in urangi.—a noisy reception.—wonderful head-dresses.—a treacherous attack.—animal life along the river.—birds and beasts of the great stream.—a battle with the bangala.—fire-arms in the hands of the natives.—the savages, although in superior numbers, are repulsed.—high winds and storms.—effect of the climate on mr. stanley's health.—a great tributary river.—friendly people of ikengo.—provisions in abundance.—islands in the river.—death of amina.—a mournful scene.—the levy hills.—hippopotamus creek.—bolobo.—the king of chumbiri.—a crafty potentate.—his dress, pipe, wives, and sons.—inconvenient collars.—curious customs.
it was frank's turn to read on the next day, and, promptly at the appointed hour, the reader and his audience were in their places. without any preliminary remarks, the youth plunged at once into the midst of his subject.
double iron bells of urangi.
"on the morning of the 10th of february natives from down river appeared to escort us, and our friends of rubunga also despatched a canoe and five men to introduce us to urangi. in about two hours we arrived at the very populous settlement of urangi, consisting of several villages almost joining one another. i doubt whether the people of urangi and rubunga are cannibals, though we obtained proof sufficient that human life is not a subject of concern with them, and the necklaces of human teeth which they wore were by no means assuring—they provoked morbid ideas.
"we received a noisy and demonstrative welcome. in the afternoon the great chief of urangi made his presence known by sounding his double iron gong. this gong consisted of two long, iron, bell-shaped instruments, connected above by an iron handle, which, when beaten with a short stick with a ball of india-rubber at the end, produced very agreeable musical sounds. he had a kindly reception, and though he manifested no desire or declared any intention of reciprocating our gift, he did not leave our camp dissatisfied with his present. he loudly proclaimed to the assembly in the[pg 278] river something to the effect that i was his brother; that peace and good-will should prevail, and that everybody should behave, and 'make plenty of trade.' but on his departure his people became roguish and like wild children. scores of canoes flitted here and there, up and down, along the front of the camp, which gave us opportunities of observing that every person was tattooed in the most abominable manner; that the coiffeur's art was carried to perfection; that human teeth were popular ornaments for the neck; that their own teeth were filed; that brass wire to an astonishing quantity had been brought to them by the bangala; as they had coils of it upon their arms and legs, and ruffs of it resting upon their shoulders; that while the men wore ample loin-coverings of grass-cloth, their women went naked; that ivory was to be purchased here to any amount, and that palm-wine had affected the heads of a great many. we also discovered that urangi possessed about a dozen muskets.
"during the night we heard drumming and the report of muskets, but were not otherwise disturbed. as we departed down the river in the morning we were treacherously attacked by a fleet of canoes, and had a hard fight to beat them off. hitherto, on the river, we had only the arrows and spears of the natives to fear, but now they were using muskets.
beak of the balin?ceps rex.
"there was an abundance of animal life along the river. on the islands we saw several elephants; the river was full of crocodiles and hippopotami, and along the islands and banks there were flocks of storks, cranes, ducks, egrets, flamingoes, spur-winged geese, and other aquatic birds. we saw many fine specimens of the balin?ceps rex, identical with the one inhabiting the upper nile. he makes his home among the lotus-flowers and papyrus-plants, and is noticeable for his enormous beak.
the balin?ceps rex.
"during the forenoon of the 14th of february, while anxiously looking out lest we should be taken by some erratic channels in view of other villages, we arrived at the end of an island, which, after some hesitation, we followed along the right. two islands were to the right of us, and prevented us from observing the mainland. but after descending two miles we came in full view of a small settlement on the right bank. too late to return, we crept along down river, hugging the island as closely as possible, in order to arrive at a channel before the natives should sight us. but, alas! even in the midst of our prayers for deliverance, sharp, quick taps on a native kettle-drum sent our blood bounding to the heart, and we listened in agony for the response. presently one drum after another[pg 279]
[pg 280] sounded the alarm, until the titanic drums of war thundered the call to arms.
"in very despair i sprang to my feet, and, addressing my distressed and long-suffering followers, said, 'it is of no use, my friends, to hope to escape these blood-thirsty pagans. those drums mean war. yet it is very possible these are the bangala, in which case, being traders, they will have heard of the men by the sea, and a little present may satisfy the chiefs. now, while i take the sun you prepare your guns, your powder and bullets; see that every shield is ready to lift at once, as soon as you see or hear one gun-shot. it is only in that way i can save you, for every pagan now, from here to the sea, is armed with a gun, and they are black like you, and they have a hundred guns to your one. if we must die, we will die with guns in our hands, like men. while i am speaking, and trying to make friendship with them, let no one speak or move.'
