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A TOUR
IN THE CONGO FREE STATE
MARCUS
R, P,
DORMAN
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
A JOURNAL
OF A
TOUR
IN
THE CONGO
FREE STATE
Brussels.
Printer
J.
JANSSENS, rue des Armuriers, 25.
JOURNAL
A
OF A
TOUR
THE CONGO
IN
FREE STATE
BY
MARCUS
AUTHOR OF A History of
R, P,
DORMAN,
M, A,
Empire in the Nineteenth Century;
STUDY OP POLITICAL THOUGHT
IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY;
Ifinorance, \ STUDY OK THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OK POPULAR THOUGHT
AND From Matter to Mind.
The Mind of
the British
the Nation, A
BRUSSELS
J.
LEBEGUE AND
46,
Co.,
PUBLISHERS
RUE DE LA MADELEINE, 46
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TBUBNER &
DBYDEN HOUSE,
43,
CO., LTD.
GERRABD STREET, W.
1905
Dedicated
by
Permission
to
His Majesty Leopold
II,
King of Belgium
and
Sovereign of the Congo Free State.
1304096
PREFACE.
This journal
minimum
the
is
my
practically
Diary reproduced with
order that the impressions
of editing in
gained on the spot should be described without modification.
was never intended
It
written only as an aid to
little
more than a
Having
left
Government
publication,
memory.
collection of
beyond
As
against
the
Congo Free State and returned with a
its
favour,
I
feel
however
I
that
it
is
did see for the
whose opinions are not already formed
recall.
in all controversies
where feelings subordinate reason
and people judge more by
many
is
it
rough notes.
duty to publish an account of what
benefit of those
and was
Consequently
England with a prejudice
of the
very strong feeling in
my
for
their
emotions than by evidence,
are too quick to-day to attribute interested motives
to those
whose opinions are not similar
Since a great
number
of people in the
to
their
Congo and
at
own.
home
PREFACE
VIII
are curious to
know whether
Government, the
state here
once
Britisli
I
was sent out by
the
Government or the Times,
for all that
I
went
to the
Congo
Congo
I
will
entirely to
please myself and with the hope of shooting big game.
In
go further and
state
order indeed to satisfy curiosity,
was
that not only
the trip cost
It is
went
by
all
1
me
however
was
I
I
will
not paid for telling the truth, but that
a great deal of money.
delightful to
remember
that
treated with the greatest kindness
wherever
I
and courtesy
whether they approved of the system of the Congo
me
Government or not and
it
here the State
Missionaries of
officials,
and Traders of various
friendship
and valuable
gives
great pleasure to thank
all
denominations
nationalities for their hospitality,
assistance.
M. R. P. D.
London 1905.
THE STEAMER
FLORIDA.
CHAPTER
London
There was no time
to
I.
Banana.
The ship
to spare.
sailed from
eight hours and I had only just
Southampton!
arranged to accompany Lord Mountmorres on a tour in
He was going out for the purpose
the Congo Free State.
in forty
of discovering the true condition of affairs in that country
and of writing
thereupon for the Globe but inciAfter
have some big game shooting.
articles
to
dentally hoped
one has read much about a country
to visit
it
this case,
it
is
always interesting
and as the prospect of good sport was added
I
at
once decided
to
in
brave the cannibals, wild
i
LONDON TO BANANA
2
and
beasts,
most dangerous of
the climate,
all
and
to
seize the opportunity to visit the Congo.
was necessary to purchase? a complete camp outfit,
suitable clothes and much food-stuff and to arrange cerIt
easy for
The
home.
tain affairs at
first
was only necessary
it
part
was however rendered
to duplicate the order already
given by Lord Mountmorres, and with a rapidity which
could not be equalled anywhere else, the Army and Navy
Stores and Messrs.
and cases
furniture
As
there are
Silvers
in a
packed and despatched
tent,
few hours.
many and
varied discomforts which cannot
be avoided when travelling in the Congo, or any other
tropical
to
add
and
half-civilised country,
is
it
number by omitting
just as well not
by the
few hints may therefore be
their
to
to
benefit
A
experience of others.
inserted here without apology for the benefit of other
The first articles to be considered are a tent,
travellers.
bed, and mosquito-net.
with a penthouse roof
Now when
the usual oblong tent
pitched and the bed made, surmounted by the mosquito-net, the only place in which
there is room for it, is in the middle of the tent between
The
the two poles.
is
result is ihat as the roof slopes,
absolutely impossible to sland upright
much
space
is
arrange for the
and
therefore wasted.
bed
for the net to
the middle
Circles of
for clothes
and large pockets
It
is
be attached
and the other side
hooks
It
to stand close to
to the
it
is
on either side and
would be
better to
one side of the tent
sloping roof leaving
free for table
and
chair.
should be attached to the poles
in the walls of the tent itself are useful.
needless to specify particulars about furniture, and
I
will only say that the folding or concertina pattern bed,
LONDON TO BANANA
3
\\ashhandstaiid and table proved very comfortable
bath,
and withstood the great
ed nearly every day
down.
A
should be
six
lor
strong, long lounge chair
In climates
sary.
packed and unpackmonths without breaking
strain of being
made
where there
is
certainly the
necessitates carrying a
glare, everything
The well-known Lord's
of green canvas.
patent petrol lamp
absolutely neces-
is
much
is
good supply of
There
more convenient than candles.
and although it
oil, is cleaner and
best
not space here
is
to give a list of all the necessities for travelling
and
ing in the forests of Africa
is
it
enough
and campone
to say that
cany a complete house, furniture, kitchen utensils
Wheat and milk cows do not exist in the
and much food.
has
to
It is therefore
and very little grows which is edible.
necessary to carry sufficient flour, butter, lard, condiments, tinned meals, vegetables and fruits in order to cook,
forest
make a variety from the antelopes, fish, game,
chickens which are procurable on the spot.
and
goats
Water bottles and filters are very necessary, but for
and
to
home -
Africa the best change at
lain cores
and
those which have porce-
are of no use for the water is very
the minute pores at once
become blocked.
muddy,
The char-
although bulky to carry, are therefore the best
The question of alcohol must be left to the
for the forest.
coal
filters,
individual himself, but
it
must be remembered
are only a very few places where
the
Congo and
it
that there
can be purchased in
that the Slate officials are only permitted to
have a limited amount for themselves.
best wine for tho climate
is
good
the healthiest spirit, whisky.
some medical comforts
in the
Undoubtedly the
burgundy, and
claret or
It is
however, well
to
have
shape of champagne and
LONDON TO BANANA
4
Excellent native
brandy to take after attacks of fever.
can be purchased tea and sugar must be carried.
coffee
;
Drugs, especially iron, quinine, arsenic and phenacetin
are essential as also splints,
bandages and dressings in
case of accidents.
Now
must be remembered
it
that the climate is hot
and
Metals rust at once, leather and cloth become
humid.
mouldy, food
keep one or two days only after
and cigars, tobacco and cigarettes
will
stuffs
the tins are opened,
In packing therefore, all the
become damp and ferment.
food, cigars, cigarettes and tobacco should be soldered
arranged that when once opened, it
shut
A tin of sardines or conthem
again.
possible
densed milk once opened cannot be carried in a case liable
and
airtight
is
in tins so
to
to be upside
some
bottles
down
There are however,
any moment.
with screw tops and india-rubber rings in
at
which Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell send out jam.
are airtight and so very useful for
when
These
they are empty
they can be cleaned and used for milk, sardines, or any-
thing else again and again.
Messrs. Huntley and Palmer
pack biscuits in their usual tins but with an inner lid solAbove all
dered, and these are also very convenient.
remember curry powder,
things,
Worcester sauce,
pleasant
trivial,
if it
but
for
tastes of
it
something
is really
easily lost in the
pickles, chutney and
even goat's flesh can be rendered
else.
All this
may sound
very important, for the appetite is
if the
strength is not main-
Congo and
tained by plenty of food, sickness is certain to follow.
Leather cases for rifles and guns are not good as they deteriorate.
The best case I have ever seen was made for me
by a ship's boatswain.
It
was
of strong sail canvas
made
LONDON TO BANANA
to
the
fit
paint
;
5
and covered outside with ordinary ship's
became lined with oil and the
rifle
the inside speedily
whole formed an excellent guard against the damp.
It is
to
have
firearms
cleaned
and
oiled
however, necessary
nearly every day whether used or not.
Clothes of cloth are not necessary.
flannel
are
strong boots.
It
Drill,
khaki and
light helmets and plenty of
must be remembered that everything has
with
sufficient
be carried by porters.
Clothes, blankets, &c. should
be packed in tin boxes with rubber edges so that when
to
shut they are airtight; tents pack in bales and every arti-
should fold up.
The whole equipment
must be arranged so that each load is about 50 or 60 Ibs
and is conveniently shaped for carrying on the head or
cle of furniture
We
shoulder.
were careful
to
choose the lightest
articles,
whenever consistent with strength, and thus our baggage
when completed weighed only a little more than two tons.
was ready when we left Waterloo at 10.25 a. m. on
Friday June 24th 1904 accompanied by Sir Alfred Jones
All
Ralph Moor who saw us
and
Sir
The
latter
has had
blood-curdling
much
stories
off at
Southampton,
experience of Africa and told some
of
the
manners of
the natives.
Adulterers used to be punished in a most barbarous way.
A
youth
who had
of a Chief,
was
and
starve.
left to
severity
Such
and
nailed by the ears to a tree in the forest
Women
manner
all
atrocities
erred with one of the numerous wives
also
were treated with equal
of mutilations were practised.
have of course been suppressed by the
Congo Free Slate.
Having reached Southampton, we went on board the
S. S. Leopoldville, a
ship of about
5,000 tons burden,
LONDON TO BANANA
G
She belongs
very clean and well-found.
to the
Compa-
gnie maritime beige which runs a ship every third week
from Antwerp and Southampton to Boma and Matadi.
We sailed about 2 p. m. and a savoury smell from the
galley reminded us that
it
was about seven hours since we
had breakfasted.
Some
of the passengers were English military officers
and miners bound
dently officials
Gold Coast, but most were eviof the Congo Free State.
The conversation
for the
soon turned upon the agitation in Europe against the
Congo Government, and it was extraordinary with what
sorrowful indignation the various charges were refuted.
This impressed me greatly at the time for it was in marked
contrast with the indifference
shown by an average English-
men when his country and methods are abused by foreigners.
Probably the explanation is, that we are so used to unmerited abuse, that we regard it as part of the normal order
The Congo State on the other hand, has only
become sufficiently prosperous to attract attention.
of things.
recently
One of the passengers dressed as a Catholic Priest,
This was Mgr.
proved a veritable mine of information.
Derikx, Prefet Apostolique of Uele in the Upper Congo.
He had had
five years'
well versed in
a
young
and ways.
Another was
M. Arnold, already of the rank
he had shown distinguished service
military officer,
of
for
in
Commandant,
the field
experience of the country and was
all its institutions
or rather the forest
and
also as
an administra-
tor at a State Post.
There were also many other officials,
and
commercial agents on board.
soldiers, lawyers
I determined therefore, to read the various books and
reports written against the
Congo
whether the writers
LONDON TO BANANA
had ever been
country or not
in the
who had worked
officials
there,
7
then to question the
and
finally
see the
to
actual condition of affairs for myself.
We
tumbled about
Bay of Biscay
in the
a
and
little
the
motion did not much aid the digestion of the contents of
histories and blue and white books.
A welcome break
was
therefore
June 29th.
It
made
is
Crus from the sea
ultra-marine
is
water
on shore,
;
doited
roofs
grey mountain 12,000
feet
many
bright
high.
other
frowns the great
all,
The
is
yellow-
among palms and
and behind
the sea are in
In the foreground
very beautiful.
foliage of vivid green,
from
on
Teneriffe
early afternoon and the view of Santa
coloured
with red
houses
we reached
when
hills stretching
up
cases terraced for gardens and
vineyards and a new hotel stands out prominently on one
side.
It is a glorious picture, but if the eye is delighted
as the boat approaches
the shore,
the nose
is
offended
Streets, houses and people near
immediately on landing.
the harbour are dirty and odoriferous and as the shops are
all shut for a saint's day, the town looks dismal in spite
of the bright sun.
After changing
some money
at the
shop of a jew who
gave us the wrong amount and looked injured when we
insisted upon the right, we took an open carriage and
drove
to
the Cathedral.
from the outside, but
is
The building
famous Holy Cross which gives the town
are
also
dressed
many wax
in
figures
the costume
is
not imposing
highly gilded within where
its
name.
representing saints,
is
the
There
mostly
of the seventeenth century
and
enclosed in glass cases.
The boy v%ho acted as our guide
having discovered our nationality, pointed out with great
LONDON TO BANANA
8
and finally
English clock
with satirical humour
probably 'unconscious
English
These flags are those lost by Nelson at the seige
flags.
of Santa Criis where he lost his arm and a good story is
English organ,
glee
told about them.
An
from the
and was very disappointed, when
once promoted, he was forced to apolo-
instead of being at
gize
and
We
restore them.
next drive up a broad,
to the Bull
town.
ambitious British middy stole them
Cathedral
Ring
A woman
boulevard
fairly well kept,
situated in an open space behind
the
conducts us into the ring and shows us
the stables in which the infuriated beasts are kept before
they are asked to shed their blood for the idle
of the spectators.
On
look like British, and the guide
we
refuse to
add ours
amusement
many names which
quite astonished when
the walls are
to their
Commandant Arnold here
is
number.
takes on board six camels,
hoped these ships of the desert will also sail
in the forest.
well
The experiment is at any rate
equally
not expensive, for they only cost
16 each and will carry
for
it
is
hundred pounds weight of baggage.
From time to time the Congo Government has been
several
charged with forcing the natives
and with ill-treating them, and
to
it
work against
their will
has also been alleged
committed many atrocities during
wars against the revolting tribes.
Many of these
charges have been collected and published in Civilisation
in Congoland written by Mr. H. R. Fox-Bourne, the
that the native soldiers
the
The
Secretary of the Aborigines Protection Society.
author has not travelled in the country himself, but relies
chiefly upon the evidence of the late Mr. Edward Glave,
LONDON TO BANANA
at
one time an
tion,
Congo International AssociaSjoblom who was a Swedish
official of the
and of the
late Mi-.
Missionary in the Congo.
ing, for
9
indeed
it is
been committed
The book
is
not cheerful read-
chiefly a record of crimes
which have
in the past.
been frequently stated that acting under the
orders, or at least with the connivance of the agents of the
Congo State and those of the Commercial Companies in
It
has
the country, the native police or sentries have punished in
manner
a most barbarous
to
work.
It
is
all
those natives
alleged indeed, that
who
these sentries have
hands of those who did not
actually cut off the
refused
collect the
To even
rubber or foodstuff demanded by the agents.
read of such sickening horrors is terrible, and I was
therefore
cials
much
relieved to find that none of the State
on board had ever seen natives maimed
offi-
in that or
There
any other manner by the soldiers of the State.
seems however, to be no doubt that the native chiefs in
and dead as punishment
Derikx
told
me
that he had heard of a
Mgr.
case where a chief had ordered that the hand of his own
the past mutilated both the living
for crime.
son should be cut
off
because he had committed adultery
with one of his numerous wives.
We
arrived at Dakar, the capital of the French colony of
Senegambia,
on July 3rd.
Navigation is not
a reef runs parallel to the coast and the
at daylight
easy here, for
channel between,
is
neither broad nor deep.
The town
is
on the shores of a bay and faces an island strongly
fortified.
The whole colony is bein^ rapidly developed
a railway runs to St. Louis and roads are being constructed
built
;
across the
desert towards
Timbuctoo and
the
northern
LONDON TO BANANA
10
A
palm oil is carried on
Several
an important military centre.
of the officers however, were engaged in the peaceful
pursuit of fishing at the end of the breakwater when we
coasts.
and Dakar
flourishing industry in
also
is
arrived.
At Dakar, Commandant and Madame Sillye come on
The former has served for ten years in the Congo
board.
and
now
is
taking out ten horses purchased in Senegam-
from which he hopes
bia,
looking
their
breed.
They are a fine
very quiet and well behaved, and take up
set,
to
quarters opposite the camels without creating any
We
disturbance.
have
now
quite a menagerie on board.
Besides the camels and horses, there are pigeons to be
trained as carriers, guinea pigs with which the doctors
investigating the terrible
disease the
Sleeping Sickness,
and several dogs belonging to the pasVarious kinds of rubber and other living plants
will experiment
sengers.
also occupy an appreciable part of the
promenade deck.
and
are
Passengers
cargo indeed,
strong evidence of the
earnest way in which the Congo is being developed.
It is
and
to
necessary
now
to turn
from the actual visual
however, we must bear in mind the
Congo Free
Congo was entirely due to
history of the
of Belgium
aided by
H. M. Stanley.
State.
The opening up
the initiative of
the explorations
the Comite deludes
1882
to
the
du Haul-Congo but
Association
Stanley and a French officer,
first
late
Sir
descent of
was formed
this
of the
King Leopold
of the
In 1878, after Stanley's
the Congo, a society of philanthropists
in
facts
While doing so
main outlines of the
study the statements of others.
called
was changed
Internationale
du Congo.
M. de Brazza, then both
LONDON TO HANANA
1
1
worked up from the coast at the same time and the former
reached Lake Leopold on June 1st 1882, while the latter
concluded treaties with the Chiefs on the north bank of
the river
The
and founded
the
organised
into
itself
French Congo.
Association of
International
an
April
22nd 1884
ment
of the United States
the
Independent
once
at
Congo
State
and
on
was made by the Governof America that it recognized the
a Declaration
flag of the International Association as that of a friendly
Government.
At the
end of 1884 and the beginning
of 1885, Conventions were arranged between the Govern-
ments of Austria,
Germany,
Great
Britain,
Belgium,
Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Russia
and Sweden and Norway and the International Association
of the Congo in which
all
those countries recognised the
flag of the International Association
Government.
of the
It is
as that of a friendly
therefore clear that the chief
World regarded
Powers
the Association as an Independent
and negotiated with it as such.
At the same time the Powers of Europe were annexing
various parts of Africa, and with the idea of regulating in
State
a spirit of mutual goodwill the conditions most favourable
for the
development of
civilisation
and commerce, a Confe-
rence was arranged at Berlin by Prince Bismarck. All the
Powers of Europe and the United States of America sent
plenipotentiaries
who
sat
from November 15th 1884
February 26lh 1885 and agreed
Berlin of the latter date.
In this
to
it
is
nations should enjoy complete liberty of
decreed that
commerce
the territories constituting the basin of the
tributaries,
and
to
the General Act of
all
in all
Congo and its
men-
also in other parts of Central Africa
LONDON TO BANANA
12
that
tioned,
Congo
should be
slavery
river should be
We
shall
have
to
open
and
abolished
general navigation.
Treaty later, but
refer to this
to
important to note here that the United States of
and
it
is
America
Powers of Europe had recognised the
the great
all
that the
International Association as an Independent State before
it
was signed.
Furthermore, before this date, Conventions
had been signed with France and Portugal to arrange the
frontiers
between the
territories of those
The General Act
International Association.
however nothing
do with frontiers
to
general principles which
Powers and the
it
of Berlin
had
but stated the
at all,
seemed were best suited
to the
needs of the people and territories in Central Africa, to
which all the African Powers, and among them the International Association, voluntarily agreed.
It
the territories defined,
and
that the Act itself
therefore
is
clear that the clauses of the Act apply to all the
Powers
in
was not con-
cerned with founding or regulating the system of Govern-
ment
of the International Association,
later took the
name
His Majesty King Leopold
While engaged
which
of the fitat Independant
II.
six
months
du Congo with
as sovereign.
in studying these treaties,
we
arrived at
Free Town, Sierra Leone on July 5th.
Here again the
A reef runs
place forms a beautiful picture from the sea.
far out
and
is
marked by
a lighthouse,
while the town
protected by a fort with grass ramparts, lies on the
south side of a kind of bay, which, however, has more the
itself,
appearance of the mouth of a large
tropical plants
grow
to the water's
river.
Palms and other
edge and among them
are yellow and red houses while higher up the hills behind,
are isolated bungalows and the barracks, at this time
13
LONDON TO BANANA
In the distance,
occupied by the West African regiment.
bleak and bare mountains passively regard the scene. On
landing, one meets faces showing every shade from ivory
black and clothes of every known colour.
The roads are not paved in any way, as there are neither
white to
jet
Indeed, the houses are
horses nor wheeled vehicles here.
rows facing each other, a gutter is cut in front and
The Custom House is
the space between forms a street.
built in
an imposing structure near the beach and the Cathedral is
a handsome Gothic church, but as one end was covered
with scaffolding,
way runs up the
and a
it
was not looking
hill to the
was arranged
special train
its
best.
A
light rail-
barracks of the native regiment
for the passengers of the
Leopoldville.
Hotel accommodation in Sierra Leone
for
it,
limited.
It is,
sion that
it
however, possible
Altogether Free
Victoria.
at the
is,
Town
like the
to obtain a
watering place
meal
leaves the impres-
could be developed into a most
if it
demand
attractive
were nearer Europe and had a better
climate.
It
is
is
now
getting rather hot
and
tropical, while the sea
as smooth as a mirror and equally reflects the glare.
continue to read up the Congo controversy.
The
of
Mr.
at
time
British
at
one
Consul
Casement,
report
I
Boma, created
stated
that
He
appeared.
Congo Free State had granted conces-
quite a sensation
the
when
sions to Trading Companies, which
is
it
a fact, and that the
agents of these companies compelled .the natives by force
to collect rubber,
prove
by his
which however, he does not attempt
own
to
experience, but relies entirely upon
reports of natives and hearsay evidence.
He quoted one
LONDON TO UANANA
14
case which illustrates the extreme difficulty of discovering
He examined
the truth from natives.
who
named Epondo
a boy
hand had been cut
by a native
Mr.
Casement
native
the
Not
dialect,
knowing
sentry.
but
he
was
convinced
by the
employed an interpreter,
manner and gestures of the villagers that the boy's story
stated that his left
When
off
was again
when he at once
contradicted the first statement and said that his arm and
hand had been severely bitten by a wild boar when he was
was
true.
the report appeared, the boy
examined by some
officials of the State,
a child and that the
hand afterwards
these tales
false
is
obviously
which, for the scar of a clean cut
that following gangrene.
Now
fell off.
and there
is
wound
is
at this
However,
one of
evidence to show
different
time
I
from
had not
This is
seen the boy, so of course could give no opinion.
the only case of reputed mutilation which could be discovered for the benefit of Mr.
Casement and was a very
unfortunate example of an atrocity, for in the
was
the
left
hand
supposed always
there
was
that
to
was missing and
first
place
it
the soldiers were
cut off the right, and in the second,
great doubt whether
it
was
the result
of an
accident or not.
We
were now coasting
who was
in
command
off Liberia
and Captain Sparrow
of the Leopoldville cheered us
up
with the statement that the charts of this part had not been
revised for eighty years, that there were many rocks and
that ships frequently
went ashore here.
Wreckers then
It is not therewent out and looted everything on board.
a
in
make
an enforced
which
to
fore,
pleasant place
landing
Liberia
itself
however,
must be interesting
to
visit,
LONDON TO BANANA
1
O
an independent republic of negroes wilh an elected
It sells
President, Senate and House of Representatives.
for
it
palm
is
oil
to other countries
and buys
alcohol,
arms and
peaceful luminant and
lubricant for the elements of moral and physical strife.
ammunition,
thus exchanging a
Fortunately no rocks appear through the bottom of the ^hip
Commandant
and
Sillye
the
relieves
monotony of the
voyage by describing the Constitution of the Congo State,
which however, like other constitutions, is occasionally
revised.
At
its
head
is
the Sovereign of the State aided
by Ministers at Brussels, next in rank
comes
the Governor-
and Vice-Governor-Generals, one of whom is
There are also Royal Commissioners and
always at Boma.
General
Inspectors of the State
whose duties are not
is
who
are very high officials,
easily defined.
but
The whole country
divided into Districts which are governed by District
The
Commissioners.
Districts
are
divided into zones
ruled by zone chiefs under the control of the District
missioners.
manded by
Finally the
Com-
and Stations are com-
Posts
Post- Commanders.
All these
may be
des-
cribed as civil administrative officials who, subject to the
general system and laws have practical control over more or
The
less limited areas.
rank as Commandant,
of the Force Publique
officers
Captain,
Lieutenant and Under-
Lieutenant, and there are also several white non-commis-
sioned officers.
and
The
natives rank as sergeants, corporals
privates.
On
July 8th
we
arrive at Sekondi,
The town from the sea seems
and huts with the usual red
shore
is
an old Dutch
fort
Gold Coast Colony.
houses
to consist of white
roofs.
now used
On
a hillock near the
as a signalling station,
LONDON TO BANANA
16
and on
built
the
left,
half
The place
for there is not
We anchor
way np
much
colour and no mountains are visible.
boats at once put off
who
sit
the beach
and several open
These are each propelled by ten or
on the sides of the boat and ply
their paddles, lustily singing as they
The paddles
with a will.
an hotel has been
not very pretty or attractive-looking
some distance from
twelve natives,
a hill,
is
am
work
together and
shaped somewhat
like those
of a Canadian canoe, except that the blade is star shaped.
All the cargo is swung overboard into these boats or
canoes as they are called, and the passengers are lowered
As there is a heavy ground swell
in a kind of chair.
the
canoes
are
bobbing up and down like corks
running,
suspended in mid air and lowered rapidly as tho canoe washes up, while all hope that it
and its occupant will descend at the right moment.
alongside.
One
The -chair
is
was an English
of the passengprs
Wheeler, with
whom we
cricket on the voyage.
Captain
First his regulation seventy cubic
baggage was lowered
no one without the aid of
feet of
for
officer,
had played many games of deck
an extraordinary amount,
a slide
rule
and logarithms
could possibly calculate it
and then he himself made the
descent
without
a
He would next
perilous
ducking.
have 240 miles of train journey to Coomassie and then a
walk or rather a journey in a hammock - for another
300 miles
We
now
to his station.
travel .parallel to the
Gold Coast which looks
hot and uninviting, for there are but few
patches of green
or trees until Cape Coast Castle is reached.
Here is
a
fort
dealers
which must have
greatly
in
the
impressed natives and slave
a few
houses and an
past,
LONDON TO BANANA
17
The
imposing looking church dotted in the red sand.
whole line of the Coast here, somewhat recalls the Atlantic
sea board of Georgia,
U. S. A. and
though they would be as hot as Aden
I
he towns look as
at its best or rather
worst.
After
leaving the Gold Coast,
our course
is
shaped
There
across the Bight of Benin straight for the Congo.
is
plenty of time therefore, to study the system of justice
in the
This, like everything else in the country,
Congo.
There is a Court of
essentially simple and practical.
Premiere Instance at Boma and others called Territorial
is
Courts at Matadi, Stanley Pool, East Kwango, The Equator, Bangalas, Aruwimi, Stanley Falls and Kassai (1).
In each Court
and
a Judge, an Officer of the Public Ministry
a Registrar, but in the Territorial Courts, the judge
may assume
civil
is
the functions of
These courts hear
all.
all
whether European or native, but the Court at
alone competent to hear trials for capital offences,
cases,
Boma
is
whether committed by soldiers or
civilians.
The Court of
Appeal consists of the President, two Judges, an Officer of
and hears all appeals
from the judgments of the other Courts, and also from those
given by Courts Martial against civilians who are not
the Public Ministry and a Registrar,
Natives
natives in those regions subjected to special rule.
who commit
offences against other natives, are
dealt with by the local Chief (2).
(1)
This
list
is
left to
be
The Public Minister can
taken from Justice Repressive (Etat In dependant du
Since then oilier Territorial
Congo) nniJ is based on a Decree of 1896.
Courls have been or are about to be alded.
(2)
Some
of the greater Chiefs and Sultans have the
power
to inflict
the death sentence.
2
LONDON TO BANANA
18
however
if left
interfere
if he
thinks the crime will not be punished
to the Chief.
The Public Ministry
consists
a
of
who
the
Procureur
acts in the
d'Etat
Court of
Sovereign,
appointed by
Appeal and of substitutes appointed by the Governor General,
ver
who
all
State
Their duty
act in the other Courts.
infractions of the law
and
to see that all
penal regulations
are
in the
whole
is to
disco-
territory of the
decrees, arrests, ordinances and
carried
They are
out.
instructed to arrange that any native
receives full compensation before
especially
who has been
any
fine
is
injured
taken
to the
profit of the State.
Any region can be placed under military law by a
Civilians however, are
decree of the Governor General.
only subject to the ordinary penal laws, and those who are
not natives, can appeal against any decision of a Court
Martial.
ably and
In practice these simple methods
it
is difficult to
work admir-
understand why they should not
be equally successful in old civilised countries and a good
substitute for the complicated
to-day.
and cumbrous machinery of
THE NATIVE HOSPITAL AT BOMA.
CHAPTER
Banana
The amount
of July
mouth
12th
to
II.
Leopoldville.
of sand in the bath water on the
of a large river.
morning
we were approaching
indicated that
The
Atlantic indeed,
the
which had
varied in colour from dirty green near the English Channel
marine at Teneriffe, was nowVf a fine amber tint.
As yet land was not in sight it was comparatively cool
and a slight breeze was blowing. About midday the low
to ultra
;
lying coast of Central Africa became visible as a dark line
and
half an hour afterwards a simple break could be seen
in this line
which was the
clearly defined
mouth
of the
20
BANANA TO LEOPOLDV1LLE
Congo.
On
reference to the chart
it
became
clear that
some places
although the lower Congo
twenty miles in width, all the streams coalesce and flow
forms a delta in
through an opening not more than five miles wide.
both sides the coast is low lying and well wooded.
As we approach
nearer, the
On
northern point resolves
itself into the extremity of a peninsula, for one branch of
the river turns northward thus leaving a strip of land a
few hundred yards wide.
We pass through the mouth of
the river, thread our way between several buoys, turn up
channel and arrive
an anchorage in which
As we take up our
eight or nine small ships are riding.
position a boat leaves the shore flying the Congo Flag, a
this northern
at
blue ground with a golden star in the centre.
we go
out
ashore in a
Soon
after
propelled by Kru boys
to
dug
town of Banana, which is built on this sandy peninsula
and is thus guarded by sharks on one side and crocodiles
the
We land
on the other.
at
a
wooden
pier used chiefly for
On
each side are magnificient palms,
some being more than fifty feet high and all bearing
many cocoa nuts at this season about half ripe. These
loading canoes.
The main
palms are not indigenous, but flourish here.
highway of Banana is a path of clean yellow sand about ten
feet
wide, shaded by an avenue of these palms and crosses
streams by rustic wooden bridges.
at intervals small tidal
Many
tropical trees
avenue, and
and shrubs grow on each side of the
sunshine the whole forms a very
in the bright
beautiful picture.
It is
unfortunate that the effect reminds
one somewhat forcibly of a transformation scene of a pan-
tomime and thus appears artificial although
The resemblance is still
absolutely natural.
in reality,
it
is
further streng-
21
BANANV TO LEOI'OLDVILLB
thened by the numerous ladies of the ballet
who
stroll
along clothed in nature's ebony black.
seems
to
know
Banana palm
the origin of the
name
not found here at
is
leisurely
No one
of the town, for the
all.
At the extreme end of the point, and extending inwards
for several hundred yards, are the grounds of the Dutch
Trading Company, which has been established here for
more than fifty years and ships many of the products of the
The wooden sheds painied white are very
country.
turesque amid
is
the vivid green foliage.
Beyond
pic-
this area
the house of Dr. Carre, the Commissaire of the District
of Banana,
which
like all the other
houses
in
town
the
is
raised on piles above the level of the sand, for the double
purpose of ensuring a current of
dry when
sea
and
the
air
beneath and of keeping
It
faces the
peninsula
a small garden in which are many
Among these are an anemometeorological instruments.
it
behind
is
flooded.
is
meter slowly revolving in the light air, maximum and
minimum bulbs in the shade, on the ground and beneath
Walkit, a most ingenious sun dial, and a heliometer.
ing inland along the central avenue, we pass some native
shops, one of which bears the interesting name of Wil-
liams Brothers.
wrapped
legs,
are
children.
In
many
of the verandahs, native
in highly coloured cloths
buKwith bare
women
feet
and
working sewing machines or tending their
Further on is a space laid out in regular
squares, in each of which
raised on piles,
is
a well built
and an ornamental garden,
wooden house
the flower
beds
being bordered either with sea shells or with glass bottles
pushed neck downwards into the sand, leaving about two
inches projecting above the surface.
A
little
further on is
22
BANANA TO LKOPOLDVILLE
an hotel facing the sea in which
modation and not much
is
to eat or
apparently poor accomdrink.
Beyond this is
and rough
the native village, consisting of square huts
gardens
in
which some potatoes seem
to
be growing in
spite of the soil and temperature.
Only about twenty Europeans
live
at
Banana and
chief excitement is the arrival of the steamer
them indeed came
in
off to
their
Most of
dinner and held a kind of concert
the saloon afterwards.
All night long
winches and
men were
creaking, groaning, and shouting, as some of
It
the cargo was put overboard into two large lighters.
was not however, destined for Banana and was trans-
shipped here only to lighten the L6opoldville so that she
The cargo
could pass a certain bar higher up the river.
consisted of coal in the shape of brickets, cement, rice,
oil,
clolh,
As soon
clothes,
beads, salt and general provisions.
as sufficient had been removed, the two lighters
were attached one
to
each side of the ship and we started
main stream, which here runs between the south or
up
All these are
Portuguese bank and a series of islands.
the
covered with dense forest the only living things visible
On the left
being great black eagles with white wings.
%
bank
of the river
we pass
Malela, a station for collecting
bamboos, and soon after Kissange on the opposite side
where palm oil is made and shipped.
A little higher up,
the country opens out
in
and a range of hills becomes visible
between being covered with
the distance, the plain
coarse grass six or seven feet high, relieved at intervals
by solitary palm
the
trees.
This
is
all
Portuguese
territory,
here possessing only a narrow strip of
Congo
land along the northern bank.
The course of the river
State
23
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
here
is
very sinuous, winding in and out
eals into the sand
among
the hills,
more sharply each day as the water
the curves being cul
and
carries
it
to
be digested in the great
stomach of the Atlantic
and the Portuguese have
farms
for
started large
breeding European cattle which
thrive here satisfactorily.
Higher up a solitary rock
In this district both the State
This is known as Fetish Rock
overhangs the left bank.
from the legend that the natives used to throw live people
from
it
This is possibly true
evidence to show that the natives of the
into the river as sacrifices.
but there
is little
Congo ever
dead
sacrificed either living or
to propitiate
anyone or anything.
