, rump, and tail olive-brown. Eyes dark
brownish grey. Feet pinkish brown. Cock. [This is Melan-
hyphantes nigricollis (V.), Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 415. Ploceus
nigricollis, Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
36. WoonPEcKER.
Top of head black, closely spotted with white. Back of
head bright red and crested. Throat, cheeks, and neck dirty
ORNITHOLOGY. 405
white, every feather with a black spot in centre. Breast, belly,
and veut dirty yellowish white, closely barred with black. Back,
wing-coverts, shoulders, and rump dark olive-green. Wings
and tail olive-brown. Eyes dark brown. Feet greenish yellow.
Hen. ([Campothera permisia, Reichen.; Shelley, t.c. p. 168.]
July 31st.
37. NicutsaR.
Top of head dark reddish brown barred with black. Neck:
upper part, a bar of closely mottled dark brown and dirty white ;
lower part, a bar of light reddish brown barred with black.
Throat pale reddish yellow barred with black, and a bar of
white running across the centre. Upper part of breast reddish
yellow barred with black. Lower half of breast dirty white
barred with black. Belly and vent dirty yellowish white, closely
barred with black. Back dark brown, mottled with reddish
brown. Wing-coverts and shoulders dark brown, mottled with
light reddish brown and reddish yellow. Rest of wings light
reddish brown, barred with black. Tail, broad bars of black
and mottled light red, black, and white. Eyes very dark brown,
large black pupils. Hen. Only one seen. [Cosmetornis
vexillarius (Gould) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
July 30th.
38. PLOVER.
Forehead and cheeks light reddish brown. ‘Top and back of
head dark greyish brown. Throat white, going off into grey at.
sides and bottom. Upper half of breast and back dark grey.
Lower half of breast reddish brown in centre, with grey on
each side. Belly and vent white. Underside of wings, upper
half from shoulders white, lower black. Back and wing-coverts
olive greenish grey, tipped with bright red. Wings black, with
a white bar running right across from under shoulder to body.
Rump and upper half of tail white. Lower half of tail black.
Eyes dark sepia, very large black pupil. Hen. Believe to be
hen bird of Spur-winged Plover shot on Stanley Pool. [Lodi-
vanellus superciliosus, Reichen.; Shelley, t. c. p. 169.]
39. Large WEAVER-BIRD.
Top of head, cheeks, throat, and a line running down into
406 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
breast black. Back of head dark reddish brown. Neck rich
golden yellow. Back between shoulders, a line of bright yellow
bordered by a line of black on each side. Rest of back bright
yellow and black, mottled. Rump yellow. Tail olive-green
tinged with yellow. Wing-coverts bright yellow. A line of
black across shoulders ; rest of wings brown, feathers tipped
and edged with yellow. Breast and belly rich dark golden
yellow. Vent bright pale yellow. Eyes deep orange-red.
Cock. Scarce here. [Ploceus bohndorffi, Reichen.; Shelley,
t.c. p. 164. Hyphantornis bohndorffi, Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 455.
This species was not in the British Museum, to which it has now
been presented by Mrs. Jameson. ]
40. Swirt.
Head, back, neck, breast, and wings glossy greenish black. A
small white spot immediately below beak on throat; rest of
throat black. Belly and vent white. Rump white with black
quills. Tail: upper half white with black quills; lower half
glossy greenish black, with the black quills extending into sharp
spikes. Eyes very dark brown. Feet grey. Hen. ([Cheiura
sabinei, Gray; Shelley, t.c. p. 168.]
August 2nd.
41. WoopPEcKER.
Top of head dark brown, with golden crest. Cheeks white,
with black bar in centre. Throat white, slightly barred with
black. Breast and belly dirty brownish green spotted with
white. Vent dark olive-green. Back of neck black; sides of
ditto white and black. Back and wing-coverts dark olive-green.
Rump dark gold. Outer feathers of wing dark brown, slightly
barred with white spots; rest of wing dark olive-green. Tail
black. Cock. Eyes dark brown. [Mesopicus xantholophus,
Hargitt; Shelley, t. c. p. 168. Captain Shel’ey observes :—
‘‘This species was originally described from Gaboon, was also
found on the Lower Congo by Lucan and Petit, and afterwards
by Bohndorff in the Niam-Niam country.’’]