"we drew ashore at the little island, opposite the highest village, and at noon i obtained by observation north latitude 1° 7' 0". meanwhile savage madness was being heated by the thunder of drums, canoes were mustering, guns were being loaded, spears and broadswords were being sharpened, all against us, merely because we were strangers, and afloat on their waters. yet we had the will and the means to purchase amity. we were ready to submit to any tax, imposition, or insolent demand for the privilege of a peaceful passage. except life, or one drop of our blood, we would sacrifice anything.
"slowly and silently we withdrew from the shelter of the island and began the descent of the stream. the boat took position in front, frank's canoe, the ocean, on the right, manwa sera's, london town, to the left. beyond manwa sera's canoe was the uninhabited island, the great length of which had ensnared us and hedged us in to the conflict. from our right the enemy would appear with muskets and spears and an unquenchable ferocity, unless we could mollify him.
"we had left observation island about half a mile behind us when the prows of many canoes were seen to emerge out of the creek. i stood up and edged towards them, holding a long piece of red cloth in one hand and a coil of brass wire in the other. we rested on our oars, and the men quietly placed their paddles in their canoes, and sat up, watchful, but ready for contingencies. as we floated down, numbers of canoes advanced.
"i hailed the natives, who were the most brilliantly decorated of any yet seen. at a distance they all appeared to wear something like english university caps, though of a white color. there was a great deal of glitter and flash of metal, shining brass, copper, and bright steel among them.
"the natives returned no answer to my hail; still i persisted, with the same artfulness of manner that had been so successful at rubunga. i observed three or four canoes approaching frank's vessel with a most suspicious air about them, and several of their canoes menacing him, at which frank stood up and menaced them with his weapon. i thought the act premature, and ordered him to sit down and to look away from them. i again raised the crimson cloth and wire, and by pantomime offered to give it to those in front, whom i was previously addressing; but almost immediately those natives who had threatened frank fired into my boat, wounding three of my young crew—mambu, murabo, and jaffari—and two more natives fired into frank's canoe, wounding two—hatib and muftah.[pg 281]
[pg 282] the missiles fired into us were jagged pieces of iron and copper ore precisely similar to those which the ashantees employed. after this murderous outrage there was no effort made to secure peace. the shields were lifted, and proved capital defences against the hail of slugs. boat, shields, and canoes were pitted, but only a few shields were perforated.
a cannibal chief.
"the conflict began in earnest, and lasted so long that ammunition had to be redistributed. we perceived that, as the conflict continued, every village sent out its quota. about two o'clock a canoe advanced with a swaggering air, its crew evidently intoxicated, and fired at us when within thirty yards. the boat instantly swept down to it and captured it, but the crew sprang into the river, and, being capital swimmers, were saved by a timely arrival of their friends. at three o'clock i counted sixty-three opposed to us. some of the bangala distinguished themselves by an audacity and courage that, for our own sakes, i was glad to see was not general. especially one young chief, distinguished by his head-dress of white goat-skin and a short mantle of the same material, and wreaths of thick brass wire on neck, arms, and legs, sufficient, indeed, to have protected those parts from slugs, and proving him to be a man of consequence. his canoe-mates were ten in number; and his steersman, by his adroitness and dexterity, managed the canoe so well that, after he and his mates had fired their guns, he instantly presented its prow and only a thin line of upright figures to our aim. each time he dashed up to deliver his fire all the canoes of his countrymen seemed stimulated by his example to emulate him. and, allowing five guns on an average to each of the sixty-three canoes, there were three hundred and fifteen muskets opposed to our forty-four. their mistake was in supposing their slugs to have the same penetrative effect and long range as our missiles had. only a few of the boldest approached, after they had experienced our fire, within a hundred yards. the young chief already mentioned frequently charged to within fifty yards, and delivered a smashing charge of missiles, almost all of which were either too low or too high. finally manwa sera wounded him with a snider bullet in the thigh. the brave fellow coolly, and in presence of us all, took a piece of cloth and deliberately bandaged it, and then calmly retreated towards shore. the action was so noble and graceful that orders were given to let him withdraw unmolested. after his departure the firing became desultory, and at 5.30 p.m. our antagonists retired, leaving us to attend to our wounded, and to give three hearty cheers at our success. this was our thirty-first fight on the terrible river—the last but one—and certainly the most determined conflict that we had endured.