Near here we anchor
for the night and are welcomed by
most noisy and vicious mosquitoes who have a
a host of
particular partiality to good healthy European-fed blood.
Again we are delayed
steamer the Lagoon water
to
cross the bar.
to
unload and
for the ship is
time of the
still
small
too deep in the
This sandy obstruction has an
unpleasant habit of shifting
therefore to
this time into a
its
position
and
it
is
necessary
make careful soundings every voyage
These are
year when the water is low.
at this
carried
out by Captain Sparrow and Mr. Wright the chief Congo
pilot
It
with the aid of a most ingenious sounding machine.
consists of a simple pulley wheel raised on a standard
about ten
Over
feet
above the deck of a small
this passes a line
weighted
and both weights hang down
at
pilot steamer.
both ends but unequally,
in
the water, the
heavier
To prevent
naturally being on the bottom of the river.
this line
which corresponds to the ordinary lead linetrailing,
as
the
boat moves forward, a second line
is
24
BANANA TO LEOPOLD VILLE
fixed to the weight
and passes under water
of ihe vessel where
it
slowly
the
through
As
attached
is
water,
to the level of the
according
hauls in the slack of the
the
to
bows
the
the vessel passes
weight
and
rises
falls
bottom, and the counterweight
which
line,
marked
is
in
the
At any moment therefore,
way by coloured tapes.
the depth of water can be determined by observing the
There is now only 15; feet on the bar, so it is
tapes.
usual
necessary to lighten the Leopoldville still more before
it will be
Thus early one of the chief
possible to cross.
in
difficulties
the
Congo
the
transport
of
goods
is
demonstrated.
A
fine
bank within easy
but no
crocodile lies asleep on the
range as
we go back
one has a
rifle
to the ship in the launch,
so his dreams are undisturbed.
As
the
LeopoldviUe^N\\ not be able to reach Boma until the morrow,
we
decide to go on in the
calls for all the
State
After Fetish Rock,
passengers.
the river bends sharply to the right
At
a small ship which
Heron,
and soon
after
Boma
town merely
as
appears
groups of white houses amid trees backed by
is in sight.
this distance
however, the
hills.
Guarding the approach is a strong looking
which already has a history, for it was captured by
rebels and held for one or two days a few years ago.
As the sun was seeking his couch we arrive at the
green
fort
Boma on which we find Mr. Underwood, the
well known English trading house of
Hatton and Cookson.
With him we walk down
iron pier at
Director of the
Messrs.
the main business street of the town
lined with shops, hotels,
a steam tram.
;
a
wide shady road
and restaurants and traversed by
At the end of this street the road continues
25
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
to the right,
up an
and opposite
incline
one of the entrances
to
the Residency.
to the
corner
Passing
this
is
we
leave a Catholic church, constructed of corrugated iron,
on the
right
Secretariat.
and enter
We
a shady avenue in
are then introduced to Mr.
the Secretaire General,
who
dency and presents us
to
at
once takes us
which
is
the
Vandamme,
to
the Resi-
Mr. Costermans, the Governor
General of the Congo Free State, who hopes we shall
wherever we feel inclined and see anything we desire.
travel
The Residency
is
a large
a wide verandah and
It is
two storey house surrounded by
is built
of iron plates bolted together.
ground on iron pillars
wide staircase with wooden steps.
a well kept garden in which are some
raised about ten feet from the
and approached by
It is surrounded
by
statues
and many
a
tropical plants.
The view from the
verandah, looking up and down the river is very pretty.
Although the house is in good condition and the dining
room
large enough to seat thirty people, it is thought not
be worthy of its fund ion, and another large building
will soon be erected on the same site.
to
After this visit
we proceed
to a
house which
is
kept for
the use of the higher State Officials wlie/i they pass through
Boma and which was now
is
constructed in a similar
placed at our disposal.
manner
It
Residency and
reception and two
to the
although smaller, contains three lofty
bed rooms.
Two boys are told off to attend to our
wants and
after a rest
Mr. Vandamme.
we
take a stroll round the town with
Most of the
official
residencies are situat-
ed in one Avenue and are surrounded by gardens in which
palms, bulbous trees, and acacias give welcome shade to
the roses beneath.
The Avenue du Plateau leads up
a
26
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
Law
gentle incline to the
Courts in which once a week
Near by
the Court of Premiere Instance.
and
the
the terminus of the
grand view
a
hill
between the
From
tramway.
the prison
the
summit of
obtained of the river winding
is
hills to the East,
and
at one's feet is a native
village nestling in a valley, for the natives dislike
much
sits
is
wind and
as they do rain.
Separated from it
is another native village in which the Government has
placed the educated people who can read and write and
many are now ambitions to qualify for admission.
cold almost as
It is
now
time to return to dinner with Mr.
Vandamme
where we meet Mr. Gohr, the Director of Justice, and
Mr. Underwood.
Everyone here dines in white, which is
both cool and picturesque.
Our host, has an excellent
who gives us some very good vegetable soup,
native cook
one of the numerous Congo
fishes, all of
which are
nice, a
very tender chicken, an excellent salad and a well
omelette,
all
of
which
are
of
made
the
products
country.
Flour and butter have however, to be imported, as no
wheat will grow in this part of the country and the cows
give
scarcely
retires
and
enough milk
for
rises early, so at
9
calves.
Everyone
m. we seek our house
their
p.
guided by a boy with a lantern, for most of the streets of
Boma
are not lighted artificially.
Next day we
call
on Mr. Nightingale who
acting as British Consul.
The consulate
is
is at
present
about a mile
from the town situated on the banks of the river and
is
well constructed of wood.
Mr. Nightingale offers kindly
to lend us any assistance on our
voyage that we may
Afterwards
we
require.
buy many things which will be
necessary up country,
among which
are bags of salt, a very
27
BANANA TO LEOI'OLDVILLK
popular form of money in some parts, and tins of petrol
for the lanterns.
Everyone in
General who is
from 2.30
who
to
Boma works
hard, from the
his office from 7 a.
at
m.
to
Secretaire
midday and
5 p. m. to the hardy healthy-looking native
wields his pick as he chats with his fellows.
made and gardens
are being
One very
noticeable feature of the natives here,
all
nearly
Roads
laid out in various places.
is
that they
Here and
bear wellmarked vaccination marks.
there a policeman patrols in an effective costume of blue
and red and armed with
method,
order,
a short sword.
and cleanliness, and
to realise that a quarter of a century
houses stood on the
lated
town.
little
wines
Everywhere
is
is
very difficult
ago only three trading
prosperous and well-reguevening we dined with the
site of this
In
the
Governor General who has both
the
it
excellent.
a
good cook and butler;
the band of the
Outside,
being
Force Publique played selections of music, rendered the
more interesting by the fact that not one of the players
could read a note of music and each learnt his part entirely
Most of the guests were our fellow travellers and
by ear.
well
known
to
wheat
in
in the
The conversation turned upon the
us.
Sleeping Sickness,
Beri
Beri,
the
difficulty
Congo, and the climate.
Boma about
this time, for
it is
It is
of
growing
not very hot
the winter or dry season
and the nights are so cold that only the very hardy mosare sufficiently wide awake to prevent people
quitoes
sleeping.
Still
it
is
hotter, than
we
ever experience in
England, and with forethought for the comfort of his
guests, Mr. Costermans usually commands white cos-
tumes instead of European dress.
28
BANANA TO LEOPOLDS 1LLE
The
native hospital
a newly-built
is
stone and brick
under the charge of an Italian, Dr. Zerbini.
The wards are well arranged in separate wings,
The beds are
permitting good ventilation and isolation.
and
structure
is
iron with bamboos stretched lengthwise, thus forming a
There are many cases of Sleeping
kind of spring mattress.
In
Sickness in the hospital exhibiting various symptoms.
the early stages the patient has many fits of emotional
excitement and these alternate with periods of physical and
mental languor.
Afterwards he lies for weeks or months
as
dead and can only be persuaded
if
to eat
difficulty.
motile bacillus has been discovered which
cause the disease and there
carried
by
a mosquito or
the doctors,
Up
the present
without success.
and
it is
fly,
is
is
supposed
evidence that this
A
to
may be
but until the discoveries of
sent out by the Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine, are published,
to
with great
Ultimately complete coma supervenes.
it
many
There
is
is premature to give an opinion.
remedies have been prescribed
no small pox and
little
interesting to learn that appendicitis
is
phthisis,
unknown
Rupture is very common among the natives
and venereal diseases are frequent.
As I was destined to become well acquainted with the
in Africa.
Croix rouge, the hospital
On
this institution later.
hill
of
Boma
are the
The
for
Europeans,
I
will describe
the reverse slope of the central
quarters of the army, the Force
are fine looking fellows with
Publique.
a very pretty uniform; blue wide cut breeches to the knee,
the legs
and
and
belt,
rifles,
feet
soldiers
being bare, blue shirt with red facings
fez.
They are armed with Albini
and a red
a very strong
weapon which
will stand
any amount
29
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
Everything is scrupulously clean and the
married quarters especially look very comfortable.
Each
has
a
room
fitted
with
bed, table and chairs.
couple
of rough usage.
They are recruited from
all
over the country and the ser-
popular that in many parts far more men
volunteer to serve than are required.
The force does not
vice
so
is
exceed 13,600
in
number and
is
recruited for long or
short service.
The prison is situated on the plateau in an open, airy
The building is constructed of iron plates and the
place.
separate cells and rooms are lofty and clean.
There are
one or two Europeans here who have been sentenced for
theft or for cruelty to natives, for the State is determined
that all its subjects should be well treated.
These are of
course kept entirely separate from the natives.
Only the
natives who have been sentenced to more than one year are
sent here
penal
and then
after a
Some
settlements.
and
thieves,
all
wear
time they are forwarded to the
are cannibals, but most are
light chains.
It
is
somewhat warm
walking about Boma but there is no alternative, for there
are no carriages and only a horse or two for the Governor
General.
of arms
.
The
State regulates very strictly the importation
Permission has
to
be obtained from the Governor
General before any fire arms can be landed; then each
one is stamped on the butt with the Star of the State
and
a
number which
country wishes
to
is
If anyone in the
from
another, both
weapon
obtain permission from the
registered.
purchase a
buyer and seller have to
Gf vernor General. These laws are very excellent for they
effectually keep modern weapons out of the hands of the
natives.
Having complied with the regulations and declared
30
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
our ammunition, our
with pretty
little
riftVs
and guns are restored
us
to
We
souvenir marks on the butts.
next
apply for a special licence to shoot big game, and this is
promised, but as it takes time to prepare will be sent up
country after us.
The import duty on alcohol is very heavy and runs up
cent, ad valorem and no still of any kind
47 per
be set up in the country.
permitted
indeed, special permission has to be
to
to
is
Beyond Matadi
obtained before
Europeans can carry any spirituous liquors, and then they
have to declare that it is not for sale to the natives. Heads
of commercial houses are
vance of
this
law by
their
made
responsible for the obser-
employes and the State
officials
themselves are only permitted to have three litres of spirits
each month, while absinthe is entirely prohibited.
Every
white man, however,
day as
a ration
amount
for a
of beer
is
given one
and there seems
litre
to
of red wine each
be no limit
which may be drunk, except
bottle of lager costs
its
the
to
great price,
3 francs at Leopoldville and
twice that amount higher up the river.
It is indeed
becoming apparent that the Government is
a veritable parent and a stern one also.
However, as we
to
promise
cases
act as
of
be good boys
we
are permitted to carry a few
whisky and wine
medical comforts
to
paying the duty
case of sickness.
These
-
after
in
medical comforts are also a feature of the State, each white
being allowed a bottle or two of champagne and port
every three months.
Every official indeed receives much
kindness and consideration from the State but
punished any lapse of duty.
The whites are
is
severely
fined for care-
lessness or negligence, by stopping their pay for a certain
BANANA TO LEOPOLDV1LLE
3
I
number
of days, and for serious offences any official may
be revocated, when he will perhaps lose six months' or
even a years' pay.
Offences against the penal laws are
of course punished by imprisonment.
An
excellent institution in
where
foundlings
Boma
reared
are
deserted children, half-castes,
for
some
is
the colonie scolaire
and educated.
Orphans,
are received
and trained
all
some entering the army, some
plantations, some becoming servants to
useful purpose,
engaging on the
the officials.
impossible to form any idea of the Congo native in
Boma, for the blacks are of very different nationalities.
Natives from Lagos, Sierra-Leone, Portuguese and French
It is
territory, all are attracted
in the town.
Indeed
blacks,
trusted.
requiring a
for
foreigners in the
names
by the high wages
to
be earned
present most of the positions of
fair
education,
are held
by
Congolese can be
The personal servants we engaged were thus all
responsibility,
foreign
at
very
State
few
service.
true
Two
rejoiced
in
the
and Jean, and acted as
i. e.
boys
butlers and general servants ^hile Luembo was
of Chikaia
as valets,
cook, and Mavunga, washerman.
Each one had a formal
contract of five 'articles signed by us, by a delegate for the
Governor General, and by the Judge of Premiere Instance,
whose duty it was to see the contract was not broken.
The State indeed, superintends everything even to the
finding and engaging of private servants for travellers.
The wages earned by
these boys are very much higher
than servants receive in India or China.
The cook was
paid 35 francs and the others 25 francs per month and
found.
all
BANANA TO LEOPOLIWLLE
32
The Customs,
the
Post Office, ai.d the Land Office,
conveniently situated in one building on the beach
In the latter, all the lannear to the landing pier.
are
all
downers
in the State are registered,
careful
maps being
and position of each plot of
The land laws are very simple. The villages are
prepared showing the extent
land.
the absolute freehold
registered in
the
property of the natives, and are
names of
Vacant lands as
the Chiefs.
usual are the property of the State and the Chartered Companies, Missionaries, and Traders, as a rule, are annual
is always renewed if the condigranted are observed.
lunched with the Governor General,
leaseholders but the lease
tions
on which
it
is
On Sunday we
who
Mr. Gohr, the Director of Justice
at
present
is in
the
unenviable position of having many critics in Europe,
usually imperfectly informed of the details and evidence laid
Mr. Vandamme, who knows everyone
before the judges
and everything connected with the State, Commandant
and Madame Sillye, Judge and Madame Webber, and
some
Afterwards, Mr. Webber, the Judge of the
Court of Premiere Instance, who is an excellent pianist,
others.
gives us
proof of his talent.
to hear for
music we are fated
but
concertinas
and
This
many
gramophones
is
the last pleasant
a month, for nothing
are
found
in
the
interior.
Having obtained bundles of permits to do various
and arranged for letters and parcels to be sent
things,
after
us into the interior,
we
left
Boma on
the
morning of
The Congo
July 19th for Matadi in the
Leopoldville
above
Boma
somewhat
the
resembles
just
Highlands of
.
Scotland, and the similarity
was emphasised by
the fact that
THE CATARACTS RAILWAY NEAR MATADI.
33
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
it
was raining hard.
The
hills
were bare of
trees, the
current ran rapidly, forming whirlpools, while many sleepy
crocodiles lazily flopped into the water as we passed. After
ascending some twenty miles, the river tarns sharply to ihe
right and runs between cliffs which descend sheer into the
water, forming a narrow
broad.
the
As
chasm not more than
the whole of the
Congo has
immense volume
pass through this gorge,
to
ously deep and the current
is
it
not more, and the flow of the water
ten
it
is
enorm-
The depth has
certainly 500 feet,
very rapid.
not been accurately ascertained, but
if
half a mile
of water in
is
is at
the rate of nearly
knots an hour, so that the smaller steamers cannot
ascend
at all,
and the larger only creep slowly up.
THE RAILWAY STATION AT MATADI.
Matadi
is
side of the
soon
after in sight.
Congo
It is
built
on the south
valley, for, as a glance at the
map
will
34
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
explain, the State
owns both banks
further up, the river
Matadi
Congo.
is
becomes the
an ancient
in connection with the
Congo
at
this point,
frontier with the
if
at all
the
but
French
word may be used
settlement, construct-
where navigation on the river is interrupted
by cataracts and rapids for some two hundred miles until
smooth water is reached again at Stanley Pool.
A caravan
ed
at the point
route runs from Matadi to Leopoldville, and
it
was during
march of twenty days over the mountains that in the
early days, so much trouble was occasioned by the native
the
now by the railway. The
stands on the side ot a steep hill and consists of
narrow streets paved with cobbles.
Here as usual in the
porters.
town
Congo,
tion.
the
All this is abolished
itself
man is restricted to his primeval method of locomoTwo iron piers jut into the stream and at their ends
European steamers discharge
railway trucks alongside.
their cargoes into the
High up on the
hill
stands a
capacious stone structure, the house of the Commissioner of
the Matadi District,
after
arranging
The distance
Mr. De Rache, with
whom we
dine,
by the train which starts next day.
be traversed is 220 miles and the fare is
to leave
to
and 1 second for the boys.
Besides
a
over
hundred
is
at
the
rate
this, baggage
kilos,
charged
of one franc a kilo, which is probably the highest rate paid
Our fares indeed cost
for railway travelling in the world.
8 each
us about
Early
The
1st.
class
80.
in
the
morning of the 20th, we leave Matadi.
two engines, two open covered car-
train consists of
riages for the second class passengers,
natives,
a saloon and baggage wagon.
very narrow one, so space
is
who
are mostly
The gauge
all-important, but the
is
a
man
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
who designed
There are
as possible.
must have exercised
the chairs in the saloon
the most fiendish ingenuity to
six
35
make them
on each
as uncomfortable
arranged in
a
with
small
in
bracket
table
and
each one
between,
pairs
is
on
is
of cano,
The back
straight upright and the seat
cone-shaped, the highest point being in the
Now as the curves and gradients of the line are
a pivot.
centre.
very sharp indeed,
time,
a foot
to
it
is
is
necessary to hold fast the whole
prevent slipping on to the floor.
on the opposite seat
revolves, leaving the leg in
selves
side,
mid
it
steady oneself,
air.
one puts
at once
If
However, we
fix
our-
as possible and enjoy the magnificent
in as well
scenery.
to
For a few hundred yards the line runs a*long the
Congo and a good view of the lowest cataract
valley of the
is
obtained,
the
brown water dashing
over the rocks and
throwing up spray which is converted into brilliant jewels by
the youthful sun not yet an hour old.
Then turning sharply to the right, the train runs up the valley of the Posu, a
mountain torrent which rushes and roars through a narrow
Snorting angrily, the engines climb up this steep
gradient, cross the river by an iron bridge and then groaning
defile.
under the brakes,
slide
down
into another valley.
The main
upwards, and as the country opens
out below, one gets a first impression of the enormity and
direction
however,
is
grandeur of Central Africa.
As
far as
the eye reaches,
are ranges of hills, the Palabala ^oulains
crowned by a
cone
which
great
appears first on one side then the other,
as we cork-screw our way up.
The line indeed is a
marvel of engineering construction,
piece of country is traversed without
for a
most
a single
with very few cuttings and embankmnnts.
difficult
turtnel
and
The length
of
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
36
the railway
line
of course, very
is,
much
would be between the same
greater than a straight
points, for
countermarches backwards and forwards up a
after a detour of
to the
same
it
frequently
hill side,
and
perhaps a quarter of a mile, comes back
The
place, but thirty or forty feet higher up.
company which undertook
the task of building the line
met with many difficulties, but finished it at a cost of
3,000,000 and many native lives. It was built between
the years 1891 and 1897 and the workmen were recruited
from Senegal and the British Colonies of Africa.
Frequent
engines to drink and gain
their second winds, for their work here is very arduous.
stops are necessary for the
After two or three hours, however, a plateau is reached
and the
line
runs for miles through dense forests of palms,
acacias and
parasol
trees (native
The name
Motumbi).
exactly describes these trees, for the branches are arranged
like the
and the leaves spread out and form the
ribs,
covering of the sunshade.
Between the
belts of forests the country is covered with
coarse grass, six or seven
with palms.
a few natives
feet
high, dotted here
and there
No vestige of animal life is visible and only
who are engaged on the railway. These
inhabit villages near at hand, formed of huts built of reeds
or bamboo and thatched with grass.
The men wear a
loin cloth only, but the women are wrapped in a plain
piece of richly coloured cloth which reaches from the neck
to the ankle leaving the
arms and
dently a simple length of stuff
feet bare.
some
This
is evi-
three or four feet
wide
method of support
of button, hook or pin is
and, to the masculine eye at least,
its
remains a mystery, for no trace
Their faces are of the negroid type with broad
apparent.
37
BANANA TO LEOPOLDV1LLE
noses and thick lips and the figures of the women approach
shape of an S reversed thus 3 and are similar to
the
those which our American cousins have so largely developed.
The men
long legs
and
On
feet.
are as a rule thin
and
tall
with very
appear to have only small arches to their
lower Congo however, there are many
all
the
foreigners and
As
several other types are visible.
far as
one can judge by the railway cuttings, the soil on the
plateau is coarse sand and gravel containing iron and
quite unsuitable for agricultual purposes under such a hot
The
sun.
2000
we
feet
however, as we approach Tumba, about
level, is dry and fresh and at 4 p. m.
air
above sea
halt there for the night.
We
are met by
Commandant Delhaz, the Commissaire
who kindly places a bungalow at
of the Cataracts District,
our disposal fo p the night and shows us round the settlement.
There is only a small native village here, but
barracks
large
of clean,
consisting of lines
clay huts
Tumba is indeed an imporand here again the appearance of
the troops is very fine as they march to the strayas of
the band which renders snatches from Faust, Carmen
constructed by the soldiers.
tant
military
and other
tions.
A
centre
well
known
airs
with a few native
varia-
farm has been established in the neighbourhood
and an automobile road is in course of
to feed the garrison
construction.
Next morning, we dress by candle
breakfast,
in the
light
and make a hasty
midst of which, at 6
a.
m., reveille
sounds and the troops assemble in the square in front of
the Residency.
Half an hour afterwards, the train starts,
and having perched
ourselves
on
the
summits of the
38
BANANA TO LEOPOLDV1LLE
seats,
we soon reach Sonna Gongo
for travellers of the future.
Here
the half-way house
is
loco-
a depot for
moiives and carriages and wooden hotels are being const acted to accommodate travellers who, after
August, will
i
stop here for the night instead of at
Tumba.
Leaving Sonna Gongo, the line rapidly searches for a
lower level and the view is magnificent, as a great endless
Here and there are banks of
expanse of land is unfolded.
smoke caused by
way
the veldt fires
and
often close to the rail-
the high dry grass has been lighted
from an engine, and
zag down
hill
is
by a chance spark
We
burning furiously.
instead of up
and
far
now
zig-
beneath, can be seen the
thin line of rails glistening in the sun like
fillets
of silk.
Having reached this level, we plunge through inviting
looking forests at one time full of elephants, buffaloes and
other game, but practically deserted
and
now
save by
monkeys
parrots.
Soon
after the train stops at a station
have assembled
made from
the flour
cle of native diet.
unpleasant
where the natives
and kwanga, a kind of bread
of the manioc root and the chief arti-
to sell fruit
when
It
fresh
consists chiefly of starch
and
The
toasted.
and
is
not
natives however,
prefer all food in a high stage of decomposition
and
it is
some time before the very smell of it ceases to make one
feel ill.
To see them eating kwanga fish or the flesh of
elephants, monkeys, antelopes or other animals generally
both rotten and raw
the fact sharply that
The oranges
bling
is
man
most disgusting and brings home
here is of a very low type.
the natives sell are very acid,
grape-fruit than the orange
bananas are as good as any
in
of
more resem-
Florida,
the world
but the
and the pine
MANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
three of
apples
which can be bought
39
for half a franc
- are
equal to the finest hot-house variety.
The
line
now descends
again until
it
reaches a
sandy and uninteresting plain across which
lutely straight for seven miles until
bank of Stanley Pool
the South
is
the
rail
Congo,
head, Leopoldville.
flat
hot,
runs abso-
reaches Kinshasa on
A few miles
further on,
Like everything else in the
town has been arranged and
this
THE STEAMER
use.
it
it
built for practical
FLANDRE.
The railway runs along the beach so as to facilitate
and unloading of the steamers of the upper
the loading
and
our baggage is taken
on
board the Flandre
straight
This is an excellent
where we find cabins booked for us.
river,
from the
in a very short time all
train
and carried
arrangement and saves much trouble, for although the
steamer does not sail for two days, passengers are allowed
40
HANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
on board while
to live
sary, for there are
modation
Indeed
in port.
no hotels
the town,
in
for visitors except a
it is
very neces-
and no accom-
few rooms in the commercial
houses.
Some
of the native's character
traits
were now
to
be
His main idea always is, to do as little
work as possible and he will often take the greatest trouble
Each native endeavin his effort to accomplish this object.
demonstrated
to us.
near the gangway as possible which
was soon blocked and then he had to come back, hoist the
oured
to put his load as
package on his head again and carry
Although
officer
this
it to its
proper place.
look
performance
place every day, unless an
was constantly on the watch,
the foolish fellows
to shirk duty brought upon themselves
The cabins were unfurnished, for everyone
own bed on the Congo, and most also their
in their attempts
extra work.
carries his
own
tent.
carefully
was
It
Here was a
therefore necessary to
All
difficulty.
numbered by
left
before
it
to
my London
number meant bed.
looking bale, the boys unlace
it,
Stores andt
address but
and there was no
arrived,
discovering which
unpack a bed.
and boxes were
Army and Navy
the
he invoice no doubt sent
the bags
Seizing a likely
and find a part of a
tent,
a second attempt brings to light another part of a tent.
now growing dark and
of these seventy
native mind,
a light
odd cases
is
is
the
I
possibility of
and
It is
necessary, but in which
lamp ?
Not knowing the
necessary to hurry and find
This evidently conveys no meaning
at all to the boys, for in the first place it was not their bed
and so it mattered nothing to them, and in the second, they
I
explain that
it is
the bed before dark.
had never hurried before
in their lives,
and could not do so
41
11ANANA TO LEOPOLDVII.LE
now, even if they wished. Lacing the first bales up slowly
and deliberately, they open another and find a canvas bath
any rate useful, and
and
come across handagain
and washhandstand.
These are
encouraged by success
we
irons
and
concertina
try
at
At length we find a thing like a large
which is really a folding bed with pillows
starch.
and blankets, complete.
By great good luck a mosquito
curtain is then found and the steward kindly lends a
candle.
Hot, sticky,
tired
and cross we prepare
our
for
first
meal on a Congo steamer.
It consisted of a
soup of
mystery, chicken, which had been washed in the river
group of natives bathing and a goat, killed an
hour before dinner, whose flesh was thrown quivering into
close to a
However, there was some bread and tinned
it was no
and
use being fastidious in Central
peaches
This
Africa.
was washed down with the regulation half
the pot.
litre
of red wine, a kind of claret
and some native
which
is
which had a
coffee
quite drinkable
delicate
and
fine
aroma, but was badly made.
The captain
as indeed are nearly
the officers of the
was a Scandinavian and
river steamers
very well.
all
He explained
or inviting-looking,
which was
the
spoke, English
was not very clean
that the ship
truth,
but
as
the
lower deck was lumbered up with the horses of Commandant Sillye and was swarming with natives, it was only to
be expected.
Then
to bed, but not to sleep, for the
selves trouble,
In
my
had not
innocence
I
fixed the
boys
to save
them-
mosquito net properly.
merely ordered them to do it and had
It is indeed
necessary always
not stood by and watched.
42
BANANA TO LEOPOLDVILLE
to see that the native
one's back
enough
sleep.
at
is
does as he
turned, he
hand
to
is
eating
tempt him and
Even these
is told, for
if
there
if
State servants
the
moment
anything rotten
he
not,
quietly goes to
is
who speak
language and also a kind of French, really
the native
live the lives
and sleep if left alone and
work
when
are
shown
how, and watched all the
only
they
of animals, for they eat, drink,
time.
The
result
was
that
I
spent a most horrible night, for
the mosquitoes were terribly hostile
a
new European with some
and evidently recognised
healthy blood.
In the morning,
Congo fashion, was
and
face, neck, hands and
large bumps
wrists were all blotches.
It was therefore with little
appe-
my
head, which
I
had had shaved
in the
covered with
tite that I sat
down
to a breakfast of bread,
dutch cheese,
curious tinned butter and weak coffee without milk.
however, did
I
Little
think then that in six short months a Congo
steamer would seem like a
everything altered
first
class hotel, so entirely is
by comparison.
CATARACTS AT LEOPOLDVILLE.
CHAPTER
HI.
The Higher Congo.
Next day we make a formal
teur d'Etat of the
Leopoldville.
He
Congo
is a
call
State,
very
on Mi
.
Maliies, Inspec-
whose headquarters are
busy man
at
with a multitude of
duties, for the paternal system is continued all through
the State
and the most
trivial
matters are always referred
As we are
neighbourhood.
to lunch at the Residency, we do not stay long, but take a
me
ride with Commandant and M
Sillye on four of the horses
to the highest official in the
the former purchased at Dakar.
after their holiday of a
Although a little stiff
month, they have not been otherwise
44
THE HIGHER CONGO
by their sea voyage and two days in the train.
many steamers charging and dischar-
affected
the beach are
Along
ging and others on the
These steamers are
together
slips
all
being repaired or partly
built.
brought out in sections and put
on the beach.
They are
flat
bottomed,
are
driven by stern wheels and only draw three or four feet
of water.
They all burn wood, and special depots are
formed
at intervals
are collected.
only necessary
on the rivers where stores of
this
fuel
Should however, a steamer run short,
it is
to
stop and send the crew ashore with
knives for the banks are lined with forest.
Leaving the beach we ride through avenues of palms
ground, whence a beautiful
This is really a
view can be obtained of Stanley Pool.
and mango
trees to higher
part of the river about sixteen miles wide, shut in by hills
on each
side, but its size is not
itself, as a great
number
apparent from the water
of islands cut the stream into
numerous narrow channels.
Towards
the south, the river
narrows again and at this point is the uppermost of the
cataracts, the water hurling itself against the rocks in its
efforts to escape and recoiling in spray high into the air.
From
below Leopoldville all the way to Matadi, the
rushes down narrow gorges, but above, for
On
nearly a thousand miles, it is navigable for steamers.
a hill above the rapid, is a large tree under which Stanley
just
river indeed
pitched his tent and which
Many
still
bears his name.
native villages exist near Leopoldville, consisting
of huts formed of
wooden frames and thatched wilh
grass.
There are no plantations or factories here but great numbers of natives are at present employed in road making
and
in constructing a
new
slip for
launching the steamers.
45
THE HIGHER CONGO
Evidently our
party gives rise to
little
much comment
for
several of the natives have probably never seen a horse
before,
and a cavalcade
of four of these strange
On our way back
something entirely new.
down
pass
and close
State
the
At
sentry.
street in
is
we
which are the administrative
mess, the doctors' and other private houses
to the beach,
the Residency, over which
offices, the
flies
main
the
animals
to the ship
first
flag
and
in
front of
which patrols
one thought the sentry in
front
a
of the
was merely a symbol of
in
as
afterwards
however, it becomes
authority
Europe,
in the Congo is
the
of
Government
that
system
apparent
based on absolute uniformity.
Every Post, however big or
chief official's house in each town,
small, has
Governor
door.
its
State flag
and every chief
to the chief of a
Wood
official,
from the
Post, has a sentry at his
Each morning at sunrise the flag is hoisted, while
arms and every evening at sunset it is
the guard presents
lowered with like ceremony.
Indeed, the whole system
is
and sleeps at the
custom at most official
military, for everyone rises, works, eats
command
of the clarion.
and private parties
and cigars before
It is
in the
sitting
a
Congo,
to
down
to
hand round
ffort
wine
At
first
this
table.
seemed a strange kind of aperative, but soon the glass
of port became very agreeable after the morning's work.
Ten or twelve guests were assembled on the verandah
when we arrived, and soon Mr. Armarni joined the group.
He is an Italian, an ex-naval officer of distinction and now
Commissaire du Roi of the Congo, a position which ranks
with, but after, that of Governor General.
By a simple
and practical device, the relative rank of all the Administrative
and Military
officials
can be determined
at a glance.
46
THE
IIIGIIKU
CONGO
Each wears a blue gauntlet on
wrist and forearm
eacli
over the white sleeve of his coat and affixed on this are a
number
of gold bands.
A
captain of a river steamer,
perhaps has three or four bands, a Chef de Poste, four or
five, a Commissaire of a Zone or District, seven or eight,
and the Governor Gene-
an Inspecteur
d'Etat, nine or ten,
ral, eleven.
In order however, to economise space and
to
perhaps
facilitate
worn, a broad
stripes are
when more than
counting,
strip is substituted
three
which cor-
Thus an official with five
responds to the original three.
wears
one
and
broad
two
narrow ones, while the
stripes
Governor General wears three broad
narrow ones.
The
chief decoration,
stripes
the
and two
order of the
Lion, can only be gained by Belgians, but the Congo Star
is given to all after a certain term of service.
Those who
hold purely civil appointments such at Judges, Secretaries
and Directors
At 2.30
p.
of Transport,
wear no
stripes at all.
m. a bugle sounded and a chattering throng
of natives hurried past the Inspector's house towards the
beach
to
resume work, which
is
always interrupted for
m. during the heat of the day. In
people and the soldiers of the Force
three hours at 11.30 a.
order to feed these
about a ton and a half of kwanga
is prepared every day from the manioc
grown in the
villages around, and every able bodied native has to con-
Publique
at Leopoldville,
tribute his or her quota of
to
work
work.
for at least forty
supposed
whether engaged on
roails,
Each person indeed is
hours each month, and
buildings,
work, or in collecting rubber, wood
kwanga
or other
public
for the steamers,
for food, is paid at the current rate.
The
or
principle
of the system of Government, although entirely novel, is
47
THE HIGHER CONGO
undoubtedly sound and suited to the country and the conThe whole territory is divided into
dition of the native.
two great
parts,
the lands of the native chiefs
vacant lands called here the Domaine Prive.
ment has however, disposed of part of these
sionary Companies
the
right
sions, to
all
exploit
Conces-
Companies have
the
Commercial Houses and
Government
to
products of the forest in
Other portions have been leased to Mis-
to
areas.
these
in this sense, that the
and the
The Govern-
to private people.
collects the rubber,
ivory,
food stuffs,
The
and
other produce from the Domain Lands and with the proceeds, constructs roads, navigates the rivers, maintains the
Government and army and generally develops the country
and civilises the natives.