Basoko.
42. WoopPECcKER.
Hen bird of no. 41. Description exactly the same, except want
of crest on head, and it has two dark brown feathers in tail.
ORNITHOLOGY. 407
43 to 45. Smart FIncHEs.
Same as no. 24. Cocks,
46. Hen of no. 24.
Same as no. 24. Only dark grey where light in cock bird.
[Estrelda nonnula, Hartl.; Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
August 10th.
47 and 48. Rouuers.
Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, feathers of wing next body,
and shoulders reddish brown. Throat, breast, and belly reddish
brown tinged with magenta. Vent and underside of tail and
wings pale sky-blue. Leg-coverts slightly deeper blue. Rest
of wing very dark blue. Upperside of tail very dark brownish
grey tinged with blue. Other feathers light blue tipped with
black. Beak. light brown. Eyes dark brown. Both hens.
Scarce. [Eurystomus afer (Lath.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
August 11th.
49. WaRBLER.
Head, throat, and cheeks glossy blue-black. Neck, breast,
belly, and vent dark bluish grey. Back, rump, wing-coverts,
and feathers of wings next body bright red-brown. Outer
_ feathers of wing and tail very dark bluish grey. Eyes deep
claret. Beak, legs, feet, and rim round eye lavender. Hen.
Scarce. [Terpsiphone cristata (Gm.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 158.]
50 and 51. Brz-zarers.
Head, cheeks, neck, and upper part of back black tinged with
dark green. Line over eyes and forehead bright greenish
blue. Throat bright crimson-lake. Breast black, spotted with
bright blue. Belly and vent dull Kingfisher-blue. Back and
wing-coverts black tinged with dark green. Wings black and
light brownish red; feathers edged with blue. Rump bright
Kingfisher-blue. ‘Tail black tinged with dark blue. Cock
birds, and scarce. Hyes deep claret-red. [Mellitophagus gularis
(Shaw) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
52 and 58. Bru-raters. Hens of nos. 50 and 51.
Throat paler crimson. Vent and belly duller blue. No blue
line over eyes and forehead. Eyes dark brown.
408 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
54. SHRIKE.
Top of head and neck black. Throat, line from beak over
eyes, breast, belly, and vent white. Back, wings, and tail very
dark grey. Rump very bright grey. Eyes dark grey. Legs
and feet dark lavender. Scarce. [Dryoscopus tricolor, Cab. &
Reichen.; Shelley, t. c. p. 162.]
55. SHRIKE.
Jet-black all over. Very long fluffy feathers on back and
rump. Eyes dark brown. Cock. Scarce. [Dryoscopus leuco-
rhynchus, Hartl.; Shelley, t..c. p. 161.]
56. SMALL KINGHUNTER.
Same as no. 27. [Ispidina picta (Bodd.); Shelley, t.c.
p. 167.]
57. SmMatu SHRIKE ?
Throat, side of neck, vent, belly, and rump pure white.
Breast, back, head, neck, wings, and tail black. Eyes very
dark red, next pupil fading into brown. Faded purple wattles
round eyes. Feet faded purple. Cock. Scarce. [Diéiaphoro-
phyia castanea (Fras.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 158.] ,
58. WaRBLER.
Top of head and neck brown. Throat, breast, belly, and vent
yellowish white. Sides grey. Back, wings, and tail brownish
grey. lLeg-coverts reddish yellow. Scarce. Cock. [Cisticola
ruficapilla (Fras.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 160.]
59. Wooprrcker. Cock bird of no. 36.
Description same, only whole top of head red. [ Campothera
permista, Reichen.; Shelley, t. c. p. 168.]
November 7th.
60.
Head, neck, and breast deep indigo. Sides, belly, and vent
very dark grey. Back and wing-coverts light reddish brown.
Tail black, with two central feathers very long and pure white,
about two and a half times length of tail. Feet and beak dark
lavender. Eyes dark. brown. Cock. Wings black, with a bar
of white running from shoulder across centre. This bird I
ORNITHOLOGY. 409
believe to be the cock of no. 49, already sent home, and I think
a Paradise Flycatcher. [Terpsiphone cristata (Gm.) ; Shelley,
t. c. p. 158.]
