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diff --git a/15240-h/15240-h.htm b/15240-h/15240-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb5e7d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/15240-h/15240-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5507 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State, by Marcus Dorman</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .center {text-align: center;} + .right {text-align: right;} + + + ul { list-style: none;} + ul li { padding-top: .5em ; } + + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 8pt;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State, +by Marcus Dorman</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State</p> +<p>Author: Marcus Dorman</p> +<p>Release Date: March 4, 2005 [eBook #15240]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN THE CONGO FREE STATE***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Brendan Lane, Martin Pettit,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<h2>A JOURNAL</h2> + +<h3>OF A</h3> + +<h1>TOUR IN THE CONGO</h1> + +<h2>FREE STATE</h2> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2>MARCUS R.P. DORMAN, M.A.</h2> + +<p class='center'>AUTHOR OF <i>A History of the British Empire in the Nineteenth +Century.</i><br /> <i>The Mind of the Nation</i>, A STUDY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT IN +THE NINETEENTH CENTURY;<br /> <i>Ignorance</i>, A STUDY OF THE CAUSES AND +EFFECTS OF POPULAR THOUGHT<br /> AND <i>From Matter to Mind.</i></p> + + + +<hr /> +<div>Originally published in 1905<br /> +by J. Lebègue and Co., Brussels<br /> +and Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., London</div> + +<hr /> + +<p class='center'><i>Dedicated by Permission to His Majesty Leopold II, +King of Belgium and Sovereign of the Congo Free State.</i></p> + +<hr /> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<ul> +<li><a href="#PREFACE">PREFACE</a></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a> London to Banana.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a> Banana to Leopoldville.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a> The Higher Congo.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a> The Equator District.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a> The Ubangi River.—Irebu to Banzyville.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a> The Upper Ubangi.—Banzyville to Yakoma.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a> Yakoma to Djabir.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a> Across Uele.—Djabir to Ibembo.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a> Ibembo to Stanley Falls.</li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a> Stanley Falls to London.</li> +</ul> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> +<ul><li><a href="#MAP">MAP--ITINERARY OF MARCUS R.P. DORMAN IN THE CONGO FREE STATE</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img008">THE STEAMER «FLORIDA.»</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img025">THE NATIVE HOSPITAL AT BOMA.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img039">THE CATARACTS RAILWAY NEAR MATADI.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img041">THE RAILWAY STATION AT MATADI.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img047">THE STEAMER «FLANDRE.»</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img051">CATARACTS AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img057">STEAMERS AND DOCKS AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img065">THE AMERICAN MISSION HOUSE AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img077">NATIVES OF THE UPPER CONGO.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img081">BOTANICAL GARDENS AT EALA.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img095">NATIVE CHIEFS AT COQUILHATVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img103">THE FARM AT EALA.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img111">THE UBANGI RIVER..</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img115">YOUNG COFFEE TREES AT COQUILHATVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img132">SANGO NATIVES OF THE UBANGI.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img133">THE UPPER UBANGI.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img139">YOUNG SANGO GIRLS AT BANZYVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img151">THE STATE POST AT DJABIR.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img159">THE RIVER NEAR BANZYVILLE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img171">THE SULTAN OF DJABIR.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img179">WARRIORS AT DJABIR.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img191">THE ITIMBIRI RIVER.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img195">BASOKO FROM THE RIVER.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img199">LOADING A BARGE.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img201">GENERAL VIEW OF BASOKO.</a> + </li> + <li><a href="#img211">THE FORCE PUBLIQUE AT STANLEYVILLE.</a> + </li> +</ul> +<hr /> +<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE" ></a>PREFACE.</h2> + + +<p>This journal is practically my Diary reproduced with the minimum of +editing in order that the impressions gained on the spot should be +described without modification. It was never intended for publication, +and was written only as an aid to memory. Consequently it is little more +than a collection of rough notes.</p> + +<p>Having left England with a prejudice against the Government of the Congo +Free State and returned with a very strong feeling in its favour, I feel +however that it is my duty to publish an account of what I did see for +the benefit of those whose opinions are not already formed beyond +recall.</p> + +<p>As in all controversies where feelings subordinate reason and people +judge more by their emotions than by evidence, many are too quick to-day +to attribute interested motives to those whose opinions are not similar +to their own. Since a great number of people in the Congo and at home +are curious to know whether I was sent out by the Congo Government, the +British Government or the <i>Times</i>, I will state here once for all that I +went to the Congo entirely to please myself and with the hope of +shooting big game. In order indeed to satisfy curiosity, I will go +further and state that not only was I not paid for telling the truth, +but that the trip cost me a great deal of money.</p> + +<p>It is however delightful to remember that wherever I went I was treated +with the greatest kindness and courtesy by all whether they approved of +the system of the Congo Government or not and it gives me great pleasure +to thank here the State officials, Missionaries of all denominations and +Traders of various nationalities for their hospitality, friendship and +valuable assistance.</p> + +<p class='right'>M.R.P.D.</p> + +<p>London 1905.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="MAP" id="MAP" ></a><a href="images/lg_map.jpg"><img src="images/sm_map.jpg" width='501' height='402' alt="MAP--ITINERARY OF MARCUS R.P. DORMAN IN THE CONGO FREE STATE" /></a></p> +<p class="center"><a href="images/lg_map.jpg">MAP--ITINERARY OF MARCUS R.P. DORMAN IN THE CONGO FREE STATE</a></p> + +<p class="center"> +<a name="img008" id="img008" ></a><img src="images/img008.jpg" width='613' height='352' alt="THE STEAMER «FLORIDA.»" /> +<br /><b>THE STEAMER «FLORIDA.»</b><br /><br /></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I" ></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<h3>London to Banana.</h3> + + +<p>There was no time to spare. The ship sailed from Southampton in forty +eight hours and I had only just arranged to accompany Lord Mountmorres +on a tour in the Congo Free Stale. He was going out for the purpose of +discovering the true condition of affairs in that country and of writing +articles thereupon for the <i>Globe</i> but incidentally hoped to have some +big game shooting. After one has read much about a country it is always +interesting to visit it and as the prospect of good sport was added in +this case, I at once decided to brave the cannibals, wild beasts, +and—most dangerous of all—the climate, and to seize the opportunity to +visit the Congo.</p> + +<p>It was necessary to purchase a complete camp outfit, suitable clothes +and much food-stuff and to arrange certain affairs at home. The first +part was however rendered easy for it was only necessary 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. Silvers packed and despatched tent, furniture and cases in a few +hours.</p> + +<p>As there are many and varied discomforts which cannot be avoided when +travelling in the Congo, or any other tropical and half-civilised +country, it is just as well not to add to their number by omitting to +benefit by the experience of others. A few hints may therefore be +inserted here without apology for the benefit of other travellers. The +first articles to be considered are a tent, bed, and mosquito-net. Now +when the usual oblong tent with a penthouse roof is 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 two poles. The +result is that as the roof slopes, it is absolutely impossible to stand +upright on either side and much space is therefore wasted. It would be +better to arrange for the bed to stand close to one side of the tent and +for the net to be attached to the sloping roof leaving the middle and +the other side free for table and chair. Circles of hooks for clothes +should be attached to the poles and large pockets in the walls of the +tent itself are useful. It is needless to specify particulars about +furniture, and I will only say that the folding or concertina pattern +bed, bath, washhandstand and table proved very comfortable and +withstood the great strain of being packed and unpacked nearly every day +for six months without breaking down. A strong, long lounge chair is +absolutely necessary. In climates where there is much glare, everything +should be made of green canvas. The well-known Lord's patent petrol lamp +is certainly the best and although it necessitates carrying a good +supply of oil, is cleaner and more convenient than candles. There is not +space here to give a list of all the necessities for travelling and +camping in the forests of Africa and it is enough to say that one has to +carry a complete house, furniture, kitchen utensils and much food. Wheat +and milk cows do not exist in the forest and very little grows which is +edible. It is therefore necessary to carry sufficient flour, butter, +lard, condiments, tinned meats, vegetables and fruits in order to cook, +and to make a variety from the antelopes, fish, game, goats and chickens +which are procurable on the spot. Water bottles and filters are very +necessary, but for Africa the best change at home—those which have +porcelain cores—are of no use for the water is very muddy, and the +minute pores at once become blocked. The charcoal filters, although +bulky to carry, are therefore the best for the forest. The question of +alcohol must be left to the individual himself, but it must be +remembered that there are only a very few places where it can be +purchased in the Congo and that the State officials are only permitted +to have a limited amount for themselves. Undoubtedly the best wine for +the climate is good claret or burgundy, and the healthiest spirit, +whisky. It is however, well to have some medical comforts in the shape +of champagne and brandy to take after attacks of fever. Excellent +native coffee can be purchased; tea and sugar must be carried. Drugs, +especially iron, quinine, arsenic and phenacetin are essential as also +splints, bandages and dressings in case of accidents.</p> + +<p>Now it must be remembered that the climate is hot and humid. Metals rust +at once, leather and cloth become mouldy, food stuffs will keep one or +two days only after the tins are opened, and cigars, tobacco and +cigarettes become damp and ferment. In packing therefore, all the food, +cigars, cigarettes and tobacco should be soldered airtight and in tins +so arranged that when once opened, it is possible <i>to shut</i> them again. +A tin of sardines or condensed milk once opened cannot be carried in a +case liable to be upside down at any moment. There are however, some +bottles with screw tops and india-rubber rings in which Messrs. Crosse +and Blackwell send out jam. These are airtight and so very useful for +when they are empty they can be cleaned and used for milk, sardines, or +anything else again and again. Messrs. Huntley and Palmer pack biscuits +in their usual tins but with an inner lid soldered, and these are also +very convenient. Above all things, remember curry powder, pickles, +chutney and Worcester sauce, for even goat's flesh can be rendered +pleasant if it tastes of something else. All this may sound trivial, but +it is really very important, for the appetite is easily lost in the +Congo and if the strength is not maintained 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 to fit the rifle +and covered outside with ordinary ship's paint; the inside speedily +became lined with oil and the whole formed an excellent guard against +the damp. It is however, necessary to have firearms cleaned and oiled +nearly every day whether used or not.</p> + +<p>Clothes of cloth are not necessary. Drill, khaki and flannel are +sufficient with light helmets and plenty of strong boots. It must be +remembered that everything has to be carried by porters. Clothes, +blankets, etc. should be packed in tin boxes with rubber edges so that +when shut they are airtight; tents pack in bales and every article of +furniture should fold up. The whole equipment must be arranged so that +each load is about 50 or 60 lbs and is conveniently shaped for carrying +on the head or shoulder. We 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.</p> + +<p>All was ready when we left Waterloo at 10.25 a.m. on Friday June 24th +1904 accompanied by Sir Alfred Jones and Sir Ralph Moor who saw us off +at Southampton. The latter has had much experience of Africa and told +some blood-curdling stories of the manners of the natives. Adulterers +used to be punished in a most barbarous way. A youth who had erred with +one of the numerous wives of a Chief, was nailed by the ears to a tree +in the forest and left to starve. Women also were treated with equal +severity and all manner of mutilations were practised. Such atrocities +have of course been suppressed by the Congo Free State.</p> + +<p>Having reached Southampton, we went on board the S.S. <i>Leopoldville</i>, a +ship of about 5,000 tons burden, very clean and well-found. She belongs +to the <i>Compagnie maritime belge</i> 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.</p> + +<p>Some of the passengers were English military officers and miners bound +for the Gold Coast, but most were evidently officials of the Congo Free +State. The conversation 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 Englishmen 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 of +things. The Congo State on the other hand, has only recently become +sufficiently prosperous to attract attention.</p> + +<p>One of the passengers dressed as a Catholic Priest, proved a veritable +mine of information. This was Mgr. Derikx, Prefet Apostolique of Uele in +the Upper Congo. He had had five years' experience of the country and +was well versed in all its institutions and ways. Another was a young +military officer, M. Arnold, already of the rank of Commandant, for he +had shown distinguished service in the field—or rather the forest—and +also as an administrator at a State Post. There were also many other +officials, soldiers, lawyers and commercial agents on board.</p> + +<p>I determined therefore, to read the various books and reports written +against the Congo—whether the writers had ever been in the country or +not—then to question the officials who had worked there, and finally to +see the actual condition of affairs for myself.</p> + +<p>We tumbled about in The Bay of Biscay a little and the motion did not +much aid the digestion of the contents of histories and blue and white +books. A welcome break was therefore made when we reached Teneriffe on +June 29th. It is early afternoon and the view of Santa Crus from the sea +is very beautiful. In the foreground is ultra-marine coloured water; on +shore, bright yellow houses with red roofs dotted among palms and other +foliage of vivid green, and behind all, frowns the great grey mountain +12,000 feet high. The hills stretching up from the sea are in many 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 +immediately on landing. Streets, houses and people near 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.</p> + +<p>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. The building is not imposing +from the outside, but is highly gilded within where is the famous Holy +Cross which gives the town its name. There are also many wax figures +representing saints, mostly dressed in the costume of the seventeenth +century and enclosed in glass cases. The boy who acted as our guide +having discovered our nationality, pointed out with great glee «English +organ,» «English clock» and finally with satirical humour—probably +unconscious—«English flags.» These flags are those lost by Nelson at +the seige of Santa Crus where he lost his arm and a good story is told +about them. An ambitious British middy stole them from the Cathedral and +was very disappointed, when instead of being at once promoted, he was +forced to apologize and restore them.</p> + +<p>We next drive up a broad, fairly well kept, boulevard to the Bull Ring +situated in an open space behind the town. A woman 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 amusement of the +spectators. On the walls are many names which look like British, and the +guide is quite astonished when we refuse to add ours to their number.</p> + +<p>Commandant Arnold here takes on board six camels, for it is hoped these +ships of the desert will also sail equally well in the forest. The +experiment is at any rate not expensive, for they only cost £16 each and +will carry several hundred pounds weight of baggage.</p> + +<p>From time to time the Congo Government has been charged with forcing the +natives to work against their will and with ill-treating them, and it +has also been alleged that the native soldiers committed many atrocities +during the wars against the revolting tribes. Many of these charges have +been collected and published in <i>Civilisation in Congoland</i> written by +Mr. H.R. Fox-Bourne, the Secretary of the Aborigines Protection Society. +The author has not travelled in the country himself, but relies chiefly +upon the evidence of the late Mr. Edward Glave, at one time an official +of the Congo International Association, and of the late Mr. Sjöblom who +was a Swedish Missionary in the Congo. The book is not cheerful reading, +for indeed it is chiefly a record of crimes which have been committed in +the past.</p> + +<p>It has 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 the country, the native police or sentries have +punished in a most barbarous manner all those natives who refused to +work. It is alleged indeed, that these sentries have actually cut off +the hands of those who did not collect the rubber or food-stuff demanded +by the agents. To even read of such sickening horrors is terrible, and I +was therefore much relieved to find that none of the State officials on +board had ever seen natives maimed in that or any other manner by the +soldiers of the State. There seems however, to be no doubt that the +native chiefs in the past mutilated both the living and dead as +punishment for crime. Mgr. Derikx told me that he had heard of a case +where a chief had ordered that the hand of his own son should be cut off +because he had committed adultery with one of his numerous wives.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Dakar, the capital of the French colony of Senegambia, at +daylight on July 3rd. Navigation is not easy here, for a reef runs +parallel to the coast and the channel between, is neither broad nor +deep. The town is built on the shores of a bay and faces an island +strongly fortified. The whole colony is being rapidly developed; a +railway runs to St. Louis and roads are being constructed across the +desert towards Timbuctoo and the northern coasts. A flourishing +industry in palm oil is carried on and Dakar is also an important +military centre. Several of the officers however, were engaged in the +peaceful pursuit of fishing at the end of the breakwater when we +arrived.</p> + +<p>At Dakar, Commandant and Madame Sillye come on board. The former has +served for ten years in the Congo and is now taking out ten horses +purchased in Senegambia, from which he hopes to breed. They are a fine +looking set, very quiet and well behaved, and take up their quarters +opposite the camels without creating any disturbance. We 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, will +experiment and several dogs belonging to the passengers. Various kinds +of rubber and other living plants also occupy an appreciable part of the +promenade deck. Passengers and cargo indeed, are strong evidence of the +earnest way in which the Congo is being developed.</p> + +<p>It is necessary now to turn from the actual visual facts and to study +the statements of others. While doing so however, we must bear in mind +the main outlines of the history of the Congo Free State. The opening up +of the Congo was entirely due to the initiative of King Leopold of +Belgium aided by the explorations of the late Sir H.M. Stanley. In 1878, +after Stanley's first descent of the Congo, a society of philanthropists +was formed called the <i>Comité d'études du Haut-Congo</i> but this was +changed in 1882 to the <i>Association Internationale du Congo</i>. Stanley +and a French officer, M. de Brazza, then both 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 and founded the French Congo.</p> + +<p>The International Association of the Congo at once organised itself into +an Independent State and on April 22nd 1884 a Declaration was made by +the Government of the United States of America that it recognized the +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 Governments 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 as that +of a friendly Government. It is therefore clear that the chief Powers of +the World regarded the Association as an Independent State and +negotiated with it as such.</p> + +<p>At the same time the Powers of Europe were annexing various parts of +Africa, and with the idea of regulating in a spirit of mutual goodwill +the conditions most favourable for the development of civilisation and +commerce, a Conference 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 to February 26th 1885 +and agreed to the General Act of Berlin of the latter date. In this it +is decreed that all nations should enjoy complete liberty of commerce in +all the territories constituting the basin of the Congo and its +tributaries, and also in other parts of Central Africa mentioned, that +slavery should be abolished and that the Congo river should be open to +general navigation.</p> + +<p>We shall have to refer to this Treaty later, but it is important to note +here that the United States of America and all the great Powers of +Europe had recognised 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 Powers and the International +Association. The General Act of Berlin had however nothing to do with +frontiers at all, but stated the general principles which it 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 is therefore clear +that the clauses of the Act apply to all the Powers in the territories +defined, and that the Act itself was not concerned with founding or +regulating the system of Government of the International Association, +which six months later took the name of the <i>État Indépendant du Congo</i> +with His Majesty Ring Leopold II. as sovereign.</p> + +<p>While engaged in studying these treaties, we arrived at Free Town, +Sierra Leone on July 5th. Here again the place forms a beautiful picture +from the sea. A reef runs far out and is marked by a lighthouse, while +the town itself, protected by a fort with grass ramparts, lies on the +south side of a kind of bay, which, however, has more the appearance of +the mouth of a large river. Palms and other tropical plants grow to the +water's edge and among them are yellow and red houses while higher up +the hills behind, are isolated bungalows and the barracks, at this time +occupied by the West African regiment. In the distance, bleak and bare +mountains passively regard the scene. On landing, one meets faces +showing every shade from ivory white to jet black and clothes of every +known colour. The roads are not paved in any way, as there are neither +horses nor wheeled vehicles here. Indeed, the houses are built in rows +facing each other, a gutter is cut in front and the space between forms +a street. The Custom House is an imposing structure near the beach and +the Cathedral is a handsome Gothic church, but as one end was covered +with scaffolding, it was not looking its best. A light railway runs up +the hill to the barracks of the native regiment and a special train was +arranged for the passengers of the <i>Leopoldville</i>.</p> + +<p>Hotel accommodation in Sierra Leone is, like the demand for it, limited. +It is, however, possible to obtain a meal at the <i>Victoria</i>. Altogether +Free Town leaves the impression that it could be developed into a most +attractive watering place if it were nearer Europe and had a better +climate.</p> + +<p>It is now getting rather hot and tropical, while the sea is as smooth as +a mirror and equally reflects the glare.</p> + +<p>I continue to read up the Congo controversy. The report of Mr. Casement, +at one time British Consul at Boma, created quite a sensation when it +appeared. He stated that the Congo Free State had granted concessions to +Trading Companies, which is a fact, and that the agents of these +companies compelled the natives by force to collect rubber, which +however, he does not attempt to prove by his own experience, but relies +entirely upon reports of natives and hearsay evidence. He quoted one +case which illustrates the extreme difficulty of discovering the truth +from natives. He examined a boy named Epondo who stated that his left +hand had been cut off by a native sentry. Not knowing the native +dialect, Mr. Casement employed an interpreter, but he was convinced by +the manner and gestures of the villagers that the boy's story was true. +When the report appeared, the boy was again examined by some officials +of the State, 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 a child and that the hand afterwards fell off. Now one of these +tales is obviously false and there is evidence to show which, for the +scar of a clean cut wound is different from that following gangrene. +However, at this time I had not seen the boy, so of course could give no +opinion. This is 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 first place it was the <i>left</i> hand +that was missing and the soldiers were supposed always to cut off the +<i>right</i>, and in the second, there was great doubt whether it was the +result of an accident or not.</p> + +<p>We were now coasting off Liberia and Captain Sparrow who was in command +of the <i>Leopoldville</i> 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 went out +and looted everything on board. It is not therefore, a pleasant place in +which to make an enforced landing.</p> + +<p>Liberia itself however, must be interesting to visit, for it is an +independent republic of negroes with an elected President, Senate and +House of Representatives. It sells palm oil to other countries and buys +alcohol, arms and ammunition, thus exchanging a peaceful luminant and +lubricant for the elements of moral and physical strife. Fortunately no +rocks appear through the bottom of the ship and Commandant Sillye +relieves the 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-General and +Vice-Governor-Generals, one of whom is always at Boma. There are also +Royal Commissioners and Inspectors of the State who are very high +officials, but whose duties are not easily defined. The whole country is +divided into Districts which are governed by District Commissioners. The +Districts are divided into zones ruled by zone chiefs under the control +of the District Commissioners. Finally the Posts and Stations are +commanded by Post-Commanders. All these may be described as civil +administrative officials who, subject to the general system and laws +have practical control over more or less limited areas. The officers of +the Force Publique rank as Commandant, Captain, Lieutenant and +Under-Lieutenant, and there are also several white non-commissioned +officers. The natives rank as sergeants, corporals and privates.</p> + +<p>On July 8th we arrive at Sekondi, Gold Coast Colony. The town from the +sea seems to consist of white houses and huts with the usual red roofs. +On a hillock near the shore is an old Dutch fort now used as a +signalling station, and on the left, half way up a hill, an hotel has +been built. The place is not very pretty or attractive-looking for there +is not much colour and no mountains are visible. We anchor some distance +from the beach and several open boats at once put off. These are each +propelled by ten or twelve natives, who sit on the sides of the boat and +ply their paddles, lustily singing as they work together and with a +will. The paddles are 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 in a kind of chair. As there is a heavy ground swell running, +the canoes are bobbing up and down like corks alongside. The chair is +suspended in mid air and lowered rapidly as the canoe washes up, while +all hope that it and its occupant will descend at the right moment.</p> + +<p>One of the passengers was an English officer, Captain Wheeler, with whom +we had played many games of deck cricket on the voyage. First his +regulation seventy cubic feet of baggage was lowered—an extraordinary +amount, for no one without the aid of a slide rule and logarithms could +possibly calculate it—and then he himself made the perilous +descent—without a ducking. He would next have 240 miles of train +journey to Coomassie and then a walk—or rather a journey in a +hammock—for another 300 miles to his station.</p> + +<p>We now 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 which must have impressed natives and slave +dealers greatly in the past, a few houses and an imposing looking +church dotted in the red sand. The whole line of the Coast here, +somewhat recalls the Atlantic sea board of Georgia, U.S.A. and the towns +look as though they would be as hot as Aden at its best or rather worst.</p> + +<p>After leaving the Gold Coast, our course is shaped across the Bight of +Benin straight for the Congo. There is plenty of time therefore, to +study the system of justice in the Congo. This, like everything else in +the country, is essentially simple and practical. There is a Court of +Première Instance at Boma and others called Territorial Courts at +Matadi, Stanley Pool, East Kwango, The Equator, Bangalas, Aruwimi, +Stanley Falls and Kassai<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1" ></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>. In each Court is a Judge, an Officer of the +Public Ministry and a Registrar, but in the Territorial Courts, the +judge may assume the functions of all. These courts hear all civil +cases, whether European or native, but the Court at Boma is alone +competent to hear trials for capital offences, whether committed by +soldiers or civilians. The Court of Appeal consists of the President, +two Judges, an Officer of the Public Ministry and a Registrar, and hears +all appeals from the judgments of the other Courts, and also from those +given by Courts Martial against civilians who are not natives in those +regions subjected to special rule. Natives who commit offences against +other natives, are left to be dealt with by the local Chief<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2" ></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a>. The +Public Minister can however interfere if he thinks the crime will not +be punished if left to the Chief.</p> + +<p>The Public Ministry consists of a Procureur d'État appointed by the +Sovereign, who acts in the Court of Appeal and of substitutes appointed +by the Governor General, who act in the other Courts. Their duty is to +discover all infractions of the law in the whole territory of the State +and to see that all decrees, arrests, ordinances and penal regulations +are carried out. They are especially instructed to arrange that any +native who has been injured receives full compensation before any fine +is taken to the profit of the State.</p> + +<p>Any region can be placed under military law by a decree of the Governor +General. Civilians however, are only subject to the ordinary penal laws, +and those who are not natives, can appeal against any decision of a +Court Martial. In practice these simple methods work admirably and it is +difficult to understand why they should not be equally successful in old +civilised countries and a good substitute for the complicated and +cumbrous machinery of to-day.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1" ></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> This list is taken from <i>Justice Repressive (État +Indépendant du Congo)</i> and is based on a Decree of 1896. Since then +other Territorial Courts have been or are about to be added.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2" ></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Some of the greater Chiefs and Sultans have the power to +inflict the death sentence.</p></div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img025" id="img025" ></a><img src="images/img025.jpg" width='612' height='437' alt="THE NATIVE HOSPITAL AT BOMA." /> +<br /><b>THE NATIVE HOSPITAL AT BOMA.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II" ></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<h3>Banana to Leopoldville.