.^-^ xj^onder^ W5L 'vA^.J :^, ^, m THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PKESENTED BY PROF.CHARLESA.KOFOIDAND MRS. PRUDENCE W.KOFOID X b f MARVELOUS Wonders of me Whole World BEING AN ACCOUNT OK THRILLING ADVENTURES, FAMOUS SIGHTS, CELEBRATED VOYAGES, AND RENOWNED EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES IN ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE CONTAINING Wonders of the Dark Continent ; the Land of the Pyramids ; the Flowery Kingdom of the Celestials; the Ancient Empire of the Mikado ; the Sea-Girt Isles of the Pacific, etc. AND INCLUDING THE DISCOVERIES OF LIVINGSTONE, STANLEY, BAKER, SPEKE, DU CHAILLU, AND OTHER RENOWNED TRAVELERS IN THE TROPICS ; THE EXPLORATIONS OF FRANKLIN, KANE, GREELY, AND OTHER FAMOUS NAVIGATORS IN THE POLAR REGIONS, WITH WORLD-RENOWNED SCENES AND OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN ALL LANDS ; TO WHICH IS ADDED A FULL AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE WONDERS OF THE OCEAN AND OF THE ATMOSPHERE ; THE WONDERS OF ANIMAL, INSECT AND VEGETABLE LIFE ; THE WONDERS OF ASTRONOMY, GEOLOGY, LIGHT, HEAT, ELECTRICITY, ETC., ETC. THE WHOLE COMPRISINO A Vast Museum of all that Is IVIarvelous and Wonderful IN THE EARTH, SEA, AIR, AND SKIES. CAREFULLY EDITED BY HENRY DAVENPORT I NORTHROP, D.D., THE WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR. Spleyididly Embellished with 7nore thati 300 Fine E?tgravings of Scenes in the lives of Livingstofie, Stanley, and other Great Explorers, and with Illustrations of the most Remarkable Objects in Nature, Science, and Art. BOSTON, MASS.: JAMES BERGEN, No. 44 BROAT) STREET. <>-^^(\f- Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886, by J. R. JONES, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. Nc PREFACE. There was a time when men spoke of the Seven Wonders of the World, and these were celebrated in the finest productions of prose and poetry. That time has long since passed, and the number seven would now have to be multiplied many fold to enumerate the marvels of the globe. To set these forth in attractive form is the object of the present volume. As might be expected, therefore, the book is very comprehensive. The first part is occupied with wonders brought to light by explorations in many countries. Almost every land beneath the sun presents us with something of thrilling interest. In all parts of the globe we have but to lift the veil of mystery to meet with revelations which excite our astonishment. In this book the reader is made the traveler. He is transported from clime to clime, from country to country, and, through artistic illustrations and picturesque descriptions, becomes acquainted with the marvelous. He is conducted through the Dark Continent, the Land of the Pyramids, the Empires of China and Japan, the sea-girt isles of the Pacific, the icy regions of the Poles, the renowned countries of North and South America, and while the scene changes at every step, the wonders never cease. A book of mere commonplaces would have little interest for the general reader. The aim has been to make this volume true to its title. To realize that aim, the records of research and discovery have yielded their most valuable treasures. While the world's knowledge has been enriched in recent times through the great achievements of such celebrated explorers as Liv- ingstone, Stanley, Du Chaillu and others in the Tropics, and Franklin, Kane, Greely and their compeers in the Polar realm, it is also true that new names have been added to the roll of heroes, and the history of M313368 IV PREFACE. their enterprise, their courage, sufferings and successes, forms one of the most thriUing pages in the annals of time. In this book the reader becomes the companion of these heroic souls, and is made a partici- pant in their wonderful adventures and discoveries. The second part of the book vividly presents the myriad wonders of Natural History, Science, Art, Ethnology, etc. Every Kingdom of Nature is explored and made to disclose its Marvelous Secrets. The Atmosphere contributes its snowy crystals, gorgeous pictures of the sun, cyclones and auroral splendors. The Ocean is fathomed, and whatever of special interest is to be found among its flowery growths, its strange fishes, and buried treasures, is minutely described. Even Subterranean mysteries are lighted by the torch of investigation. The Animal Kingdom is also largely represented, and whatever is curious and interesting in animal life finds here a place. The most attractive specimens of Birds are described, and interesting lessons are drawn from the habits and instincts of the feathered tribes. Under the micro- scope the Insect World is seen to be an extraordinary part of creation, presenting something to entertain and instruct the reader at every glance. Special attention has been given to the minute forrr\s of life, for these have the truly marvelous wrapped up in them as well as the planets and star-clusters of Astronomy. The skies contribute their swift comets, meteoric showers, and wonders of infinite space. Some of the most remarkable discoveries of our day, and some of the most ingeni- ous mechanical inventions, have been in connection with Electricity. These are plainly described, without the use of abstruse scientific terms. Light — the swiftest traveler in the universe — illuminates these pages ; in fact, no department of science is omitted. Search has been made for the Wonderful in every nook and corner of the globe. Special pains have been taken with the engravings which accompany the book ; and these, by their great variety and artistic merit, form a very striking and valuable feature. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. Livingstone's Early Days — Among the Dark Races of a Dark Land — Proofs of Cour- age — Adventure with a Lion — Rain Doctors — Journey in the Desert — The Mako- lolo Chief — Smoke-resounding Falls — Exploring the River Shire — Lost to the World — Reported Death of Livingstone — A Savage Demand, 17 CHAPTER II. Livingstone's discoveries. Arrival at the Mouth of the Zambesi — The Ma-Robert — War betwreen the Half-casts and the Portuguese — Livingstone's Old Makololo Servants — Their Sufferings in his Absence — Excursion to Kebrabasa — First Visit to Manganja Land — On Foot to Lake Shirwa — Bad Behavior of Ma-Robert — Up the Shire again and Dis- covery of Lake Nyassa — Journey to Makololo Land — Rescue of Baldwin at the Victoria Falls — News of Sekeletu's Leprosy and the Misery of his People — Arri- val at Sesheke — Interview vvfith Sekeletu — His Lady-Doctor superseded by Kirk and Livingstone — Over the Rapids and Narrow Escapes — On Foot to Tete — The Last of the Ma-Robert — Arrival of Pioneer and of Bishop Mackenzie — A Strug- gle with Ajawa — New Expedition Resolved on — Desertion of Johanna Men — Report of Livingstone's Death — Search Expedition under Young — The Mazitu — Further Desertions and Loss of Medicine Chest — Arrival at Tanganyika — Off for Lake Moero at Last — Down the Lake to Cazembe's — War and Rumors of War- Flight to the North with the Arabs — Back to Tanganyika and Awful Sufferings by the Way — Across the Lake to Ujiji — Back Again to the Western Shores — Start for Manyuema — Desertion of all the Men but Five — Awful Massacre of Native Women — An Ambush and Narrow Escape — Cannibalism — Arrival at Ujiji in an Exhausted State — Opportune Arrival of Stanley, 43 CHAPTER III. .1 travels of STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. Expedition in Search of Livingstone — Getting Ready for the Start — A Sultan's Curious Palace — Incidents of Travel — Crossing the Turbid Kingani — Hippopotami — A Tropical Garden — Adventures of the Chase — African Beauties — Tidings of Liv- ingstone — Punishing a Runaway — Excitement at Ugogo — Stanley Resists Extor- tion — The Arabs and their War — Mirambo — Ammonia and Laughter — A Formid- able Donkey — Arrival at Ujiji and Success of the Expedition, 80 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. Stanley's adventures and discoveries. Finding Livingstone — On an African Lake — Illness and Death of Livingstone — Burial — Stanley's Expedition — Cannibals — A Fighting Journey — A Brave Chief — Rescuing a Follower — Cameron's Expedition — A Strange Deity — A King's Burial — Legend of Lake Kassala — Cameron's Adventures, . . 113 CHAPTER V. EXPLORATIONS OF DU CHAILLU, SPEKE, GRANT AND OTHER CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. Handsome Savages— Penetrating the Wilderness — The Muni Men— Horrible Cus- toms — A Stampede of Gorillas — King of the Cannibals — Monkey Ingenuity — Slaughter of Witches — King Du Chaillu — A Chimpanzee — Boa-constrictors — Small-Pox — Otando Land — A Race for Life — Speke and Burton — A Strike — Rob- bers — "A Stumpy Old Dame" — Grant's Exploits — Wife Fattening — Mtesa, the Greatest of African Kings — Human Sacrifices — Great King Munza, 140 CHAPTER VI. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. The Pyramids, One of the "Seven Wonders of the World" — Their Use — Ascending the Pyramids — Egyptian Mummies— Ruins of Thebes — Mamelukes — Diamond Fields — Kimberly Mine — Mode of Operations — "Claims" — A Fight with Ba- boons — Ostrich Farming — The Hunter's Paradise — Dangers of Elephant and Buffalo Hunting — Adventures of the Chase, 198 CHAPTER VII. WONDERS OF CHINA. ^ The Great Wall — Pekin — Pagodas — Chinese Mottoes and Signs — Curious Convey- ances — Puppet Shows — Imperial Navy — Temples and Idols — Veneration for the Aged — Wonderful Porcelain Tower — Vases and Screens — Small Feet of Chinese Ladies — Social Customs — Treatment of Foreigners — Chinese Wedding— Dress- Treatment of Criminals — Punishment by Decapitation, 231 CHAPTER VIII. WONDERS OF JAPAN. Personal Appearance of the Japanese — Fruits and Food — Theatrical Plays and Jug- glery — Shops and Markets — Fortune Telling — Art — Social Customs — Dinner to General Grant — Musicians — Royal Reception and Court Manners — Potteries — Modes of Traveling — Forms of Religion — Shintoism and Buddhism, 232 CHAPTER IX. WONDERS OF THE PACIFIC ISLES. New Zealand — Rare Products — Tattooing — Strange Customs — Reception of a King — Volcanoes and Boiling Springs — The Bread Tree — New Caledonia — Supersti- tions — Dances — Coral Islands — New Guinea — Description of the Natives — Savage CONTENTS. vii Fijians — Island of Tahiti — Excitement over a Horse — Sandwich Islands — Vol- canic Eruption — Captain Cook and His Death — Surf Swimming — Pitcairn's Island — Singular Monuments — Handsome Marquesians — Island of Java — Mar- velous Natural Beauty — Volcano — Animal Life — A Gem Set in the Sea, . . . 258 CHAPTER X. WONDERS OF SOUTH AMERICA. History in Stone — Peru and its Marvels — Dangers of Exploration — Grandeur of Mountain Scenery — Ancient Temples — Dress of the Natives — A City of Wealth — Warriors — Brazil and its Palace — Negro Women — Medical jugglers — Cotton — Sugar-Cane — Magnificent Forests — Products of the Country — Volcanic Flames — Wild Horses — Birds and Animals — The Matamata — The Spider Crab — The Wasp — Wonderful Lilies — The Patagonians — Strange Customs and Manners, . . 297 CHAPTER XL A WONDERFUL COUNTRY. Wonders of the Great West — Niagara Falls — Buffalo Hunting — " Dog Town " — Wonders of Vegetation — The Marvelous Yellowstone Region — Geysers and ^P'alls — Masterpieces of Sublime Scenery — The Celebrated Canons — The Roman- tic Colorado — The Mountain Cross — Utah and the Great Salt Lake — The Mormons — Polygamy — Strange Extinct Animal Life — Rivers of Ice — Yosemite — Awful Abysses — Towering Falls — Nature's Prodigal Magnificence — The Trav- eler's Astonishment — Immense Trees — Untold Mineral Resources — Imdians — A Crow Chief — Indian Characteristics — Red Man as a Farmer — Indian Wars and Ambushes — Indians not Dying Out — Life in the Forest— Wigwams and their Inmates, 341 CHAPTER XII. WONDERS OF THE POLAR WORLD. Daring Attempts to Reach the North Pole — Early Explorations — Sir John Ross — Cap- tain Parry — Sir John Franklin — Snow-Bound Heroes — A Famous Journey — ^The Grinnell Expedition — Search for Franklin — Startling Tale of Discovered Relics — Doctor Kane — Dogs and Sledges — Terrible Cold — Bears and Their Young — In- credible Hardships and Perils — Homeward Start — Scientific Results — Wonderful Frozen Sea — The Whale' and his Capture — Adventures of an Austrian Hero — Crystal Mountains — Diamonds in Ice — A Remarkable Exploration — Captain Nares — Hall and his Comrades — The '-Vega" — Cutting Through the Ice — ^Tlie Hut of Barentz — De Long and his Celebrated Adventures — Polar Night, Misery and Death — The Lost " Jeannette " — Dividing the Last Scrap — The Walrus — A Fierce Attack — Esquimaux — Strange Villages — Brilliant Auroral Splendors — Greely and Cannibalism, 395 CHAPTER Xni. WONDERFUL MOUNTAINS AND MOUNTAINEERING. Burning Peaks of Iceland — Fiery Vesuvius — Frightful Chasms of Mont Blanc — Gigantic Shadows on the Brocken — A Fantastic Cascade — The Harz Mines and Miners — Mount Etna — An Immense Tree — Far-Famed Ararat — The Peter Botte — Sublim- ity of American Scenery — The White Mountains — A Rock with an Open Mouth — Majestic Summits of the Southern Rockies, 446 Till CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. WONDERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. A Storehouse of the Marvelous — No Such Thing as Cold — Beautiful Vapor Crystals — Gorgeous Pictures of the Sun — The Wonderful Mirage — Striking Effects of Frost — Aerial Navigation — The Great Voyage Across Europe — A World Far Below — The Balloon in Warfare — Despatch from a Balloon to President Lincoln — The Dreadful Cyclone — Theory of the Whirlwind — Trade Winds — Snow and Rain in Colors — A Rain of Ink — Marvelous Showers of Dust and Fishes — Brilliant Sun- sets — The Barometer and Thermometer — Men Who Thought They Could Fly, . 471 CHAPTER XV. WONDERS OF THE OCEAN. The Ocean a World in Itself — Wonderful Sea-Plants — Mermen and Maids — The Famous Nautilus — The Devil Fish — Immense Poulpe — Crabs that Seem to Rea- son — Nest-Building Fishes — Curious Barnacles — Sponges — The Saw-Fish — The Torpedo — Rainbow Beauty of the Sea — Colored Waters — The Flying-Fish — Dol- phins — The Sea-Serpent — Ocean Flowers — Sea Anemones — A Crab with a Pack on his Back — The Wonderful Star-Fish — The Medusoe — The CoftVe-Fish — Crea- tures in Armor — A Thieving Crab — Marvelous Corals — A Strange Fan — The Brain Stone — Singular Fishes — The Sea-Porcupine — A Fish that Travels on Land — Gems of the Ocean — The Gulf Stream — Bay of Naples and Vesuvius — Wonderful Depth — Sea Cucumber — Female Pirates — Strange Tales of the Ocean. 501 CHAPTER XVI. SUBTERRANEAN WONDERS. The Inside World — The Earth a Mass of Fluid Crusted Over — Marvelous Caves — Bone Relics — The Famous Mammoth Cave — Mysterious Caverns — The Splendid Star- Chamber — A Cave with Human Bones — The Celebrated Luray — A Strange Bridal Chamber — Various Comjiartments — Astounding Limestone Formations — Exquisite Flowers in Stone — Fingal's Cave — Wonderful Coal-Beds — A Man Fifty Years in a Swedish Mine — Water Under Ground — Artesian Wells, 546 CHAPTER XVII. WONDERS OF ANIMAL LIFE, Thoughtful Provision for Animal Wants — Fur, Nails and Feathers — Beautiful .Vrabian liorses — War Chargers — Equine Intelligence — His Majesty King Leo — The Polar Reindeer — Great Irish Deer — The Musk Ox — The Yak — The Spry Syrian Goat — The Fleet Kangaroo — Wild Animals of the West — "The Ship of the Desert" — The Wild Ass — The Long-Clawed Aye-Aye — Sly Reynard — A Four-Footed Fish- erman — The Jerboa — A Long-Nosed Animal — White Monkeys — The Odd Man- drill — White Elephants — The Elephant's Sagacity — The Huge Mammoth— A Gigantic Tortoise — Polar Bears — Grizzly Bear of California — The Seal — An Animal Charmed with Music — The Monstrous Sea-Horse — The Alligator — The Hard-Shelled Armadillo — A Wonderful Dog — Intelligent Cats — An Animal That Dies From Its Own Bite — Leeches in Ceylon— Darwin's Crab— Construction of Animals, 566 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XVIII. WONDERFUL BIRDS. Enormous Birds of Ancient Time — The Condor — The Famous Dodo — Eagle and Fish- hawlv — Rooks Holding a Convention — Wonderful Bird of Paradise — The Hum- ming-Bird — The Curious Moth — A Bird that Rings a Bell — Ingenious Nests The Flamingo — The Frigate Bird — Mysterious Butter Bird — The Hornbill — The King Penguin — Talking Birds — Parrots — The Handsome Hoopoe — The Cuckoo — The Pretty Fly-Catcher — The High-Flying Kite — The Lanner Falcon — The Java Bat — The Bittern— The Thrush — Nests that are Eaten — Turtle Dove — Ring Dove — The Marvelous Cockatoo — Interesting Lessons from Bird Life, 6i6 CHAPTER XIX. WONDERS OF THE INSECT WORLD. Extraordinary Strength of Insects — Their Jumping Power — The Sprightly Flea — The White Ant — Ants' Intelligence — Insects that Keep a Dairy — The Brilliant Lantern- Fly — The Wonderful Bees — The Venomous Scorpion — The Ruinous Weevil — A Fly's Mouth — Butterfly Wonders — The Palmer Worm— The Painted Lady_A Singu- lar Fly-Trap — The Sagacious Spider — Doctor Livingstone Poisoned — The Bloated Chego — Educated Fleas — The Mail-Clad Beetle — Destructive Locusts — The En- terprising Silkworm — A Great " Bore " — The Poppy-Cutter — Poisonous Insects — The Gad-Fly — The Leaf Insect — Insects Counterfeiting Death, 645 CHAPTER XX. WONDERFUL INVENTIONS. Machine-made Birds and Animals — Jewels that Play Drums and Fiddles — the Won- derful Microscope — The Famous Printing Press — The Big Corliss Engine — The Strasburg Clock — Agricultural Machines — The Enterprising Chicken-Hatcher — A Dog Carriage — A Strange Vehicle — The Locomotive — Elegant Parlor Car — Post Office on Wheels — Ice Yacht — The Life Boat — Swimming Apparatus — Money Box — The Clock Lamp — -The Two- Wheeled Steed — A Titanic Hammer, . . . 678 CHAPTER XXI. WONDERS OF ARCHITECTURE. The Moquis and Their Rude Habitations — The Mound Builders — Aztecs and Zunis — " Dead Town" — Solomon's Gorgeous Temple — A Famous Temple in India — A Noble Palace in Nineveh — The Metropolitan Post-Ofifice — Grand Public Build- ings and Post-Office in Philadelphia — -The Imposing Capitol at Washington — The Roman Coliseum and Trajan's Renowned Column — Arches of Trajan and Napoleon^The Bridge of Sighs — Marvelous Palace of the Escurial — The Golden Palace of Nero — Architectural Grandeur Spoiled by War, 707 CHAPTER XXII. WONDERS OF ELECTRICITY. The Marvelous Magnet- Professor Morse and His Great Discovery — The Atlantic Cable — Broken and Lying at the Bottom of the Sea — Successful Grappling — "The Cable Speaks" — The Electric Light — Edison's Incandescent Burner — Lighting Gas by Electricity — Talking by Lightning — Electro-Plating and Gild- ing — Magnetic Locomotive — A New Method of Utilizing Waterfalls, .... 735 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. WONDERS OF ASTRONOMY. Vastness of Space — Curious Sun Spots — Amazing Distance and Bulk of the Sun — Brilliant Constellations — Distances of the Fixed Stars — Falling Fire-Balis — Mys- terious Nebulae — Singular Freaks of Comets — The Immense Comet of 1843 — The Farth Passing Through the Tail of a Comet, 750 CHAPTER XXIV. WONDERS OF LIGHT AND HEAT. Light Defined — Immense Number of Vibrations — The Marvelous Prism — Polished Reflectors — The Swiftest Traveler in the Universe — Method of Ascertaining the Velocity — Hidden Heat — A Practical Application of Heat — Human Power to Bear a High Temperature — Walking Over Red-Hot Iron, 768 CHAPTER XXV. MISCELLANEOUS WONDERS. Earthquakes — The Great Brooklyn Suspension Bridge — The Mont Cenis Tunnel — Tunnel Under the Hudson River — Ruins in Bolivia — Diversity of Human Faces — Forms of Sound — Sounding Stones and Speaking Heads — Power of Sound — Famous Bells — A Cherished Relic — Dancing Snakes — Adventures of a Diamond — Greek Fire — Vegetable Curiosities — The Mute Alphabet, 777 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. CHAPTER I. TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. Livingstone's Early Days — Among the Dark Races of a Dark Land — Proofs of Courage—' Adventure with a Lion — Rain Doctors — Journey in the Desert — The Makololo Chief— Smoke-resounding Falls — Exploring the River Shire — Lost to the World — Reported Death of Livingstone — A Savage Demand. HE tropics, which were once a realm of mystery, have been made to reveal their startling wonders. No part of the globe in our day can remain shrouded in darkness. Travelers who were not to be turned back by the greatest dangers and hardships, have explored the polar regions, and penetrated to the very heart of Africa. By their discoveries, which have attracted the attention and ex- cited the interest of the whole civilized world, they have made known to us marvelous regions, of which we had heard, but with which we were almost as little acquainted as we are with the depths of the sea. Great wonders have been revealed. One of the best known and most illustrious of modern travelers in Africa was Dr. Livingstone. His adventures read like the story of the Arabian Nights. They have increased our geographical knowledge, opened up the portions of the great African continent before unknown to the world, and made a pathway for the spread of civilization and Christianity. His coolness and presence of mind in danger, his courage and power of endurance ; the tact, kindness and firmness exhibited in his intercourse with friendly or hostile natives, have made his name revered and honored, and gained for him a place in the affections of the benighted people of Africa, such as no traveler ever before won. Little did the " factory hands " at the old Blantyre Cotton Works, standing on the banks of the river Clyde just above Glasgow, ever imagine that the quiet, industrious lad called " Davie," working in their midst, would one day attain to world-wide fame, and find a final resting place among the illustrious dead of his country : but such indeed was to be his destiny. 2 17 18 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. At the aije of ten, Livingstone commenced to work as "piecer"; his hours of labor were long, beginning at six in the morning and lasting till eight in the evening, and one would suppose left little time for self-improvement ; but the desire for knowledge was strong in the lad, and he employed hours that should have been devoted to sleep to the acquiring of useful information. With part of his first week's wages he purchased a book, " The Rudiments of Latin," and, with the steady earnestness which characterized all his actions, commenced the study of that language. At work, his studies were not neglected. Placing his book on the " spinning jenny," he would read sentence after sentence as he passed to and fro, and so imprint them on his memory as never to forget them. The noise, stir and buslie in the mill never apparently disturbed him ; for he had the power of abstract- ing and concentrating his thoughts so as to be indifferent to what was going on around. When Davie attained to the high dignity of " cotton spinner " he found the labor severe, but endured it willingly, as he earned good money ; by carefully saving which he was enabled during the winter months to attend the Greek, divinity, and medical classes at the Glas- gow University. His home training had been deeply religious, and as he grew older his religious convictions .strengthened and deepened ; so that it is no wonder he resolved to become a missionary to the heathen, and devote life and energies to the welfare of those who sat in the darkness of ignorance and superstition. With this object, in the year 1838, he presented himself for examination before the directors of the London Missionary Society ; by them he was approved and sent to the training college at Chipping Ongar, in Essex. In 1840 he left England for Cape Town. The station to which the young missionary was appointed was that founded thirty years before by Messrs. Hamilton and Moffat, called Kuruman, or Lattakoo, and was about seven hundred miles inland from Cape Town. A long and toilsome journey was necessary before reaching it, through tangled forests, over desolate and barren wastes, rugged hills, and rocky ravines, beneath the burning tropical sun, and surrounded by fierce and savage beasts of prey ; but at the end a sight met the traveler which amply repaid all privation and danger. There stood the mission-house surrounded by its neatly-kept garden, .stocked with fruits and vegetables ; there stood the church, solidly built of stone, and the cottages and huts of the natives, while over all reigned an air of peace and contentment. This is what the labors of the devoted missionaries had effected during the years they had been exiles from their own native land. ^^?^. 20 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. After a short stay at Lattakoo, Livingstone pushed farther into the wilds of the African continent, with the object of founding a new mission station. He went northward as far as the country of the Bachuena or Bakwains, a section of the great Bechuana nation. SettUng at a spot called Lepelole, so called after a cavern of that name, he devoted some time to studying the native language, and then made a journey still farther northward to the Bakaa Mountains. Only one European, a trader, had ever before penetrated so far ; and when it was understood that Livingstone meant to undertake the journey on foot, the natives laughed at him. Livingstone was a man of undoubted courage, and during his adventurous life gave many proofs of intrepidity in times of danger. On one occasion, a party of natives were traveling with an ox-wagon about ten miles from his house, when a rhinoceros charged into their midst, inflicting a severe injury upon the driver. A messenger was immediately sent for the missionary, who, in spite of the remon- strances of his friends, mounted his horse, and, in the darkness of the night, rode in all haste to the scene of the accident. But the wounded man was dead, and there was nothing to be done but to ride back again through the forest, risking attacks from the fierce animals, whose cries could be heard on every side. The Bakatla tribe was troubled by lions, who at night leaped into the cattle-pens, and even by day would sometimes attack the herds. Great was the consternation of the natives, who firmly believed that a neighboring tribe had given them into the power of these merciless animals. Their attacks upon them were feeble and half-hearted, so that hitherto the lions had come off victors. Livingstone now came to their aid, and the cry was — " Mount ! mount for the hunting ! the lion is near ! The cattle and herdsmen are quaking with fear. Call the dogs ! light the torches ! away to the glen ! If needs be, we'll beard the fierce brute in his den." They discovered their game on a small tree-covered hill. The circle of hunters, at first loosely formed around the spot, gradually closed up, and became compact as they advanced toward it. Mebalwe, a native schoolmaster, who was with Livingstone, seeing one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within the ring, fired but missed him, the ball striking the rock by the feet of the animal, which, biting first at the spot struck, bounded away, broke through the circle, and escaped, the natives not having the courage to stand close and spear him in the attempt, as they should have done. The circle re-formed, having yet within it two other lions, at which the pieces could not TKAVEIJ3 IN THE TROPICS. 