December 9th.
61. PLover.
Forehead light reddish brown. Top of head and crest black.
Cheeks, neck, and lower half of throat grey. Throat white.
Sides of breast and upper part grey; rest a rich warm brown.
Belly, vent, underside of tail, rump, and upper half of tail-
feathers white. Extremity of tail black. Wuing-coverts an
ashen green; broad white bar across centre of wing. Outer
feathers of wing black; underside of wing white, with long
feathers black. Back a rich olive greenish ash. Eye a rich
yellow-ochre, with large black pupil. Feet a pinkish slate-
colour. Bright lemon-coloured wattles round the eyes and
over forehead. Believe to be cock bird of no. 38. [Lobiva-
nellus superciliosus, Reichen.; Shelley, t.c. p. 169.]
October 28th.
62. SPINE-TAILED SwIrt.
Head and cheeks black tinged with dark green. Throat
dirty white streaked with dark grey. Upper half of breast
grey, with centre of each feather darker grey. Rest of breast,
belly, and vent white, with a black streak down centre of each
feather. Rump white, with ditto. Tail black, with sharp
black spine at end of each feather. Back and wings black
tinged with dark green. Eyes dark sepia. Believe to be hen
of no. 40. [Chetura cassini, Scl.; Shelley, t. c. p. 168.]
October 23rd.
63. CHauntine Fatcon.
Forehead and cheeks very pale bluish grey. Top of head,
neck, and upper half of breast slightly darker ditto. Throat
white, with streak of grey down centre. Lower half of breast,
belly, and leg-coverts white, closely barred with dark grey.
Wing-coverts and back bluish grey; rest of wing very dark
grey, almost black, with white tips to feathers. Rump very
dark grey over white. Tail black, with white tip and white
| | 2&5
410 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
bar across, one inch from tip. Beak: upper half bright reddish
orange. ‘Legs ditto. Eyes very dark brown, with orange lids.
[Asturinula monogrammica, Shelley, t.c. p. 157.]
December 16th.
64. Larce BEeE-EaTeR. |
Forehead and line over eyes pale sky-blue. Top of head and
neck bright green tinged with pale blue. Lime of jet-black
running from beak under eyes, forming broad patch over ear.
Under this line, and of same length, line of white with under
edgeof sky-blue. Throat next beak light gold fading into patch of
pale sienna, bordered on each side by light green; rest of throat,
breast, belly, vent, back to rump bright green tinged with sky-
blue, particularly on vent and rump. Wiing-coverts a rich
olive-green tinged with gold; four central feathers and outer
feathers edged with sky-blue, all feathers tipped with black.
Tail bright olive-green, with two central feathers long and
pointed. Underside of wing pale golden-brown. Eyes crimson-
lake. Beak black. Feetdark grey. Cock. [| Merops persicus,
Pall. Merops superciliosus, Shelley, t.c. p. 167 (nec L.).]
65. Ditto, with exception of central feathers of tail not fully
developed. Cock.
66. Hen of last bird.
Top of head, neck, back, and wing-coverts faded green,
tinged with very pale blue. Upper half of throat pale gold;
cheeks and throat very pale reddish yellow. Breast and belly
pale green, tinged with very pale blue. Rump very light
greenish blue, almost white. Inside of wings pale reddish
yellow. Rump bright green, tinged with pale blue; tail pale
bluish green. Wings: upper half faded green; central feathers
faded blue, tipped with brown; outer feathers faded greenish
blue, tipped with brown; four central feathers of very dark
olive-green, tipped with black. Many feathers still in quill.
Believed to be young bird.
December 8th.
. 67. SMALL BuE-EaTER. |
Forehead, line over eyes, and upper half of throat white;
ORNITHOLOGY. 41]
cheeks black. Top of head very dark brown; lower half of
throat black, edged above and below with bright sky-blue.