</h3> + + +<p>The amount of sand in the bath water on the morning of July 12th +indicated that we were approaching the mouth of a large river. The +Atlantic indeed, which had varied in colour from dirty green near the +English Channel to ultra marine at Teneriffe, was now of 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 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 Congo. On reference to the chart it became clear that +although the lower Congo forms a delta in some places twenty miles in +width, all the streams coalesce and flow through an opening not more +than five miles wide. On both sides the coast is low lying and well +wooded.</p> + +<p>As we approach nearer, the 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 +this northern channel and arrive at an anchorage in which eight or nine +small ships are riding. As we take up our position a boat leaves the +shore flying the Congo Flag, a blue ground with a golden star in the +centre. Soon after we go ashore in a «dug out» propelled by Kru boys to +the town of Banana, which is built on this sandy peninsula and is thus +guarded by sharks on one side and crocodiles on the other. We land at a +wooden pier used chiefly for loading canoes. On each side are +magnificent palms, some being more than fifty feet high and all bearing +many cocoa nuts at this season about half ripe. These palms are not +indigenous, but flourish here. The main highway of Banana is a path of +clean yellow sand about ten feet wide, shaded by an avenue of these +palms and crosses at intervals small tidal streams by rustic wooden +bridges. Many tropical trees and shrubs grow on each side of the avenue, +and in the bright sunshine the whole forms a very beautiful picture. It +is unfortunate that the effect reminds one somewhat forcibly of a +transformation scene of a pantomime and thus appears artificial although +in reality, it is absolutely natural. The resemblance is still further +strengthened by the numerous ladies of the ballet who leisurely stroll +along clothed in nature's ebony black. No one seems to know the origin +of the name of the town, for the Banana palm is not found here at all.</p> + +<p>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 country. The wooden sheds painted white are very +picturesque amid the vivid green foliage. Beyond this area is the house +of Dr. Carre, the Commissaire of the District of Banana, which like all +the other houses in the town is raised on piles above the level of the +sand, for the double purpose of ensuring a current of air beneath and of +keeping it dry when the peninsula is flooded. It faces the sea and +behind is a small garden in which are many meteorological instruments. +Among these are an anemometer slowly revolving in the light air, maximum +and minimum bulbs in the shade, on the ground and beneath it, a most +ingenious sun dial, and a heliometer. Walking inland along the central +avenue, we pass some native shops, one of which bears the interesting +name of <i>Williams Brothers</i>. In many of the verandahs, native women +wrapped in highly coloured cloths but with bare feet and legs, are +working sewing machines or tending their children. Further on is a space +laid out in regular squares, in each of which is a well built wooden +house raised on piles, and an ornamental garden, 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 an hotel facing the sea in which is +apparently poor accommodation and not much to eat or drink. Beyond this +is the native village, consisting of square huts and rough gardens in +which some potatoes seem to be growing in spite of the soil and +temperature.</p> + +<p>Only about twenty Europeans live at Banana and their chief excitement is +the arrival of the steamer. Most of them indeed came off to dinner and +held a kind of concert in the saloon afterwards. All night long winches +and men were creaking, groaning, and shouting, as some of the cargo was +put overboard into two large lighters. It was not however, destined for +Banana and was transshipped here only to lighten the <i>Leopoldville</i> so +that she could pass a certain bar higher up the river. The cargo +consisted of coal in the shape of brickets, cement, rice, oil, cloth, +clothes, beads, salt and general provisions. As soon as sufficient had +been removed, the two lighters were attached one to each side of the +ship and we started up the main stream, which here runs between the +south or Portuguese bank and a series of islands. All these are covered +with dense forest the only living things visible being great black +eagles with white wings. On the left 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 and a range of hills becomes visible in the distance, the +plain between being covered with coarse grass six or seven feet high, +relieved at intervals by solitary palm trees. This is all Portuguese +territory, the Congo State here possessing only a narrow strip of land +along the northern bank. The course of the river here is very sinuous, +winding in and out among the hills, the curves being cut more sharply +each day as the water eats into the sand and carries it to be digested +in the great stomach of the Atlantic.</p> + +<p>In this district both the State and the Portuguese have started large +farms for breeding European cattle which thrive here satisfactorily. +Higher up a solitary rock overhangs the left bank. This is known as +Fetish Rock from the legend that the natives used to throw live people +from it into the river as sacrifices. This is possibly true but there is +little evidence to show that the natives of the Congo ever sacrificed +either living or dead to propitiate anyone or anything.</p> + +<p>Near here we anchor for the night and are welcomed by a host of most +noisy and vicious mosquitoes who have a particular partiality to good +healthy European-fed blood. Again we are delayed to unload and this time +into a small steamer the <i>Lagoon</i>—for the ship is still too deep in the +water to cross the bar. This sandy obstruction has an unpleasant habit +of shifting its position and it is necessary therefore to make careful +soundings every voyage at this time of the year when the water is low. +These are carried out by Captain Sparrow and Mr. Wright the chief Congo +pilot with the aid of a most ingenious sounding machine. It consists of +a simple pulley wheel raised on a standard about ten feet above the deck +of a small pilot steamer. Over this passes a line weighted at both ends +but unequally, and both weights hang down in the water, the heavier +naturally being on the bottom of the river. To prevent this line—which +corresponds to the ordinary lead line—trailing, as the boat moves +forward, a second line is fixed to the weight and passes under water to +the bows of the vessel where it is attached As the vessel passes slowly +through the water, the weight rises and falls according to the level of +the bottom, and the counterweight hauls in the slack of the line, which +is marked in the usual way by coloured tapes. At any moment therefore, +the depth of water can be determined by observing the tapes. There is +now only 15-1/2 feet on the bar, so it is necessary to lighten the +<i>Leopoldville</i> still more before it will be possible to cross. Thus +early one of the chief difficulties in the Congo the transport of +goods—is demonstrated.</p> + +<p>A fine crocodile lies asleep on the bank within easy range as we go back +to the ship in the launch, but no one has a rifle so his dreams are +undisturbed. As the <i>Leopoldville</i> will not be able to reach Boma until +the morrow, we decide to go on in the «<i>Heron</i>,» a small ship which +calls for all the «State» passengers. After Fetish Rock, the river bends +sharply to the right and soon after Boma is in sight. At this distance +however, the town merely appears as groups of white houses amid trees +backed by green hills. Guarding the approach is a strong looking fort +which already has a history, for it was captured by rebels and held for +one or two days a few years ago.</p> + +<p>As the sun was seeking his couch we arrive at the iron pier at Boma on +which we find Mr. Underwood, the Director of the well known English +trading house of Messrs. Hatton and Cookson. With him we walk down the +main business street of the town; a wide shady road lined with shops, +hotels, and restaurants and traversed by a steam tram. At the end of +this street the road continues to the right, up an incline and opposite +to the corner is one of the entrances to the Residency. Passing this we +leave a Catholic church, constructed of corrugated iron, on the right +and enter a shady avenue in which is the Secretariat. We are then +introduced to Mr. Vandamme, the Secretaire General, who at once takes us +to the Residency and presents us to Mr. Costermans, the Governor General +of the Congo Free State, who hopes we shall travel wherever we feel +inclined and see anything we desire.</p> + +<p>The Residency is a large two storey house surrounded by a wide verandah +and is built of iron plates bolted together. It is raised about ten feet +from the ground on iron pillars and approached by a wide staircase with +wooden steps. It is surrounded by a well kept garden in which are some +statues and many 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 to be worthy of its function, and another large building +will soon be erected on the same site.</p> + +<p>After this visit we proceed to a house which is kept for the use of the +higher State Officials when they pass through Boma and which was now +placed at our disposal. It is constructed in a similar manner to the +Residency and although smaller, contains three lofty reception and two +bed rooms. Two «boys» are told off to attend to our wants and after a +rest we take a stroll round the town with Mr. Vandamme. Most of the +official residencies are situated 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 gentle incline to +the Law Courts in which once a week sits the Court of Première Instance. +Near by is the prison and the terminus of the tramway. From the summit +of the hill a grand view is obtained of the river winding between the +hills to the East, and at one's feet is a native village nestling in a +valley, for the natives dislike wind and cold almost as much 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.</p> + +<p>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 +native cook who gives us some very good vegetable soup, one of the +numerous Congo fishes, all of which are nice, a very tender chicken, an +excellent salad and a well made omelette, all of which are products of +the 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 enough +milk for their calves. Everyone retires and rises early, so at 9 p.m. we +seek our house guided by a boy with a lantern, for most of the streets +of Boma are not lighted artificially.</p> + +<p>Next day we call on Mr. Nightingale who is at present acting as British +Consul. The consulate is 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 +require. Afterwards we buy many things which will be necessary up +country, among which are bags of salt, a very popular form of money in +some parts, and tins of petrol for the lanterns.</p> + +<p>Everyone in Boma works hard, from the Secretaire General who is at his +office from 7 a.m. to midday and from 2.30 to 5 p.m. to the hardy +healthy-looking native who wields his pick as he chats with his fellows. +Roads are being made and gardens laid out in various places. One very +noticeable feature of the natives here, is that they nearly all bear +wellmarked vaccination marks. Here and there a policeman patrols in an +effective costume of blue and red and armed with a short sword. +Everywhere is order, method, and cleanliness, and it is very difficult +to realise that a quarter of a century ago only three trading houses +stood on the site of this prosperous and well-regulated little town. In +the evening we dined with the Governor General who has both a good cook +and butler; the wines being excellent. Outside, the band of the 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 by ear. Most of the guests were our fellow +travellers and well known to us. The conversation turned upon the +Sleeping Sickness, Beri Beri, the difficulty of growing wheat in the +Congo, and the climate. It is not very hot in Boma about this time, for +it is the winter or dry season and the nights are so cold that only the +very hardy mosquitoes are sufficiently wide awake to prevent people +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 costumes instead of European dress.</p> + +<p>The native hospital is a newly-built stone and brick structure and is +under the charge of an Italian, Dr. Zerbini. The wards are well arranged +in separate wings, permitting good ventilation and isolation. The beds +are iron with bamboos stretched lengthwise, thus forming a kind of +spring mattress. There are many cases of Sleeping Sickness in the +hospital exhibiting various symptoms. In 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 if dead and can only be persuaded to eat with great difficulty. +Ultimately complete coma supervenes. A motile bacillus has been +discovered which is supposed to cause the disease and there is evidence +that this may be carried by a mosquito or fly, but until the discoveries +of the doctors, sent out by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, +are published, it is premature to give an opinion. Up to the present +many remedies have been prescribed without success. There is no small +pox and little phthisis, and it is interesting to learn that +appendicitis is unknown in Africa. Rupture is very common among the +natives and venereal diseases are frequent.</p> + +<p>As I was destined to become well acquainted with the <i>Croix rouge</i>, the +hospital for Europeans, I will describe this institution later. On the +reverse slope of the central hill of Boma are the quarters of the army, +the Force Publique. The soldiers are fine looking fellows with a very +pretty uniform; blue wide cut breeches to the knee, the legs and feet +being bare, blue shirt with red facings and belt, and a red fez. They +are armed with Albini rifles, a very strong weapon which will stand any +amount of rough usage. Everything is scrupulously clean and the married +quarters especially look very comfortable. Each couple has a room fitted +with bed, table and chairs. They are recruited from all over the country +and the service is so popular that in many parts far more men volunteer +to serve than are required. The force does not exceed 13,600 in number +and is recruited for long or short service.</p> + +<p>The prison is situated on the plateau in an open, airy place. The +building is constructed of iron plates and the 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 and then after a +time they are forwarded to the penal settlements. Some are cannibals, +but most are thieves, and all wear 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. The State +regulates very strictly the importation of arms. 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 is registered. If anyone in the country wishes to purchase +a weapon from another, both buyer and seller have to obtain permission +from the Governor 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 our ammunition, our rifles +and guns are restored to us with pretty little souvenir marks on the +butts. We 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.</p> + +<p>The import duly on alcohol is very heavy and runs up to 47 per cent. <i>ad +valorem</i> and no still of any kind is permitted to be set up in the +country. Beyond Matadi indeed, special permission has to be 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 made responsible for the observance of this law by their +employés 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, is given one litre of red wine +each day as a ration and there seems to be no limit to the amount of +beer which may be drunk, except its great price, for a bottle of lager +costs 3 francs at Leopoldville and twice that amount higher up the +river.</p> + +<p>It is indeed becoming apparent that the Government is a veritable parent +and a stern one also. However, as we promise to be good boys we are +permitted to carry a few cases of whisky and wine—after paying the +duty—to act as «medical comforts» in case of sickness. These 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 is +severely punished any lapse of duty. The whites are fined for +carelessness or negligence, by stopping their pay for a certain 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.</p> + +<p>An excellent institution in Boma is the <i>colonie scolaire</i> where +foundlings are reared and educated. Orphans, deserted children, +half-castes, all are received and trained for some useful purpose, some +entering the army, some engaging on the plantations, some becoming +servants to the officials.</p> + +<p>It is 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 territory, all are attracted by the +high wages to be earned in the town. Indeed at present most of the +positions of responsibility, requiring a fair education, are held by +foreign blacks, for very few true Congolese can be trusted. The personal +servants we engaged were thus all foreigners in the State service. Two +rejoiced in the names of Chikaia and Jean, and acted as «boys» <i>i.e.</i> as +valets, butlers and general servants while Luembo was 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 Première +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 all found.</p> + +<p>The Customs, the Post Office, and the Land Office, are all conveniently +situated in one building on the beach near to the landing pier. In the +latter, all the landowners in the State are registered, careful maps +being prepared showing the extent and position of each plot of land. The +land laws are very simple. The villages are the absolute freehold +property of the natives, and are registered in the names of the Chiefs. +Vacant lands as usual are the property of the State and the Chartered +Companies, Missionaries, and Traders, as a rule, are annual leaseholders +but the lease is always renewed if the conditions on which it is granted +are observed.</p> + +<p>On Sunday we lunched with the Governor General, Mr. Gohr, the Director +of Justice—who at present is in the unenviable position of having many +critics in Europe, usually imperfectly informed of the details and +evidence laid before the judges—Mr. Vandamme, who knows everyone and +everything connected with the State, Commandant and Madame Sillye, Judge +and Madame Webber, and some others. Afterwards, Mr. Webber, the Judge of +the Court of Première Instance, who is an excellent pianist, gives us +proof of his talent. This is the last pleasant music we are fated to +hear for many a month, for nothing but concertinas and gramophones are +found in the interior.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img039" id="img039" ></a><img src="images/img039.jpg" width='319' height='550' alt="THE CATARACTS RAILWAY NEAR MATADI." /> +<br /><b>THE CATARACTS RAILWAY NEAR MATADI.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>Having obtained bundles of permits to do various things, and arranged +for letters and parcels to be sent after us into the interior, we left +Boma on the morning of July 19th for Matadi in the «Leopoldville». The +Congo just above Boma somewhat resembles the Highlands of Scotland, and +the similarity was emphasised by the fact that 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 turns sharply +to the right and runs between cliffs which descend sheer into the water, +forming a narrow chasm not more than half a mile broad. As the whole of +the immense volume of water in the Congo has to pass through this gorge, +it is enormously deep and the current is very rapid. The depth has not +been accurately ascertained, but it is certainly 500 feet, if not more, +and the flow of the water is at the rate of nearly ten knots an hour, so +that the smaller steamers cannot ascend at all, and the larger only +creep slowly up.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img041" id="img041" ></a><img src="images/img041.jpg" width='608' height='408' alt="THE RAILWAY STATION AT MATADI." /> +<br /><b>THE RAILWAY STATION AT MATADI.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>Matadi is soon after in sight. It is built on the south side of the +Congo valley, for, as a glance at the map will explain, the State owns +both banks at this point, but further up, the river becomes the frontier +with the French Congo. Matadi is an ancient—if the word may be used in +connection with the Congo at all—settlement, constructed at the point +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 route runs from Matadi to Leopoldville, and it was +during the march of twenty days over the mountains that in the early +days, so much trouble was occasioned by the native porters. All this is +abolished now by the railway. The town itself stands on the side of a +steep hill and consists of narrow streets paved with cobbles. Here as +usual in the Congo, man is restricted to his primeval method of +locomotion. Two iron piers jut into the stream and at their ends the +European steamers discharge their cargoes into the railway trucks +alongside. High up on the hill stands a capacious stone structure, the +house of the Commissioner of the Matadi District, Mr. De Rache, with +whom we dine, after arranging to leave by the train which starts next +day. The distance to be traversed is 220 miles and the fare is £8 each +1st. class and £1 second for the boys. Besides this, baggage over a +hundred kilos, is charged at the rate of one franc a kilo, which is +probably the highest rate paid for railway travelling in the world. Our +fares indeed cost us about £80.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning of the 20th, we leave Matadi. The train consists of +two engines, two open covered carriages for the second class passengers, +who are mostly natives, a saloon and baggage wagon. The gauge is a very +narrow one, so space is all-important, but the man who designed the +chairs in the saloon must have exercised the most fiendish ingenuity to +make them as uncomfortable as possible. There are six on each side, +arranged in pairs with a small bracket table in between, and each one is +on a pivot. The back is straight upright and the seat is of cane, +cone-shaped, the highest point being in the centre. Now as the curves +and gradients of the line are very sharp indeed, it is necessary to hold +fast the whole time, to prevent slipping on to the floor. If one puts a +foot on the opposite seat to steady oneself, it at once revolves, +leaving the leg in mid air. However, we fix ourselves in as well as +possible and enjoy the magnificent scenery. For a few hundred yards the +line runs along the valley of the Congo and a good view of the lowest +cataract 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 defile. Snorting angrily, the engines climb +up this steep gradient, cross the river by an iron bridge and then +groaning under the brakes, slide down into another valley. The main +direction however, is upwards, and as the country opens out below, one +gets a first impression of the enormity and grandeur of Central Africa. +As far as the eye reaches, are ranges of hills, the Palabala Mountains +crowned by a great cone which appears first on one side then the other, +as we cork-screw our way up. The line indeed is a marvel of engineering +construction, for a most difficult piece of country is traversed without +a single tunnel and with very few cuttings and embankments. The length +of the railway is, of course, very much greater than a straight line +would be between the same points, for it frequently countermarches +backwards and forwards up a hill side, and after a detour of perhaps a +quarter of a mile, comes back to the same place, but thirty or forty +feet higher up. The 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 stops are necessary for the engines to drink and gain +their second winds, for their work here is very arduous. 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 +Motumbi). The name exactly describes these trees, for the branches are +arranged like the ribs, and the leaves spread out and form the covering +of the sunshade.</p> + +<p>Between the belts of forests the country is covered with coarse grass, +six or seven feet high, dotted here and there with palms. No vestige of +animal life is visible and only a few natives 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 feet bare. +This is evidently a simple length of stuff some three or four feet wide +and, to the masculine eye at least, its method of support remains a +mystery, for no trace of button, hook or pin is apparent. Their faces +are of the negroid type with broad noses and thick lips and the figures +of the women approach the shape of an S reversed thus [backwards S] and +are similar to those which our American cousins have so largely +developed. The men are as a rule thin and tall with very long legs and +all appear to have only small arches to their feet. On the lower Congo +however, there are many foreigners and several other types are visible. +As 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 +agricultural purposes under such a hot sun. The air however, as we +approach Tumba, about 2000 feet above sea level, is dry and fresh and at +4 p.m. we halt there for the night.</p> + +<p>We are met by Commandant Delhaz, the Commissaire of the Cataracts +District, who kindly places a bungalow at our disposal for the night and +shows us round the settlement. There is only a small native village +here, but large barracks consisting of lines of clean, clay huts +constructed by the soldiers. Tumba is indeed an important military +centre and here again the appearance of the troops is very fine as they +march to the strains of the band which renders snatches from <i>Faust</i>, +<i>Carmen</i> and other well known airs with a few native variations. A farm +has been established in the neighbourhood to feed the garrison and an +automobile road is in course of construction.</p> + +<p>Next morning, we dress by candle light and make a hasty breakfast, in +the 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 seats, +we soon reach Sonna Gongo the half-way house for travellers of the +future. Here is a depot for locomotives and carriages and wooden hotels +are being constructed to accommodate travellers who, after August, will +stop here for the night instead of at Tumba.</p> + +<p>Leaving Sonna Gongo, the line rapidly searches for a lower level and the +view is magnificent, as a great endless expanse of land is unfolded. +Here and there are banks of smoke caused by the veldt fires and often +close to the railway the high dry grass has been lighted by a chance +spark from an engine, and is burning furiously. We now zigzag down hill +instead of up and far 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 now save +by monkeys and parrots.</p> + +<p>Soon after the train stops at a station where the natives have assembled +to sell fruit and kwanga, a kind of bread made from the flour of the +manioc root and the chief article of native diet. It consists chiefly of +starch and is not unpleasant when fresh and toasted. The 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 is most disgusting and +brings home the fact sharply that man here is of a very low type.</p> + +<p>The oranges the natives sell are very acid, more resembling grape-fruit +than the orange of Florida, but the bananas are as good as any in the +world and the pine apples—three of which can be bought for half a +franc—are equal to the finest hot-house variety.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img047" id="img047" ></a><img src="images/img047.jpg" width='633' height='451' alt="THE STEAMER «FLANDRE.»" /> +<br /><b>THE STEAMER «FLANDRE.»</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>The line now descends again until it reaches a flat hot, sandy and +uninteresting plain across which it runs absolutely straight for seven +miles until it reaches Kinshasa on the South bank of Stanley Pool. A few +miles further on, is the rail head, Leopoldville. Like everything else +in the Congo, this town has been arranged and built for practical use. +The railway runs along the beach so as to facilitate the loading and +unloading of the steamers of the upper river, and in a very short time +all our baggage is taken from the train and carried straight on board +the <i>Flandre</i> where we find cabins booked for us. This is an excellent +arrangement and saves much trouble, for although the steamer does not +sail for two days, passengers are allowed to live on board while in +port. Indeed it is very necessary, for there are no hotels in the town, +and no accommodation for visitors except a few rooms in the commercial +houses.</p> + +<p>Some traits of the native's character were now to be demonstrated to us. +His main idea always is, to do as little work as possible and he will +often take the greatest trouble in his effort to accomplish this object. +Each native endeavoured to put his load as near the gangway as possible +which was soon blocked and then he had to come back, hoist the package +on his head again and carry it to its proper place. Although this +performance took place every day, unless an officer was constantly on +the watch, the foolish fellows in their attempts to shirk duty brought +upon themselves extra work. The cabins were unfurnished, for everyone +carries his own bed on the Congo, and most also their own tent. It was +therefore necessary to unpack a bed. Here was a difficulty. All the bags +and boxes were carefully numbered by the Army and Navy Stores and the +invoice no doubt sent to my London address but I left before it arrived, +and there was no possibility of discovering which number meant bed. +Seizing a likely looking bale, the boys unlace it, and find a part of a +tent, and a second attempt brings to light another part of a tent. It is +now growing dark and a light is necessary, but in which of these seventy +odd cases is the lamp? Not knowing the native mind, I explain that it is +necessary to hurry and find the bed before dark. 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 had +never hurried before in their lives, and could not do so now, even if +they wished. Lacing the first bales up slowly and deliberately, they +open another and find a canvas bath and washhandstand. These are at any +rate useful, and encouraged by success we try again and come across +hand-irons and starch. At length we find a thing like a large concertina +which is really a folding bed with pillows and blankets, complete. By +great good luck a mosquito curtain is then found and the steward kindly +lends a candle.</p> + +<p>Hot, sticky, tired and cross we prepare for our first meal on a Congo +steamer. It consisted of a soup of mystery, chicken, which had been +washed in the river close to a group of natives bathing and a goat, +killed an hour before dinner, whose flesh was thrown quivering into the +pot. However, there was some bread and tinned peaches and it was no use +being fastidious in Central Africa. This was washed down with the +regulation half litre of red wine, a kind of claret which is quite +drinkable and some native coffee which had a delicate and fine aroma, +but was badly made.</p> + +<p>The captain—as indeed are nearly all the officers of the river +steamers—was a Scandinavian and spoke English very well. He explained +that the ship was not very clean or inviting-looking, which was the +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.</p> + +<p>Then to bed, but not to sleep, for the boys to save themselves trouble, +had not fixed the mosquito net properly. In my innocence I merely +ordered them to do it and had not stood by and watched. It is indeed +necessary always to see that the native does as he is told, for the +moment one's back is turned, he is eating if there is anything rotten +enough at hand to tempt him and if not, he quietly goes to sleep. Even +these State servants who speak the native language and also a kind of +French, really live the lives of animals, for they eat, drink, and sleep +if left alone and only work when they are shown how, and watched all the +time.</p> + +<p>The result was that I spent a most horrible night, for the mosquitoes +were terribly hostile and evidently recognised a new European with some +healthy blood. In the morning, my head, which I had had shaved in the +Congo fashion, was covered with large bumps and face, neck, hands and +wrists were all blotches. It was therefore with little appetite that I +sat down to a breakfast of bread, dutch cheese, curious tinned butter +and weak coffee without milk. Little however, did I think then that in +six short months a Congo steamer would seem like a first class hotel, so +entirely is everything altered by comparison.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img051" id="img051" ></a><img src="images/img051.jpg" width='627' height='507' alt="CATARACTS AT LEOPOLDVILLE." /> +<br /><b>CATARACTS AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III" ></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<h3>The Higher Congo.</h3> + + +<p>Next day we make a formal call on Mr. Mahieu, Inspecteur d'Etat of the +Congo State, whose headquarters are at Leopoldville. He is a very busy +man with a multitude of duties, for the paternal system is continued all +through the State and the most trivial matters are always referred to +the highest official in the neighbourhood. As we are to lunch at the +Residency, we do not stay long, but take a ride with Commandant and Mme. +Sillye on four of the horses the former purchased at Dakar. Although a +little stiff after their holiday of a month, they have not been +otherwise affected by their sea voyage and two days in the train. Along +the beach are many steamers charging and discharging and others on the +slips being repaired or partly built. These steamers are all brought out +in sections and put together 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 on the rivers +where stores of this fuel are collected. Should however, a steamer run +short, it is only necessary to stop and send the crew ashore with knives +for the banks are lined with forest.</p> + +<p>Leaving the beach we ride through avenues of palms and mango trees to +higher ground, whence a beautiful view can be obtained of Stanley Pool. +This is really a part of the river about sixteen miles wide, shut in by +hills on each side, but its size is not apparent from the water itself, +as a great number 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 just below Leopoldville all the way to Matadi, the river indeed +rushes down narrow gorges, but above, for nearly a thousand miles, it is +navigable for steamers. On a hill above the rapid, is a large tree under +which Stanley pitched his tent and which still bears his name.