21 he fired, lest some of the men on the opposite side should be hit. Again there was a bound and a roar, and yet again ; and the natives scattered and fled, while the lions went forth free to continue their ■devastations. But they did not seem to have retreated far, for as the party was going round the end of a hill on their way home to the village, there was one of the lordly brutes sitting upon a piece of rock, as though he had purposely planted himself there to enjoy their defeat, and wish R. DAVID LIVINGSTONE. Ihem " Good-day." It was about thirty yards from Livingstone, who, raising his gun, fired both barrels into the little bush, behind which the creature was crouching. " He is shot ! He is shot ! " is the joyful cry, and the people are about to rush in ; but their friend warns them, for he sees the tail raised in anger. He is just in the act of ramming down his bullets for another fire, when he hears a shout of terror, and sees the lion in the act of springing on him. He is conscious only of a 22 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. blow that makes him reel and fall to the ground, of two glaring eyes,, and hot breath upon his face ; a momentary anguish, as he is seized by his shoulder, and shaken as a rat by a terrier; then comes a stupor, which was afterward described as a sort of drowsiness, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, although there was a per- fect consciousness of all that was happening. Being thus conscious, as one in a trance might be, Livingstone knew that the lion had one paw on him, and, turning round to relieve himself of the pressure, he saw his companion at a distance of ten or fifteen yards aiming his gun. All this occurred in a few moments ; the death- blow had been inflicted by Livingstone before the lion sprang upon him in the blind fury of his dying efforts. No less than eleven of his te(^th had penetrated the flesh of his assailant's arm, and crushed the bone ; it was long ere the wound was healed, and all through life the intrepid missionary bore the marks of this deadly encounter, and felt its effects in the injured limb. The tartan jacket which he had on, wiped, as he believed, the virus from the lion's teeth, and so preserved him from much after-suffering, such as was experienced by the others who were bitten and had not this protection. It was from Kolobeng that Livingstone started, in the year 1849, with two white companions, Colonel Steele and Mr. Oswell, to cross the great Kalahari Desert, for the purpose of ascertaining the exact position of Lake Ngami. A long and toilsome journey it proved. Sekomi, chief of the Bamangwato, through whose lands they were compelled to pass, would give them no assistance ; he was afraid, he said, of incurring the enmity of the Makololo, but really because he did not wish the white man to know how prolific the lake country was in ivory. In spite of this, however, the travelers set out, undaunted by the perils which awaited them. Their way lay through a flat sandy country, open forests, bush and grass lands ; and then came a soil of soft white sand, into which the wheels sunk so deep that the wearied oxen found it difficult work to move the w^igons. Water became scarce, while the fierce beams of the sun poured down on the sand, burning the feet if they rested too long in one place. Thirst was felt by all. In vain the e\'c roved over the barren waste in search of water ; nothing rewarded the effort, and the weary travelers toiled on, with parched tongue aud hanging heads, feeling life to be indeed an irksome burden. Search was made for the Icroshua, a small plant with long narrow leaves, and a stalk not thicker than a crow's quill, but at the root of which is a tuber as large as an infant's head, and filled with a pulpy mass of cellular tissue containing a sweet fluid delightfully cool and refreshing. Sometinies the search was rewarded 24 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. by finding the kengwe, or water-melon, which proves -equally welcome and refreshing. Whole tracts of the desert, in certain jparts, are covered with this plant, to which wild animals of all kinds resort, to enjoy a repast of juicy richness which the absence of water makes doubly precious. There are a few human inhabitants in this desert, the most degraded of all African tribes, who burrow in the .sand or hide in holes of the rocks, or in wretched huts made of grass and vegetable fibres. These are called Bosjemen, or Bushmen, being small of stature, and finding a precarious subsistence in the carcases, often putrid, of animals which die, in insects, roots, or anything that can be eaten. Their language, if such it can be called, consists of a series of uncouth sounds : a strange, wild people, apparently more akin to the fierce animals which surround them than to human beings. After two months of this weary traveling Livingstone arrived on the banks of a large and beautiful river, running northeast, and natives dwelling there informed him that it flows from the great lake, and is called the Zouga; and shortly after his eyes were gladdened by the sight of the broad and unbroken expanse of the waters of Lake Ngami. The people dwelling about this lake called themselves Bayei\-s, or " men," but their enemies called them Bakoba, or slaves, because they will not fight. They received the travelers with great friendliness, and answered, as far as they were able, all the questions put tt) them. Several large rivers had been observed flowing into the lake, which, they said, came from a country full of rivers, and full also of large trees. There lived the warlike Makololo natives — ruled over by a great chief named Sebituane — whom Livingstone greatly desired to visit; but the difficulties in the way were too many for him to sur- mount at this time, and he was compelled to return to Kolobeng. In the following year he again set forth, with the purpose of penetrat- ing as far as the Makololo people. This time he was accompanied by his wife and three of his children. In this journey he kept more to the eastward, crossing the Zouga at its lowest extremit>'. But difficulties again prevented him accomplishing his purpose. He lo.st many of his oxen, which fell into pits dug to entrap wild animals ; then he found he was approaching a part of the country where the dreaded tsetse abounded : " a poisonous fly which .stings the cattle so that they lose all power of exertion, become emaciated, and soon die ; it abounds chiefly on the banks of rivers, and in most marshy places." Once again did our traveler retrace his steps back to his station, his intentions frustrated. 26 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. But the great chief of the Makololo, Sebituane, having heard of Livingstone's attempts to reach him, sent presents of cows to various-, chiefs, desiring they would do all they could to aid the missionar}^ in his journey to his country. Encouraged by the e\ident desire mani- fested by Sebituane that the white man should visit him, our traveler, for the third time, set out, again taking with him his wife and children. And now he was successful. Crossing the Zouga, he soon reached the banks of the Chobe, and in a canoe floated down to the temporary residence of the Makololo chief, who had himself traveled more than one hundred miles to give the missionary a welcome. This celebrated chief was found by Livingstone encamped upon an island, his principal men seated around him ; as the visitor approached a song of welcome was raised. Sebituane received the traveler with every mark of friendliness, promised him cattle to replace those lost by the tsetse fly, and said he would show him his country, that he might select a spot on which to settle. Meantime, an ox and a jar of honey were presented to him, to supply his immediate wants. Sebituane had acquired great fame as a powerful A\arrior, always himself leading his men to battle. He never forgave one that fled from the fight, but on reaching home would order him to be brought into his presence, and would then quietly tell him that as he preferred dying at home to being slain in battle he might do so, and the man was led to immediate execution. His life had been one of varied for- tune, for he had fought his way from Kuruman to the Makololo country, where he succeeded in conquering all the various tribes of that vast region, and reigning as sole monarch. He had long wished to have white men settle in his country, to make himself and his- people more powerful ; and now, just as his wish was about to be gratified, he fell sick with inflammation of the lungs, brought on by an old wound received in one of his many battles. His sickness proved fatal. Seeing that death was likely soon to ensue, Livingstone wisely refrained from using his own skill on the dying man's behalf, fearing lest his death should be attributed to him. But, with his son Robert, he paid the dying Sebituane a visit. He found tlje native doctors gathered around him, hopeful that their enchantments would successfully ward off the fatal blow. " Come near," said the dying chief to the missionary, "and .see if 1 am any longer a man ; I am done ! " Livingstone spoke of the hope after death, but was interruj:Jted by the doctors exclaiming, " Sebituane cannot die ; speak not of death to- him." The white man stood silently looking on, when the chief noticed! TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 2r that he ncld his Httlc boy by the hand. He had been pleased with the child, and now, fixing his eyes kindly upon him, said faintly, " Take Robert to Maunku (one of his wives), and tell her to give him some milk." These were the great chief's last words ; shortly after he died. " Never," says Livingstone, " was I so much grieved by the loss of a black man before ; and it was impossible not to follow him in thought into the other world, and to realize somewhat of the feelings of those who pray for the dead." The remains of Sebituane were buried in the cattle-pen, and o\'er and around the spot the cattle were driven for sev- eral hours, that no distincfuishincr mark should be left to tell where the ENCHANTMENTS OF SEBITUANE'S MEDICINE MAN. great warrior reposed, and that no indignity should be offered to' the body. Sebituane was succeeded by his daughter Ma-mochisane, who gave Livingstone permission to visit any [)art of the country he chose — a privilege of which he was not slow to avail himself; and he carried his explorations more than one hundred miles to the northeast, until :28 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. he discovered that magnificent river which will ever be associated with his name, the Zambesi. When he first saw its waters it was in the dry season, but even then its breadth at that particular spot was fi-om three to six hundred yards. It rises annually thirty feet of perpendicular height, and floods fifteen or twenty miles of land adjacent to its banks. At such times the whole basin through which it flows has the appear- ance of a vast lake, the towns and villages — which are built on the spots which rise here and there above the surrounding level — standing out like islands. On these little hills, and amid the swampy tracts between them, live the Makololo, secured by the nature of the ground from the attacks of enemies, against whom, in the higher and more healthy districts, there is no such defense. The natives spend their time in war, in hunting the elephant and hippopotamus, in fishing, or in shooting the birds which abound in the woods and swamps. Launching their canoes on the broad rivers, they engage in conflict with the dreaded crocodile. At night "they gather round the fire, and boast of their gallant exploits. Upon the women devolve the tillage of the ground, the cultivation of maize and cotton, yams and pumpkins ; but the labor required is not heavy, for a great deal is left to nature ; the heat and moisture of the ground stimulating the growth, so that they have only to sow and gather. But in these marshy districts fever proved a deadly foe, especially to strangers ; so that Livingstone was fearful if he effected a settlement here it would prove hazardous to the health, if not the lives, of his wife and family. He therefore conveyed them to Cape Town, that they might embark for England, while he himself turned his back on friends and civilization, and once more plunged into the depths of the untrodden African wilds. When Livingstone again .saw the waters of the Chobe it was at the time of its annual overflow. The whole country round was flooded, so that it was impossible to find a pathway through the watery wilderness for his wagons. Many of his men were down with fever, the destructive tsetse fly had destroyed several of his oxen, and his Bushmen guides had deserted him. Leaving his goods behind, he launched his canoe, and with but one follower endeavored to strike the main channel of the river, and so make his way to the Makololo chief's residence. It proved an adventure of no small danger, and the difficulties he had to surmount would have daunted a less resolute man. Frequently he found himself compelled to wade along with the water up to his neck ; the brambles tore his body, while a serrated kind of grass, whose edges were as keen as that of a razor, cut his 30 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. clothes into ribbons. Reachin<^ the village of Moremi, he was there recognized, and the tidings forwarded to the chief, who immediately sent a party to convey him to Linyante, the principal town of the country. The wagons which had been left behind were speedily taken to pieces and lashed to canoes ; the oxen were made to swim, while the natives guided them by keeping by their side. All the inhabitants of Linyante turned out to welcome the traveler, and to behold such a Avonderful sight as a wagon in motion. The new chief of Makololo was the son of Livingstone's former friend, Scbituane. The daughter had resigned her power to her brother Sekeletu, \\ho professed a great regard for the missionary. Finding no present prospect of founding a mission station among the Mako- lolo, Livingstone, accompanied by Sekeletu and many under-chiefs, departed from Linyante to make further explorations of the Zambesi river. Never before had he passed through a country so teeming with animal life — countless herds of the graceful antelope, the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, rivers with the huge hippopotamus and the scaly alligator, and trees thronged with varieties of the monkey tribe, and birds of all sizes and colors. At every village the caxalcade halts, and the chief is welcomed with shrill cries of " Great lion ! mighty chief! sleep, my lord ! " while beer and milk in abundance are brought forth to refresh himself, his white friend and his followers. In November, 1853, Livingstone left the town of Linyante to fnid his way to the Portuguese settlement of Loanda, on the western coast. A long and toilsome journey it proved. Pathless forests were traversed, through which a road had to be cut with axes; and rivers infested with hipi^opotami, swimming lazily about, with their enormous snouts just above the water. These animals are, when not molested, usually harmless, with the exception of the old males, which are expelled from the community and doomed to lead a solitary life. To come upon one of the former class proves dangerous, for it rushes open-mouthed at everything, and has been known to rend a canoe to pieces with its enormous jaws. The crocodile and alligator, which the natives will sometimes attack by diving beneath them and plunging their knives upwards into their l^odies, proved only too plentiful on the voyage. Huge trees grew on the very edge of the river's bank, from which gaily-plumaged birds sang to the passing strangers. From the overhanging branches huge lizards were seen basking in the warm sunshine, and as the canoes approached they fell into the water with a splash, to be speared and eaten as a great delicacy by the natives. At the villages on the route they met with a friendly reception, and presents were made of oxen, 32 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. with the singular saying, " Here is a bit of bread for you." After leaving the noble Zambesi at its confluence with the Leeambye, they pursued their journey up the latter river to the northwest, while the rain poured down upon them for days and weeks in such torrents as can only be seen in a tropical country. CURIOUS RITES AND CEREMONIES. Amongst the Kaffir tribes at the villages south of the Zambesi, Livingstone found several very curious rites performed at intervals, but the details were most carefully concealed. Our hero, however, witnessed the dance called " koba," in which a row of naked boys of about fourteen, after answering several questions, such as " Will you herd the cattle well ? will you guard the chief well ? " were plied with blows from long, thin, and tough wands, wielded by full grown men. Each blow brought blood, and the scars would remain for life. This was supposed to harden the youths, and render them fit for service as soldiers. Another curious ceremony was the so-called " boyale," for drilling young girls for the duties of womanhood, in which the neophytes, clad in dresses of rope made of alternate pumpkin seeds and bits of reed, were made to carry large pots of water under the surveillance of an old hag, often after having bits of burning charcoal applied to the forearm, probably with a view to testing the poor creatures' power of bearing pain. Judging from the manner in%vhich the women discharge their duties this process of discipline is an unhappy failure. It requires more than a savage custom to transform savages, and produce the higher forms of character. An exhausting journey in a northwesterly direction, was succeeded by a pleasant rest at the Motlatsa wells. With the help of some wan- ering Bushmen they were able to reach the Chobe. The Sanshureh, a water-course filled by the inundations of the Chobe, long baffled their attempt to cross it, but at last Livingstone and one man got over in a pontoon, and, climbing a high tree, caught sight of the Chobe, which was, however, flanked on both sides by an impenetrable belt of reeds and serrated grass, only to be traversed by bending it down and creep- ing over it on hands and feet. All difficulties bravely conquered, a Makololo village was entered, and the natives, gathering round our hero, exclaimed, " He has dropped among us from the clouds. We Makololo thought no one could cross the Chobe without our knowledge, but here he drops among us like a bird." Next day Livingstone returned to his party in a canoe across the flooded land, and was soon joined by some headmen from Linyanti, the capital of Makololo Land, who escorted the party over the river in fine style, swimming and diving amongst the oxen more like alliga- TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 33 tors than men, and taking- the wagons to pieces to cany them across on a number of canoes lashed together. On the 23d May, 1853, Livingstone entered Linyanti, which he found to be but a very Uttle distance from the furthest point reached in his journey of 185 1. The whole population, num- beringbetween six and seven thou- sand, turned out to gaze at the stranger, and a messenger soon arrived from the reigning chief Se- keletu, son of Se- bituane, in whose favor Ma-mochis- ane had resigned. An interview with Sekeletu himself soon fol- lowed, in which the chief, a mere lad of eighteen, begged Living- stone to tell him what he wished him to do for him ; and on the mis- sionary explaining that his aim was to convert him and his people to Christianity, he w xkriok wi'^ vtitR hajiii replied he did not wish to read the Bible, for he was afraid it might change his heart, and make him content with only one wife. He made no objection, however, to his people being taught, and Liv- ingstone held several semces, at which the Makololos who attended behaved with surprising decorum and reverence. Livingstone next made an excursion, with Sekeletu and some one hundred and sixty attendants, to the capital of the Marotse country, 3 34 WONDERS OF EXPLORATIOX AND ADVENTURE. crossing a remarkably flat district, dotted with gigantic ant-hills, the work of the ingenious termites, and embarking on the Zambesi. A BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL COUNTRY. The fleet consisted of thirty-three canoes, of which Livingstone had the best, and Sekeletu the largest. The river, here and there, more than a mile broad, dotted with beautiful islands, wound through a country exceeding in beauty any part of South Africa yet visited by a European. Date palms alternated with palmyras, and every variety of large game, native to the tropical forests of Africa came down to drink, showing no signs of fear at the sight of the canoes. The villages, which were numerous, and inhabited by a people called Banyete, sent out delegates with presents of food and skins for Sekeletu, and Living- stone was able to note at his ease the happy relations existing, between the chief and his people, Sekeletu's aim was to govern by moral suasion, proving him to be different from most African chiefs. Soon the tsetse, which alighted even on the canoes, disappeared, and the lofty reedy banks were exchanged for densely-wooded ridges stretching away to the Barotse valley, dotted with villages built on mounds, and resembling in its general character the valley of the Nile. In the Barotse valley itself trees arc scarce, though the soil is extremely fertile, supporting large herds of cattle, and is capable of being rendered ten times as productive by judicious cultivation. Arrived at Nariele, a village built on an artificial mound close to the Zambesi, the course of which is here partially obstructed by a rocky barrier, the party were very heartily received by the Barotse, and great festivities were held in honor of the chief Before returning to Lin- yanti, Living.stone walked to the town of Katongo, on the ridge bounding the valley of the Barotse on the north, and found it sur- rounded by well-cultivated gardens, in which large quantities of maize, millet, yams, sugar-cane, sweet potatoes, etc., were raised. Our hero also ascended the Zambesi for some little further distance, reaching the junction first of the Loeti, and then of the Leeba with the Zambesi, the Loeti flowing apparently from the west north-west, and the Leeba from the north northwest. Back again in September, 1853, ^^ Linyanti, after this preliminary trip, Livingstone now lost no time in preparing for his great journey to the west, and in November started up the Chobe, escorted by twenty- seven men of different tribes charged by Sekeletu to protect him, and to open up free trade between the Makololo country and the white men of the coast. The 30th November found the party at the Gouye Falls, where the canoes were carried over the rapids slung on poles, and a few days 36 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. later Nariele was again entered. Between it and Libonta, the next stopping-place, Livingstone was delighted by the sight of hundreds of birds, including some thirty different species, such as the speckled and blue and orange kingfishers, the religious ibis, the v/hite pelican, the scissor-bills, the sand-martins, etc. Large black geese were to be seen stalking here and there on the bank. MARVELOUS ESCAPE FROM AN ALLIGATOR. In the river, savage alligators abounded, at the sight of which Living- stone owns to being unable to repress a shudder, after having seen the narrow escape of one of his men who was dragged down under water by the thigh, but escaped by stabbing his scaly antagonist in the shoulder with a short javelin. The alligator, writhing with pain, left his victim, who swam back to the canoe with the blood gushing from his wounds. The natives are so accustomed to these attacks that they are seldom taken off their guard. Leaving the Zambesi on the 28th December, the party embarked on the Leeba, and ascended it for some distance, till the Balonda country, the first village of which was governed by a woman named Manenko, was entered, where our hero was rather coldly received, as he was supposed to have profited by the capture of some of the natives as slaves a short time previously. The fact that he brought with him two or three of the victims sent back by Sekeletu, however, produced something of a reaction in his favor, and Manenko prom- ised to visit him, but kept him waiting so long for an interview that he lost patience, and went on without seeing her. On the 6th January, however, just after the arrival of the party in the village of another female chief, Manenko made her appearance. A tall strapping woman about twenty, with her body smeared all over with a mixture of fat and red ochre, and no clothing but a profusion of ornaments round her neck, her sable highness conducted herself in a very overbearing manner, and announced her intention of accom- panying Livingstone to the residence of her uncle Shinte or Kabompo, the greatest Balonda of the country. This intention she carried out, and