Trading relations are formed with the chiefs as follows
Agents are sent into their districts with brass wire,
:
cloth,
salt,
beads, or other things likely to attract the
and these are exchanged
natives,
copal, manioc,
fish,
for rubber, ivory,
fowl or other produce
of rubber, ivory or any other substance
terms of brass wire, cloth or salt
and so
;
is
gum
thus the value
determined in
its
yalue in ster-
Similarly, the value of native labour is discovered
ling.
The brass wire is cut
and the native paid accordingly.
into lengths called mitakos, this form of currency having
been introduced by the
of the mitako, and so
the country.
amount
The length
value, varies in different parts of
to
be no limit to the
of wire cut into mitakos, but as the natives use
of both sexes,
rency
H. M. Stanley.
At present there seems
great quantities to
is
late Sir
its
it is
make
brass rings for the arms and legs
difficult to
being debased.
say to what extent the curof skilled labour here is
The pay
48
THE HIGHER CONGO
and unskilled workers
high,
money
or
we
In the afternoon
visit
town
much
for the State.
cross the neck of Stanley Pool and
The
Brazzaville, the capital of the French Congo.
situated close to the beach, but the
is
high up on a
offices are
Secretariat,
as
natives pay no taxes in
equivalent, but instead are compelled to do
its
40 hours' work per inonlh
this
about as
receive
The
similar labourers in India.
we
Having found the
and
above.
hill
explain that
we
are British travellers
desire to pay our respects to the Governor.
telephones as
we
Government
The Secretary
wait in ihe office and presumably the
Governor asks whether we have introductions and what we
want, for the answer goes
However,
Pop!'!
spent
many
offers to help
back Non, Us sont venus,
Mr. Gentil, who has
the Governor,
years in the Congo, receives us very kindly,
us with steamers on the river, gives us some
on the Ubangi
indeed one
where
Every
with
meets
kindness, help and consideration from the
officials in Africa, which is in marked contrast to the hide
letters of introduction
and permits
to
bound system of
and maintain
to
French
officials
shoot game.
formalities
which
necessary to observe
it is
in
place, for
Europe.
blowing of the steamer's whittle
it is
getting late and it is impossible
the
after sunset.
A
great
Congo
The captain
anxious, but enough light remains to
reach Leopoldville soon after 6 p. m.
to dine at the
is
now
to
down
blique,
becoming
see the buoys and we
We have arranged
an
excellent
wherein all the
institution
Mess,
together.
the
navigate
therefore
Europeans of every rank, except the very highest
sit
takes
The Commandant of
Commandant
of
the
officials,
the Force
Pu-
Port, the Directors of
49
THE HIGHER CONGO
Transports and Posts, and the Doctors, all take their
dinner with the working artisans.
Altogether about
1
30 men attend the mess, where the cooking and service
while each has a small bottle of wine and a cup
is excellent
By this means, evjry man is ensured good
wholesome food, and the necessity of restaurants, in which
of coffee.
indiscriminate drinking might take place,
Next
poldville
is
avoided.
morning, July 23rd. the Flandre leaves Leoand steams to Kinshasa where we stop and land.
Here as usual the keynote
is
development.
Roads are being
made, avenues of palms, mangoes and pine apples planted
and store houses, factories and plantations constructed.
At the
coffee factory here, the
shells, sorted into sizes
Many kinds
and
beans are extracted from the
qualities
and packed
in bags.
of coffee have been planted in the Congo, but
none are equal to the wild variety found in the forest,
which is as good as any in the world when properly made.
Near at hand is a brick field, where the bricks are made
in metal
moulds, the clay being forced in by long levers.
They are not made as quickly as those fashioned by a
machine but the process is a great improvement on the oldfashioned method of brick making in wooden moulds.
It
is
already apparent that beer
so
we order some dozens
is
regarded as a luxury here
at three francs a bottle
and having
taken some photos return to the ship.
On
the beach
were some
fine
elephant tusks which have
been collected by the agents of the Societe
When
Anonyme
Beige.
a native finds a pair of tusks in the territory of the
company, the State takes one as a royalty and the company
buys the other
for a certain quantity of cloth.
This only
represents a fraction of the value in Europe, but is gladly
4
50
THE HIGHER CONGO
accepted by the native
who has no use
for
it
except to
make
Indeed in the old days, the chiefs used to
form a kind of fence round their huts by sticking the
war horns.
points in the ground, little thinking that in another part
of the world, not even the millionaire of fiction ever con-
Then
structed such an expensive railing.
raiders
came and
ivory, so that the white
man who
Arab
the
slave
women and
both the native
stole
the
gives beautiful coloured
cloth for these useless elephants' tusks is regarded as a
In the afternoon the Flandre
very generous trader.
continued her journey threading her way between the
numerous islands
bank of
the
in Stanley Pool,
the island of
and
Bamu which
is
finally tied
French
to
up
territory.
This island enjoys the distinction of being the only one in
the Congo which has an owner, for all the rest are declared
to be
to
no man's land by international
be
of game, and
full
return
without
prevent
all
seeing
we go
As
anything.
sleep in the cabin,
bed on deck and obtain a
It is reputed
treaty.
ashore to look for it, but
the mosquitoes
we arrange
to
make up
better night's rest, for
it
is
a
com-
paratively cool here in the evening in the open.
I
am
verj anxious to bathe next morning, but the cap-
tain strongly disadvises for the currents are very strong
and the
here,
breakfast
fire,
we
river is full of crocodiles.
and smoke
is
of the Europeans however, are
natives,
who,
leisurely
buckets of water.
hurry.
is
on
seen to be issuing from the fore hatch,
under which much of the wood used
None
In the midst of
are startled by the report that the ship
for fuel is stored.
more
excited than the
and with due deliberation, hand up
Nothing indeed could make a native
The captain seems
a
trifle
upset,
and
states that
it
THE HIGHER CONGO
necessary to run on a rock, and thus
may be
in the
O
bows and
This seems
flood the hold.
make
to
1
a hole
be rather
a desperate remedy, but no one shows the slightest inte-
This appeared curious at the time; since however,
has transpired that fires in the holds are of common
rest.
it
occurrence, and that as the ships are
all
of iron,
they
usually burn themselves out without harming anything.
Soon after however, the captain with an alarmed look,
rushes up on deck and said that a terrible crime or a great
It
appeared that by some
and
our
cases
of
beer
some
others belonging to
error,
Commandant Sillye had been left on the beach at Kinshasa.
mistake had been committed.
Immediately
or capita,
we anchored
was
sent with
last
six
night a native boatswain,
men
a
in
canoe
them and ought to have returned by midnight.
however, was heard of the boat until now when
appeared and told a harrowing story.
all
right
and
He found
to
fetch
Nothing
the capita
the cases
started to return across the river, but as
it
began to blow hard, he thought it better to make for land
and wait until the morning before trying to find the ship.
in landing on the island of Bamu and soon
man appeared with some Senegalese soldiers
and demanded to know what was in the cases.
He
explained, when the white man fired and killed all the
He succeeded
after a white
The
crew, but he ran away and escaped.
serious so Lord Mountmorres
Brazzaville to discover the truth, while
to
superintend the landing of our cargo
Soon
after the
affair
and Commandant
Commandant
arrived in a steamer and asked
seemed
Sillye left for
stayed on the ship
I
if
the fire extended.
of the Port of Leopoldville
if
we wanted
assistance as
another ship had run on the rocks higher up and sunk and
52
THE HIGHER CONGO
Sunhe was hastening to rescue any possible survivors.
day, July 24th indeed, seemed to be a veritable day of
horrors, but still no one appeared at all excited.
By
midday the fire in the forehold was extinguished and thus
Later in the afternoon just
one danger was removed.
before
sunset,
an
immense
flock
ducks and
of
geese
crossed the river, but as they were flying nearly a hundred
feet
up
Soon
in
after
the air,
it
was impossible
Mountmorres and
they had found
all
to
shoot
the crew safe, except one
had probably deserted and
them.
Sillye returned and reported
man who
had also brought back the
a French officer of
The white man was
cases of beer.
Customs, who had naturally thought the crew of the
canoe were engaged in smuggling and had fired blank
So passed an eventful day
cartridges to frighten them.
with
much smoke
but
little fire.
It
was indeed becoming
apparent that the Congo was a true land of exaggerations.
On
all
sides were great hills, great plains, great forests,
great rivers, great beasts, great trees,
and great
lies.
Next day we continued our course up Stanley-Pool,
which meant threading our way up narrow channels
between uninteresting sandbanks covered with
grass.
the
forest or
In the distance could be seen the hills forming
boundaries of the Pool and
at its
upper end Dover
Cliffs so called from their resemblance to that part of the
English coast.
About midday we sighted the Anversville,
was supposed to have been sunk, com-
the vessel which
on a sand bank, and the Brugesville which
her assistance, also resting on the same bank.
One of the passengers came off to the Flandre and told us
fortably lying
had
prone to
that
no one was hurt and
all
the baggage
was
safe
and
that
THE HIGHER CONGO
he had heard we had been burnt out, attacked by natives
and all killed.
Truly the Congo is a wonderful place.
As
the
Flandre moors we decide
to
go ashore hunting.
Within a few yards of the bank is the
tamus and the spoor of elephants.
It
walking, for
or eight
seven
grass
difficult
struggling along
is
After
high and the rest is bog.
few minutes, I hear a curious noise
feet
for a
however,
and
horn not above
five
visible, for the grass
yards away.
forms a com-
Again the grunt with a suspicious aftersame moment Chikaia, who is carrying
plete cover.
sniff
hippopo-
is
however, very
with long
of
land
are
covered
patches
like a very asthmatic fog
Nothing
lair of a
the
at
the usual sign to indicate game
snaps his fingers
and beckons me to follow.
I endeavour to do so, and
my gun
at
once sink in the bog up
keep
we
my
rifle
dry.
By
to the
knees, but fortunately
clutching the grass,
I
get out
and
follow the spoor of the hippo as rapidly as possible.
This
very clearly marked, for the grass has been recently
is
thrust aside
and there are great holes
in the soft
mud over
a foot wide and deep, made by the great feet of the beast.
These holes were in pairs lying close together, showing
that the hippo
was galloping as he passed and unfortuna-
tely they led straight to the river.
Next day we leave the Pool and enter a part of the river
Here there are no islands and both
called the Channel.
banks are visible all the time, the width not being more
than a mile in some places.
A low range of hills covered
As
with acacias or coarse grass, exists on each side.
usual,
we
stop at a
Wood
Post to take fuel on board.
cut in logs three or four feet long and stacked in
Sticks are
about
the same in width and height.
heaps
This
is
54
THE HIGHER CONGO
placed in the ground connected by lines at the required
height and the logs are laid in rows until the space is
filled.
The result is a cubic yard of wood known in the
Congo as
bras, but the
a
considerably, in
some cases
in others double that
bras differs in size and price
the cost being 5 mitakos
amount.
A
and
native can easily collect
wood in the forest and carry it to the bank in a
some of the Wood Posts fifty or sixty natives
day and
Even then however, the demand for wood
are employed.
a bras of
in
by the big steamers is sometimes greater than the supply.
At 6 p. m. every day the steamer stops for the night
and makes
sengers
beds
fast to a tree
on the bank.
once go ashore,
at
for the night.
light
All the native pas-
fires
and arrange
their
They sleep on mats or with the whole
Either
body, and head also, wrapped up closely in rugs.
their feet or heads are always within a few inches of the
fire
and
Until 9
their bodies radiate out like the
30
p.
must be put
m
,
however, when
spokes of a wheel.
on the steamer
all lights
out, a ceaseless chatter proceeds with an occa-
sional angry discussion as the natives take their meal of
kwanga, fish and any odd piece of meat they can procure.
It is a somewhat weird sight, the black forms showing
dimly in the ruddy light of the fires under the trees.
on the steamer rings the command and everyone
and then one appreciates the real silence of
The
bell
goes
to bed,
the equatorial forest which one has heard about at home.
Within a few yards, hundreds of frogs commence to croak
loudly and continue steadily, with a few pauses to breathe,
until daybreak.
Hundreds of monkeys screech shrilly in
the trees and millions of mosquitoes
an inch or two of one's
ears.
All
hum
steadily within
manner of animal
cries
55
THE HIGHER CONGO
are heard in the forest and the hippos blow loudly as they
rise
to
As
the surface to breathe.
a matter of fact, the
noise at midnight in the forest,
when every
insect is busy hunting for food,
is
time,
and
when
all
at
midday
the animal
One evening
I
beast, bird
and
greater than at any other
only, one enjoys comparative quiet
kingdom
is
asleep.
went ashore with Ghikaia
the beach, carrying only a gun.
We
for a stroll
on
soon found a number
of ducks and as they had never been fired at before pro-
bably, they were not scared
away by
the noise of the gun,
but kept wheeling round and round overhead affording
It would indeed have been easy to shoot
very easy shots.
them
all.
There was, however, no reason
to
do so and
having collected a couple or two to make a welcome change
from the daily goat of the steamer, we started back when
a fine antelope-cheval rushed from the
wood
across the
Ghikaia at once became
sandy beach towards the water.
very excited and wished me to fire, but it was useless, as
was more than a hundred yards away. It was
satisfactory to find the boy was a keen sportsman, even
the beast
though he did not appreciate the different capacities of
a gun and a rifle.
However, I made a mental note never
to go, even for a casual stroll in Africa, without both
weapons.
On returning to the ship, we hear that the Captain's boy
has killed a hippo and that dozens of others are waiting
to be shot.
We therefore determine to try some shooting
by moonlight and Chikaia is delighted when he sees the
gras as he calls my Lee- Met ford come out of its case.
It
is a beautiful
silver flow
night with clear, cool air.
Streams of
from the moon on the water, while the palms
56
THE HIGHER CONGO
tower high with majestic crowns.
Here we are in the very
midst of real nature and yet again it unpleasantly recalls
the scenery of a theatre.
what accuracy scenic
The surroundings tend
that this veritable
make
construct
artists
make one
to
tropical scenes.
sentimental and regret
garden of Eden should be exploited to
and rubber tyres for automobiles and
billiard balls
The native
bicycles.
and hippos, eating
and sleeping again
his
wood
for
also,
fill
instead of hunting elephant
and sleeping, and eating again
has disappeared and
until the carcase
then hunting again,
cut
indeed extraordinary with
It is
now
has to collect rubber juice and
an ugly looking steam
flat.
Such however,
is civilisation in the
Congo.
Spoor of elephants and hippos abound and the grunt of
the latter can frequently be heard, but they are not sitting
up on
their
haunches waiting
shrill chirp of the sentry
bird
boasts that something strange
to lie
to
be shot.
The
clear,
indeed warning the big
moving and we shall have
is
is
for a
still
at the great
long while probably before getting a chance
heads as they are raised from the water.
walk of about
After a
a mile,
we
arrive at the place
where the captain's boy was supposed to have killed the
The truth was he had fired at a beast who, as the
hippo.
spoor clearly showed, had walked calmly into the river and
not a trace of blood could be seen.
After a time, with
practice perhaps, one will be able to gauge the truth from
an ordinary Congo statement.
Next day we reach the mouth of the Kasai, a large tri-
butary which drains
Congo.
Here
is
much
of the Equatorial District of the
a State Post,
Kwamouth, with
a few well
constructed houses and a Catholic Mission where pretty
THE HIGHER CON^O
57
walking sticks with ivory handles can be purchased and
where the Fathers make a few cigars from Congo tobacco
which are not at all bad smoking.
A little further up the
Mission of St. Marie which
river, is the deserted Catholic
has evidently been
one time well arranged with a large
and garden.
Here however, the
at
manioc plantation
Sleeping Sickness appeared and the mortality was so heavy
that the place
The disease had no doubt
was abandoned.
existed before, but
it
was
this terrible
epidemic which
first
attracted the serious notice of Europeans.
It is
becoming
clear that there are a great
number
of
Most of the poliCongo.
and military appointments are held by Belgians, but
nationalities represented in the
tical
there are
many
Italian military officers also.
the marine are Scandinavians
is
therefore,
must speak
Nearly
all
the language of the river
chiefly English, although every Slate official
a certain
amount
also hold appointments,
chiefly
and
of French.
A
few Germans
and the trading houses are run
by English and Dutch, while there are missionaries
of several nationalities.
In the army, orders are given
on the ships and in the stations, the native
commanded in a kind of jargon based on the Bangala
in French, but
is
dialect.
The Danish captain of
a
Congo steamer thus as a
own language, English, French
and Bangala and can make himself understood in all.
On pay day, rolls of brass wire are cut up into mitakos,
rule, speaks, besides his
which become longer the higher one travels up the river,
arrangement having been introduced by Stanley and
this
never altered.
it is
Here the mitako
worth 5 cents, while
long and worth 10 cents.
at
is
28 centimetres long and
it is 40 centimetres
Basoko
The
native crew are paid three
58
THE HIGHER CONGO
mitakos
for their food
much kwanga
as
per day which would purchase twice
as they could possibly eat.
and wheelman are
also paid
The
capitas
monthly wages which vary with
the nature of their work.
By
July 28th
we have passed through
a portion of the river
which
is
the Channel into
very wide and has the appear-
ance of a great lake studded with islands.
are invisible, for the country here
is
The banks
flat
absolutely
and
many hundreds of miles until ihe Province
Between these islands, which are
reached.
continues so for
Orientale
is
we pass
usually well wooded,
slowly up the river, for the
strong although the surface of the water
appears absolutely still and the light glares as from a
mirror.
Some of the islands are however, only coveted
current
is
still
with grass and a herd of buffaloes on one come charging
down to the river to drink. Unfortunately one of the passengers
fires a
which might possibly
twenty yards, and frightens them
a great pity, for if we had had time, we
kind of saloon
have killed a rabbit
back.
This
is
rifle,
at
could easily have bagged one or two and had some fresh
beef for dinner.
At midday on the 29th we reach Mopolenga and stop
wood.
The land in the neighbourhood is well culti-
for
vated and manioc, sweet potatoes, bananas and pineapples
flourish.
The manioc plant has a green stem, reddish
branches and green leaves arranged in clusters of six
which turn downwards forming the shape of a parasol,
evidently a popular, as it is an appropriate, pattern for
vegetable
life
in this hot country.
yields the flour, which
is
well boiled,
is
is
made
supposed
to
The
into
root of the
kwanga and
manioc
unless
be very injurious.
it
The
59
THE HIGHEU CONGO
of monkeys, parrots and
from a swamp near the water.
In the afternoon we reach Bolobo, the head quarters of
animals
here consist
finches, but
chiefly
many ducks
the Baptist Mission,
fly
which
is
presided over by Mr. Gren-
fell, a missionary who has resided for over twenty years in
He has taught the natives to make bricks and
the Congo.
build houses and has erected a Mission Hall, a hospital
and a printing house.
out with
mango
ducks and
trees
The mission enclosure
and other useful
fruits
is
well laid
and many
tunately Mr. Grenfell
was not
at
fat
Unfor-
fowls pass a contented existence there.
home, but we were
fortu-
who
nate in finding Mr. Scrivener, another missionary,
He stated that the
has resided some years in Africa.
natives were emigrating from the District of Lake Leopold,
which lies behind Bolobo and is Domain Land, because
they were forced to collect rubber and were flogged
refused.
He had never
himself seen a native
if
they
who had
Asked
ill treated, but had been told so
by natives.
whether the people were ever mutilated, Mr. Scrivener
looked very surprised and answered
Oh no, there is
been
nothing of that kind now
Bolobo is very populous and many natives flocked down
to the beach immediately the steamer arrived and at once
!
held an outdoor market on the beach selling manioc,
clothes, pots of various kinds
and other
articles to the
fish,
crew
and passengers.
A Congo flat fish of the perch family is
found here, smoke dried and sold for food and is very
good eating indeed.
Two of the crew were
the captain.
One
to-day by order of
had attacked another boy with a knife
chicotted
and wounded him and the other had
stolen,
and then
fal-
60
THE HIGHER CONGO
sely
The
blamed another.
chicotte
is
a plain strip of
hippo hide and the punishment was administered publicly
by the capita on the bridge of the steamer and did not
to
appear
be more painful than an ordinary birching at a
public school.
At 10 p. m. we decide
steamer and go
skilful
to take the big iron boat of the
hunting.
and know
all
The
natives are exceedingly
the likely places for hippo.
They
paddle hard up stream and having arrived at the
hunting ground allow the boat to drift down with the
first
It is clear
moonlight, but it is
necessary to cover the fore sight of the rifle with white
current in perfect silence.
After a lime, up rises a
paper in order to see it clearly.
a
and
there is just time for a
head
with
great
great pant
before it sinks again.
Hippos frequent shallow
water and are indifferent swimmers. They walk about
It is thus
on the bottom and rise at intervals to breathe.
shot
impossible to
know
in
which direction a beast
will next
come up under the boat and
This night there were great numbers and we
capsize it.
had excellent sport.
One shot in the head is sufficient to
appear or whether he will
kill
a hippo which then sinks and the body does not rise
again
for
some hours.
One unfortunate animal was
however, shot in the back and rearing straight up on his
hind legs rushed for some yards in that attitude until a
second shot in the head put him out of his misery.
Next day we reach Lukolela, a Wood Post and telegraph
The line runs along the bank all the way from
station.
Leopoldville to
erect.
A
hundred
Coquilhalville
and was very
difficult
to
space had to be cleared in the forest nearly two
feet
wide and the line erected in the centre on iron
THE 1UGHEII CONGO
posts, so that
first,
any
falling trees
61
would not destroy
it.
the elephants strongly resented these novel posts
frequently knocked them
down
At
and
if
they had been
nine pins, but have since become used to them.
At Lukolela
there
is
excellent
as easily as
wood which
teak
is
fashioned
into
doors and windows and shipped to various places ready for
The nights are quite cool, although we are near
building.
and the heat
the Equator
oppresive as
Cultivation is
Congo and
is
water
of the river here
is
not nearly as
the
summer.
in the
lower
becomes very
difficult,
shallow at this season of the year and there
is
many sand banks which
are
day time
at
the physique of the natives is remarkably fine.
The navigation
for the
in the
Aden or Shanghai in
much more advanced here than
it
frequently change their posi-
Charts are therefore, practically useless and each
skipper has to feel his way each voyage. Indeed, the whole
tion.
on the bows of the vessel with long
It
poles sounding the water and shouting out the depth.
time two boys
is
sit
curious that
when
the vessel is travelling in shallow
water, the engines at once go slow of their
One
of the engineers explained that this
produced by
the
when
accord.
phenomena was
wheels
experienced in
speak, the water from under the
difficulty
so to
dragging away,
the
own
was little depth.
Still the ships, frequently run on the banks, but as they are flat bottomed,
are not usually injured.
The method of mooring is very
ship
there
One of the crew jumps
rudimentary although practical.
overboard with a steel rope, swims ashore and makes it
fast to a tree.
All of
them are expert swimmers and seem
and as their clothes consist of
to enjoy their frequent dips,
a loin cloth only, they do not require to undress.
62
THE HIGHER CONGO
On August
1st at sunset
we
reach Irebu,an exceedingly
An avenue of palms stretches parallel
and about twenty yards from it the bank itself
This leads to a large
being fenced by white wooden rails.
which
are
the
brick
houses of the
around
open square
beautiful place.
to the river
Beyond, along the river front, are
European officers.
more brick houses, the Mess and the Magazines, and
This
gardens are laid out the whole length of the town.
is
one of the large military training centres, where about a
officers prepare more than a thousand recruits for
dozen
the Force Publique.
was illuminated by wry simple,
Stakes were driven into the ground
In the evening the place
but effective, moans.
and on each was placed a tin which presumably had conThese were filled with palm oil
tained condensed milk.
The mosquitoes
and pieces of wood to serve as wicks.
here are very bad indeed and it is necessary to take
quinine every day to counteract the effects of their poison.
At daybreak next morning most of the troops were
exercising in the square and their precision and manoeu-
vring -vere really marvellous. Any European colonel might
indeed be proud to hear such a single click as his regiment
shouldered arms. The officers state that the natives attend
very carefully
all
make good
evidently
word of command and
the time for the
act very quickly after
it
is
The
given.
instructors
native corporals
and the raw
recruit
is
soon converted into a smart and responsible soldier.
This
is
the
best
that
could
be
education
military
certainly
given to
a savage
and
;
it
teaches
him
punctuality, regularity, obedience
collective responsibility
;
it
houses and keep them clean and
shows him how
it
gives
him an
to build
idea of
63
THE HIGHER CONGO
justice for he
The
knows he
will
soldier therefore soon
person and realises that
be punished
for
wrong doing.
becomes an altogether different
he is no longer an animal-man
and a friend
living wild in the forest, but a soldier-man
Bulamatadi
of the great
What we may
who governs
call Ihe caste feeling
the country.
has indeed contributed
Anyone who
greatly to civilising the country.
is
brought
into direct contact with ihe whites as a soldier, a worker
in
or on the roads,
the plantation
superior
the wild
to
new master lhan
attached to his
rather
amusing
to
soon
feels that
he
is
bushman and then becomes more
to his
own
cousins.
hear the native domestics or
It is
boys
who probably rank
higher than any other natives on the
with great
social ladder, speaking of the
indigenes
contempt as though they were quite another and an infeit
rior species.
Bulamatadi,
may be of
Speaking of
interest to state the origin
means
and was given
stones
to
make roads
on his
and meaning of the term it
one who breaks
literally in the native tongue
when he
blasted rocks
and
is
him
has been applied to all officials
used to connote anything and every-
Since then
coffin.
of the Stale
to Stanley,
the term being afterwards buried with
it
Thus the State side of the
thing connected with the Slate.
river is Bulamatadi, a Stale Post is Bulamatadi, a State
steamer
is
Bulamatadi, anything indeed belonging
State is Bulamatadi.
State officials, are
to the
White men traders and hunters, not
mundellas,
but the native at once
has a nick name for everyone which describes his chief
characteristic.
Lord
Mountmorres usually
hunting boots and was named
big boots
wore eyeglasses, I became
double eyes.
wore
long
and as
I
04
THE HIGHER CONGO
We
many
An
left
2nd and
Irebu on August
once disturbed
at
and hippos, which abound
crocodiles
in this district.
unfortunate accident hapjened in the afternoon.
of the crew
must have been drawn
overboard and
fell
One
under the stern wheel and struck by a paddle, for he never
re-appeared and no sign of the poor fellow could be found,
although diligent search was made for a long time.
Just before sunset a canoe comes alongside and fastens to
Il is indeed
the ship, although it is travelling at full speed.
wonderful
see the
to
feet
some
fish
three fishermen with
natives
the
way
narrow dug-outs not two
manipulate these
one were
In this
wide.
which looked
like trout for
At once a great clamouring takes place among the
and it soon becomes plain that the chief
sale.
native passengers
fisherman was a good
one
bottle for
empty
man
he refused more of those
Having taken an
of business.
and
fish
a piece of cloth for another,
articles
and demanded
either salt
In a short time however, he had
or milakos for his goods.
disposed of his cargo and paddled contentedly away.
The natives are very vain and take much trouble over
their
As
personal appearance.
simple
this is concentrated
From
hair dressing.
their
clothes
their tatouage
are very
and on
their
a hopeless looking tangle of black
tow a very pretty erection
are of both sexes.
on
is
created by the barbers
Often the hair has
five
who
or six separate
partings and quills or feathers are inserted into the ridges
in between.
All the
cloth as they
leather belt
do
is
women
in the
here wear a simple piece of
Lower Congo and sometimes a plain
the waist.
The arms and legs
worn round
are bare and covered with plain bangles
The women wear no hat
made
of any kind, but the
of mitakos.
men ape
the
65
THE HIGHER CONGO
Europeans and appear
Both
in old helmets or straw hats.
sexes are very clean personally, and bathe frequently in
the river, but never dry themselves afterwards.
keep on
their loin cloths, but if they
trousers, take these
off,
while the
wear also
women
The men
shirts or
bathe in a white
linen loin cloth and everyone afterwards pulls on his other
Many natives rub a red powder
made from cam-wood and thus acquire a
clothes without drying.
into the skin
copper colour, while others paint their faces with various
stripes of red, yellow or white.
where the natives are becoming
to be
On
the
Congo however,
custom seems
civilised, this
dying out.
On August 3rd we
on one side of the
centre.
Here used
cross the Equator
river
to
and
marked by
a'
post
the point of an island in the
be a settlement, but most of the
There is still a Mission
people have moved higher up.
near the place and a good road runs along the bank
between plantations of bananas and gardens
ville which we reach in the afternoon.
to Coquilhat-
BOTANICAL GARDENS AT EALA.
CHAPTER
The Equator
IV.
District.
Coquilhatville, the capital of this important District is
The roads are
town in the Upper Congo.
formed by bamboos laid in rows, upon which sand and
mud are placed the whole forming an effective pavement for
foot passengers and no other is required for there are no
the largest
carriages and only a few horses.
uniforms with
full
we proceed
make
to
dress, badges
don white
a formal call on Captain Stevens, the
Comrrjissaire of the District with
fevt,
All the officers
and medals, and together
Commissaire du Roi.
whom
Some
is
staying Mr. Mal-
of the officers take their
68
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
dogs with hem, which
I
the
numerous
pressed.
fox-terrier
at
cats of the
once make a furious onslaught on
to be sup-
Commissaire and have
Mgr. Derikx places a particularly pugnacious
under the basket work of his chair the little
animal being
Church.
literally
sat
upon by
the dignitary of the
The Residency is a large brick building situated on a
hill and raised above the ground, the space beneath
low
being enclosed and loop-holed, thus forming a small
The
is
gardens are particularly pretty and well kept.
handed round and we
sit
fort.
Beer
chatting on the verandah until
He
Mr. Grenfell, the head of the Baptist Mission, arrives.
has travelled up the river in the Mission Steamer from
Bolobo and was on his way when we stopped at that place.
As he has been in the Congo for more than twenty years,
he knows the country well and thus speaks with authority.
He
is
thinks the system of Government excellent, but that it
administered better in the Lower than the Upper Congo,
He is
because there are not enough officials in the latter.
the
has
decreased
on
the
convinced
population
greatly
riverside of the Bangala District,
and
attributes
it
chiefly to
Sleeping Sickness for he cannot say if emigration to the
French CoDgo has been extensive or not.
No case of illtreatment of natives has
come
to
his notice during the
but he thinks the State does not give them
He has seen natives without hands,
enough work to do.
but does not believe that any atrocities have occurred for
last three years,
many
years.
better
if
Generally speaking, he thinks
it
would be
the State acquired all the property of the
Compa-
Although he does not know of any definite cases of
no
ill-treatment, he has heard reports and thinks Ihere is
nies.
69
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
smoke without
of smoke.
and
is
However, he
fire.
agree that a very
little fire
in ihe
is
quite prepared to
Congo makes
a great deal
Mr. Grenfell spoke very calmly,
away by emotionalism or strong
Altogether,
evidently not carried
prejudice against the State.
At Coquilhatville, as elsewhere
in the State, the priso-
ners are given useful work to do.
digging a hole
by the roadway.
ther but Ihe chain
was so long
Two
movements.
Near by a party were
They were chained toge-
that
it
did not hamper their
were on guard,
policemen
but the
whole gang were evidently taking matters very easily.
In the evening we dine with the Commissaire and a
party of sixteen or eighteen, including
many
of our fellow
Mr. Grenfell and Dr. Button, of the Liverpool
travellers,
School of Tropical Medicine, who
Sleeping Sickness.
Everyone we
velled in other countries
and
is
here studying the
meet who has
also visited the
tra-
Congo,
astonished at the wonderful development of the place.
is
It
indeed becoming more and more apparent that the State
has gone ahead very fast and that the stress has been great,
both for Europeans and natives.
Probably, now the
is
machine
is fairly set rolling, it will
proceed more steadily
in the future.
Next day we decide
week or
so
to leave the
Flandre and stay
for a
Commandant Ankstrom,
at Coquilhatville.
the Adjoint Superieur to the Commissaire, kindly lends us
his
house and we
at
quitoes of the river
Everything
and
in the
once move
and
in,
to sleep
glad to leave the mosin a
room once more.
house and garden is scrupulously clean
which I may add were found in
tidy, characteristics
nearly every Post and house in the whole country.
The
70
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
sanitary arrangements are the perfection of simplicity.
There are no drains, but simple receptables which are
emptied and cleaned every morning while carbolic acid
is used
This admirable system is carried out
liberally.
however large or small, and I never once
The natives themselves are also
in every Post,
found
it
unobserved.
very cleanly in their habits, so that although the heat is
great and decomposition proceeds very rapidly, bad smells
are absolutely
unknown.
Near the residency
is
kept farm and the mutton tasted particularly nice
diet of goat on the steamer.
The
effect of the
In Europe
and
tion
I
climate on
my
digestion
is
a well
after the
curious.
forms of starch and iugar give me indigeshave therefore to avoid bread, potatoes, jam,
all
Here however, I have a
sugar and kindred substances.
for
these
and
never
have indigestion.
I
craving
things
mention
this personal trait,
because
many
other travellers
in the tropics have often stated that they could
rice
and jam
No doubt
march on
days without desiring meat of any kind.
for
the system is
working at, so to speak, high
curious that a complete change in one's
idiosyncrasies should take place even in the first month.
pressure, but
it
is
On August 5th the Flandre proceeds up the river, and
we bid farewell to our travelling companions, who seem to
have become old friends in the
one,
is
last
six
weeks.
Every-
always most kind and courteous, and not only
gives every information, but also the benefit of his experience,
town
and thus
standing in their
It
affords
much
valuable assistance.
of Coquilhatville consists of
ma^ seem
that
own gardens and
one
The
rows of brick houses
fronting on avenues.
insists unnecessarily
on the
fact that
71
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
the houses are brick in
all
the towns, a fact
which the
The traEuropean would accept as a matter of course.
veller however knows that in most tropical countries, wood
is
usually employed instead, as being easier to obtain and
work.
Indeed in the United States, the country seats of
even the very wealthy are generally constructed chiefly of
Bricks however, are by no means easily
that substance.
made
in the
sandy and
Congo,
is
it
for in
many
places the soil
therefore difficult to
make
is
very
the brick bind.
Again, lime is very scarce and all manner of substances are
used to make mortar.
Among these the ant hills are much
in favour, for
it
which are often
has been observed that these structures
high and in proportion great in
never
When
diameter,
disintegrate in the heaviest rain.
with
and
mixed
sand
their
out
substance
makes
an
dug
thirty feet
Again, the shells of oysters, which
abound in some parts of the river are also used to make
mortar.
excellent
The roofs are thatched with
mortar with good results.
wherever
leaves
obtainable, and if well constructed
palm
are quite water tight.
for as
much
Glass windows are not
air as possible is desirable
are so broad that rain rarely enters.
much
used,
and the verandahs
The openings are
thus closed only by shutters or by wire gauze to keep out
the
numerous
insects.