</p> + +<p>Many native villages exist near Leopoldville, consisting of huts formed +of wooden frames and thatched with 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. +Evidently our little party gives rise to much comment for several of +the natives have probably never seen a horse before, and a cavalcade of +four of these strange animals is something entirely new. On our way back +to the ship we pass down the main street in which are the administrative +offices, the mess, the doctors' and other private houses and close to +the beach, the Residency, over which flies the State flag and in front +of which patrols a sentry. At first one thought the sentry in front of +the chief official's house in each town, was merely a symbol of +authority as in Europe, afterwards however, it becomes apparent that the +system of Government in the Congo is based on absolute uniformity. Every +Post, however big or small, has its State flag and every chief official, +from the Governor to the chief of a Wood Post, has a sentry at his door. +Each morning at sunrise the flag is hoisted, while the guard presents +arms and every evening at sunset it is lowered with like ceremony. +Indeed, the whole system is military, for everyone rises, works, eats +and sleeps at the command of the clarion. It is a custom at most +official and private parties in the Congo, to hand round port wine and +cigars before sitting down to table. At first this seemed a strange kind +of «aperative», but soon the glass of port became very agreeable after +the morning's work.</p> + +<p>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. Each wears a blue +gauntlet on each wrist and forearm 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, an Inspecteur +d'Etat, nine or ten, and the Governor General, eleven. In order however, +to economise space and perhaps to facilitate counting, when more than +three stripes are worn, a broad strip is substituted which corresponds +to the original three. Thus an official with five stripes wears one +broad and two narrow ones, while the Governor General wears three broad +stripes and two narrow ones. The chief decoration, the 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 of Transport, +wear no stripes at all.</p> + +<p>At 2.30 p.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 three hours at 11.30 a.m. during the heat of the +day. In order to feed these people and the soldiers of the Force +Publique at Leopoldville, 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 contribute his or her quota of work. Each person +indeed is supposed to work for at least forty hours each month, and +whether engaged on roads, buildings, or other public work, or in +collecting rubber, wood for the steamers, or kwanga for food, is paid at +the current rate. The principle of the system of Government, although +entirely novel, is undoubtedly sound and suited to the country and the +condition of the native. The whole territory is divided into two great +parts, the lands of the native chiefs and the vacant lands called here +the Domaine Privé. The Government has however, disposed of part of these +to Concessionary Companies in this sense, that the Companies have the +right to exploit all the products of the forest in these areas. Other +portions have been leased to Missions, to Commercial Houses and to +private people. The Government collects the rubber, ivory, food stuffs, +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.</p> + +<p>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 natives, and these are exchanged for +rubber, ivory, gum copal, manioc, fish, fowl or other produce; thus the +value of rubber, ivory or any other substance is determined in terms of +brass wire, cloth or salt and so its value in sterling. Similarly, the +value of native labour is discovered and the native paid accordingly. +The brass wire is cut into lengths called mitakos, this form of currency +having been introduced by the late Sir H.M. Stanley. The length of the +mitako, and so its value, varies in different parts of the country. At +present there seems to be no limit to the amount of wire cut into +mitakos, but as the natives use great quantities to make brass rings for +the arms and legs of both sexes, it is difficult to say to what extent +the currency is being debased. The pay of skilled labour here is high, +and unskilled workers receive about as much as similar labourers in +India. The natives pay no taxes in money or its equivalent, but instead +are compelled to do this 40 hours' work per month for the State.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we cross the neck of Stanley Pool and visit +Brazzaville, the capital of the French Congo. The town is situated close +to the beach, but the Government offices are high up on a hill above. +Having found the Secretariat, we explain that we are British travellers +and desire to pay our respects to the Governor. The Secretary telephones +as we wait in the office and presumably the Governor asks whether we +have introductions and what we want, for the answer goes back <i>Non, ils +sont venus, Pop!!!</i> However, the Governor, Mr. Gentil, who has spent +many years in the Congo, receives us very kindly, offers to help us with +steamers on the river, gives us some letters of introduction to French +officials on the Ubangi and permits to shoot game. Every where indeed +one meets with kindness, help and consideration from the officials in +Africa, which is in marked contrast to the hide bound system of +formalities which it is necessary to observe and maintain in Europe.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img057" id="img057" ></a><img src="images/img057.jpg" width='642' height='365' alt="STEAMERS AND DOCKS AT LEOPOLDVILLE." /> +<br /><b>STEAMERS AND DOCKS AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>A great blowing of the steamer's whistle now takes place, for it is +getting late and it is impossible to navigate the Congo after sunset. +The captain is therefore becoming anxious, but enough light remains to +see the buoys and we reach Leopoldville soon after 6 p.m. We have +arranged to dine at the Mess, an excellent institution wherein all the +Europeans of every rank, except the very highest officials, sit down +together. The Commandant of the Force Publique, the Commandant of the +Port, the Directors of Transports and Posts, and the Doctors, all +take their dinner with the working artisans. Altogether about 130 men +attend the mess, where the cooking and service is excellent while each +has a small bottle of wine and a cup of coffee. By this means, every man +is ensured good wholesome food, and the necessity of restaurants, in +which indiscriminate drinking might take place, is avoided.</p> + +<p>Next morning, July 23rd. the <i>Flandre</i> leaves Leopoldville and 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 beans are extracted from the shells, +sorted into sizes and qualities and packed in bags. Many kinds 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 old-fashioned method of brick making in wooden +moulds. It is already apparent that beer is regarded as a luxury here so +we order some dozens at three francs a bottle and having taken some +photos return to the ship.</p> + +<p>On the beach were some fine elephant tusks which have been collected by +the agents of the <i>Société Anonyme Belge</i>. When 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 +accepted by the native who has no use for it except to make war horns. +Indeed in the old days, the chiefs used to form a kind of fence round +their huts by sticking the points in the ground, little thinking that in +another part of the world, not even the millionaire of fiction ever +constructed such an expensive railing. Then the Arab slave raiders came +and stole both the native women and the ivory, so that the white man who +gives beautiful coloured cloth for these useless elephants' tusks is +regarded as a very generous trader. In the afternoon the <i>Flandre</i> +continued her journey threading her way between the numerous islands in +Stanley Pool, and finally tied up to the bank of the island of Bamu +which is French 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 no man's land by international treaty. It is reputed to +be full of game, and we go ashore to look for it, but return without +seeing anything. As the mosquitoes prevent all sleep in the cabin, we +arrange to make up a bed on deck and obtain a better night's rest, for +it is comparatively cool here in the evening in the open.</p> + +<p>I am very anxious to bathe next morning, but the captain strongly +disadvises for the currents are very strong here, and the river is full +of crocodiles. In the midst of breakfast we are startled by the report +that the ship is on fire, and smoke is seen to be issuing from the fore +hatch, under which much of the wood used for fuel is stored. None of the +Europeans however, are more excited than the natives, who, leisurely and +with due deliberation, hand up buckets of water. Nothing indeed could +make a native hurry. The captain seems a trifle upset, and states that +it may be necessary to run on a rock, and thus make a hole in the bows +and flood the hold. This seems to be rather a desperate remedy, but no +one shows the slightest interest. This appeared curious at the time; +since however, it has transpired that fires in the holds are of common +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 mistake had been committed. It appeared that by some error, +our cases of beer and some others belonging to Commandant Sillye had +been left on the beach at Kinshasa. Immediately we anchored last night a +native boatswain, or capita, was sent with six men in a canoe to fetch +them and ought to have returned by midnight. Nothing however, was heard +of the boat until now when the capita appeared and told a harrowing +story. He found the cases all right and 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. He +succeeded in landing on the island of Bamu and soon after a white 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 +crew, but he ran away and escaped. The affair seemed serious so Lord +Mountmorres and Commandant Sillye left for Brazzaville to discover the +truth, while I stayed on the ship to superintend the landing of our +cargo if the fire extended.</p> + +<p>Soon after the Commandant of the Port of Leopoldville arrived in a +steamer and asked if we wanted assistance as another ship had run on the +rocks higher up and sunk and he was hastening to rescue any possible +survivors. Sunday, 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 one danger was removed. Later in +the afternoon just before sunset, an immense flock of ducks and geese +crossed the river, but as they were flying nearly a hundred feet up in +the air, it was impossible to shoot them. Soon after Mountmorres and +Sillye returned and reported they had found all the crew safe, except +one man who had probably deserted and had also brought back the cases of +beer. The white man was a French officer of Customs, who had naturally +thought the crew of the canoe were engaged in smuggling and had fired +blank cartridges to frighten them. So passed an eventful day 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.</p> + +<p>Next day we continued our course up Stanley-Pool, which meant threading +our way up narrow channels between uninteresting sandbanks covered with +forest or grass. In the distance could be seen the hills forming the +boundaries of the Pool and at its upper end <i>Dover Cliffs</i> so called +from their resemblance to that part of the English coast. About midday +we sighted the <i>Anversville</i>, the vessel which was supposed to have been +sunk, comfortably lying on a sand bank, and the <i>Brugesville</i> which had +gone to her assistance, also resting on the same bank. One of the +passengers came off to the <i>Flandre</i> and told us that no one was hurt +and all the baggage was safe and that he had heard we had been burnt +out, attacked by natives and all killed. Truly the Congo is a wonderful +place.</p> + +<p>As the <i>Flandre</i> moors we decide to go ashore hunting. Within a few +yards of the bank is the lair of a hippopotamus and the spoor of +elephants. It is however, very difficult walking, for patches of land +are covered with long grass seven or eight feet high and the rest is +bog. After struggling along for a few minutes, I hear a curious noise +like a very asthmatic fog horn not above five yards away. Nothing is +however, visible, for the grass forms a complete cover. Again the grunt +with a suspicious after-sniff and at the same moment Chikaia, who is +carrying my gun snaps his fingers—the usual sign to indicate game—and +beckons me to follow. I endeavour to do so, and at once sink in the bog +up to the knees, but fortunately keep my rifle dry. By clutching the +grass, I get out and we follow the spoor of the hippo as rapidly as +possible. This is very clearly marked, for the grass has been recently +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 unfortunately they led straight to the river.</p> + +<p>Next day we leave the Pool and enter a part of the river called the +Channel. Here there are no islands and both banks are visible all the +time, the width not being more than a mile in some places. A low range +of hills covered with acacias or coarse grass, exists on each side. As +usual, we stop at a Wood Post to take fuel on board. This is cut in logs +three or four feet long and stacked in heaps about the same in width and +height. Sticks are 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 a <i>bras</i>, but +the bras differs in size and price considerably, in some cases the cost +being 5 mitakos and in others double that amount. A native can easily +collect a bras of wood in the forest and carry it to the bank in a day +and in some of the Wood Posts fifty or sixty natives are employed. Even +then however, the demand for wood by the big steamers is sometimes +greater than the supply.</p> + +<p>At 6 p.m. every day the steamer stops for the night and makes fast to a +tree on the bank. All the native passengers at once go ashore, light +fires and arrange their beds for the night. They sleep on mats or with +the whole body, and head also, wrapped up closely in rugs. Either their +feet or heads are always within a few inches of the fire and their +bodies radiate out like the spokes of a wheel. Until 9.30 p.m., however, +when all lights on the steamer must be put out, a ceaseless chatter +proceeds with an occasional 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. The bell on the steamer rings the command +and everyone goes to bed, and then one appreciates the real silence of +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 hum steadily +within an inch or two of one's ears. All manner of animal cries are +heard in the forest and the hippos blow loudly as they rise to the +surface to breathe. As a matter of fact, the noise at midnight in the +forest, when every beast, bird and insect is busy hunting for food, is +greater than at any other time, and at midday only, one enjoys +comparative quiet when all the animal kingdom is asleep.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img065" id="img065" ></a><img src="images/img065.jpg" width='620' height='367' alt="THE AMERICAN MISSION HOUSE AT LEOPOLDVILLE." /> +<br /><b>THE AMERICAN MISSION HOUSE AT LEOPOLDVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>One evening I went ashore with Chikaia for a stroll on the beach, +carrying only a gun. We soon found a number of ducks and as they had +never been fired at before probably, they were not scared away by the +noise of the gun, but kept wheeling round and round overhead affording +very easy shots. It would indeed have been easy to shoot 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 sandy +beach towards the water. Chikaia at once became very excited and wished +me to fire, but it was useless, as the beast was more than a hundred +yards away. It was satisfactory to find the boy was a keen sportsman, +even 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.</p> + +<p>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 <i>gras</i> as he calls my Lee-Metford come out of its case. +It is a beautiful night with clear, cool air. Streams of silver flow +from the moon on the water, while the palms 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. It is indeed +extraordinary with what accuracy scenic artists construct tropical +scenes. The surroundings tend to make one sentimental and regret that +this veritable garden of Eden should be exploited to make billiard balls +and rubber tyres for automobiles and bicycles. The native also, instead +of hunting elephant and hippos, eating his fill and sleeping, and eating +again and sleeping again until the carcase has disappeared and then +hunting again, now has to collect rubber juice and cut wood for an ugly +looking steam flat. Such however, is civilisation in the Congo.</p> + +<p>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 to be shot. The clear, shrill chirp of the sentry bird is indeed +warning the big beasts that something strange is moving and we shall +have to lie still for a long while probably before getting a chance at +the great heads as they are raised from the water.</p> + +<p>After a walk of about a mile, we arrive at the place where the captain's +boy was supposed to have killed the hippo. The truth was he had <i>fired +at</i> a beast who, as the 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.</p> + +<p>Next day we reach the mouth of the Kasai, a large tributary which drains +much of the Equatorial District of the Congo. Here is a State Post, +Kwamouth, with a few well constructed houses and a Catholic Mission +where pretty 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 river, is the deserted Catholic +Mission of St. Marie which has evidently been at one time well arranged +with a large manioc plantation and garden. Here however, the Sleeping +Sickness appeared and the mortality was so heavy that the place was +abandoned. The disease had no doubt existed before, but it was this +terrible epidemic which first attracted the serious notice of Europeans.</p> + +<p>It is becoming clear that there are a great number of nationalities +represented in the Congo. Most of the political and military +appointments are held by Belgians, but there are many Italian military +officers also. Nearly all the marine are Scandinavians and the language +of the river is therefore, chiefly English, although every State +official must speak a certain amount of French. A few Germans also hold +appointments, and the trading houses are run chiefly by English and +Dutch, while there are missionaries of several nationalities. In the +army, orders are given in French, but on the ships and in the stations, +the native is commanded in a kind of jargon based on the Bangala +dialect. The Danish captain of a Congo steamer thus as a rule, speaks, +besides his own language, English, French and Bangala and can make +himself understood in all.</p> + +<p>On pay day, rolls of brass wire are cut up into mitakos, which become +longer the higher one travels up the river, this arrangement having been +introduced by Stanley and never altered. Here the mitako is 28 +centimetres long and it is worth 5 cents, while at Basoko it is 40 +centimetres long and worth 10 cents. The native crew are paid three +mitakos for their food per day which would purchase twice as much +kwanga as they could possibly eat. The capitas and wheelman are also +paid monthly wages which vary with the nature of their work.</p> + +<p>By July 28th we have passed through the Channel into a portion of the +river which is very wide and has the appearance of a great lake studded +with islands. The banks are invisible, for the country here is +absolutely flat and continues so for many hundreds of miles until the +Province Orientale is reached. Between these islands, which are usually +well wooded, we pass slowly up the river, for the current is still +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 +covered with grass and a herd of buffaloes on one come charging down to +the river to drink. Unfortunately one of the passengers fires a kind of +saloon rifle, which might possibly have killed a rabbit at twenty yards, +and frightens them back. This is a great pity, for if we had had time, +we could easily have bagged one or two and had some fresh beef for +dinner.</p> + +<p>At midday on the 29th we reach Mopolenga and stop for wood. The land in +the neighbourhood is well cultivated 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. The root +of the manioc yields the flour, which is made into kwanga and unless it +is well boiled, is supposed to be very injurious. The animals here +consist chiefly of monkeys, parrots and finches, but many ducks fly from +a swamp near the water.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we reach Bolobo, the head quarters of the Baptist +Mission, which is presided over by Mr. Grenfell, a missionary who has +resided for over twenty years in the Congo. He has taught the natives to +make bricks and build houses and has erected a Mission Hall, a hospital +and a printing house. The mission enclosure is well laid out with mango +trees and other useful fruits and many fat ducks and fowls pass a +contented existence there. Unfortunately Mr. Grenfell was not at home, +but we were fortunate in finding Mr. Scrivener, another missionary, who +has resided some years in Africa. He stated that the 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 if they refused. He had never himself seen a native who had been +ill treated, but had been told so by natives. Asked whether the people +were ever mutilated, Mr. Scrivener looked very surprised and answered +"Oh no, there is nothing of that kind now!";</p> + +<p>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, fish, clothes, pots of various kinds and other +articles to the 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.</p> + +<p>Two of the crew were «chicotted» to-day by order of the captain. One had +attacked another boy with a knife and wounded him and the other had +stolen, and then falsely blamed another. The <i>chicotte</i> 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 appear to be more +painful than an ordinary birching at a public school.</p> + +<p>At 10 p.m. we decide to take the big iron boat of the steamer and go +hunting. The natives are exceedingly skilful and know all the likely +places for hippo. They first paddle hard up stream and having arrived at +the hunting ground allow the boat to drift down with the current in +perfect silence. It is clear moonlight, but it is necessary to cover the +fore sight of the rifle with white paper in order to see it clearly. +After a time, up rises a great head with a great pant and there is just +time for a shot before it sinks again. Hippos frequent shallow water and +are indifferent swimmers. They walk about on the bottom and rise at +intervals to breathe. It is thus impossible to know in which direction a +beast will next appear or whether he will come up under the boat and +capsize it. This night there were great numbers and we had excellent +sport. One shot in the head is sufficient to 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.</p> + +<p>Next day we reach Lukolela, a Wood Post and telegraph station. The line +runs along the bank all the way from Leopoldville to Coquilhatville and +was very difficult to erect. A space had to be cleared in the forest +nearly two hundred feet wide and the line erected in the centre on iron +posts, so that any falling trees would not destroy it. At first, the +elephants strongly resented these novel posts and frequently knocked +them down as easily as if they had been nine pins, but have since become +used to them. At Lukolela there is excellent teak wood which is +fashioned into doors and windows and shipped to various places ready for +building. The nights are quite cool, although we are near the Equator +and the heat in the day time is not nearly as oppressive as it is at +Aden or Shanghai in the summer. Cultivation is much more advanced here +than in the lower Congo and the physique of the natives is remarkably +fine.</p> + +<p>The navigation of the river here becomes very difficult, for the water +is shallow at this season of the year and there are many sand banks +which frequently change their position. Charts are therefore, +practically useless and each skipper has to feel his way each voyage. +Indeed, the whole time two boys sit on the bows of the vessel with long +poles sounding the water and shouting out the depth. It is curious that +when the vessel is travelling in shallow water, the engines at once go +slow of their own accord. One of the engineers explained that this +phenomena was produced by the difficulty the wheels experienced in +dragging away, so to speak, the water from under the ship when there 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 rudimentary although practical. One of the crew jumps overboard +with a steel rope, swims ashore and makes it fast to a tree. All of them +are expert swimmers and seem to enjoy their frequent dips, and as their +clothes consist of a loin cloth only, they do not require to undress.</p> + +<p>On August 1st at sunset we reach Irebu, an exceedingly beautiful place. +An avenue of palms stretches parallel to the river and about twenty +yards from it the bank itself being fenced by white wooden rails. This +leads to a large open square around which are the brick houses of the +European officers. Beyond, along the river front, are more brick houses, +the Mess and the Magazines, and gardens are laid out the whole length of +the town. This is one of the large military training centres, where +about a dozen officers prepare more than a thousand recruits for the +Force Publique.</p> + +<p>In the evening the place was illuminated by very simple, but effective, +means. Stakes were driven into the ground and on each was placed a tin +which presumably had contained condensed milk. These were filled with +palm oil and pieces of wood to serve as wicks. The mosquitoes here are +very bad indeed and it is necessary to take quinine every day to +counteract the effects of their poison.</p> + +<p>At daybreak next morning most of the troops were exercising in the +square and their precision and manoeuvring were 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 the time for the word of command and act very quickly +after it is given. The native corporals evidently make good instructors +and the raw recruit is soon converted into a smart and responsible +soldier. This military education is certainly the best that could be +given to a savage; it teaches him punctuality, regularity, obedience and +collective responsibility; it shows him how to build houses and keep +them clean and it gives him an idea of justice for he knows he will be +punished for wrong doing. The soldier therefore soon becomes an +altogether different person and realises that he is no longer an +animal-man living wild in the forest, but a soldier-man and a friend of +the great «Bulamatadi» who governs the country. What we may call the +caste feeling has indeed contributed greatly to civilising the country. +Anyone who is brought into direct contact with the whites as a soldier, +a worker in the plantation or on the roads, soon feels that he is +superior to the wild bushman and then becomes more attached to his new +master than to his own cousins. It is rather amusing to hear the native +domestics or «boys» who probably rank higher than any other natives on +the social ladder, speaking of the «indigenes» with great contempt as +though they were quite another and an inferior species. Speaking of +«Bulamatadi,» it may be of interest to state the origin and meaning of +the term—it means literally in the native tongue «one who breaks +stones» and was given to Stanley, when he blasted rocks to make roads +the term being afterwards buried with him on his coffin. Since then it +has been applied to all officials of the State and is used to connote +anything and everything connected with the State. Thus the State side of +the river is Bulamatadi, a State Post is Bulamatadi, a State steamer is +Bulamatadi, anything indeed belonging to the State is Bulamatadi. White +men traders and hunters, not State officials, are «mundellas,» but the +native at once has a nick name for everyone which describes his chief +characteristic. Lord Mountmorres usually wore long hunting boots and was +named «big boots» and as I wore eyeglasses, I became «double eyes.»</p> + +<p>We left Irebu on August 2nd and at once disturbed many crocodiles and +hippos, which abound in this district. An unfortunate accident happened +in the afternoon. One of the crew fell overboard and must have been +drawn 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.</p> + +<p>Just before sunset a canoe comes alongside and fastens to the ship, +although it is travelling at full speed. It is indeed wonderful to see +the way the natives manipulate these narrow dug-outs not two feet wide. +In this one were three fishermen with some fish which looked like trout +for sale. At once a great clamouring takes place among the native +passengers and it soon becomes plain that the chief fisherman was a good +man of business. Having taken an empty bottle for one fish and a piece +of cloth for another, he refused more of those articles and demanded +either salt or mitakos for his goods. In a short time however, he had +disposed of his cargo and paddled contentedly away.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img077" id="img077" ></a><img src="images/img077.jpg" width='639' height='431' alt="NATIVES OF THE UPPER CONGO." /> +<br /><b>NATIVES OF THE UPPER CONGO.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>The natives are very vain and take much trouble over their personal +appearance. As their clothes are very simple this is concentrated on +their tatooage and on their hair dressing. From a hopeless looking +tangle of black tow a very pretty erection is created by the barbers who +are of both sexes. Often the hair has five or six separate partings and +quills or feathers are inserted into the ridges in between. All the +women here wear a simple piece of cloth as they do in the Lower Congo +and sometimes a plain leather belt is worn round the waist. The arms and +legs are bare and covered with plain bangles made of mitakos. The women +wear no hat of any kind, but the men ape the Europeans and appear in +old helmets or straw hats. Both sexes are very clean personally, and +bathe frequently in the river, but never dry themselves afterwards. The +men keep on their loin cloths, but if they wear also shirts or trousers, +take these off, while the women bathe in a white linen loin cloth and +everyone afterwards pulls on his other clothes without drying. Many +natives rub a red powder into the skin made from cam-wood and thus +acquire a copper colour, while others paint their faces with various +stripes of red, yellow or white. On the Congo however, where the natives +are becoming civilised, this custom seems to be dying out.</p> + +<p>On August 3rd we cross the Equator marked by a post on one side of the +river and the point of an island in the centre. Here used to be a +settlement, but most of the people have moved higher up. There is still +a Mission near the place and a good road runs along the bank between +plantations of bananas and gardens to Coquilhatville which we reach in +the afternoon.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img081" id="img081" ></a><img src="images/img081.jpg" width='621' height='452' alt="BOTANICAL GARDENS AT EALA." /> +<br /><b>BOTANICAL GARDENS AT EALA.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV" ></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<h3>The Equator District.</h3> + + +<p>Coquilhatville, the capital of this important District is the largest +town in the Upper Congo. The roads are 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 +carriages and only a few horses. All the officers don white uniforms +with full dress, badges and medals, and together we proceed to make a +formal call on Captain Stevens, the Commissaire of the District with +whom is staying Mr. Malfeyt, Commissaire du Roi. Some of the officers +take their dogs with them, which at once make a furious onslaught on +the numerous cats of the Commissaire and have to be suppressed. Mgr. +Derikx places a particularly pugnacious fox-terrier under the basket +work of his chair the little animal being literally sat upon by the +dignitary of the Church.</p> + +<p>The Residency is a large brick building situated on a low hill and +raised above the ground, the space beneath being enclosed and +loop-holed, thus forming a small fort. The gardens are particularly +pretty and well kept. Beer is handed round and we sit chatting on the +verandah until Mr. Grenfell, the head of the Baptist Mission, arrives. +He 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 thinks the system of Government excellent, but that +it is administered better in the Lower than the Upper Congo, because +there are not enough officials in the latter. He is convinced the +population has greatly decreased on the riverside of the Bangala +District, and attributes it chiefly to Sleeping Sickness for he cannot +say if emigration to the French Congo has been extensive or not. No case +of ill-treatment of natives has come to his notice during the last three +years, but he thinks the State does not give them enough work to do. He +has seen natives without hands, but does not believe that any atrocities +have occurred for many years. Generally speaking, he thinks it would be +better if the State acquired all the property of the Companies. Although +he does not know of any definite cases of ill-treatment, he has heard +reports and thinks there is «no smoke without fire.» However, he is +quite prepared to agree that a very little fire in the Congo makes a +great deal of smoke. Altogether, Mr. Grenfell spoke very calmly, and is +evidently not carried away by emotionalism or strong prejudice against +the State.</p> + +<p>At Coquilhatville, as elsewhere in the State, the prisoners are given +useful work to do. Near by a party were digging a hole by the roadway. +They were chained together but the chain was so long that it did not +hamper their movements. Two policemen were on guard, but the whole gang +were evidently taking matters very easily.