Livingstone gives a pathetic account of his sufferings in conse- quence. First she could not be induced to start, and when, after several days' delay, she trusted her precious person on a canoe to cross a little stream, having first had some charms repeated over her by her doctor, she enlivened the journey with perpetual scoldings. Leaving the river, a tract of forest land was traversed beneath heavy rain, Manenko's escort keeping up an unceasing clatter with their weapons. Disdaining to ride, Manenko trudged along on foot at a pace which TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 37 few men could equal, and Livingstone, being on ox-back, rode leisurely beside her. Once, bending down to his lady leader, he ventured to inquire why she did not protect herself from the rain with a little clothing, and was answered that it would be effeminate for a chief to do so. Again and again delayed at Balonda villages by the incessant rain or by Manenko's manoeuvres, and as they advanced further north compelled to cut their way with an axe through the dense tropical forests here lining the banks of the Leeba, the party did not reach Shinte's village until the 17th January, but the cordial reception there met with did much to atone for the troubles of the journey. RECEPTION IN HONOR OF LIVINGSTONE. Shinte declared himself greatly honored by Livingstone's visit, and gave his guests a reception rivaling in barbaric magnificence any ceremony of the kind yet witnessed by our hero. The " kotla," or place of audience, about a hundred yards square, overlooked by numerous well-built conical-roofed houses, was lined with warriors, including many Mambari, or half-caste Portuguese slave traders from the west. Two trees of the banyan species stood at one end, and beneath one of them sat Shinte, wearing no clothing but some scanty drapery about the loins, and numerous bracelets on his arms and legs. Opposite to him and beneath the second tree Livingstone seated him- self on his own camp-stool, his attendants grouping themselves behind him. Filing before their host, Manenko's party saluted him by clap- ping their hands, and the headmen of Shinte's tribe answered by making obeisance and scattering ashes. Then the soldiers, all armed to the teeth, made a kind of dash at the strangers, which they bore unmoved, and the preliminaries were over. The explorers were highly amused at their singular greeting. Behind Shinte sat some hundred women, all gorgeous in red baize drapery, and in front was his chief wife, a Matabele woman, distin- guished by a curious red cap on her head. All having made their salutations, a good deal of springing, dancing, and so-called music ensued, succeeded by speeches, between each of which the women sang a plaintive ditty. Nine orations were delivered with the greatest decorum, and then Shinte rose as a signal for the breaking up of the meeting. The soldiers discharged their guns, and the company dis- persed. Livingstone was detained some little time in Shinte's town by fever and his host's unwillingness to allow him to depart, but on the 26th February he managed to get off, his escort augmented by six Balonda men to help to carry his luggage. Crossing the southern part of 38 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Loanda, and halting at various villages — at one of which the inhabit- ants carried their hospitality so far as to hurry to meet him, carrying the roofs of huts for his accommodation on their heads — then fording the river Lotembwa, he entered the town of the great chief Katema, one of the largest yet visited. Katema, on Livingstone's arrival, was giving audience, in the pres- ence of some three hundred men and thirty women, to a party of young men who had fled from the neigboring chiefdom of Lobale, on account of its ruler selling their relations for slaves to the Portuguese,^ a fact significant of the approach to the western coast. The history of the white man's journey and intentions in coming to the country having been duly stated by an interpreter, Katema bade him welcome, and presented him with sixteen baskets of meat. He also promptly provided three guides to conduct his visitor to the coast, and proved himself in every respect most courteous and friendly. On Livingstone asking him what he would like from Loanda, Katema replied, that everything of the white people would be acceptable, and he would receive anything thankfully, but the coat he had on was old, and he would like another. THE SAVAGES DEMAND TRIBUTE. Coming to the valley of the Quango, the Chinji, as the natives of the most easterly portion of the valley were called, made a demand to which Livingstone had now become accustomed, of a man, an ox, or an elephant's tusk for right of passage through their country ; and on our hero's assuring their host that his supplies were exhausted, they were anxious that he and his attendants should be killed and his property seized. A personal interview with the chief, Sansawe by name, fortunately somewhat changed the aspect of affairs. Living- stone showed him his hair — always a cause of astonishment to the negroes — his watch, and his compass, and Sansawe went off without exacting the tribute asked for. A little later he sent a message to say that the white man must either give him some pounds of meat and copper rings or return by the way he had come. To this our hero replied simply that he should go on the next day, and his interpreter added of his own accord, " How many white men have you killed in this path ? " which meant, " You have never killed any white man, and you will find ours difficult to manage." On more than one occasion it was found that a bold front was the best defense, and any appear- ance of timidity would have worked disastrous to the whole party, in- volving serious consequences. Expecting from this interchange of courtesies to have to cut his way through, Livingstone broke up his camp before daylight the next SHOOTING THE RAPIDS OF THK LOWER CONGO. 40 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. morning, but he was allowed to depart unmolested. His men, wjio could scarcely believe their good fortune, pressed on cheerfully beneath a heavy downpour of rain, till they were brought to a stand near the Congo, here one hundred and fifty yards wide and very deep, with dis- colored waters, a psculiarity never noticed in any river of Makololo or Loan da. Anxious to cross the river as quickly as possible, Livingstone en- deavored to obtain canoes from the natives on its banks, but their chief forbade them to lend any without the payment " of a man, an ox, or a gun." Our explorer's blanket was the only article he had left which he could possibly spare, but he was ready to sacrifice it rather than waste any time so near the first Portuguese settlement, where his difficulties would probably end. Doubting alike the honesty and power of the river chief, however, he tried to persuade his men to seize the canoes before he gave up the blanket, but they were afraid of being attacked by the natives. Meanwhile the chief repeated his de- mands, and Livingstone's men were stripping off their own copper rings in the hopes of satisfying him, when a young, half-caste Portu- guese sergeant of militia came up and urged our hero to move on to the bank in spite of chief and people, for he could get the ferryman to take them over the river. Repeatedly did our hero find fortune favor- ing him as he pressed on through the wilds of this dark country, pass- ing safely through all dangers. Delighted at this unexpected arrival of succor, Livingstone ordered his men to move on, and under a blaze of ammunition from the natives which did no execution whatever, the party hastened down to the river. Cypriano made a satisfactoiy arrangement with the ferryman, and Livingstone saved his blanket. As soon as the opposite bank was reached, Negroland may be said to have been left behind, for our hero was in the territory of the Bangala, who are subjects of the Portuguese. Cypriano, who lived near the Congo, invited the whole party to rest at his quarters, and most hospitably entertained them for the next few- days, stripping his garden in their service, and slaughter ing an ox for their table. ASTONISHMENT AT FIRST SIGHT OF THE SEA. The first sight of the sea astonished the Makololo and other ser- vants from the interior beyond all bounds. Awestruck, they whispered to each other that the ancients who said the world had no end were wrong, after all, for here was the end of the world ; it was finished ; there was no more of it. Should they be kidnapped and carried off by the Portuguese, or perhaps by those mermen of which faint rumors had reached them on their own journey down ? One man TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 41 asked Livirif^stone if they could watch each other at Loanda : ■" Suppose one went for water, would the others see if he were kid- napped ? " Reassuring the poor fellows as best he could, and prom- ising them that they should incur no danger he did not share, Liv- ingstone prevailed on them to remain in Loanda till he should return with them to Linyanti. Having, in spite of much suffering from fever, fulfilled the main objects of his visit by opening commercial relations between the interior and the Portuguese settlements, Livingstone started on the return journey for Linyanti, laden with presents for Sekeletu and the chiefs who had aided him on the westward trip. The gift for the ruler of Makololo Land was a complete colonel's uniform and a fine horse, to which the merchants of Loanda added handsome specimens of all their articles of trade. A grand meeting of all the people was held to welcome the white man back, and wonderful indeed were the stories related at it by his servants of their adventures by the way. They had gone to the end of the world, and only turned back when there was no more land ! No; they had not seen Ma-Robert (Mrs. Livingstone), for she lived a little beyond the world, but they had seen mountains (two-storied houses), with several caves in them, inhabited by white men, and so on and so on. Sekeletu was charmed with his uniform, and when he appeared in it in church the following Sunday it drew off all attention from service or sermon. Offers to accompany Livingstone on his journey to the east coast poured in upon him, and our hero found himself almost too popular. Determined, however, not to lose this favorable opportunity for extending his discoveries, he remained patiently at Linyanti until the 3d November, 1855, when he started for the east, accompanied by Sekeletu and about two hundred of his followers. Sesheke was reached in the thick of a fearfi.il thunderstorm, one of the worst yet encountered by Livingstone, but he tells us that Sekeletu, now his de- voted friend, covered him with his own blanket, and before leaving the town presented him with twelve oxen, with some hoes, beads, etc., for the purchase of a canoe for the voyage down the Zambesi. THE CELEBRATED SMOKE RESOUNDING FALLS. Embarking on the river at Sesheke, the whole party descended it as far as the island of Kalai, where it makes a sudden bend to the northeast above the world-famous Victoria Falls, called by the natives Mosiatunya, or " Smoke sounds there," a name eminently descriptive of the simultaneous effect produced on ear and eye by the never- <;easing roar of the descending cataract and the smoke-like masses of ^ver-ascending foam. These falls are the Niagara of Africa, and 42 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. through the descriptions already given have gained a world-wide fame. They are one of the wonders of the world. Says Livingstone, — " Five columns of vapor arose, and, bending in the direction of the wind, they seemed placed against a low ridge covered with trees ; the tops of the columns appeared to mingle with the clouds. They were white below, and higher up became dark, so as to simulate smoke very closely. The whole scene was extremely beautiful ; the banks and islands dotted over the river are adorned with sylvan vege- tation of great variety of color and form. At the period of our visit several trees were spangled over with blossoms. There, towering over all, stands the great burlv baobab, each of whose enormous arms would HATOKA SALUTATION . form the trunk of a large tree, beside a group of graceful palms, which, with their feathery-shaped leaves depicted on the sky, lend their beauty to the scene. The falls are bounded on three sides by ridges three hundred or four hundred feet in height, which are covered with forest, with the red soil appearing among the trees. When about half a mile from the falls, I left the canoe by which we had come down thus far, and embarked in a lighter one with men well acquainted with the rapids, who, by passing down the centre of the stream, in the eddies and still places caused by the many jutting rocks, brought me to an island situated in the middle of the river, and on the edge of the lip over which the water rolls. Though we had reached the island, and were within a few yards of the spot, a view from which would solve the TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 4S whole problem, I believe that no one could perceive where the vast body of water went; it seemed to lose itself in the earth, the opposite lip of the fissure into which it disappeared being only eighty feet distant. Creeping with awe to the verge, I peered down into a large rent which had been made from bank to bank of the broad Zambesi, and saw that a stream one thousand yards broad leaped down one hundred feet, and then became suddenly compressed into a space of fifteen or twenty yards. The entire falls are simply a crack made in a hard basaltic rock, from the right to the left bank of the Zambesi, and then prolonged from the left bank away through thirty or forty miles of hills. In looking into the fissure on the right side of the island, one sees nothing but a dense white cloud, which, at the time we visited the spot, had two bright rainbows on it. From this cloud rushed up a great jet of vapor, exactly like steam, and it mounted two hundred or three hundred feet high ; there condensing, it changed its hue to that of dark smoke, and came back in a constant shower, which wetted us to our skin." Leaving these stupendous falls, and the valley in which the Lekone flows, at the village of Moyara, Livingstone directed his course more to the northeast, through a tract of country once thickly populated, but now bare and desolate from constant wars, then across treeless undulating plains, where the tuskless elephant and large herds of buffalo are seen. Here, too, is heard the singular whistle of the honey-guide, which sounds like, " Come and see ! come and see ! " And if one follows it, as it slowly flies away, he is soon brought to some hollow tree in which wild bees have stored up their honey. Now the ruins of large and depopulated towns were seen, which most likely the slave-trader had stormed in the night, and presently they came to where the natives were in rebellion, and feared an attack ; but beyond these the Batoka or Batonga people were quite friendly, and hailed with loud shouts the appearance of the first white man that had ever visited their country, and saluted him by throwing themselves on their backs, rolling in the dust, and slapping their thighs, exclaiming " Kina bomba." Thus onward, ever onward, with varied fortune, the noble traveler pushed forward his sable attendants, until on March 3d^ 1856, Tette was reached, and he was hospitably received by the Port- uguese commandant. CHAPTER II. LIVINGSTONE'S DISCOVERIES. Arrival at the Mouth of the Zambesi — The Ma-Bobert — War between the Half-castes and the Portuguese — Livingstone's old Makololo Servants — Their Sufferings in his Absence — Excursion to Kebrabasa — First Visit to Manganja Land — On Foot to Lake Sliirwa — Bad Behavior of the Ma- Robert — Up the Shire again, and Discoveiy of Lake Nyassa — Journey to Makololo Land — Rescue of Baldwin at the Victoria Falls — News of Seke- letu's Leprosy, and the Misery of his People — Arrival at Sesheke — Interview with Sekeletu — His Lady-Doctor superseded by Kirk and Livingstone — Over the Raj^ids, and Narrow Escapes — On Foot to Tete — The Last of the Ma-Robert — Arrival of Pio- neer and of Bishop Mackenzie — A Struggle with Ajawa — New E.vpedition Resolved on — Desertion of Johanna Men — Report of Livingstone's Death — Search Expedition under Young — The Mazitu — F"urther Desertions and Loss of Medicine Chest — Arrival at Tanganyika — Off for Lake Moero at Last — Down the Lake to Cazembe's — War and Rumors of War — Flight to the North with the Arabs — Back to Tanganyika, and Awful Sufiferings by the Way — Across the Lake to L^jiji — Back again to the Western Shores — Start for Manyuema — Desertion of all the Men but F"ive — Awful Massacre of Native Women — An Ambush and Narrow Escape — Cannibalism — Arrival at Ujiji in an Exhausted State — Opportune Arrival of Stanley. HI^L cordial reception he had almost everywhere met with on his great journey from sea to sea, and the apparent eagerness of the natives of the inland districts to trade with the settlers on the coast, led Livingstone to hope that in the new venture now to be undertaken he would be able, without any great difficulty, to open permanent commercial relations between African chiefs and Europe. With this end in view, he proposed thoroughly surveying the Zambesi, with its mouths and tributaries, for, from what he had already seen of that great river, he believed it to be the best and most natural highway for commerce and Christianity to pass into the vast interior of Africa. The new expedition consisted of Dr. Livingstone as leader ; his brother, Mr. Charles Livingstone ; Dr. Kirk, a well-known botanist ; Mr. Thornton, a young geologist, and numerous others of lesser note. Provided with a boat for river navigation — which was sent from England in pieces, and put together at the mouth of the Zambesi — and all other requisites of success, the party arrived off the east coast, in her Majesty's colonial steamer Pearl, in May, 1858, and carefully examined the four mouths of the Zambesi. The Pearl proceeded rapidly up one, the Kongone, towing the Ma-Robert, as the steam launch was called, that (44) 45 46 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. being the native name for Mrs. Livingstone ; and after a pleasant voy- age between banks lined with huge ferns, palm bushes, wild date, screw and other palms, etc., cast anchor near the island of Simbo. RESCUE OF A PORTUGUESE GOVERNOR. A little later Livingstone and his comrades were within hearing of a fight between the Portuguese and the " rebels," and on landing opposite to Shapunga to greet some old friends, the doctor found himself in the mid.st of mutilated bodies, and surrounded by all the horrible sights and sounds connected with recent carnage. The few survivors of the people he had known under circumstances so different gathered about him, glad to welcome him again, and he was requested to take the Portuguese governor, who was very ill of fever, across to Shapunga. No sooner had he given his consent than the battle recommenced, and with balls whistling about his ears he " dragged his Excellency," a very tall and heavy man, down to the ship. Once on board, and under skillful treatment, the poor man quickly recovered his health, and was able to return to Quilimane, but it is said that he never forgave the colonel in attendance for the strong remedies which were administered to him. He was a pupil of Raspail, and felt it a crime to get well by any other method than his. We quote this anecdote as one out of many examples of the absurd prejudices against medicine prevalent alike amongst Portuguese settlers, half-castes, and natives in this part of Africa, prejudices which again and again prevented Livingstone from saving life. Leaving Shapunga, our party started up stream for Tete, finding the navigation very difficult, owing partly to the number of islands to be avoided, and partly to the vagaries of their black pilot, John Scissors, who sometimes took the wrong channel, running the Ma-Robert aground. " Nothing abashed," says Livingstone, "by these little acci- dents, he would exclaim, in an aggrieved tone, ' This is not the path ; it is back yonder.' ' Then why didn't you go yonder at first ? ' growled the Kroomen, who had been engaged as sailors, and had the work of getting the vessel off; at which demonstration of displeasure poor Scissors would begin to tremble and cry, ' These men scold me so, I am ready to run away.' " From the first the Ma-Robert behaved so badly, owing to various faults in her construction, that Livingstone ironically re-christened her the " Asthmatic." The heavily-laden country canoes could almost keep up with her, the little ones shot by her, and with regret our hero was compelled to acknowledge that steam was to him no labor-saving power, and boats, or even canoes, would have done for the expedition all that it did, with half the toil and expense. Livingstone's discoveries, 4'if Landing to wood at Shamoara, just below the confluence of the Shire, an important tributary of the Zambesi, with which we shall presently- become well acquainted, the Englishmen were visited by Bonga, brother of Matakenya, and some of his principal followers, who were all per- fectly friendly, though aware of the service done by the explorers to their enemies in the person of the governor of Mazaro. Bonga, when told of the object of the expedition, declared that no hindrance should be suffered from his people in so good a work, and proved that these were no idle words by sending down a present of rice, two sheep, and a quantity of firewood. The Portuguese, on the other hand, showed themselves suspicious of the. intruders, and cross-questioned their pilot as to whether they had sold any powder to the enemy ; but in spite of all difficulties our hero managed to remain on good terms with both parties. Unable to take the Ma-Robert up the shoal-channel on which Sena, the next halting place, stands, anchor was cast at a small native hamlet, called Nyaruka, and the Englishmen walked across country in Indian file along a narrow, winding footpath, through gardens and patches of wood, meeting many natives on the road, the men armed with spears, bows and arrows, or old Tower muskets ; the women carrying short- handled hoes, with which they were going to work in the gardens. Arrived at Sena, a tumble-down Portuguese settlement, surrounded by a stockade of living trees to protect its inhabitants from their trouble- some and rebellious neighbors, the party were most hospitably received by the now celebrated Senhor Ferrao, who has won the love of the natives by his noble generosity, feeding them in famine, ministering to them in sickness, and exercising no further right over his slaves than that of a kind of patriarchal chief, on whom they lean as on a father. A HAPPY MEETING. Cheered by their halt in what we may call this oasis in the very heart of the slave district, our heroes pressed on up stream with fresh energy, and cast anchor off Tete on the 8th September, 1858. Dr. Livingstone at once went on shore in a boat, for it was here he had left many of his old Makololo servants on his former journey. No sooner did the poor fellows recognize him than they rushed to the water's edge, manifesting the greatest joy at seeing him again. " Some," to quote from his own narrative, " were hastening to embrace him, but others cried out, ' Don't touch him ; you will spoil his new clothes.' " On his visit to Kebrabasa, with Dr. Kirk as his companion, Living- stone discovered a beautiful cataract, known as Morumbwe, at the cost of a climb up an almost perpendicular mountain under a burning sun, the faithful Makololo who had constituted themselves his escort mur- muring that they had always thought their master had a heart, but now 48 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. they believed he had none. Finding him immovable in his determina- tion to proceed, they turned to Dr. Kirk and begged him to make his. companion go back, for it was evident he was gone mad, else why did he attempt to go where no living foot could tread ? To this appeal Dr. Kirk, who understood not a word, made no reply, and Livingstone naively informs us that he, who did understand, took care not to enlighten him. The discovery made, he adds, was more than sufficient reward for the labor undergone, and having slept for the night at a well in a rock on the north-west side of the mountain, rising perpendicularly above the Zambesi, the hardy explorers returned to Tote, and after some few interesting but unimportant excursions in its neighborhood, the whole party started on a first trip up the Shire. STOPPED BY THE SAVAGES. It was now early in January, 1859, and considerable quantities of duckweed floated down the river for the first twenty-five miles, though not enough seriously to impede navigation. Entering the Manganja country, peopled, according to the Portuguese of Tete, by bloodthirsty savages, a sharp lookout was kept on either side of the little vessel, and as the first villages were approached the natives collected in large numbers, armed with bows and poisoned arrows. No actual hostilities were offered, however, until the village of a chief named Tingane was reached, when a party of five hundred savages collected on the river banks, and ordered the Ma-Robert to stop. Dr. Livingstone landed at once, and in an interview with Tingane, explained that he and his companions were English, that they had come neither to take slaves nor to fight, but only to open a path by which their countrymen might follow to purchase cotton, or whatever else they might have to sell, except slaves. To our hero's surprise, Tingane responded to this speech in a friendly manner. The chief, long notorious as being a barrier to all intercourse between the Portuguese and natives further inland, allowing none to pass him either way, gave the expedition permission to proceed, and appeared fully to recognize the advantages which its success would bring to his country. Probably the presence of the steamer, a machine with unknown powers of good and evil, contributed to this result, but, however that may be, Livingstone lost no time in profiting by Tingane's friendliness, and pushing up stream, the river becoming narrower as he advanced, he came, one hundred miles further, to a magnificent cataract, which he named the Murchison Falls, after his friend Sir Roderick. Here the progress of the steamer was stopped, and it was decided to return to Tete, first paving the way for a new expedition by sending presents and messages to two Manganja chiefs. The progress down Livingstone's discoveries. 