The usual money is the
Living here is very expensive.
but
the
likes
will sometimes take
native
salt
and
mitako,
cloth
if
he fancies
it.
and on one occasion
is
however, very independent,
Fowls and eggs are about the same price
of London, but the latter are very
Fruit is however, cheap, as it is abundant.
Near
single duck.
as in the
scarce.
He
a native refused 14/- in cloth for a
West End
72
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
town is a large coffee and cocoa plantation arranged in
square fields, separated by avenues of palms, which both
form grateful shade and yield much palm oil.
On each
the
field
on which
a large board
is
painted the
is
number
of
Papye, cceur de boeuf, bananas and pineapples
bushes.
abound.
The system
of
work
that a description of
equally do
reveille
it
in every Post is exactly the
for every place in the
and
at
native workers
6
a.
who
m.
roll call
the natives
a.
to
would
Congo.
of
At 5.30
At 11.15
march
to the river
a.
the Europeans
all
then, led by a bugler,
their respective duties.
all
same, so
as witnessed in Goquilhatville
march
m. bugle
a.
and bathe.
m.
and
off to
call
and
Al 11.30
m. bathing ceases and they march off behind the bugler
dinner and rest.
At 2.30 p. m. they assemble again
and
at
5.30
p.
m.
The
finish for the day.
native thus
works eight hours and a half and rests in the hottest portion of the day.
The workers in the plantations are
entirely volunteers
and so do not come under the 40 hours'
who live in the villages
The women do the light
and are not in the State service.
work in the plantations and thus fare much better, than
when forced to do all the work by iheir husbands, which
rule,
which
happens
is
only applied to those
in all the
It
villages.
brushing the roads with
palm
is
leaves.
curious to see them
Six or eight
women
walk abreast and push away the dust and dead leaves
which are then collected in baskets and thrown into the
river.
As our house looks
Publique
first
drill,
we
into the square where the Force
At
witness the methods employed.
the recruit is taught
which
is
right
and which
is left.
73
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
Droite and up goes the right hand, gauche and the left folThe native corporal, however, has corrupted these
words into hi hoo so that, as is usual in military com-
lows.
mands, no mere
civilian
can possibly understand them.
Afterwards when he comes
to
mount guard and
relieve
sentries, the order pre'sen tez armes! might be anything from
the sound.
The band
practices also close at hand.
First the cornet
picks out some air he has heard, note by note, and like a
who
child
is
learning the piano, always goes back to the
beginning of the piece
trials
many
when he
the whole air
is
strikes a false note.
Then
discovered.
After
the trom-
bones and bass instruments put in the accompaniment also
by experiment, and in the end the result is really quite
good
for Africans unlike Asiatics, take kindly to
European
music.
The method
of
moving heavy weights
is
necessarily very
primitive, for, with the exception of a few wheel-barrows,
there are no vehicles of any kind here.
was
carried into the square one day
been lashed across
length.
lifted
it
One
or two
it
;
A
huge
pieces of
tree
trunk
wood had
about two
men on
feet apart throughout its
each side of each piece then
and the whole eighty or hundred men marched
It would indeed
the trunk along with ease at a jog trot.
be impossible
to
use heavy trolleys in this part of the
sandy and the wheels would at
for the roads are
Congo,
once sink deeply into them.
A walk through the plantation, which extends over some
square miles,
is
very pleasant, as the palms spread their
leaves across the avenues until they nearly touch each other
thus forming beautiful shady groves.
Ferns grow round
74
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
the
stems and the whole
whites.
wooden
extremely pretty and cool-
cross at the head on which
is
The age however,
and date of death.
is
is
Beyond the plantation is the cemetery for the
Each grave is covered with bricks and has a
looking.
inscribed the
is
name
omitted and this
perhaps as well, for the Congo exacts a heavy toll of
lives and new comers are often depressed already by
young
the accounts of the climate which have reached Europe.
Further on
native tract.
is a forest through which runs a narrow
This demonstrates well the extreme indo-
lence of the native.
small branch of a tree
If a
across the path, he steps over
round
Time
it.
immaterial.
No
it,
if
falls
a large one, he walks
no object, so the length of the road is
attempt is made to form bridges, for the
is
streams are not deep and are easily fordable, nor even to
It
break off the branches of trees which obstruct the way.
The forest paths
stoop and pass beneath.
have indeed been made simply by the pressure of bare
feet on the soil and undergrowth.
A few monkeys and
is easier to
parrots chatter overhead and an occasional pigeon coos,
but the chief forms of animal
the most
lovely butterflies.
life
here, are thousands of
These are coloured
to
suit
the surroundings and are therefore usually of subdued tints.
Occasionally however, a great insect nearly as large as
one's hand,
and blues.
by exhibiting the most vivid greens, reds,
Bananas, rubber plants, palms and acacias
flies
crowd each other
in the forest through
three or four miles, until
which we walk
for
we
reach a native village conof
a
in
few
huts
a clearing.
A handsome
sisting
square
looking fellow comes up
know
if
we wish
to
to
us,
buy anything.
salutes
and desires
to
Having neither mita-
75
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
we are wearing, we
man wondering probably if the
wonder why we walked all that distance
kos, salt, nor cloth except the pyjamas
cannot deal and leave the
native ever does
if
we did not require anything.
On August 8th we visit the
which
Botanical Gardens at Eala,
about three miles fromCoquilhatville. Mr. Pinard,
the Director of the Gardens, shows us the various plants
is
indigenous and imported which he has collected, and
although the place has only been formed for three years,
almost everything which could possibly grow has been
planted. The soil is sandy, the altitude about 1100 feet
above sea
Numerous
level
and the temperature
varieties of
is
about 90
F.
rubber plants are arranged here for
experimental purposes, and gutta percha also
is
slowly
Bushes which yield acid, suitable for
attaining maturity.
the
milk
of
the rubber plant, grow alongside.
coagulating
Cotton does not do well here owing to the scarcity of rain,
but coffee and tea flourish.
All the palms, many ferns
and orchids and nearly every
as
well as tropical,
grow
fruit
in
and vegetable, European
great
profusion while the
melons, vegetable marrows, beans, peas, potatoes, lettuces,
cucumbers and tomatoes look healthy. Croton, belladonna
and other medicinal herbs are cultivated and there are many
beautiful flowers, whose use is chiefly ornamental.
The
gardens are of great extent, well laid out and beautifully
kept,
so that
this site
it
was wild
is difficult
to
believe that four years ago
forest.
Adjoining the gardens
is
a large farm in which cattle,
resembling those of the Lower Congo, look well.
It
however, unfortunate that the cows only give
milk
to rear their calves.
sufficient
is
Horses, asses and pigs live healthily
76
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
and the native sheep thrive, but are very thin.
Although
wheat will not grow, maize is easily raised and the grass,
if
coarse looking,
is
good
for grazing.
The farm buildings
are kept most scrupulously, clean, for the slightest neglect
would probably occasion an epidemic of
trichinosis
among
the pigs.
The
neighbourhood of Coquilhatville seem
and
very populous
prosperous.
Any morning early whole
families can be met
mother
and children, with
father,
villages in the
bundles of manioc fastened on their backs by broad grass
fibres
going to the town.
Everywhere the natives seem
contented and happy.
When not working, thfy sit in the
roads and dye their skins or have their hair dressed, while
the children play around with
bows and arrows or other
The wealthy wear heavy brass
pugnacious kind of toys.
rings extending from the ankle to thp. knee and the discomfort
must be very
great, but as is proved
the natives will bear
much
pain in
Before leaving Coquilhatville,
selves.
by the tatouage,
order to beautify them-
we send
for the
boy
Epondo, who was rendered famous as an example of an
atrocity
by Mr. Casement, the
Epondo
is
now employed
of the District
is
always
at
hand when
Four inches below the elbow
soe him.
arm
and
late British
there are
two deeps
Consul
at
Boma.
as a gardener by the Commissaire
visitors desire to
joint of the left
scars, three inches apart,
which
could certainly have been produced by the bite of an animal of about the size of a wild boar.
The stump of the
forearm
It
was
told
is
covered with irregular scars, such as would
hand had become gangrenous and fallen away.
useless asking him questions, as he had already
two distinct stories which have been related above.
remain
if
the
77
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
we
On August
down the river
to Irebu,
hot journey.
Mr. Jeniaux, the Commandant, has spared
no pains
10th.
make
to
and steam
after a
few hours
camp not only beautiful but attractive
has well earned its reputation as one
the
way and
show places
in every
leave Coquilhatville
which we reach
it
of the Congo.
Lord Mountmorres is
house used for guests and Lieutenant
The Mess
Hoyer kindly lends me his during our stay.
is very comfortably arranged, and the dinner based on
of the
lodged in a spare
antelope and wild pig
Next day
is excellent.
go hunting with Mr. Hoyer in a canoe proThese at first keep up a kind
the time of the paddles which is quite musical
I
pelled by twenty paddlers.
of chant to
and pleasant. As we approach the game grounds howAfter travelling up stream
ever, they become quite silent.
for
about a mile, we land in a kind of bog which
is full
of
a species of duck, somewhat resembling a wood-cock.
A sergeant of the Force Publique acts as guide and hunter,
and
it
soon becomes apparent that the native
is in
the habit
and shooting them sitting. This is
formerly they were armed with bows
of stalking even birds
natural enough for
and arrows, and now the army of course use only rifles.
Shot guns, therefore, are only known to the boys of the
white men, some of whom are very good shots.
The
hunter seems
quite
annoyed
birds on the wing, but
is
because
delighted
I
only
when one
shoot
at
So
far
falls.
indeed, the only enthusiasm a native has shown, has been
while hunting after a successful shot.
once re-enact
the
The paddlers
to
at
their
scene, put imaginary guns
shoulders give a loud bang and then describe circles with
their
hands
to
give a
dumb show
of the bird falling,
78
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
laughing and shouting
like
the time.
all
and are
children
They are
realy just
by trifles.
After walking some distance the sergeant becomes wildly
excited and clutches me violently by the arm but makes no
young
noise.
I
I
Looking up
easily
pleased
monkey but signify that
He then asks permission to
down with a shot through the
see a large
will not shoot those beasts.
fire his rifle
head.
and brings
After
this
After the very
it
we paddle on
first
to
shot at a head
the hippo
fifty
ground.
yards away, the
canoe suddenly gives a great lurch and as nearly as possible capsizes.
Another great beast had evidently chosen
moment
come up just under it and if we had not
been a heavy load, would undoubtedly have thrown it high
in the air.
As it was, beyond a shaking, no one was
that
to
damaged and we had
made for
the animals
long grass.
Behind Irebu
the green that
is
excellent sport for a few minutes until
bank and hid themselves
the
in the
a plain, where the grass is really green,
Here and there
only seen in the tropics.
is
are clumps of palms and patches of forest, the whole giving
the appearance of a well kept park.
and wild pig here but they are very
There are antelope
difficult to stalk
owing
There are also a few
open character of the ground.
red-legged partridges and many pigeons so that one always
to the
found something to shoot.
The
by
a
native
wooden
soldiers live,
camp here
fence.
consists of a large square shut off
Inside are large huts in which the
and oddly enough, they
woman
These women
separate establishments, each
for
her
husband.
plantation
when
all
prefer to
have
preparing the food
also
work
in
the
they are not concerned with the business-
79
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
of maternity,
which judging by the number of children
about, must be very seldom.
The
native cemetery is a
on each grave is placed the
curious-looking place,
clothes of the dead one and any other belongings he has.
for
No one knows
the origin or object of this
are not for the journey to the
rently,
for
custom
missionaries say they have never heard the
natives speak of any kind of a future state.
that these articles are
departed
merely
they are however,
;
They
happy hunting ground appa-
to
all
show
Tt
may be
the wealth of the
broken or torn
to shreds,
so that no robber should be tempted to take them.
Many
of the tribes are said to eat their dead, except those of
high position and those who die of infectious diseases, and
others used to throw the corpses in the river.
Some tribes
however, have a very elaborate funeral with
much
wailing
and lamenting and the departed is interred beneath his
own hut, which is never occupied again.
At Irebu, the narrow river from Lake Tumba joins the
Congo, and from
its
small size
is
known
usually as the
The current sometimes flows up and sometimes
canal.
to the height of water in the Congo, but
obvious that the general direction must be down, as
many small streams flow into the Lake, and all their water
down, according
it is
certainly not dispersed
by evaporation.
Many crocothe
and
down
canal
and
it would be
up
easy to
shoot them from the windows or verandah of my house,
is
diles pass
but
like
for
it
seems
to
be rather a waste of cartridges which,
most other things, must be carried the whole tour,
I do not therenone can be procured in the Congo.
fore,
care
to
run the risk of running short when the
hunting grounds of Dele are reached.
80
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
Sunday
is
dant,
who
the Chiefs
all
is
come
in to call
on the Comman-
evidently regarded as a species of parent.
nickname of Commandant Jeniaux
Indeed, the
No work
usually a very busy day in Irebu.
is
done, but
word meaning Father.
receive treatment
All the sick are brought in
children are vaccinated, and any
;
native disputes are brought before
nearly always
women.
relate to
that his wife has not
him
will
behaved herself properly
rarely, that she has
is
complain
at
home,
much more
run away with another.
Sometimes
a Chief complains that another one has stolen
or goats, and then the other side
and
little
These
to settle.
One man
that she has not prepared his food nicely, or
women
the native
is
some
of his
heard and the
These are of course, not formal
judgment pronounced.
trials, and the judgment is more in the shape of advice.
It
is
least.
however, always acted upon, for the time being at
Serious cases are left to the Courts, but this insti-
tution of friendly palavers is an excellent one
blishes confidence
and good
will
among
and
the natives.
here indeed, that the personal character of the white
estaIt is
man
A
calm, just, firm rule will win both
the love and respect of these over-grown children, but an
excitable, harsh, uncertain temper and manner, will only
is
put to the
awaken
test.
distrust
and hatred.
of the Station, the easier
villages,
which
it is
The more popular the head
for him to find workers in the
in turn affect the general
condition of the
country around.
Although the system of work is absoluuniform
and
tely
every official is tied in a particular groove,
the
whole
welfare, work, and indeed, appearance of
yet
and villages, is good or bad according to the
moral character and personality of the chief white man in
the country
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
the neighbourhood.
some
I
rebel,
it is
would
when
reserve, that
81
therefore, say, with
however
the natives are discontented
and
not because they dislike the system of Govern-
ment, but are dissatisfied with the
man who
administers
it
On August 16th, Inspecteur d'Etat Warnanl, Commander in-chief of the Force Publique, arrives at Irebu.
He
is
on a tour of inspection, and has every reason
satisfied
be
with the efficiency of the troops.
Perfect disciis maintained throughout all ranks
and harmony
pline
and
to
all
fectly
the officers are agreed that the troops
steady
when
of cowardice.
fighting and never show the
Many are very good shots and
are perleast sign
their drill
certainly leaves nothing to be desired.
On
same day Mr. Joseph Clarke, of the American
Mission
at Ikoko, calls at Irebu and kindly invites
Baptist
me
the
to his
house
for a
few days.
This
is
situated
on the
Lake Tumba, or Mantumba or Lac N'Tomba,
whichever you prefer. Lors Mountmorres remains at Irebu,
banks
but
I
of
leave in Mr. Clarke's boat, propelled by twenty four
paddlers, and journey along the canal, which twists and
turns in all directions.
Towards sunset we land at Boboko
where Mr. Clarke buys some ducks and eggs, the price of
He
the latter being a table-spoonful of salt for each.
We
then
arranges also to sell some nails to the Chief.
cross the canal to Itutu, a branch Mission Station con-
ducted by a native who preaches, and is an excellent
Here we sleep, Mr. Clarke making up a bed
carpenter.
in the boat, while
I
occupy a
mud
hut which however,
is
scrupulously clean.
Next morning,
after a bathe in the canal, in
which the
6
82
THE EQUATOH DISTRICT
water
warm, weak
is like
coffee,
we
continue our journey
Ngero, a long straggling village on the north bank of
to
the Lake.
tructed of
The huts here are oblong and strongly conshard cane and mud, the roofs being thatched
with dried palm leaves closely interlaced.
It is necessary
them, for the doors are not five feet high,
to stoop to enter
but
is
it
usually a
stand upright within.
There is
but
no
outlet
for
the
smoke,
burning,
.possible to
wood
fire
which slowly finds
its
way through
the roof.
The
therefore, are covered with a kind of tar which,
tedly,
acts
as an antiseptic,
and
also
rafters
undoub-
keeps away the
The mosquitoes indeed, will not face wood
but
tobacco smoke is useless as a shield against
smoke,
insects.
their attacks.
men
Both sexes here are practically nude.
The
and the women look after the banana-
are fishermen
palm nuts for oil and do the cookand
housework.
ing
Ngero was the village of the Chief Lokolo Longania,
plantations, crush the
who
raised a rebellion against the State
some years ago,
some trouble was captured and hanged.
Here
we buy some fish and eggs and then go on to Ikoko, the
crew singing native songs and Christian hymns as they
and
after
paddle along.
and
is
The Mission house
is
very prettily situated,
a wooden building, with that very rare luxury in
Here we are met by
Congo, glass windows.
Mrs. Clarke, who has spent many years with her husband
the
in Africa.
since
its
is
the
The Mission has
climate
is
not
a good farm and garden, and
as
bad as
in
many
parts,
inmates enjoy fair health.
A large wooden building
used as a chapel and school, and near it is a saw pit
and a carpenter's shop where the boys make furniture and
83
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
boxes for sale at Irebu and other Posts in the neighbourhood, for the furniture of the Ikoko Mission is quite
The
famous.
make
girls all
wear
which they
and many
plain, blue frocks
themselves, as well as clothes for sale,
are also quite expert
at
various
kinds of fancy needle-
The business has however, decreased lately owing
decrease in population.
The Mission bell has been
work.
to the
ingeniously fixed in a tree, and
it
calls to school, to
and prayer, as regularly as the bugle
work
in the Stale Posts.
The village of Ikoko consists of groups of huts separated from each other by the tall grass, which here is eighteen or twenty feet long, but as the ends bend over, not
The people seem idle,
above twelve or fifteen feet high.
contented and happy, the chief industry being fishing and
Mr. Clarke said the population used to be
net-making.
about 2000 in number, but
many have
Sickness and some have migrated.
for a
number
of huts are deserted,
grown over them,
in
some cases
died of Sleeping
This
is
very evident,
and the weeds have
blocking the
entirely
Out of curiosity, we have a rough census taken
there are 138 men in the village on August 19th.
entrances.
and
find
Some no doubt
women and
1000
to
are fishing,
and allowing
for these
children, there are probably not
1200 people now
The work
living in the village.
these do for the State, consists of supplying
and the
more than
600
rations of
per week to the plantation of Bikoro, a ration consisting of a whole, a half, or a quarter of a fish according to its
fish
size.
For
this they are paid
They
also supply
that
if
the
600 mitakos
bamboos and
people worked hard,
not require as long as
-or
baskets, but
they
it
about 25/
is
very plain
would
40 hours a month
to
.
certainly
accomplish
84
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
The
their tasks.
bamboo lashed
fish
are caught in nets
together by a tough
made
of thin
creeper, which are
Sometimes it happens that the
arranged in the lake.
fishermen are unfortunate and then they buy from their
neighbours who take advantage of the scarcity value and
A
charge them more than they will receive from the State.
might thus be out of pocket by the transaction, but
as each one has its turn, probably by the end of the year
no one has lost or gained.
village
men, women, and children are
and write the native language, and some
In the Mission school
learning to read
have mastered also the rudiments of arithmetic and French.
Some
of the classfs are held in the school-room
under trees near
An
hand.
at
assistant
and others
missionary,
Mr. "Whitman, helps Mr. Clarke, while Mrs. Whitman
teaches in the school.
On August 20th we
ing sky.
sing the
start for
Bikoro under a threaten-
indeed soon apparent that a tornado is crosus, for great banks of dense clouds
It is
Lake towards
advancing rapidly from the south west now obscure the
sun.
It would be impossible to travel through the storm,
so
we
turn the boat and
Ikoko on the
east.
make
Only just
for a
creek which bounds
in time,
we
reach a native
The
hut, as a terrific storm bursts over- head.
rain des-
cends in sheets accompanied by vivid green lightning and
crashes of thunder.
but the
level
mud
of the
Fortunately the roof
floor of the hut has worn
is
water-tight,
down below
the
ground outside and soon the water pours
and is nine or ten inches deep inside.
through the door
The
fire
splutters out
and the logs
float
around amid the
crowing of fowls and the cackling of ducks
who
are quite
85
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
Our hostess with a baby strapped
commences to
contented and happy.
on her back
in the usual native fashion,
we
on logs in the
After about an hour the
bale out the water with a basket while
darkness and try to keep dry.
storm passes and we go back
now
to
sit
Lake
the Mission, the
like a small sea.
appearing
Mr. Clarke lends
me
a copy of the
Memorial concerning
conditions in the Independent Stale of the Congo which
was presented to
There seem to be
the
American Senate early in 1904.
a great
many
curious errors in
it.
It
with the astounding statement that the Congo Free
State has a sea board of 400 miles along the Atlantic,
starts
whereas a glance at the map will show that it is really
about a tenth as long.
It estimates the Force Publique
30,000 men, rather more than twice its full strength,
and its author is under the impression that the people may
at
not collect the produce of the land or
chandise.
It is a little difficult to
author means here.
As
barter
it
for
mer-
understand what the
a matter of fact, the people are
all day long and with the white
whenever they have the opportunity.
They sell
native
knives
all
kinds
of
curiosities
to
and
food, lances,
those who desire them and are at perfect liberty to barter
trading with each other,
travellers
all their property if they wish to do so.
They may
not of course enter the territories of the State or Private
away
Companies and take the ivory or rubber, any more than
may walk on to private land and
the people in Europe
gather the corn or fruit from
The
native indeed
is
it
for their
own
use or
gathers the fruits of the soil for his master and
wage
for so doing.
profit.
in the position of a farm labourer
On Sunday
I
is
who
paid a
attend service in the
86
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
A
chapel.
native from Sierra Leone reads a lesson from
which has been translated
the Gospel of St. Matthew,
Bangalaand
He
is
into
on the subject afterwards.
earnest and talks with that kind
gives a short address
much
evidently
in
of spirit of conviction frequently to be noticed in street
Several
preachers.
pass out,
so.
In
dropping
the
hymns
are
sung and then the people
their mitakos into the plate as they
afternoon,
we
walk
round
the
do
village.
Mr. Clarke notices a boy with a malformation of one knee
He then explains to me that this is
and speaks to him.
another atrocity, for the boy said he had been shot by the
soldiers of the State
when an
infant.
showed he was
the boy however,
An
examination of
suffering from a kind of
There are several chiefs in Ikoko and one
bony tumour.
of them also practises as a doctor.
He has cleared a space
about ten
feet in
diameter and enclosed
it
for a consulting
room, while an inner chamber, still more closely surrounded, is the secret place where the infusions are made and
the charms and fetishes consulted.
Although many of the
drugs used, are efficacious or not, according
of the
patient,
as in civilised countries, yet
people constantly
native doctors,
and
tell
it
the
white
of apparently wonderful cures by
is certain that
the people at present
be treated by those of their own colour.
also an old lady in Ikoko, the widow of a chief,
prefer to
is
to the faith
reported to be very clever as a healer.
There
who
is
This old person
has European features but has an unpleasant expression.
native women wear nothing but a thin belt with a
The
small piece of cloth attached but they are covered with
brass rings, and the principle wife of an important chief
here was wearing a necklet of solid brass which must
87
THK EQUATOR DISTRICT
This was fixed on
have weighed thirty or forty pounds.
and had to be worn night and day.
In spite however, of clever doctors, the
to
be
too
much
men do
Perhaps they have
more old women than
many wives for there are far
On the other hand, as there must be two
men.
women
former
each man,
to
at
is
it
only natural to find
The
any given age.
infants are not
three or four years and during that period the
said refuses to
fore, cohabits
is
Polygamy
difficult to
not live
over forty years of age.
with her husband.
lie
man
with the
while the
or three
more
of the
weaned
woman
for
it
is
Another wife therefirst
rears her child.
thus a custom which the missionaries find very
The
change.
State however, refuses to reco-
gnise more than one wife and many of the
soldiers are
legitimately married by the officials qualified to perform
that office.
Much palm wine
manufacture
is
is
consumed by
very simple.
branch of a palm which
is
A
gourd
the natives for
is tied to
its
an upper
then tapped and the sap drops
If this is left all night, fermentation takes
into the vessel.
place without artificial aid, and at
scented alcoholic cider
is
midday a kind of highly
produced which however, is acid
This natural wine must
and undrinkable by the evening.
be
on
of
fermentation and does
drunk
the
therefore,
day
not improve on keeping
What
a useful tree the
and leaves are
fine
palm
is
!
Its
building materials;
beds and furniture
;
its oil
trunk, branches
its
matting forms
gives light, acts as butter or
makes soap when mixed with banana
or an alkali, and indeed, can be used for all the
lard for cooking,
juice
purposes of
oil
;
it
forms wine, and the heart of the plant
88
is
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
most excellent eating as a salad.
the
and
its
Therefore given meat,
and the banana, and a town can be built
inhabitants fed.
Both sexes smoke a great deal of
tree
palm
tobacco and also Indian hemp, which latter has however,
been found so injurious that it is illegal to grow the plant
but the native tobacco is not at all unpleasant when smoked
in a pipe.
On August 22nd we
take a trip up a small river to the
East of Ikoko which winds through dense forest and is
evidently full of fish, for at intervals, barricades are
erected which
stretch
right
the river, wiih the
across
exception of a small space to allow canoes to go up and
In the middle or one side however, an open-
down.
ing
is
left
bamboo
which can be closed by lowering one of the
Platweighted, vertically down.
nets heavily
forms are erected ten or twelve
these nets
high to raise or lower
feet
and the whole structure
strongly put together.
The
up and are then enclosed
fish are
is
ingeniously and
thus allowed to
in a section of the river,
they are easily caught in baskets.
All the riverside
swim
when
popu-
On the way I shot a toucan,
engages in fishing.
which must have weighed ten or twelve pounds, with
number five shot which happened to be in the gun at the
lation
The bird however, was hit in the head and breast.
natives at once plucked it and having scarcely warmed
time.
The
it
at the fire greedily eat
it.
At a village called Bokoto a boy was brought
with his right hand missing, for I was very anxious
an original of the photos which are so
I
was indeed beginning
common
to despair of finding
most of the white men had never seen
to
me
to see
in
England.
one
at all for
a case,
none of the
89
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
natives understood what
I
wished and hitherto no mis-
Here howsionary knew where one was to be found.
with
his
was
a
hand
and
it had
ever,
boy
right
missing
evidently been removed by a sharp
I
instrument, but not
think by a surgeon, for the scars were not such as follow
preter and
-
When was
-Who
The
inter-
the following conversation took place.
During
-
Mr. Clarke acted as
at the wrist joint.
amputation
this
war when
boy was an
the
infant.
did it?
soldiers
Why
done?
the rubber
who came from
Bofiji.
did they come?
- Because the natives had not collected rubber.
Where
did this take place?
In the country behind Bikoro
killed at the
and the mother was
same time as she was carrying away her
infant.
Neither the date nor the age of the boy is known, but
he appears to be 12 or 13 years of age and his name is
Although therefore, no proof can be adduced,
the child of course remembers nothing and only knows
Imputela.
for
what he has been
soldier
may
told, there is a
have cut
off his
possibility that a native
On
hand.
the other hand,
it
may have been injured or cut by a native chief. I mention Ihis case at length, because it was the only one I ever
found in a tour of several thousand miles in the interior of
the
Congo
anxious
State,
to see
although
such cases.
Inkaka another fishing
everyone knew I was very
On our way back we call at
village.
Behind
Batoir tribe had temporarily settled.
and uncivilised and load a wandering
Sometimes they act as professional
it
a few of the
They
are very savage
life,
hunting game.
and are
hunters
90
THE EQUATOR DISTRICT
One young
employed by villagers to find them food.
fellow was armed with a bow and wooden arrows poisoned
and
at the tip
simply the
decomposing matter of dead
As long
as
strength
when
in
wrapped
this
a
wet,
is
it
For
dried.
The poison
in a leaf.
wrapped
carefully
men
most deadly but loses
is
reason only
this
its
the
is
tip
Death has followed within a few
leaf.
hours of being struck with a poisoned arrow and this
only to be expected, for we know how dangerous it
for
surgeons when
examination of the
had seized a
it
mouth.
Just as
is
is
they wound themselves during an
dead body.
On the way home we
found a snake in the water and shot
moment
is
or animals.
we were
it
just at the very
and was holding
fish
picking this out
met the same
it
in
its
another similar
They were
bright green in colour and had small heads, but one measured 93 and ihe other 90 inches in length.
one appeared and
this
On August 23rd we
tion
the
of coffee, cocoa
visit
fate.
Bikoro a large State plantasituated on the bank of
and rubber,
Lake about eight or nine miles from Ikoko.
It
is
conducted by Mr. Monaie, a Swiss gentleman, who has
had much experience in horticulture.
Here nature has
been closely imitated
but
First the
improved upon.
the forest and then the
undergrowth was cleared from
native
to
rubber vines were planted and have commenced
trees.
These are not tapped until they are
climb the
ten years old, for although
rubber milk before,
injured
if
is
it
the vines
they are cut
when
possible to obtain
are
killed
too young.
the
or seriously
Some rubber
shrubs from Brazil have also been planted, but do not
flourish as well as the native kind.
Altogether more than
THE KQUATOK DISTRICT
a
1000 hectares have
been
91
and the various
planted
plantations are connected by well kept paths.
three hundred natives are employed
shade of the
housed
must
forest
who
act as policemen
Gurn copal
is also
found
in various qualities
for the
two
laid out
-
fifteen
or twenty soldiers
for only the big
towns have a
in the district in large quantities
The brick houses
lake and gardens have been
which are very neat and
Next day
They are
which are kept
very pleasant.
a clearing,
and colours.
officials face the
although much
in the
and guard the rubber and ivory stores.
separate Police force
and
in
There are
scrupulously clean.
here
be
in a series of huts
More than
and the work
tidy,
the whole place,
smaller, rivalling even Irebu in beauty.
return to Irebu in the Florida a small
I
stern wheel steamer,
and
find a
welcome mail from home
and also a permit to shoot game from Boma. This latter
is an
imposing document of nine articles and gives permission to shoot adult male animals but not female if
their
accompanied by
them, even
if
tames, baffles,
alone.
young, or, if possible to distinguish
The animals named are, hippopo-
antilopes, gazelles, ibex, chevrotains,
les
divers sangliers, petits singes, outardes, francolains, per-
dreaux, pintades and other
also given to kill
in the close season.
determined
to
indiscriminate
game
in a scientific
It
will thus
birds.
Permission
it
manner
one elephant
be seen that the State is
protect the wild animals of the fore'st from
slaughter and
stringent laws
hunting are decreed from time to time
regulating
CHAPTER
The Ubangi
We
River.
leave Irebu on
V.
Irebu to Banzyville.
August 29th
in the
Florida and
steam up the river Ubangi.
The colour of the water at
once changes for whereas the Congo carries much sand
and
is
yellow.
are
brown, the Ubangi carries much clay and is a dirty
The banks are densely wooded and in the stream
many
islands
also
covered with forest.
patches of sand or
on the
fallen
crocodiles asleep.
There
is
them but one which was
about
fifty
not
much
many
sport in shooting
swimming up stream
made a sporting shot and
leisurely
yards from the ship,
Lying on
trunks of trees are
94
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
THE UBANGI RIVER.
was
we arrange
steamer which
is
bank
to the
up
As
killed with a bullet in the heart.
small and hot,
to sleep
almost embedded in trees
A
for the night.
the cabin
is
on the bridge of the
when we
tie
tornado bursts about
midnight, but the dense foliage acts as a protection and
very little water finds its way into our improvised bed-
room.
Next day we stop
at Bobanghe, a native Wood-Post, and
Tha huts here are thatched with grass, for
go ashore.
Some of the men have black beards
palms seem scarce.
which they plait into one or two tails, producing a curious
appearance and while they
the
village
sitting
on
fish,
the
and the marketing.
women do
Several
of
work
of
them were
smoke from
contentedly puffing tobacco
logs,
wooden pipes while they
the
and vegetables
offered fish, fruit
One variety
our crew and native passengers.
was particulary noticeable; it was coloured like a
for sale lo
of fish
trout, but
had
a
bought one, and
here
is full
The
proved very good eating.
of rubber plants,
when broken,
We
long snout on the dorsal side.
it
forest
nearly every vine and leaf,
yielding the milky sap
which
dries, or
can
be coagulated, into rubber.
One day the boy Jean
undressed in the water and
was rescued by
fell
overboard, but leisurely
swam
to the
bank, whence he
the canoe of the steamer.
He was
perfect-
ly calm but Chikaia burst into tears and loudly blubbered.
Very little indeed is sufficient to arouse emotionalism in
some of
the natives,
fortunately the former
The banks of
the
who
more
are always laughing or crying,
often than the latter.
Ubangi descend as a
rule, sheer into
deep water and are often indeed miniature
cliffs.
No
THE OBAN61
attempt
down
made
is
VO
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
IlIVEK.
to fashion
steps
aud
the villagers slide
banks as best they can and thus form a rude
the water.
A half dozen men in an hour could
the
path to
make
a convenient inclined plain or steps, but the native
only does what work
is
absolutely necessary in order to
live, and although loving ease, will not take the trouble to
make himself more comfortable. So he climbs painfully
the bank every night from his canoe and slides down
again every morning without attempting to improve the
The vanity of the native however, causes him to
path.
up
as he thinks
improve his personal
Brass
collars
and
appearance.
bangles are very uncommon
on the Ubangi and beads take their place.
The women
take great pains to
wear short
skirts
made
of vegetable fibres plaited,
which
must take days or weeks to construct.
These are black or
red in colour and are suspended from the waist, but as the
fibre is somewhat stiff, they project all round like the dress
of a ballet dancer.
are rarely
cloths
These are peculiar to the Ubangi and
tribes.
The men wear only loin
worn by other
and often carry a large straight knife suspended by
a leather belt strapped round the chest.