</p> + +<p>In the evening we dine with the Commissaire and a party of sixteen or +eighteen, including many of our fellow travellers, Mr. Grenfell and Dr. +Button, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who is here +studying the Sleeping Sickness. Everyone we meet who has travelled in +other countries and also visited the Congo, is astonished at the +wonderful development of the place. It is 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 machine is +fairly set rolling, it will proceed more steadily in the future.</p> + +<p>Next day we decide to leave the <i>Flandre</i> and stay for a week or so at +Coquilhatville. Commandant Ankström, the Adjoint Superieur to the +Commissaire, kindly lends us his house and we at once move in, glad to +leave the mosquitoes of the river and to sleep in a room once more. +Everything in the house and garden is scrupulously clean and tidy, +characteristics which I may add were found in nearly every Post and +house in the whole country. The 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 +liberally. This admirable system is carried out in every Post, however +large or small, and I never once found it unobserved. The natives +themselves are also 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 a well kept farm and the +mutton tasted particularly nice after the diet of goat on the steamer.</p> + +<p>The effect of the climate on my digestion is curious. In Europe all +forms of starch and sugar give me indigestion and I have therefore to +avoid bread, potatoes, jam, sugar and kindred substances. Here however, +I have a craving for these things and never have indigestion. I mention +this personal trait, because many other travellers in the tropics have +often stated that they could march on rice and jam for days without +desiring meat of any kind. No doubt the system is working at, so to +speak, high pressure, but it is curious that a complete change in one's +idiosyncrasies should take place even in the first month.</p> + +<p>On August 5th the <i>Flandre</i> proceeds up the river, and we bid farewell +to our travelling companions, who seem to have become old friends in the +last six weeks. Everyone, is always most kind and courteous, and not +only gives every information, but also the benefit of his experience, +and thus affords much valuable assistance. The town of Coquilhatville +consists of rows of brick houses standing in their own gardens and +fronting on avenues. It may seem that one insists unnecessarily on the +fact that the houses are brick in all the towns, a fact which the +European would accept as a matter of course. The traveller 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 that substance. Bricks however, are by no means easily made in the +Congo, for in many places the soil is very sandy and it is therefore +difficult to make 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 has been observed that these structures which +are often thirty feet high and in proportion great in diameter, never +disintegrate in the heaviest rain. When dug out and mixed with sand +their substance makes an excellent mortar. Again, the shells of oysters, +which abound in some parts of the river are also used to make mortar +with good results. The roofs are thatched with palm leaves wherever +obtainable, and if well constructed are quite water tight. Glass windows +are not much used, for as much air as possible is desirable and the +verandahs are so broad that rain rarely enters. The openings are thus +closed only by shutters or by wire gauze to keep out the numerous +insects.</p> + +<p>Living here is very expensive. The usual money is the mitako, but the +native likes salt and will sometimes take cloth if he fancies it. He is +however, very independent, and on one occasion a native refused 14/- in +cloth for a single duck. Fowls and eggs are about the same price as in +the West End of London, but the latter are very scarce. Fruit is +however, cheap, as it is abundant. Near the 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 +field is a large board on which is painted the number of bushes. Papye, +coeur de boeuf, bananas and pineapples abound.</p> + +<p>The system of work in every Post is exactly the same, so that a +description of it as witnessed in Coquilhatville would equally do for +every place in the Congo. At 5.30 a.m. reveille and at 6 a.m. roll call +of all the Europeans and native workers who then, led by a bugler, march +off to their respective duties. At 11.15 a.m. bugle call and all the +natives march to the river and bathe. At 11.30 a.m. bathing ceases and +they march off behind the bugler to dinner and rest. At 2.30 p.m. they +assemble again and at 5.30 p.m. finish for the day. The 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' rule, which is only applied to those who +live in the villages and are not in the State service. The women do the +light work in the plantations and thus fare much better, than when +forced to do all the work by their husbands, which happens in all the +villages. It is curious to see them brushing the roads with palm leaves. +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.</p> + +<p>As our house looks into the square where the Force Publique drill, we +witness the methods employed. At first the recruit is taught which is +right and which is left. <i>Droite</i> and up goes the right hand, <i>gauche</i> +and the left follows. The native corporal, however, has corrupted these +words into <i>hi hoo</i> so that, as is usual in military commands, no mere +civilian can possibly understand them. Afterwards when he comes to mount +guard and relieve sentries, the order <i>présentez armes!</i> might be +anything from the sound.</p> + +<p>The band practices also close at hand. First the cornet picks out some +air he has heard, note by note, and like a child who is learning the +piano, always goes back to the beginning of the piece when he strikes a +false note. After many trials the whole air is discovered. Then the +trombones 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.</p> + +<p>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. A huge tree trunk was carried into the square one day; pieces +of wood had been lashed across it about two feet apart throughout its +length. One or two men on each side of each piece then lifted it and the +whole eighty or hundred men marched the trunk along with ease at a jog +trot. It would indeed be impossible to use heavy trolleys in this part +of the Congo, for the roads are sandy and the wheels would at once sink +deeply into them.</p> + +<p>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 the stems and the whole is extremely pretty and +cool-looking. Beyond the plantation is the cemetery for the whites. Each +grave is covered with bricks and has a wooden cross at the head on which +is inscribed the name and date of death. The age however, is omitted and +this is perhaps as well, for the Congo exacts a heavy toll of young +lives and new comers are often depressed already by the accounts of the +climate which have reached Europe.</p> + +<p>Further on is a forest through which runs a narrow native tract. This +demonstrates well the extreme indolence of the native. If a small branch +of a tree falls across the path, he steps over it, if a large one, he +walks round it. Time is no object, so the length of the road is +immaterial. No attempt is made to form bridges, for the streams are not +deep and are easily fordable, nor even to break off the branches of +trees which obstruct the way. It is easier to stoop and pass beneath. +The forest paths have indeed been made simply by the pressure of bare +feet on the soil and undergrowth. A few monkeys and parrots chatter +overhead and an occasional pigeon coos, but the chief forms of animal +life here, are thousands of the most lovely butterflies. 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, flies by exhibiting the most vivid greens, reds, and blues. +Bananas, rubber plants, palms and acacias crowd each other in the forest +through which we walk for three or four miles, until we reach a native +village consisting of a few square huts in a clearing. A handsome +looking fellow comes up to us, salutes and desires to know if we wish to +buy anything. Having neither mitakos, salt, nor cloth except the +pyjamas we are wearing, we cannot deal and leave the man wondering +probably—if the native ever does wonder—why we walked all that +distance if we did not require anything.</p> + +<p>On August 8th we visit the Botanical Gardens at Eala, which is about +three miles from Coquilhatville. Mr. Pinard, the Director of the +Gardens, shows us the various plants 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 level and the +temperature is about 90° F. Numerous varieties of rubber plants are +arranged here for experimental purposes, and gutta percha also is slowly +attaining maturity. Bushes which yield acid, suitable for coagulating +the milk of the rubber plant, grow alongside. 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 fruit and vegetable, +European as well as tropical, grow in 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 it is difficult to believe that four years ago +this site was wild forest.</p> + +<p>Adjoining the gardens is a large farm in which cattle, resembling those +of the Lower Congo, look well. It is however, unfortunate that the cows +only give sufficient milk to rear their calves. Horses, asses and pigs +live healthily 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.</p> + +<p>The villages in the neighbourhood of Coquilhatville seem very populous +and prosperous. Any morning early whole families can be met—father, +mother and children, with 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, they sit in the roads and dye +their skins or have their hair dressed, while the children play around +with bows and arrows or other pugnacious kind of toys. The wealthy wear +heavy brass rings extending from the ankle to the knee and the +discomfort must be very great, but as is proved by the tatouage, the +natives will bear much pain in order to beautify themselves. Before +leaving Coquilhatville, we send for the boy Epondo, who was rendered +famous as an example of an atrocity by Mr. Casement, the late British +Consul at Boma. Epondo is now employed as a gardener by the Commissaire +of the District and is always at hand when visitors desire to see him. +Four inches below the elbow joint of the left arm there are two deeps +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 is covered with irregular scars, such as would remain if the +hand had become gangrenous and fallen away. It was useless asking him +questions, as he had already told two distinct stories which have been +related above.</p> + +<p>On August 10th, we leave Coquilhatville and steam down the river to +Irebu, which we reach after a few hours hot journey. Mr. Jeniaux, the +Commandant, has spared no pains to make the camp not only beautiful but +attractive in every way and it has well earned its reputation as one of +the show places of the Congo. Lord Mountmorres is lodged in a spare +house used for guests and Lieutenant Hoyer kindly lends me his during +our stay. The Mess is very comfortably arranged, and the dinner based on +antelope and wild pig is excellent.</p> + +<p>Next day I go hunting with Mr. Hoyer in a canoe propelled by twenty +paddlers. These at first keep up a kind of chant to the time of the +paddles which is quite musical and pleasant. As we approach the game +grounds however, they become quite silent. After travelling up stream +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 of stalking even birds and shooting them sitting. This +is natural enough for formerly they were armed with bows 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 because I only shoot at birds on the +wing, but is delighted when one falls. So far indeed, the only +enthusiasm a native has shown, has been while hunting after a successful +shot. The paddlers at once re-enact the scene, put imaginary guns to +their shoulders give a loud bang and then describe circles with their +hands to give a dumb show of the bird falling, laughing and shouting +all the time. They are really just like young children and are easily +pleased by trifles. After walking some distance the sergeant becomes +wildly excited and clutches me violently by the arm but makes no noise. +Looking up I see a large monkey but signify that I will not shoot those +beasts. He then asks permission to fire his rifle and brings it down +with a shot through the head. After this we paddle on to the hippo +ground. After the very first shot at a head fifty yards away, the canoe +suddenly gives a great lurch and as nearly as possible capsizes. Another +great beast had evidently chosen that moment to 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 damaged and we +had excellent sport for a few minutes until the animals made for the +bank and hid themselves in the long grass.</p> + +<p>Behind Irebu is a plain, where the grass is really green, the green that +is only seen in the tropics. Here and there are clumps of palms and +patches of forest, the whole giving the appearance of a well kept park. +There are antelope and wild pig here but they are very difficult to +stalk owing to the open character of the ground. There are also a few +red-legged partridges and many pigeons so that one always found +something to shoot.</p> + +<p>The native camp here consists of a large square shut off by a wooden +fence. Inside are large huts in which the soldiers live, and oddly +enough, they all prefer to have separate establishments, each woman +preparing the food for her husband. These women also work in the +plantation when they are not concerned with the business of maternity, +which judging by the number of children about, must be very seldom. The +native cemetery is a curious-looking place, for on each grave is placed +the clothes of the dead one and any other belongings he has. No one +knows the origin or object of this custom. They are not for the journey +to the happy hunting ground apparently, for missionaries say they have +never heard the natives speak of any kind of a future state. It may be +that these articles are merely to show the wealth of the departed; they +are however, all 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.</p> + +<p>At Irebu, the narrow river from Lake Tumba joins the Congo, and from its +small size is known usually as the canal. The current sometimes flows up +and sometimes down, according to the height of water in the Congo, but +it is obvious that the general direction must be down, as many small +streams flow into the Lake, and all their water is certainly not +dispersed by evaporation. Many crocodiles pass up and down the canal and +it would be easy to shoot them from the windows or verandah of my house, +but it seems to be rather a waste of cartridges which, like most other +things, must be carried the whole tour, for none can be procured in the +Congo. I do not therefore, care to run the risk of running short when +the hunting grounds of Uele are reached.</p> + +<p>Sunday is usually a very busy day in Irebu. No work is done, but all +the Chiefs come in to call on the Commandant, who is evidently regarded +as a species of parent. Indeed, the nickname of Commandant Jeniaux is +the native word meaning Father. All the sick are brought in and receive +treatment; children are vaccinated, and any little native disputes are +brought before him to settle. These nearly always relate to women. One +man will complain that his wife has not behaved herself properly at +home, that she has not prepared his food nicely, or much more rarely, +that she has run away with another. Sometimes a Chief complains that +another one has stolen some of his women or goats, and then the other +side is heard and the judgment pronounced. These are of course, not +formal trials, and the judgment is more in the shape of advice. It is +however, always acted upon, for the time being at least. Serious cases +are left to the Courts, but this institution of friendly palavers is an +excellent one and establishes confidence and good will among the +natives. It is here indeed, that the personal character of the white man +is put to the test. 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 awaken distrust and hatred. The more +popular the head of the Station, the easier it is for him to find +workers in the villages, which in turn affect the general condition of +the country around. Although the system of work is absolutely uniform +and every official is tied in a particular groove, yet the whole +welfare, work, and indeed, appearance of the country and villages, is +good or bad according to the moral character and personality of the +chief white man in the neighbourhood. I would therefore, say, with +however some reserve, that when the natives are discontented and rebel, +it is not because they dislike the system of Government, but are +dissatisfied with the man who administers it.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img095" id="img095" ></a><img src="images/img095.jpg" width='629' height='500' alt="NATIVE CHIEFS AT COQUILHATVILLE." /> +<br /><b>NATIVE CHIEFS AT COQUILHATVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>On August 16th, Inspecteur d'Etat Warnant, Commander in-chief of the +Force Publique, arrives at Irebu. He is on a tour of inspection, and has +every reason to be satisfied with the efficiency of the troops. Perfect +discipline and harmony is maintained throughout all ranks and all the +officers are agreed that the troops are perfectly steady when fighting +and never show the least sign of cowardice. Many are very good shots and +their drill certainly leaves nothing to be desired.</p> + +<p>On the same day Mr. Joseph Clarke, of the American Baptist Mission at +Ikoko, calls at Irebu and kindly invites me to his house for a few days. +This is situated on the banks of Lake Tumba, or Mantumba or Lac N'Tomba, +whichever you prefer. Lord Mountmorres remains at Irebu, but I 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 +the latter being a table-spoonful of salt for each. He arranges also to +sell some nails to the Chief. We then cross the canal to Itutu, a branch +Mission Station conducted by a native who preaches, and is an excellent +carpenter. Here we sleep, Mr. Clarke making up a bed in the boat, while +I occupy a mud hut which however, is scrupulously clean.</p> + +<p>Next morning, after a bathe in the canal, in which the water is like +warm, weak coffee, we continue our journey to Ngero, a long straggling +village on the north bank of the Lake. The huts here are oblong and +strongly constructed of hard cane and mud, the roofs being thatched with +dried palm leaves closely interlaced. It is necessary to stoop to enter +them, for the doors are not five feet high, but it is possible to stand +upright within. There is usually a wood fire burning, but no outlet for +the smoke, which slowly finds its way through the roof. The rafters +therefore, are covered with a kind of tar which, undoubtedly, acts as an +antiseptic, and also keeps away the insects. The mosquitoes indeed, will +not face wood smoke, but tobacco smoke is useless as a shield against +their attacks. Both sexes here are practically nude. The men are +fishermen and the women look after the banana-plantations, crush the +palm nuts for oil and do the cooking and housework.</p> + +<p>Ngero was the village of the Chief Lokolo Longania, who raised a +rebellion against the State some years ago, and after 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 paddle +along. The Mission house is very prettily situated, and is a wooden +building, with that very rare luxury in the Congo, glass windows. Here +we are met by Mrs. Clarke, who has spent many years with her husband in +Africa. The Mission has a good farm and garden, and since the climate is +not as bad as in many parts, its inmates enjoy fair health. A large +wooden building is used as a chapel and school, and near it is a saw pit +and a carpenter's shop where the boys make furniture and boxes for sale +at Irebu and other Posts in the neighbourhood, for the furniture of the +Ikoko Mission is quite famous. The girls all wear plain, blue frocks +which they make themselves, as well as clothes for sale, and many are +also quite expert at various kinds of fancy needlework. The business has +however, decreased lately owing to the decrease in population. The +Mission bell has been ingeniously fixed in a tree, and it calls to +school, to work and prayer, as regularly as the bugle in the State +Posts.</p> + +<p>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 above twelve or fifteen feet high. The people +seem idle, contented and happy, the chief industry being fishing and +net-making. Mr. Clarke said the population used to be about 2000 in +number, but many have died of Sleeping Sickness and some have migrated. +This is very evident, for a number of huts are deserted, and the weeds +have grown over them, in some cases entirely blocking the entrances. Out +of curiosity, we have a rough census taken and find there are 138 men in +the village on August 19th. Some no doubt are fishing, and allowing for +these and the women and children, there are probably not more than 1000 +to 1200 people now living in the village. The work these do for the +State, consists of supplying 600 rations of fish per week to the +plantation of Bikoro, a ration consisting of a whole, a half, or a +quarter of a fish according to its size. For this they are paid 600 +mitakos—or about 23/—. They also supply bamboos and baskets, but it is +very plain that if the people worked hard, they would certainly not +require as long as 40 hours a month to accomplish their tasks. The fish +are caught in nets made of thin bamboo lashed together by a tough +creeper, which are arranged in the lake. Sometimes it happens that the +fishermen are unfortunate and then they buy from their neighbours who +take advantage of the scarcity value and charge them more than they will +receive from the State. A village 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.</p> + +<p>In the Mission school men, women, and children are learning to read and +write the native language, and some have mastered also the rudiments of +arithmetic and French. Some of the classes are held in the school-room +and others under trees near at hand. An assistant missionary, Mr. +Whitman, helps Mr. Clarke, while Mrs. Whitman teaches in the school.</p> + +<p>On August 20th we start for Bikoro under a threatening sky. It is indeed +soon apparent that a tornado is crossing the Lake towards us, for great +banks of dense clouds 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 make for a creek which bounds Ikoko on the east. Only just +in time, we reach a native hut, as a terrific storm bursts overhead. +The rain descends in sheets accompanied by vivid green lightning and +crashes of thunder. Fortunately the roof is water-tight, but the mud +floor of the hut has worn down below the level of the ground outside and +soon the water pours through the door and is nine or ten inches deep +inside. The fire splutters out and the logs float around amid the +crowing of fowls and the cackling of ducks who are quite contented and +happy. Our hostess with a baby strapped on her back in the usual native +fashion, commences to bale out the water with a basket while we sit on +logs in the darkness and try to keep dry. After about an hour the storm +passes and we go back to the Mission, the Lake now appearing like a +small sea.</p> + +<p>Mr. Clarke lends me a copy of the <i>Memorial concerning conditions in the +Independent State of the Congo</i> which was presented to the American +Senate early in 1904. There seem to be a great many curious errors in +it. It starts with the astounding statement that the Congo Free State +has a sea board of 400 miles along the Atlantic, whereas a glance at the +map will show that it is really about a tenth as long. It estimates the +Force Publique at 30,000 men, rather more than twice its full strength, +and its author is under the impression that the people may not collect +the produce of the land or «barter it for merchandise.» It is a little +difficult to understand what the author means here. As a matter of fact, +the people are trading with each other, all day long and with the white +travellers whenever they have the opportunity. They sell food, lances, +native knives and all kinds of curiosities to those who desire them and +are at perfect liberty to barter away all their property if they wish to +do so. They may not of course enter the territories of the State or +Private Companies and take the ivory or rubber, any more than the people +in Europe may walk on to private land and gather the corn or fruit from +it for their own use or profit. The native indeed is in the position of +a farm labourer who gathers the fruits of the soil for his master and is +paid a wage for so doing. On Sunday I attend service in the chapel. A +native from Sierra Leone reads a lesson from the Gospel of St. Matthew, +which has been translated into Bangala and gives a short address on the +subject afterwards. He is evidently much in earnest and talks with that +kind of spirit of conviction frequently to be noticed in street +preachers. Several hymns are sung and then the people pass out, dropping +their mitakos into the plate as they do so. In the afternoon, we walk +round the village. Mr. Clarke notices a boy with a malformation of one +knee and speaks to him. He then explains to me that this is another +atrocity, for the boy said he had been shot by the soldiers of the State +when an infant. An examination of the boy however, showed he was +suffering from a kind of bony tumour. There are several chiefs in Ikoko +and one 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 to the faith +of the patient, as in civilised countries, yet the white people +constantly tell of apparently wonderful cures by native doctors, and it +is certain that the people at present prefer to be treated by those of +their own colour. There is also an old lady in Ikoko, the widow of a +chief, who is reported to be very clever as a healer. This old person +has European features but has an unpleasant expression. The native women +wear nothing but a thin belt with a 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 +have weighed thirty or forty pounds. This was fixed on and had to be +worn night and day.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img103" id="img103" ></a><img src="images/img103.jpg" width='643' height='371' alt="THE FARM AT EALA." /> +<br /><b>THE FARM AT EALA.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>In spite however, of clever doctors, the men do not live to be much over +forty years of age. Perhaps they have too many wives for there are far +more old women than men. On the other hand, as there must be two or +three women to each man, it is only natural to find more of the former +at any given age. The infants are not weaned for three or four years and +during that period the woman it is said refuses to lie with her husband. +Another wife therefore, cohabits with the man while the first rears her +child. Polygamy is thus a custom which the missionaries find very +difficult to change. The State however, refuses to recognise more than +one wife and many of the soldiers are legitimately married by the +officials qualified to perform that office.</p> + +<p>Much palm wine is consumed by the natives for its manufacture is very +simple. A gourd is tied to an upper branch of a palm which is then +tapped and the sap drops into the vessel. If this is left all night, +fermentation takes place without artificial aid, and at midday a kind of +highly scented alcoholic cider is produced which however, is acid and +undrinkable by the evening. This natural wine must therefore, be drunk +on the day of fermentation and does not improve on keeping.</p> + +<p>What a useful tree the palm is! Its trunk, branches and leaves are fine +building materials; its matting forms beds and furniture; its oil gives +light, acts as butter or lard for cooking, makes soap when mixed with +banana juice or an alkali, and indeed, can be used for all the purposes +of oil; it forms wine, and the heart of the plant is most excellent +eating as a salad. Therefore given meat, the palm tree and the banana, +and a town can be built and its inhabitants fed. Both sexes smoke a +great deal of 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.</p> + +<p>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 across the river, +with the exception of a small space to allow canoes to go up and down. +In the middle or one side however, an opening is left which can be +closed by lowering one of the bamboo nets heavily weighted, vertically +down. Platforms are erected ten or twelve feet high to raise or lower +these nets and the whole structure is ingeniously and strongly put +together. The fish are thus allowed to swim up and are then enclosed in +a section of the river, when they are easily caught in baskets. All the +riverside population engages in fishing. On the way I shot a toucan, +which must have weighed ten or twelve pounds, with number five shot +which happened to be in the gun at the time. The bird however, was hit +in the head and breast. The natives at once plucked it and having +scarcely warmed it at the fire greedily eat it.</p> + +<p>At a village called Bokoto a boy was brought to me with his right hand +missing, for I was very anxious to see an original of the photos which +are so common in England. I was indeed beginning to despair of finding +one at all for most of the white men had never seen a case, none of the +natives understood what I wished and hitherto no missionary knew where +one was to be found. Here however, was a boy with his right hand missing +and it had evidently been removed by a sharp instrument, but not I think +by a surgeon, for the scars were not such as follow amputation at the +wrist joint. Mr. Clarke acted as interpreter and the following +conversation took place.</p> + +<p>—When was this done?</p> + +<p>—During the rubber war when the boy was an infant.</p> + +<p>—Who did it?</p> + +<p>—The soldiers who came from Bofiji.</p> + +<p>—Why did they come?</p> + +<p>—Because the natives had not collected rubber.</p> + +<p>—Where did this take place?</p> + +<p>—In the country behind Bikoro and the mother was killed at the same +time as she was carrying away her infant.</p> + +<p>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 Imputela. Although therefore, no +proof can be adduced, for the child of course remembers nothing and only +knows what he has been told, there is a possibility that a native +soldier may have cut off his hand. On the other hand, it may have been +injured or cut by a native chief. I mention this 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 State, although everyone knew I was very +anxious to see such cases. On our way back we call at Inkaka another +fishing village. Behind it a few of the Batoir tribe had temporarily +settled. They are very savage and uncivilised and lead a wandering life, +hunting game. Sometimes they act as professional hunters and are +employed by villagers to find them food. One young fellow was armed +with a bow and wooden arrows poisoned at the tip and carefully wrapped +in a leaf. The poison is simply the decomposing matter of dead men or +animals. As long as this is wet, it is most deadly but loses its +strength when dried. For this reason only is the tip wrapped in a leaf. +Death has followed within a few hours of being struck with a poisoned +arrow and this is only to be expected, for we know how dangerous it is +for surgeons when they wound themselves during an examination of the +dead body. On the way home we found a snake in the water and shot it +just at the very moment it had seized a fish and was holding it in its +mouth. Just as we were picking this out another similar one appeared and +this met the same fate. They were bright green in colour and had small +heads, but one measured 93 and the other 90 inches in length.</p> + +<p>On August 23rd we visit Bikoro a large State plantation of coffee, cocoa +and rubber, situated on the bank of the 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 improved upon. First the undergrowth was cleared from the +forest and then the native rubber vines were planted and have commenced +to climb the trees. These are not tapped until they are ten years old, +for although it is possible to obtain the rubber milk before, the vines +are killed or seriously injured if they are cut when too young. Some +rubber shrubs from Brazil have also been planted, but do not flourish as +well as the native kind. Altogether more than a 1000 hectares have been +planted and the various plantations are connected by well kept paths. +More than three hundred natives are employed and the work in the shade +of the forest must be very pleasant. They are housed in a series of huts +in a clearing, which are kept scrupulously clean. There are fifteen or +twenty soldiers here who act as policemen—for only the big towns have a +separate Police force—and guard the rubber and ivory stores. Gum copal +is also found in the district in large quantities and in various +qualities and colours. The brick houses for the two officials face the +lake and gardens have been laid out which are very neat and tidy, the +whole place, although much smaller, rivalling even Irebu in beauty.</p> + +<p>Next day I return to Irebu in the <i>Florida</i> a small 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 accompanied by +their young, or, if possible to distinguish them, even if alone. The +animals named are, <i>hippopotames, baffles, antilopes, gazelles, ibex, +chevrotains, les divers sangliers, petits singes, outardes, francolains, +perdreaux, pintades</i> and other game birds. Permission is also given to +kill «in a scientific manner» one elephant in the close season. It will +thus be seen that the State is determined to protect the wild animals of +the forest from indiscriminate slaughter and stringent laws regulating +hunting are decreed from time to time.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img111" id="img111" ></a><img src="images/img111.jpg" width='575' height='394' alt="THE UBANGI RIVER." /> +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V" ></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<h3>The Ubangi River.—Irebu to Banzyville.