49 stream \vas rapid. The hippopotami, with which the Shire abounded, says Livingstone, never made a mistake, but got out of our way. The crocodiles, not so wise, sometimes rushed with great velocity at us, thinking we were some huge animal swimming. They kept about a foot from the surface, but made three well-defined ripples from the feet and body ; raising the head out of the water when only a few yards from the expected feast, down they went to the bottom without touching the boat. In the middle of March of the same year (1859) a second trip was made up the Shire, this time resulting in the discovery of Lake Shirwa. Friendly relations were opened, to begin with, with Chibisa, chief of a village ten miles below the cataracts, and, leaving their vessel under his care. Dr. Livingstone and Kirk, attended by a number of Makololo, started on foot in the direction of the lake. TREACHEROUS GUIDES. The people of the districts traversed were anything but friendly, and some of the guides tried to mislead them. Masakasa, a Makololo head- man, overheard certain remarks betraying their plots, and fixing upon one man, who it afterwards turned out was innocent of everything but ignorance, said to Dr. Livingstone, " That fellow is bad ; he is taking us into mischief. My spear is sharp ; shall I cast him into the long grass? " Of course our hero declined to sanction assassination, but presently agreed with Kirk to dispense with guides altogether, and push on alone. In carrying out this determination they received assistance from a very unexpected quarter, none other than the madmen of the different vil- lages entered. The poor fellows, evidently imagining the explorers to belong to their own unhappy condition, sympathized with them, and guided them faithfully from place to place as no sane men would have done. In April the lake was reached, and turned out to be a large mass of bitter water, abounding in hippopotami, crocodiles, leeches, and fish. About the middle of August we find the explorers again on their way up the Shire, this time intending to make a long journey on foot to the north of Lake Shirwa, with a view to the discovery of Lake Nyassa (the stars). ADVENTURE WTTH A YOUNG ELEPHANT. Tingane's village was passed in safety, and in the so-called Elephant Marsh beyond it a fine young elephant was caught alive as he was scudding up the river bank after his retreating mother. When seized, the poor beast gave a terrible scream, and to avoid an attack from his enraged parent, his captors steamed off, dragging him through the water by his trunk. Presently, to Livingstone's great regret, Monga, a 4 50 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Makololo elephant-hunter, suddenly rushed forward and drew his knife across the extended proboscis, " in a sort of frenzy peculiar to the chase." The wound was at once skillfully sewn up, and the young animal soon became quite tame, but, unfortunately, his breathing prevented the cut from healing, and he died a few days afterwards from loss of blood. Had he survived to be brought home, he would have been the first African elephant seen in a civilized country. The upper terrace of the Manganja highlands, some three thousand feet hove the sea-level, was reached after an arduous climb, and a week's jour- ney across a rocky plateau in a northerly direction was succeeded by the descent into the Upper Shire valley, a wonderfully fertile district, sup- porting a large population, and lying twelve hundred feet above the sea- level. Part of this favored valley was under the rule of a female chief named Nyango, and in her dominions, says Livingstone, women ranked higher and received more respectful treatment than their sisters on the hills. As an instance of this difference, he tells us how, when one of the hill chiefs, Mongazi by name, called his wife to take charge of a present brought for him by the white man, " she dropped on her knees, clapping her hands in reverence both before and after receiving the present from his lordly hands ; " whereas, in Nyango's country, the husbands con- sulted their wives before concluding a bargain, and seemed to respect their opinions. On entering a Manganja village, the explorers always proceeded, as is the custom for strangers, to the Baolo or spreading- m place, generally an open space of some twenty or thirty yards in extent, ^ beneath a banyan tree. Mats of split reeds or bamboos were spread for their accommodation, and sitting down, the white men left the guides to explain to the villagers whence they came, whither they were going, and what was the object of their visit. This information was then carried to the chief, who, if a sensible man,, came at once to receive his guests ; and if he happened to be timid and' suspicious, waited till he had used divination, and his warriors had time to come in from the outlying hamlets. On the arrival of the chief, the people begin to clap their hands, and continue to do so till he sits down opposite his visitors. The guides then squat themselves between the two parties, facing the chief, who stares fi.xedly at them, and they at him. A single word is at last uttered by the chief, such as Ambuiatu (our Father) or Moio (life), and all again clap their hands. A second word is followed by two claps, a third by three, after which all rise, lean forward with measured clap, and sit down again with clap, clap, clap, fainter and still fainter, till the last dies away or is brought to an end by a smart, loud clap from the chief The guides then repeat the informa- ij FEMALE ELEPHANT PROTECTING HER YOUNG. 51 52 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. tion already given to the people to the chief, conversation is opened with the white men by means of interpreters, presents arc ceremoniously exchanged, and at last food, such as meal, maize, fowls, etc., is brought for sale. Beyond the cataracts already mentioned, the banks of the Shire, now dwindled into a rivulet, were followed, and on arriving at the village of a chief, really only a day's march from the Lake Nyassa, the explorers were told that no sheet of water existed anywhere near, but that the river Shire stretched on for ** two months " more, and then came out between perpendicular rocks which towered almost to the very skies. The Makololo looked very blank at this news, and all cried, " Let us go back to the ship ; it is no use trying to find the lake." " No, no," answered Dr. Livingstone ; " we shall go and' see these wonderful rocks at any rate." " And when you see them, you will just want to see something else," was the rejoinder; an answer showing how well his men had learnt to know the great explorer's indomitable energies. Further inquiries in this instance resulted in an admission that there was a lake not many miles off, and it was determined to start for it early next day. A chief's wife devoured by A CROCODILE. Preparations for the night were already begun, and the four English- men were congratulating themselves on the near approach to success, when a wild, sad cry arose from the river, followed by the shrieking of women. The chief's principal wife had been carried off by a crocodile when bathing. The Makololo rushed to the bank to try and rescue her, but it was too late ; she was gone. This terrible accident was associated with the visit of the white men ; they were looked upon with awe ; all the males fled at their approach, and the women gazed at them in awe- .struck silence, their dusky cheeks blanched with fear. The start for the lake the next morning was made under gloomy auspices, and it was with something of foreboding that the party left the village behind them, unchecrcd by any good wishes from their host, and with nothing to guide them in their search but their own instinct. All went well, however, and our heroes stood at last upon the shores of the southern extremity of Lake Nyassa. The chief of the village near the source of the Shire, an old man named Mosanka, hearing tlirit the four white men were sitting under a tree, came and invited tlicni into his domain, and taking them to a splendid banyan tree, urged thcr.i to make themselves at home benenth it. He then sent them a goat and a basket of meal. " to comfort their hearts," and when they had refreshed themselves, he informed them that a large party of slave-hunters, led by Arabs, was encamped close by. They had been up to Cazembe's LIVINGSTONES DISCOVLRIES. 5o countr}- on ihc north the previous year, and were now returning south with a good supply of slaves, ivory, and malachite. A little later some of the leaders came over to call on the visitors, who found them a "villainous-looking lot," Livingstone adding in his journal, "but prob- ably they thought the same of us, for they offered us several young children for sale." When told that the white men were English, they seemed both annoyed and frightened, and made off as quickly as they could. Mosanka's village is set down in one of the great slave paths from the interior, and Livingstone saw many unhappy victims being led along in the so-called slave-sticks, long poles with two arms at one end, between which the head of the captive is fixed. THE CAMP ENCIRCLED BY FIRE. After a somewhat disheartening land journey, occupying forty-five days, the explorers returned to the ship, and whilst the two Livingstones steamed down the Shire, Dr. Kirk and Mr. Rae, the engineer, returned to Tete overland, accomplishing the journey without difficulty. A little later the Ma-Robert was taken down to the Kongone for further repairs, etc., and in May we find Dr. Livingstone preparing for a journey to the Makololo country, to take his faithful servants home. The plains of Chicova were haunted at night by so many lions that great precautions were necessary to ensure the safety of the camp. The white men were always placed in the centre, and the natives arranged themselves in pic- turesque style all around, forming a kind of body-guard, whilst a huge circle of fire enclosed the whole body of travelers. The chief of the plain, Chitora by name, who had never before seen white men, rejoiced that he had been spared to do so, and sent them presents of food and drink, because he said, he did not wish them to sleep hungry ; he had heard of the doctor when he passed down, and had a great desire to see and converse with him, but he was a child then, and could not speak in the presence of great men. The people of the villages, however, were less eager in their attentions, and Livingstone remarks that there must be something frightfully repul- sive in the appearance of Europeans to the unsophisticated blacks, for many of those who had never before seen any but their own country- men would take to their heels in an agony of terror at the approach of himself or his companions. This terror is even sometimes com- municated to the brute creation, dogs turning tail and scouring off in dismay, and hens abandoning their chickens, flying screaming to the tops of the houses. A little familiarity with the English was, however, always enough to convert this dread into affectionate regard, as their visitors always aimed to treat them with kindness, and in this way secured their good will. Livingstone's method was that of Livingstone's discoveries. 55 conciliation, and he was very successful in gaining the friendship of the natives. Thus he passed unharmed through the wildest parts of that wild country. Pressing on along the Zambesi, and with " zigzags " of fire, the result of grass-burning on the hills, running parallel with their course, the ex- plorers had a narrow escape on the 6th June, when traversing a dense thorn jungle. In cutting their path step by step they became separated from each other, and a rhinoceros with angry snort dashed at Dr. Liv- ingstone as he stooped to pick up a specimen of the wild fruit morala ; but, strange to say, she stopped stock-still when less than her own length distant, and gave him time to escape. As he was running off, however, a branch of a tree caught his watch chain and dragged out his watch. Turning half round to secure it, he saw the rhinoceros, with a young one beside her, standing still, as if arrested in the middle of her charge by an unseen hand. When about fifty yards off, Living- stone shouted to his comrades, whom he knew to be within hearing, though out of sight, " Look out there ! " and his enemy, snorting loudly, rushed off in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Charles Livingstone had surprised a troop of wild dogs wrangling over the remains of a buffalo they had dragged down and nearly devoured, and only escaped sharing its fate by beating a retreat, whilst Dr. Kirk brought down a fine eland later in the day. The jungle safely traversed, and the open country entered, the villages of old friends were reached one after another, and in August, i860, we find Dr. Liv- ingstone again at the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi, now sharing with his fellow-countrymen his delight in the glorious scene they present. RESCUE OF A WHITE MAN. At the village of chief Mashotlane, near the Falls, the travelers found an Englishman, named Baldwin, held a kind of prisoner at large, and, rescuing him from his captivity enabled him to regain his wagon two days' distance off. Baldwin, having heard of Livingstone's discovery of the marvelous cataract, had managed to reach it from Natal, guided by his pocket compass alone. He had called on Mashotlane to ferry him over to the north side of the river, and when nearly over he took a bath by jumping in and swimming ashore, thus greatly incensing the native chief, who said, " If he had been devoured by one of the croco- diles which abound here, the English would have blamed us for his death. He nearly inflicted a great injury upon us ; therefore he must pay a fine." As poor Baldwin had nothing with him to meet this de- mand, he would probably long have languished in exile but for the timely arrival of our heroes. Marching up the river, the Lekone was crossed at its junction with 56 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. the Zambesi, and a party was met, sent by Chief Sekeletu to greet the explorer, and ask him, not, as he expected, again to make Sesheke his home, but to say what the price of a horse ought to be. Livingstone decHned to give an opinion, and the envoys expressed themselves greatly disappointed, for if he would have spoken, the matter would have been settled, as the Griquas, with whom a sale was being nego- tiated, would have accepted his opinion as final. A CHIEF SMITTEN WITH LEPROSY. The envoys dismissed, the camp was pitched opposite the mouth of tlie Chobc, and a Makololo headman named Mokompa sent a liberal present, and two canoes to take the white men up to Sesheke, but ac- companied by a message that he feared his tribe was breaking up. Sekeletu had the leprosy ; he did not know what was to become of his people. The coldness of the unhappy Makololo chief was now ex- plained ; the princely warrior, whom Livingstone had left in the enjoyment of all the vigor of youth, was struck down by a foul disease, and had shut himself up to die alone. His dreams of a new era for his people were over. Instead of encouraging missionaries to settle in his country, instead of inviting traders from the east and from the west to bring their goods to his capital, he must end his days in a self- imposed prison. He would not risk the spread of his complaint amongst his children, and there is something infinitely touching in his sending yet another message to Livingstone to say that he only should come to him, and to ask him again about the price of the horse. It was evident that he could not bear to allude directly to the terrible trouble vhich had overtaken him. On the 1 8th, Livingstone and his party entered Sesheke, or rather passed the ruins of the former to go to its substitute, built on the same side of the river a quarter of a mile higher up, the former Sesheke hav- ing been leveled to the ground after the execution of the headman Moriantsiane for bewitching the chief with leprosy. Sekeletu was on the right bank, near a number of temporary huts, and a man hailed our heroes on the chief's behalf, and requested them to rest under the old kotla, or public meeting-place tree. This they did, as they were desired. 'A young Makololo then crossed over the river to receive the chief's orders, and soon returned with a message to the headman of the new town, to the effect that an ox was to be slain for the white men. This was duly done, and never, they tell us, did they taste better meat, for, on their arrival at Sesheke, they had been entirely out of food. The next day, visitors poured in to see Dr. Livingstone, and many of them who had been in trouble since his previous visit were much affected in the first interview. One and all were in low spirits. A se- Livingstone's discoveries. 57 vere drought had cut off all the crops, and destroyed the pastures of Linyanti, and the people, as they expressed it, were in search of wild fruits and the hospitality of those whose ground nuts had not failed. A FEMALE QUACK. Many and terrible too were the evils Sekeletu's leprosy had brought in its train. Believing himself bewitched, he had put several of his chief men and their families to death ; others suspected of having a hand in the matter had fled to distant tribes, and were living in exile. No one was allowed to approach the afflicted chief but his uncle Mamire, his mother, and an old doctress from the Manyebi tribe, who — the Makololo doctors having given him up — was trying what she could do for him. On this old crone the last hopes of chief and nation hung. Worse still, if anything could be worse, the grand empire founded by Sebituane, was crumbling to pieces, the young Barotse in the charming valley where the chief and his white guest had been so eagerly received in 1855 were in revolt, the Batoka and the Nmemba had thrown off their allegiance to Sekeletu, and Mashotlane at the Falls was setting his superior at defiance. Fearful rumors, too, were afloat as to the nature of the sufferings of the invisible Sekeletu. His fingers, it was said, were grown like eagle's claws ; his face was so frightfully distorted that no one could recognize him. Perhaps, after all, he was no true son of Sebituane, and so on, and so on. In a word, the power of the once renowned chieftain was broken forever, and with it the prestige of his people. At his death, a few years after the time of which we are now writing, a civil war broke out about the succession to the chieftainship, and the kingdom was broken up. The Makololo exist no longer as a nation. Touched to the heart by all he heard and saw, Livingstone sent mes- sages begging the chief to admit him to an interview, and the day after their arrival the two doctors and Charles Livingstone were allowed to see the unhappy prince. He was sitting in a covered wagon enclosed in a high wall of close-set reeds ; his face turned out to be but slightly disfigured by the thickening of the skin here and there, and the only peculiarity about his hands was the extreme length of his finger nails, nothing remarkable in Makololo country, as all its natives allow them to grow very long. Sekeletu begged for medicine and medical attendance, but Livingstone was unwilling to take the case out of the hands of the lady doctor al- ready mentioned, for, apart from his belief in the incurability of the dis- ease, it would have been bad policy to undervalue any of the native profession. When appealed to, the female practitioner declared she had not yet given up her patient ; she would try for another month, and if 58 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. he was not cured by that time, then she would hand him over to the white doctors. Now a month was the utmost limit of the time our heroes intended remaining at Sesheke, and, yielding to Sekeletu's earnest wishes, backed by those of his uncle and others, the old lady finally consented to sus- pend her treatment for a time, remaining, however, in the chief's estab- lishment on full pay. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk were then persuaded to try what they could do, and having plainly told Sekeletu that they had little hope of a good result, they set to work. CURING THE LEPER. Having none of the medicines with them which are usually employed in skin diseases, Drs. Livingstone and Kirk tried the outward application of lunar caustic or fused nitrate of silver, and dosed their patient with hydriodate of potash, not without much trepidation as to the conse- quences. Fortunately for them, their treatment was wonderfully effica- cious ; Sekeletu began to improve at once ; his skin became thinner, and the deformity of his face disappeared entirely, indicating a speedy cure. The old doctress, jealous of the success of her rivals, and anxious to share the credit of this improvement, now secretly applied her own remedies, which consisted in scraping the unlucky chiefs skin and rub- bing it with an astringent powder. On a hint, however, that the medi- cines of the white and black doctors might not work well together, she desisted. In treating their patient, Drs. Livingstone and Kirk caught something of his disease, the skin of their hands becoming thickened and discolored in a similar manner, but they were fortunately soon cured by the use of caustic. Though there was a famine in the land during their stay at Sesheke, Sekeletu treated his guests right royally, preparing tea for them on every visit paid to him, and ordering his headman to provide them with food in the absence of his wives at Linyanti. Sekeletu was delighted with the presents given to him, and asked if a ship could not bring him the things which he heard had been left at Tete. On being told that a steamer might possibly ascend part of the Zambesi, but could never pass the Victoria Falls, he suggested that a cannon should be brought to blow away the impediment, so that the vessel might come all the way to Sesheke. Whilst in Makololo Land, our heroes heard of the melancholy fate of a large party of missionaries who had endeavored to settle at Linyanti. Si.x out of nine Europeans, and four out of thirteen men of color, making up the missionary party, succumbed to fever in the short space of three months, and the little remnant returned to the Cape broken alike in health and spirits. The three explorers took leave of Sekeletu, and, Livingstone's discoveries. 59 escorted by a large party of traders, made their way on foot to the vil- lage of Sinamene, where they embarked on the Zambesi in canoes sup- plied by that chief. The rapids of Nakansalo having been shot with some difficulty, the more serious ones of Makabele, at the entrance to the Kariba gorge, had to be passed. perils of the rapids. The Makololo, says Livingstone, guided the canoe admirably througli the opening in the dyke ; but when the gorge itself was entered it ^\•as full of hippopotami swimming about behind a bank stretching two-thirds across the narrowed river. Several were in the channel, and the canoe-men were afraid to venture down among them, because, as they affirm, there is commonly an ill-natured one in a herd which takes a malignant pleasure in upsetting canoes. Two or three boys on the rv)ck3 opposite amused themselves by throwing stones at the frightened animals, and hit several on the head. A few shots were fired to drive the hippopotami off, and one was killed. It floated down the rapid current, and its companions swam liastily off Had it been only wounded, it would probably have gone liard with the canoes ; but, as it was, all shot the rapids in safety, though natives on the banks shouted out that the white men had better hire a Kariba man to pray to the gods of the gorge for their protection, or they would all be killed. The hippopotamus was taken in tow beyond the rapids, and cut up on the banks near the place chosen for pitching the camp for the night. The crocodiles of the river, which had followed the canoes, and tugged hard at the dead hippopotamus, had a gala time of it, as well as the natives, and Livingstone tells us that they tore away at the parts of the carcass thrown into the river for hours, thrashing the water into foam with their powerful tails. A GALLANT RESCUE. The next difficulty in the navigation of the Zambesi occurred where the river was again narrowed into one channel by the mountains of Mburuma. In going down, Sekeletu's men behaved admirably, two of them jumping overboard to lighten the canoe containing our heroes, v.ith the words, "The white men must be saved!" They then told a Batoka man to do the same, and on his pleading that he could not swim, replied, "Jump out, then, quick as you can, and hold on to the canoe." The poor fellow did as he was told, and the two Makololo, swimming alongside, guided the swamping canoes down the swift current to the foot of the rapid, and then ran them ashore to bale them out. Every- body and everything escaped with a good ducking, thanks entirely to the bravery of the Makololo. ^'lo sooner was this danger over than another had to be met. A sec- 60 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. ond rapid begins immediately below that of Mburuma. The canoes had to be unloaded, and the goods carried some little distance ; but as the men were bringing the last canoe close inshore the stem swung round into the current, and all the men except one loosed their hold lest they should be dragged off. The one man clung to the bow, and was swept out into the middle of the stream. Then, adds Livingstone, " having held on when he ought to have let go, he next put his life in jeopardy by letting go when he ought to have held on, and was in a few seconds swallowed up by a fearful whirlpool." His comrades, who seem to have been equal to every emergency, launched a canoe below the rapids, and as he rose to the surface the third time, caught and saved him, though he was in a state of great exhaustion, and very cold. The Victoria Falls, the Kebrabasa, Kariba, and minor rapids of the Zambesi, are all, in the opinion of Dr. Livingstone, the result of some terrible convulsion of nature, which occurred in South Africa before the memory of man. All the impediments to the navigation of the Zam- besi, except the Victoria, are, however, removed, or, we should rather say, neutralized, when the river is at its height, its course being then smooth and its waters very deep. Zumbo, at the mouth of the Loangwa, a tributary of the Zambesi, was reached in November, and a few days later the Kebrabasa rapids were entered. Two of the canoes passed safely, but that containing Dr. Kirk was dashed on a projection of the perpendicular rocks by a sudden and mysterious boiling up of the river which occurs at irregular inter- vals, and Kirk only saved his life by clinging to a projecting ledge. His steersman, hanging on by the same rock, saved the canoe, but nearly all its contents were swept away by the stream. Dr. Livingstone had also a narrow escape, his little bark having drifted into the open vortex of the whirlpool. It was saved by the filling up of the cavity just as the frightful eddy was reached, a coincidence as remarkable as that which had placed his companion's life in jeopardy. COLLAPSE OF THE " OLD LADY." After this last experience of river travel the Zambesi was deserted for the land, and the rest of the journey was performed on foot. Tete was entered in safety after an absence of little more than six months, and the river being unusually low, no further excursions were undertaken until December, when the Ma-Robert, whose days were now numbered, was taken down to the Kongone. One morning the " old lady," as she was disrespectfully called by her owners, grounded on a .sandbank and filled. She could neither be got off nor unladen. The river rose in the night, and our heroes were compelled to encamp on the island of Chimba, where they spent Christmas day. Canoes were sent for from Sena, and. Livingstone's discoveries. 