"the bangala may be said to be the ashantees of the livingstone river, though their country has comparatively but a small populated river front. their villages cover—at intervals of a mile or half a mile—a line of ten miles. they trade with ikengo and irebu down the river all the ivory they have purchased from upoto, gunji, mpisa, ukeré, rubunga, urangi, mpakiwana, and marunja. i observed soon after the fight began that many canoes emerged out of a river coming from a northerly direction. for a long period the river of bangala has appeared on west african maps as the bancaro river. the word bangala, which may be pronounced bangara, bankara, or bankaro, signifies the people of mangala or mangara, mankara or mankaro. i have simply adopted the more popular term.
the attack of the sixty-three canoes of the piratical bangala.
"we continued our journey on this eventful day until an hour after sunset,[pg 283]
[pg 284] when we proceeded to establish a camp at the head of a narrow, tortuous channel, which lost itself amid the clusters of small islets.
"on the 15th, at noon, we reached north latitude 0° 58' 0". the strong winds which at this season blow daily up river impeded our journey greatly. they generally began at 8 a.m., and lasted until 3 p.m. when narrow channels were open to us we were enabled to proceed without interruption, but when exposed to broad open streams the waves rose as high as two feet, and were a source of considerable danger. indeed, from the regularity and increased force of the winds, i half suspected at the time that the livingstone emptied into some vast lake such as the victoria nyanza. the mean temperature in the shade seldom exceeded 74° fahrenheit, and the climate, though not dry, was far more agreeable than the clammy humidity characteristic of the east coast. the difference between the heat in this elevated region and that of the east coast was such that, while it was dangerous to travel in the sun without a sun-umbrella, near the sea on the east coast a light double-cotton cloth cap saved me from feeling any inconvenience when standing up in the boat under a bright glaring sun and cloudless sky. while sitting down in the boat, a few minutes was sufficient to convince me it was dangerous, without an umbrella, even here. while at work at the stanley falls the umbrella was not used. the nights were uncomfortable without a blanket, and sometimes even two were desirable.
poisoned arrows.
"the winds which prevail at this season of the year are from the southwest, or south, which means from the temperate latitude of the south atlantic, and slightly chilled in their passage over the western ranges. in the early morning the thermometer was often as low as 64°. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. it ranged from 75° to 85° fahrenheit in the shade; from 4 p.m. to sunset it ranged from 72° to 80°. from the 12th of january until the 5th of march we experienced no rain.
"one remarkable fact connected with our life in this region is, that though we endured more anxiety of mind and more strain on the body, were subject to constant peril, and fared harder (being compelled for weeks to subsist on green bananas, cassava, and sugarless tea, and those frequently in scanty quantities), we—frank and i—enjoyed better health on the livingstone than at any other period of the journey; but whether this unusual health might not be attributed to having become more acclimatized is a question.
"the mirage on the livingstone was often ludicrously deceptive, playing on our fears at a most trying period, in a manner which plunged us from a temporary enjoyment of our immunity from attack into a state of suspicion and alarm, which probably, in nine cases out of ten, arose out of the exaggerated proportions given to a flock of pelicans or wild geese, which to our nerves, then in a high state of tension, appeared to be a very host of tall warriors. a young crocodile basking on a sandy spit appeared to be as large as a canoe, and an ancient and bleached tree a ship.
a crocodile hunt.
"at noon of the 17th we had reached north latitude 0° 18' 41", our course during[pg 285]
[pg 286] the 16th and 17th having been southwest, but a little before sunset the immense river was gradually deflecting to south.
"i quote the following from my note-book:
"'february 18, 1877.—for three days we have been permitted, through the mercy of god, to descend this great river uninterrupted by savage clamor or ferocity. winds during two days seriously impeded us, and were a cause for anxiety, but yesterday was fine and calm, and the river like a sheet of burnished glass; we therefore made good progress. in the afternoon we encountered a native trading expedition from ikengo in three canoes, one of which was manned by fifteen paddlers, clothed in robes of crimson blanket-cloth. we hailed them, but they refused to answer us. this sight makes me believe the river must be pretty free of cataracts, and it may be that there are no more than the sundi cataract, and the falls of yellalla reported by tuckey in 1816, otherwise i cannot account for the ascent of three trading vessels, and such extensive possession of cloths and guns, so far up the river.