It
is
very hot from midday to sunset, but the nights
One afternoon we saw
are comparatively cool.
number
tree,
a great
perched high up on a bulbous
and, as they are good to eat, stopped to shoot some.
of serpent-birds
They were not at all shy and did not depart after several
shots had been fired, but wheeled round and round as if
to
what was the cause of the strange noise.
3 and 5^ shot were equally efficacious and more
discover
Ball,
than a dozen
fell
beautiful black
in a
few minutes.
These birds have a
and white plumage with
a long neck
and
96
THE UBANGl RIVER.
bill
The
and webbed
flavour is
IREBU TO BANZYV1LLE
and weigh
feet
somewhat
like
five
or six pounds each.
ptarmigan and the natives
were pro-
eat them, as usual, without waiting until they
perly cooked.
In the evening I took a stroll in the forest and soon
found the recent spoor of an elephant.
Chikaia was just
when he suddenly stopped and whispered macat
There was a fine monkey and the
pointing in the air.
ahead,
boy's instinct for such a choice morsel, actually caused
him
to
time
he knew very well
stop, although
been absurd
to fire
we must have been
when
it
would have
and so frighten the elephant.
At one
within a few yards of the beast
snapping of a twig or some sound disturbed him
and with a bellow he rushed away crashing through the
forest.
Africa,
a
It
is
curious that while birds are so bold in
ground game
is
extremely shy and most
difficult to
stalk.
On September 2nd we
reach Imese, the
first
place on
Mr. Donneaux
Ubangi where there are white men.
the Chef du poste and everything was in good order.
Rubber vines were being planted in the forest and rubber
the
was
shrubs in the clearings.
pineapples and other
Coffee
fruits
are, as usual, of brick
the Congo, as the clay
was
also
looked well.
growing and
All the houses
which are of better quality than on
is good and very abundant.
The
native village is about ten minutes' walk distant
and
is
two or three regular streets and not in patches
arranged
of huts dotted down here and there as in the Lake Tumba
in
The State impost here is one kilogramme of
District.
rubber each month from each man for which he is paid
40 or 50 centimes.
Collecting this
amount takes one or
THE UBANGI RIVER.
97
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
rest of the
time the native works for him-
self or not as lie chooses.
Here the people seem more
two days and the
than
industrious
most
in
parts,
many women being
The pots are
making mats and pottery.
fashioned by hand with the aid of a round stone and are
in
engaged
so wonderfully symmetrical that they resemble those
on a
The
lathe.
diving and
it
vessel
painted with
is
made
obtained from the river bed by
sun and then baked
in the
hot,
clay
the
after
is
is
made,
in a
wood
is
it
copal which rendejs
gum
dried
first
While
fire.
it
still
water-
tight.
At dinner we have a dish called
beefsteak American
formed apparently of very tender, cold meat with green
salad and mayonnaise.
the
way
raw
flesh of goat cut
asking however,
up
small.
It is
we
hear
it
is
certainly the best
method of cooking seems
possesses and convert it into
of eating goat's flesh, for any
what
to extract
a
On
substance
curious, for
rare in
little
old
leather.
The
neither beef nor steak, and
it is
America as
rarebit in
juice
resembling
it
Irish stew
is
is
name
is
probably as
in Ireland or
Welsh
Wales.
There are some very
fine
canoes here, very often carved
throughout
their entire length, a favourite device
being a
crocodile.
Two
are also
in the village.
or three very large
tom-toms
These instruments are carved from a solid
piece of a tree six or eight feet long, most of the interior
being extracted through a narrow
three inches wide
tom-tom.
The
slit-like
aperture two or
and running nearly the length
of the
result is a hollow instrument, giving
or two different notes
when struck
can be heard for many miles.
in different parts
one
which
In case of war, the whole
7
98
THE UBANGI RIVER.
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
tom-tom
country side can be quickly aroused, but the
is also used during peace as a telegraph.
At Imese two soldiers and
board
purpose of travelling
Libenge to be
only Gommissaires of Districts and Missionaries
the
for
married, for
came on
their future brides
to
The send
can legally join two into one.
was
off
quite
happy couples being pelted with flowers as they
on
board, while one friend
perhaps a kind of
stepped
pretty, the
best
man
threw his
encourages
The wife then works
soldiers.
ations,
and
cap into the
marriages,
regular
while her husband
in the
to
The
river.
especially
State
among
drills,
and returns
at
midday
cook his food.
evening
Next day we reach Dongo, a village situated on a
perhaps 200
the
in the gardens or plant-
After looking at
feet high.
flat
hill
forest for
weeks, this appears a veritable mountain and it seems
quite a stiff climb up the rough path constructed as usual
only by the
nini,
feet of the
an Italian
the aid of
people
officer, is
some ten or
large village
who have used
it.
Mr. Van-
constructing a Post here with
Dongo is a very
3000
people and the huts
containing perhaps
fifteen
soldiers.
are arranged in st r eets running parellel to each other with
The physique of the people
their ends towards the river.
is
very good indeed, some of the
men
being more than
The women mostly wear copper collars,
three inches high and with a second horizontal collar
The whole is hammered on and
attached on the outside.
six feet in height.
must be intensely uncomfortable.
sisting of a piece of
necessary, as sleep
A
wood hollowed
special pillow, con-
out for the head
is
would otherwise be impossible with
A great number of
such a contrivance round the neck.
THE UBANGI HIVER.
99
1REBU TO BANZYVILLE
children run about and seem to be well nourished.
Some
have large heads and protruding stomachs, without howother signs of
ever,
rickets.
Many
of the
men
are
painted with yellow stripes, an indication that they have
man
killed their
in battle,
and these donned
their fighting
many colours and with shields and spears posed
be photographed, dancing around and uttering wild war
A human skull partly buried in the middle of
whoops.
clothes of
to
a road
is
evidently a souvenir of the terrible orgy which
followed some recent encounter.
Indeed
all
the people
here are cannibals and those killed or captured in war,
except
women and
generally
work
When
children, are always eaten.
fighting, the people fish, collect rubber,
fairly
well
and
are
not
grow kwanga and
not
troublesome.
Mr. Vannini, however, evidently thinks it safer to erect
a high stockade around his house and the huts of the
soldiers.
This
is
a wise precaution, as only a few
ago four French traders were killed
site
bank of
and eaten on
months
the oppo-
the river.
After passing several densely populated villages, one of
which extends
we reach
The houses
in a straight line for ten miles,
Libenge, the capital of the Ubangi District.
here have been arranged around a square with one side
open to the river. In one of these we take up our quarters
and then go
for a stroll
saire of the District,
for
Ubangi.
The
with Captain Bertrand, the Commisthe medical officer
and Dr. Rhodain,
latter states that
he has only seen two
cases of sleeping sickness in several years' residence and
that there is
no
neighbourhood.
syphilis, small-pox or tuberculosis in the
The people work well
lagers collecting the usual
here,
the vil-
kilogramme per month, while
100
THE UBANGI RIVER.
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
the workers in the plantations clear the forest
more rubber
good
wade
for future
Now
in the dry season.
and plant
The hunting here
use.
however,
it
is
very
necessary to
is
in water three feet
deep in the forest.
Spoor of eleand
abound
and
there
several
are
antelope
magniphant
ficent eagles and hawks overhead.
The
chief difficulty
question.
here for Europeans
Although much
of this necessity
is
the water
on
is
all
sides,
not of good drinking quality and dysentery is therefore common, while bilious lever and hematuria are also
it
is
known.
One
we were
night at Libenge as
sentry suddenly
fired
and the
playing bridge, the
bullet whistled uncomfortably
close by the door of our house.
The guard turned out
very quickly without any fuss and passed at the double.
A single sharp order was given and then all was quiet
Next day we heard that a thief had penetrated to
rubber
store when he was seen by the sentry, who fired
the
again.
the alarm, but the
man was
not captured.
here seem anxious to trade.
bangles for a tea
similar amount.
cup
full
We
made
of salt
and
Spears, knives and
are also offered for sale
hastily
Ladies
sell
All the natives
us their brass
their dresses for a
many
some of which have
other curios
evidently been
since our arrival.
leave Libenge
on September 9th and continue our
journey in the Florida, this being her
first trip
up the
river
higher than this point for at low water, the rapids above
cannot be navigated by steamers at all.
Now however, the
is
almost
at
its maximum, and as the boat only
depth
draws two
ease.
feet,
she can pass over the rocks with great
In the afternoon
we
stop at a village and ask for
MERU
THE UBANGI RIVER.
101
TO DANZYVILLE
wood, for as there was no regular steamer service, there
were no organised Wood Posts.
The natives at first
down
brought
a log or
two and demanded payment
at
an
exorbitant rate, which the captain refused to give, and
it
became necessary for our crew to go ashore and cut wood
The Chief seemed willing to deal fairly, but.
themselves.
had
evidently
Then
authority over his lazy people.
little
on again through the tornado, which
season appears
with
either
in
the
or at
afternoon
daily
great regularity
night time.
The scenery
approaching
the
Hills,
which appear
is
now
of the
limits
at this
changing, for
great
we
equatorial
mountains, after the dead
like
are
forest.
level,
can be seen in front covered with grass and a few trees.
On September 10th, we reach Songo a small State Post
Here we pitch
from Sierra Leone.
in charge of a native
our tents in a clearing arid proceed to re-arrange the
baggage, for we shall have now to travel in canoes, the river
not being navigable for steamers for some distance.
Imme-
above Songo indeed is the first of the Ubangi
the
water roaring and hissing as it fights its way
rapids,
down and over the rocks. Just before bedtime, Chikaia
diately
comes with a long
asks for a gun or
face
rifle
and evidently much disturbed and
to protect himself, as the indigenes
are supposed to be very
I
refuse,
and
foolish.
tell
him
However,
I
to
This of course
savage here.
go
to sleep
by
notice lhat both
the fire
my
loaded and carefully placed by my bedside.
organise a watch over the baggage, taking
as sentry.
On
and not be
and gun are
The boys then
rifle
it
in turn to act
the opposite side of the river is Bangi, the
second most important place in the French Congo,
situated
on the side of a
hill,
prettily
and next day we cross
in
a
102
THE UBANGI RIVER.
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
The journey
small canoe.
is
interesting
and exciting.
Below the rapids are many small whirlpools, and the capita
of the canoe takes advantage of these to help him on his
Sometimes the water
course.
at the
upper and sometimes
lower edge of the whirlpool is flowing in the direcand with wonderful dexterity, he
at the
tion he wishes to take
bow
turns the
We
of the canoe towards a suitable current.
swing about like a cork and ship a good deal of water but
We call on
arrive without mishap on the other side.
Mr. Jacques, the Vice Go.ernor General of the French
Congo, who kindly offers us assistance and a few soldiers to
act as sentries
and interpreters when we camp on the French
Most of these are Senegalese and are
side of the river.
smart looking fellows.
The natives here affect a very elaborate head dress consisting of many coloured beads
twisted and plaited into their hair, the
amount of time and
patience required by the barbers being enormous.
were
It appears that the four French traders, who
massacred a few weeks ago, had two factories, one close
to the river
and one further inland.
In the latter was a
arms and ammunition.
These were hastily
large stock of
abandoned and the natives then seized them and attacked
the factory on the river.
and
it
tured.
tribe
is
A
who
feared that
All four white
two were
first
men were
tied to trees
killed
and
tor-
punitive expedition has been sent against the
now armed with these modern rifles and the
are
moral of the story
is
obviously that
permit traders to import
One night
I
and
sell
it is
arms
very dangerous to
at all.
was awakened and saw
the boys dancing
and in front of my tent.
Having
asked ^the matter, Chikaia, whose zoological knowledge is
excitedly about the fire
THE UBANGI RIVER.
il
very limited, replied
la petite bete.
est
This sounded
mosquitoes
having tucked in my net more closely,
turned round to sleep.
A few minutes afterwards, Lord
like
I
103
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
so,
Mountmorres appeared shouting with pain and mounting a
chair in front of
my
was
said his bed
tent rapidly peeled off his clothes.
full of
He
great black ants which had fixed
on his skin and were biting him all over.
Millions of
these pests indeed were on the camping ground but had
as yet not reached
my
Hastily pulling on high boots
tent.
and covering myself from head to foot, I cautiously crept
out of the tent and found the ground black with ants.
It
was impossible
to kill
were simply driven
moment
again the
them by stamping about for they
sand and wriggled out
into the soft
the
evidently in the line of
was withdrawn.
foot
We
were
march of a migrating host and were
forced to beat a hasty retreat leaving the insects in full
possession.
There
and
for
filter
even
decanting
the
no drinking water
that from the river.
is
after
it,
porcelain
blocked.
allowing
there
We
we
in
many.
to
settle
mud
the
had therefore
required sixty
Songo, so we had to boil
This proved very difficult,
was so much
candles
water well boiled.
to find so
it
at
filters
to
As we had
and then
left,
carefully
that the pores of
frequently
be content with
became
muddy
amount of baggage,
or seventy paddlers and it was not easy
At length however, after searching on
a fair
both sides of the river, crews were collected for three large
canoes and we arranged to continue our journey on Sep-
tember 14th.
The canoes were lifted up the Songo rapids empty,
while the baggage was carried along the bank.
It was
104
THE UHANGI RIVER.
IREBU TO IJANZYVILLE
then stowed in the boats and having taken our places
made
a start.
to
watch.
ing
The method
three or four wide.
the white
of propulsion
The canoes are
man and
is
very interest-
sixty or seventy feet long
In the centre
is
we
an awning
and
shade
to
by the bows, a space is left
about ten feet long in which three pole men work.
These
use their poles as in punting, except that the ends are
in front
forked, so that they are enabled to push either against the
bottom of the river or rocks, or branches of trees on the
bank, for the canoe keeps close to the shore all the time in
order to give the polemen an opportunity and also to avoid
In
the swifter current running in the centre of the river.
the stern twenty or thirty paddlers sit on the sides of the
boat and work together, while on the extreme end two or
three stand up with long paddles to steer.
The cook with
his
fire built
sits
among
on a heap of clay in the bottom of the canoe,
and the sentries and baggage
the paddlers
wonderful
how
many people and how much baggage these canoes
will
tuck themselves in somewhere, for
it
is
carry.
Soon
after starting
we
pass the Catholic Mission on the
French bank and immediately begin
The paddlers
all their
fight
a
rapid.
men push
with
strength against rocks and tree trunks and the
soldiers help
else
to
strain every muscle, the pole
which
by pulling on branches of trees or anything
is fixed.
The water whirls
past as
we
creep
At one moment gaining, at another
losing, the excitement being intense, for if once we are
conquered by the stream, the canoe will probably be
up inch by
broken
jump
inch.
to pieces
on the rocks.
At times some of the crew
out and clinging with their feet to the rocks, while
THE UBANGI MVEIt.
105
IKEBU TO BANZYVILLE
middle in the torrent, push the boat up with
At length smooth water is reached and
strength.
to their
up
all their
on we go quietly for an hour or two, when another rapid
The work
reached and the struggle commences again.
is
is
intensely hard
and dangerous, but the Sangos are expert
boatmen and seem anxious
possible.
along,
shouting
singing,
to finish their task
water or smooth,
In rough
the
som
as
as
crews race
and encouraging each other
make one more effort. After an exciting and tiring day
we reach a village and having seen the crews rationed,
to
pitch our tents.
On
a. m. in a heavy river mist which
The rapids,
soon
however,
dispersed as the sun rises.
which at first had the excitement of novelty, began to" pall
again at 6.30.
is
it was tiresome not
being able to read or sleep without
being disturbed by the possibility of a bath in a current
running, at the rate of perhaps fifteen miles an hour,
for
Towards sunset we reach
between rocks.
Bokanda,
a village
now
deserted, for
the site
of
some years ago
the
Chief with his people migrated across the river to the
French
village
side.
We
decide therefore, to sleep in the
and proceed
when we
to cross, but are still in
see the majority of the
new
mid stream
people running away
women
gathering up their
children and household utensils, while the men followed
into
the forest
behind, the
The Chief however, and a few braves
on
the
with guns and for a moment it looks
beach
appear
as though they mean mischief.
They evidently however
more
leisurely.
think better of
it,
interpreters to say
for our
camp and
for
we
we land unmolested and send
are hunters and only desire a place
food for our men.
The Chief
at
once
106
THE UBANG1 RIVER.
IREBU TO BANZYV1LLE
advances and gives us chickens and eggs while the soldiers pitch the tents in the square of the village.
On
again at daybreak,
tiring, for
it
is
being still more
canoes heavily laden
the journey
impossible to force the
up some of the cataracts. We have therefore to land
three times and while the baggage is carried along the
At
bank, the empty canoes are hauled up with ropes.
length the elephant rapids are safely negotiated and an
hour or two afterwards Mokoangai is reached but in three
long days' hard work, we have ascended only about thirty
miles of the river.
At Mokoangai is a large plantation and farm and well
houses for the one or two white men who live there.
built
Next day
open and
feet high.
is
I
start before
hilly,
Still
there are
it
is
many
places where the ground
an ideal spot
After walking a few miles in
a.
mist,
lopes and endeavour to stalk them.
hundred yards away,
towards cover but
it
is
they
for stalking
we
While
commence
game.
see several ante-
to
still
nearly a
walk slowly
and
possible to get a fair side shot
heavily hit in the shoulder.
falls
is
covered generally with grass eight or ten
almost bare and
one
The country
daybreak hunting.
Soon
after
an
ele-
phant suddenly appears about two hundred yards ahead
Sending the native
walking along the crest of a hill.
hunter to pick up the antelope, Chikaia and I follow the
some hours, but do not come up with
We were now high up on the range
behind Mokoangai and the view was magnificent.
elephant's spoor for
it
or find other game.
of hills
The
great river could be seen winding
its
way between
the hills covered with the vivid greens only to be found
in
^damp
tropical
countries.
Otherwise
the
picture
THE UBANGI RIVEK.
somewhat
hundred times.
a heavy
Wales with
recalled central
rifle,
107
1REBU TO BANZYVILLE
Wye
a
Chikaia had walked a long
and now showed signs of
encouraged by being allowed
to
magnified a
way
carrying
fatigue so he
shoot a
was
monkey on the
way home.
Next day being Sunday, we
rest quietly in the Post
and
Aia
which is one
prepare to leave next morning in the
of the first launches Stanley took to Africa and is therefore,
somewhat
Since she
ancient.
is too
small to carry
much
baggage, she tows a large open iron boat nearly the
same size alongside.
In this the camp is slowed and the
boys and soldiers take their places sitting on the bales and
cases, and we make a start on Monday September 19th for
Fortunately there are no rapids in this stretch
Banzyville.
of the river
it
is at least
possible to stand
the launch, whereas in the canoes,
ably in
sary to
and
in
sit still
hammock
a long
it
up comfortwas neces-
chair for practically
twelve hours each day.
The people and
for the huts are
now change much
villages
like beehives
in appearance
and are made of
shaped
frameworks of wood covered with grass.
The entrance is
only about three feet high and the dome of the roof per-
In some ofihem a kind of
haps four times that height.
is
erected
which
seems
to be an attempt to make
platform
The women are here
a two storey building of the hut.
nude or wear a small piece of cloth or grass
All
below the waist the men however all have a loin cloth.
either quite
;
the people seem to be of fine physique and the proportion
of children
is
abnormally high.
a trading post of the Dutch
the river
The
first
night
we
stop at
Company on the French side of
and are hospitably received by the agents
there.
108
THE UBANGI
IKEBU TO BANZYV1LLE
HIVEB..
Next day we reach the
Catholic
out a large plantation and farm
goats and poultry all doing well.
Mission
of
Sainte
The Fathers have
Famille also on French territory.
;
horses,
cattle,
laid
sheep,
Indeed modern Ameri-
can ploughs and carts give the farm quite a home-like
many
vegetables
Sickness
is
oranges, bananas, pineapples and
Maize,
appearance.
not
here
are
in
abundance.
known, which immunity
is
Sleeping
attributed by
the priests to the tact that the natives have plenty of fresh
meat and eat
due
the
little
kwanga.
to a bacillus.
new
It is
however,
diet of the civilised native
The savage
factor.
is
Now
at least
may
is
possible that
be a predisposing
naturally carnivorous
man, had
the advent of the white
flesh.
Apparently Ihe disease
little to
and before
eat but animal
his chief article of diet in the western parts
Congo is kwanga, which consists chiefly of starch,
and he has only a little meat and fish.
Along the Congo
where the native is civilised, there is much sleeping
of the
sickness, but along the
there
is
distilled
practically none.
Ubangi where he is more savage,
The Falters give us some spirits
from the papye and pineapple which are very
They
good and beer made from maize which is not.
then show us round the grounds and before we leave
load us with eggs and fresh vegetables which are very
At sunset we tie up to the bank and make a
acceptable.
camp.
the
It is
wonderful
tents erected,
how
fires
is cut down,
and
dinner
cooked, for
lighted
quickly the grass
knows he has to perform a certain defihe works hard, so that he can eat his dinner
Chikaia appaand get to sleep as soon as possible.
A table was
rentlv has a fine sense of satire or humour.
when
the native
nite task,
THE UBANGI RIVER.
broken and when
asked
how
it
was done, Chikaia instead
has been done a long time
as an Euroservant would, went one better and said
it has
of answering
pean
it
always been like
I
I
109
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
to
suppose it was made so,
was the answer and there was no
that.
1
Yes, Sir
replied.
more
>
be said.
The banks
of the river are here lined with villages
and
we
stop crowds run to see the steamer, while
the Chief comes on board, shakes hands solemnly and
each time
presents eggs, chicken or a goat.
beads or
a good value in cloth,
seen here at
all,
for
In return
we hand back
Mitakos are not
salt.
beads are used instead.
The
natives
always seemed grateful and satisfied with their presents,
which was rarely the case on the Congo where the people
generally grumble even
when
value of the article they
sell.
Dru, where
to the
we
find
it
We
camp
many
soil.
reach the
Kuangu
river
situated the chief post of a French Trading
The buildings are as usual
made
our
times the
at the village of
very difficult to pitch tents owing
rocky nature of the
On September 22nd we
is
they receive
of bricks,
was brought
Company.
the mortar being
of the shells of river oysters and sand.
arrival, a poor native
where
in
Soon
after
whose hand had
been terribly mangled in a circular saw.
We dressed it
it on a
splint until he
could reach a post with a hospital.
In the night however,
as carefully as possible and fixed
weird chanting was heard and next day we discovered
had been exorcising the evil spirits i. e.
that his friends
the perchloride of mercury in which the
washed
away
had torn
off all the
hand had been
bandages and sent the boy
in a canoe to avoid the white medicine
man.
The
HO
hand
THE UBANGI RIVER.
IREBU TO BANZYVILLE
will almost certainly fall off
and the further history of
One
the boy will perhaps be interesting.
of the traders,
Mr. Constantine, a Swiss, said he had been stationed in
the interior and had heard no news since January.
We
him up to June, three months behind
This gentleman has had an interesting career.
He
are only able to bring
date.
fought for England in the Matabele war and then settled in
the Orange Free State where he
Cronje and forced
to his
own
was commandeered by
into the trenches at Magersfontein, but
great satisfaction
was soon taken prisoner by
He now lives
treated.
and was very well
the British
absolutely alone, without a guard of any sort,
some
days'
journey from the river and feels quite safe, for the natives
here look upon a white man as a protection from the Arabs.
This
Company
beads
at
trades in rubber with the natives, paying in
40 centimes a kilogramme. It is
the rate of
therefore, unlikely that
many
natives migrate to the French
Congo where they receive no more pay for their work than
in the State, and are besides taxed.
The country behind
the station is flat veldt and only a few small elephants are
occasionally found.
The usual heavy tornado bursts
in
the afternoon nearly filling the launch and boat with water
in a very short time.
Having bought some wine and other
stores,
river
from the Company we next day continue up the
many
past
villages
all
densely
now being
shaped and rising to a point in the centre which
times ornamented with a pair of antelope horns.
the villages have plantations
desirous
demanded
to
trade,
salt
and
being
all
The
populated.
architecture has again changed, the huts
is
the
substance
some-
Some
the inhabitants
in return for lances, knives or curios.
tent
of
seem
usually
Indeed,
HIE UBANGI IW'EK.
own
even our
111
IREBU TO BANZYVJLLE
people wish to do a
little
business, and after
from the villagers, try to sell them to us at
The higher one
greatly enhanced price.
articles
buying
no doubt a
up the river, the more numerous and densely
populated are the villages until they extend almost without
a
break for many miles along the banks.
Each one
travels
supplies us with a bras of
The scenery here
beads.
beautiful,
wood which
is
paid for with
in the very centre of Africa is
range after range of
not however
hills,
very
These are
high, extending as far as the eye can see.
covered with grass, which near the villages is often burnt
black patches.
On these the manioc will
off, leaving
be planted for two years and then new areas will be
cleared in the same manner.
It is very hot in the day
time and very humid, so that
to
preserve
anything.
the soles of boots
fall off,
it
Stitches
guns and
is
extremely
in
rot
rifles
difficult
and
leather
have
to
be oiled
carefully every day and cigars are completely spoilt in a
few hours unless kept in tin boxes.
Can one wonder
human system soon breaks down in this
is very common in this part.
much game to be seen from the river but
therefore that the
vapour bath and that sickness
There
is
not
occasionally a covey of partridges rises from the grass
comes within gun shot of the launch.
The day before we reached Banzyville we found the
mer
of the French
tor,
where we drank
Company and paid a
to the
of which had just arrived.
visit to
and
stea-
the Direc-
Anglo-French agreement, news
Every Frenchman in Africa
is
delighted with the gift of territory as every Englishman
should be with the settlement of so
many
prickly questions.
CHAPTER
The Upper Ubangi.
VI.
Banzyville to Yakoma.
Banzyville has been built on a beautiful site at a double
bend of the
river.
Opposite
is
the French Post of Mobaie
The country on each
and between them roars a rapid.
while the
rocky, great boulders of
about
in
isolated grandeur.
granite and quartz lying
reach the Post on the morning of September 26th and are
side
is
hilly,
soil
is
We
met by Captain Auita, an Italian, who is the Zone Chief
here.
The buildings are arranged on two sides of a
square, the other two being formed by the river as
to
the
left,
and the open space
is
it
turns
covered with gravel
8
114
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
which makes a welcome change from sand and clay while
the house placed at our disposal looks particularly invit-
week of tents and the small launch. Everywet
through and has to be spread out on the grathing
vel to dry under nature's great fire.
Unfortunately some
ing after a
is
of the skins, which perforce have been
cases for a
left in
week, under water one minute and baked in the sun the
next, have hopelessly rotted and have to be thrown away.
Next morning we interviewed numbers of native Chiefs
who were
very anxious to exchange lances and other
all
curiosities for
clothes.
European
All
were content with
Bulamatadi,
although some grumbled
to find porters and paddlers.
This
is
evidently one of the most populous districts- in
the whole Congo, for
and on
at the necessity
on
all sides,
both at the river edge
the hill tops, are large villages consisting of tent-
or square open sheds,
shimbeks,
shaped huts and
under which the natives sit and sleep most of the day.
Besides rubber, great quantities of rice are grown here,
more than
the plantations extending parallel to the river for
miles.
Here men, women, and children are at work
and those near the road come forward, give a military
salute and shake hands, a custom peculiar to this part,
two
for hitherto the
women have
offered the hand.
Semitic noses
Many
not saluted and only the chiefs
of the people have thin lips and
and most are well made.
meets a husband and wife, the former
As
usual,
strolls
if
one
ahead with
a spear or stick, while the latter follows carrying a baby
riding on one of her hips, tied on by her wrap of cloth, and
with a heavy load of
We
wood
or food-stuff on her head.
cross the river in the evening and dine with Captain
THE UPPER UBANGI.
The French
Meilleur at Mobaie.
115
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
are identical
villages
with those on the State side, but the natives are,
sible,
still
more
if
pos-
idle.
Next morning much rubber is brought into Banzyville.
Strings of natives, each with a little basket-full of this
substance, march into the square and
The baskets
the gravel.
sit
down
in lines
are then weighed on a yard
on
arm
and the weights entered in a book by Captain Auita until
a record of the whole has been made when the chattering
throng departs to a shed near by where five cooks have
been hard at work preparing dinner for them. The natives
here are paid in cloth at the rate of 50 or 60 centimes
a
kilogramme according
man
to
the quality of the rubber
and
supposed
supply only one kiloa
month
some
oi
the
gramme
villages here send in more
than a ton in that time.
although each
to
is
Mr. Fernaka, the second in command, arrived on the
28th
after
marching
for thirty
He
said
days in the interior over
was mostly marsh land
it
unexplored ground.
containing a few villages from which the inhabitants, seeing
the white man approach with his soldiers, fled into the bush.
At
first indeed the natives are
always fearful of the whites,
but in a short time are willing to trade and soon become
The native, in fact, quickly acquires absovery friendly.
lute
confidence in
obviously,
amusing
to
men have
Europeans and his
only the fear of the
fear
unknown.
see the children in villages
at
It
first
is
is,
rather
where few white
penetrated, run shrieking with terror to their
mothers when a strange looking person, with a white face
and clothes appears.
At the sound of the launch whistle
also
many
children
run
away.
One
of
the
soldiers,
116
THE UPPER UBANGI.
a sergeant
of
some
Mr. Fernaka on
tracted dysentery
We
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
standing
years'
who accompanied
arduous march, unfortunately con-
his
and arrived
at
Banzyville only to die.
attend the funeral, the absolute simplicity of the cere-
mony being
All the troops here,
very impressive.
per-
haps seventy or eighty marched with reversed arms to the
cemetery
after the
buglers sounding the Last Post and
up opposite the grave. The order was given to
present arms, the coffin was lowered, each person present
threw a handful of earth into the grave and all was over.
lined
Far into the night, however, one could hear the mournful
dirge the soldiers were chanting for their dead comrade.
Hunting here
is difficult
being high enough
else
except
a walk through rough
hours without success, I was
After
elephants.
country and water
although game abounds, the grass
conceal antelopes and everything
to
for six
my hammock and was jogged back home
by perspiring natives, who took turns to carry their burden
and changed about every ten minutes. Altogether the
hammock is not comfortable, and it is obviously useless
glad to get into
hunting here until the grass
very tired
and
stiff,
I
is
burnt.
pass the time
Next day, being
looking through
Congoland again.
Having now visited
in
that
the
mentioned
of
book, the difficulties
places
many
which beset a writer who publishes a work on a country
Civilisation
in
he has never seen, become very apparent.
In fact,
it
gives
no more idea of the condition of the Congo than a file of
the Police News would convey an impression of English
civilisation.
When
one has visited some hundreds of
villages and seen perhaps a million of natives, most of
whom seem cheerful and contented, one marvels indeed
BANZYV1LLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
how such
117
absolutely false reports of the condition of the
On the other hand, it is
country can have originated.
impossible to travel several thousands of miles in the Congo
without constantly
especially in the unfrequented parts
wondering what is the extraordinary power which enables
a few hundred white men, not only to govern as many
up and develop a country as
as the continent of Europe, which a few years ago
million blacks, but to open
large
was absolutely unknown.
We
can dismiss at once the idea that the native
pressed by military despotism,
for the
is supPosts are isolated
and the number of troops in them merely sufficient to guard
property and stores, that is to say, to fulfil the duties of
At any moment the thousands of
overwhelm
policemen in England.
who
natives
live
in or near the Posts, could
these small forces long before help could arrive from the
next Government Station, in
distant.
The
fact that they
tive evidence that the
There
is
white
much
however,
many
cases a week's journey
do not do
men do
so, is at least
not
ill
nega-
treat the people.
positive evidence that the native
has, not only a great respect, but also an affection for his
new rulers, and it
when we compare
is
not
difficult to
understand the reason,
his fate before the advent of the
Euro-
peans with his condition at present.
In each village was a Chief or Chiefs, freemen and slaves
who passed
The
their lives
hunting and fighting other tribes.
and freemen were their
sole property of the Chiefs
huts, canoes,
and
slaves,
and
the rude instruments they
used in war and hunting.
The unfortunate slaves were
bought and sold, captured in war and were often killed
and eaten.
One
slave
was worth
so
many
goats, lances,
118
THE UPPER UBANGI.
BANZYV1LLE TO YAKOMA
women.
or knives, and one large canoe would buy several
Legislation rested with the Chiefs
common, but always
and
trial
by ordeal
was
so arranged that the result could be
This
controlled by the judge.
not the place however,
is
to describe these interesting, if horrible practices.
Now
at present the
dreams of
has greatly increased, since they have
Again the Chief of a small village
the great Chiefs
dealt with
Europeans.
containing
1000 men
rubber each month
To
people are rich beyond the wildest
their ancestors for the value of the property of
collect this
supplies
amount takes two or
each year
240 for collecting a sub-
therefore the village receives
stance of no value at
in the
1000 kilogrammes of
50 centimes a kilo.
to the State for
meantime
is
all
three days
to the natives
whose
;
daily routine
The
scarcely affected at all.
natives
used ivory chiefly to make war horns, but some of the
Chiefs had so much that they constructed fences of fine
points round their
mud
huts
little
thinking that in the
white man's country, those useless tusks would be worth
a small mountain of salt.
Now they exchange them
for clothes,
cloth,
The lucky owner
and other useful commodities.
salt,
of a canoe,
three or four slaves with
port produce or
it,
it
is true,
to catch tish, for
Again compare the
lot
can no longer buy
but he can use
which he
is
it
to trans-
well paid.
of the slave in the past with his
He was liable to the most terrible fate
now he can enter the army, work in the
present condition.
at
any moment
;
plantations or remain safely in his village and do a few
There is however, another force
should
which
we
hardly expect would affect the
acting
hours'work each month.
mind
of a savage.
He is
greatly influenced by a desire to
YOUNG SANGO GIRLS AT BANZYVIU.E.
THE UPPER
BANZYV1LLE TO YAKOMA
(JBANGI.
ascend the social ladder at the summit of which,
is
H9
of course,
white man, and anyone having direct dealings with
at once knows himself to be superior to the naked
cannibal of the forest.
The servant, or
of the
boy,
the
him,
white man, holds a high rank and considers himself to
be quite another species of man than his cousin, who
is
uncivilised.
still
in the plantations,
All the
officials.
So also the
who come
most
soldiers
and workers
into daily contact with the
and ambitious natives
intelligent
drawn away from their primitive condition of life
and become all ached to their masters, who give them cloth
are thus
to
wear and beads with which
The most important
to
beautify themselves.