61 transferring all the property which could be removed from the Ma- Robert to them, the explorers paddled down the Zambesi without one single regret for the loss of their steamer, which, from the first, had been more trouble than she was worth. Soon a new steamer, named the Pioneer, arrix'cd at Sena for their use, and anchored outside the bar. We next find Livingstone journeying with Bishop Mackenzie who had arrived on a missionary expedition, and had determined to settle in the Manganja highlands, having received a message from a powerful chief, named Chigunda, inviting him to come and live with him at M;i- ■gomero, occupying a central position between the Shire and Lake Shirwa. This hearty and spontaneous welcome seemed to offer an opening for the mission not to be neglected, and it was decided that Chigunda's invitation should be accepted. Before parting company, however, missionaries and explorers determined, if possible, to complete the work they had begun together, by visiting the Ajawa chief, and trying to persuade him to give up his slaving and kidnapping courses, and turn the energies of his people to peaceful pursuits. This noble purpose was hastened a few days later by the arrival of the news that the Ajawa were close at hand, burning a village ; and, leaving the rescued slaves behind them, the little band of white men set off at once to seek an interview with these scourges of the country. On the way, crowds of Manganja were met fleeing from the war in front, and village after village was passed, deserted by its inhabitants. A FIERCE ENCOUNTER. A few hours' march brought our heroes, who, one and all, well de- served that title, in sight of the smoke of burning villages, and within hearing of the wailing of women and the shouting of warriors. The Bishop then called upon all his comrades to kneel, and in their name offered up a fervent prayer to God for help and guidance. As the worshipers rose from their knees, a long line of Ajawa, with their captives, was seen advancing towards them, whilst in the distance rose the shouts of their women welcoming home the victors with long and reiterated " lillilooings." On recognizing the white men, the Ajawa headman left the path, and stood as if expectant on an ant-hill close by. A brief pause ensued, and then Livingstone and others cried out that they had come to have a peaceful interview, but before any reply could be given some of the Manganja in the Bishop's party shouted, " Our Chibisa is come ! " Now Chibisa was known throughout the length and breadth of the land as a mighty conqueror and general, so that his name spread terror amongst the ranks of the enemy, who ran off "yelling and screaming ' Nkondo ! Nkondo ! ' " (War ! War ! ). The captives threw down their 62 Livingstone's discoveries. 63 loads and fled to the hills. The consternation was complete, but it did not last long. Almost before the white men had realized that the cry of " Chibisa had come ! " had neutralized all their efforts for peace, their party was surrounded by Ajawa, who began to shoot their poisoned arrows, and send up their discordant yell of triumph. Anxious, if possible even now, to avoid a conflict, Livingstone and Mackenzie led their men slowly up the ascent from the village ; but this was taken as a movement of retreat, and a sign of fear. The Ajawa closed in upon the little band with bloodthirsty fury, dancing hideously in their delight at the coming massacre. Only when completely sur- rounded by the savage warriors did the white leaders give the word to their men to fire, but fortunately the first volley was effective. The Ajawa at once took to their heels, though some of them shouted as they fled that they would return with others in the night to kill all who had interfered with them. Only two slaves were rescued by our heroes on this occasion, but probably most of the other prisoners escaped in the confusion. After this affray no further molestation was offered to the white men, but they were much worried with requests from the Manganja chieftains to espouse their cause, and aid in driving away the Ajawa. This they of course declined to do, explaining that they never fought except when they were attacked ; and finding it was useless to attempt a pacific ne- gotiation between the rival tribes, they decided to return southward. A FRESH EXPEDITION. Livingstone returned to his own country, but the beginning of 1866 found him again in Africa, having been solicited both by the government and by private individuals to pursue his discoveries. The Sultan of Zanzibar gave him a hearty reception, and lent him all possible aid, and by the beginning of March he had in his service, in addition to thirteen Sepoys from India, ten Johanna men, two Shapunga men, one of them the now celebrated Susi, two Wayans, the Chumah who with Susi remained with his master to the last, and a certain Wakatani, both of whom were among the slaves liberated in 1861. An Arab dhow was purchased for the transit to the Rovuma of the animals, consisting of six camels, three buffaloes, two mules, and four donkeys, and large stores of merchandise and provisions, were accumulated. No pains, in short, were spared to ensure success. In September the village of Marenga, situated at the eastern edge of the bottom of the lake, was entered, inhabited by a tribe called Babisa, who had lately joined with the Ajawa in their raids upon the Manganja. The chief of this village, who was suffering from a loathsome skin dis- ease introduced into the country by the Arabs, received Livingstone 64 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. courteously, but allowed him to proceed northwards without warning him that the Mazitu were ravaging the country through which he must pass. An Arab met the party, and told Musa, one of the Johanna men, that all who ventured further would certainly be murdered ; forty-four Arabs had been killed at Kasungu ; he only had escaped. Surprised that he had heard nothing of this from Marenga, and half suspecting foul play, Livingstone lost no time in returning to that chief to inquire if there were any foundation for the story. The reply received was to the effect that it might be true. The natives were very bitter against the Arabs, who were gradually destroying their country. They would allow no more to settle amongst them, but their hostility would not extend to Livingstone or his people, and there were no Mazitu where he was going. Completely re-assured himself, Livingstone determined to proceed, but the Johanna men had taken alarm. Musa's eyes stood out with terror. He exclaimed, speaking of Marenga, " I no can believe that man ; " and when Livingstone inquired how he came to give such ready credence* to the Arab, he answered, " I ask him to tell me true, and he say true, true." Reasoning and persuasion were alike in vain. Convinced that they and their master were doomed, the Johanna men resolutely declined to go further, and when the start was again made they went off in a body, leaving their loads on the ground. STRANGE REPORT OF LIVINGSTONE'S DEATH. This was the true origin of the report, long believed in England, of the murder of Livingstone by natives on the western shores of Lake Nyassa. The deserters made their way back to Zanzibar, and, anxious to excuse their own conduct, and exi)lain their sudden return, related the following plausible story : The expedition had safely reached Lake Nyassa and crossetl it. The Doctor then pushed on westwards, and in course of time reached Goo- mani, a fishing village on a river. The people of Goomani warned Livingstone that the Mafitcs, a wandering predatory tribe, were out on a plundering expedition, and that it would not be safe to continue the journey ; but the dangers thus presented to view were not of a nature to deter a man who had braved so many before. Treating the warnings as of little moment, therefore, he crossed the river in canoes the ne.xt^ morning, with his baggage and his train of followers. All the baggage animals had perished from want of water before this river was reached, so that the luggage had to be carried by the men. Being a fast walker, Livingstone soon distanced all his heavily-laden followers except Musa, and two or three others who kept up with him. The march hatl con- tinued some distance, when Dr. Livingstone saw three armed men ahead, Livingstone's discoveries. 65 and thereupon he called out to Musa, "The Mafites are out after all." These were the last words he uttered. The Mafites, armed with bows and arrows and axes, closed upon the Doctor, who drew his revolver and shot two. The third, however, got behind him, and with one blow from an axe clove in his head. The wound was mortal, but the assassin quickly met his own doom, for a bullet from Musa's musket passed through his body, and the murderer fell dead beside his victim. Musa added that the Doctor died instantly, and that, finding the Mafites were out, he ran back to the baggagemen, and told them that their master had been killed. The baggage was then abandoned, and the whole party sought safety by a hasty flight, which they continued till sunset, when they took refuge for the night in a jungle. The next day they returned to the scene of the disaster, and found Livingstone's body lying on the ground, naked but for the trousers, the rest of his clothing having been stolen. A hole was hastily " scratched " in the ground, and the explorer was buried. No papers or any other means of identification were recovered, and, broken-hearted at the loss of their beloved master, the Johanna men started for the coast, enduring great hardships by the way, but finally arriving safely in Zanzibar. STICKING TO A LIE. To this tale all the faithless servants adhered through one cross- examination after another, and it was very generally believed, until Sir Roderick Murchison, in a letter to the London Times, pointed out several flaws in the ingenious fabrication, proposing at the same time that an expedition should be sent to the western shores of Lake Nyassa to examine into the truth of the report. The English Government promptly seized this suggestion ; volunteers were called for, and hun- dreds of brave men at once eagerly offered their services. Mr. Edward Daniel Young was selected to take command, hi a trip extending over less than five months, the gallant officer completely proved the falsity of Musa's account, obtained trustworthy evidence of Livingstone's con- tinued health and activity, and returned to England, where the news he brought was received with unbounded enthusiasm. The general public had followed with unflagging interest the fortunes of the celebrated explorer, had eagerly sought reports concerning him during his absence, and were now gratified with the assurance that he was alive. Meanwhile, Livingstone, ignorant alike of the report of his death and of the efforts being made on his behalf, quietly reflects in his journal that he is not sorry to have got rid of the Johanna men — they were such inveterate thieves. Pressing on with his small retinue, now reduced to the surviving Nassick boys and the Shapunga and Ajawa men, Living- stone reached a village at the foot of Mount Mulundini, on the west of 5 66 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. the heel of the Nyassa, and obtaining there confirmation of the reports of disturbances on the north, determined to go west amongst the Man- ganja, here called Maravi. This resolution was attended with the best results. Courteously received at every village, and supplied with guides to the next, our hero passed safely through a beautiful, mountainous country, till he reached Chipanga, the most southerly point of his journey. A HASTY RETREAT. A short march westward from Chipanga brought the party to a village called Theresa, beyond which the course was north-easterly, and through districts hitherto totally unknown to Europeans. One river after another, flowing towards Lake Nyassa, was crossed, and all seemed likely to go well, when, one day, after a successful hunt, in which a fine hartebeest antelope was shot, came news from villagers flying southwards for their lives, that the Mazitu were out and close at hand ready to give battle. The servants, who were eagerly anticipating a hearty supper, such as rarely fell to their lot, started to their feet, the half-cooked meat was hastily packed, and Livingstone and his guide Mpanda set out to try and engage extra carriers to aid in the retreat. As they approached the next village, however, the inhabitants poured out. The Mazitu were there too, and the terrified people were fleeing to the Zalanyama mountains, on the south-west. Mpanda and his men now wished to go home and look after their own property, but Living- stone managed to persuade them to remain, and follow with him the fugitives. Taking his stand at the foot of the rocky sides of the Zala- nyama range, now crowded with trembling natives, our hero intended to defend his property to the last ; but after \\aiting some time he heard that the enemy had gone to the south. Had he carried out his first scheme of going forward in search of men, he would have walked straight into the hands of the Mazitu, and his fate would probably have differed but little from that assigned to him in Musa's story. As the journey westwards was pursued, the smoke of burning villages on the east and on the south plainly marked the course of the marauders, and, thankful for his narrow escape, Livingstone pressed on as rapidly as possible to the village of Mapino, beyond which he could only ad- vance very slowly, as the country was thinly peopled, and food and water were scarce. The constant raids of marauders from the north, and the visits of Arab slave-traders from the south, had, moreover, ren- dered the natives suspicious and inhospitable, but, as in his previous journeys, Livingstone everywhere succeeded in overcoming the preju- dice against white men, and convincing the poor down-trodden people that he meant them nothing but eood. Livingstone's discoveries. 67 The foot of Mount Chisia was reached, and a halt was made at a blacksmith's or founder's village, where Livingstone was interested in witnessing the primitive native mode of smelting iron, and was watching the erection of a furnace on an ant-hill, when the feeling of security was again dispelled by tidings of the approach of the Mazitu. They were already, said the messenger, at Chanyandula's village on the north, which was to have been the next halting-place. The headman of the village at once urged Livingstone to remain with him till it was certain which path the hated invaders would take, and the women were all sent away, wdiilst the men went on quietly with their usual occupations. No Mazitu came, but an elephant approached Livingstone's camp and "screamed at him," making off, however, at the shouting of the villagers. The largest of all animals has a wholesome dread of getting into danger. The next morning the march was resumed, and at length a halt was made outside a stockaded village, where the people refused to admit our hero until the headman came and gave permission. This was a foretaste of many similar difficulties, but slowly, very slowly, step by step and inch by inch, the advance northwards continued, now broken by illness, now hindered by detours in search of the way and by severe fatigue. In December the banks of the Loangwa were sighted, and, unable to obtain food at the village on its eastern shores, Livingstone crossed the stream without a guide, and beyond it entered a pathless, bushy country, where the way had to be cut step by step by the almost faint- ing travelers. thieves in the camp. To give the merest outlines of the difficulties surmounted, the dangers escaped, and the privations endured as the gallant little band advanced further and further into the unknown interior, would be to fill a volume. We must content ourselves with stating that a climax appears to have been reached in January, 1867, when, after plodding on under heavy rains through a famine-stricken country, and crossing the river Cham- beze, afterwards under its name of the Lualaba discovered to be of such vast importance, which comes down from the western slope of the pla- teau of the district of Lobisa, our hero was deserted by the two Ajawa men mentioned as having joined his party at Lake Nyassa. The loss of two carriers was bad enough, but, to complicate matters still further, they took with them the medicine box for the sake of the cloth, and some clothes belonging to a boy, called Baraka, in which were packed a quantity of flour, the tools, two guns, and a cartridge-pouch. Livingstone, in relating the incident in his journal, remarks patheti- cally that the thieves would, of course, only throw away the valuable 68 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. contents of the medicine box when they discovered their nature, adding that he felt as if he had now received the sentence of death. All attempts to catch the fugitives failed. Heavy rain obliterated every trace of their footsteps, and the forest was so dense and high that they easily concealed themselves and their booty. Unable now to pro- cure daily bread, Livingstone commended himself and the few who still remained true to him to God, and struggled on by terribly slow stages tlirough the sparsely inhabited Lobemba country to the important vil- lage of Chitapanga, where fresh supplies were obtained at a very heavy cost, and the expedition was saved from starvation. After delaying our hero for three weeks in his village, and mulcting him considerably in beads and cloths, Chief Chitapanga finally consented to provide him with guides to take him to Lake Tanganyika, or, as its lower end is called, Lake Liemba, and, cheered by the prospect of soon reaching the end of the second stage of his great journey, Livingstone started, and, after an exhausting journey and terrible sufferings from fever, for which he had now no remedies, he came to the village of Mombo, near a ridge overlooking the lake, but he was too ill to enter it. Compelled to halt almost within sight of the second goal of his wan- derings, Livingstone heard his boys firing their guns in the distance, to celebrate their own approach to the long-sought lake. This was too much for him to bear unmoved, and, summoning all his remaining strength to his aid, he climbed the ridge, saw Lake Tanganyika lying peacefully beneath him, descended some 2000 feet, and finally stood upon the beach. To quote his own words, he was deeply thankful at having got so far, and though excessively weak, unable to walk without tottering, he adds his conviction that the Highest would lead him further and exercise over him a constant care. SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE. The waters appeared to be some eighteen or twenty miles broad, and he could see them for about thirty miles up to the north. A nearly perpendicular mountain ridge of perhaps 2000 feet high extends with occasional breaks all round, the lake reposing in a deep cup-shaped cavity. The people dwelling on its shores — a race > ailed Balungu, who had suffered much at the hands of the notorious Mazitu — were suspi- cious of the strangers, and would not allow Livingstone to sound the lake, or reply to his inquiries respecting the course of the numerous rivers flowing into it. After a fortnight's rest amongst the lovely scen- ery of the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika, Livingstone was com- pelled to turn back owing to the disturbed state of the country, and all hope of proceeding further in this direction had to be abandoned. A day or two after his arrival at Cazembe, he was summoned to a LIVINGSTONES DISCOVERIES. 69 grand reception by the chief, who received him seated before a gigantic hut, surrounded by a score of smaller huts for his attendants. He was attended by his principal wife, his executioner, and a number of " offi- cers," many of the latter with cropped ears and one hand lopped off, telling of former disgrace. CAZEMBE IN STATE DRESS. Cazembe was in a good mood, and was evidently pleased to re- ceive a call from the white man and his attendants. The ob- ject of Livingstone's visit having been explained by an old native, minus both ears, the white man came forward and made his bow. Cazembe, who is described as a heavy, uninteresting-looking man, 70 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. without the strict African type of countenance, then poHtely assured his guest that he was welcome to his country, to go where he hked and do what he chose, and after a few more formaHties the conversation became general. Livingstone even ventured to say to the executioner, who had a curious scissors-like instrument at his neck for cropping ears, that his must be nasty work ; at which sally " he smiled, and so did many who were not sure of their ears for a moment." Another laugh was raised when Livingstone, on being called upon to salute the queen, a tall good-featured lady, with two spears in her hand, involuntarily beckoned to her to come nearer. Soon came a raid from devastating hords of Mazitu, who were re- pulsed by the united forces of the Arab traders and the native chiefs ; then a quarrel between the successful allies, resulting in an attack, headed by Cazembe, on the Arabs. Confusion now prevailed everywhere. The daily entries in Livingstone's journals became impossible, but he writes how he and his little band of servants were on one occasion sur- rounded by a party of fifteen or twenty natives, who attacked them with spears and poisoned arrows ; how " one good soul helped them away — a blessing be on him and his ; " how he narrowly escaped from the hands of another chief, who took him and his men for Mazitu ; and how, lastly, he joined forces with the Arab traders, and started north, fences being built every night to protect the united camps, which were, however, unmolested till the northern bank of the Kalongosi river was reached. Here five hundred natives were drawn up to dispute the passage, but as Livingstone and an advanced party with thirty guns crossed over they retired. Our hero, however, went amongst them, explained who he was, was recognized by some old acquaintances, and obtained a truce for the Arabs. All became friendly, an elephant was killed, stores of provisions were bought, and two days later the march was resumed. A MOTLEY CARAVAN. Having reached Ujiji, presently came rumors of vast herds of elephants in Manyucma, and of a sturdy race of blacks differing essentially from any of those yet met with. A horde of Arabs determined to go and test the truth of these reports, and though he knew that he would have to witness scenes of bloodshed which must sicken his very soul, Living- stone decided to go with them. Our hero embarked once more upon the lake, accompanied by his own little retinue and a motley escort of Arabs, half-castes, and natives. Landing in the district of Guha, led by a guide, the whole party, after a slight detour to the south, started in a north-westerly direction over rivers often waist-deep, and among palmyra and hyphene palms, and many villages swarming with people. ^mnyinrTIilill^ 12 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Here Livingstone records an elephant hunt (in which he was tco weak to share, though the heart of a young elephant was presented to him by the Arabs), and the escape of a young slave for whom he had inter- ceded to be freed from his yoke. The poor fellow was near his own land, and would, be hidden, adds our hero ; but the guide, who knew his plan, was eager to betray him for a reward. On and on pressed the caravan, now up a broad range of mountains, now down a deep valley dotted with Manyuema houses built of clay and square in form, but Livingstone can hardly note the features of the country, for his heart is wrung by the proceedings of his companions. At one village he tells us how Dugumbe, a half-caste Arab trader of the party, after receiving every kindness and hospitality from the natives, .seized ten goats and ten slaves, having four of his own men killed in revenge. Proceeding nearly due north, through dense forests, across wilderness, and among villages and running rills, the paths often choked up by vegetation, the party at first advanced with considerable rapidity, the villagers, though uproarious from the excitement of never having seen strangers before, being perfectly civil. But presently the rainy season set in, constant wettings brought on a return of fever, the Arabs espoused the feuds of the chiefs through whose districts they passed, war and pillage, open murder, secret assassination, were the order of the day, and in June, 1869, all Livingstone's men except three, named Susi, Chumah, and Gardner, deserted him. Having obtained a fresh batch of men, and started again for the long sought Lualaba, Livingstone notes in his journal the total absence of all law, might everywhere making right, and adds that he dreads a disturb- ance at the next village. He tells of cro.ssing a tributary of the Lua- laba, by a natural bridge, and lastly, of the arrival at the now famous Nyangwe, chief village of a district of the same name on the banks of a creek of the Lualaba itself. Again we are struck with the absence of all enthusiasm as the undaunted hero records his arrival at last on the banks of the great river. He went down, he says, to have a good look at it, and found it to be " at least three thousand yards broad, and always deep," adding. " it has many islands, and the current is about two miles an hour to the north." Not one word of triumph at the success achieved at the cost of so much labor and so much still more arduous waiting, only a few words of thankfulness that Abed, an Arab chief, who had pitched his camp outside Nyangwe, had said his (Livingstone's) " words against bloodshed had struck into him, and he had given orders to his people to give presents to the chiefs, but never fight unless actu- ally attacked." Livingstone's discoveries. 