Neck pale ‘reddish yellow, tinged with green. Breast pale
green, tinged with very pale blue. Belly and vent white,
tinged with very pale light blue. Rump bright sky-blue. Back
and wing-coverts bright green. Wing-feathers next body blue,
tipped with black; outer feathers bright golden green, edged
with blue. Tail bright blue, with two central feathers long and
pointed. Cock. Eyes crimson-lake; feet grey. [Merops albi-
collis, V.; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
68. Buz-zateR. Hen bird of no. 67.
Same description; but colour of feathers distinctly paler,
and without two long pointed feathers in tail. [Merops albi-
collis, V.; Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
November 9th.
69. THRusH.
Top of head and neck yellowish green. Cheeks bright yellow.
Throat very light grey. Breast grey, with light streak down
centre. Belly white. Sides, long fluffy feathers of an olive-
green, tipped with lemon. Vent and leg-coverts bright lemon-
yellow. Underside of wings bright lemon, except outer fea-
thers, which are grey. Back and wing-coverts dark olive-green.
Rump light olive-green. Tail golden olive. On wings two
distinct bars of bright lemon spots, and two longest feathers
next body tipped with bright lemon. Rest of feathers of wing
brown, edged with golden olive. Eyes dark sepia. Hen. Feet
grey. |Nicator chloris (Val.); Shelley, t. c. p. 161.]
October 7th.
70. Ratu.
Head, throat, neck, breast, and top of back bright reddish
brown. ‘Tail dark reddish brown. Back, wing, rump, and
belly black, covered with round white spots. Vent and leg-
coverts olive-brown, spotted with black. Legs and feet dark
pinkish brown. Cock. lHyes light brown. [Corethrura
pulchra, J. E. Gray; Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 241 (1857).]
2m 2
412 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
October 18th.
71. DorrEREt.
Forehead white, tinged with pale buff. Top of head dark
grey, edged with creamy brown. Throat white. Ring of
white round neck ; below this a ring of black, edged with grey,
and forming ruffs on side of breast. Breast, belly, vent, under-
side of tail, and wings white. Back and wing-coverts ash,
edged with creamy brown. Long feathers of wing next body
olive-ash. Central feathers of ditto light grey, with white
line through centre of wing. Outer feathers of wing black,
and quill of outer one of all pure white. Cock. Eyes dark
brown. [4gialitis minor (Meyer and Wolf); Shelley, t. c.
p- 169.]
December 21st.
72. KINGHUNTER.
Same asno.12. Cock. Eyesdark brown. [Halcyon cyano-
leuca (V.); Shelley, t. c. p. 167.]
73. GOLDEN CUCKOO.
Top of head dark purplish bronze. Neck and back bright
purplish bronze, tinged with green. Throat, neck, and breast
pale buff, streaked with brown. Streak of white down centre
of belly and vent; rest of belly, vent, and sides bright bronzy
green, barred with white. Wing-coverts and rump bright
bronzy green. Central feathers of wing and feathers next body
bright bronzy green; the central feathers barred with reddish
brown on outside edge. Outer feathers of wing dark bronzy
green, barred on inside edge with reddish brown. Two central
feathers of tail dark bronzy green, edged, tipped, and barred
next body with reddish brown. Rest of tail-feathers reddish
brown, barred with bronzy green, and tipped with white.
Underside of wings bright bronzy green, barred with white.
Underside of other feathers of wing dark grey, barred with
white and light reddish brown. Eyes hazel. Hen. [Chryso-
coccyx klaasi, V.; Shelley, t. c. p. 168.]
December 18th.
74, Lance SUN-BIRD.
Throat and upper half of breast metallic prussian-blue, with
ORNITHOLOGY. 413
shades of purple. Cheeks bronzy purple. Top of head bright
metallic, very dark green. Line from back of eyes, neck, back,
rump, and wing-coverts bright metallic bronzy green. Wings
black, with a shade of very dark brown. Lower half of breast
and belly very dark crimson-claret. Vent black, with a spot of
crimson-claret on each feather, and each feather edged with
bright metallic golden-green. Tail black. Eyes dark sepia.
Cock. Legs and feet black. [Cinnyris superbus, V.; Shelley,
t. c. p. 162.]
75. Same as no. 74. Cock.
76. Larner Sun-Birp. Hen of nos. 74 and 75.
Throat pale lemon-yellow, slightly tinged with green. Breast
pale olive-green tinged with lemon. Belly lemon. Sides light
olive-green tinged with lemon. Vent bright reddish orange.