</h3> + +<p>We leave Irebu on August 29th in the <i>Florida</i> and steam up the river +Ubangi. The colour of the water at once changes for whereas the Congo +carries much sand and is brown, the Ubangi carries much clay and is a +dirty yellow. The banks are densely wooded and in the stream are many +islands also covered with forest. Lying on patches of sand or on the +fallen trunks of trees are many crocodiles asleep. There is not much +sport in shooting them but one which was leisurely swimming up stream +about fifty yards from the ship, made a sporting shot and was killed +with a bullet in the heart. As the cabin is small and hot, we arrange to +sleep on the bridge of the steamer which is almost embedded in trees +when we tie up to the bank for the night. A tornado bursts about +midnight, but the dense foliage acts as a protection and very little +water finds its way into our improvised bedroom.</p> + +<p>Next day we stop at Bobanghe, a native Wood-Post, and go ashore. The +huts here are thatched with grass, for palms seem scarce. Some of the +men have black beards which they plait into one or two tails, producing +a curious appearance and while they fish, the women do the work of the +village and the marketing. Several of them were sitting on logs, +contentedly puffing tobacco smoke from wooden pipes while they offered +fish, fruit and vegetables for sale to our crew and native passengers. +One variety of fish was particularly noticeable; it was coloured like a +trout, but had a long snout on the dorsal side. We bought one, and it +proved very good eating. The forest here is full of rubber plants, +nearly every vine and leaf, when broken, yielding the milky sap which +dries, or can be coagulated, into rubber.</p> + +<p>One day the boy Jean fell overboard, but leisurely undressed in the +water and swam to the bank, whence he was rescued by the canoe of the +steamer. He was perfectly calm but Chikaia burst into tears and loudly +blubbered. Very little indeed is sufficient to arouse emotionalism in +some-of the natives, who are always laughing or crying, fortunately the +former more often than the latter.</p> + +<p>The banks of the Ubangi descend as a rule, sheer into deep water and are +often indeed miniature cliffs. No attempt is made to fashion steps and +the villagers slide down the banks as best they can and thus form a rude +path to the water. A half dozen men in an hour could 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 up the bank every night from his canoe and slides down again +every morning without attempting to improve the path. The vanity of the +native however, causes him to take great pains to—as he thinks—improve +his personal appearance. Brass collars and bangles are very uncommon on +the Ubangi and beads take their place. The women 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. These are peculiar to the Ubangi and are rarely worn by +other tribes. The men wear only loin cloths and often carry a large +straight knife suspended by a leather belt strapped round the chest.</p> + +<p>It is very hot from midday to sunset, but the nights are comparatively +cool. One afternoon we saw a great number of serpent-birds perched high +up on a bulbous tree, and, as they are good to eat, stopped to shoot +some. They were not at all shy and did not depart after several shots +had been fired, but wheeled round and round as if to discover what was +the cause of the strange noise. Ball, 3 and 5' shot were equally +efficacious and more than a dozen fell in a few minutes. These birds +have a beautiful black and white plumage with a long neck and bill and +webbed feet and weigh five or six pounds each. The flavour is somewhat +like ptarmigan and the natives eat them, as usual, without waiting until +they were properly cooked.</p> + +<p>In the evening I took a stroll in the forest and soon found the recent +spoor of an elephant. Chikaia was just ahead, when he suddenly stopped +and whispered <i>macat</i> pointing in the air. There was a fine monkey and +the boy's instinct for such a choice morsel, actually caused him to +stop, although he knew very well it would have been absurd to fire and +so frighten the elephant. At one time we must have been within a few +yards of the beast when a snapping of a twig or some sound disturbed him +and with a bellow he rushed away crashing through the forest. It is +curious that while birds are so bold in Africa, ground game is extremely +shy and most difficult to stalk.</p> + +<p>On September 2nd we reach Imese, the first place on the Ubangi where +there are white men. Mr. Donneaux was the Chef du poste and everything +was in good order. Rubber vines were being planted in the forest and +rubber shrubs in the clearings. Coffee was also growing and pineapples +and other fruits looked well. All the houses are, as usual, of brick +which are of better quality than on the Congo, as the clay is good and +very abundant. The native village is about ten minutes' walk distant and +is arranged in two or three regular streets and not in patches of huts +dotted down here and there as in the Lake Tumba District. The State +impost here is one kilogramme of rubber each month from each man for +which he is paid 40 or 50 centimes. Collecting this amount takes one or +two days and the rest of the time the native works for himself or not +as he chooses. Here the people seem more industrious than in most parts, +many women being engaged in making mats and pottery. The pots are +fashioned by hand with the aid of a round stone and are so wonderfully +symmetrical that they resemble those made on a lathe. The clay is +obtained from the river bed by diving and after the vessel is made, it +is first dried in the sun and then baked in a wood fire. While still +hot, it is painted with gum copal which renders it water-tight.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img115" id="img115" ></a><img src="images/img115.jpg" width='660' height='388' alt="YOUNG COFFEE TREES AT COQUILHATVILLE." /> +<br /><b>YOUNG COFFEE TREES AT COQUILHATVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>At dinner we have a dish called «beefsteak American» formed apparently +of very tender, cold meat with green salad and mayonnaise. On asking +however, we hear it is the raw flesh of goat cut up small. It is +certainly the best way of eating goat's flesh, for any method of cooking +seems to extract what little juice it possesses and convert it into a +substance resembling old leather. The name is curious, for it is neither +beef nor steak, and is probably as rare in America as Irish stew is in +Ireland or Welsh rarebit in Wales.</p> + +<p>There are some very fine canoes here, very often carved throughout their +entire length, a favourite device being a crocodile. Two or three very +large «tom-toms» are also in the village. 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 slit-like aperture two or +three inches wide and running nearly the length of the tom-tom. The +result is a hollow instrument, giving one or two different notes when +struck in different parts which can be heard for many miles. In case of +war, the whole country side can be quickly aroused, but the «tom-tom» +is also used during peace as a telegraph.</p> + +<p>At Imese two soldiers and their future brides came on board for the +purpose of travelling to Libenge to be married, for only Commissaires of +Districts and Missionaries can legally join two into one. The send off +was quite pretty, the happy couples being pelted with flowers as they +stepped on board, while one friend—perhaps a kind of best man—threw +his cap into the river. The State encourages regular marriages, +especially among the soldiers. The wife then works in the gardens or +plantations, while her husband drills, and returns at midday and in the +evening to cook his food.</p> + +<p>Next day we reach Dongo, a village situated on a hill perhaps 200 feet +high. After looking at flat 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 feet of the people who have used it. Mr. Vannini, +an Italian officer, is constructing a Post here with the aid of some ten +or fifteen soldiers. Dongo is a very large village containing perhaps +3000 people and the huts are arranged in streets running parallel to +each other with their ends towards the river. The physique of the people +is very good indeed, some of the men being more than six feet in height. +The women mostly wear copper collars, three inches high and with a +second horizontal collar attached on the outside. The whole is hammered +on and must be intensely uncomfortable. A special pillow, consisting of +a piece of wood hollowed out for the head is necessary, as sleep would +otherwise be impossible with such a contrivance round the neck. A great +number of children run about and seem to be well nourished. Some have +large heads and protruding stomachs, without however, other signs of +«rickets.» Many of the men are painted with yellow stripes, an +indication that they have killed their man in battle, and these donned +their fighting clothes of many colours and with shields and spears posed +to be photographed, dancing around and uttering wild war whoops. A human +skull partly buried in the middle of 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 children, are always eaten. When not fighting, the people +fish, collect rubber, grow kwanga and generally work fairly well and are +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 months ago four French traders +were killed and eaten on the opposite bank of the river.</p> + +<p>After passing several densely populated villages, one of which extends +in a straight line for ten miles, we reach Libenge, the capital of the +Ubangi District. The houses 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 with Captain Bertrand, the Commissaire of the +District, and Dr. Rhodain, the medical officer for Ubangi. The latter +states that he has only seen two cases of sleeping sickness in several +years' residence and that there is no syphilis, small-pox or +tuberculosis in the neighbourhood. The people work well here,—the +villagers collecting the usual kilogramme per month, while the workers +in the plantations clear the forest and plant more rubber for future +use. The hunting here is very good in the dry season. Now however, it is +necessary to wade in water three feet deep in the forest. Spoor of +elephant and antelope abound and there are several magnificent eagles +and hawks overhead.</p> + +<p>The chief difficulty here for Europeans is the water question. Although +much of this necessity is on all sides, it is not of good drinking +quality and dysentery is therefore common, while bilious fever and +hematuria are also known.</p> + +<p>One night at Libenge as we were playing bridge, the sentry suddenly +fired and 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 again. +Next day we heard that a thief had penetrated to the rubber store when +he was seen by the sentry, who fired the alarm, but the man was not +captured. All the natives here seem anxious to trade. Ladies sell us +their brass bangles for a tea cup full of salt and their dresses for a +similar amount. Spears, knives and many other curios are also offered +for sale some of which have evidently been hastily made since our +arrival.</p> + +<p>We leave Libenge on September 9th and continue our journey in the +<i>Florida</i>, 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 depth is almost at its maximum, and as the boat +only draws two feet, she can pass over the rocks with great ease. In the +afternoon we stop at a village and ask for wood, for as there was no +regular steamer service, there were no organised Wood Posts. The natives +at first brought down 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 themselves. The Chief seemed willing to +deal fairly, but evidently had little authority over his lazy people. +Then on again through the tornado, which at this season appears daily +with great regularity either in the afternoon or at night time. The +scenery is now changing, for we are approaching the limits of the great +equatorial forest. Hills, which appear like mountains, after the dead +level, can be seen in front covered with grass and a few trees.</p> + +<p>On September 10th, we reach Songo a small State Post in charge of a +native from Sierra Leone. Here we pitch our tents in a clearing and +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. +Immediately above Songo indeed is the first of the Ubangi rapids, the +water roaring and hissing as it fights its way down and over the rocks. +Just before bedtime, Chikaia comes with a long face and evidently much +disturbed and asks for a gun or rifle to protect himself, as the +<i>indigènes</i> are supposed to be very savage here. This of course I +refuse, and tell him to go to sleep by the fire and not be foolish. +However, I notice that both my rifle and gun are loaded and carefully +placed by my bedside. The boys then organise a watch over the baggage, +taking it in turn to act as sentry. On the opposite side of the river is +Bangi, the second most important place in the French Congo, prettily +situated on the side of a hill, and next day we cross in a small canoe. +The journey 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 course. Sometimes the water at the upper and sometimes at the +lower edge of the whirlpool is flowing in the direction he wishes to +take and with wonderful dexterity, he turns the bow of the canoe towards +a suitable current. We swing about like a cork and ship a good deal of +water but arrive without mishap on the other side. We call on Mr. +Jacques, the Vice Governor 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 side of the river. Most of these +are Senegalese and are 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.</p> + +<p>It appears that the four French traders, who were massacred a few weeks +ago, had two factories, one close to the river and one further inland. +In the latter was a large stock of arms and ammunition. These were +hastily abandoned and the natives then seized them and attacked the +factory on the river. All four white men were killed and it is feared +that two were first tied to trees and tortured. A punitive expedition +has been sent against the tribe who are now armed with these modern +rifles and the moral of the story is obviously that it is very dangerous +to permit traders to import and sell arms at all.</p> + +<p>One night I was awakened and saw the boys dancing excitedly about the +fire and in front of my tent. Having asked the matter, Chikaia, whose +zoological knowledge is very limited, replied <i>il est la petite bête</i>. +This sounded like mosquitoes so, having tucked in my net more closely, I +turned round to sleep. A few minutes afterwards, Lord Mountmorres +appeared shouting with pain and mounting a chair in front of my tent +rapidly peeled off his clothes. He said his bed was full of 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 tent. Hastily pulling on high boots 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 them by stamping about for +they were simply driven into the soft sand and wriggled out again the +moment the foot was withdrawn. We were evidently in the line of march of +a migrating host and were forced to beat a hasty retreat leaving the +insects in full possession.</p> + +<p>There is no drinking water at Songo, so we had to boil and filter that +from the river. This proved very difficult, for even after allowing it +to settle and then carefully decanting it, there was so much mud left, +that the pores of the porcelain candles in the filters frequently became +blocked. We had therefore to be content with muddy water well boiled. As +we had a fair amount of baggage, we required sixty or seventy paddlers +and it was not easy to find so many. At length however, after searching +on both sides of the river, crews were collected for three large canoes +and we arranged to continue our journey on September 14th.</p> + +<p>The canoes were lifted up the Songo rapids empty, while the baggage was +carried along the bank. It was then stowed in the boats and having +taken our places we made a start. The method of propulsion is very +interesting to watch. The canoes are sixty or seventy feet long and +three or four wide. In the centre is an awning to shade the white man +and in front 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 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 the swifter current running in the +centre of the river. In 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 +on a heap of clay in the bottom of the canoe, sits among the paddlers +and the sentries and baggage tuck themselves in somewhere, for it is +wonderful how many people and how much baggage these canoes will carry.</p> + +<p>Soon after starting we pass the Catholic Mission on the French bank and +immediately begin to fight a rapid. The paddlers strain every muscle, +the pole men push with all their strength against rocks and tree trunks +and the soldiers help by pulling on branches of trees or anything else +which is fixed. The water whirls past as we creep up inch by inch. 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 +broken to pieces on the rocks. At times some of the crew jump out and +clinging with their feet to the rocks, while up to their middle in the +torrent, push the boat up with all their strength. At length smooth +water is reached and on we go quietly for an hour or two, when another +rapid is reached and the struggle commences again. The work is intensely +hard and dangerous, but the Sangos are expert boatmen and seem anxious +to finish their task as soon as possible. In rough water or smooth, the +crews race along, singing, shouting and encouraging each other to make +one more effort. After an exciting and tiring day we reach a village and +having seen the crews rationed, pitch our tents.</p> + +<p>On again at 6.30. a.m. in a heavy river mist which however, is soon +dispersed as the sun rises. The rapids, which at first had the +excitement of novelty, began to pall for 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, between +rocks. Towards sunset we reach the site of Bokanda, a village now +deserted, for some years ago the Chief with his people migrated across +the river to the French side. We decide therefore, to sleep in the new +village and proceed to cross, but are still in mid stream when we see +the majority of the people running away into the forest behind, the +women gathering up their children and household utensils, while the men +followed more leisurely. The Chief however, and a few braves appear on +the beach with guns and for a moment it looks as though they mean +mischief. They evidently however think better of it, for we land +unmolested and send interpreters to say we are hunters and only desire a +place for our camp and food for our men. The Chief at once advances and +gives us chickens and eggs while the soldiers pitch the tents in the +square of the village.</p> + +<p>On again at daybreak, the journey being still more tiring, for it is +impossible to force the canoes heavily laden up some of the cataracts. +We have therefore to land three times and while the baggage is carried +along the bank, the empty canoes are hauled up with ropes. At 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.</p> + +<p>At Mokoangai is a large plantation and farm and well built houses for +the one or two white men who live there. Next day I start before +daybreak hunting. The country is open and hilly, covered generally with +grass eight or ten feet high. Still there are many places where the +ground is almost bare and it is an ideal spot for stalking game. After +walking a few miles in a mist, we see several antelopes and endeavour to +stalk them. While still nearly a hundred yards away, they commence to +walk slowly towards cover but it is possible to get a fair side shot and +one falls heavily hit in the shoulder. Soon after an elephant suddenly +appears about two hundred yards ahead walking along the crest of a hill. +Sending the native hunter to pick up the antelope, Chikaia and I follow +the elephant's spoor for some hours, but do not come up with it or find +other game. We were now high up on the range of hills behind Mokoangai +and the view was magnificent. 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 somewhat recalled +central Wales with a Wye magnified a hundred times. Chikaia had walked a +long way carrying a heavy rifle, and now showed signs of fatigue so he +was encouraged by being allowed to shoot a monkey on the way home.</p> + +<p>Next day being Sunday, we rest quietly in the Post and prepare to leave +next morning in the «Aia» which is one of the first launches Stanley +took to Africa and is therefore, somewhat ancient. Since she 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 Banzyville. Fortunately there are no +rapids in this stretch of the river and it is at least possible to stand +up comfortably in the launch, whereas in the canoes, it was necessary to +sit still in a long hammock chair for practically twelve hours each day.</p> + +<p>The people and villages now change much in appearance for the huts are +shaped like beehives and are made of frameworks of wood covered with +grass. The entrance is only about three feet high and the dome of the +roof perhaps four times that height. In some of them a kind of platform +is erected which seems to be an attempt to make a two storey building of +the hut. The women are here either quite nude or wear a small piece of +cloth or grass below the waist; the men however all have a loin cloth. +All the people seem to be of fine physique and the proportion of +children is abnormally high. The first night we stop at a trading post +of the Dutch Company on the French side of the river and are hospitably +received by the agents there.</p> + +<p>Next day we reach the Catholic Mission of Sainte Famille also on French +territory. The Fathers have laid out a large plantation and farm; +horses, cattle, sheep, goats and poultry all doing well. Indeed modern +American ploughs and carts give the farm quite a home-like appearance. +Maize, oranges, bananas, pineapples and many vegetables are here in +abundance. Sleeping Sickness is not known, which immunity is attributed +by the priests to the fact that the natives have plenty of fresh meat +and eat little kwanga. Apparently the disease is due to a bacillus. It +is however, at least possible that the new diet of the civilised native +may be a predisposing factor. The savage is naturally carnivorous and +before the advent of the white man, had little to eat but animal flesh. +Now his chief article of diet in the western parts of the 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 sickness, but along the Ubangi where he is more savage, there +is practically none. The Fathers give us some spirits distilled from the +papye and pineapple which are very good and beer made from maize which +is not. They then show us round the grounds and before we leave load us +with eggs and fresh vegetables which are very acceptable. At sunset we +tie up to the bank and make a camp. It is wonderful how quickly the +grass is cut down, the tents erected, fires lighted and dinner cooked, +for when the native knows he has to perform a certain definite task, he +works hard, so that he can eat his dinner and get to sleep as soon as +possible. Chikaia apparently has a fine sense of satire or humour. A +table was broken and when I asked how it was done, Chikaia instead of +answering «it has been done a long time» as an European servant would, +went one better and said «it has always been like that.» «I suppose it +was made so,» I replied. «Yes, Sir» was the answer and there was no more +to be said.</p> + +<p>The banks of the river are here lined with villages and each time we +stop crowds run to see the steamer, while the Chief comes on board, +shakes hands solemnly and presents eggs, chicken or a goat. In return we +hand back a good value in cloth, beads or salt. Mitakos are not seen +here at all, for 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 they receive many +times the value of the article they sell. We camp at the village of Dru, +where we find it very difficult to pitch tents owing to the rocky nature +of the soil.</p> + +<p>On September 22nd we reach the Kuangu river where is situated the chief +post of a French Trading Company. The buildings are as usual of bricks, +the mortar being made of the shells of river oysters and sand. Soon +after our arrival, a poor native was brought in whose hand had been +terribly mangled in a circular saw. We dressed it as carefully as +possible and fixed it on a splint until he could reach a post with a +hospital. In the night however, weird chanting was heard and next day we +discovered that his friends had been exorcising the evil spirits—i.e. +the perchloride of mercury in which the hand had been washed—had torn +off all the bandages and sent the boy a way in a canoe to avoid the +white medicine man. The hand will almost certainly fall off and the +further history of the boy will perhaps be interesting. One of the +traders, Mr. Constantine, a Swiss, said he had been stationed in the +interior and had heard no news since January. We are only able to bring +him up to June, three months behind date. This gentleman has had an +interesting career. He fought for England in the Matabele war and then +settled in the Orange Free State where he was commandeered by Cronje and +forced into the trenches at Magersfontein, but to his own great +satisfaction was soon taken prisoner by the British and was very well +treated. He now lives 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 +trades in rubber with the natives, paying in beads at the rate of 40 +centimes a kilogramme. It is 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, from the Company we next day continue up the +river past many villages all densely populated. The architecture has +again changed, the huts now being tent shaped and rising to a point in +the centre which is sometimes ornamented with a pair of antelope horns. +Some of the villages have plantations and all the inhabitants seem +desirous to trade, salt being the substance usually demanded in return +for lances, knives or curios. Indeed, even our own people wish to do a +little business, and after buying articles from the villagers, try to +sell them to us at no doubt a greatly enhanced price. The higher one +travels 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 supplies us with a <i>bras</i> of wood which is paid for +with beads. The scenery here in the very centre of Africa is beautiful, +range after range of hills, not however very high, extending as far as +the eye can see. These are covered with grass, which near the villages +is often burnt off, leaving black patches. On these the manioc will 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 it is +extremely difficult to preserve anything. Stitches rot in leather and +the soles of boots fall off, guns and rifles have to be oiled carefully +every day and cigars are completely spoilt in a few hours unless kept in +tin boxes. Can one wonder therefore that the human system soon breaks +down in this vapour bath and that sickness is very common in this part. +There is not much game to be seen from the river but occasionally a +covey of partridges rises from the grass and comes within gun shot of +the launch.</p> + +<p>The day before we reached Banzyville we found the steamer of the French +Company and paid a visit to the Director, where we drank to the +Anglo-French agreement, news of which had just arrived. Every Frenchman +in Africa is delighted with the gift of territory as every Englishman +should be with the settlement of so many prickly questions.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img132" id="img132" ></a><img src="images/img132.jpg" width='636' height='410' alt="SANGO NATIVES OF THE UBANGI." /> +<br /><b>SANGO NATIVES OF THE UBANGI.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img133" id="img133" ></a><img src="images/img133.jpg" width='653' height='449' alt="THE UPPER UBANGI." /> +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI" ></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<h3>The Upper Ubangi.—Banzyville to Yakoma.</h3> + +<p>Banzyville has been built on a beautiful site at a double bend of the +river. Opposite is the French Post of Mobaie and between them roars a +rapid. The country on each side is hilly, while the soil is rocky, great +boulders of granite and quartz lying about in isolated grandeur. We +reach the Post on the morning of September 26th and are 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 it turns to the left, and the open space is covered with gravel +which makes a welcome change from sand and clay while the house placed +at our disposal looks particularly inviting after a week of tents and +the small launch. Everything is wet through and has to be spread out on +the gravel to dry under nature's great fire. Unfortunately some of the +skins, which perforce have been left in cases for a 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 all very anxious to exchange lances and other +curiosities for European clothes. All were content with «Bulamatadi,» +although some grumbled at the necessity to find porters and paddlers.</p> + +<p>This is evidently one of the most populous districts in the whole Congo, +for on all sides, both at the river edge and on the hill tops, are large +villages consisting of tent-shaped huts and «shimbeks,» or square open +sheds, under which the natives sit and sleep most of the day. Besides +rubber, great quantities of rice are grown here, the plantations +extending parallel to the river for more than two 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, +for hitherto the women have not saluted and only the chiefs offered the +hand. Many of the people have thin lips and Semitic noses and most are +well made. As usual, if one meets a husband and wife, the former strolls +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 wood or food-stuff on her head. We cross the river in the +evening and dine with Captain Meilleur at Mobaie. The French villages +are identical with those on the State side, but the natives are, if +possible, still more idle.</p> + +<p>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 sit down in lines on the gravel. The baskets are then weighed on a +yard 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 to the quality of the rubber and +although each man is supposed to supply only one kilogramme a month some +of the villages here send in more than a ton in that time.</p> + +<p>Mr. Fernaka, the second in command, arrived on the 28th after marching +for thirty days in the interior over unexplored ground. He said it was +mostly marsh land 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 very friendly. The +native, in fact, quickly acquires absolute confidence in Europeans and +his fear at first is, obviously, only the fear of the unknown. It is +rather amusing to see the children in villages where few white men have +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, a +sergeant of some years' standing who accompanied Mr. Fernaka on his +arduous march, unfortunately contracted dysentery and arrived at +Banzyville only to die. We attend the funeral, the absolute simplicity +of the ceremony being very impressive. All the troops here, perhaps +seventy or eighty marched with reversed arms to the cemetery after the +buglers sounding the Last Post and lined 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. Far +into the night, however, one could hear the mournful dirge the soldiers +were chanting for their dead comrade. Hunting here is difficult although +game abounds, the grass being high enough to conceal antelopes and +everything else except elephants. After a walk through rough country and +water for six hours without success, I was glad to get into 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 hunting here until the +grass is burnt. Next day, being very tired and stiff, I pass the time +looking through <i>Civilisation in Congoland</i> again. Having now visited +many of the places mentioned in that book, the difficulties which beset +a writer who publishes a work on a country 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 how such absolutely false reports of the +condition of the country can have originated. On the other hand, it is +impossible to travel several thousands of miles in the Congo—especially +in the unfrequented parts—without constantly wondering what is the +extraordinary power which enables a few hundred white men, not only to +govern as many million blacks, but to open up and develop a country as +large as the continent of Europe, which a few years ago was absolutely +unknown.</p> + +<p>We can dismiss at once the idea that the native is suppressed by +military despotism, for the Posts 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 policemen in England. At any moment the +thousands of natives who live in or near the Posts, could overwhelm +these small forces long before help could arrive from the next +Government Station, in many cases a week's journey distant. The fact +that they do not do so, is at least negative evidence that the white men +do not ill treat the people. There is however, much positive evidence +that the native has, not only a great respect, but also an affection for +his new rulers, and it is not difficult to understand the reason, when +we compare his fate before the advent of the Europeans with his +condition at present.</p> + +<p>In each village was a Chief or Chiefs, freemen and slaves who passed +their lives hunting and fighting other tribes. The sole property of the +Chiefs and freemen were their 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, or knives, and one large canoe +would buy several women. Legislation rested with the Chiefs and trial by +ordeal was common, but always so arranged that the result could be +controlled by the judge. This is not the place however, to describe +these interesting, if horrible practices.