"'since the 10th of february we have been unable to purchase food, or indeed approach a settlement for any amicable purpose. the aborigines have been so hostile that even fishing-canoes have fired at us as though we were harmless game. god alone knows how we shall prosper below. but let come what may, i have purposed to attempt communicating with the natives to-morrow. a violent death will be preferable to death by starvation.
"'february 19, 1877.—this morning we regarded each other as fated victims of protracted famine, or the rage of savages, like those of mangala. but as we feared famine most, we resolved to confront the natives again. at 10 a.m., while we were descending the livingstone along the left bank, we discovered an enormous river, considerably over a thousand yards wide, with a strong current, and deep, of the color of black tea. this is the largest influent yet discovered, and after joining the livingstone it appeared to command the left half to itself—it strangely refuses to amalgamate with the livingstone, and the divisional line between them is plainly marked by a zigzag ripple, as though the two great streams contended with one another for the mastery. even the aruwimi and the lowwa united would not greatly exceed this giant influent. its strong current and black water contrast very strongly with the whitey-brown livingstone. on the upper side of the confluence is situate ibonga, but the natives, though not openly hostile, replied to us with the peculiar war-cries "yaha-ha-ha!"
"'we continued our journey, though grievously hungry, past bwena and inguba, doing our utmost to induce the staring fishermen to communicate with us, without any success. they became at once officiously busy with guns, and dangerously active. we arrived at ikengo, and as we were almost despairing we proceeded to a small island opposite this settlement and prepared to encamp. soon a canoe with seven men came dashing across, and we prepared our moneys for exhibition. they unhesitatingly advanced, and ran their canoe alongside us. we were rapturously joyful, and returned them a most cordial welcome, as the act was a most auspicious sign of confidence. we were liberal, and the natives fearlessly accepted our presents, and from this giving of gifts we proceeded to seal this incipient friendship with our blood with all due ceremony.
elephant hunters on the congo.
"'after an hour's stay with us they returned to communicate with their countrymen,[pg 287]
[pg 288] leaving one young fellow with us, which was another act of grace. soon from a village below ikengo two more canoes came up with two chiefs, who were extremely insolent and provoking, though after nearly two and a half years' experience of african manners we were not to be put out of temper because two drunken savages chose to be overbearing.
african knife and axes.
"'by and by they cooled down. we got them to sit and talk, and we laughed together, and were apparently the best of friends. of all the things which struck their fancy, my note-book, which they called "tara-tara," or looking-glass, appeared to them to be the most wonderful. they believed it possessed manifold virtues, and that it came from above. would i, could i, sell it to them? it would have found a ready sale. but as it contained records of disaster by flood and fire, charts of rivers and creeks and islands, sketches of men and manners, notes upon a thousand objects, i could not part with it even for a tusk of ivory.
"'they got angry and sulky again. it was like playing with and coaxing spoiled children. we amused them in various ways, and they finally became composed, and were conquered by good-nature. with a generous scorn of return gifts, they presented me with a gourdful of palm-wine. but i begged so earnestly for food that they sent their canoes back, and, while they sat down by my side, it devolved upon me until their return to fascinate and charm them with benignant gestures and broken talk. about 3 p.m. provisions came in basketfuls of cassava tubers, bananas, and long plantains, and the two chiefs made me rich by their liberality, while the people began also to thaw from that stupor into which impending famine had plunged them. at sunset our two friends, with whom i had labored with a zealot's enthusiasm, retired, each leaving with me a spear as a pledge that they would return to-morrow, and renew our friendly intercourse, with canoe-loads of provisions.
[pg 289]
spears, and shield of elephant-hide.
[pg 290]
"'february 20, 1877.—my two friends brought most liberal supplies with them of cassava tubers, cassava loaves, flour, maize, plantains, and bananas, and two small goats, besides two large gourdfuls of palm-wine, and, what was better, they had induced their countrymen to respond to the demand for food. we held a market on mwangangala island, at which there was no scarcity of supplies; black pigs, goats, sheep, bananas, plantains, cassava bread, flour, maize, sweet potatoes, yams, and fish being the principal things brought for sale.
"'the tall chief of bwena and the chief of inguba, influenced by the two chiefs of ikengo, also thawed, and announced their coming by sounding those curious double bell-gongs, and blowing long horns of ivory, the notes of which distance made quite harmonious. during the whole of this day life was most enjoyable, intercourse unreservedly friendly, and though most of the people were armed with guns there was no manifestation of the least desire to be uncivil, rude, or hostile, which inspired us once more with a feeling of security to which we had been strangers since leaving urangi.