A line of bright lemon over eye; from beak to eye and over
ears a line of dark olive-green. Cheeks lemon. Top of head
dark olive-green tinged with brown. Neck, back, and wing-
coverts green tinged with grey. Rump bright green. Tail
dark brown, edged with olive-green. Wings dark brown, edged
with olive-green, and central feathers edged with orange. Hyes
dark brown. Legs and feet black.
December 22nd.
77 and 78. Smatut SwaLtows.
Upper half of throat and sides of throat, top of head, neck,
breast, belly, vent, back, ramp, and wing-coverts bright metallic
prussian-blue. Centre of throat white; sides white. Upper-
side of tail bright prussian-blue; underside black, with inside
edge of each feather nearly down to end white. Outer feathers
of wing black tinged with deep blue. Hen. Eyes very dark
sepia. Feet black. [Hirundo nigrita, Gray; Shelley, t. c.
p- 163.]
79. SANDPIPER.
Sides of forehead, throat, lower half of breast, belly, vent,
undersides of wings, and tail and tail-coverts white. Centre of
forehead, top of head, neck, breast, and cheeks grey, with a
streak of darker grey down centre. Back dark grey, feathers
edged with white. Rump ditto. Two lines of white across
414 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
centre of wings. Centre of wings light ashen grey. Long
outer feathers of wing very dark grey, with white quills. Tail
light grey, edged with white. Eyes sepia. Hen. Beak long
and slightly curved. [7Tringa subarquata (L.); Shelley, t.c
p. 170.]
80. Sun-sirp. Same as no. 25. Cock. [Cinnyris chloro-
pygius. |
November 9th.
81. Sma SHRIKE?
Top of head dark bluish grey. Throat light reddish brown.
Breast, back, and wing-coverts reddish brown. Belly and
vent white. Rump and sides light grey. Tail black. Wattles
round eye rose-madder or faded purple. Feet and legs pinkish
grey. Hyesdark lake. Feathers of rump, vent, sides, and leg-
coverts very long and fluffy. Hen. [Diaphorophyia castanea
(Fras.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 158.]
November 7th.
82. SMALL SHRIKE.
Head, neck, throat, upper half of breast, back, rump, tail,
wing-coverts, and wings very dark metallic green. Lower half
of breast, belly, vent, and leg-coverts white. Cheeks bright
reddish brown. Wattles round eye rose-madder. Feet and
legs pinkish grey. Eyes dark lake. Cock. [Diaphorophyia
blissetti (nec Sharpe); Shelley, t. c. p.159.] This appears to
me to be a distinct species from D. dlissetii. The patch of
- feathers on the ear-coverts is not only much smaller and does
not extend to the hinder cheeks as in D. blissetii, but it is of a
different colour, being more maroon than ferruginous. Total
length 3°8 inches, wing 2°15, tail 0°85, tarsus 0°65. I therefore
propose to call the Yambuya bird Diaphorophyia jamesoni,
sp. D.
November 9th.
83. Species unknown.
Head, neck, back, rump, and wing-coverts very dark brown,
feathers tipped with bright yellowish green. Wings and tail
dark brown, edged. with ditto. Throat, breast, belly, and vent
ORNITHOLOGY. 415
dirty white, feathers barred with bright greenish yellow and
black. Eyes pale lemon. Young bird. [Barbatula scolopacea
(T.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 169.]
October 28th.
84. YetLtow Waertalt.
Top of head dark grey tinged with olive-green. Line of
lemon passing over eye to ear-coverts. Cheeks olive-green.
Throat bright lemon-yellow. Breast a dull yellow tinged with
grey. Belly and vent bright lemon-yellow. Neck and back
grey, tinged with olive-green. Rump olive-green. ‘Tail black,
with the two outer feathers on each side white. Wings dark
greyish brown, feathers edged with dirty white. Cock. [Mo-
tacilla campestris, Pall.; Shelley, t. c. p. 164.]
November 1st.