</p> + +<p>Now at present the people are rich beyond the wildest dreams of their +ancestors for the value of the property of the great Chiefs has greatly +increased, since they have dealt with Europeans. Again the Chief of a +small village containing 1000 men supplies 1000 kilogrammes of rubber +each month to the State for 50 centimes a kilo. To collect this amount +takes two or three days; each year therefore the village receives £240 +for collecting a substance of no value at all to the natives whose daily +routine in the meantime is scarcely affected at all. The 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, salt, and other useful commodities. The lucky owner of a canoe, +it is true, can no longer buy three or four slaves with it, but he can +use it to transport produce or to catch fish, for which he is well paid. +Again compare the lot of the slave in the past with his present +condition. He was liable to the most terrible fate at any moment; now he +can enter the army, work in the plantations or remain safely in his +village and do a few hours' work each month. There is however, another +force acting which we should hardly expect would affect the mind of a +savage. He is greatly influenced by a desire to ascend the social +ladder at the summit of which, is of course, the white man, and anyone +having direct dealings with him, at once knows himself to be superior to +the naked cannibal of the forest. The servant, or «boy,» of the white +man, holds a high rank and considers himself to be quite another species +of man than his cousin, who is still uncivilised. So also the soldiers +and workers in the plantations, who come into daily contact with the +officials. All the most intelligent and ambitious natives are thus drawn +away from their primitive condition of life and become attached to their +masters, who give them cloth to wear and beads with which to beautify +themselves. The most important Chiefs are as anxious indeed to appear +like Europeans, as a prosperous native of Sierra Leone, is to wear +patent boots and carry a silk umbrella. There 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 Europeans, a +distinction which is both necessary and wise.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img139" id="img139" ></a><img src="images/img139.jpg" width='348' height='542' alt="YOUNG SANGO GIRLS AT BANZYVILLE." /> +<br /><b>YOUNG SANGO GIRLS AT BANZYVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>It daily becomes more and more obvious that the white man is greatly +respected and that his word is absolutely trusted. What he says is true +and what he promises, he does. The native appears to respect these +characteristics perhaps all the more because he is so lamentably +deficient in them himself.</p> + +<p>It is indeed the respect caused by moral not physical force which +enables a few Europeans to govern this great country with success, and +permits one or two white men to live securely with a few soldiers in an +isolated Post surrounded by thousands of natives most of whom are +savage cannibals.</p> + +<p>There are, however, many difficulties yet to be surmounted, and among +them is the arrangement of a satisfactory currency. This was brought +home forcibly on October 1st when according to weekly custom, the people +in the villages around brought in food for the Post. Many women appeared +with large bunches of bananas for which as a rule, they are paid by +beads. In this prosperous part the heads of the women are already fully +adorned with beads and most of their household ornaments also, so they +demanded cloth instead.</p> + +<p>The question of the currency is a very difficult one. There is 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 heavy with +beads, wishes for some other payment. There is a warehouse at each of +the State Posts in which cloth, clothes, beads, salt, and many other +commodities likely to be of use to the natives are kept, but it is +manifestly impossible to give as wages to each individual the particular +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 latter being worn out in course of time. Nevertheless +it is not well to have a currency which is continually being formed only +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 +difficulties in the way. Francs and centimes will of course be of no +use to the natives, unless Stores are still kept at the State Posts at +which they can buy whatever they wish. This great question is, however, +occupying the careful attention of the Government, and will no doubt be +settled as satisfactorily as many others have been which were equally +difficult.</p> + +<p>Sunday is always an interesting day in a State Post, for the Chiefs with +many followers come in for a friendly chat and to ask advice. October +2nd was particularly exciting for a new Chief had been elected in a +village near Banzyville, 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 criterion of happiness, +these people must be the happiest in the world. There are many forms of +dances; sometimes 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 and rapidly rotate themselves; but whatever the +form, all seemed to be keenly excited and to enjoy it thoroughly.</p> + +<p>The natives near the Ubangi have a very distinctive tatouage. It +consists of five elevated knobs of skin which 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 an +inch apart and lifting the flap between. A piece of ivory is then +inserted under the flap and left in until the wound has healed, the +result being a knob of skin elevated above the level of the rest of the +surface. All the tatouage in the Congo consists in raising the skin in +this manner, but in each district the design is different. Simple +tatooing by pricking in colours does not appear to be practised at all.</p> + +<p>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 lifted out. They have firm, +white flesh and are good eating.</p> + +<p>On October 3rd the Chief of the Banzas comes to the Post to call. He is +a fine, intelligent-looking man and rules his people, who are very +numerous, admirably. In this 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.</p> + +<p>Numerous petty Chiefs drop in to the Post at intervals during the day +and are rather a nuisance, for they are always begging for clothes and +offering lances and presents in exchange. They do not realise that one +does not carry a superfluity of clothes when travelling, or that one or +two lances are quite sufficient to keep as curios. Probably they think +we are traders for we are not <i>bulamatadi</i>, and no one I believe, has +ever ascended the Ubangi on a pleasure tour before. The newly-elected +Chief was very anxious to be given a suit of clothes as he had none and +wished to make an impression on his new subjects. He described with many +gestures, that he was elected with much beating of drums, which indeed +was only too true and said he always intended to remain a great friend +of the State. After that, of course he had to be given some clothes. The +system of giving «tips» indiscriminately is 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 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 is only paid his due, is as discontented and abusive as a +cabman who has only received his legal fare.</p> + +<p>There are many native thieves all over the Congo—one of them actually +penetrated into the house of Captain Auita at midday in bright sunshine +and stole a spear and a native knife. He was however, soon caught and +marched off to prison. Trials by ordeal used to be very common among the +natives. A favourite method was to give a dose of strychnine to a fowl +and if it died, the accused was guilty, but if it lived, he was +innocent. The wretched fowl, feeling in any case very ill, walked about +wondering at the excitement and followed by the complainant shouting +«die, die, die, fowl» and the defendant shouting «live, live, live, +fowl.» The strength of the solution was always arranged by the judge so +the verdict was known to him beforehand. A curious instrument to take +the place of a jury, is a nut through which a piece of fibre has been +passed in such a way, that when it is held vertically, the nut slides up +and down. By a curious twist of the fibre however, it is possible to +prevent the nut falling. At the trial, the nut is raised to the top of +the string and if it stays there, the accused is innocent, but if it +falls, he is guilty. Here again, the judge can make the machine decide +either way at his will.</p> + +<p>Among the many objectionable insects of the Congo is the «jigger,» a +kind of sand fly which burrows under the skin, usually of a toe, and +deposits eggs in a sack there. Unless these are removed an abscess +forms. The natives sit about calmly removing jiggers from each other's +feet with needles, and show considerable skill in this small operation. +It is necessary therefore never to move about with bare feet, for the +boys carry them into every place.</p> + +<p>Much ivory comes into the Post at intervals, the points sometimes +weighing 70 or 80 lbs. each. The State preserves the elephant very +strictly, and the export duty on tusks above 6 kilos in weight, is 21 +frs. per kilo. Still it is not likely that the Congo will continue to +yield such large quantities of ivory, for the elephant only bears one +offspring in three years and the growth of the baby is very slow. There +is a baby elephant here one year old. He stands about 4 feet, 6 inches +high, and has no sign of tusks at present. He is fed on rice, milk and +bananas and is a playful little fellow. A tame ape here fears the +elephant very much and at his approach at once clings to the native who +tends him or climbs over his shoulder, so as to place the boy's body +always between himself and the elephant.</p> + +<p>On Monday October 10th we prepare to continue our journey up river. We +shall now require 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 French soldiers belonging to the +1st Senegalese Tirailleurs, a splendid set of fellows, very smart in +their khaki uniforms. We can, therefore, land with impunity on either +side of the river, <i>i.e.</i> in the French or the State Congo, and be able +to communicate with the Chiefs, for it will be rather difficult perhaps +to feed so many people.</p> + +<p>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 baggage is arranged and +the little fleet starts in single file, for each canoe hugs the bank. +Before half an hour had elapsed my canoe struck a rock and stuck on it. +Fortunately we were 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.</p> + +<p>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 very slowly. The singing, on the +other hand, is by no means unpleasant. One of the crew sings a solo, a +kind of recitative, the words being an extempore criticism, as 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 ditties, +which become popular in England and America, in these savage African +songs, nor are they in the least like Chinese or Indian music. The +instruments are rudimentary; simple zithers, rattles, bells and a kind +of guitar, but it is probable that all these, except the bells, have +been introduced by the Europeans or Arabs.</p> + +<p>On we creep slowly until we reach the island of Ya which belongs to the +State. All the other islands, except Bamu, being no man's 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 general mixture. These they deposit on the +ground and stand at attention each behind the meal she has prepared. The +sergeants and capitas distribute the rations among the soldiers and +paddlers, and at an order of the Chief, the whole crowd disappears into +the huts. Then we eat our dinner, consisting of the usual chicken and +eggs, have a game of two-handed bridge and turn in.</p> + +<p>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, and when he endeavoured to get it +back, beat him severely. We order him therefore more food, and decide to +investigate the case in the morning.</p> + +<p>Next day after giving cloth to the Chiefs in payment for the food, we +send for the youth who made so much noise in the night. A poleman now +stated that the boy had stolen his loin cloth and that therefore he had +beaten him. 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 if such a thing occurred again, he would be severely +punished, we decided to take no further action.</p> + +<p>One of the French soldiers now appeared and told a romantic story. He +had found a long lost blood sister in the village, the mutual +recognition being confirmed by the tribal marks. Both had been sold as +slaves when children; he had drifted into the French native army and she +had married one of the subjects of the State. Now she wished to leave +her husband and go away with her brother, who was willing to pay +compensation for her loss if necessary. As this seemed to raise some +delicate questions, we refused to take any step, except to report the +matter to the proper authorities.</p> + +<p>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 at once and +probably no one told the truth, it was difficult to discover what was +the matter, but some women were missing from the French Congo and an +elephant from the State, and the natives on each bank wished the white +men to punish those on the other. As private travellers, of course we +could take no action, even if we had wished, and continued on our way +already two or three hours late. At length at 6 p.m., Zinga is reached, +a large village with a fine plantation, and here we camp.</p> + +<p>Just above the village the rapids are so strong that it is dangerous to +take the canoes up charged, and it is necessary to carry all the baggage +for about three miles across country until smooth water is reached +again. The capitas wished to attempt the ascent with the canoes full, +for the native dislikes carrying, more than anything else. We explain +that if it is necessary for the white men, who can swim, to walk, how +much more necessary is it to carry the baggage, which would at once sink +if the canoes capsized. However, this did not convince them and +Europeans who have had accidents on the river say, that although the +whole crew, who all swim like fishes, go to the assistance of the white +man when a canoe capsizes, not one will take the trouble to rescue the +baggage. Probably the native, whose personal property is limited to a +loin cloth, thinks all other possessions are useless vanities and not +worth troubling about. The view here 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 game bird for eating in the whole of Africa, and I go +ahead of the bearers to search for them, but see nothing of interest.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img151" id="img151" ></a><img src="images/img151.jpg" width='641' height='369' alt="THE STATE POST AT DJABIR." /> +<br /><b>THE STATE POST AT DJABIR.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>By 8 a.m. the canoes have all passed the rapids, and are charged again, +so once more we make a start. Soon another rapid is reached which it is +impossible to negotiate with the paddles. Some of the crew therefore, go +overboard and standing on the rocks up to their waists in water, +literally lift the boat up foot by foot until the top is reached. +After this the river widens again and the current is not so strong. One +of the canoes is now reserved as a kitchen and carries the goats, +chickens and other food. It is interesting to watch Luembo sitting +smoking his pipe over the fire as he cooks the lunch. Nothing disturbs +his calm serenity and he goes on philosophically making soup even in the +roughest water. When lunch is ready we stop by the bank, the kitchen +comes alongside and the hot, strong soup is very acceptable, for it is +impossible to eat much in the heat of the day.</p> + +<p>At night time we decide to stop at the mouth of the Koto river, where is +a post of the Trading Company of that name, and the two agents there +kindly extend hospitality to us. Some of the natives here show well +marked Semitic features and a few, oddly enough, have eyes shaped like +the Chinese. They are all ready to bring rations for the paddlers and +accept payment without comment. Indeed, the native never says «thank +you,» but as he speedily lets you know when he is dissatisfied, silence +obviously means contentment. The Company has a rubber plantation and a +well kept farm with cows, pigs and sheep which live healthily here.</p> + +<p>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 on the French side with a hospitable Chief +and a mud guest house. In this we store the baggage and arrange to sleep +on the verandah which has fortunately a water-tight, roof for the almost +daily tornado happened to be of an unusually violent description. The +lightning is practically continuous and of a vivid, blinding green +colour; the thunder sounds as if whole streets have been struck and +knocked down, while the rain descends like the stream of a shower bath.</p> + +<p>The Chief's house in this village is oblong, but at the two ends of the +roof, spire-like tops are affixed, similar to those on the 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.</p> + +<p>Next morning it was still raining hard, so we waited in the dry without +anxiety, as we knew the journey to Yakoma would only take five or six +hours, but about 10 a.m. having emptied the canoes, which were full of +water, we arranged the baggage and made a start. Village succeeded +village, in which were numerous people elaborately decorated with beads +and paint, but not otherwise covered. All the Chiefs were well disposed +and presented eggs or chicken, and took the cloth or salt offered in +return without grumbling. About midday we reached the commencement of +the Yakoma village, which extends for some miles along the bank. Most of +the crew were evidently well known here and several lived in the +village. Their well-meaning friends therefore, jumped on to the canoes +as they passed or swam out to them and took the paddles and poles from +their tired comrades. With a greatly augmented company, with the canoes +dangerously deep in the water, with tom-toms beating, bells ringing, +bugles sounding and people shouting, we arrived at Yakoma about 5 p.m. +on October 15th thus completing a voyage along the whole length of the +Ubangi river.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII" ></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<h3>Yakoma to Djabir.</h3> + + +<p>Yakoma is built on the banks of the Uele just before it joins with the +Bomu to form the Ubangi. The voyage up that river from its 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 in the forest during or +after the daily tornado. Still the trip has been very interesting for +this is one of the least known parts of the world and the people are +probably the least civilised.</p> + +<p>This experience brought home the fact with something like a shock that +human nature is much the same everywhere and that if the savage leads +the life practically of an animal, he is at the same time not very much +unlike modern civilised man. He does not wear clothes, but he is very +vain and adorns himself with beads and bangles, his hair dressing +requiring hours of patient labour. He is often as pleased at being +photographed as a young fashionable beauty and, if a warrior, is as +proud of the paint which shows he has killed some one in battle, as a +soldier is of his medals. He is frankly commercial in his dealings and +as anxious to say what he thinks will please his guest as the most +tactful of society's hostesses. He is as keen to win in a canoe race as +any undergrad in his college boat and is a genuine and true sportsman. +He is very jealous as a husband and devoted as a father, characteristics +common both to animals and to the most intellectual of men. He is, as a +Chief, by no means hard on his subjects although his punishments are +barbarous and his sense of justice not greatly developed. He eats human +flesh but not the diseased livers of geese and he prefers his meat +decomposing as some like their game. He takes no more thought for the +morrow than many civilised people who live from hand to mouth without +considering the future and finally he sees the world from his point of +view and has little desire to discuss that of others. Mr. Van Luttens +the Chef du Poste kindly meets us and places a house at our disposal. We +then read our mail, the first news from home since July, and glance +through the newspapers. The country around Yakoma is flat and as there +is no sign of forest, the plantation consists of rubber bushes only. +Much rice is also grown here and at one time a large amount of coffee +was raised from plants brought from Liberia but these have since died. +The native coffee, however, does well and is certainly as good as any in +the world, so it seems to be wiser to cultivate this and to leave +foreign varieties alone.</p> + +<p>This is one of the very few places in the Congo where the cows give +more milk than is required by their calves, and where butter can be +made. The farm is well stocked with horses and cattle for breeding +purposes which function they fulfil very well, the foals and calves +looking strong and healthy. All the Chiefs in the neighbourhood come and +call upon us. They are all very rich, powerful and loyal in this +district and delight in wearing European clothes or uniforms. One of +them was dressed in an old naval uniform with 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 opposite Yakoma on +the opposite bank of the Uele is a village for retired soldiers where +they have their own gardens and plantations and live a life of ease but +are not pensioned. The term of service is for 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 that. It is not +at all uncommon to find sergeants who have served ten or twelve years +and they are always very responsible men.</p> + +<p>As usual the people offer us many native articles in return for cloth +and we add to our already large collection.</p> + +<p>As there is no big game near at hand I decide to make a collection of +small birds, of which there are very many here, with most beautiful +plumage. Unfortunately I have no smaller shot than 5-1/2 and it is +difficult to avoid damaging the smaller varieties. However, by firing +with the full choke barrel at about fifty yards two or three pellets +almost always hit 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 position they are placed. Birds can +thus be set with the wings extended in a flying position or as if +roosting, the effect being much prettier than any which can be obtained +by stuffing. If is however, necessary to arrange them and inject very +soon after they are dead for if rigor mortis once sets in, it is +impossible to alter the position assumed by the head and wings. There +were great numbers of beautiful birds in the plantation and it was easy +to obtain over a dozen different specimens in less than an hour<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3" ></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a>. +Red-legged partridges are also found here in the rice, but as in Europe +this variety will not rise and one may walk all day hearing the familiar +call on all sides and only obtain one or two shots.</p> + +<p>On October 19th I had my first attack of fever, which was not severe and +soon yielded to phenacetin. It was however, rather a disappointment for +I had taken five grains of quinine regularly every day since arriving in +the Congo. The fever ran the same course that it used to do in India ten +years ago but as it only once appeared in England during that period, I +hoped it had gone for ever. Hundreds of mosquitoes hummed around with +the ambitious idea presumably of carrying the germs to some other +unfortunate.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img159" id="img159" ></a><img src="images/img159.jpg" width='640' height='365' alt="THE RIVER NEAR BANZYVILLE." /> +<br /><b>THE RIVER NEAR BANZYVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>As we shall now leave the French frontier and travel altogether in State +territory we send the Senegalese escort down the river back to their +station at Mobaie. The sergeant who was in charge 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 Chief was greatly +disturbed because two men from his village had migrated into State +territory. Although this is against the law it is apparently not a very +unusual occurrence. 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 he objected still more to paying the tax in the +French Congo. It is impossible indeed to say which side gains by this +emigration but it is very evident that it is not altogether one-sided +and not great enough to affect seriously the size of the population of +either the French or Free State Congo.</p> + +<p>In Yakoma the people are paid chiefly by beads and salt and it is +interesting to watch the long string of workers filing to the office of +the Chef du Poste on Saturday, each one carrying a plate, a tin can or +some other receptacle in which to receive his wages.</p> + +<p>On October 22nd we decide to pack up and move on. The skins of the +larger birds the toucans, razor-bills and serpent birds are keeping very +badly but those of the monkeys, leopards and antelopes are in better +condition. It is however, doubtful if they will last, for to preserve +them it is necessary to hang them out in the sun every day which is +obviously impossible when travelling. As a small 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 shall be forthcoming for many of those gentlemen have forsaken +the wooden blade for the iron lance. We are therefore a large party on +October 23rd when we leave Yakoma in a drizzling rain, the remains of +the usual nightly tornado. Although the paddlers wear no clothes and do +not hesitate to jump into the water at any moment it is curious that +they dislike rain very much and never work so well as when a hot sun is +shining. The least diminution of temperature indeed affects them very +much and they sit drowsily over the fire hugging themselves, being +aroused to action only with difficulty. We number now about two hundred +including the thirty soldiers and armed capitas, but as the current is +not very strong we make good headway through somewhat flat and +uninteresting country until we arrive at Prekissa, a large village on +the north bank of the Uele.</p> + +<p>Here we were received by the Chief of the Abira tribe, a great potentate +who sat in a long hammock chair 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 +independent authority and the power of life and death in certain limited +cases. Behind the palace are many rows of round huts close together. Not +a soul is visible or a sound heard for these are the quarters of the +wives of the Chief and except the official lady who acts as legal queen +none are presented to the white men. The present Chief is a keen +commercial man and understands the advantage of being on good terms with +the Slate for he has a large rubber plantation and also works metals. +The blast furnace is most interesting. It is simply a pit about two +feet wide and deep formed by banking up clay and earth for several feet +around which has been dried by the great heat of the furnace into a hard +stony substance. Indeed at first sight the pit looks like a hole dug in +solid rock. In it is placed iron stone and wood charcoal which is +lighted and a blast made by several pairs of bellows formed of antelope +skins. The molten metal is not run off but remains with the slag in the +pit until it is cool when the latter is chipped away and the shapeless +mass of iron is ready to be worked into spears and lances by the +blacksmiths. Probably this method is a very ancient one indeed, and it +is curious that it should resemble so closely the modern Bessemer +process for making steel. Having walked through the village we return to +our camp on the river bank and the Chief presents spears. He then +proceeds to ask for anything he takes a fancy to in return. We had +already given him cloth much more valuable than his lances when he +suddenly demanded tobacco. I gave him the contents of my pouch and he +then asked for that also. He next asked me to give him my jacket and +finally wished to buy my cap for two ivory finger rings. To receive a +present from a Congo chief is thus a very expensive honour. He then sat +down and smoked while we eat, for it is contrary to custom to ask a +native to dine at the same table as a white man.</p> + +<p>We start again next morning at 6 a.m. The banks of the river are now +assuming an equatorial appearance for we are in the third degree of +latitude and palms grow in great profusion but the country is flat and +uninteresting. About midday we land at Gembele, a large village with an +extensive plantation. The Chief is a young, good-looking man with +refined European features and a very gentlemanly manner. He owns a large +island, many iron and copper mines and is very wealthy. When one was +introduced to him he pointed with pride to the State medal he was +wearing 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 and roofed +with leaves which serves as a Chamber of State wherein discussions take +place and justice is administered. Gembele only succeeded his father a +year ago and among other responsibilities he has to take care of +numerous wives, step mothers and aunts, the legacies of his father and +uncles. They seem, however, to be well-disciplined for they were sunning +themselves when we suddenly appeared round a corner but at a wave of the +hand of the boy of the Chief, they all rushed for cover and not one +turned round to try and catch a glimpse of the white men. Possibly they +have peep-holes in the walls of their huts for it would be too much to +expect them to have no feminine curiosity. Gembele is evidently +respected by his people but he has a somewhat serious look as though he +felt the cares of his position heavily. There is a strong rapid opposite +the village so we allow the canoes to go up empty and enter them again +above it. It is now intensely hot and progress is slow but we reach the +village of Sembile before sundown and pitch our tents in a clearing. The +huts here are still round and the people practically nude but the custom +of wearing beads has disappeared and very few are painted.</p> + +<p>There is a bright moon which acts here as a clock by night as the sun +does by day. As the latter passes practically straight 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-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.</p> + +<p>We start again at daylight and ascend the river to Voro where we land +with all baggage for the rapids here are so strong that it is necessary +to walk for several miles. We therefore start in a procession of more +than one hundred people along a narrow foot-path while the crews take up +the empty canoes. The guide leads and I follow next, hoping to shoot any +game that may exist in the neighbourhood before it is disturbed by the +bearers. It is, however, speedily apparent that with 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. After a time my gun weighs heavy +so I give it to a bearer and a moment after two fine pheasants rise a +few yards away. All around is evidence of game. Great tracts through the +grass where the stately elephant has passed to drink at the river, spoor +of buffalo and antelope at every water course and yet not a sign of life +now for the sun is high up and a hundred bearers are yelling and singing +close behind. After walking for about 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 +feet comfortably cool. About 2 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 high for leopards abound and +when game is difficult to find do not hesitate to enter villages and +carry off people. Here we halt for lunch and then on again through the +forest full of cuckoo pheasants. These are not much more difficult to +shoot than hand reared birds at home although they fly higher to clear +the tall trees. They do not, however, appear to travel very quickly but +this may be a delusion as it is difficult to judge distance in Africa. +No other game birds come within range. Late in the afternoon we reach +Bogosi, a large clean and well arranged village. The Chief is a pleasant +fellow perfectly willing to sell us food for our party; and monkeys, +tortoises or anything else we may desire for ourselves. Here we change +all our paddlers the present ones going back to their villages. As the +tribe is at war with one higher up the river, Mr. Van Luttens thought it +might be difficult to obtain paddlers here and so came himself. With his +aid, however, the difficulty vanished for he arranged with the Chief +that the paddlers who took us to Djabir should not be called upon to do +any more work for the State for nine months. That is to say that the +enforced forty hours a month would work out at six or seven days +paddling in nine months and as each man was 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.</p> + +<p>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. The first day with new crews is always a +trouble but this is never repeated for the native has a good memory and +every bale, bag, gun and even small articles like books are taken from +the canoes each evening and put back in identically the same place in +the morning. This is remarkable 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.</p> + +<p>The river is heavily in flood for this is the end of the wet season and +the current is very strong indeed. Soon we come to the first rapid and +one of the men drops his pole overboard at the critical moment. The +other two, however, hold the canoe up by pressing against the rocks +while the water whirls past within an inch of the edge of the little +craft. At a word from the capita one of the paddlers jumps into the +rushing water, rescues the pole and lands safely with it on the bank, +fifty or sixty yards below. All the Sangos swim like salmon but cannot +of course leap up rapids. They however, swim so powerfully that they +steer clear of the rocks and reach the side even in the swiftest +current. On we go slowly struggling up rapid after rapid and when it is +impossible to paddle and pole the canoes against the stream the crew +stand on the rocks and lift them up. Sometimes the drop is three feet at +one spot and it is perfectly marvellous how these men can thus stand +waist deep in the water. Naturally we ship a good deal of water which +wets everything through and through but the crew take this as a matter +of course and bale it out at intervals while the boys take care the +firearms are not injured. The amount of actual work the crew do must be +enormous yet they never seem fatigued and sing as lustily at the end as +at the beginning of the day. At length we pass the island of Mutemu and +seek for a place for a camp. There is not much choice for the forest is +very dense here and it is necessary in every place to clear the +undergrowth before the tents can be pitched. Then fires are lighted and +all are soon asleep.