"'from my friends i learned that the name of the great river above bwena is called ikelemba. when i asked them which was the largest river, that which flowed by mangala, or that which came from the southeast, they replied, that though ikelemba river was very large, it was not equal to the "big river." they said it would take me thirty days to reach the cataracts of the lower part of the river.
"'every weapon these natives possess is decorated with fine brass wire and brass tacks. their knives are beautiful weapons, of a bill-hook pattern, the handles of which are also profusely decorated with an amount of brass-work and skill that places them very high among the clever tribes. these knives are carried in broad sheaths of red buffalo-hide, and are suspended by a belt of the same material. besides an antique flint-lock musket, each warrior is armed with from four to five light and long assegais, with staves of the curtisia faginea, and a bill-hook sword. they are a finely formed people, of a chocolate brown, very partial to camwood powder and palm-oil. snuff is very freely taken, and their tobacco is most pungent.
"'february 21.—this afternoon at 2 p.m. we continued our journey. eight canoes accompanied us some distance, and then parted from us, with many demonstrations of friendship. the river flows from ikengo southwesterly, the flood of the ikelemba retaining its dark color, and spreading over a breadth of three thousand yards; the livingstone's pure, whitey-gray waters flow over a breadth of about five thousand yards, in many broad channels.'
"from the left bank we crossed to the right, on the morning of the 22d, and, clinging to the wooded shores of ubangi, had reached at noon south latitude 0° 51' 13". two hours later we came to where the great river contracted to a breadth of three thousand yards, flowing between two low, rocky points, both of which were populous, well cultivated, and rich with banana plantations. below these points the river slowly widened again, and islands well wooded, like those farther up the river, rose into view, until by their number they formed once more intricate channels and winding creeks.
spectators among the trees.
"desirous of testing the character of the natives, we pulled across to the left bank, until, meeting with a small party of fishermen, we were again driven by their ferocity to seek the untravelled and unpopulated island wildernesses. it was rather amusing than otherwise to observe the readiness of the savages of irebu to[pg 291]
[pg 292] fire their guns at us. they appeared to think that we were human waifs without parentage, guardianship, or means of protection, for their audacity was excessive. one canoe with only four men dashed down at us from behind an island close to the left bank, and fired point-blank from a distance of one hundred yards. another party ran along a spit of sand and coolly waited our approach on their knees, and, though we sheered off to a distance of two hundred yards from them, they poured a harmless volley of slugs towards us, at which baraka, the humorist, said that the pagans caused us to 'eat more iron than grain.'
"such frantic creatures, however, could not tempt us to fight them. the river was wide enough, channels innumerable afforded us means of escaping from their mad ferocity, and if poor purblind nature was so excessively arrogant, providence had kindly supplied us with crooked by-ways and unfrequented paths of water which we might pursue unmolested.
"at noon of the 23d we had reached 1° 22' 15" south latitude. strong gales met us during each day. the islands were innumerable, creeks and channels winding in and out among the silent scenes. but though their general appearance was much the same, almost uniform in outline and size, the islands never became commonplace. was it from gratitude at the security they afforded us from the ruthless people of these regions? i do not know, but every bosky island into whose dark depths, shadowed by impervious roofs of foliage, we gazed had about it something kindly and prepossessing. did we love them because, from being hunted by our kind, and ostracized from communities of men, we had come to regard them as our homes? i cannot tell, but i shall ever and forever remember them. ah, had i but space, how i would revel in descriptions of their treasures and their delights! even with their gad-flies and their tsetsé, their mosquitoes and their ants, i love them. there was no treachery or guile in their honest depths; the lurking assassin feared their twilight gloom; the savage dared not penetrate their shades without a feeling of horror; but to us they were refuges in our distress, and their solitudes healed our woes. how true the words, 'affliction cometh not out of the dust, nor doth trouble spring out of the ground.' innocence and peace dwelt in the wilderness alone. outside of these retreats glared the fierce-eyed savage, with malice and rage in his heart, and deadly weapons in his hand.
"to us, then, these untenanted islets, with their 'breadths of tropic shade, and palms in clusters,' seemed verily 'knots of paradise.' like hunted beasts of the chase, we sought the gloom and solitudes of the wilds. along the meandering and embowered creeks, hugging the shadows of the o'erarching woods, we sought for that safety which man refused us.