85. FLYCATCHER. .
Top of head grey, with darker streak down centre of each
feather. Throat and breast dirty white, with grey streak down
centre of each feather. Belly and vent white. Neck, back,
and wing-coverts light brownish grey. Wings and tail greyish
brown, feathers edged with dirty white. Two central feathers
of tail short and very dark grey. Cock. [Muscicapa grisola,
L.; Shelley, t. c. p. 158.]
December 27th.
86. FINCH.
Head, cheeks, throat, breast, sides, and rump bright crimson.
Neck, back, belly, and vent black. Wings very dark brown,
almost black. Tail dark red. Beak dark prussian-blue, with
shade of mother-of-pearl in upper mandible. yes deep claret.
Legs and feet deep yellow-ochre. Cock. [Pyrenestes cocci-
neus, Cass.; Shelley, t. c. p. 166.]
87. GoLpEN Cuckoo.
Young bird. Eyes light grey. Lyelids green. Feet sea-
green. Cock. [Chrysococcyx smaragdineus, Sw.,juv.; Shelley,
t. c. p. 169.}
88. WarBLER. Same as no. 58. Cock.
416 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
89. Swirrt.
Total expanse of wings 16 in. Length of each wing 7% in.
Length from tip of beak to tip of tail 72 in. Top of head dark
brownish grey, with an olive-green tinge upon it, slightly
lighter on the forehead. Cheeks very dark brownish grey.
Throat dirty white. Breast, belly, back, rump, and wing-
coverts very dark brownish grey, with an olive-green gloss on
it. Vent a light ashen grey. Tail dark ashen grey, and very
much forked. Wings, the two long outer feathers black; rest
of wing a dark sepia-like grey, with a rich sheen of olive-green.
Kiyes very dark brown. Legs feathered down to beginning of
toes. Feet grey. Cock. [Cypselus apus, L.; Shelley, t. c.
p. 168.]
90. Smaty Fincu ?
Forehead and half of top of head bright crimson. Cheeks,
throat, breast, belly, and vent bright reddish brown or raw
sienna. Back of head, neck, back,rump, and wing-coverts dark
green, with a tinge of olive-green all over it. ‘Tail dark grey.
Feet pinkish ochre. Wings, long feathers dark brown, short
ones greyish green. Eyes deep claret. Cock. [Pholidornis
yamesont, Shelley, t. c. p. 168, pl. v. fig. 1. Similar to Pholi-
dornis rubrifrons of the Gold Coast, but distinguished by having
the whole of the face chestnut and not spotted with ashy grey. |
91. Fincw. Same as no. 86. Cock.
BIRDS COLLECTED AT YAMBUYA CAMP.
92. WarsBLER. Cock. |
Throat white. Line from beak to eye and cheeks very dark
grey, almost black. Top of head very dark grey, feathers
edged with lighter grey. Neck, back, and wing-coverts French-
grey. Breast and sides light French-grey. Belly and centre
of lower half of breast white. Vent dirty greyish white. ‘Tail
hight brownish grey. Wings of a uniform brownish grey.
Eyes dark brown. [Burnesia leucopogon (Cab.); Shelley, t. c.
p. 160.] ee se: Ai,
ORNITHOLOGY. 417
Fincuts. 93. Cock. 94. Hen.
Forehead, cheeks, throat, breast, belly, vent, and tail black.
Top of head next forehead very light grey, almost white; rest
dark French-grey. Neck, back, and tail-coverts dark French-
grey. Rump very light grey, almost white. Wings black,
with white spots on shoulder, and bar of white-tipped feathers
across wing below shoulder, and three main feathers of wing
-next body tipped with white. Cock. Hyes orange.
Hen. Eyes orange. Exactly the same as cock-bird, but
light grey, not so nearly white.
[Nigrita canicapilla, Strickl.; Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
95. Smatu Sun-BIRD.
Head, cheeks, neck, back, rump, and wing-coverts metallic
bronze-green. ‘Throat bluish grey. Lower part of throat and
upper part of breast bright metallic green, succeeded by a thin
line of orange. On each side of breast a tuft of bright lemon.
Belly and sides pale olive-green. Vent pale lemon-yellow.
Tail very dark brown, almost black, with feathers edged with
metallic bronze. Wings very dark brown; feathers edged with
golden olive. Cock. Eyes pinkish red. Legs and feet black.