78 This was a little step in the right direction, but alas ! it was rendered of no avail by the cruel and lawless proceedings of three men belonging to the retinue of the slaver Dugumbe. Livingstone had built himself a house at Nyangwe, and intended making it his headquarters for many a voyage of exploration up and down the Lualaba. He was only wait- ing for the canoes Abed had promised to procure for him, employing NATURAL BRIDGE OVER THE MOANGOI. the time in making geographical notes, on old newspapers with ink made by himself from the seeds of a plant, his stores of writing mate- rials being exhausted. He should now, he hoped, at last be able to ascertain from personal observation whence the Lualaba came, and whither it went ; but once more he was foiled, and once more compelled to turn back on the very eve of success. Here Livingstone gives the following terrible narrative of a scene witnessed by himself at Nyangwe, which shows the desperate character of the savages and their bloodthirsty spirit : " It was a hot, sultry day, and when I went into the market I saw 74 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. three of the men who had lately come with Dugumbe. I was surprised to see them with their guns, and felt inclined to reprove them, as one of my men did, for bringing weapons into the market, but I attributed it to their ignorance ; and it being very hot, I was walking away to go out of the market, when I saw one of the fellows haggling about a fowl, and seizing hold of it. Before I had got thirty yards out, the discharge of two guns in the middle of the crowd told me that slaughter had begun ; crowds dashed off from the place, and threw down their wares in confusion and ran. At the same time that the three opened fire on the mass of people near the upper end of the market-place, volleys were discharged from a party down the creek on the panic-stricken women, who dashed at the canoes. These, some fifty or more, were jammed in the creek, and the men forgot their paddles in the terror that seized all. The canoes were not to be got out, the creek being too small, for so many men and women wounded by the balls poured into them, and they leaped and scrambled into the water shrieking. A long line of heads in the river showed that great numbers struck out for an island a full mile off. Shot after shot continued to be fired on the helpless and perishing. Some of the long line of heads disappeared quietly ; whilst other poor creatures threw their arms high, as if appealing to the great Father above. Dugumbe put people into one of the deserted vessels to save those in the water, and saved twenty-one ; but one woman refused to be taken on board from thinking that she was to be made a captive. " My first impulse," adds Livingstone, after relating this terrible mas- sacre, " was to pistol the murderers," but Dugumbe protested against his getting into a blood-feud, and he was afterwards glad that he re- frained, for it could have done no real good. Sick at heart, our hero felt he could no longer give the sanction of his presence to the murder of the innocent ; he must make a protest of some kind, though the only one in his power involved his turning his back on the river it had taken him so many weary months to reach. ESCAPE FROM THE THRUST OF A JAVELIN. Collecting his own little retinue, Livingstone started on foot for Ujiji three days later, the Arabs trying to prove their penitence by pressing their goods upon him, begging him not to hesitate to tell them of any- thing he wanted. A little gunpowder was all he would accept, and, as he turned his back on the Lualaba, he tried to console himself with a hope that, with new men from Ujiji, he might yet penetrate to Rua, see the underground excavations of which the natives had told him in that kingdom, proceed thence to Katanga and the four ancient fountains be- yond, and, finally, visit Lake Lincoln, the name he had given in honor of the murdered President of the United States to a sheet of water said Livingstone's discoveries. 75 to exist on the south-west of Kamolondo. We may add that Living- stone named the Locki Young's River, after the leader of the first ex- pedition sent out in search of him ; and the Lualaba Webb's River, after an old friend of his own with whom he spent a great part of his brief holiday in England between his second and third journeys in Africa. In the return march to Ujiji, Livingstone pressed on and passed miles of burning villages, until he came to a party of armed Manyuema, who refused to come near, threw stones at him and his men, and tried to kill those who went for water. An attack being every moment expected, our hero attempted to come to a parley with his enemies, feeling sure that he could soon convince them of his friendly intentions, but they would not listen to his envoys, and in passing along a narrow path, with a wall of dense vegetation touching each hand, he came to a spot where trees had been cut down to obstruct his party whilst they were speared. Clambering over the barriers, though expecting instant death, Livingstone was surprised at meeting with no opposition, but as he crept slowly along, preceded by his men, who really seemed to have behaved very well, and peered up into the dense foliage on either side, a dark shadow, that of an infuriated savage, here and there intervened between him and the sun. Every rustle in the leaves might now mean a spear, any sound might be the signal for a massacre. Presently a large spear from the right almost grazed Livingstone's back, and stuck into the ground behind him. He looked round and saw two men from whom it came in an opening in the forest only ten yards off, but again his foes disappeared as if by magic and were quickly lost to sight. marvelous deliverances. All were now allowed to go on for a few minutes unmolested, but soon another spear was thrown at Livingstone by an unseen assailant, missing him again by about a foot. A red jacket he wore, he tells us, led our hero to be taken for Mohammed Mogharib, one of the slave- dealers, and it soon became evident that his men were to be allowed to escape whilst the attack was concentrated upon him. Ordering his attendants to fire their guns into the bush — the first time, be it ob- served, that he had ever in the course of his long wanderings used weapons in his own defence — our hero still went calmly on, congratu- lating himself that no yells or screams of agony succeeded his volley, till he came to a part of the forest cleared for cultivation. Here he noticed a gigantic tree, made still taller by growing on an ant-hill twenty feet high, to which fire had been applied near the roots. These ants construct their nests with covered galleries, and far sur- pass bees, wasps, or beavers in the art of building, and in sagacity and 76 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. government. There are several species, and some build on the ground, others on the branches of trees, often at great heights. The largest species is best known on the coast of Africa. It erects immense build- WHITE ANTS AND THEIR DWELLINGS. ings of well-attempered clay. In Senegal they resemble the villages of the natives, being ten or twelve feet abox'c the level of the ground, and like very large haycocks. Comparing the size of the animal with that Livingstone's discoveries. 77 of man, these buildings are to the ants what four times the height of the Washington Monument would be to us. Every building consists of two parts, an exterior dome and an in- terior, divided into an amazing number of apartments. The exterior is a protection from the weather, and in the interior reside the king and queen, and the whole community, with magazines stored with provi- sions and conveniences. They raise the immense structure in sepa- rate turrets, of the shape and size of sugar-loaves, and then fill it be- tween till the dome is completed by joining the tops of the lofty turrets which they raise in the centre. They then take away the bases of the central turrets, and apply the clay to the construction of the interior. The royal chamber is in the centre, in the shape of a large oven. The entrances are so small, that the king and queen can never leave it. Around it are apartments for soldiers and attendants, and magazines filled with gums and hardened juices of plants. Among these are the nurseries for the eggs and young. Beneath are sewers to carry off water, descending to the gravel ; here subterraneous passages are carried horizontally to vast distances, like passages from old castles, from which they emerge on any building or merchandise they intend to attack. As they cannot carry up perpendiculars, all the ascents and descents are made by spiral roads. For a communication inside they construct elliptical bridges. The ravages of white ants are very destructive. In the island of St. Helena, the white ants were, it is supposed, accidentally introduced from the coast of Guinea. Jamestown was devastated, the cathedral and the books of the public library were destroyed. Everything in the town made of wood was more or less injured, imperilling the lives of large numbers of the four thousand inhabitants. In the government stores it was found that the moist traces of the insect on the outside of the tin cases caused very speedy corrosion of the metal, and enabled the insects to make their way in and devour the contents, doing immense damage. As Livingstone came up to the tree he heard a crack which told that the destructive element had done its work, but he felt no fear till he saw the huge bulk falling forwards towards himself He started back, and only just escaped being crushed. " Three times in one day," he re- marks, " was I delivered from impending death." His attendants, gathering round him, and taking this third preservation as a good omen, shouted, " Peace ! peace ! you will finish your work in spite of these people, and in spite of everything." Five hours more of "running^he gauntlet" ensued, and then the little band emerged unscathed on the cleared lands of a group of villages, 78 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. to be met by a friendly chief named Muanampanda, who invited them to be his guests. On learning the meaning of all the firing he had heard, Muanampanda offered to call his people together, and punish those who had molested the explorer, but, true to his generous character, Living- stone declared that he wished no revenge for an attack made in error, and with some little difficulty the chief consented to humor what must have seemed to him a strange whim, something so contrary to savage customs and savage nature. At Muanampanda's, Livingstone had unmistakable proof of the prac- tice of cannibalism amongst the Manyuema, who eat their foes killed in battle, not from any lack of other animal food, but with a view to inspir- ing themselves with courage. They are said to bury a body which is to be eaten, for two days in a forest, and then to disinter and cook it. We are glad to be able to add that they seem rather ashamed of this horrible practice, and do not like strangers to look at their human meat. ARRIVAL OF THE YOUNG AMERICAN. Another week and Livingstone chronicles his third arrival on the shores of Tanganyika, this time close to the entry into the lake of the river Logumba, which rises in the Kalogo mountains on the west. " Perhaps," hazards Livingstone, " this river is the outlet of Tanganyika. Great noises as of thunder were heard as far as twelve days off, which Averc ascribed to Kalogo, as if it had subterranean caves into which the waves rushed with great noise ; the country slopes that way," he adds, "but I was too ill to examine its source." In October the worn-out, almost dying, explorer arrived on the islet of Kasenge, landed on the eastern shores of the lake, and entered Ujiji, reduced, to use his own words, "to a skeleton." Warmly welcomed by the Arabs, who had believed him to be dead, and finding the market full of all kinds of native provisions, he hoped that proper food and rest would soon restore him, but in the evening his people came to tell him that the goods he had left under the care of a man named Shereef had been sold at a nominal price, the Arabs adding that they protested, but the " idiot" would not listen to them. " This was distressing," exclaims poor Livingstone, thus again cut off from hope of fresh explorations. " I had made up my mind, if I could not get people at Ujiji, to wait till men should come from the coast, but to wait in beggary was what I never contemplated." The man Sb.ereef actually came without shame to shake hands with his old master, and on Livingstone's refusing him that courtesy he assumed an air of dis- pleasure, as if he had been badly treated, observing on leaving, " I am going to pray," and acted as if he Expected to be congratulated for appropriating goods that were not his own. Livingstone's discoveries. 79 In his destitution Livingstone felt, he tells us, as if " he were the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves," but for him there was no hope of priest, Levite, or good Samaritan. Never, however, was the oft-quoted proverb, " When things are at the worst they will mend," more thoroughly verified than in this instance. First came a generous offer of aid in the form of a stock of valuable ivory from an Arab named Syed bin Magid, and then the news brought by Susi of the approach of an " Englishman," who turned out to be the celebrated young American, Henry Morton Stanley, sent out to the relief of Living- stone by Mr. Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald. Livingstone's astonishment and delight will be readily imagined at this unexpected appearance on the scene of a man bringing not only news from home, for which the exile longed so intensely, but stores of goods, including tin baths, huge ke'tles, cooking pots and tents. The tidings brought by Stanley " made his whole frame thrill ; " for two long years he had heard nothing, and now he was to' learn of the Franco- Prussian war, the laying of the Atlantic cable, and many other notable events. During the long period of his voluntary exile he had often wondered what was transpiring in the world from which he was sepa- rated, yet he was so devoted to his object of making new discoveries in the dark land where so many years of his life had already been spent, that he was willing to undergo all deprivations, hardships and suffer- ings to attain the great end he had in view. Most men would have been turned back by the obstacles which lay in his path, but persever- ance was one of the chief characteristics of Livingstone, and he sacri- ficed himself in his undertaking. CHAPTER III. TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. Expedition in Search of Livingstone — Getting Ready for the Start — A Sultan's Curious Palace — Incidents of Travel — Crossing the Turbid Kingani — Hippopotami — A Tropical Garden — Adventures of the Chase — African Beauties — Tidings of Livingstone — Punish- ing a Runaway — Excitement at Ugogo — Stanley Resists Extortion — The Arabs and Their War — Mirambo — Ammonia and Laughter — A Formidable Donkey —Arrival at Ujiji and Success of the Expedition. ^ARLY in January, 1871, Henry Morton Stanley landed in Zanzibar, on the eastern coast of Africa. For two years the great explorer, Livingstone, had been lost to the world, and no tidings had been received from him. There were rumors of his death in Central Africa, but grave suspicions of their truth were entertained by those who had the opportunity to be best informed. The task given to Mr. Stanley was to plunge into the unknown wilds of the " dark Continent," and find Livingstone, either alive or dead. His travels are among the most re- markable ever related, and have proved him to be an explorer second to none who ever turned their attention to this part of the globe. An insuperable obstacle to rapid transit in Africa is the want of car- riers, and as speed was the main object of the expedition, the concern was to lessen this difficulty as much as possible. Carriers could only be engaged after arriving at Bagamoyo, on the mainland. Over twenty good donkeys were wanted, also a cart adapted for the footpaths of Africa. Accordingly a cart was constructed, eighteen inches wide and five feet long, supplied with two fore-wheels of a light American wagon, more for the purpose of conveying the narrow ammunition-boxes. It was estimated that if a donkey could carry to Unyanyembe a load of four frasilahs, or one hundred and forty pounds, he ought to be able to draw eight frasilahs on such a cart, which would be equal to the carrying capacity of four stout pagazis or carriers. Events will prove how these theories were borne out by practice. The purchases were com- pleted and piled up, tier after tier, row upon row, here a mass of cook- ing-utensils, there bundles of rope, tents, saddles, a pile of portmanteaus and boxes, containing every imaginable thing. There were at least six tons of material, all of which would be required in the long journey. The traveler must needs make his way into the African interior after (80) TRAVELS OF STANLEV IN THE TROmCS. 81 a fashion very different from that to which he has been accustomed in other countries. He requires to take with him just what a ship must have when about to sail on a long voyage. He must have his little store of canned dainties, and his medicines, besides which, he must have enough guns, powder, and ball to be able to make a series of good fights if necessary. He must ha\'e men to convey these miscellaneous articles; and as a man's maximum load does not exceed seventy pounds, to con- vey eleven thousand pounds requires nearly one hundred and sixty men. Europe and the Orient, even Arabia and Turkestan, have royal ways of traveling compared to Africa. Specie is received in all those countries, by which a traveler may carry his means about with him on his own person. Eastern and Central Africa, however, demand a necklace, in- stead of a cent ; two yards of American sheeting, instead of half a dollar, or a florin, and a kitindi of thick brass- wire, in place of a gold piece. The African traveler can hire neither wagons nor camels, neither horses nor mules, to proceed with him into the interior. His means of con- veyance are limited to black men, who want fifteen dollars a head for every seventy pounds weight carried only as far as Unyanyembe. THE EXPEDITION CREATES A SENSATION. The fact that a white man, even an American, was about to enter Africa was soon known all over Zanzibar. It was repeated a thousand times in the streets, proclaimed in all shop alcoves, and at the custom- house. The native bazaar laid hold of it, and agitated it day and night until the departure. The foreigners, including the Europeans, wished to know everything pertaining to the expedition. Says Stanley : " My answer to all questions, pertinent and impertinent, was, ' I am going to Africa.' Though my card bore the words ' Henry M. Stanley, New York Herald' very few, I believe, ever coupled the words ' New York Herald ' with a search after Doctor Livingstone. It was not my fault, was it ? They were at liberty to form their own conjectures. " Ah, me ! what hard work it is to start an expedition alone ! What with hurrying through the baking heat of the fierce relentless sun from shop to shop, strengthening myself with far-reaching and enduring pa- tience for the haggling contests with tradesmen, summoning courage and wit to brow-beat the villainous Goanese, correcting estimates, mak- ing up accounts, superintending the delivery of purchased articles, measuring and weighing them, to see that everjlhing was of full measure and weight, overseeing the white men, Farquhar and Shaw% who were busy on donkey saddles, sails, tents, and boats for the expedition, I felt, when the day was over, as though limbs and brain well deserved their rest. Such labors were mine unremittingly for a month and wearied me. Having bartered drafts on Mr. James Gordon Bennett to the amount 82 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. of several thousands dollars for cloth, beads, wire, donkeys, and a thousand necessaries, having advanced pay to the white men, and black escort of the expedition, there was nothing further to do but to leave my formal adieus with the Europeans, and thank the Sultan and those gentlemen who had assisted me, before embarking for Bagamoyo. " The day before my departure from Zanzibar the American Consul, having just habited himself in his black coat, and taking with him an extra black hat, in order to be in state apparel, proceeded with me to the Sultan's palace. The prince had been generous to me ; he had pre- sented me with an Arab horse, had furnished me with letters of intro- duction to his agents, his chief men, and representatives in the interior, and in many other ways had shown himself well disposed towards me." A CORAL PALACE. The palace is a large roomy, lofty, square house close to the fort, built of coral, and plastered thickly with lime mortar. Irt appearance it is half Arabic and half Italian. The shutters are Venetian blinds painted a vivid green, and presenting a striking contrast to the whitewashed walls. Before the great, lofty, wide door were ranged in two crescents several Baluch and Persian mercenaries, armed with curved swords and targes of Rhinoceros hide. Their dress consisted of a muddy-white cotton shirt, reaching to the ankles, girdled with a leather belt thickly studded with silver bosses. As the visitors came in sight a signal was passed to some person in- side the entrance. When within twenty yards of the door, the Sultan, who was standing waiting, came down the steps, and, passing through the ranks, advanced toward them, with his right hand stretched out, and a genial smile of welcome on his face. They raised their hats, and shook hands with him, after which, doing according as he bade them, they passed forward, and arrived on the highest step near the entrance door. He pointed forward ; they bowed and arrived at the foot of an unpainted and narrow staircase to turn once more to the Sultan. The Consul was ascending sideways, a mode of slow progression which was intended for a compromise with decency and dignity. At the top of the stairs the visitors waited, with their faces towards the up-coming Prince. Again they were waved magnanimously forward, for before them was the reception-hall and throne-room. The room was high, and painted in the Arabic style ; the carpet was thick and of Persian fabric ; the furniture consisted of a dozen gilt chairs and a chandelier. The Sultan sat in a gilt chair between the Americans and the counselors. Johari the dragoman stood humbly before the Sultan, expectant and ready to interpret what they had to communicate to the Prince. The Sultan, so far as dress goes, might be taken for an ordinary TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 83 gentleman, excepting, indeed, for the turban, whose ample folds in alter- nate colors of red, yellow, brown, and white, encircled his head. His long robe was of dark cloth, cinctured round the waist with his rich sword-belt, from which was suspended a gold-hilted scimitar, encased in a scabbard also enriched with gold. His legs and feet were bare, and had a ponderous look about them, since he suffered from that strange curse of Zanzibar — elephantiasis. His feet were slipped into a pair of slippers with thick soles and a strong leathern band over the instep. His light complexion and his correct features, which are intelligent and regular, bespeak the Arab patrician. They indicate, however, nothing except his high descent and blood ; no traits of character are visible, unless there is just a trace of amiability, and perfect contentment with himself and all around. Coffee was served in cups supported by golden finjans, also some cocoanut milk, and rich, sweet sherbet. Having answered all questions to his highness' satisfaction, he handed the explorer letters of introduc- tion to his officers at Bagamoyo and Kable, and a general introductory letter to all Arab merchants who might be met on the road, and con- cluded his remarks with the expressed hope that the mission would be perfectly successful. UNEXPECTED MISHAPS. The expedition left Bagamoyo, the attraction of all the curious, with much eclat, and defiled up a narrow lane shaded almost to twilight by the dense umbrage of two parallel hedges of mimosas. All were in the highest spirits. The soldiers sang, the guide lifted his voice into a loud bellowing note, and fluttered the American