</p> + +<p>We start again at daybreak and at once commence the fight with the +rapids. Soon after a Chief appears in a canoe, and having explained that +he is at war with a neighbouring tribe hopes it will not inconvenience +the white man. On being asked why he is 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 that he expected to be +successful and capture several women as well as men.</p> + +<p>The navigation of the Uele at this part of its course is so difficult +that there are very few villages on its banks for the native who lives +near a stream hardly ever walks and he will not settle unless he can +travel by canoe. For this reason there is often no pathway at all +between villages only a mile or two apart on the river bank. The few +people there are have probably never seen a white man for as far as one +can ascertain no one has been up here for ten years. However, where +there is a village the Chief comes on board and presents a chicken. +About midday the kitchen canoe paddles by with fire alight and pot +boiling. Soon after Chikaia shouts: <i>Le cuisinier est tombé dans l'eau,</i> +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 within reach +but to my surprise his paddlers suddenly turn away from the bank and +make for 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. Having asked +Chikaia the meaning of this he replied: <i>La petite bête qui mange +l'homme.</i> Chikaia's knowledge of zoology and French being somewhat +limited every animal is for him either a «<i>petite</i>» or a «<i>grande +bête</i>». The information was therefore not very valuable for it was +impossible to imagine what small beast was in the habit of eating +people. Thinking, however, of a crocodile I took my rifle but Chikaia +laughed and said: «<i>Non, non, la petite</i>.» By this time we were well out +in mid-stream opposite the kitchen canoe which—to add to the +mystery—was not upset at all. The cook, the crew, the goats and the +fowls were all, 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 useless being astonished at anything in Africa and +there was obviously nothing to do but sit still while the crew raced +along as fast as they could paddle. In a few minutes they pulled into +the bank and there we waited for the kitchen which presently appeared +with the cook reclining in the arms of one of the crew and moaning: «<i>Je +mart, je mort</i>.» After a rapid examination, however, I 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 tree and +he had been stung in the head. To avoid further damage, he and the whole +of the crew not only jumped into the water themselves but threw all the +live stock overboard as well, for the natives believe that the sting of +this insect kills and they fear it more than an encounter with a wild +beast. The cook was therefore in a highly hysterical condition and no +doubt in considerable pain also although no mark of a sting could be +discovered, amidst his thick curly black hair. Still I took him into my +canoe, gave him whisky internally and bathed his head with permanganate +of potassium and he was quite well next day. After this delay we +struggle on until just before dark we reached the worst rapid on the +river the Kandoko Falls, up which the canoes are lifted inch by inch. +Everything was already wet so the fact that a terrific tornado burst +before we could pitch the tents added but little to our discomfort.</p> + +<p>On again at daybreak and after one or two ineffectual attempts to +negotiate the last strong rapid on this piece of the river we conquer it +and reach smooth water. In the 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 man to tell us not to sound our +tom-toms as it will attract the hostile tribe and they will attack our +camp. We ask for the letter for white men never send verbal messages by +natives and when it was not forthcoming became suspicious that our +visitor was spying our strength. We told him that we were peaceful +travellers, that we should beat our tom-toms as much as we liked and +camp where we wished and that if the tribe attacked us we should defend +ourselves. Probably our rifles made an impression for we were not +molested at all during the day and at night camped in the village of the +hostile tribe. Our paddlers indeed fraternised with the enemy, against +whom they would have been fighting if they had not been employed by us.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img171" id="img171" ></a><img src="images/img171.jpg" width='322' height='569' alt="THE SULTAN OF DJABIR." /> +<br /><b>THE SULTAN OF DJABIR.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>The usual tornado burst in the night and we did not make a start until +7 a.m. when we continued up the river and passed several villages before +2 p.m. when Djabir came in sight. The view of the town from the distance +is very pretty indeed. In the centre is an old fort with four towers now +partly demolished and on each side the houses of the officials +stretching along the river bank. Here we land two hours afterwards and +feel that at last we shall have a night's rest without fear that our +habitation will be blown away or soaked with water.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3" ></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Now in the British Museum (Natural History).</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII" ></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<h3>Across Uele.—Djabir to Ibembo.</h3> + + +<p>Djabir is a disappointing place. Although very imposing from a distance +it is being rebuilt at present and at close quarters it becomes obvious +that some of the old houses are in a very bad state of repair. Some +welcome newspapers meet us here and I am delighted to learn that the +Government has passed the Licensing Bill and that the Japanese are still +successful. The Sultan of Djabir sent his brother a 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 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 them. The Sultan himself seems to be equally difficult +to deal with and although the State has given him the rank of Captain in +the Force Publique and tried to humour him in every way he is not a good +subject. His village has the usual characteristics with some signs of +Arab civilisation.</p> + +<p>Lord Mountmorres is now anxious to hasten to Bumba for the rest of the +mail and if necessary to send a special courier to Coquilhatville with a +cablegram while I arrange to follow more slowly and hunt the country in +between. He therefore leaves Djabir on October 31st taking only one boy +and a little baggage. It is a very hot day and at night-time a heavy +tornado bursts over the Post. I wake up in a pool 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 sleep but not for long for the mosquito net was +fixed to the wall where I left it forgetting the little pests. It is now +a question of bites or water and as the latter seems cooler I replace +the bed and fixing the roof of the net on the slope so that the heaviest +part of the shower will run off, pass the rest of the night in +comparative comfort. It is indeed time the place was rebuilt for at +present Djabir has a depressing air of former greatness and present +decay. As there are no elephants near and the 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 to be thrown away while +the native lances and spears are covered with red rust, and have to be +cleaned, smeared with palm oil and repacked.</p> + +<p>I start next morning to cross Uele, but as it is impossible to obtain +more than thirty five porters some of the baggage has to be left behind. +The loads are carried here in rather a curious manner. The porters make +a hand of coarse grass fibres and pass it over the crown of the head +which is inclined forwards. The band is attached to the bale or box +which itself rests on the back between the shoulders. Then leaning +forward the porter, carrying 50 lbs, walks at 3-1/2 miles an hour over +rough roads for three or four hours with scarcely a stop. Having crossed +the river the caravan is formed and at once strikes along the path +through the villages on the opposite bank to Djabir.</p> + +<p>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 clothes. The tatouage also is here very +different for the 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; there are however, various other devices on the cheeks and +the lobes of the ears are sometimes pierced for the insertion of a ring +of ivory nearly as large as a serviette ring. The natives are very +polite, every single 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 +bought here for cloth at about the price one pays in an expensive shop +in London. Some of 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 4/- +for a chicken little larger than a pigeon.</p> + +<p>The natives here seem to have been spoilt by the whites who must have +given them very high prices for food at first, and these have never been +reduced. Naturally demand and supply affect the price considerably. A +native refused to sell us a duck at Coquilhatville for 14/-, for ducks +are rare. 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 themselves for salt so fond are they +of that substance. This they eat alone and relish immensely for the +native salt is very unpleasant. It is made from water lilies and 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 +enter into solution. This is then evaporated to dryness in the sun and +forms native salt.</p> + +<p>Once 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» tree very common. Overhead are pigeons, a few +ducks and, as usual, thousands of parrots. I shot a few either for the +larder or for their skins all of which fell in the dense undergrowth. +Without a retriever these were no 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 be +found. All the porters returned along this path the next day and perhaps +were then more successful and enjoyed the game which would not be harmed +by hanging for a day in a tree. The road is a good one being sometimes +five or six feet wide and most of the marshes and streams are crossed by +rude wooden bridges formed by trunks of trees laid parallel to each +other.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img179" id="img179" ></a><img src="images/img179.jpg" width='440' height='605' alt="WARRIORS AT DJABIR." /> +<br /><b>WARRIORS AT DJABIR.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>Most of the way is up a gentle incline for we are now passing over the +ridge which separates the watersheds of the Ubangi and the Congo. At +intervals along the road are small clearings in some of which are +capitas armed with cap-guns to protect the rubber caravans from +thieves. About midday we reach Kaki-kaki, a clearing in the forest in +which is a mud house for the use of white men passing through and here I +call a halt for we have marched about twelve or thirteen miles.</p> + +<p>On again next morning at daybreak the path continuing through the +forest, and as it is quite cold at this hour and the exercise is +pleasant we march briskly only stopping to shoot occasionally. After +leaving Kaki-kaki the streams flow south instead of north which shows +that after fighting our way up rivers for four months we have now +reached the highest point of our journey and are at length going down +hill.</p> + +<p>It is indeed a great relief to think that instead of struggling up +rapids, when next we take to canoes we shall be whirled rapidly down +stream. There is, however, nothing like a mountain or even a +considerable hill in this part of Uele. After an hour or two the forest +ends and we cross a plain covered with grass only four to six feet high +on which clumps of trees and bushes are dotted about. On every side are +traces of elephant, antelope and wild cattle but the sun is now high on +his brilliant course and only man is foolish enough to work in the day +time in Central Africa. It is indeed very hot marching for there is no +shade and it is necessary to change the gun for the umbrella. In another +hour we reach the string of villages constituting the territory of the +Sultan of Enguetra who like the Sultan of Djabir is not a particularly +good chief. His people, however, receive the porters kindly and give +them bananas. Then on again under a very fierce sun until the north bank +of the Likati river is reached. Here we enter a canoe and are rapidly +paddled down the stream which is only about twenty yards wide, until we +reach a clearing in the forest in which the Post of Enguetra is being +built by Lieutenant Gaspard. In a few weeks he has constructed a fine +brick house of two storeys with a large verandah looking down a natural +avenue to the river.</p> + +<p>At this time of the year—the early days of November—the Post is +practically an island for the river flows on one side and on the other +three water is standing in the forest to the depth of three or four +feet. This is no doubt good for the rubber vines but bad for hunting. +However, I determine to settle here for a week or two and hunt the +forest and plains about. Next morning herefore I start at 5 a.m. in the +dark and follow the guide who evidently feels the cold and steps out at +a good pace. After passing through the plantation we strike into dense +forest and the walking becomes very difficult. Roots of trees below, +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 to see for more than a yard or two +on each side through the dense undergrowth and the sun and sky are quite +invisible although patches of lights show that the former is now 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 daybreak. Indeed it is +almost impossible to hunt until the water subsides and that means +waiting for over a month. However there are plenty of small beasts and +birds so the day was not altogether wasted.</p> + +<p>The Congo is undoubtedly the land of exaggerations. Everything here is +bigger or smaller than any where else. If the elephants are the largest +in the world the insects are the smallest and Enguetra is especially +favoured by their attendance. Millions of little beasts fall on one all +day long. Soup might here be called hexapoda bouillon and a glass of +wine in a few minutes becomes a tincture of insects. Butterflies are +especially numerous and are of groat beauty. They are so lazy or sleepy +that one can nearly always pick them up with one's fingers. Ducks are +not agile creatures on land but here they waddle slowly up to the +butterflies and as often as not catch them in their beaks.</p> + +<p>The native is a curious mixture of simplicity and cunning He is very +fond of strong alcohol but does not care much for wine. The mess boy +here apparently stole some whisky and instead of filling the bottle up +with water added red wine to the requisite amount. Of course the colour +led to instant detection and of course he knew nothing about it, but he +lurched about violently as he waited at dinner and it was obvious the +new European drink was acting rather forcibly. It is very troublesome to +have to lock up every bottle when travelling, yet it is absolutely +necessary. There is, however, I hear a patent lock which can be fixed +over the cork and is easily fastened to the bottle. This is worth +remembering.</p> + +<p>One day Chikaia slated that the Sultan of Enguetra intended to attack +the Post that night and if he had done so it might have fared badly +with us for we were only two white men with perhaps fifteen or twenty +soldiers. However, a 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 relationship between the +Sultan and the State was not very satisfactory the report might have +been true, otherwise it might well have been idle gossip. War had then +not been declared but the State soon after sent a force to occupy the +district.</p> + +<p>Chikaia, who is a Christian, formed a violent attachment to a woman 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. Chikaia, however, said she was not legally married, so +we investigated the case. The supposed husband swore they were married, +the woman swore they were not. The man, however, in this case evidently +lied for he said the ceremony took place at a certain Post and was +conducted by a certain official. Now only Commissaires of Districts and +Missionaries can legalise marriages and the official named was neither. +After representing to Chikaia that the woman did not seem a very +desirable wife, I gave my permission to his marriage, provided that the +Catholic Missionaries, to which church he belonged, were willing to +perform the ceremony for the woman was not a Christian. The woman was +very pleased and thanked me in the native fashion by at once asking for +a necklace of beads for a wedding present. The demand for «tips» becomes +sometimes quite humorous. A native girl fell down and cut herself and +one of the officials dressed the wound until it healed. The parents +then came and asked for a tip and when the astonished individual +required to know the reason said that the girl had been every day to +have her wound attended to and she ought to be paid for it.</p> + +<p>One day as I was sitting after lunch half asleep, a green and white +serpent glided through the open door into my room. It happened that my +guns were leaning against the opposite wall and I did not fancy jumping +over the beast, so simply shouted. It then withdrew on to the verandah +and I followed as quickly as possible with a gun. In the meantime +Chikaia came running up and gave it several blows on the back with a +heavy piece of 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 +it measured more than ten feet in length.</p> + +<p>As it was not easy to procure paddlers at Enguetra I decided to send on +one of the boys Mavunga with some of the heavy baggage on November 17th +and to follow him the next day. He was very nervous at the idea of +travelling alone and wished to borrow a revolver, but this of course I +refused. It is curious that these coast boys fear the natives of the +interior so much and still more curious that the presence of a single +white man at once restores confidence. It is indeed becoming more +apparent every day that the natives have a very genuine respect and +admiration for the Europeans and credit them with powers which neither +they nor any other people possess.</p> + +<p>I leave Enguetra on the 18th in a most comfortable canoe with an awning +so high that it is possible to stand upright, a great luxury in canoe +travelling. The Likati flows swiftly through dense forests and we glide +down the rapids very quickly and comfortably. No villages exist along +the banks and nothing is visible except the forest until we reach +Kati-kati a clearing in which a mud hut has been erected for the +convenience of travellers. I went for a stroll in the forest but after +half an hour was stopped by an unpleasant palpitation of the heart. +Although the distressing symptom passed away quickly it was obvious it +might occur again and then I realised for the first time that I was very +anaemic and that hard exertion would be impossible for some time. This +was the more annoying for the country around was particularly rich in +game. We leave at sunrise which is, however, concealed by a thick water +mist and speed along until we reach Dzamba or Ekwanga-tana close to the +point where the Likati and Rubi rivers join to form the Itimbiri. Dzamba +is a transit port where cargoes are transhipped from canoes into a small +steamer the <i>Milz</i> which plies between it and Buta the capital of Uele. +As the <i>Milz</i> departed the next day I decided to travel in her and thus +altered my original plan of descending direct to the Congo. The Rubi is +about three times as 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 <i>Milz</i> which is a twin-screw +steamer, travels well and early on the third day we arrive at Buta. The +Post is being moved and some brick houses have already been built, one +of which is placed at my disposal. After settling in it I call upon +Baron de Rennette, the Commissaire of Uele which is a very important +District for through it runs the path to the Nile and it has frontiers +both to French and English territories. The Lado Enclave, however, is +governed separately by a special official.</p> + +<p>One now realises fully the extreme difficulty and expense of transport +across Africa. Take for example a bale of cloth shipped at Brussels and +addressed to Bomokandi. It is very possible that this will be +transhipped at Banana into a lighter which will be towed to Matadi; +secondly it will travel by train to Leopoldville; thirdly by steamer to +Bumba beyond which point the larger vessels do not run; fourthly by +small steamer to Ibembo; fifthly by canoe to Dzamba during which journey +it has to be carried by hand past some rapids; sixthly by the <i>Milz</i> to +Buta and seventhly by hand to Bomokandi. Every basket of rubber 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 any +direction. The reason is simple. Although the whole of Central Africa is +traversed by rivers which eventually flow into the Congo, both the main +river and its tributaries are in places impossible to navigate owing to +the rapids. Great efforts are, however, being made to overcome these +obstructions. Wherever possible railways are being constructed and roads +made to avoid them the latest great work initiated being the automobile +road through Uele. It is 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 undertake the task. This is, however, the very +work they dislike most and during my visit an immense quantity of +stores was lying at Buta and could not be forwarded owing to lack of +porters. The automobile road will change 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 years time it will be +possible to cross Africa from the Nile to Banana without travelling a +single mile in canoes or on foot.</p> + +<p>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 it is possible to live on kwanga, goats and chickens, it is not +a suitable diet for Europeans. Less difficulty is experienced with the +exportation, for the rubber and ivory are always travelling down the +hill towards the mouth of the river. Baron de 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 for his trouble and now lives +almost as well as he could at home. Good food, indeed, is 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 weakness followed by fever, anaemia or +dysentry. When travelling it is still more difficult to obtain properly +cooked food, and it was thus 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 credit to a London club.</p> + +<p>There is a good path to Bima and Bomokandi and I was thinking of taking +this ten day's walk when an attack of fever caused me to change my plans +again. While still at Buta Mgr. Derikx arrived. He was on a tour of his +diocese and expected to be travelling for a year. I was very pleased to +see him and was bound to confess that all he had told me of the Congo on +the voyage out was strictly accurate. Having recovered from the fever +and on the recommendation of Baron de Bennette, commenced a course of +arseniate of soda, I left Buta on November 28th in the <i>Milz</i>. The small +steamer rapidly descended the river for the water was now falling +rapidly. Many crocodiles had ascended this small river to lay their eggs +and were lying on sandbanks but we travelled so quickly that it was +impossible to shoot them. Near Buta is one of the villages constructed +for and by old soldiers and, like the rest of these institutions, this +one is very well arranged and kept forming a striking contrast to the +ordinary native village. It is indeed extraordinary how the savage can +be changed into a civilised being by a few years of military discipline.</p> + +<p>I reach Dzamba again on the 29th and continue the journey in canoe on +the next day. The current is running swiftly down the Itimbiri and after +an hour we arrive at a rapid and march through the forest while the +canoe descends without passengers. The river winds here very much so +that although the current is very strong it is more than an hour before +the canoe arrives at the village, which we reached walking, in about +twenty-minutes. The journey up is very slow and tedious for the baggage +has to be carried by hand along this short cut through the forest. It +is therefore proposed to build a light railway to relieve the native of +this task.</p> + +<p>I reach Ibembo on the 30th and am met by Lieutenant Francois, the Chef +du Poste. It is a large station with a big mess for many travellers are +continually passing through. On this date three hundred and fifty +soldiers with their officers were marching through with the object of +occupying Enguetra and its district until the Sultan becomes a little +more reasonable. It is very difficult for the troops to avoid ambuscades +in the forest. They march in a hollow square formation with the women, +who carry much of the baggage, in the centre. Each soldier carries a +knife and literally cuts his way through the undergrowth. If the head, +flanks or rear of the square is attacked the men close up and meet the +enemy with a steady fire for they always march with the rifle loaded. +Progress is naturally very slow and the enemy difficult to catch, while +the chance of being hit by a poisoned arrow or a lance hurled from +behind a tree is always present. The soldier however, is very plucky and +well earns his twenty-one cents each day, and the one franc twenty-five +cents a month which is reserved for him.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img191" id="img191" ></a><img src="images/img191.jpg" width='444' height='561' alt="THE ITIMBIRI RIVER." /> +<br /><b>THE ITIMBIRI RIVER.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>Next day I visit the Catholic Mission of Ibembo and am received by +Father Benin who is in charge in the absence of Mgr. Derikx. The Mission +is situated on a plateau about 200 feet high on the opposite bank to the +Post, but a little lower down the stream and the whole place is +admirably arranged, the view across the river being especially +beautiful. Three hundred natives, mostly children, are engaged in the +plantations and gardens all being dressed in a pretty uniform and +appearing healthy and happy. There is 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 entire furniture +for the chapel and houses has been made from the wood of old canoes +which is hard and well-seasoned. The boys also work in ivory, turning +serviette rings with great accuracy and skill. Four or five brethren and +five sisters form the staff of the Mission and one of the latter +superintends the cooking with most happy results.</p> + +<p>Next day I walk through the native villages near Ibembo where most of +the men fish and the women make pots of clay. There are a great number +of children about and very little sickness. Sunday as usual was market +day and the people from the neighbourhood brought in kwanga, fish, eggs, +chicken and three antelopes. Food is sold for mitakos three of which +will purchase enough kwanga to feed a man and woman for a day. In the +afternoon a Chief arrives with the not unusual story that a troup of +elephants have entered and destroyed his plantation of manioc. We +arrange therefore to start at 4 a.m. next morning on the chance that +they will repeat their visit, but a heavy tornado in the night renders +hunting impossible. After spending a pleasant week at Ibembo, I prepare +to descend the river to Bumba and then to ascend the Congo to Stanley +Falls.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><a name="img195" id="img195" ></a><img src="images/img195.jpg" width='612' height='443' alt="BASOKO FROM THE RIVER." /> +<br /><b>BASOKO FROM THE RIVER.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX" ></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> + +<h3>Ibembo to Stanley Falls.</h3> + + +<p>The <i>Delivrance</i> a steamer built on the same lines as the <i>Florida</i> +arrives at Ibembo on December 5th with a large cargo of cloth, clothes, +beads, salt and other articles for barter, 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 navigable only by canoes. No time is wasted in the Congo 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.</p> + +<p>Having arranged to travel by this boat, my baggage was soon on board, +and we left Ibembo at midday on the 6th of December. At first the river +passes between the cliff fronting the plateau, on which the Mission +stands and low lying forest on the opposite bank. The cliff is red, and +is evidently full of iron. In a short time however, both banks become +flat and are covered with forest broken at intervals by villages which +are well arranged, clean and tidy. Some of them are wood posts, and one +is occupied 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 rate. +They rarely, if ever, return to their native villages, which they left +seven or ten years before as naked savages, for they are now smart +civilised men and imitate the appearance and manners of the Europeans as +closely as possible.</p> + +<p>About 6 p.m. we reach the Post of Mandungu, situated on the right bank +of the Itimbiri. It is 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 is a brass gun with the +interesting inscription G.R. III 1799.</p> + +<p>On again at daybreak down the swiftly running stream. The Itimbiri +indeed, like its principal feeders, the Likati and Rubi, is rapidly +falling, for the dry season has now commenced in earnest, and although +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, which shows no signs at +present of falling. This is, only to be expected, for all the +tributaries are now emptying themselves into the main stream, which is +thus kept high for some weeks after they have commenced to fall. We turn +down the Congo and after passing some villages and a post of the S.A.B. +Trading Company, reach Bumba at sunset.</p> + +<p>This is an important shipping port, for the large vessels stop here +owing to the difficulty of navigating the Congo higher up. All the cargo +for Stanley Falls and the Upper Congo, as well as that for Uele, has +therefore to be transhipped here. The place is designed in a series of +squares, one side of each being formed by the river while the spaces +thus left are filled with well kept gardens, the whole being very +effective. Mr. Simon, the commandant of the Station kindly lends me a +house and also arranges to allow the <i>Delivrance</i> 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 tatouage is varied and +extensive.</p> + +<p>Next day the <i>Delivrance</i> was charged with sheets of corrugated iron for +building purposes and it was very interesting to 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 to avoid it. The plates were of various sizes and shapes and +consequently of various weights. 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 +twelve plates or try to pull the one he had chosen out from the stack. +Having accomplished his object thus with great exertion, he would put +the plate on his head and carry it leisurely the few yards to the 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 rather +less than half the amount of work in the same time. The paddlers, on the +other hand, cannot be called lazy, and when propelling canoes against +strong currents or up rapids, exert themselves to the utmost.</p> + +<p>We leave Bumba on December 9th in the <i>Delivrance</i> and turn up stream. +After passing the mouth of the Itimbiri the banks are unoccupied for +many miles, dense unbroken forest lining each shore. Here and there is a +wood post and we pass also two considerable areas which had evidently +been cleared some time ago and occupied by villages. The people, +however, were very troublesome in 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 <i>Delivrance</i> than on the +larger steamers, for, being the only passenger, I have plenty of room in +the cabin below and as usual in these small craft, we have all our meals +on the bridge.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img199" id="img199" ></a><img src="images/img199.jpg" width='656' height='400' alt="LOADING A BARGE." /> +<br /><b>LOADING A BARGE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>On the 11th we arrive at Barumbu, a small Post with a large brick house +for the Commissaire when he visits the place. Here most of the natives +were dancing and looked very ridiculous. They did not move over the +ground and seemed to be doing a kind of physical drill. First one leg +was kicked forwards and backwards while the other did a heavy stiff +looking hop. Then perhaps the arms were thrown up and down and the whole +body advanced from the hips, and finally the head was jerked to and fro. +These movements were repeated time after time, evidently in a regular +set order, for once started, several 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.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img201" id="img201" ></a><img src="images/img201.jpg" width='606' height='353' alt="GENERAL VIEW OF BASOKO." /> +<br /><b>GENERAL VIEW OF BASOKO.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>An hour later we arrived at Basoko, the capital of the Aruwimi District. +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.</p> + +<p>Next morning was pay day, all the ordinary seamen receiving 21 mitakos +a week, but the capitas and wheelmen were given more. These latter are +usually a very responsible set of men, for after a few journeys they +remember every island and land-mark on the river and often steer all day +without a word of command from the captain. About midday we met the +<i>Ville de Paris</i> which differs from the other steamers in having her +wheels at the side instead of at the stern. This arrangement has not +however, proved a success, for this boat is neither so fast nor so +easily steered as the others.</p> + +<p>I am now troubled with a new complaint, synovitis of the knee joint with +a good deal of effusion, which makes it very difficult to walk. It is +curious why this malady should have appeared, for I had not knocked or +otherwise injured the joint and had indeed been sitting quietly on +steamers all day for the previous week.</p> + +<p>On the afternoon of the 12th we reach Isangi, a Post at the junction of +the Lomami and the Congo. This river drains the territory occupied by +the Company of the same name and we turn up it to visit Hambi, the chief +town. 