"the great river grew sealike in breadth below irebu on the morning of the 24th; indeed, it might have been one hundred miles in breadth for aught we knew, deep-buried as we were among the islands. yet there were broad and deep channels on every side of us, as well as narrow creeks between lengthy islands. the volume of water appeared exhaustless, though distributed over such an enormous width. there was water sufficient to float the most powerful steamers that float in the mississippi. here and there among the verdured isles gleamed broad humps of white sand, but on either side were streams several hundred yards wide, with as much as three fathoms' depth of water in the channels.
[pg 293]
"at noon we reached south latitude 1° 37' 22". the mompurengi natives appeared on an island and expressed their feelings by discharging two guns at us, which we did not resent, but steadily held on our way. an hour afterwards faithful amina, wife of kachéché, breathed her last, making a most affecting end.
"being told by kachéché that his poor wife was dying, i drew my boat alongside of the canoe she was lying in. she was quite sensible, but very weak. 'ah, master,' she said, 'i shall never see the sea again. your child amina is dying. i have so wished to see the cocoanuts and the mangoes; but no; amina is dying—dying in a pagan land. she will never see zanzibar. the master has been good to his children, and amina remembers it. it is a bad world, master, and you have lost your way in it. good-bye, master; do not forget poor little amina!'
"while floating down we dressed amina in her shroud, and laid her tenderly out, and at sunset consigned her body to the depths of the silent river.
"the morning of the 25th saw us once again on the broad stream floating down. we got a view of the mainland to the right, and discovered it to be very low. we hurried away into the island creeks, and floated down among many reedy, grassy islets, the haunt of bold hippopotami, one of which made a rush at a canoe with open mouth, but contented himself fortunately with a paddle, which he crunched into splinters.
"on the 26th the grassy islets became more frequent, inhabited by the flamingo, pelican, stork, whydahs, ibis, geese, ducks, etc. the salt-makers find a great source of wealth in the grasses, and the smoke of their fires floated over the country in clouds.
"at 10 a.m. the levy hills rose into view about two miles beyond the river, on the left bank, which as we neared kutumpuku approached the river, and formed a ridge. instantly the sight of the approaching hills suggested cataracts, and the memories of the terrible struggles we had undergone in passing the stanley falls were then brought vividly to our mind. what should we do with our sadly weakened force, were we to experience the same horrible scenes again?
"at noon i took an observation, and ascertained that we were in south latitude 2° 23' 14". edging off towards the right bank, we came to a creek, which, from the immense number of those amphibious animals, i have called 'hippopotamus creek.' grass-covered islets, innumerable to us as we passed by them, were on either side. when about half-way through this creek we encountered seven canoes, loaded with men, about to proceed to their fishing haunts. our sudden meeting occasioned a panic among the natives, and as man had hitherto been a dreaded object, it occasioned us also not a little uneasiness. fortunately, however, they retreated in haste, uttering their fearful 'yaha-ha-has,' and we steadily pursued our way down river, and about 3 p.m. emerged in view of the united stream, four thousand yards wide, contracted by the steep cultivated slopes of bolobo on the left, and by a beautiful high upland—which had gradually been lifting from the level plains—on the right bank.
"for a moment, as we issued in view of the stream, with scores of native canoes passing backward and forward, either fishing or proceeding to the grassy islets to their fish-sheds and salt-making, we feared that we should have another conflict; but though they looked at us wonderingly, there was no demonstration of hostility. one man in a canoe, in answer to our question, replied that the bold[pg 294] heights two hundred feet above the river, which swarmed with villages, was bolobo. being so near the border of the savage lands above, we thought it safer to wait yet one more day before attempting further intercourse with them.
"on the 27th, during the morning, we were still among islets and waving branches, but towards the afternoon the islets had disappeared, and we were in view of a magnificent breadth of four miles of clear water. on our left the cultivated uplands of bolobo had become elevated into a line of wooded hills, and on our right the wall of the brown, grassy upland rose high and steep, broken against the sky-line into cones.
"gradually the shores contracted, until at 3 p.m. the right bank deflected to a southeast course, and finally shot out a long rocky point, which to us, accustomed to an enormous breadth of river, appeared as though it were the commencement of a cataract. we approached it with the utmost caution, but on arriving near it we discovered that the mirage had exaggerated its length and height, for between it and the left bank were at least two thousand five hundred yards of deep water.