Chiefs are as anxious indeed to appear
Europeans, as a prosperous native of Sierra Leone,
There
wear patent boots and carry a silk umbrella.
like
is
to
is
one near here named Bayer, a young man of much intelligence and business capacity, who has built himself a brick
house, dresses like a European, and is a proud man when
he is asked to smoke a cigar on the verandah of the mess.
The
Chiefs are, however, never asked to eat with the Euro-
both necessary and wise.
daily becomes more and more obvious that the white
peans, a distinction which
It
man
is
greatly respected
trusted.
The
does.
perhaps
in
What he
all
says
is
and
is
that his
true
word
is
absolutely
and what he promises, he
native appears to respect these characteristics
the
more because he
is
so lamentably deficient
them himself.
indeed the respect caused by moral not physical
which enables a few Europeans to govern this great
country with success, and permits one or two white men
It is
force
to live
securely with a few soldiers in an isolated Post sur-
120
BANZYV1LLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
rounded by thousands of natives most of
whom
are
savage cannibals.
There are, however, many difficulties yet to be surmounted, and among them is the arrangement of a satisThis was brought home forcibly on
currency.
October 1st when according to weekly custom, the people
factory
around brought in food for the Post. Many
appeared with large bunches of bananas for which
in the villages
women
as a rule, they are paid by beads.
the heads of the
women
In this prosperous part
are already fully adorned with
beads and most of their household ornaments also, so they
demanded
cloth instead.
The question of
There
is
the currency is a very difficult one.
the danger of flooding the banks of the
Congo
with mitakos, and the banks of the Ubangi with beads.
In other words these articles which function as
money
are
not used as rapidly as they are supplied, and a lady whose
limbs are already weighted with brass rings and whose
head
is
There
heavy with beads, wishes for some other payment.
a warehouse at each of the State Posts in which
is
beads,
cloth, clothes,
likely to
festly
be of use
salt,
and many other commodities
it is mani-
to the natives are kept, but
impossible to give as wages to each individual the
object he desires at the particular moment.
The objection to beads and mitakos, does not apply to salt
and cloth, the former being at once consumed, and the
particular
Nevertheless it
being w orn out in course of time.
not well to have a currency which is continually being
latter
is
formed only
r
to
be
destroyed.
The money currency,
already existing in the Lower Congo will, however, in
course of time be extended, but there are still many diffi-
culties in the
121
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
Francs and centimes will of course be
way.
of no use to the natives, unless Stores are
still
kept at the
which they can buy whatever they wish.
State Posts at
This great question
is, however, occupying the careful
Government, and will no doubt be settled
as satisfactorily as many others have been which were
attention of the
equally
difficult.
Sunday
is
always an interesting day in a State Post,
the Chiefs with
and
to
for a
many
ask advice.
new
followers
come
for
in for a friendly chat
October 2nd was particularly exciting
Chief had been elected in a village near Banzy-
and great rejoicings consequently followed. Singing,
shouting, dancing and a general hubbub, went on from
morning to night, and if the desire to make a noise is any
ville,
criterion of happiness, these people
must be the happiest
some-
There are many forms of dances
in the world.
;
times each one shuffles his legs without moving more
than a foot or two and then swings his arms, head and
body solemnly backwards and forwards; sometimes a
number will form a ring, and one after the other will leap
into
it
form,
and rapidly rotate themselves; but whatever the
seemed to be keenly excited and to enjoy it
all
thoroughly.
The
natives near the
tatouage.
It
Ubangi have a very distinctive
knobs of skin which
consists of five elevated
form a straight line continuing the line of the nose up the
forehead.
These are formed by making for each knob two
parallel incisions in the skin about half
lifting the flap
between.
under the
and
flap
result being a
knob
left
A
an inch apart and
piece of ivory
in until the
is
then inserted
wound has
healed, the
of skin elevated above the level of the
122
THE UPPER UIUNGI.
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOBIA
All the tatouage in the
rest of the surface.
in raising the skin in this
Congo
consists
manner, but in each district the
design is different.
Simple tatooing by pricking in colours
does not appear to be practised at all.
Fishing here is very simple and very effective.
Large
baskets tapering to a point and open at the broad end are
fixed by ropes, or rather by the strong vines which function as ropes here, just at the top of the rapids
and the
water rushes through with great force.
The fish are
carried into the baskets, but cannot pass through or
return against the current, and are then simply speared
and
They have
lifted out.
firm, white flesh
and are good
eating.
On October 3rd
Post to
He
call.
rules his people,
this
the Chief of the Banzas
is
who
comes
a fine, intelligent-looking
to the
man and
are very numerous, admirably.
In
part of the Congo, the chieftainship descends from
father to son, but in
some
districts the succession passes
through the family of the wife of the Chief.
Numerous petty Chiefs drop in to the Post
at intervals
day and are rather a nuisance, for they are
always begging for clothes and offering lances and presents
during the
one does not carry
a superfluity of clothes when travelling, or that one or two
They do not
in exchange.
realise that
lances are quite sufficient to keep as curios.
they think
no one
we
are traders for
we
Probably
are not bulamatadi,
and
believe, has ever ascended the Ubangi on a
tour
before.
The newly-elected Chief was very
pleasure
anxious to be given a suit of clothes as he had none and
wished
I
to
make an impression on his new subjects. He
many gestures, that he was elected with
described with
THE
UIM'F.R
BAN'ZYVILLK TO
UBANdl.
123
YAKOMA
much beating of drums, which indeed was only too true
and said he always intended to remain a great friend of
After that, of course he had to be given some
the State.
The system of giving
tips
indiscriminately
however, carried much too far in the State, and if it is
not stopped, will soon prove to be a very heavy tax on the
clothes.
is
white man.
Every native demands a tip on every possible
occasion whether he has done a service or not, and if he
has done some work and
tented
is
only paid his due,
is
as discon-
and abusive as a cabman who has only received
his
legal fare.
There are many native thieves
of
them
at
midday
over the Congo
one
actually penetrated into the house of Captain Auita
bright sunshine and stole a spear and a
in
He was however, soon caught and marched
native knife.
Trials by ordeal used to be very
off to prison.
among
all
the
natives.
A
favourite method was
common
to
give a
dose of strychnine to a fowl and if it died, the accused
The wretched
guilty, but if it lived, he was innocent.
was
ill, walked about wondering
and followed by the complainant shouting
fowl
and the defendant shouting
live,
fowl, feeling in any case very
at the excitement
die, die, die,
The strength of the solution was always
arranged by the judge so the verdict was known to him
A curious instrument to take the place of
beforehand.
live, live, fowl.
a jury,
nut through which a piece of fibre has been
such a way, that when it is held vertically, the
is a
passed in
nut slides up and down.
however,
trial,
it is
By
a curious twist of the fibre
At the
possible to prevent the nut falling.
the nut is raised to the top of the string
stays there, the accused is innocent, but
and
if it falls,
if it
he
is
124
THE UPPER UBANGI.
Here again, the judge can make the machine
guilty.
decide either
Among
the
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
the
way at
many
his will.
objectionable insects of the
a kind of sand
jigger,
fly
Congo is
which burrows under
and deposits eggs in
Unless these are removed an abscess forms.
a sack there.
the skin, usually of a toe,
The
natives
about calmly removing jiggers from eacli other's feet
with needles, and show considerable skill in this small
sit
It is
operation.
with bare
Much
necessary therefore never to
boys carry them
feet, for the
ivory
comes
move about
into every place.
into the Post at intervals, the points
sometimes weighing 70 or 80
Ibs. each.
The
State pre-
serves the elephant very strictly,
and the export duty on
tusks above 6 kilos in weight,
21
it
is
frs.
per kilo.
Still
not likely that the Congo will continue to yield such
is
large quantities of ivory, for the elephant only bears one
offspring in three years
There
slow.
is
and the growth of the baby
is
very
He
a baby elephant here one year old.
feet, 6 inches high, and has no sign of
He is fed on rice, milk and bananas
present.
stands about 4
tusks at
and
is
a playful
little
fellow.
A
tame ape here
much and at his approach
who tends him or climbs over
fears the
once clings
elephant very
at
the native
his shoulder, so
to
as to place the boy's body always between himself and the
elephant.
On Monday October 10th we prepare to
We shall now require
journey up river.
continue our
six or seven
canoes, as they are not so large as the ones lower
down
and our crews, servants, escort and camp followers total
up to nearly two hundred. Captain Auita sends a few
State- capitas
with us and Captain Meilleur lends us some
THE UPPER UBANGI.
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
French soldiers belonging
leurs,
the 1st Senegalese Tirail-
to
a splendid set of fellows, very smart in their khaki
We
uniforms.
can,
therefore,
either side of the river,
Congo, and be able
to
i.
e.
land with impunity on
in the
French or the State
communicate with the
will be rather difficult
Chiefs, for
it
to feed so
perhaps
many people.
Next day we start amid the most terrific din.
Each of
the seven canoes carries one or two tom-toms and some
have also native
bells.
All the capitas
and most
of the
paddlers shout orders to each other which no one regards,
even if they hear them, while the friends of the paddlers
howl farewells from the beach.
At length however, the
arranged and the little fleet starts in single file,
for each canoe hugs the bank.
Before half an hour had
baggage
elapsed
is
my
Fortunately
canoe
we were
struck
a
rock
and stuck on
it.
not travelling faster than two miles
an hour, or a hole would have been made in the bottom.
As
it was, it was
necessary for half the crew to go overboard,
stand on the rock, and lift the canoe off.
Never was
a ship so
speedily lightened,
and
in
a
few
moments
we were once more afloat.
The river now passes through
a kind of gorge not more
than half a mile wide and continues between hills clad with
long grass but after an hour or two, it widens out again
and the banks become low.
The heat is great and the
unceasing blows on the tom-tom within three feet of one's
ears are very annoying, but if it is stopped, the crew no
longer keep good time, and the boat, therefore, travels
The singing, on the other hand, is by no
very slowly.
means unpleasant. One of the crew sings a solo, a kind
of recitative, the words being an extempore criticism, as
126
THE UPPER UBANGI.
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
a rule, of the white passenger, and then the whole join in
chorus in perfect harmony.
The music is now wild and
weird, now passionate and joyful, but always natural.
There
is
nothing of the catch penny type of
become popular
England and America,
in
which
ditties,
in these savage
African songs, nor are they in the least like Chinese or
The instruments are rudimentary simple
and a kind of guitar, but it is pro-
Indian music.
;
zithers, rattles, bells
bable that
all these,
except the bells, have been introduced
by the Europeans or Arabs.
On we
we reach
creep slowly until
which belongs
Bamu, being no man's
the island of
Ya
All the other islands, except
to the State.
land.
Here we land
at a large
village and while the boys are arranging the camp, we see
that our party are all fed.
The Chiefs are requested to
provide food, and soon nearly two hundred women appear,
each with a wooden vessel containing a ration of kwanga,
palm
oil,
salad,
bananas,
plantains,
fish,
meat,
or
a
These they deposit on the ground and
attention each behind the meal she has pre-
general mixture.
stand
at
pared.
among
The sergeants and capitas distribute the
and paddlers, and at an order
the soldiers
rations
of the
Then
whole crowd disappears into the huts.
we eat our dinner, consisting of the usual chicken and
Chief, the
eggs, have a
game
of two-handed bridge and turn in.
Suddenly shrieks are heard coming from a hut and we
order the sentry to discover the cause.
He soon appears
with one of our paddlers, who states that another one stole
his ration,
him
and when he endeavoured
severely.
We
to get
it
back, beat
order him therefore more food, and
decide to investigate the case in the morning.
BANZYV1LLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
Next day
the food,
after giving cloth to the Chiefs in
we send
A
in the night.
for the
youth
who made
127
payment
much
so
for
noise
poleman now stated that the boy had
and that therefore he had beaten him.
stolen his loin cloth
This story contradicted the other and further native evidence complicated the story still more, so after explaining
to the poleman that he had no right to beat the boy, even
if
he were one of his crew,
and
that
such a thing
we decided
if
occurred again, he would be severely punished,
to take no further action.
One
of the
romantic story.
French soldiers now appeared and told a
He had found a long lost blood sister in
the village, the mutual recognition being confirmed by the
Both had been sold as slaves when
marks.
tribal
dren; he had drifted into
chil-
the French native army and she
Now she
had married one of the subjects of the State.
wished to leave her husband and go away with her brother,
who was
As
necessary.
tions,
matter
we
willing to pay compensation for her loss
this
seemed
to raise
some
if
delicate ques-
refused to take any step, except to report the
to the
proper authorities.
After these
delays,
we
started
up the
river, lined
on
both sides by thickly populated villages.
About midday
an excited crowd stopped us at one of these and asked for
our help.
As everyone shouted
one told the truth, it was difficult
at
once and probably no
to discover
what was the
some women were missing from the French
and
an
Congo
elephant from the State, and the natives on
each bank wished the white men to punish those on the other.
matter, but
As private
if
travellers, of course
we
could take no action, even
we had wished, and continued on our way
already two
128
THE UPPER U3ANGI.
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
At length
or three hours late.
at
6 p. m., Zinga
is
a large village with a fine plantation, and here
reached,
we camp.
Just above the village the rapids are so strong that
dangerous
sary to carry
all
country until
smooth water
wished
explain that
if it
reached again.
is
to attempt the ascent
with the canoes
more than anything
native dislikes carrying,
swim,
it
is
canoes up charged, and it is necesthe baggage for about three miles across
to take the
baggage, which would
at
capitas
full, for
the
We
else.
necessary for the white men,
is
how much more
to walk,
The
who can
necessary
carry the
once sink if the canoes capsized.
is it to
However, this did not convince them and Europeans who
have had accidents on the river say, that although the
whole crew, who
ot the
white
all
swim
man when
like fishes,
the trouble to rescue the baggage.
whose personal property
all
go
to the assistance
a canoe capsizes, not one will take
is
Probably the native,
limited to a loin cloth, thinks
other possessions are useless vanities and not worth
The view here
troubling about.
is
very beautiful, the river
taking a double bend between hills which are well
wooded
and traversed by mountain torrents of clear water hastening
to join the main stream roaring in its rocky bed below.
Numerous pintades
are usually found here, the finest
bird for eating in the whole of Africa, and
I
game
go ahead of the
bearers to search for them, but see nothing of interest.
By 8
a.
m.
the canoes have all passed the rapids,
are charged again, so once
more we make
a start.
and
Soon
another rapid is reached which it is impossible to negoSome of the crew therefore, go
tiate with the paddles.
overboard and standing on the rocks up to their waists in
water, literally
lift
the boat
up
foot
by
foot until the top is
THE UPPER UBANGI.
After this the river widens again and the current
reached.
One
not so strong.
is
129
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
of the canoes
now
is
reserved as
a kitchen and carries the goats, chickens and other food.
It is
interesting to watch
over the
fire
Luembo
sitting
as he cooks the lunch.
smoking
his pipe
Nothing disturbs his
calm serenity and he goes on philosophically making soup
even in the roughest water.
When lunch is ready we stop
the
the
kitchen
comes
bank,
by
alongside and the hot,
strong soup
much
is
very acceptable, for
it
is
impossible to eat
in the heat of the day.
At night time we decide to stop at the mouth of the Koto
where is a post of the Trading Company of that
river,
name, and the two agents there kindly extend hospitaSome of the natives here show well marked
lity to us.
Semitic features
shaped
like
rations
for
Chinese.
the
the
comment.
and a few, oddly enough, have eyes
paddlers
They are all ready to bring
and accept payment without
thank you,
Indeed, the native never says
but as he speedily
silence obviously
you know when he
lets
means contentment.
is
dissatisfied,
The Company has
a rubber plantation and a well kept farm with cows, pigs
and sheep which live healthily here.
The Koto river is almost as large as the continuation
of the
Ubangi and
rises far
away up
north.
Passing
it
we
continue ascending between banks, on which villages
are practically continuous the whole way until we reach
Gumba,
a large village
table Chief
and a
mud
baggage and arrange
on the French side with a hospi-
guest house.
to sleep
In this
we
store the
on the verandah which has
fortunately a watertight, roof for the almost daily tornado
happened
to
be of an unusually violent description.
The
9
i30
BANZYVILLE TO YAKOMA
THE UPPER UBANGI.
continuous and of a vivid, blind-
is practically
lightning
ing green colour the thunder sounds as if whole streets
have been struck and knocked down, while the rain des;
cends like the stream of a shower bath.
The Chiefs house
two ends of the
to those
on the
in this village is oblong, but at the
roof, spire-like tops are affixed, similar
rest of the huts in the village.
They are
not ornamental nor useful, but interesting as marking a
native characteristic on a house copied from those in the
Government Posts.
Next morning
the
dry
Yakoma would
10
a.
it
without
was
still
raining hard, so
anxiety, as
we knew
only take five or
m. having emptied
we waited
the journey
six hours,
the canoes,
in
to
but about
which were
full
of
Vilwater, we arranged the baggage and made a start.
lage succeeded village, in which were numerous people
elaborately decorated with beads
wise covered.
All the Chiefs
and
paint, but not other-
were well
disposed and
presented eggs or chicken, and took the cloth or salt
About midday we
offered in return without grumbling.
reached the commencement of the
Yakoma
village,
which
Most of the crew
extends for some miles along the bank.
were evidently well known here and several lived in the
Their well-meaning friends therefore, jumped on
to the canoes as they passed or swam out to them and took
village.
the paddles
and poles from
their tired
comrades.
With
augmented company, with the canoes dangerously deep in the water, with tom-toms beating, bells
ringing, bugles sounding and people shouting, we arrived
a greatly
at
Yakoma about 5
p.
m. on October 15ih thus completing
a voyage along the whole length of the Ubangi river.
CHAPTER
Yakoma
Yakoma
built
is
joins with the
Bomu
from
that river
its
to
VII.
Djabir.
on the banks of the Dele just before it
to form the Ubangi.
The voyage up
entrance into the Congo to
its
source
here occupied seven weeks of which half the time, however,
was spent
in State Posts.
Canoe travelling
is
terribly
tiring, although one merely sits still in a hammock chair
all day, and it has not been by any means comfortable
camping
Still
in the forest
during or after the daily tornado.
is one of
the trip has been very interesting for this
the least
known
parts of the world
and the people are pro-
bably the least civilised.
This experience brought home the fact with something
shock that human nature is much the same every-
like a
where and
that
animal, he
is at
civilised
man.
if
the savage leads the
life
practically of
an
same time not very much unlike modern
He does not wear clothes, but he is very
the
vain and adorns himself with beads and bangles, his hair
dressing requiring hours of patient labour.
He
is often
as
132
YAKOMA TO DJABIU
pleased at being photographed as a young fashionable
beauty and, if a- warrior, is as proud of the paint which
shows he has
killed
He
some one
in battle, as a soldier is of
frankly commercial in his dealings and
what
he thinks will please his guest as
as anxious to say
He is as keen to
the most tactful of society's hostesses.
his medals.
win
is
in a canoe race as
any undergrad in his college boat
and
true
sportsman. He is very jealous as
genuine
a husband and devoted as a father, characteristics common
and
is a
both to animals and to the most intellectual of men.
as a Chief, by no
is,
means hard on
his punishments are barbarous
greatly
developed.
He
diseased livers of geese
and
his subjects although
his sense of justice not
human
eats
He
but
flesh
and he prefers
his
not
the
meat decom-
He takes no more
posing as some like their game.
thought for the morrow than many civilised people who
to mouth without considering the future
sees
the world from his point of view and
he
finally
Mr. Van Lutlens
has little desire to discuss that of others.
live
from hand
and
du Poste kindly meets us and places a house
We then read our mail, the first news
our disposal.
the Chef
at
from home since July, and glance th r ough the newspaThe country around Yakoma is flat and as there is
pers.
no sign of
forest, the plantation consists of
Much
only.
rice is also
large
amount of
from
Liberia
coffee,
coffee
was
raised from plants brought
but these have since
however, does well and
in the world, so
it
seems
rubber bushes
grown here and at one time a
to
is
died.
The
native
certainly as good as any
be wiser
to cultivate
this
and
to leave foreign varieties alone.
This
is
one of the very few places
in the
Congo where
133
YAKOMA TO DJAD1U
the
cows give more milk than
is
and where butter can be made.
required by their calves,
The farm
is
well stocked
wilh horses and cattle for breeding purposes which function
fulfil
they
very well, the foals and calves looking
All the Chiefs in the neighbourhood
strong and heallhy.
come and call upon us. They are all very rich, powerful
and
and delight in wearing European
of them was dressed in an
loyal in this district
One
clothes or uniforms.
old naval uniform wilh an antique sword and another as a
captain in the State service although he had no right to
wear the uniform of the Force Publique at all. Just oppoYakoma on the opposite bank of the Uele is a village
site
for retired soldiers
and
plantations
The term
where they have
a
live
of service
life
is for
own gardens and
their
of ease but are not pensioned.
three or seven years with option
of signing for another three years after the long period
with increased pay and another three years if desired after
It is not at all uncommon to find
that.
sergeants who
have served ten or twelve years and they are always very
responsible men.
As usual
the people offer us
return for cloth and
As
there
a collection
we add
to
many
our already large collection.
no big game near at hand I decide to make
of small birds, of which there are very many
is
here, with most beautiful plumage.
no smaller shot than
damaging
Ihe
full
native articles in
5j and
the smaller varieties.
choke barrel
pellets almost
always
at
hit
about
it
Unfortunately
is
difficult
to
have
I
avoid
However, by firing with
yards two or three
fifty
even the smallest birds.
A
very
good method of preserving them is to inject formol into the
bodies which at once stiffen out and become rigid in any
134
YAKOMA TO DJAB1K
Birds can thus be set with the
position they are placed.
wings extended in a flying position or as if roosting the
effect being much prettier than any which can be obtained
by
If is
stuffing.
inject very
soon
sets in,
is
it
the head
however, necessary to arrange them and
dead for if rigor mortis once
after they are
impossible to alter the position assumed by
There were great numbers of beau-
and wings.
birds in the plantation and it was easy to obtain over
a dozen different specimens in less than an hour (1).
Redbut
as
are
also
found
in
here
the
rice,
legged partridges
tiful
in
Europe
this variety will not rise
day hearing the familiar call
on
and one may walk all
sides and only obtain
all
one or two shots.
On October 19ih I had my first
was not severe and soon yielded
It
was
had taken
five
to phenacetin.
rather a disappointment for
however,
which
attack of fever,
I
grains of quinine regularly every day since arriving in the
The
Congo.
in
fever ran the
same course
India ten years ago but as
-
it
that
it
used
to
do
only once appeared in
England during lhat period, I hoped it had gone for
Hundreds of mosquitoes hummed around with the
ever.
ambitious idea presumably of carrying the germs to some
other unfortunate.
As we
shall
now
leave the French frontier and travel
altogether in State territory
down
we send
the Senegalese escort
the river back to their station at Mobaie.
geant who was
in charge
The
ser-
was a most responsible man and
was evidently held in great respect by the Chiefs of the
French villages through which we passed.
One day a
(1)
Now
in the British
Museum
(Natural History).
135
YAKOMA TO DJABIR
Chief was greatly disturbed
had migrated
village
is
against the law
because two
into State territory.
it is
men from
his
Although
this
apparently not a very unusual occur-
rence.
Generally these emigrants have committed some
crime and are fleeing from justice.
One Chief, however,
at Banzyville stated he had left the State territory because
he objected to working rubber and had returned because
more
paying the tax in the French
indeed
to say which side gains
impossible
Congo.
but
it is
evident
that it is not altothis
very
by
emigration
he objected
still
to
is
It
gether one-sided and not great enough to affect seriously
the size of the population of either ihe French or Free State
Congo.
In
and
Yakoma
it
is
the people are paid chiefly by beads
and
salt
watch the long string of workers filing
of the Chef du Poste on Saturday, each one
interesting to
to the office
carrying a plate, a tin can or some other receptacle in
which
to receive his
wages.
On October 22nd we
The skins
decide to pack up and
move
of the larger birds the toucans, razor bills
serpent birds are keeping very badly but those of the
mon-
keys, leopards and antelopes are in better condition.
is
it
however, doubtful
is
which
small
if
on.
and
It
they will last, for to preserve them
necessary to hang them out in the sun every day
is obviously impossible when travelling.
As a
native
war
is
in
progress higher up
the
Uele,
Mr. Van Luttens kindly arranges to accompany us for the
first three days in order to ensure that relays of paddlers
be forthcoming for many of those gentlemen have for
saken the wooden blade for the iron lance. We are there-
shall
fore a large party
on October 23rd when we leave Yakoma
136
YAKOMA TO DJAB1R
in a drizzling rain, the
Ah hough
to
the paddlers
remains of the usual nightly tornado.
wear no clothes and do not hesitate
any moment it is curious that
much and never work so well as
into the water at
jump
they dislike rain
very
when
shining.
a hot
sun
is
The
least
sily
over the
fire
hundred including the
as
the
We
we
bank of
sit
drow-
current
number now about two
thirty soldiers
is
and armed
not very strong
headway through somewhat
until
they
hugging themselves, being aroused to
action only with difficulty.
but
diminution of tem-
much and
perature indeed affects them very
flat
capitas,
we make good
and uninteresting country
on the north
arrive at Prekissa, a large village
the Uele.
Here we were received by the Chief of the Abira
tribe,
hammock
chair
a great
who
potentate
sat
in
a
long
surrounded by courtiers and ministers squatting on the
ground and holding spears of state on each side of him.
Having welcomed us he escorted us through the village
which is of great extent and well arranged.
Opposite his
square hut or palace is the Guard House in which are a
few soldiers armed with cap-guns for he has some inde-
pendent authority and the power of life and death in
Behind the palace are many rows
certain limited cases.
of round huts close together.
sound heard
Not a soul
is
visible or a
for these are the quarters of the
wives of the
Chief and except the
official
who
acts as legal
queen
none are presented to the white men.
The present Chief
is a keen commercial man and understands the
advantage
lady
of being on good terms with the State for he has a large
rubber plantation
furnace
is
most
and
also
interesting.
works metals.
It is
simply a
pit
The
blast
about two
137
YAKOMA TO DJAB1H
wide and deep formed by banking up clay and earth
several feet around which has been dried by the great
feet
for
heat of the furnace into a hard stony substance.
at first sight the pit
In
is
it
looks like a hole
dug
wood
placed iron stone and
Indeed
in solid rock.
charcoal
which
is
lighted and a blast made by several pairs of bellows
formed of antelope skins.
The molten metal is not run
but remains with the slag in the
off
when
iron
the latter
is
ready
to
blacksmiths.
indeed, and
Probably
it
is
method
this
curious that
it
modern Bessemer process
the
pit until it is cool
chipped away and the shapeless mass of
be worked into spears and lances by the
is
is
a very ancient one
should resemble so closely
for
making
walked through the village we return
river bank and the Chief presents
to
steel.
Having
our camp on the
spears.
He then
ask for anything he takes a fancy to in return.
proceeds
had already given him cloth much more valuable than
to
We
his lances
him
when he suddenly demanded
tobacco.
I
gave
my pouch and he then asked for that
He next asked me to give him my jacket and finally
the contents of
also.
To
cap for two ivory finger rings.
receive a present from a Congo chief is thus a very
He then sat down and smoked while
expensive honour.
we eat, for it is contrary to custom to ask a native to dine
wished
at the
We
to
same
start
buy
table as a white
man.
again next morning at 6 a. m.
the river are
we
my
now assuming an
The banks
of
equatorial appearance for
are in the third degree of latitude and palms
great profusion but the country
About midday we land
extensive plantation.
at
Gembele,
The Chief
grow in
and uninteresting.
large village with an
is flat
is
a
a young, good-looking
138
YAKOMA TO DJABIR
man
with refined European features and a very gentlemanly
He owns
manner.
a large island,
many
iron
and copper
When one was introduced to
very wealthy.
he pointed with pride to the State medal he was wear-
mines and
him
is
ing round his neck, a medal which is given to all Chiefs
of whose election or succession the Government approves.
An important feature of this village is a round enclosure
built of trunks of trees
as a
Chamber
and
Gembele only succeeded
his
administered.
is
justice
and roofed with leaves which serves
of State wherein discussions take place
father a year ago
and among other
responsibilities he has
numerous wives, step mothers and aunts,
of his father and uncles.
They seem, howe-
to take care of
the legacies
ver, to be well- disciplined for they
selves
a
wave
were sunning them-
when we suddenly appeared round
a corner but at
hand of the boy of the Chief, they all rushed
and not one turned round to try and catch a
of the
for cover
Possibly they have peep-holes
glimpse of the white men.
in the walls of their huts for it would be loo much to
Gembele is
expect them to have no feminine curiosity.
evidently respected by his people but he has a somewhat
serious look as though he
heavily.
we
There
is
felt
the cares of his position
a strong rapid opposite the village so
allow the canoes to go up empty and enter them again
It is now
it.
intensely hot and progress is slow but
above
we
reach the village of Sembile before
our tents in a clearing.
sundown and
The huts here are
still
pitch
round and
practically nude but the custom of wearing
beads has disappeared and very few are painted.
There is a bright moon which acts here as a clock by
As the latter passes pracnight as the sun does by day.
the people
YAKOM A TO DJABIK
1
39
overhead it is astonishingly easy to tell the
time within half an hour after a very little practice.
It is
more difficult to use the moon as the point of the hour-
tically straight
hand and requires some care. This, however, is the only
means the sentry has of determining 5 a. m. when we wish
to
be roused for he could not read a watch.
We
start again at daylight
where we land with
strong that
it
is
all
and ascend
the river to
Voro
baggage for the rapids here are so
to walk for several miles.
We the-
necessary
refore start in a procession of
more than one hundred people
narrow foot-path while the crews take up the empty
canoes. The guide leads and I follow next, hoping to shoot
along a
any game that may exist
in the
disturbed by the bearers.
It is,
neighbourhood before
it
is
however, speedily apparent
that wiih the exception of birds it will not be possible to
see any game at all for the grass is very thick and about
eight feet high.
I
give
After a time
to a bearer
it
and
a
weighs heavy so
two fine pheasants
my gun
moment
after
few yards away.
All around i?. evidence of game.
Great tracts through the grass where the stately elephant
has passed to drink at the river, spoor of buffalo and anterise a
lope at every water course and yet not a sign of
for the
sun
life
now
and a hundred bearers are yelling
is high up
and singing close behind.
After walking for aboui two
hours we reach forest and enter its welcome shade.
A
small stream prattles cheerfully along under the trees and
as the path several times passes through
it
we keep our
p. m. we reach a village
beautifully situated on a slope in the midst of dense forest.
This is protected on all sides by a strong stockade twelve
feet
comfortably cool.
feet
high
for leopards
About 2
abound and when game
is difficult to
140
find
YAKOHA TO DJABIR
and carry off people.
lunch and then on again through ihe
do not hesitate
Here we halt
forest full of
difficult to
they
fly
for
to enter villages
These are not mu< h more
cuckoo pheasants.
shoot than hand reared birds at
higher
however, appear
to
to travel very
home although
Th^y do
clear the tall trees.
quickly but this
not,
may
be a
it is difficult to
No
judge distance in Africa.
Late in the aftergame birds come within range.
noon we reach Bogosi, a large clean and well arranged
The Chief is a pleasant fellow perfectly willing to
village.
delusion as
other
sell
us food for our party and monkeys, tortoises or any-
we may desire for ourselves.
Here we change
our paddlers the present ones going back to their vilAs the tribe is at war with one higher up the
lages.
thing else
all
river,
Mr. Van Luttens thought
obtain paddlers here and so
however, the
difficulty
Chief that the paddlers
came
it
might be
himself.
difficult
With
to
his aid,
vanished for he arranged with the
who took us to Djabir should not
be called upon to do any more work for the State for nine
That is to say that the enforced forty hours a
months.
month would work out
at
nine months and as each
man was
six or seven
days paddling in
liberally paid
in cloth
no one could possibly say that he was used hardly.
Having bathed in the swiftly running river we dined in the
enclosure which did duty as the Council Chamber and then
thoroughly tired turned in early.
It was not until 9 a. m. in the
morning that we could
make a start for all the baggage had to be fitted into the
canoes and the paddlers arranged in their places.
first day with new crews is
always a trouble but
never repeated for the native has a good
The
this is
memory and
every
YAKOMA TO PJABIK
bale, bag,
gun and even small
141
articles like
books are taken
from the canoes each evening and put back in identically
This is remarkable
th^ same place in the morning.
when one thinks
that
some hundreds
of separate articles
have to be placed in one of seven or eight different canoes
in one particular place.
The
river is heavily in flood for this is the
season and ihe current
come
is
end of the wet
Soon we
very strong indeed.
and one of the men drops his pole
The other two, howcritical moment.
to the first rapid
overboard
at the
ever, hold ihe canoe up by pressing against the rocks
while the water whirls past within an inch of the edge of
the
At a word from the capita one of the
craft.
little
rescues the pole
into Ihe rushing water,
paddlers jumps
and lands safely with
below.
on ihe bank, fifiy or sixty yards
All the Sangos swim like salmon but cannot of
it
Th^y however, swim so powerfully
of the rocks and reach the side even
course leap up rapids.
that they steer clear
in
the swiftest current.
rapid after rapid
On we go
and when
pole the canoes against the
is
up
impossible to
Sometimes the drop is three feet
them up.
one spot and it is perfectly marvellous how these men
rocks and
at
slowly struggling
paddle and
stream the crew stand on the
it
lift
can thus stand waist deep in the water.
Naturally we
wets
a
deal
of
water
which
ship
good
everything through
and through but ihe crew take
bale
it
The amount of
are not injured.
must be enormous
course and
we pass
actual
work
Ihe crew do
seem fatigued and sing
At
Ihe beginning of Ihe day.
yet ihey never
as lustily at Ihe end as at
length
this as a matter of
out at intervals while the boys take care the firearms
the island of
Mutemu and
seek for a place
YAKOMA TO DJABIR
for a
There
camp.
not
is
very dense here and
it
is
much
choice for the forest
the undergrowth before the tents can be pitched.
fires are lighted
and
all
is
necessary in every place to clear
Then
are soon asleep.
We
fight
start again at daybreak and at once commence the
with the rapids. Soon after a Chief appears in a canoe,
war wilh a neighbouring
the white man.
and having explained
that
he
tribe
not
inconvenience
it
hopes
will
On being asked why he
is
is at
fighting he states that he has lost
two women and thinks they have been stolen.
I then told
him war was a mistake and I hoped he would make peace
as soon as possible, at which he looked a little surprised
and answered
several
that
women
he expected
to
be successful and capture
as well as men.
The navigation
of Ihe Uele at this part of
its
so difficult that there are very few villages on
its
the native
he
who
lives
course
banks
is
for
near a stream hardly ever walks and
he can travel by canoe.