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 powder of the +cam-wood. The effect is, that each appears to be wearing a red and black +cloth cap.</p> + +<p>We reach Hambi, which is a large Station well built and very tidy, the +next day. The Company leases a very extensive territory along the river +banks and does a large trade in rubber and ivory, the Brazilian variety +of the former growing here very well. The natives are quite satisfied, +work well and give very little trouble, although it is necessary to +punish them sometimes, and as usual, the prisoners on the chain are +given work to do outside the prison. We stay here one day and then +descend the Lomani, and turn up the Congo. The banks of the river now +have a new appearance, for they are higher and no longer densely wooded +and at short intervals are villages thickly populated and containing a +high percentage of children. Most of the men fish or build canoes, and +all the people seem to be constantly trading with each other, selling +food or curiosities for mitakos or cloth.</p> + +<p>We stop for the night at Yonanghe, a Post which has been built by a true +native of the Congo, who at one time was the boy of Inspecteur d'Etat, +Malfeyt. He has travelled to Europe, speaks French and English and makes +an excellent Chef du Poste, which rank he enjoys officially, with all +its rights and privileges. Everyone agrees he is thoroughly responsible +and a very 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.</p> + +<p>On the 15th we reach Yakussu, where is a Mission Station of the English +Baptists. As I cannot go ashore, the missionary, Mr. Stapleton, comes on +board and we have an interesting chat. He has known the Bangala District +for many years and has seen the riverside population diminish very much +during the last fifteen years. This he ascribes partly to the Sleeping +Sickness and partly to emigration to the State Posts. At first it was +very difficult for the people to raise enough food for themselves and +for the soldiers in the Posts, and to avoid the hard work, many +accepted service under the State. Here however, near Stanley Falls, +there is plenty of food and the people have no difficulty in providing +for their own wants and in supplying the State Posts as well. He thinks +that after the cruelty of the Arabs, the rule of the white man appears +as heaven to the native. All are therefore contented and happy, and as +there is very little Sleeping Sickness, the population is increasing. +The Mission boys are taught to be carpenters, masons and brick makers, +for food is so plentiful that there is no need to establish plantations. +The chief grievance of Mr. Stapleton is, that the Government will not +permit the missionaries to settle where they wish and will not grant +them land. Several other missionaries have also complained of 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. It +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 Mission on the State side of the Ubangi river +where the people are very numerous.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Stanleyville in the afternoon. The town is situated on the +north bank of the river and consists of streets of large well built +houses with much space in between which is laid out in gardens. On the +opposite bank are the works of the railway to Ponthierville, a number of +corrugated iron buildings and a large native village. In front, a +hundred yards up the river, the lowest of the Stanley Falls can be seen, +the white foam glistening in the sunlight as the water rushes over the +rocks. The Commissaire of the District—the Province +Orientale—Lieutenant De Neullemeister, kindly lends me a house and acts +as my host. Fish 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 meat for a few days.</p> + +<p>Many of the natives have the Arab type of features and their village is +quite Arabian in appearance. They are all very civilised and work well, +so that much rubber is collected, although the population about Lake +Tanganika is not very dense. The women here are clothed and do not work +in the plantations at all.</p> + +<p>Next day Lieutenant De Neullemeister and I, cross the river and are met +by Mr. Adams, the Director of the Railway 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 +soft places and ravines and although there are a few steep gradients, +most of the way the line runs on fairly level ground. The soil is a kind +of ferruginous clay in some places and sandy in others and all the +bridges are constructed of wood. Mr. Adams says the natives are good +workers and that they have had no trouble with them and very little +sickness. The gauge of the line is considerably wider than that of the +Matadi-Leopoldville railway and at present 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 is enormous, for every steel rail six of which weigh a ton +has to be carried from Europe to Matadi by ship, then by the railway to +Leopoldville, and then up the river for nearly a thousand miles. The +Company has its own private steamer, the <i>Kintamo</i>, a stern wheeler of +500 tons which is the largest vessel on the Congo, but like the rest was +carried out in sections and put together and launched at Leopoldville. +The construction of this railway will thus be costly, and it is doubtful +if the amount of produce 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, 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 will help +them in their gigantic undertaking. It is difficult to realise that +probably no man, white or black, has ever set foot in the forest 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 of Mr. Adams, a solid structure of brick and +European cement, and the Mess of the thirty or forty whites employed on +the line who live here very well for mutton 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 great. In the afternoon, we make a tour of the town, +and as it is impossible to walk, I am conveyed in a kind of bathchair +resting on one wheel. One boy goes in front and one behind and when the +road is very bad or an obstacle is met, they lift the machine bodily +over it. It is however, a bumpy ride, for the roads are very rough and +the chair has no springs. We pass the Mess, capable of dining sixty men +and visit the prison. This is a brick building arranged as a quadrangle +with an exercising yard in the centre. The cells are lofty and airy and +only one prisoner occupies each, but many sleep in one dormitory. +Everywhere great cleanliness is observed, so that one 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 in +the yard, but most are working on the chain outside. In a separate +building, the women, who also wear light chains, are cooking dinner for +the prison. Indeed, on the whole the lot of a prisoner in the Congo is +better than he would be likely to experience in a native village, with +the exception that he is compelled to work. Most of the people are +sentenced for theft or violence, but one woman was imprisoned for +throwing a solution of pepper into the face of her husband and nearly +blinding him. There is a separate room set apart for white prisoners, +but it has not yet been used and is at present much more satisfactorily +occupied by the instruments of the band of the Force Publique.</p> + +<p>Near the Mess we pass the house of Tippo-Tip, a small mud structure with +a verandah and a roof of grass. It is not used at all now, but is +allowed to remain as an historical monument. Stanley was compelled to +negotiate with Tippo in order to avoid a conflict at the time when the +State was not sufficiently armed to undertake such a task but since +then, Arab rule has been entirely driven from Central Africa. 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 is not built strong enough to resist +big gun fire.</p> + +<p>The quarters of the Force Publique here are very comfortable. Each man +has a room to himself about seven feet square constructed of brick and +the sergeants have a small house, each containing two rooms and a +verandah. I looked into one or two and they were well arranged. Bed and +mosquito curtain, table and chair with a few pictures and ornaments, +showed what an advance the native had made in civilisation since he +slept in a hut on the mud floor.</p> + +<p>Finally we visited the motive power which enables all this to be done, +the rubber stores. Here people were busy sorting and packing the +precious material into baskets ready to be carried to the Barge which +was waiting to sail.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X" ></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> + +<h3>Stanley Falls to London.</h3> + + +<p>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 marching down the road with bales, boxes, chairs, tables and +portmanteaus on their heads. No method could be simpler or more secure +for transporting baggage. The 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 in the ship is thus +devoted to cargo and only passengers who are sick are carried, the +accommodation being limited, but there is a fine deck on which to sit or +walk about. The Barge is of about 400 tons burden and is therefore as +large as the mail passenger boats, and the great advantage of travelling +in it is, that since there is absolutely no vibration or motion to be +felt, it is very comfortable for writing.</p> + +<p>As the navigation of the river is difficult near Stanleyville, a pilot +takes all the boats down the first day's journey and returns in the next +vessel ascending. 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 was +taking place in Europe, and wondered, as many of us do, what was the +cause of it, for he knew nothing of atrocities or cruelties to natives.</p> + +<p>Afterwards we stopped at Yakussu for wood and then at La Romee where +there is an extensive farm. Here we take on board some fresh vegetables +and cow's milk which however, is not fit to drink an hour afterwards. +The climate in the Congo is very bad for all kinds of food. Antelope, +killed in the early morning, is often rotten by the evening, and thus +the difficulty of obtaining fresh food is greatly increased. The +rapidity with which flesh decomposes is, perhaps, the reason why the +natives prefer it in that condition, for as it is so difficult to obtain +meat fresh, they may have acquired the taste for it rotten, just as some +civilised people train their palates to prefer game high. It is 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 +Ubangi. This was cut up and shared among the canoes and part of it fell +to my crew. Next day a most unpleasant smell accompanied us all the +forenoon and no one could detect the cause, in fact, none of the natives +noticed it. At lunch time however, the polemen produced a basket full of +rotten flesh which they had stored in the front part of the canoe and +thus given me the full benefit of it. As they commenced eating it raw, +it was rather too much and I promptly ordered them to the other end of +the boat where I could neither see nor smell them.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="img211" id="img211" ></a><img src="images/img211.jpg" width='671' height='409' alt="THE FORCE PUBLIQUE AT STANLEYVILLE." /> +<br /><b>THE FORCE PUBLIQUE AT STANLEYVILLE.</b><br /><br /></p> + +<p>After travelling rapidly all day down stream, we tie up at sunset at +Yonanghe and ship some rubber. We start again at daybreak, but as the +wood in this part is both plentiful and good, the captain stops +frequently at the posts and takes a large amount on board. This is a +wise precaution, for lower down the wood is not so good and there is +less of it, while there are more steamers to be supplied. At most of the +villages the natives come to the beach with goods for sale, but the +price of curios is too great here to tempt me.</p> + +<p>On the 20th we reach Basoko after running through a terrific tornado +with so much rain that for a time it was impossible to see the banks. It +is supposed to be the dry season here, so this storm is presumably an +exception. Every morning there is a fog on the river more or less dense, +which lasts for an hour or two after sunrise. During this period, it is +often necessary to steam dead slow, for it is impossible to see a boat's +length ahead.</p> + +<p>A pathetic incident happened one day. We were transporting eight +prisoners to Boma and when we stopped these carried wood on to the +steamer. One of them was the son of the Chief of a large village at +which we stopped, who thus had the mortification of seeing his heir +working «on the chain.» He begged the captain to liberate him, who of +course had not the power to do so even if he had wished, for the man had +been sentenced for a serious theft and was now on his way to a convict +settlement. The Chief therefore, told his son he was to give no trouble +to the authorities and tried to comfort him by saying he would see the +railway and Boma and the great ships which went to Europe. These +prisoners gave no trouble at all. They were fed on the same food as the +crew and did a certain amount of work, the only sign that they were +criminals, being the chain which bound them together.</p> + +<p>On the 21st we reached Bumba and shipped a good deal of coffee. Here it +was necessary to give the <i>chicotte</i> to one of the crew for continually +shirking work. He was given twenty five lashes, but it did not seem to +affect him physically or morally, for immediately afterwards 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 about. Next time he will be dismissed and then he +will find it difficult to find employment.</p> + +<p>On the following day we stopped at Dobo, one of the Posts of the Mongala +Company, which has been taken over by the State. The Company found it +was very difficult to make the people work and some serious charges of +cruelty were proved against the officials. The Bangala tribe are +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.</p> + +<p>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, well constructed and managed. In it about a +thousand savages are being converted into clean, smart-looking +soldiers.</p> + +<p>Next day we passed the «Kintamo», which was forcing its way up against +the stream with a cargo of rails directed to Stanleyville. On the 24th +we stopped at Mobeka, which is situated at the point where the Mongala +river runs into the Congo and was the chief post of the Mongala Company. +It is surrounded by a brick wall, except towards the river, and access +to the Post from the native village is through stout wooden gates. At +one place is a kind of 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 they were not well +prepared to resist. It is to be hoped that the present expedition will +be successful in converting a few from their barbarous condition, but +great difficulties have to be overcome, for the fighting must be in the +forest, as the natives never meet troops in the open if they can help +it. In the evening we reached Nouvelle Anvers, a large and populous +town. The houses are arranged along the river bank, surrounded by +gardens, and the quarters of the troops leave nothing to be desired.</p> + +<p>Christinas Day has nothing resembling Christmas about it. A tropical sun +burns overhead, warm sandy water glares below. In the morning we pass +Mosembe, a Mission Station, and in the afternoon, Lulongo. There used to +be a large village and coffee plantation here, but it was not a success +and has been abandoned. The Mission however, still remains as also a +Wood Post where we stop for the night and try to believe that duck is +turkey and mutton, roastbeef. We have now traversed the whole of the +river which runs past the Bangala District. It is undoubtedly very +sparsely populated, but on the other hand, there are no remains of +villages or clearings in the forest which would indicate it has ever +been otherwise.</p> + +<p>Next day we reach Coquilhatville early and after taking some rubber and +gum copal on board leave in the afternoon. From this point the river is +familiar and at each place are old friends. At Irebu, Commandant Jeniaux +comes on board and we have a chat about the condition of the agitation +in Europe. Since we last met I have travelled some thousands of miles +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, that the +native is not habitually ill-treated and that he is very well paid for +his work. It is impossible to 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 been attended by such a near approach to success.</p> + +<p>Next day we stop at Lukoteia 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 plantation and close to it, tobacco is being grown. The +river here is very wide and full of islands. To one of these we tie up +and are at once attacked by millions of mosquitoes, who will not allow +us to eat our dinner in peace. Fortunately I find an old pair of kid +gloves and with my head covered with a silk handkerchief and my legs in +high hunting boots, prepare for the onslaught. The mosquito here bites +through duck trousers and socks with great ease, but his trunk cannot +reach through the thickness of a sleeve of a coat and a flannel shirt, +so with suitable clothes, one can gain a little peace, except for the +constant humming round one's ears. A cigar or pipe is no protection at +all, but the insects will not face the smoke of a wood fire. Since +people cannot either, however, that is not much use. As 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 bite has no effect. +It is some gratification—but not much—to think they only gained an +extract of goat and chicken, instead of a solution of good juicy fresh +meat.</p> + +<p>On the 29th we passed Yumbi and Bolobo. At the latter place great +numbers of natives came to the beach to trade with our crew and black +passengers who bought dried fish and kwanga. In the evening we reach +Sandy Beach, opposite which, is «Lonely» island so called because it is +the last island on the river before it narrows to pass through what is +known as the canal. Here the banks are flanked with hills which are a +welcome sight after the dead level of the forest higher up.</p> + +<p>Next day we arrive at Kwamouth 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 watching people cut wood in the forest +and stack it 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 punishment 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 being paid for the six months or +year previously. In this way men who drink hard when they have the +opportunity, who are habitually insubordinate, or who are undesirable, +are weeded out rapidly. Penal offences are of course tried in the Courts +and punished with imprisonment. It is indeed curious after travelling in +America and our colonies, to find, sturdy, rough, independent characters +behaving with extraordinary meekness and docility. Drunken brawls and +promiscuous revolver shooting are unknown in the Congo, for the simple +reason, that it is impossible up country to procure drink. There are no +drink shanties or gambling dens and indeed no amusements of any kind. +Men work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., have their dinner and go to bed. Very +little news penetrates from 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.</p> + +<p>On the last day of the year we reach Leopoldville and are comfortably +installed in the Inspector's house. A kind of fete is held in the +evening and a procession passes with lanterns on poles, but there is +very little singing or noise of any kind and the whole affair is rather +ghostly.</p> + +<p>On January 2nd we leave Leopoldville by train and remembering the amount +of the fare coming up, I was careful to reduce my baggage to the +minimum. Of course the food cases were all empty, the wine drunk, the +salt paid away to natives and the petroleum burnt; still for myself, +three boys and excess baggage, the fare for the two hundred miles was +over £25. Just before we left Leopoldville, who should enter the +carriage but Mr. Joseph Clarke, of Ikoko, and another Mr. Clark, who is +also a Missionary. I was very pleased to see them and hear the news from +their side of the question. They were travelling to Maladi to attend a +meeting of missionaries, but to-day only proceeded as far as Kinshassa. +Mr. Clarke told me he had sent to the Commission of Enquiry some new +photographs of the boy without a hand whom he had shown to me at Ikoko +and was convinced that the world would be startled when the report +appeared. All the meetings of the Commission are held in public and +therefore the evidence submitted at them is already known. The +interpretation of this apparently depends upon the already formed +opinion of the individual, for while the State officials say that very +little, if anything, has been proved against the Government, the +Missionaries are quite satisfied that the A.B.I.R. Company will be +severely condemned. Of course no report can possibly satisfy any of the +controversialists for their feelings are too strong to permit them to be +content with cold facts judicially stated.</p> + +<p>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 Magazins-Generaux, a wooden building raised above the level of +the ground and fairly clean. It is beautifully fresh and cool up here, +and for the first time for half a year, it is possible to take a bath in +clear white water.</p> + +<p>On again at 6.30 a.m. at which hour it was quite cold, but as the sun +rose and we descended, it became very hot indeed, for we were then well +south of the Equator and it was summer in the Lower Congo. The scenery +through the Palabala mountains improved, if possible, on a second +acquaintance and the railway as a feat of engineering, appeared still +more marvellous. After a dusty, hot journey, we arrived at Matadi at 5 +p.m. and found Mr. de Rache, the Commissaire of the District, on the +platform. He had kindly taken a room at 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 <i>Anversville</i> which was discharging +cargo at the pier head. Here indeed were all the luxuries of Europe. A +barber, a big bath, white spotless table-cloths, clean shining plate, +red juicy beef and last, but by no means least, cold drinks. It is worth +roughing it to experience the keen delight at returning to comforts +which are never appreciated at their full worth when enjoyed every day.</p> + +<p>Next morning we leave Matadi for Boma in the <i>Heron</i>. The current is +running down through the narrow channel at about ten knots an hour and +the water roars and bubbles as though passing over rocks in a rapid. We +therefore roll a good deal and travel very fast indeed until we reach +Boma just before midday.</p> + +<p>Stories in the Congo grow with extraordinary rapidity and my attack of +synovitis had been converted into a serious illness before it reached +the capital. A room had therefore, been prepared at the <i>Croix Rouge</i> in +which I 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 is a building +in which the eight sisters live the whole thus forming a "t" with a +building at 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 skill and care by the medical men and +sisters. It was necessary to make some calls in the town and a carriage +at Boma was placed at my disposal similar to the one at Stanleyville, +but travelling in it was more comfortable for the roads are better in +the capital. It was very hot and the mosquitoes were terribly hostile, +but otherwise my visit was very pleasant and agreeable.</p> + +<p>On January 6th the German cruiser the <i>Vineta</i> and the gunboat the +<i>Habicht</i> entered the Congo and the Governor General gave a dinner to +the officers to which I received the honour of an invitation. I am +tempted to give the menu to show that although living in the Upper Congo +is not good, as a rule, in Boma it is possible to give a banquet worthy +of anyone.</p> + +<p class='center'>MENU<br /> +--<br /> +<i>Potage aux tomates</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Coquilles de crevettes</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Barbue. Sauce câpres<br /> +Pommes nature</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Filet de boeuf<br /> +Flageolets. Pommes rissolées</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Asperges de Malines<br /> +Sauce au beurre</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Pigeonneaux rôtis. Petits pois</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Poulets farcis. Compote de mangues</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Canetons rôtis. Salade russe</i><br /> +--<br /> +<i>Gâteaux<br /> +Ananas au kirsch</i><br /> +<i>Fruits.—Desserts</i></p> + +<p>The wines were Oporlo, Hodiheimer, Niersteiner, Pichon Longueville 1893, +Château Grand Larose 1893, Corton and Louis Roederer Champagne. The +dinner was served admirably by native boys while the band of the Force +Publique performed in the garden.</p> + +<p>The strong, grasping instinct of the native was well shown after I had +paid off the "boys," written them good characters and made them handsome +presents. At the last moment they all came and demanded a further tip +which I rather indignantly refused to give. However, they showed by +their manner then that they were well satisfied and knew very well that +it would be very difficult to obtain such high wages again. I had many +long talks with Mr. Vandamme, who was as usual, very hard at work, and +Mr. Underwood who kindly helped me to settle many matters. Indeed, +everyone with whom I came into contact, whether State Officials, +Missionaries or Traders, were always extremely kind and courteous and +converted what might have been a very unpleasant and dangerous journey +into a most interesting tour and I sincerely hope that all will remain, +as I hope they are now, good friends, whether they agree with me or not +about the merits of the system of Government in the Congo.</p> + +<p>After bidding farewell to the residents at Boma, I left in the <i>Wall</i> on +January 10th and after a rapid journey to Banana, joined the +<i>Anversville</i> which immediately put to sea and by sunset the mouth of +the Congo was out of sight.</p> + +<p>The voyage home was uneventful, except for a few days of strong head +winds. Among the passengers were Mr. Gohr, the Director of Justice, who +well deserved a holiday after his extremely responsible and arduous +duties, Captain Stevens, the Commissaire of the Equator District, as +cheerful and jolly as ever, Mr. Longlain, the Director of the A.B.I.R. +Company who has come in for a quite unmerited share of abuse, and many +other State Officials, many of whom were in an indifferent state of +health. Two or three Catholic and some Baptist Missionaries were also +travelling home and it was interesting and satisfactory to find that +everyone, whether State Official, Missionary or Trader, was convinced +that the Commission of Enquiry would issue a report which would +correspond with his own opinion.</p> + +<p>There was plenty of time to arrange the impressions of the tour in order +and to formulate some general ideas on the system of Government in the +Congo and the manner in which it is administered. The whole system has +been created and is controlled absolutely by one mind. It is a very +simple and extremely practical machine, but it is very vast. The +officials who work it therefore, have each their 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 +overcome, is how an unknown land populated by savages can be developed +and civilised by its own resources without heavily taxing the native and +without poisoning him with alcohol.</p> + +<p>It is done in this manner. Each native is compelled to do a certain +amount of work for the State. This results in the collection of great +quantities of rubber and ivory for which the native is paid. The rubber +and ivory are then sold at a profit in Europe and the sum so realised is +used to pay the heavy expenses of transport, to keep up the Government +and to open out new lines of communication throughout the country. The +native is thus made to work instead of paying a tax in money and it is +possible to raise enough revenue without selling him alcohol.</p> + +<p>As has been shown in these pages, the native is very grasping and very +idle and has little idea at present of the value either of produce or +work. He thus charges an extortionate amount for his goats and chickens, +and demands heavy fees for services rendered. The State however, fixes +the price of labour and food at its fair value and demands a certain +amount of one or other from each village. This sometimes leads to +discontent and rebellion just as do the taxes levied by other +Governments, and it is necessary to occupy territory with troops. No +soldier however, is allowed to have in his possession a rifle unless he +is accompanied by a white officer, and if he tries to ill-treat the +natives, is severely punished.</p> + +<p>The officials themselves, are subjected to the most severe 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, who is, in turn, responsible, +until at length the summit is reached. Every Post is worked on identical +principles and the responsibility for its success or failure, rests with +the 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. The question has been asked whether this +system is not contrary to the letter or spirit of the Treaty of 1885. +Clause V. of that treaty runs as follows. "No Power which exercises or +may exercise sovereign rights in the above mentioned regions shall be +allowed to grant therein either monopoly or privilege of any kind in +commercial matters; foreigners without distinction shall enjoy +protection of their persons and goods as well as the right of acquiring +and transferring moveable and immoveable property and the same treatment +and rights as subjects of the nation in the exercise of their +professions."</p> + +<p>In the first place it must be remembered that the Berlin Act applies to +all the Powers possessing territory in the 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 and +to suppress slavery, but not to interfere with the Government of the +States or Colonies which were then or 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 whole of Europe as +an independent State. The signatory Powers to that Act did not create, +define the boundaries, or in any way particularly specify the Congo Free +State which is bound by it, therefore, to the same extent only as is +England, France, Germany, or other signatory Powers. All these Powers at +various times have declared that vacant land is Crown property. A German +Imperial Order of November 26th 1895 says that the proprietorship of all +vacant land in German East Africa belongs to the Empire. An Order issued +by the Commissioner of the French Congo of September 26th 1891 runs +"Uncultivated soil and vacant land which nobody legally claims shall be +considered as belonging to the State and shall form part of the colonial +domain<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4" ></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a>." In the British Empire, the right of the Government to +declare vacant lands in the colonies Crown property has been frequently +exercised<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5" ></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a>. In annexing all 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 them to Companies, Missionaries or Traders, or to collect the +produce from them itself.</p> + +<p>Indeed 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, it is obvious +that traders can only acquire landed property either from the State, +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 his own plantation, no Chief may go into the forest +which is State territory, collect the rubber from it and sell it, for +such would be simple robbery.</p> + +<p>Now the State imposes regulations upon the concessionary Companies and +traders, which it also observes carefully itself on its own land in +order that the rubber plants shall not be killed and furthermore it +stipulates that all who take rubber juice, shall plant young rubber +trees and vines to replace those which die in process of time. The +supply of rubber is thus assured in the future. In spite however of the +most stringent rules the officials of the private companies undoubtedly +ill-treat the natives sometimes.</p> + +<p>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 a large fortune and return home as +soon as possible. After a few years, therefore, all the existing rubber +trees and vines would have been bled to death, no new ones would have +been planted, and the native would certainly have been over-worked and +ill-treated. The country would then have been deserted and left to +return to savagery. The State itself on the other hand is working for +the future. Everything which can grow is planted, the natives are daily +becoming more civilised, Posts are being built, roads and waterways +opened up and the whole place rendered beautiful and attractive.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, properly in the country is guarded, trade is perfectly +free, and everyone, native and foreigner, is free to pursue his business +in his own manner, subject only to such laws as are imposed in all +civilised countries for the good of the community at large.</p> + +<p>The Congo Free State has indeed, without breaking any Treaty, solved the +problem which has baffled the combined wisdom of all the ancient great +colonial Powers. It exists on its own resources without poisoning the +natives with alcohol; it extracts much wealth from the soil without fear +of ever exhausting it; it opens up great tracts of land without running +heavily into debt, and—noblest of all—it daily converts naked cannibal +savages into self-respecting responsible people.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4" ></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> See <i>New Africa</i> by Senator E. Descamps, p. 73 <i>et seq</i>.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5" ></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> In Canada, Australia and the North West.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +</div> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN THE CONGO FREE STATE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 15240-h.txt or 15240-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/2/4/15240">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/2/4/15240</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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