"the time had now come when we could no longer sneak among reedy islets, or wander in secret among wildernesses of water; we must once more confront man. the native, as we had ascertained opposite bolobo, was not the destructive infuriate of irebu or mompurengi, or the frantic brute of mangala and marunja. he appeared to be toning down into the man, and to understand that others of his species inhabited this globe. at least, we hoped so. we wished to test the accuracy of this belief, and now eagerly searched for opportunities to exchange greetings, and to claim kindred with him. as we had industriously collected a copious vocabulary of african languages, we felt a certain confidence that we had been sufficiently initiated into the science of aboriginal language to be able to begin practising it.
"behind the rocky point were three natives fishing for minnows with hand-nets. we lay to on our oars and accosted them. they replied to us clearly and calmly. there was none of that fierce fluster and bluster and wild excitement that we had come to recognize as the preliminary symptoms of a conflict. the word ndu—brother—was more frequent. to our overtures of friendship there was a visible inclination of assent; there was a manifest desire to accept our conciliatory sentiments; for we received conciliatory responses. who could doubt a pacific conclusion to the negotiations? our tact and diplomacy had been educated in a rough school of adversity. once the attention of the natives had been arrested, and their confidence obtained, we had never failed to come to a friendly understanding.
encounter with a hippopotamus.
"they showed us a camping-place at the base of the brown, grassy upland, in the midst of a thin grove of trees. they readily subscribed to all the requirements of friendship, blood-brotherhood, and an exchange of a few small gifts. two of them then crossed the river to chumbiri, whose green, wooded slopes and fields, and villages and landing-place, were visible, to tell the king of chumbiri that peaceable strangers desired friendship with him. they appeared to have described us to him as most engaging people, and to have obtained his cordial co-operation and sympathy in a very short time, for soon three canoes appeared conveying about forty men, under three of his sons, who bore to us the royal spear, and several royal gifts, such as palm-wine, a goat, bananas, and a chicken for myself,[pg 295]
[pg 296] and a hearty welcome from the old king, their father, with the addition of a promise that he would call himself the next day.
a present from chumbiri.
"about 9 a.m. of the 28th, the king of chumbiri appeared with éclat. five canoes filled with musketeers escorted him.
the king of chumbiri.
"though the sketch below is an admirable likeness of him, it may be well also to append a verbal description. a small-eyed man of fifty years or thereabout, with a well-formed nose, but wide nostrils and thin lips, clean shaved—or rather clean-plucked—with a quiet yet sociable demeanor, ceremonious and mild-voiced, with the instincts of a greedy trader cropping out of him at all points, and cunning beyond measure. the type of his curious hat may be seen on the head of any armenian priest. it was formed out of close-plaited hyphene-palm fibre, sufficiently durable to outlast his life though he might live a century. from his left shoulder, across his chest, was suspended the sword of the bill-hook pattern, already described in the passages about ikengo. above his shoulder stood upright the bristles of an elephant's tail. his hand was armed with a buffalo's tail, made into a fly-flapper, to whisk mosquitoes[pg 297] and gnats off the royal face. to his wrist were attached the odds and ends which the laws of superstition had enjoined upon him, such as charm-gourds, charm-powders in bits of red and black flannel, and a collection of wooden antiquities, besides a snuff-gourd and a parcel of tobacco-leaves.
great pipe of king of chumbiri.
"the king's people were apparently very loyal and devoted to him, and his sons showed remarkable submissiveness. the little snuff-gourd was in constant requisition, and he took immoderate quantities, inhaling a quarter of a teaspoonful at a time from the palm of his hand, to which he pressed his poor nose until it seemed to be forced into his forehead. immediately after, one of his filially affectionate children would fill his long chibouque, which was six feet in length, decorated with brass tacks and tassels of braided cloth. the bowl was of iron, and large enough to contain half an ounce of tobacco. he would then take two or three long-drawn whiffs, until his cheeks were distended like two hemispheres, and fumigate his charms thoroughly with the smoke. his sons then relieved him of the pipe—at which he snapped his fingers—and distended their cheeks into hemispherical protuberances in like manner, and also in the same way fumigated their little charms; and so the chibouque of peace and sociability went the round of the circle, as though it were a council of sioux about to hold a pow-wow, and as the pipe passed round there was an interchange of finger-snaps in a decorous, grave, and ceremonious style.