For this
will not settle unless
is often no pathway at all between villages only
two apart on the river bank.
The few people
there are have probably never seen a white man for as far
reason there
a mile or
as one can ascertain no one has been up here for ten years.
However, where there is a village the Chief comes on board
About midday the kitihen canoe
and presents a chicken.
paddles by with fire alight and pot boiling. Soon after Chikaia shouts
Le cuisinier est tombe dans I'eau, and a little
:
way ahead is seen a canoe apparently upside down close
to the bank and twelve or fifteen black heads bobbing up
and down in the water.
Mountmorres is just ahead in his
canoe and easily wiihin reach but to my surprise his
paddlers suddenly turn away from the bank and make for
143
YAKOMA TO DJABIR
mid-stream evidently straining every muscle.
Turning
round I order my crew to pull rapidly to the rescue but
to
my
disgust they also turn into mid-stream and take no
notice of
my command.
ing of this he replied
:
Having asked Chikaia the mean-
La
petite b&te qui
mange Vhomme.
Chikaia's knowledge of zoology and French
what limited every animal
a
grande
be'te
valuable for
was
it
him
is for
either a
The information was
.
was impossible
being someor
pttite
therefore not very
imagine what small beast
to
in the habit of eating people.
a crocodile
I
Non, non,
took
my
rifle
la petite.
Thinking, however, of
but Chikaia laughed and said
:
this
By
time
we were
well out in
mid-stream opposite the kitrhen canoe which
the mystery
was not upset
at all.
the goats and the fowls were
all,
The cook,
to
add
to
the crew,
however, in the water.
No danger was apparent for the crew were swimming at
their ease and hoisting the live stock back into the canoe.
It
is
there
useless being astonished at anyihing in Africa
was obviously nothing
crew raced along as
fast
do but
to
sit still
as they could paddle.
and
while the
In a few
minutes they pulled into the bank and there we waited for
the kitchen which presently appeared with the cook reclin-
Je
ing in the arms of one of the crew and moaning
After a rapid examination, however, I
mort, je mort.
could find nothing at all the matter.
At length we discover
the truth.
His canoe had run into a large hornet's nest
:
hanging from the branch of a
in the heacl.
To avoid
of the crew not only
threw
all
jumped
and he had been stung
damage, he and the whole
tree
further
into the water themselves but
the live t^tock overboard as well, for ihe natives
believe that the sting of this insect kills
and they
fear it
144
YAKOMA TO DJABIR
more than an encounter with a wild
was
beast.
therefore in a highly hysterical condition
The cook
and no doubt
considerable pain also although no mark of a sting
could be discovered, amidst his thick curly black hair.
in
Still I took him into my canoe, gave him whisky internally
and bathed his head with permanganate of potassium and
After this delay we struggle
he was quite well next day.
until
before
dark
we
reached
the worst rapid on the
on
just
river the Kandoko Falls, up which the canoes are lifted
inch by inch.
Everything was already wet so the
that a terrific to
nado burst before we could pitch the
added but
to
On
little
again
at
fact
tents
our discomfort.
daybreak and
one or two ineffectual
after
attempts to negotiate the last strong rapid on this piece of
we conquer it and reach smooth water. In the
the river
course of the morning a canoe intercepts us in which is a
native dressed as a State capita and armed with a gun.
He
says he has been sent by a white
sound our tom-toms as
it
they will attack our camp.
man
to tell
us not
will attract the hostile tribe
We
ask
for the letter for
to
and
white
men
never send verbal messages by natives and when it
was not forthcoming became suspicious that our visitor was
spying our strength.
travellers,
we
liked
that
We
we should
told
him
that
we were
beat our tom-toms as
and camp where we wished and
peaceful
much
as
that if the tribe
we should defend ourselves. Probably our
made an impression for we were not molested at all
during the day and at ni^ht camped in the village of the
attacked us
rifles
hostile tribe.
Our paddlers indeed
fraternised with the
enemy, against whom they would have been fighting
they had not been employed by us.
if
THE SULTAN OF DJABIR.
YAVOMA TO DJABM
The usual tornado burst
make
in the
145
night and
we
did not
m. when we continued up the river
villages before 2 p. m. when Djabir
a start until 7 a.
and passed several
in sight.
The view of the town from the distance
came
very pretty indeed.
towers
now
In the centre
partly demolished
of the officials stretching
is
an old
and on each
fort
side the houses
along the river bank.
land two hours afterwards and
is
with four
feel that at last
Here we
we
shall
have a night's rest without fear that our habitation will
be blown away or soaked with water.
in
CHAPTER
Across Uele.
VIII.
Djabir to Ibembo.
is a disappointing place.
Although very imposfrom
a distance it is being rebuilt at present and at
ing
close quarters it becomes obvious that some of the old
Djabir
Some welcome
houses are in a very bad state of repair.
a
us
here
and
Im
meet
newspapers
delighted to learn that
the
Government has passed
Japanese are
still
the Licensing Bill
successful.
The Sultan
and
that the
of Djabir sent
young gentleman who has been educated and
speaks French, to present a small ivory war-horn and to
demand several times its value in cloth. Afterwards he
his brother a
sold us
some other
articles but,
although he received
full
value for them he repented of his bargain next day and
demanded them back again. Of course we let him take
The Sultan himself seems to be equally difficult to
them.
State has given him the rank of
Force Publique and tried to humour him in
His village has the
every way he is not a good subject.
usual characteristics with some signs of Arab civilisation.
deal with
and although the
Captain in the
148
DJAB1R TO IBRMBO
ACROSS UELE.
Lord Monntmorres
is
and
now anxious
to hasten
toBumba
for
send a special courier
necessary
to Coquilhutville with a cablegram while I arrange to follow
more slowly and hunt 'he country in between. He therethe rest of ihe mail
fore leaves Djabir
to
if
on October 3
taking only one boy and
1st
and at night-time a
baggage.
tornado
over
the
I wake up in a pool
bursts
Post.
heavy
of water for the roof leaks badly and by bad luck just over
my bed. Having moved this to a dry spot it is possible to
a
It is
little
a very hot day
sleep but not for long for the mosquito net
wall where
left
I
it
forgetting the
a question of bites or water
little
and as the
was
fixed to the
It is
pests.
latter
now
seems cooler
I
replace the bed and fixing the roof of the net on the slope
so that the heaviest part of ihe shower will run off. pass the
rest of ihe night in
the place
was
comparative comfort.
It is
indeed time
rebuilt for at present Djabir has a depressing
air of former greatness
As
and present decay.
there are
no elephants near and t'<e antelopes are very small, I
arrange to leave on November 1st but on starting to repack
find
many
of the antelope skins are rotten
and order them
be thrown away while the native lances and spears are
covered wiih red rust and have to be cleaned, smeared
to
wi'h palm
start
I
oil
and repacked.
next morning to cross Uele, but as it is imposmore than thirty five porters some <>f the
sible to obtain
baggage has
to
be
It
ft
manner.
coarse grass fibres
and pass
wh
ch
bale,
is
inclined forwards.
or box
shoulders.
whuh
The loads are
behind.
in rather a curious
The
porters
carried here
make
a
band of
over the crown of the head
it
The band
itself rests
is
attached to the
on the back between the
Then leaning forward
the porter,
carrying
50
Ibs,
walks
at
149
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
ACROSS UELE.
3j miles an hour over rough roads for
three or four hours with scarcely a stop.
the river the caravan
is
formed and
at
Having crossed
once strikes along the
paih ihrough the villages on the opposite bank to Djabir.
We
are
now on
a frequented route and the villages and
people show far more signs of the influence of the white
man than those on the Ubangi. The huts are square,
thatched with leaves and have verandahs while most of the
men and many women wear
is
clothes.
The tatouage
also
here very different for ihe vertical line on the forehead
is
not seen and a horizontal line of small elevations just
above the
level of the eyes is very common; thpre are
various
other devices on the cheeks and the lobes
however,
of the ears are sometimes pierced for the insertion of a ring
of ivory nearly as largn as a serviette ring.
The
natives
are veiy polite, every sirgle one giving a salute so that at
the end of a long village one's
arm aches with returning
it.
Chicken and eggs can be boughi here for cloth at about the
Some of
price one pays in an expensive shop in London.
the natives said nothing and were satisfied while others
grumbled but did not take back their goods. One man sold
nine eggs for about 2/-of which only three were fit to eat
and demanded
The
4/-for a clrcken
natives here
seem
to
who must have given them
little
larger than a pigeon.
have been spoilt by the whites
very h'gh prices for food at
and these have never been reduced.
and supply
to sell
rare.
affect the price considerably.
Naturally
A native
first,
demand
refused
us a duck at Coquilhatville for 14/-, for ducks are
On the other hand in remote villages rarely visited
by white men. the people will sometimes give two chickens
for an empty wine bottle and would practically sell them-
150
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
ACROSS UELE.
selves for salt so fond are they of that substance.
they eat alone
and
very unpleasant.
relish
It is
immensely
This
for the native salt is
made from water
and
lilies
certain
forms of grass which are burnt slowly under a fire, the
resulting ash containing a large quantity of sodium chloride.
It
is
however, mixed with sulphur, charcoal and
other impurities and to remove these the ash
is placed in
water when the sodium chloride and other soluble salts
This
enter into solution.
in the
sun and forms native
Once
is
then evaporated to dryness
salt.
clear of the line of villages
which extend
for
two
or three miles, the path enters dense forest and the walk
becomes pleasant.
Palms are abundant and the
parasol
common.
Overhead are pigeons, a few ducks
I shot a few either
and, as usual, thousands of parrots.
for the larder or for their skins all of which fell in the
tree very
Without a retriever these were no
dense undergrowth.
doubt difficult to find but it was curious that the birds
with beautiful feathers and indifferent flesh were always
picked up while the ducks and pigeons usually could not
All the porters returned along this path the
be found.
perhaps were then more successful and
game which would not be harmed by hanging
next day and
enjoyed the
for a
times
day in a
five
The road
tree.
or six feet
good one being somewide and most of the marshes and
is
a
streams are crossed by rude wooden bridges formed by
trunks of trees laid parallel to each other.
Most of the way
is
,up a gentle incline for
we
are
now
passing over the ridge which separates the watersheds of
At intervals along the road
Ubangi and the Congo.
are small clearings in some of which are capitas armed
the
WARRIORS AT
D.IABIR.
ACKOSS UELE.
151
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
with cap-guns to protect the rubber caravans from thieves.
About midday we reach Kaki - kaki, a clearing in the
forest in
which
a
is
mud house
passing through and here
use of white men
we have marched
for the
a halt for
I call
about twelve or thirteen miles.
On
next
again
tinuing through the
morning at daybreak the path conforest, and as it is quite cold at this
hour and the exercise
stopping
to
is
pleasant
we march
briskly only
After leaving Kaki-kaki
shoot occasionally.
the streams flow south instead of north which
after fighting
now
our way up rivers
for four
shows
that
months we have
reached the highest point of our journey and are at
length going
It is
down
hill.
indeed a great
relief to
think that instead of strug-
gling up rapids, when next we take to canoes we shall be
There is, however, nothing
whirled rapidly down stream.
like a
Uele.
mountain or even a considerable
hill in this
After an hour or two the forest ends and
part of
we
cross
a plain covered with grass only four to six feet high on
which clumps of
trees
and bushes are dotted about.
On
and wild
cattle
every side are traces of elephant, antelope
but the sun
is
now high on
his brilliant course
and only man
enough to work in the day time in Central Africa.
indeed very hot marching for there is no shade and it
In
necessary to change the gun for the umbrella.
is foolish
It is
is
another hour
we
reach the string of villages constituting
who like the Sultan
the territory of the Sultan of Enguetra
of Djabir
however,
not a particularly good chief.
receive
the
porters
kindly
and
His people,
give
them
Then on again under a very fierce sun until
north bank of the Likati river is reached.
Here we
bananas.
the
is
152
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
ACROSS UELE.
enter a canoe
which
is
and are rapidly paddled down the stream
only about twenty yards wide, until we reach a
in which the Post of Enguetra is
clearing in the forest
In a few weeks
being built by Lieutenant Gaspard.
two
brick
house
of
he has constructed a fine
storeys with
a large verandah looking
down
a natural avenue to the
river.
At
the early days of
this time of the year
November
the Post is practically an island for the river flows on one
side
and on the other three water
to the depth of three or four feet.
for the
is
standing in the forest
This is no doubt good
rubber vines but bad for hunting.
However, I
setile here for a week or two and hunt the
determine to
and plains about.
Next morning hrefore I start at
m. in the dark and follow the guide who evidently
After passing
the cold and steps out at a good pace.
forest
5
a.
feels
through the plantation
we
strike into dense forest
and the
Roots of trees below,
walking becomes very difficult.
branches and vines above have to be dodged all the time
and it is a relief to march along the bed of a stream even
if it
has two or three
feet of
water in
it.
It is
impossible
two on each side through
the dense undergrowth and the sun and sky are quite
to see for
more than
a yard or
invisible although patches of lights
now
show
that the former is
well above the level of the tallest tree.
Traces of
elephant and antelope abound, the former being of small
size without points worth having.
After two hours we
reach the plain and find the water nearly six feet deep.
There is no place about to pitch a tent and it is extremely
difficult
marching
in the forest in the night, but the only
chance of an elephant
is to
be here an hour or two before
ACROSS UELE.
daybreak.
the water
month.
Indeed it is almost impossible to hunt until
subsides and that means waiting for over a
However Ihere are plenty of small beasts and
was not
birds so the day
The Congo
is
Everything here
If the
153
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
altogether wasted.
undoubtedly the land of exaggerations
bigger or smaller than any where else.
is
elephants are the largest in the world the insects are
the smallest and Enguetra is especially favoured by their
attendance.
Millions of
beasts
little
fall
on one
all
day
Soup might h^re be called hexapoda bouillon and
a glass of wine in a few minutes becomes a tincture of
Bulterfli<s are especially numerous and are of
insects.
long.
They
groat beauty.
so lazy or sleepy that one can
are
Ducks are
nearly always pick them up with one's fingers.
not agile creatures on land but h^re they waddle slowly up to
thf butterflies and as often as not catch them in their beaks.
The
ning
mm h
native
He
for
is
is a
curious mixture of simplicity and cun-
very fond of strong alcohol but does not care
wine.
The mess boy here apparently
whisky and instead of
filling the bottle
red wine to the requisite amount.
led to instant detection
about
and
some
up with water added
Of course the colour
of course he
knew nothing
but he lurched about violently as he waited at
it,
dinner and
it
was obvious
acting rather forcibly.
lock up every bottle
There
It
when
the
is
This
is
is,
new European drink was
very troublesome to have to
travelling, yet
however,
can be fixed over the cork and
necessary.
bottle.
stole
I
it is
absolutely
hear a patent lock which
is easily
fastened to the
worth remembering.
One day Chikaia
stated
that the
Sultan of Engnetra
intended to attack the Post that night and
if
he had done
154
so
ACROSS UELE.
BJABIR TO IBEMBO
we were
only two
or twenty soldiers.
Howe-
might have fared badly with us
it
men
white
with perhaps
fifteen
for
heavy tornado broke and perhaps the warriors
refused to face the storm for nothing happened.
The boys
were very alarmed and did not hesitate to say so.
As the
a
ver,
relationship between the Sultan
and the
State
was not very
might have been true, otherwise it
well
have
been
idle
War had then not been
might
gossip.
declared but the State soon after sent a force to occupy the
satisfactory the report
district.
Chikaia,
ment
to a
who is a Christian, formed a violent attachwoman who worked in the plantation here and
asked
to be allowed to marry her,
although at the time
she appeared to be the wife of a soldier with whom she
was
living.
married,
so
Chikaia, however, said she
we
investigated
the
husband swore they were married,
were not.
The man, however, in
official
I
wife,
gave
my
woman
permission
they
Post and
at a certain
Now
and Missionaries can
named was
Chikaia that the
to
woman swore
the
he said the ceremony took place
was conducted by a certain official.
and the
legally
The supposed
this case evidently lied
for
saires of Districts
was not
case.
Commis-
only
legalise
marriages
After representing
neither.
did not seem a very desirable
to his
marriage, provided that
the Catholic Missionaries, to which church he
belonged,
were willing
not
a
to
thanked
me
woman was
The woman was very pleased and
perform the ceremony for the
Christian.
in the native fashion
by
at
necklace of beads for a wedding present.
tips
girl
fell
once asking
for a
The demand
becomes sometimes quite humorous.
down and cut herself and one of the
A
for
native
officials
ACROSS DELE.
dressed the
wound
came and asked
know
One day
it
healed.
The parents then
and when the astonished
for a tip
dual required to
been every day
ought to be paid
until
DJABIR TO 1BEMBO
the reason said that the girl
have her wound attended
to
for
was
indivi-
to
had
and she
it.
lunch half asleep, a green
and white seroent glided through the open door into my
It
room.
happened that my guns were leaning against
as
I
sitting after
the opposite wall and
did not fancy jumping over the
I
beast, so simply shouted.
verandah and
I
It
then withdrew on to the
followed as quickly as possible with a gun.
In the meantime Chikaia
came running up and gave
several blows on the back with a heavy piece of
it
wood.
The sentry then appeared and before I could stop him cut
off its head.
The skin was thus spoilt which was a great
pity as
As
it
measured more than ten
was not easy
feet in length.
procure paddlers at Enguetra I
decided to send on one of the boys Mavunga with some of
it
the heavy baggage on
to
November 17th and
to follow
him
He was
very nervous at the idea of travelalone
and
wished
to
borrow a revolver, but this of
ling
the next day.
course
I
refused.
It is
curious that these coast boys fear
the natives of the interior so
much and still more curious
man at once restores
that the presence of a single white
confidence.
day
It
is
indeed becoming more apparent every
that the natives have a very
ration
for
the
Europeans and
genuine respect and admicredit them with powers
which neither they nor any other people possess.
I leave
Enguetra on the 18ih in a most comfortable
canoe with an awning so high that it is possible to stand
The Likati
upright, a great luxury in canoe travelling.
156
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
ACROSS UELE.
flows swiftly through dense forests and
we
down
glide
the
No villages exist
rapids very quickly and comfortably.
banks
and
is
visible
the
along
nothing
except the forest
until
we
reach Kati-kati a clearing in which a
been erected
for the
convenience of travellers.
a stroll in the forest but after half an hour
went
I
for
Although the
symptom passed away quickly
might occur again and then I realised for the
it
distressing
hut has
was stopped by
an unpleasant palpitation of the heart.
I
mud
was obvious
it
time that
first
was very anaemic and that hard exertion would be impossome time. This was the more annoying for the
sible for
We
leave
country around was particularly rich in game.
at sunrise which is, however, concealed by a thick water
mist and speed along until we reach Dzamba or Ekwangatana close to the point where the Likati and Rubi rivers join
to
form the Itimbiri.
Dzamba
is
a
where
transit port
cargoes are transhipped from canoes into a small steamer
Mifa which
the
As
Uele.
the
travel in her
plies
between
Mifa departed
and thus altered
it
and Buta the
the next day
capital of
decided to
plan of descendabout three times as
my original
The Rubi
ing direct to the Congo.
I
is
wide as the Likati and also flows through dense forest
which is only broken here and there by Wood Posts.
Although the water is high and the current strong the MHz
which is a twin-screw steamer, travels well and early on
the third day
we
moved and some
one of which
in
it
I
call
Uele which
is
arrive
at
Buta.
The Post
is
being
brick houses have already been built,
placed at
my
disposal.
After
settling
upon Baron de Rennette, the Commissaire of
is
a very important District for through
the path to the Nile
and
it
it
runs
has frontiers both to French and
English
The
territories.
157
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
ACROSS UELE.
Lado
Enclave, however,
is
governed separately by a special official.
One now
and expense
example a bale of
It
Brussels and addressed to Bomokandi.
realises fully ihe extreme difficulty
Take
of transport across Africa.
cloth shipped at
is
for
very possible that this will be transhipped at Banana
which will be towed to Matadi ; secondly it
into a lighter
will travel
by train
to Leopoldville
Bumba beyond which
;
thirdly
by steamer to
point the larger vessels do not run
fourthly by small steamer to Ibembo;
Dzamba during which journey
it
fifthly
;
by canoe to
has to be carried by hand
some rapids; sixthly by the Mih to Buta and
seventhly by hand to Bomokandi.
Every basket of rubber
past
and point of ivory exported and every box of food or bale
of cloth imported
is
indeed constantly being transhipped
and then conveyed by various methods a few hundred miles
on its journey.
The example given is by no means an
extreme one, and many others could be traced in almost
The reason is simple.
Although the
any direction.
whole of Central Africa is traversed by rivers which eventually flow into the
Congo, both the main river and
tributaries are in places impossible to navigate
rapids.
Great efforts are, however, being
come these
owing
made
its
to the
to over-
Wherever possible railways are
and
roads
made to avoid them the
constructed
being
latest great work initiated being the automobile road
obstructions.
indeed impossible now to carry by
hand the great amount of merchandise passing up and
down the country, even if the natives were willing to
through Uele.
It
undertake the task.
dislike
is
This
most and during
is,
my
however, the very work th^y
an immense quantity of
visit
158
DJABIR 10 IBKMKO
ACROSS UELE.
was lying
stores
owing
at
Buta and could not be forwarded
lack of porters.
to
The automobile road
will
all this, for trains of waggons carrying the merchandise will then be quickly and easily towed by road
engines.
Passengers will also be conveyed in a similar
manner and it is reasonable to prophesy that in five or ten
change
be possible to cross Africa from the Nile
to Banana without travelling a single mile in canoes or on
years time
will
it
foot.
At present the difficulty of transport chiefly affects the
comfort of the officials for their stores of food may be
delayed for some weeks and although
on kwanga, goats and chickens,
for
is
it
possible to live
not a suitable diet
is
it
is experienced with the
rubber and ivory are always travelling
towards the mouth of the river.
Baron de
Less difficulty
Europeans.
exportation, for the
down
the hill
Rennette
fully realises
how extremely important
it
is
to
have good food in this exhausting climate and took his
native cook to Europe to receive some lessons in the culinary
art.
He has been rewarded
lives almost as well as
indeed,
is
and now
for his trouble
he could
at
Good
home.
food,
almost as necessary in Africa as pure water.
After a hard day's
work
in this climate
it
is
impossible
either to relish or to digest goat's flesh or tough chicken
and the
result is
dysentry.
weakness followed by
When
travelling
it
is
obtain properly cooked food, and
still
it
fever,
anaemia or
more
was thus
difficult
to
especially
pleasant to find oneself dining off a clean white cloth with
clean silver, hot plates and food cooked and served in a
manner which would have been a
club.
credit
to
a
London
There
a
is
Bima and Bomokandi and I
taking this ten day's walk when an
good path
was thinking of
159
OJABIK TO IBEMBO
ACROSS LELE.
to
caused me to change my plans again.
He was on a
Buta Mgr. Derikx arrived.
tour of his diocese and expected to be travelling for a year.
of fever
attack
While
I
al
still
was very pleased
to see
him and was bound
to confess
me of the Congo on the voyage out was
Having recovered from the tever and on
the recommendation of Baron de Rennette, commenced a
had
that all he
told
strictly accurate.
course of arseniate of soda,
in the
I left
Buta on November 28th
MHz.
The small steamer rapidly descended the
the water was now falling rapidly.
Many croco-
river for
had ascended this small river to lay their eggs and
were lying on sandbanks but we travelled so quickly that
Near Buta is one of the
it was
impossible to shoot them.
diles
and by old
of these institutions, this one
villages constructed for
soldiers and, like the
rest
is
and kept forming a striking contrast
It
village.
is
indeed extraordinary
very well arranged
to the
ordinary native
how
the savage can
be changed into a civilised being by a few years of military
discipline.
I
Dzamba again on
reach
canoe on
journey
in
running
swiftly
down
the
the 29th
next
the Itimbiri
and continue the
The current
day.
and
after
is
an hour we
and march through the forest while the
The river winds
canoe descends without passengers.
arrive at a rapid
here very
it
is
much
so that although the current
more than an hour
minutes.
The journey up
baggage has
to
very strong
canoe arrives
which we reached walking, in
village,
for the
bf-fore the
is
about
at
the
twenty
is
very slow and tedious
be carried by hand along this
160
DJABIR TO IREMRO
ACROSS UELK.
short cut Ihrongh the forest.
therefore proposed to
is
It
build a light railway to relieve the native of ihis task.
I reach Ibembo on the 30ih and am met by Lieutenant
Francois, the
Cbf
du Posie.
It is
a large station with a
continually passiig
big mess for many
On this date three hundred and fifty soldiers
through.
with their officers were marching through wi h the c.bjer.t of
are
travellers
dccupyingEnguetra and
its district until
a hltle more reasonable.
to
the Sultan
very
avoid ambuscades in the forest.
and
literally cuts his
troops
Th y march in a
women, who cany much
hollow square formation with the
of the baggage, in the centre.
becomes
difficult for the
It is
(j
Each soldier carries
a knife
through the undergrowth.
way
the head, flanks or rear of the square
is
attacked ihe
If
men
up and meet the enemy wuh a steady fire for they
Progress is naturally
always march with the rifle loaded.
close
very slow and the enemy
chance of being
from bdiind a
hit
difficult
by a poisoned
tree
is
to
catch,
while the
arrow or a lance hurled
always
present.
The
soldier
is very plucky and well earns his twenty- one
each day, and the one fane twenty-five cents a
month which is reserved tor him.
however,
cents
Next day
I visit
the Ca'holic Mission of
received by Father Benin wh'i
of Mgr. Derikx.
about 200
a
little
is in
The Mission
is
Ibembo and am
charge in the absence
situated on a plateau
high on the oppo-ite bank to 'he Post, but
lower down the stream and the whole place is
feet
admirably arranged, the view across the river being espeThree hundred natives, mostly children,
cially beautiful.
the plantations and gardens all b"ing
dressed in a pretty uniform and appearing h^alihy and
are engaged in
THE
ITIMBIRI RIVER.
ACROSS UELE.
There
happy.
is
161
DJABIR TO IBEMBO
indeed, very
little
sickness here, for the
buildings and grounds are as scrupulously clean as those
of a
State
Post..
In a well-fitted carpenter's shop the
and houses has been made
entire furniture for the chapel
from the wood of old canoes which
The boys
seasoned.
also
work
is
hard and well-
in ivory, turning serviette
rings with great accuracy and skill.
Four or
and
Mission and one of
five sisters
the latter
form the
superintends
staff of the
the cooking
with
five
brethren
most happy
results.
Next day
I
walk through the native villages near
of the men fish and the women make
Ibembo where most
pots of clay.
There are a great number of children about
and very little sickness. Sunday as usual w as market day
and the people from the neighbourhood brought in
kwanga, fish, eggs, chicken and three antelopes. Food
r
is
sold for mitakos three of which will purchase
kwanga
to feed a
man and woman
for a
day.
enough
In the
afternoon a Chief arrives with the not unusual story that a
troup of elephants have entered and destroyed his plantation of manioc.
arrange therefore to start at 4 a. m.
We
next morning on ilie chance that they will repeat their
visit, but a heavy tornado in the night renders hunting
impossible.
prepare
the
to
Congo
After spending a pleasant week at Ibembo, I
descend the river to Bumba and then to ascend
to Stanley Falls.
11
BASOKO FROM THE RIVKR.
CHAPTER
Ibembo
to
Stanley Falls.
The Ddivrance a steamer
Florida arrives
cargo cf
cloth,,
IX.
built
on the same
lines as the
Ibembo on December 5th with a large
clothes, beads, salt and other articles for
at
and
also cases of food for the Europeans.
This is
almost her last voyage up the Itimbiri this season, for soon
the waters will have fallen so low that the river will be
barter,
No time is wasted in the Congo
navigable only by canoes.
State.
As soon as the cargo was discharged, the empty
holds were filled with baskets of rubber and ivory and in
less than
twenty four hours after her arrival, the steamer
was ready
to depart.
164
1BEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
Having arranged
soon on board, and
At
December.
to tratel
we
the
first
fronting the plateau,
by
river
full
evidently
banks become
passes between the
cliff
The
cliff is
and
red,
In a short time however, both
of iron.
flat
at
on which the Mission stands and low
lying forest on the opposite bank.
is
my baggage was
midday on the 6th of
this boat,
Ibembo
left
and are covered with
forest
broken
at
by villages which are well arranged, clean and
Some of them are wood posts, and one is occupied
intervals
tidy.
by old soldiers, who have built themselves very good houses.
These veterans have no pension, but are given materials to
form plantations, and also supply the steamers with wood
at the usual
They rarely, if ever, return to their
which they left seven or ten years before
rate.
native villages,
as naked savages, for they are
now smart
civilised
men and
and manners of the Europeans as
imitate the appearance
closely as possible.
About 6
p.
m. we reach
the Post of
Mandungu,
situated
It is
on the right bank of the Itimbiri.
very well built
and scrupulously tidy. Behind is a high wooden stockade,
and in front, along the river bank is a small wall broken
by a kind of arbour,
in
which
interesting inscription G. R. Ill
On
The
again at daybreak
down
is
a brass
gun with
the
1799.
the swiftly running stream.
Itimbiri indeed, like its principal feeders, the Likati
and Rubi,
is
commenced
rapidly falling, for the dry season has
in earnest,
now
and alihough thunder-storms are
frequent, they are not accompanied by rain.
We
stop at
Moenge, a small post on the left bank of the river, for the
mail, and then on again until the Congo is reached an hour
before sunset.
The great river is still very full of water,
i65
1BEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
which shows no signs
at
This
present of falling.
is,
only
to be expected, for all the tributaries are
now emptying
themselves into the main stream, which
thus kept high
for
some weeks
turn
down
the
Congo and
is
have commenced
after they
after
a post of the S. A. B. Trading
to fall.
passing some
villages
We
and
Company, reach Bumba
at
sunset.
This
is
an important shipping port, for the large vessels
stop here owing
to'
difficulty of
the
navigating the Congo
All the cargo for Stanley Falls
higher up.
Congo, as well as that
for Uele,
and the Upper
has therefore
to
be tran-
The place is designed in a series of
shipped here.
one
of each being formed by the river while the
side
squares,
spaces thus
being
left
are filled with well kept gardens, the whole
very effective.
Mr. Simon, the commandant of the
me a house and also arranges to allow
the Delivrance to take me up to Stanley Falls as soon as
her cargo has been discharged.
On each side of the Post
are .villages extending along the river bank.
The men
here wear a loin cloth, but the women only bangles, and the
Station kindly lends
tatouage
is
varied and extensive.
Next day the Delivrance was charged with sheets of
for building purposes and it was very
corrugated iron
watch the natives carrying these to the ship.
Like some civilised people, the natives are so lazy that
they often give themselves a great deal of work in the effort
interesting to
to avoid
it.
The
plates
were of various
and consequently of various weights.
sizes
and shapes
Sauntering slowly
up to the stack on the beach, one of the porters would
examine it carefully and search for as small a load as
possible.
Then he would
either
lift
the
upper ten or
1
G6
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
twelve plates or try to pull the one he had chosen out
from the stack.
Having accomplished his object thus with
great exertion, he
carry
it
would put
ihe plate
on his head and
leisurely the few yards to Ihe boat.
Of course the
larger ones had to be moved some time, and in reality at
the end of the day the lazy fellows had thus done more
work than was necessary.
Compared with Hindu or
Chinese coolies, the Central Africans indeed both in the
plantations and at the dock side, accomplish raiher less
The padthan half the amount of work in the same time.
dlers, on the other hand, cannot be called lazy, and when
propelling canoes against strong currents or
up
rapids,
exert themselves to the utmost.
We
leave
Bumba on December
9th in the Ddivrance
After passing the mouth of the
and turn up stream.
Itimbiri the banks are unoccupied for many miles, dense
Here and there is a
unbroken forest lining each shore.
wood
post and
we
pass also two considerable areas which
had evidently been cleared some time ago and occupied by
The people, however, were very troublesome in
villages.
these
parts
and have
since migrated
into
the
interior
leaving the ancient sites to elephants and other beasts.
It
is
very
much more
comfortable on the Delivrance than
on the larger steamers,
for, being the only passenger,
have plenty of room in the cabin below and as usual in these
small craft, we have all our meals on the bridge.
I
On
the llth
we
arrive at
a large brick house for the
Barumbu, a small Post with
Commissaire when he
visits the
Here most of the natives were dancing and looked
place.
ridiculous.
very
Thpy did not move over the ground and
seemed
to
be doing a kind of physical
drill.
First
one leg
167
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
was kicked forwards and backwards while
the other did a
Then perhaps the arms were
stiff
heavy
looking hop.
thrown up and down and the whole body advanced from
the hips, and finally the head was jerked to and
These movements were repeated time after time,
evidently in a regular set order, for once started, several
fro.
people performed exactly the same in perfect time
whether they could see each other or were back to back.
The whole affair looked stiff and ungracious, but was
keenly enjoyed by the natives.
\
GENERAL VIEW OF BASOKO.
An
hour
Aruwimi
later
we
District.
arrived at Basoko, the capital of the
It is
different
from other Posts,
for
it
has a wall running along the river front with a square
tower in the centre, giving the appearance of fortification.
There are indeed a few guns here, but not many troops.
After paying a short visit to the Commissaire General of
Aruwimi, Captain Pimpurnieaux, we continue our journey.
168
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
Next morning was pay day, all the ordinary seamen
receiving 21 mitakos a week, but the capitas and wheel-
men were
given more.
These
latter are usually
a very
men, for after a few journeys they
responsible
remember every island and land-mark on the river and
often steer all day without a word of command from the
set
captain.
differs
of
About midday we met the Ville de Paris which
from the other steamers in having her wheels at the
This arrangement has not
side instead of at the stern.
however, proved a success, for this boat
nor so easily steered as the others.
I
am now
troubled with a
the knee joint with a
difficult
very
to
new
good deal of
walk.
should have appeared, for
It
I
is
is
neither so fast
complaint, synovitis of
effusion,
curious
which makes
why
this
it
malady
had not knocked or otherwise
injured the joint and had indeed been sitting quietly on
steamers
On
all
day
for the previous
the afternoon of the 12th
the junction of the
week.
we
Lomami and
reach Isangi, a Post at
This river
the Congo.
drains the territory occupied by the Company of the same
turn up it to visit Ilambi, the chief town.
name and we
There are a few large villages on the banks where the
natives exhibit a curious
method
of hair dressing.