flag, which told all on-lookers, " Lo, a white man's caravan ! " This first, or little journey of a few miles, was performed very well^ " considering." The boy, Selim, upset the cart not more than three times. Zaidi, the soldier, only once let his donkey, which carried one bag of clothes and a box of ammunition, lie in a puddle of black water. The clothes had to be re-washed ; the ammunition box, thanks to fore- thought, was water-proof. Kamna, one of the men, perhaps knew the art of donkey-driving, but, overjoyful at the departure, had sung him- self into oblivion of the difficulties with which an animal of the pure asinine breed has naturally to contend against, such as not knowing the right road, and inability to resist the temptation of straying into the depths of an adjoining field ; and the donkey, ignorant of the custom in vogue among drivers of flourishing sticks before an animal's nose, and misunderstanding the direction in which he was required to go, ran off at full speed along an opposite road, until his pack got unbalanced, and he was fain to come to the earth. But these incidents were trivial, 84 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. of no importance, and natural to the first "little journey" in East Africa. They were such as were likely to befall all travelers. The saddles were excellent, surpassing expectation. The strong hemp canvas bore its one hundred and fifty pounds burden with the strength of bull hide, and the loading and unloading of miscellaneous baggage was performed with systematic dispatch. In brief, there was nothing to regret — the success of the journey proved the departure to be any- thing but premature. The next three days were employed in putting the finishing touches to the preparations for the long land journey. A THRIFTY WIDOW. Shamba Gonera, the first camp, means Gonera's Field. Gonera is a wealthy Indian widow, well disposed towards the Wasungu (whites). She exports much cloth, beads, and wire into the far interior, and im- ports in return much ivory. Her house is after the model of the town houses, with long, sloping roof, and projecting eaves, affording a cool shade, under which the porters love to loiter. On its southern and eastern side stretch the cultivated fields which supply Bagamoyo with the staple grain, matama, of East Africa ; on the left grow Indian corn, and muhogo, a yam-like root of whitish color, called by some manioc ; when dry, it is ground and compounded into cakes similar to army slapjacks. On the north, just behind the house, winds a black quagmire, a sinuous hollow, which in its deepest parts always contains water- — the muddy home of the brake-and-rush-lo\-ing " kiboko," or hippopotamus. Its banks, crowded with dwarf fan-palm, tall water-reeds, acacias, and tiger-grass, afford shelter to numerous aquatic birds. The road was a mere footpath, and led over a soil, which, though sandy, was of surprising fertility, producing grain and vegetables a hun- dredfold, the sowing and planting of which was done in the most unskillful manner. In their fields, at heedless labor, were men and women in the scantiest costumes. The explorers passed them with serious faces, while they laughed and giggled, and pointed their index fingers at this and that, which to them seemed so strange. A LUXURIANT VALLEY. Soon the travelers had left the tall matama and fields of water-melons, cucumbers, and manioc ; and, crossing a reedy slough, were in an open forest of ebony and calabash. In its depths are deer in plentiful numbers, and at night it is visited by the hippopotami of the Kingani for the sake of its grass. In another hour they had emerged from the woods, and were looking down upon the broad valley of the Kingani, stretching four miles east and west, and about eight miles north and south, left with the richest soil to its own wild growth of grass — which in civilization would have been a most valuable meadow for the rearing TRAVELS OF STANLEV IN THE TROPICS. 85 of cattle — invested as it was by dense forests, darkening the horizon at all points of the compass, and folded in by three-clad ridges. At the sound of the caravan the red antelope bounded away to the right and left, and frogs hushed their croak. The sun shone hot with real African fervor. About half way across was a sluice of stagnant water which, directly in the road of the caravan, had settled down into an oozy pond. The porters crossed a hastily constructed bridge, thrown up a long time ago by some Washensi Samaritans. It was an extra- ordinary affair ; rugged tree limbs resting on very unsteady forked piles, and it had evidently tested the patience of many a loaded caravan. Our weaker animals were unloaded, but this did not occasion much delay ; the men worked smartly under supervision. BUILDING A BRIDGE AND SHOOTING AT HIPPOPOTAMI. The turbid Kingani, famous for its hippopotami, was reached in a short time, and the explorers began to thread the jungle along its right bank until they were halted point-blank by a narrow sluice having an immeasurable depth of black mud. The difficulty presented by this was very grave, though its breadth was barely eight feet ; the donkeys, and, least of all, the horses, could not be made to traverse two poles like the biped carriers, neither could they be driven into the sluice, where they would quickly founder. The only available way of crossing it in safety was by means of a bridge, to endure in this conservative land for generations as the handiwork of the Wasungu. So they set to work with American axes — the first of their kind the strokes of which ever rang in this part of the world — to build a bridge. It was made quickly, for where the civilized white is found, a difficulty must vanish. The bridge was composed of six stout trees thrown across, over these were laid crosswise fifteen pack saddles, covered again with a thick layer of grass. All the animals crossed it safely, and then for a third time that morning the process of wading was performed. The Kingani flowed northerly here, and the course lay down its right bank. A half mile in that direction through a jungle of giant reeds and extravagant climbers brought them to the ferry, where the animals had to be again unloaded. Says Stanley : " Verily, I wished when I saw its deep muddy waters that I possessed the power of Moses with his magic rod, or what would have answered my purpose as w^ell, Aladdin's ring, for then I could have found myself and party on the opposite side without further trouble ; but not having either of these gifts I issued orders for an im- mediate crossing, for it was ill wishing sublime things before this most mundane prospect." Kingere, the canoe paddler, espying the explorers from his brake covert, on the opposite side, civilly responded to their halloos, and 86 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. brought his huge hollowed tree skillfully over the whirling eddies of the river to where they stood waiting for him. While one party loaded the canoe with goods, others got ready a long rope to fasten around the animals' necks, wherewith to haul them through the river to the othdr bank. After seeing the work properly commenced, Stanley amused himself with the hippopotami by peppering their thick skulls, which did no more than slightly tap them, causing about as much injury as a a boy's sling ; it was perfect accuracy of firing, for ten times in suc- cession the bullets struck the tops of their heads between the ears. One old fellow, with the look of a sage, was tapped close to the right ear by one of these bullets. Instead of submerging himself as others had done he coolly turned round his head as if to ask, " Why this waste of valua- ble cartridges on us? " The response to the mute inquiry of his sage- ship was an ounce-and-a-quarter bullet from the smooth-bore, which made him bellow with pain, and in a few moments he rose up again, tumbling in his death agonies. As his groans were so piteous, the sportsman refrained from a useless sacrifice of life, and left the amphibi- ous horde in peace. A little knowledge concerning these uncouth in- mates of the African waters was gained even during the few minutes of necessary delay at the ferry. When undisturbed by foreign sounds, they congregate in shallow water on the sand bars, with the fore half of their bodies exposed to the warm sunshine, and are in appearance, when thus somnolently reposing, very like a herd of enormous swine. When startled by the noise of an intruder, they plunge hastily into the depths, lashing the waters into a yellowish foam, and scatter themselves below the surface, when presently the heads of a few re-appear, snorting the water from their nostrils, to take a fresh breath and a cautious scrutiny around them ; when thus, you see but their ears, forehead, eyes, and nostrils, and as they hastily submerge again it requires a steady wrist and a quick hand to shoot them. At night they seek the shore, and wander several miles over the country, luxuriating among its rank grasses. To within four miles of the town of Bagamoyo (the Kingani is eight miles distant) their wide tracks are seen. Frequently, if not disturbed by the startling human voice, they make a raid on the rich corn-stalks of the native cultivators, and a dozen of them will, in a few minutes, make a frightful havoc in a large field of this plant. Consequently you may hear the owners of the grain venting loud halloos, like the farmer boys in our own country when scaring the crows away from the young corn. They are com- pelled to be constantly on the alert to protect their property. Excepting in the neighborhood of the villages there are no traces of cultivation. The country extending between the several stations is as 'n ""irrvinmir llilijililteiilif nil 87 88 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. much a wilderness as the desert of Sahara, though it possesses a far more pleasing aspect. Indeed, had the first rhan at the time of the creation gazed at his world and perceived it of the beauty which belongs to this part of Africa, he would have had no cause of complaint. In the deep thickets, set like islets amid a sea of grassy verdure, he would have found shelter from the noonday heat, and a safe retirement for himself and spouse during the lonesome darkness. In the morning he could have walked forth on the sloping sward, enjoyed its freshness, and performed his ablutions in one of the many small streams flowing at its foot. His garden of fruit-trees is all that is required ; the noble forests, deep and cool, are round about him, and in their shade walk as many animals as one can desire. For days and days let a man walk in any direction, north, south, east, and west, and he will behold the same scene of surpassing fertility and loveliness. A HUNTING EXCURSION. Mr. Stanley thus pleasantly describes one of his hunting experiences : Pending the arrival of the caravan, I sought the pleasures of the chase. I was but a tyro in hunting, I confess, though I had shot a little on the plains of America and Persia ; yet I considered myself a fair shot, and on game ground, and within a reasonable proximity to game, I doubted not but I could bring some to camp. After a march of a mile through the tall grass of the opening, we gained the glades between the jungles. Unsuccessful here, after ever so much prying into fine hiding-places and lurking corners, I struck a trail well traversed by small antelope and hartebeest, which we followed. It led me into a jungle, and down a water-course bisecting it ; but, after following it for an hour, I lost it, and, in endeavoring to retrace it, lost my way. However, my pocket- compass stood me in good stead ; and by it I steered for the open plain, in the centre of which stood the camp. But it was terribly hard work — this of plunging through an African jungle, ruinous to clothes, and trying to the cuticle. In order to travel quickly, I had donned a pair of flannel trousers, and my feet were encased in canvas shoes. As might be expected, before I had gone a few paces a branch of the acacia horrida — only one of a hundred such annoyances — caught the right leg of my trousers at the knee, and ripped it almost clean off; succeeding which a stumpy thorn caught me by the shoulder, and another rip was the inevitable consequence. A few yards further on, a prickly aloetic plant disfigured by a wide tear the other leg of my trousers, and almost immediately I tripped against a convolvulus strong as ratline, and was made to measure my length on a bed of thorns. It was on all fours, like a hound on a scent, that I was compelled to travel ; my solar topee getting the worse for wear every minute ; my skin getting more 90 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. and more wounded ; my clothes at each step becoming more and more tattered. Besides these discomforts, there was a pungent, acrid plant, which, apart from its strong, odorous emissions, struck me smartly on the face, leaving a burning effect similar to cayenne ; and the atmos- phere, pent in by the density of the jungle, was hot and stifling, and the perspiration transuded through every pore, making my flannel tatters feel as if I had been through a shower. When I had finally regained the plain, and could breathe free, I mentally vowed that the penetralia of an African jungle should not be visited by me again, save under most urgent necessity. AFRICAN BELLES. One of the halting-places was Kisemo, a village situated in a popu- lous district, having in its vicinity no less than five other villages, each fortified by stakes and thorny abattis, with as much fierce independence as if their petty lords were so many Percys and Douglasses. Each topped a ridge, or a low hummock, with an assumption of defiance. Between these humble eminences and low ridges of land wind narrow vales which are favored with the cultivation of matama and Indian corn. The belles of Kisemo are noted for their vanity in brass wire, which is wound in spiral rings round their wrists and ankles, and the varieties of styles which their hispid heads exhibit; while their poor lords, obliged to be contented with dingy torn rags and split ears, show what wide sway Asmodeus holds over this terrestrial sphere — for it must have been an unhappy time when the hard-besieged hus- bands finally gave way before their spouses. Besides these brassy ornaments on their extremities, and the various hair-dressing styles, the women of Kisemo frequently wear lengthy necklaces, which run in rivers of colors down their bodies. A more comical picture is seldom presented than that of one of these highly-dressed females engaged in the homely and necessary task of grinding corn for herself and family. The grinding apparatus consists of two portions : one, a thick pole of hard wood about six feet long, answering for a pestle ; the other, a ca- pacious wooden mortar, three feet in height. PUNISHING A THIEF. At one point in the journey, one of Stanley's men, Khamisi, disap- peared, and certain valuables with him. Uledi and Ferajji, who had been dispatched after the truant, soon returned with him and all the missing articles. Khamisi, soon after leaving the road and plunging into the jungle, where he was mentally triumphing in his booty, was met by some of the plundering Washensi, who are always on the qui vive for stragglers, and unceremoniously taken to their village in thew^oods, and bound to a tree preparatory to being killed. Khamisi said that he TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 91 asked them why they tied him up, to which they answered, that they were about to kill him, because he was a Mgwana, whom they were accustomed to kill as soon as they were caught. But Uledi and Ferajji shortly after coming upon the scene, both well armed, put an end to the debates upon Khamisi's fate, by claiming him as an abscond- ing porter from the Musungu's camp, as well as all the articles he pos- sessed at the time of capture. The robbers did not dispute the claim for the porter, goats, tent, or any other valuable found with him, but intimated that they deserved a reward for apprehending him. The de- mand being considered just, a reward to the extent of eight yards of cloth and a fundo, or ten necklaces of beads, was given. Khamisi, for his desertion and attempted robbery, could not be par- doned without first suffering punishment. He had asked at Bagamoyo, before enlisting in the service, an advance of five dollars in money, and had received it ; and a load of Bubu beads, no heavier than a porter's load, had been given him to carry ; he had, therefore, no excuse for desertion. Lest prudence should be overstepped, however, in punish- ing him, a court of eight porters and four soldiers was convened to sit in judgment, and asked to give their decision as to what should be done. Their unanimous verdict was that he was guilty of a crime almost unknown among the native porters, and as it was likely to give bad repute to the carriers, they therefore sentenced him to be flogged with the " Great Master's " donkey whip, which was accordingly carried out, to poor Khamisi's crying sorrow. NEWS OF LIVINGSTONE. At Muhalleh Stanley met Salim bin Rashid, bound eastward, with a huge caravan carrying three hundred ivory tusks. This good Arab, besides welcoming the new comer v.'ith a present of rice, gave him news of Livingstone. He had met the old traveler at Ujiji, had lived in the next hut to him for two weeks, described him as looking old, with long gray moustaches and beard, just recovered from severe illness, looking very wan ; when fully recovered Livingstone intended to visit a country called Manyema by way of Marungu. Stanley thus describes the annoyances met with in one part of his march through this wild region : We quit our camp, where so much anxiety of mind and fretfulness had been suffered, not heeding a furious rain, which, after drenching us all night, might have somewhat damped our ardor for the march under other circumstances. The road for the first mile led over reddish ground, and was drained by gentle slopes falling east and west ; but, leaving the cover of the friendly woods, on whose eastern margin we had experienced many discomforts, we cheered ourselves with the 92 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. reflection that all our difficulties would finally be passed. We were not destined, however, to realize any such good fortune immediately; and here it may as well be said that the traveler in Africa will alwavs HENRY M. STANLEY. be met by unexpected obstacles, will propose one thing and be com- pelled to do another, and just when he imagines the path is clear before him, he may meet with disappointment. From the woods where we TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 93 had been delayed so long, we emerged into one of the savannahs, whose soil during the rain is as soft as slush and tenacious as thick mortar, where we were all threatened with the fate of the famous Arkansas traveler, who had sunk so low in one of the many quagmires in Arkansas county, that nothing but his tall " stove-pipe " hat was left visible. Shaw, one of the white men, was sick, and the whole duty of driving the foundering caravan devolved upon myself The donkeys stuck in the mire as if they were rooted to it. As fast as one was flogged from his stubborn position, prone to the depths fell another, giving me a Sisyphean labor, which was maddening under pelting rain, assisted by such men as Bombay and Uledi, who could not for a whole skin's sake stomach the storm and mire. Two hours of such a task enabled me to drag my caravan over a savannah one mile and a half broad ; and barely had I finished congratulating myself over my success before I was halted by a deep ditch, which, filled with rain-water from the inun- dated savannahs, had become a considerable stream, breast-deep, flow- ing swiftly into the Makata. Donkeys had to be unloaded, led through a torrent, and loaded again on the other bank — an operation which con- sumed a full hour. Presently, after straggling through a wood clump, barring our pro- gress was another stream, swollen into a river. The bridge being swept away, we were obliged to swim and float our baggage over, which delayed us two hours more. Leaving this second riv^er-bank, we splashed, waded, occasionally half-swimming, and reeled through mire, water-dripping grass and matama stalks, along the left bank of the Makata proper, until further progress was effectually prevented for that day by a deep bend of the river, which we should be obliged to cross the next day. Though but six miles were traversed during that miser- able day, the march occupied ten hours. Half dead with fatigue, I yet could feel thankful that it was not accompanied by fever, which it seemed a miracle to avoid ; for if e\'er a district was cursed with the ague, the Makata wilderness ranks foremost of those afflicted. Surely the sight of the dripping woods enveloped in opaque mist, of the in- undated country with lengthy swathes of tiger-grass laid low by the turbid flood, of mounds of decaying trees and canes, of the swollen river and the weeping sky, was enough to engender the ague. CAPTURLVG A DESERTER. One of the soldiers engaged at Bagamoyo, named Kingaru, improved this opportunity to desert. The two detectives, Uledi and Sarmean, were immediately dispatched in pursuit, both being armed with Amer- ican breech-loaders. They went about their task with an adroitness 94 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. and celerity which augured well for their success. In an hour they returned with the runaway, having found him hidden in the house of a chief called Kigondo, who had accompanied Uledi and Sarmean to receive his reward, and render an account of the incident. Kigondo said, when he had been seated, " I saw this man carrying a bundle, and running hard, by which I knew that he was deserting you. We (my wife and I) were sitting in our little watch-hut, watching our corn ; and, as the road runs close by, this man was obliged to come close to us. We called to him when he was near, saying, ' Master, where are you going so fast ? Are you deserting the Musungu, for we know you belong to him, since you bought from us yesterday two doti worth of meat ? ' ' Yes,' said he, ' I am running away ; I want to get to Simbamwenni. If you will take me there, I will give you a doti.' We said to him then, ' Come into our house, and we will talk it over quietly.' When he was in our house in an inner room, we locked him up, and went out again to the watch ; but leaving word with the women to look out for him. We knew that if you wanted him you would send askari (soldiers) after him. We had but lit our pipes when we saw two men armed with short guns, and having no loads, coming along the road, looking now and then on the ground, as if they were looking at footmarks. We knew them to be the men we were expect- ing ; so we hailed them, and said, ' Masters, what are ye looking for ? ' They said, ' We are looking for a man who has deserted our master. Here are his footsteps. If you have been long in your hut you must have seen him. Can you tell us where he is ? ' We said, ' Yes, he is in our house. If you will come with us, we will give him up to you ; but your master must give us something for catching him.' " As Kigondo had promised to deliver Kingaru up, there remained nothing further to do for Uledi and Sarmean but to take charge of their prisoner, and bring him and his captors to my camp on the western bank of the Makata. Kingaru received two dozen lashes, and was chained : his captor four yards of cloth, besides five strings of red coral beads for his wife, causing the man to go away very happy. MONKEYS AND INSECTS. Approaching the land of Ugogo, the expedition found all kinds of animal life in a flourishing condition. Rhinoceroses, steinboks and ante- lopes were numerous. Some hills were literally covered with monkeys. Second to the earwigs in importance and in numbers were the white ants, whose powers of destructiveness were simply awful. Mats, cloth, portmanteaus, clothes, in short, every article seemed on the verge of destruction, and, as the explorers witnessed their voracity, they felt anxious lest tents should be devoured while they slept. This was the first 96 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. camp since leaving the coast where their presence became a matter of anxiety ; at all other camping places hitherto the red and black ants had usurped their attention, but at Mpwapwa the red species were not seen, while the black were also very scarce. A MOB AT UGOGO. Having arrived at Ugogo, the first objective point of the expedition, the travelers found themselves the objects of the most annoying curiosity. A white man was a strange being. Says our hero : The first words I heard in Ugogo were from a Wagogo elder, of sturdy form, who in an indolent way tended the flocks, but showed a marked interest in the stranger clad in white flannels, with a Hawkes' patent cork solar topee on his head, a most unusual thing in Ugogo, who came walking past him, and there were " Yambo, Musungu, Yambo, bana, bana," delivered with a voice loud enough to make itself heard a full mile away. No sooner had the greeting been delivered than the word " Musungu " seemed to electrify his entire village ; and the people of other villages, situated at intervals near the road, noting the excitement that reigned at the first, also participated in the general frenzy which seemed suddenly to have possessed them. I consider my progress from the first village to Mvumi to have been most triumphant ; for I was accompanied by a furious mob of men, women and children, all almost as naked as Mother E\-e when the world first dawned upon her in the garden of Eden, fighting, quarreling, jostling, staggering against each other for the best view of the white man, the like of whom was now seen for the first time in this part of Ugogo. The cries of ad- miration, such as "Hi-le!" which broke often and in confused uproar upon my ear, were not gratefully accepted, inasmuch as I deemed many of them impertinent. A respectful silence and more reserved beha- vior would have won my esteem ; but, ye powers, who cause etiquette to be observed in Africa, respectful silence, reserved behavior, and es- teem are terms unknown in savage Ugogo. Hitherto