"our intercourse with the king was very friendly, and it was apparent that we were mutually pleased. the only fault that i, as a stranger, could find in him was an excessive cunning, which approached to the sublime. he had evidently cultivated fraud and duplicity as an art, yet he was suave and wheedling. could i complain? never were people so willing to be victimized. had we been warned that he would victimize us, i do not think that we should have refused his friendship.
"an invitation was extended to us to make his own village our home. we were hungry; and no doubt we were approaching cataracts. it would be welcome knowledge to know what to expect below in that broad defile filled by the great river; what peoples, countries, tribes, villages, rivers we should see; if the tribes were amenable to reason in the unknown country; if white men had ever been heard of; if there were cataracts below, and if they were passable. we accepted the invitation, and crossed the river, drums and double bell-gongs sounding the peaceful advance of our flotilla upon chumbiri.
"we were proud of our reception by the dames of chumbiri. loyal and submissive to their king, they exhibited kindly attentions to the strangers. we held a grand market, and won the natives' hearts by our liberality. back rations for several days were due to our people, and, filled with an extravagant delight—even as frank and i were—they expended their ration moneys with a recklessness of[pg 298] consequences which only the novelty of the situation explained. we had arrived at port, and weather-beaten voyagers are generally free with their moneys upon such occasions.
one of the king's wives at chumbiri.
"the dames of chumbiri were worth seeing, even to us, who were sated with the thousand curious things we had met in our long travels. they were also pretty, of a rich brown color many of them, large-eyed, and finely formed, with a graceful curve of shoulder i had not often observed. but they were slaves of fashion. six tenths of the females wore brass collars two inches in diameter; three tenths had them two and a half inches in diameter; one tenth were oppressed with collars three inches in diameter; which completely covered the neck, and nearly reached the shoulder ends. fancy the weight of thirty pounds of brass, soldered permanently round the neck! yet these oppressed women were the favorite wives of chumbiri! and they rejoiced in their oppression!
"i believe that chumbiri—who, as i said, was a keen and enterprising trader, the first aboriginal african that might be compared to a parsee—as soon as he obtained any brass wire, melted it and forged it into brass collars for his wives. that the collars were not larger may be attributed, perhaps, to his poverty. he boasted to me he possessed 'four tens' of wives, and each wife was collared permanently in thick brass. i made a rough calculation, and i estimated that his wives bore about their necks until death at least eight hundred pounds of brass; his daughters—he had six—one hundred and twenty pounds; his favorite female slaves about two hundred pounds. add six pounds of brass wire to each wife and daughter for arm and leg ornaments, and one is astonished to discover that chumbiri possesses a portable store of one thousand three hundred and ninety-six pounds of brass.
"i asked of chumbiri what he did with the brass on the neck of a dead wife. chumbiri smiled. cunning rogue; he regarded me benevolently, as though he loved me for the searching question. significantly he drew his finger across his throat.
"the warriors and young men are distinguished for a characteristic style of hair-dressing, which belongs to uyanzi alone. it is arranged into four separate plaits, two of which overhang the forehead like lovers' curls. another special mark of uyanzi are two tattooed lines over the forehead. in whatever part of the lower livingstone these peculiarities of style may be seen, they are indubitably wy-yanzi, or natives of uyanzi.
"the country of uyanzi embraces many small districts, and extends along the left bank of the great river, from bolobo, in south latitude 2° 23' 14", to the confluence of the ibari nkutu, or river of nkutu, and the livingstone, in 3° 14' south latitude. the principal districts are bolobo, isangu, chumbiri, musevoka, misongo, and ibaka. opposite is the country of the bateké, a wilder tribe than the wy-yanzi,[pg 299] some of the more eastern of whom are professed cannibals. to the north is the cannibal tribe of the wanfuninga, of ferocious repute, and dreaded by the wy-yanzi and bateké.
"on the 7th of march we parted from the friendly king of chumbiri, with an escort of forty-five men, in three canoes, under the leadership of his eldest son, who was instructed by his father to accompany us as far as the pool, now called stanley pool, because of an incident which will be described hereafter.
"for some reason we crossed the river, and camped on the right bank, two miles below chumbiri. at midnight the wy-yanzi awoke us all by the fervor with which they employed their fetishes to guide us safely from camp to camp, which they named. as they had been very successful in charming away the rain with which we had been threatened the evening before, our people were delighted to hear them pray for success, having implicit faith in them."
[pg 300]
a bowman.