It
is
allowed to grow long, which is very unusual in the Congo,
and is then turned up and matted together on the top of
the head with grease and the red
The
effect is, that
powder of the cam-wood.
each appears to be wearing a red and
black cloth cap.
We
reach Ilambi, which
and very
tidy, the next day.
extensive territory along the
is
a large Station well built
The Company leases a very
river banks and does a large
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
in
trade
169
'
rubber and ivory, the Brazilian variety of the
The natives are quite
work
well
and
little
trouble, although
satisfied,
give very
it is
necessary to punish them sometimes, and as usual,
former growing here very well.
the prisoners on the chain are given
We
the prison.
work
to
do outside
and then descend the
stay here one day
Lomani, and turn up the Congo.
The banks of the river
new appearance, for they are higher and no
longer densely wooded and at short intervals are villages
now have
thickly
a
populated and
containing a high percentage of
Most of the men fish or build canoes, and all
children.
the people
seem
to
be constantly trading with each other,
selling food or curiosities for mitakos or cloih.
We
stop for the night at Yonanghe, a Post which has
been built by a true native of the Congo,
was
who
at
one time
He has
ihe boy of Inspecteur d'Etat, Malfeyt.
tra-
French and English and makes
an excellent Chef du Poste, which -rank he enjoys officially,
velled to Europe, speaks
with
all its
and
rights
privileges.
thoroughly responsible and
a very
Everyone agrees he is
good friend, but if a
captain of a steamer offends him, he will not sell him a
chicken or even an egg for any sum.
On the loth we reach Yakussu, where is a Mission
As
Station of the English Baptists.
the
missionary,
Mr.
Stapleton,
we have an
interesting chat.
District for
many
I
cannot go ashore,
on board and
comes
He has known
ihe Bangala
years and has seen the riverside popula-
tion diminish very
he ascribes partly
much during
the last fifteen years.
to the Sleeping Sickness
emigration to the State Posts.
cult for the people to raise
At
first
it
and
This
partly to
was very
diffi-
enough food for themselves and
170
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
and
fur the soldiers in the Posts,
near
Stanley
people have no
and
to
avoid the hard work,
Here however,
accepted service under the State.
many
in
there
Falls,
is
plenty
of
food
and the
difficulty in providing for their
own wants
He
thinks that
supplying the State Posts as well.
man
after the cruelty of the Arabs, the rule of the white
appears as heaven to the native.
and happy, and as there
tented
Sickness, the
population
boys are taught
makers,
need
Mr.
to
for
be
to
food
carpenters,
so
is
Stapleton
that
is,
very
Sleeping
The Mission
The
that
there
brick
is
no
chief grievance of
Government
the
little
masons and
plentiful
to settle
not grant them land.
complained of
is
increasing.
establish plantations.
mit the missionaries
.also
is
All are therefore con-
will
not
where they wish and
perwill
Several other missionaries have
this,
but some districts are certainly
not civilised at present, and it would be dangerous for
any white man to live in them without a military guard.
thus happens that while there are a great number of
Mission Stations along the Congo in the part where the
population has diminished greatly, there is not a single
It
Mission on the State side of the Ubangi river where the
people are very numerous.
We arrived at Stanleyville in the afternoon.
is situated
on
the north
streets of large well
between which
is
built
village.
of the river
houses with
laid out in gardens.
bank are the works of
number
bank
the
The town
and consists of
much space in
On the opposite
railway to Ponthierville, a
and a large native
of corrugated iron buildings
In front,
a
hundred yards up the
river,
the
lowest of the Stanley Falls can be seen, the white foam
1
glistening
rocks.
in
the sunlight as the water rushes over the
The Commissaire of
a house and acts as
the District
the
Province
De Neullemeister, kindly lends me
Lieutenant
Orientale
171
REN BO TO STANLEY FALLS
my
Fish
host.
is
very plentiful here,
but a sudden and terrible disease has suddenly carried off
most of the goats and chickens and we are therefore, rather
short of fresh mpat for a few days.
Many
of the natives have the
their village is quite
all
Arabian
Arab type of
features
in appearance.
very civilised and work well, so that
and
They are
much rubber
is
Lake Tanganika
The women here are clothed and do
collected, although the population about
is
not very dense.
not work in the plantations at
all.
Next day Lieutenant De Neullemeister and I, cross the
river and are met by Mr. Adams, the Director of the Rail-
way Company. We enter a truck and proceed along the
new line which plunges into dense forest immediately,
turning and twisting in many directions in order to avoid
the
numerous
places and ravines and although there
soft
are a few steep gradients, most of the
fairly level
ground.
The
soil
is
a
way
the line runs
on
kind of ferruginous
some places and sandy in others and all the
Mr. Adams says the
bridges are constructed of wood.
natives are good workers and that they have had no trouThe guage of the
ble with them and very little sickness.
clay
in
line is considerably
ville
railway and
at
wider than that of the Matadi-Leopoldpresent about thirty kilometres have
been finished the whole passing through thick forest with
clearings here and there for the huts of the workmen.
The
difficulties of
construction are very great, but these
are being surmounted and the cost of transport of material
172
is
IBEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
enormous,
for even.' steel rail six of
has to be carried from Europe
to
which weigh a
toil
Matadi by ship, then by
railway to Leopoldville, and then up the river for
The Company has its own prinearly a thousand miles.
the
vate steamer, the
which
was
at
is
Kintamo,
a
stern wheeler of
500 tons
the largest vessel on the Congo, but like the rest
carried out in sections and put together and launched
The construction of
Leopoldville.
and
railway will
this
amount
of produce
thus be costly,
carried will be sufficient for some years to pay a dividend.
The advantages of it will however, be very great, for at
present the falls render the river useless for navigation,
is
it
doubtful
if
the
and everything has to be carried round by hand. Everywhere indeed, there is evidence that the State not only
spends enormous sums in opening up the country, but
welcomes the formation of private companies who
them
in
their
gigantic
realise that probably
set foot in the forest
It
undertaking.
is
will help
difficult
to
no man, white or black, has ever
a few hundred yards away, and yet
we
are travelling smoothly along a steel railroad through
a tractless desert of trees propelled by a modern steam
locomotive.
The line does not pass near a single native
village, for this part is not thickly populated
and the
only-
creatures whose paths are interrupted, are the elephants,
buffaloes
and wild pigs.
On our
return
we
visit the
house
Adams, a solid structure of brick and European
cement, and the Mess of the thirty or forty whites
of Mr.
employed on the
line
who
live
here very well for mut'on as
well as goat can be purchased from
the natives.
The
price of everything which has to be carried from Europe is
very high at Stanleyville for the cost of transport
is
very
173
1BEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
as
it
we make
In the afternoon,
great.
to
is
impossible
bathchair resting on one wheel.
met, they
a
bumpy
lift
the
sixty
is
machine bodily over
ride, for the roads are very
has no springs.
men and
and
conveyed in a kind of
One boy goes in front and
very bad or an obstacle
one behind and when the road
is
a tour of the town,
am
I
walk,
We
visit the
it.
It is however,
rough and the chair
pass the Mess, capable of dining
This is a brick building
prison.
arranged as a quadrangle with an exercising yard in the
centre.
The cells are lofty and airy and only one prisoner occupies each, but
sleep in one dormitory.
many
Everywhere great cleanliness
observed, so that one
is
is
not altogether surprised to learn that the mortality due to
Sleeping Sickness is very small among the prisoners.
Some
of
them are making mats and baskets
but most are working on the chain outside.
building,
the
women, who
also
of a prisoner in the
likely to
Congo
is
work.
Most of the people are sen-
woman was
throwing a solution of pepper into the
husband and nearly blinding him.
room
There
set apart for white prisoners, but
used and
would be
better than he
tenced for theft or violence, but one
for
are
experience in a native village, with the exception
that he is compelled to
ed
light chains,
Indeed, on the whole the
cooking dinner for the prison.
lot
wear
in the yard,
In a separate
is at
present
the instruments of the
much more
it
is
imprison-
Lee of her
a separate
has not yet been
satisfactorily
occupied by
band of the Force Publique.
Near the Mess we pass the house of Tippo-Tip, a small
structure with a verandah and a roof of grass.
It is
mud
not used at
rical
now, but is allowed to remain as an histomonument. Stanley was compelled to negotiate
all
174
1BEMBO TO STANLEY FALLS
in order to avoid a conflict at the time
Tippo
State
was not
sufficiently
armed
to
when
tho
undertake such a task
but since then, Arab rule has been entirely driven from
Central Afrca.
Almost opposite the Falls, a fort is being
constructed with a ditch all round.
When finished, it
will
be capable of holding the whole garrison and supplies
for eighteen months.
It is
of course, only constructed as
a defence against native attacks and
to resist big
enough
The quarters
fortable.
is
not built strong
gun
fire.
of the Force Pnblique here
Each man has
a
room
.ire
to himself
very com-
about seven
square constructed of brick and the sergeants have a
small house, each containing two rooms and a verandah.
feet
I
looked into one or two and they were well arranged.
curtain, table and chair with a few pic-
Bed and mosquito
tures
and ornaments, showed what an advance the native
in civilisation since he slept in a hut on the mud
had made
floor.
Finally
this to
we
visited the motive
power which enables all
Here people were
be done, the rubber stores
busy sorting and packing the precious material into baskets ready to be carried to the Barge which was waiting to
sail.
CHAPTER
Stanley Falls
X.
to
London.
The prison gang arrives at 8 a. m. on the morning of
December 18th and at once my baggage is carried down
to the river and placed on board the Barge.
It is a novel
sight,
A
long line of prisoners chained together, slowly
the road with bales, boxes, chairs, tables
marching down
and portmanteaus on their heads.
No method could be
The
simpler or more secure for transporting baggage.
Barge as the name implies has no means of propulsion
and depends for her locomotive power upon a powerful
steam tug which
is
attached alongside.
The whole space
and only passengers
the accommodation being limited,
in the ship is thus devoted to cargo
who
are sick are carried,
but there
is
The Barge
is
a fine deck
of about
on which
to
sit
or walk about.
400 tons burden and
is
therefore as-
large as the mail passenger boats, and the great advan-
tage of travelling in
it is,
vibration or motion to be
writing.
that since there is absolutely
felt,
it is
no
very comfortable for
176
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
As
the navigation of the river is difficult near Stanley-
ville,
a
pilot
takes
journey and returns
the boats
all
down
the
first
in the next vessel ascending.
day's
On
the
way we called at the Catholic Mission for one of the
priests who wished to travel to La Romee and I was
astonished to find he was quite ignorant of the agitation
against the Congo, which
as
wondered,
of
it,
was taking place
us
of
many
do,
he knew nothing of
for
in
Europe, and
the cause
was
what
atrocities or
cruelties
to
natives.
Afterwards w e stopped
r
at
La Romee where
there
Yakussu
at
for
wood and then
Here we
an extensive farm.
is
take on board some fresh vegetables and cow's milk which
not
is
however,
climate in the
fit
to
Congo
is
The
drink an hour afterwards.
very bad for
all
kinds of food.
Antelope, killed in the early morning, is often rotten by
and thus the difficulty of obtaining fresh food
the evening,
is
greatly
increased.
decomposes
it
some
rapidity
perhaps, the reason
in that condition, for as
fresh, they
as
is,
The
it is
with
why
which
flesh
the natives prefer
so difficult to obtain
may have acquired the taste for
it
meat
rotten, just
civilised people train their palates to prefer
game
however, very disgusting to see them eating.
One day a carcase of a wild pig in a highly decomposed
condition was picked up by one of the paddlers on the
It is
high.
This was cut up and shared among the canoes
it fell to
Next day a most unpleamy crew
sant smell accompanied us all the forenoon and no one
Ubangi.
and
r
part of
.
could detect the cause, in fact, none of the natives noticed
At lunch time however, the polemen produced a
it.
basket
full
of rotten flesh
which thev had stored
in the
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
front part of the canoe
177
and thus given me
the full benefit
As they commenced eating it raw, it was rather
it.
too much and I promptly ordered them to the oilier end of
of
the hoat
wheie
could neither see nor smell them.
I
After travelling rapidly
at sunset at
day down stream, we
wood
daybreak, but as the
at
again
all
Yonanghe and ship some rubber.
plentiful
tie
We
up
start
in this part is both
and good, the captain stops frequently at the
amount on board. This is a wise
posts and takes a large
precaution, for lower
there is less of
it,
down
wood
the
is
not so good and
while there are more steamers to be
At most of the villages the natives come
supplied.
beach with goods
to the
for sale, but the price of curios is too
great here to tempt me.
On
the 20th
terrific
we reach Basoko after running through a
much rain that for a time it was
tornado with so
impossible to see the banks.
season here, so this storm
supposed to be the dry
presumably an exception.
It is
is
Every morning there is a fog on the river more or less
dense, which lasts for an hour or two after sunrise.
During
this
slow, for
A
it
period,
is
it
is
impossible
pathetic
incident
often necessary to steam dead
to see a boat's
length ahead.
happened one day.
We
were
transporting eight prisoners to Boma and
these carried wood on to the steamer.
the son of the Chief of a large village at
who
when we stopped
One of them was
which we stopped,
thus had the mortification of seeing his heir working
He begged the captain to liberate him,
had not the power to do so even if he had
the man had been sentenced for a serious
on the chain.
who
of course
wished, for
theft
and was now on his way
to
a convict settlement.
12
178
STANLKY FAI.LS TO LONDON
The Chief
therefore, told his son
to the authorities
would see
the
which went
to
at all.
did a
and
he was
Europe.
no trouble
him by saying he
tried to comfort
railway
to give
and Boma and the great ships
These prisoners gave no trouble
They were fed on the same food as the crew and
certain amount of work, the only sign that they were
criminals, being the chain which
On
Here
deal of coffee.
He was
it
was necessary
to
give
a good
chi-
the
one of the crew for continually shirking work.
given twenty
him
affect
together.
we reached Bumba and shipped
the 21st
cotte to
bound them
five lashes,
but
physically or morally,
it
for
did not seem to
immediately
after-
wards he smiled, rubbed himself and then slowly walked
ashore to carry bags of coffee and while his fellows were
hastening to finish their task, he was deliberately loitering
Next time he will be dismissed and then he will
about.
find
difficult to find
it
On
employment.
we stopped at Dobo, one of the
Posts of the Mongala Company, which has been taken over
the following day
by the
make
State.
The Company found it was very difficult to
work and some serious charges of cruelty
the people
The Bangala tribe are
were proved against the officials.
however, very savage and only a short time ago a trader
was killed and his body cut up ready for eating when
some troops arrived and rescued
it.
The Government
therefore, sent a punitive expedition into the country.
There are very few villages on the river, and no signs
that there have ever been any, for the forest grows to the
water's edge in an uninterrupted line.
At sunset we
arrived at Lisala, which
is
a large military training camp,
In it about a thousand
well constructed and managed.
179
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
savages are being converted into
clean,
smart-looking
soldiers.
its
Kintamo , which was forcing
Next day we passed the
the
stream
with a cargo of rails directed
way up against
On
to Stanleyville.
is situated
the
the 24th
at the point
we stopped
at
Mobeka, which
where the Mongala
river runs into
chief post of the Mongala Comsurrounded by a brick wall, except towards
and access to the Post from the native village is
Congo and was the
It is
pany.
the river,
At one place is a kind of
through stout wooden gates.
watch tower built on the wall and the whole gives the
appearance that the occupants knew they were living in
the midst of cannibals, who would not hesitate to attack
them
if
hoped
they were not well prepared to resist.
It is
to
be
that the present expedition will be successful in con-
verting a few from their barbarous condition, but great
be overcome, for the fighting must be
in the forest, as the natives never meet troops in the open
difficulties
have
to
In the evening we reached Nouvelle
they can help it.
The houses are
Anvers, a large and populous town.
the
river
surrounded
bank,
arranged along
by gardens,
if
and the quarters
it.
of the troops leave nothing to be desired.
Christmas Day has nothing resembling Christmas about
A tropical sun burns overhead, warm sandy water
glares below.
In the morning
we pass Moseiube,
a Mis-
sion Station, and in the afternoon, Lulongo.
There used
to be a large village and coffee plantation here, but it was
not a success and
however,
still
for the night
has
been abandoned.
remains as also a
and
mutton, roastbeef.
Wood
try to believe
We
that
The Mission
Post where
duck
is
we
stop
turkey ami
have now traversed the whole of
180
STANLKY FALLS TO LONDON
the river which runs past the
It is
Bangala District.
but
on
the
other
undoubtedly very sparsely populated,
hand, there are no remains of villages or clearings in ihe
forest which would indicate it has ever been otheiwise.
Next day we reach Coquilhatville early and
some rubber and gum copal on board
From
noon.
place are
this point ihe river
At
old friends.
is
Irebti,
some thousands
Since
we
taking
familiar
and
each
at
Commandant Jeniaux
comes on board and we have a chat about
the agitation in Europe.
after
leave in the after-
last
tho condition of
met
I
have
tra-
and have formed an opinion both of the system of Government and of those who
administer it.
There is no doubt whatever in my mind,
velled
of miles
that the native is not habitually ill-treated
and
that
he
is
impossible lo do more
than guess at the object of the outcry, but it is certain
that no agitation based on such a little foundation has ever
very well paid for his work.
It is
been attended by such a near approach to success.
Next day we stop at Lukolela and take on board logs
of wood and timber already worked into beams and posts
for building.
A
little
lower down
is
the old coffee plan-
The river
it,
being grown.
these we
wide
and
full
of
To
one
of
islands.
very
tie up and are at once attacked by millions of mosquitoes,
who will not allow us to eat our dinner in peace. Fortutation
here
and close
to
tobacco
is
is
I find an old
pair of kid gloves and with my head
covered with a silk handkerchief and my legs in high huntThe mosquito here
ing boots, prepare for the onslaught.
nately
through duck trousers and socks witli great ease, but
his trunk cannot reach through the thickness of a sleeve of
bites
a
co*vt
and
a flannel shirt, so with suitable clothes, one can
gain a
little
oiid's ears.
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
181
peace, except for the constant
humming round
A
no protection at
not face the smoke of a wood fire.
cigar or pipe
the insects will
is
all,
but
Since
As
people cannot either, however, that is not much use.
it was, the few bites swelled up badly and completely upset
the theory held by many, that after a few months in the
Congo, the mosquito
but not
fication
extract of goal
bite
has no
much
effect.
think
to
It is
some
grati-
they only gained
au
and chicken, instead of a solution of good
juicy fresh meat.
On
the 29th
latter place grpat
trade with
we passed Yumbi and Bolobo.
numbers
of natives
came
our crew and black passengers
dried fish and kwanga.
In the evening
who bought
we
reach Sandy
Island so called
Beach, opposite which, is
Lonely
because it is the last island on the river before
through what
to pass
is
banks are flanked with
after the
dead
known
At the
beach to
to the
as the canal.
narrows
it
Here the
which are a welcome sight
hills
level of the forest higher up.
Next day we arrive at Rwamouth and after taking some
cargo from the Kasai on board move on to a large Wood Post.
It is
not a very interesting or lively occupation
people cut
wood
in the forest
and stack
it
w alching
r
on the beach,
and these Posts are sometimes used as places of punishment for refractory Europeans, whom it is thought desirable to isolate for a time.
The
strict
paternal system
is
carried out throughout the State and methods of punish-
ment are adopted which are rarely if ever found elsewhere.
For minor offences the Europeans are fined by stopping
their pay for a certain number of days and sometimes
a man
is
revocated, which
means he
is
sent
home without
1
82
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
In this
being paid for the six months or year previously.
the
hard
when
men
who
drink
have
they
opportunity,
way
who
are
are habitually insubordinate, or
weeded out
It is
punished with imprisonment.
in
our
America
and
colonies,
travelling
indeed curious after
to find,
with
sturdy,
are undesirable,
Penal offences are of course tried
rapidly.
in the Courts and
who
rough, independent characters behaving
and
meekness
extraordinary
Drunken
docility.
brawls and promiscuous revolver shooting are unknown in
the Congo, for the simple reason, that
country
or gambling dens
it
is
impossible up
There are no drink shanties
procure drink.
to
and indeed no amusements of any
(> a.
m. to 6 p. m., have their
Men work from
kind.
dinner and go to bed.
news penetrates from
little
Very
the outside world and conversation is therefore, limited to
the immediate affairs of the individuals concerned.
Small
matters thus appear to be far more important than they
really are and the story of any little adventure soon
becomes magnified out of all recognition. This, perhaps,
accounts also for some of the absurd stories of atrocities.
On
the last day of the year
we
reach Leopoldville and
are comfortably installed in the Inspector's house.
of f&e
is
lanterns on poles, but there
is
very
of any kind and the whole affair
On Januaiy 2nd we
remembering the
can
ful to
reduce
th^ food cases
paid
A
kind
held in the evening and a procession passes with
away
to
were
all
rather ghostly.
of the fare
baggage
natives
singing or noise
leave Leopoldville
amount
my
is
little
to the
by
train
and
I
was
coming up,
Of course
minimum.
empty, the wine drunk, the
and the petroleum burnt;
myS&lf, three boys and excess baggage,
still
salt
for
the fare for the
183
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
two hundred miles was over
Leopoldville,
who should
the
I
news from
23.
to-day
their
side of
the
They were
question.
meeting of missionaries,
proceeded as
me he had sent
only
Mr. Clarke told
left
was very pleased
travelling to Maladi to attend a
but
Just before \ve
enter the carriage but Mr. Joseph
and another Mr. Clark, who is also
to see them and hear
of Ikoko,
Clarke,
a Missionary.
<J
Kinshassa.
as
far
to ihe
Commission of
Enquiry some new pholographs of the boy without a hand
he had shown to me at Ikoko and was convinced
whom
that the
world would be
All the meetings of the
startled
when
therefore the evidence submitted at
The
the report appeared.
Commission are held
them
is
in public
and
already known.
depends upon the
formed
of
the
individual, for while the
already
opinion
State officials say that very little, if anything, has been
interpretation of this apparently
proved against the Government, the Missionaries are quite
satisfied that the A.B. I. R. Company will be severely con-
Of course no report can possibly
demned.
satisfy
any
of the controversialists for their feelings are too strong to
permit them to be content with cold facts judicially stated.
After an uneventful and uncomfortable journey through
the beautiful part described before, we arrive at Sono
Congo about 5 p. m. and take a room in the MagazinsGeneraux, a wooden building raised above the level of the
It is
ground and fairly clean.
beautifully fresh and cool
up here, and for the first time for half a year, it is possible
to take a
On
bath in clear white water.
again at 6.30 a. m. at which hour
but as the sun rose and
indeed, for
we were
we descended,
tlwn well south of
it
was quite
cold,
became very hot
the Equator and it
it
184
STANLEY FALLS TO LO.NDON
was summer
in the
we
ney,
if
possible,
on a second
and the railway as a feat of engineering,
more marvellous. Afier a dusty, hot jour-
acquaintance
appeared
The scenery through
Lower Congo.
the Palabala mountains improved,
still
arrived at Matadi at
5
p.
m. and found Mr. de
Rache, the Commissaire of the District, on the platform.
He had kindly taken
room
one of the hotels, but as it
necessitated climbing up the hill and I could only walk
with difficulty, I decided to sleep on board the Anversville
a
at
which was discharging cargo
indeed were
all
at
Here
the pier head.
the luxuries of Europe.
A
barber, a big
bath, white spotless table-clolhs, clean shining pla!e, red
juicy beef
It
and
last,
but by no means least, cold drinks.
worth roughing
is
returning to comforts
it
to
experience the keen delight at
which are never appreciated
worth when enjoyed every day.
Next morning we leave Maladi for
at their
full
Boma
in the
Heron.
is running down through the narrow channel
about ten knots an hour and the water roars and bub-
The current
at
bles as though passing over rocks in a rapid.
fore roll a
reach
Boma
good
my
and
travel very fast
We
there-
indeed until
we
just before midday.
Stories in the
and
deal
attack
Congo grow with extraordinary
of synovitis had been converted
rapidity
into
a
A room had
reached the capital.
at
been
the
Croix
therefore,
Rouge in which I
prepared
serious illness before
it
was soon comfortably installed. The hospital consists of
eight sets of rooms arranged in four buildings, separated
from each other, but with the verandahs connected by balconies.
In the centre
sisters live the
is
a building in which the eight
whole thus forming a t with a building
at
185
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
each end of the lines and one where they intersect.
The
whole is situated on a hill from which a magnificent view
can be obtained of the river and country around.
Here I
remained for nearly a week and was attended with much
and care by the medical men and sisters.
It was
necessary to make some calls in the town and a carriage at
skill
Boma was
placed at
my
disposal similar to the one at
w as more comfortable for
It was very hot and
capital.
Stanleyville, but travelling in
tli3
roads are better in the
r
it
the mosquitoes were terribly hostile, but otherwise
my
was very pleasant and agreeable.
On January 6th the German cruiser
and the
the Vineta
Congo and
officers to which
gunboat the Habicht entered the
General gave a dinner to the
I
honour of an invitation.
to
show
am
tempted
that although living in the
good, as a rule, in
Boma
it
is
Upper Congo
Potage aux tomates
Coquillex de crevettes
Sauce
capres
nature
Filet de bauf
Flageolets.
received the
menu
is
not
possible to give a banquet
MENU
Pommes
I
Governor
to give the
worthy of anyone.
Barbue.
the
visit
Pommes
rissolees
18G
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
Aspergcs de Malincs
Sauce au bear re
Pigeonneaux
rdtis. Pctits pois
Poulcts farcis. Compote de mangues
Canetons
Salade russe
roti.s
Gate nix
<
Ananas au
kirsch
Desserts
Fruits.
The wines were Oporto, Hoehheimer,
Niersteiner, Pichon
Longueville 1893, Chateau Grand La rose 1893, Gorton
and Louis Roederer Champagne. The dinner was served
admirably by native boys while the band of the Force
Publique performed in the garden.
The
shown
strong, grasping instinct of the
native
was well
had paid off the boy*,
written them good
At the last
characters and made them handsome presents.
after
moment
I
thpy
all
came and demanded
a further tip
which
I
However, they showed
by their manner then that they were well satisfied and
knew very well that it would be very difficult to obtain
rather indignantly refused to give.
I
had many long talks with
such high wages again.
Mr. Vandamme, who was as usual, very hard at work, and
Mr. Underwood who kindly helped me to settle many
matters.
Indeed, everyone with
whether State
Officials,
whom I came
Missionaries
or
into contact,
Traders,
were
always extremely kind and courteous and converted what
might have been a very unpleasant and dangerous journey
1ST
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
into a
will,
most interesting tour and
remain, as
they agree with
I
I
sincerely hope ihat all
hope they are now, good friends, whether
me
or not about the merits of Ihe system
of Government in the Congo.
After bidding farewell to the residents at
Wall on January lOih and
the
to
to
after
Boma,
left
I
in
a
rapid journey
Banana, joir.ed the Anversville which immediately put
sea and by sunset the mouth of the Congo was out of
sight.
The voyage home was uneventful, except
strong head winds.
Among
the Director of Justice,
who
a few days of
were Mr. Gohr,
for
the passengers
well deserved a holiday after
extremely responsible and arduous duties, Captain
Stevens, the Commissaire of the Equator District, as cheer-
his
ful
and
A. B
as ever, Mr. Longtain, the Director of the
jolly
I.
R. Company who has come
rited share of abuse,
of
whom
were
in
travelling
home and
find that everyone,
in for a quite
unme-
oilier Slate Officials,
an indifferent
Catholic and
three
and many
slate of health.
many
Two
or
some Baptist 3Iissionaries were alsoit was
interesting and satisfactory to
whether Stale
Official,
Missionary or
Trader, was convinced that the Commission of Enquiry
would issue a report which would correspond with his
own
opinion.
There was plenty of time to arrange ihe impressions of
the tour in order and to formulate some general ideas on
the system of
which
it
is
created and
Government
administered.
is
Congo and the manner in
The whole system has been
in the
controlled absolutely by one mind.
It is
a
very simple and extremely practical machine, but it is very
The officials who work it therefore, have each their
vast.
188
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
own
special task allotted to them and very few appear to
understand the principles on which the whole moves.
The problem which has been faced and successfully over-
come,
is
how an unknown
land populated by savages can
its own resources without
be developed and civilised by
and without poisoning him with
heavily taxing the native
alcohol.
done
It is
Each native
manner.
in this
do a certain amount of work
for the
compelled to
This results
is
State.
and ivory
in the collection of great quantities of rubber
which
The rubber and
the native is paid.
and the sum so
sold at a profit in Europe
to
to
open out
The
throughout the country.
instead of paying a tax in
enough revenue without
As has been shown
grasping and very
idle
new
amount
demands heavy
however,
made
in
to raise
these pages, the native
little
and
his
services rendered.
and
chickens,
labour and food at
amount of one or
This sometimes leads
very
He thus charges an
for
goats
is
idea at present of the
for
a certain
work
to
money and it is possible
him alcohol.
and has
fixes the price of
and demands
village.
fees
thus
selling
value either of produce or work.
extortionate
is
keep up the
communication
lo
lines of
native
ivory are then
realised is used
pay the heavy expenses of transport,
Government and
The
State
its fair
value
oilier
to discontent
from each
and
rebellion
just as do the taxes levied by other Governments, and
necessary to occupy territory with troops.
however, is allowed to have in his possession a
he is,accompanied by a white officer, and if he
treat the natives, is severely
The
officials
for
No
rifle
it
is
soldier
unless
tries to ill-
punished.
themselves, are subjected to the most severe
189
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
discipline, and as they exist, so to speak, on the rungs of
a ladder, each one can be punished by the one next above
him,
mit
who
ciples
in turn, responsible, until at length Ihe
is,
Every Post
reached.
is
and the responsibility
is
worked on
sum-
identical prin-
for its success or failure, rests
official in charge.
He is not permitted to try
experiments or to alter the system in the least degree, and
can only use his moral power to influence the natives.
with the
The question has been asked whether
contrary
to
Clause V.
the
letter
of that
or
this
system
spirit of the Treaty
treaty
of
is
not
1885.
No Power
runs as follows.
which exercises or may exercise sovereign rights in the
above mentioned regions shall be allowed to grant therein
either
monopoly or
matters
privilege of
any kind
in
commercial
foreigners without distinction shall enjoy protection of their persons and goods as well as the right of
;
acquiring and transferring moveable and immoveable prosame treatment and rights as subjects of the
perty and the
nation in the exercise of their professions.
In the first place it must be remembered
Berlin Act applies to
all
the
Powers possessing
that
the
territory in
Congo basin and not to the Free State particularly,
and secondly, that it was agreed upon by the Powers to
prohibit monopolies and privileges in commercial matters
the
and
to
suppress slavery, but not to interfere with the
States or Colonies which were then or
Government of the
might be established and which might or might not sign
the treaty.
All the Powers indeed which signed the Act
of Berlin of
1885
did so voluntarily and
among them
the
Congo Free State which had already been recognised by
The signathe whole of Europe as an independent State.
190
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
tory Powers to that Act did not create, define the boundaries, or in
any way particularly specify the Congo Free
State which is
only as
bound by
it,
therefore, to ihe
same extent
England, France, Germany, or other signatory
is
Powers.
All these
that vacant land
is
Powers
Crown
at
various times have declared
A German
property.
Order of November 26th 1895 says
Imperial
that the proprietorship
German East Africa belongs to the
Order
issued
by the Commissioner of the
Empire.
French Congo of September 26th 1891 runs
Uncultivated soil and vacant land which nobody legally claims
of
all
vacant land in
An
and
shall be considered as belonging to the Slate
form part of the colonial domain (1).
Empire, the right of the Government
lands in the colonies
exercised
(2).
declare vacant
to
Crown property has been
In annexing
all
shall
In the British
frequently
the vacant lands, the
Congo
Free State therefore, has only followed the usual custom
practised by all countries, so that it is obvious these lands
are absolutely the property of the State, which, therefore,
has a perfect right either
to sell or lease
nies, Missionaries or Traders,
from them
Indeed
them
to
Compa-
or to collect the produce
itself.
it
was never intended
that the
whole Congo Basin
should be pegged out into claims by a host of adventurers
without any system, law or order, for such a proceeding
would have speedily led to complete anarchy. Since then
the vacant lands belong to the State,
can only acquire landed property
p
(1) See
(2) In
it is
obvious that traders
either
New Africa by Senator E. Descaraps,
Canada, Australia and the North West.
p.
from the State,
73
et teq.
191
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
from other traders or persons possessing land. Again it is
obvious that a trader only has the right of purchasing the
produce of the land from the owner and although he may
buy for example, rubber, which a native Chief has grown
on
it,
own
his
which
plantation,
no Chief may go
into the forest
from
State territory, collect the rubber
is
and
it
sell
such would be simple robbery.
for
Now
the State imposes regulations
Companies and
on
traders,
which
it
upon the concessionary
also observes carefully
own
land in order that the rubber plants shall
not be killed and furthermore it stipulates that all who take
itself
its
rubber juice, shall plant young rubber trees and vines to
replace those which die in process of time. The supply of
In spite however of
rubber is thus assured in the future.
the most stringent rules the officials of the private
compa-
nies undoubtedly ill-treat the natives sometimes.
What
then would have been the result
if
the country
had
been parcelled out among a number of private traders, who
had simply pegged out claims ? Their object would have
been
to
make
possible.
a large fortune and return
After a few
years, therefore,
home
all
rubber trees and vines would have been bind
as soon as
the existing
to death,
no
new onos would have been
certainly
planted, and the native would
The
have been over- worked and ill-treated.
country would then have been deserted and
The
to savagery.
for the future.
State itself
to
left
on the other hand
Everything which can grow
is
is
return
.working
planted,
becoming more civilised, Posts are
roads and wateiwuys opened up and the whole
the natives are daily
being
built,
place rendered beautiful
and
attractive.
In the meantime, property in the country
is
guarded,
192
trade
STANLEY FALLS TO LONDON
is perfectly free,
is free to
and everyone, native and foreigner,
own manner, subject
pursue his business in his
only to such laws as are imposed in
for the
good of the community
The Congo Free
all civilised
countries
at large.
State has indeed, without breaking any
Treaty, solved the problem which has baffled the combined
wisdom of .ill the ancient great colonial Powers. It exists
on
its
alcohol
own
;
it
resources without poisoning the natives with
much wealth from the soil without fear
extracts
of ever exhausting it ; it opens up great tracts of land withit
out running heavily into debt, and -noblest of all
daily converts
naked cannibal savages
responsible people.
into self-respecting
ITINERARY
of
MARCUS
RP.
DORMAN
in the
CONGO FREE STATE
.
f.C.Sfrnhard, fii
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
Los Angeles
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