[ Anthothreptes tephrolema, Jard.; Shelley, t. c. p. 163.]
96. Smatu SuN-BIRD.
Throat dirty greyish white. Breast, sides, and vent a dirty
greyish white, tinged with yellow and streaked with brown.
Centre of breast and belly same, with more yellow init. A
line of dirty white from beak over eye. Top of head, cheeks,
neck, back, rump, and wing-coverts and tail a warm brown.
Wings same brown, edged with whiter brown. Hen. Eyes
dark sepia. Legs and feet black. [Cinnyris angolensis (Less.) ;
Shelley, t. c. p. 162.]
97. WarBLER. Cock.
Top of head, neck, back, ramp, wing-coverts, and tail a rich
dark olive-green. A line of yellow from beak over eye. Cheeks
dark olive greenish-brown. Throat, breast, belly, and vent a
light grey tinged with green. Wings dark brown; feathers
edged with olive-green. Eyes dark brown. Legs and feet pale
grey. Cock. [Hylia prasina, Cass.; Sharpe, t. c. p. 160.]
418 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
98. SuN-BIRD.
Same as no. 74. Cock. Not quite mature plumage,
99. WarBLER. Cock.
Top of head, neck, back, and wing-coverts pale sepia. Line
of white barred with black over eye. Throat, breast, sides,
vent, rump, and leg-coverts white, closely barred with black.
Wings dark brown; feathers edged with lighter brown. White-
tipped feathers on shoulder, and two bars of white-tipped
feathers across upper half of wing. ‘Three main feathers next
body tipped with white. Tail, upperside only showing two
long brown feathers, tipped with white; underside showing
five feathers on each side of tail in a straight line, one longer
than the other, tipped with white. Cock. Eyes dark brown.
Feet dark grey. [Burnesia bairdi (Cass.); Shelley, t. c.
p. 160.] 7
100. WaRBLER.
Same as no. 99. Hen.
101. Parapise FrycatcHer. Cock.
Immature bird, without long white feathers of tail. Same
as no. 60.
102. Parapise FrycatcHer. Hen.
Same as no. 49. [Terpsiphone cristata, Shelley, t. c. p. 158.]
103. Weaver-BirD. Cock.
Same as no. 35. [Melanhyphantes nigricollis (V.). Ploceus
nigricollis (V.); Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
104. Weraver-Birp. Hen.
Hen of above. Cheeks dark gold. Forehead, line over eyes,
throat, breast, belly, and vent bright lemon-yellow. ‘Top of
head black. Neck and back dark olive-brown. Rump olive-
brown tinged with yellow. ‘Tail olive-brown. Wing-shoulders
very dark brown, rest of wing dark brown; feathers edged with
olive greenish-yellow. [V. nigricollis, ut supra. ]
105. Species unknown.
Top of head. sides of neck, and line across top of breast
rich dark claret. Throat and upper half of breast claret,
shot with whit. Neck, back, and rump deep shiny indigo-
ORNITHOLOGY. 419
blue. Breast and belly bright lemon-yellow. Sides, leg-
coverts, and vent black; feathers tipped with lemon. Tail
black. Shoulder of wings white. Rest of wing deep blue-
black, with feathers edged with brown. Beak and large wattles
round eye bright golden yellow. Eyes dark red. Legs and
feet dark slate. Hen? [Trachyphonus purpuratus, Verv.;
Shelley, t. c. p. 169.]
106. Lance Warsier. Hen?
Top of head and neck light greyish brown. Back and wing-
coverts light yellowish brown. Rump still lighter yellowish
brown. Cheeks pale ochre. Throat white. Breast, belly, and
vent ochre, nearly buff at the sides, and white incentre. Wings
light brown, edged with yellowish brown. ‘Tail light brown.
Legs and feet lavender. Eyes light grey. Hen? ([Acroce-
phalus turdoides (Bechst.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 159.]
107. SHRIKE.
Same as no. 55. Hen.
108. CarpiINnaL F1NcH.
Same as no. 86.. Cock.
109. Fincw. Cock.
Top of head, neck, back, wings, tail, sides, centre of breast,
belly, and vent black. Throat, breast, and sides of lower half of
breast bright crimson. Rump dark crimson. Beak prussian-
blue and red. Cheeksdark crimson. Eyesred. Cock. [Sper-
mospiza guttata (V.); Shelley, t. c. p. 166.]
[110. MacrospHeEnvs FLavicans, Cass.; Shelley, t.c. p. 160.
This species was not in the British Museum, and was one of the
most interesting in the Collection. |
111. Smauz Sun-Birp. Cock.
Head, throat, neck, back, wing-coverts, and rump bright
metallic green. Line on upper part of breast below green of
bright metallic purple. Lower half of breast, sides, and vent
olive-greenish yellow. Centre of lower half of breast and belly
lemon. Tuft of bright lemon on each side of breast. Wings
brown; feathers edged with olive-green. ‘Tail deep prussian-
blue, edged with metallic green. Cock. Eyes dark brown.
420 STORY OF THE REAR COLUMN.
Legs and feet black. [Anthothreptes hypodilus, Jard.; Shelley,
t. c. p. 162.]
112. TurusH.
Believed to be young of no. 69.
113. WaRBLER.
Same as no. 58. Cock.
114. Sun-sirp. Cock.
Forehead black. Top of head next forehead bright metallic
bluish green; behind this a patch of bright metallic purple.
Cheeks and line over eye black. Centre of throat and upper
portion of breast metallic golden green. On each side of
throat, below cheeks, line of bluish metallic-green. Green on
breast ends in a strip of prussian-blue; feathers edged with
crimson. -Lower half of breast, belly, and vent dark sepia.
Back of head, neck, back, wing-coverts, rump, and tail dark
brown tinged with gold. Wings very dark sepia. Eyes dark
brown. Cock. legs and feet black. [Cinnyris angolensis,
Less. ; Shelley, t. c. p. 162.]
115 and 116. Warsiers.
Top of head claret-grey tinged with brown. Neck and
upper half of back reddish brown. Lower half of back and
rump bright reddish brown. Line above and below eye white.
Line from beak to eye black. Cheek light reddish brown.
Line of white under cheeks. Throat white, with line of black
on each side. Breast white, streaked with very dark greyish
brown. Belly and vent white. Sides lighter reddish brown.
Tail, upperside, upper half bright reddish brown, extremity
black ; four outer feathers on each side tipped with white.
Wings very dark brown, almost black, with feathers edged with
very light brown. ‘Two bars of white-tipped feathers across
shoulder of wing. Hens. Eye dark brown. [EHrythropygia
ruficauda, Sharpe; Shelley, t. c. p. 159.]
117. Smatu Fincw. Cock.
Forehead, cheeks, throat, breast, belly, and vent rose-madder.
Top of head, neck, back, and wing-coverts dark olive brownish
grey. Wings very dark greyish brown. Tail black. Cock.
ORNITHOLOGY. 421
Hyes dark reddish brown. [Nigrita bicolor, Hartl.; Shelley,
i. p, LGD.)
118. Dove.
[Chalcopelia afra (u.) ; Shelley, t. c. p. 169.]
119. Smau. Frincn.
Same as no. 30. Hen. [Spermestes poensis (Fras.).] _
120. Sparrow.
Hen. [Passer diffusus, Smith; Shelley, t. c. p. 164.]
121. Smaty Fincw. Hen.
Top of head, neck, back, wing-coverts, and tail dark olive-
green, Rump light olive-green. Cheeks and upper part of
throat light pinkish brown. Throat, breast, belly, and vent
greyish olive-green. A few black feathers with white spots on
breast. Wings dark olive-green. Hen. Eyes hazel. Beak
crimson. [Pytelia schlegeli, Sharpe; Shelley, t. c. p. 165.]
122. Crow-Like Brrp. Cock.
Eyes crimson. [Onychognathus hartlaubi, Gray ; Shelley,
t.c. p. 164.]
123 and 124. Sun-pirvs. Cocks.
Top of head, upper half of throat, and lower half of back
bright metallic bluish green. Cheeks, neck, back, and rump
metallic prussian-blue. Lower half of throat, breast, belly, and
vent dirty white. Key, ter
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