I had compared myself to a merchant of Bagdad traveling among the Kurds of Kurdis- tan, selling his wares of Damascus silk; but now I was compelled to lower my standard, and thought myself not much better than a monkey in a zoological collection. One of my soldiers requested them to lessen their vociferous noise ; but the evil-minded race ordered him to shut up, as a thing unworthy to speak to the Wagogo ! W'hen I imploringly turned to the Arabs for counsel in this strait, an old Sheikh said, "Heed them not; they are dogs who bite besides barking." Hitherto, those we had met had contented themselves with staring and shouting ; but these outstepped all bounds, and my growing anger at their excessive insolence vented itself in gripping the rowdiest of TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 97^ them by the neck, and before he could recover from his astonishment administering a sound thrashing with mv dog-whip, which he httle rehshed. This proceeding educed from the tribe of starers all their native power of vituperation and abuse, in expressing which they were peculiar. Approaching in manner to angry tom-cats, they jerked out their words with something of a splitting hiss and a half bark. The ejacula- tion, as near as I can spell it phonetically, was "hahcht," uttered in a shrill crescendo tone. They paced backwards and forwards, asking themselves, "Are the Wagogo to be beaten like slaves by this Musun- gu?" But whenever I made motion, flourishing my whip towards them, these mighty braggarts found it convenient to move to respectable dis- tances from the irritated Musungu. Perceiving that a little manliness and show of power was something which the natives long needed, and that in this instance it relieved me from annoyance, I had recourse to my whip, whose long lash cracked like a pistol shot whenever they overstepped moderation. So long as they continued to confine their obtrusiveness to staring, and communi- cating to each other their opinions respecting my complexion, and dress, and accoutrements, I philosophically resigned myself in silence for their amusement ; but when they pressed on me, barely allowing me to proceed, a few vigorous and rapid slashes right and left with my ser- viceable thong, soon cleared the track. A RENOWNED MOGUL. Arrived at Mizanza, the lofty tent, and the American flag which ever flew from the centre pole, attracted the Sultan of that place towards it, and was the cause of a visit with which he honored Stanley. As he was notorious among the Arabs for having assisted Manwa Sera in his war against Sheikh Sny bin Amer, high eulogies upon whom have been written by Burton, and subsequently by Speke, and as he was the second most powerful chief in Ugogo, of course he was quite a curios- ity. As the tent-door was uplifted that he might enter, the ancient gentleman was so struck with astonishment at the lofty apex and inter- nal arrangements, that the greasy Barsati cloth which formed his sole and only protection against the chills of night and the heat of noon, in a fit of abstraction was permitted to fall down to his feet, exposing to the Musungu's unhallowed gaze the sad and aged wreck of what must once have been a towering form. His son, a youth of about fifteen, attentive to the infirmities of his father, hastened with filial duty to re- mind him of his condition, upon which, with an idiotic titter at the in- cident, he resumed his scanty apparel and sat down to wonder and gibber out his admiration at the tent and the strange things which formed the Musungu's personal baggage and furniture. After gazing 7 98 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AXD ADVENTURE. in stupid wonder at the table, on which was placed some crockery and a few books ; ' at the slung hammock, which he believed was suspended by some magical contrivance ; at the portmanteaus which contained a stock of clothes, he ejaculated, "Hi-le! the Musungu is a great sultan, who has come from his country to see Ugogo." He then noticed Stanley, and was again wonder-struck at his pale complexion and straight hair, and the question now propounded was, " How on earth was Stanley white when the sun had burned his people's skins into blackness?" Whereupon he was shown the traveler's cork topee, which he tried on his woolly head, much to his amusement. The guns were next shown to him ; the wonderful repeating rifle of the Winchester Company, which was fired thirteen times in rapid succession to demonstrate its remarkable murderous powers. If he was astonished before, he was a thousand times more so now, and expressed his belief that the Wagogo could not stand before the Musungu in battle, for wherever a Wagogo was seen such a gun would surely kill him. Then the other firearms were brought forth, each with its peculiar mechanism explained, until, in a burst of enthusiasm at such riches and power, he said he would send Stanley a sheep or goat, and that he would be his brother. Stanley thanked him for the honor, and promised to accept whatever he was pleased to send. At the instigation of Sheikh Thani, who acted as interpreter, who said that Wagogo chiefs must not depart with empty hands, Stanley cut off two yards of cloth and presented it to him, which, after being examined and measured, was refused upon the ground that, the Musungu being a great sultan should not demean him- self so much as to give him only two yards. As he was about to present a sheep or goat another piece would not matter much. Shortly after he departed, and true to his promise, he sent a large, fine sheep, with a broad tail, heavy with fat ; but with the words, " That being now his brother, Stanley must send him twelve of good cloth." As the price of a sheep is but six yards, Stanley refused the sheep and the fraternal honor, upon the ground that the gifts were all on one side, and he could not afford to part with any more cloth without an adequate return. The caravan next halted for a short time at Little Mukondoku. Twelve yards of cloth as duty satisfied the Sultan, whose district con- tains but two villages, mostly occupied by pastoral Wahumba. The Wahumba live in plastered cone huts, shaped like the tartar tents of Turkestan. The Wahumba are a fine and well-formed race. The men are positively handsome, tall, with small heads, the posterior parts of which project considerably. One will look in vain for a thick lip or a flat nose amongst them ; on the contrary, the mouth is exceedingly TRAVELS OF STANLEV IN THE TROPICS. 99 well cut, delicately small ; the nose is that of the Greeks, and so univer- sal was the peculiar feature, that Stanley at once named them the Greeks of Africa. Their lower limbs have not the heaviness of the Wagogo and other tribes, but are long and shapely, clean as those of an antelope. Their necks are long and slender, on which their small heads are poised most gracefully. Athletes from their youth, shepherd bred, and intermarrying among themselves, thus keeping the race pure, any of them would form a fit subject for the sculptor who would wish to immortalize in marble an Antinous, a Hylas, a Daphnis, or an Apollo. The women are as beautiful as the men are handsome. They have clear ebon skins, not coal-black, but of an inky hue. Their orna- ments consist of spiral rings of brass pendent from the ears, brass ring collars about the necks, and a spiral cincture of brass wire about their loins for the purpose of retaining their calf and goat skins, which are folded about their bodies, and, depending from the shoulder, shade one half of the bosom, and fall to the knees. On the advance, it was noticed that the plains abounded in animals of various descriptions, among them that wonder of the animal crea- tion, the tall and graceful giraffe, which is often game for the hunter. DESCRIPTION OF AN AFRICAN VILLAGE. Our traveler was now in Unyanyembe, having pushed his expedition on successfully to this point, and shown a genius for overcoming all difficulties. Of one of the villages and its surroundings he speaks in this wise : We crossed a ridge, and soon saw Kwihara lying between two low ranges of hills, the northernmost of which was terminated west- ward by the round fortress-like hill of Zimbili. There was a cold glare of intense sunshine over the valley, probably the effect of a universal bleakness or an autumnal ripeness of the grass, unrelieved by any depth of color to vary the universal sameness. . The hills were bleached, or seemed to be, under that dazzling sunshine, and clearest atmosphere. The corn had long been cut, and there lay the stubble, and fields — a browny-white expanse ; the houses were of mud, and their flat roofs were of mud, and the mud was of a browny- whiteness ; the huts were thatched, and the stockades around them of barked timber, and these were of a browny-whiteness. The cold, fierce, sickly wind from the mountains of Usagara sent a deadly chill to our very marrows, yet the intense sunshiny glare never changed; a black cow or two, or a tall tree here and there, caught the eye for a moment, but they never made one forget that the first impression of Kwihara was as of a picture without color, or of food without taste ; and if one looked up, there was a sky of a pale blue, spotless, and of an awful serenity and cheerless color. The second day of the arrival of the expedition in Unyanyembe, the :^-4Mu,.1fK. HUNTING THE GIRAFFE. 100 TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 101 country which is looked upon as classic (ground, since Capts. Burton, Speke and Grant years ago visited it, and described it, came the Arab magnates from Tabora to congratulate the traveler. Tabora is the principal Arab settlement in Central Africa. It contains over a thou- sand huts and tembes, and one may safely estimate the population, Arabs and natives, at five thousand people. They were a fine, handsome body of men, these Arabs. They mostly hailed from Oman, and each of the visitors had quite a retinue with him. At Tabora they live quite luxuriously. The plain on which the settlement is situated is exceedingly fertile, though naked of trees ; the rich pasturage it furnishes permits them to keep large herds of cattle and goats, from which they have an ample supply of milk, cream, butter, and ghee. Rice is grown everywhere ; sweet potatoes, yams, muhogo, holcus sorghum, maize, or Indian corn, sesame, millet, field- peas, or vetches, called choroko, are cheap, and always procurable. Around their tembes the Arabs cultivate a little wheat for their own purposes, and have planted orange, lemon, papaw, and mangoes, which thrive here fairly well. Onions and garlic, chilies, cucumbers, tomatoes, and brinjalls, may be procured by the white visitor from the more im- portant Arabs, who are undoubted epicureans in their way. Their slaves convey to them from the coast, once a year at least, their stores of tea, coffee, sugar, spices, jellies, curries, wine, brandy, biscuits, sar- dines, salmon, and such fine cloths ancl articles as they require for their own personal use. Almost every Arab of any eminence is able to show a wealth of Persian carpets, and most luxurious bedding, complete tea and coffee-services, and magnificently carved dishes of tinned copper and brass lavers. Several of them sport gold watches and chains, mostly all a watch and chain of some kind. And, as in Persia, Afghan- istan, and Turkey, the harems form an essential feature of every Arab's household ; the sensualism of the Mohammedans is as prominent here as in the Orient. STANLEY AT A COUNCIL OF WAR. The visit of these magnates, under whose loving protection white travelers must needs submit themselves, was only a formal one, such as an Arab etiquette, e^^er of the stateliest and truest, impelled them to make. After having expended their stock of congratulations and non- sense, they departed, having stated their wish that Stanley should visit them at Tabora and partake of a feast which they were about to pre- pare for him. Three days afterwards he sallied out with eighteen bravely dressed men of his escort to pay Tabora a visit. On surmount- ing the saddle over which the road from the valley of Kwihara leads to Tabora, the plain on which the Arab settlement is situated lay before 102 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. them, one expanse of dun pasture land, stretching from the base of the hill on the left as far as the banks of the northern Gombe, which a few miles beyond Tabora heave into purple-colored hills and blue cones. Within three-quarters of an hour they were seated on the mud ve- randa of the tembe of Sultan bin Ali, who, because of his age, his wealth, and position, is looked upon by his countrymen, high and low, as referee and counselor. His boma or enclosure contains quite a vil- lage of hive-shaped huts. From here, after being presented with a cup of Mocha coffee, and some sherbet, the visitors directed their steps to- wards Khamis bin Abdullah's house, who had, in anticipation of their coming, prepared a feast to which he had invited his friends and neigh- bors. The group of stately Arabs in their long white dresses, and jaunty caps, also of a snowy white, who stood ready to welcome Stanley to Tabora, produced quite an effect on his mind. He was in time for a council of war they were holding — and he was requested to attend. Khamis bin Abdullah, a bold and brave man, ever ready to stand up for the privileges of the Arabs, and their rights to pass through any countries for legitimate trade, is the man who, in Speke's " Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile," is reported to have shot Maula, an old chief who sided with Manwa Sera during the wars of i860; and who subsequently, after chasing his relentless enemy for five years through Ugogo and Unyamwezi, had the satisfaction of be- heading him, and was now urging the Arabs to assert their rights against a chief called Mirambo of Uyoweh, in a crisis which was advancing. EXPLOITS OF AN AFRICAN WARRIOR.. The Mirambo of Uyoweh, it seems, had for the last few years been in a state of chronic discontent with the policies of the neighboring chiefs. Formerly a porter for an Arab, he had now assumed regal power, with the usual knack of unconscionable rascals who care not by what means they step into power. When the chief of Uyoweh died, Mirambo, who was head of a gang of robbers infesting the forests of Wilyankuru, suddenly entered Uyoweh, and constituted himself lord paramount by force. Some feats of enterprise, which he performed to the enrichment of all those who recognized his authority, established him firmly in his position. This was but a begimiing ; he carried war through several countries, and after destroying the populations o\'cr three degrees of latitude, he conceived a grievance against Mkasiwa, and against the Arabs, because they would not sustain him in his am- bitious projects against their ally and friend, with whom they were living in peace. The first outrage which this audacious man committed against the Arabs was the halting of an Ujiji-bound caravan, and the demand for TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 103 five kegs of gunpowder, five guns, and five bales of cloth. This extra- ordinary demand, after expending more than a day in fierce controversy, was paid ; but the Arabs, if they were surprised at the exorbitant black- mail demanded of them, were more than ever surprised when they were told to return the way they came ; and that no Arab caravan should pass through his country to Ujiji except over his dead body. On the return of the unfortunate Arabs to Unyanyembe, they reported the facts to Sheikh Sayd bin Salim, the governor of the Arab colony. This old man, being averse to war, of course tried every means to induce Mir- ambo as of old to be satisfied with presents ; but Mirambo this time was obdurate, and sternly determined on war unless the Arabs aided him in the warfare he was about to wage against old Mkasiwa, sultan of one of the tribes of Unyanyembe. " This is the status of affairs," said Khamis bin Abdullah. " Mirambo says : that for years he has been engaged in war against the neighbor- ing Washensi and has come out of it victorious ; he says this is a great year with him ; that he is going to fight the Arabs and others, and that he shall not stop until every Arab is driven from Unyanyembe, and he rules over this fcountry. Children of Oman, shall it be so ? Speak, Salim, son of Sayf, shall we go to meet this Mshensi (pagan) or shall we return to our island ? " A DECLARATION OF WAR. A murmur of approbation followed the speech of Khamis bin Ab- dullah, the majority of those present being young men eager to punish the audacious Mirambo. Salim, the son of Sayf, an old patriarch, slow of speech, tried to appease the passions of the young men, scions of the aristocracy, but Khamis's bold words had made too deep an impression on their minds. Soud, the handsome Arab, the son of Sayd the son of Majid, spoke : " My father used to tell me that he remembered the days when the Arabs could go through the country from Bagamoyo to Ujiji, armed with canes. Those days are gone by. We have stood the insolence of the Wagogo long enough. Swaruru of Usui just takes from us whatever he wants ; and now, here is Mirambo, who says, after taking more than five bales of cloth as tribute from one man, that no Arab caravan shall go to Ujiji, but over his body. Are we prepared to give up the ivory of Ujiji and other places because of this one man ? I say war — war until we have got his beard under our feet — ^war until we can again travel through any part of the country with only our walk- ing canes in our hands !" The universal assent that followed Soud's speech proved beyond a doubt that there would be war. Stanley thought of Livingstone. What if he were marching to Unyanyembe directly into the war country ? 104 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND. ADVENTURE. Having found from the Arabs that they intended to finish the war quickly, our explorer volunteered to accompany them. His hope was, that it might be possible, after the defeat of Mirambo, and his forest banditti, to take his expedition direct to Ujiji by the road now closed. The Arabs were sanguine of victory, and he partook of their en- thusiasm. The council of war broke up. A great dishful of rice and curry, in which almonds, citron, raisins, and currants were plentifully mixed, was brought in, and it was wonderful how soon the warlike fervor was for- gotten after attention had been drawn to this royal dish. Stanley, of course, not being a Mohammedan, had a dish of his own, of a similar composition, strengthened by platters containing roast chicken, and kabobs, crullers, cakes, sweetbread, fruit, glasses of sherbet and lemon- ade, dishes of gum-drops and Muscat sweetmeats, dry raisins, prunes, and nuts. Certainly Khamis bin Abdullah proved that if he had a war- like soul in him, he could also attend to the cultivated tastes acquired under the .shade of the mangoes on his father's estate in Zanzibar — the island which is furnished with the comforts of civilized life. OFF TO THE WAR. Mr. Stanley gives us this graphic account of the military operations : There was a total of two thousand, two hundred and fifty-five men. Of these men one thousand five hundred were armed with guns — flint-lock muskets, German and French double-barrels, some English Enfields, and American Springficlds— besides these muskets, they were mostly armed with spears and long knives for the purpose of decapi- tating, and inflicting vengeful gashes in the dead bodies. Powder and ball were plentiful : some men were served a hundred rounds each, my people received each man sixty rounds. Strict orders had been given by the several chiefs to their respective commands not to fire, until they were within shooting distance of the enemy. Khamis bin Abdullah crept through the forest to the west of the village. The Wanyamwezi took their position before the main gateway, aided by the forces of Soud the son of Sayd on the right, and the son of Habib on the left. Abdullah, Mussoud, myself, and others made ready to attack the eastern gates, which arrangement effectually shut them in, with the exception of the northern side. Suddenly, a volley opened on us, as we emerged from the forest along the Unyanyembe road, in the direction they had been anticipating the sight of an enemy, and immediately the attacking forces began their firing in most splendid style. There were some ludicrous scenes of men pretending to fire, then jumping off to one side, then forward, then backward, with the,agility of hopping frogs, but the battle was none the 106 WONDERS OF EXPLORATlOiN AND ADVENTURE. less in earnest. The breech-loaders of my men swallowed my metallic cartridges much faster than I liked to see ; but happily there was a lull in the firing, and we were rushing into the village from the west, the south, the north, through the gates and over the tall palings that sur- rounded the village, like so many Merry Andrews ; and the poor vil- lagers were flying from the enclosure towards the mountains, through the northern gate, pursued by the fleetest runners of our force, and pelted in the back by bullets from breech-loaders and shot-guns. The village was strongly defended, and not more than twenty dead bodies were found in it, the strong thick wooden paling having afforded excel- lent protection against our bullets. From Zimbizo, after having left a sufficient force within, we sallied out, and in an hour had cleared the neighborhood of the enemy, which we committed to the flames, after gutting them of all valuables. A few tusks of ivory, and about fifty slaves, besides an abundance of grain, composed the " loot," which fell to the lot of the Arabs. A FRIGHTFUL MASSACRE. Early one evening, soon after this, the entire camp of Zimbizo was electrified with the news that all the Arabs (about five hundred) who had accompanied Soud bin Sayd against Mirambo's village had been killed, and that more than one-half of his party had been slain. Some of my own men were also killed. I learned that they had succeeded in cap- turing Wilyankuru in a very short time, that Mirambo and his son were there, that as they succeeded in effecting an entrance, Mirambo had collected his men, and after leaving the village, had formed an ambush in the grass, on each side of the road, between Wilyankuru and Zim- bizo, and that as the attacking party were returning home, laden with over a hundred tusks of ivory, and sixty bales of cloth, and two or three hundred slaves, Mirambo's men suddenly rose up on each side of them, and stabbed them with their spears. The brave Soud had fired his double-barreled gun and shot two men, and was in the act of loading again when a spear was launched, which penetrated through and through him : all the other Arabs shared the same fate. This sudden attack from an enemy they believed to be conquered so demoralized the party that, dropping their spoil, each man took to his heels, and after making a wide detour through the woods, returned to Zimbizo to repeat the dolorous tale. The effect of this defeat is indescribable. It was impossible to .sleep, from the shrieks of the women whose husbands had fallen. All night they howled their lamentations, and sometimes might be heard the groans of the wounded, who had contrived to crawl through the grass unperceived by the enemy. Fugitives were continually coming in TRAVELS OF STANLEV IN THE TROPICS. 107 throughout the night, but none of my men, who were reported to be dead, were ever heard of again. The next day was one of distrust, sorrow, and retreat ; the Arabs accused one another for urging war without expending all peaceful means first. There were stormy councils of war held, wherein were some who proposed to return at once to Unyanyembe, and keep within their own houses; and Khamis bin Abdullah raved, like an insulted monarch, again.st the abject cowardice of his compatriots. I fell asleep, but later on was awakened by Selim saying, " Master, get up, they are all run- ning away, and Khamis bin Abdullah is himself going." This was true. With the aid of Selim I dressed myself, and staggered towards the door, weakened by fever. My first view was of Thani bin Abdullah being dragged away, who, when he caught sight of me, shouted out, " Bana — quick — Mirambo is coming." He was then turning to run, and putting on his jacket, with his eyes almost starting out of their sockets with terror. Khamis bin Abdullah was also about departing, he being the last Arab to leave. Mirambo was afterward defeated with great loss, and Stanley was able to proceed toward Ujiji by the southern route. On the way he came to the cultivated fields of Manyara. Arriving before the village-gate they were forbidden to enter, as the country was throughout in a state of war, and it behooved the guard to be careful of admitting any party, lest the villagers might be compromised. A SURLY CHIEF. After they had built their camp, the guide was furnished with some cloths to purchase food from the village for the transit of a wilderness in front of them, which was said to extend nine marches, or one hundred and thirty-five miles. He was informed that the Mtemi had strictly prohibited his people from selling any grain w4iatever. This evidently was a case wherein the exercise of a little diplomacy could only be effective; because it would detain them several days here, if they were compelled to send men back to Kikuru for provisions. Opening a bale of choice goods, Stanley selected two royal cloths, and sent them with the compliments and friendship of the white man. The Sultan sulkily refused them, and bade the porter return to the white man and tell him not to bother him. Entreaties were of no avail, he would not relent ; and the men, in exceedingly bad temper, and hungry, were obliged to go to bed supperless. There was every prospect of a general decamp of all Stanley's people. However, he told them not to be discouraged ; that he would get food for them in the morning. The bale of choice cloths was opened again next morning, and four royal cloths were this time selected, and the porter was again dispatched, 108 TRAVELS OF STANLEY IN THE TROPICS. 109 burdened with compliments, and polite words. The effect of this mu- nificent liberality was soon seen in the abundance of provender which came to the camp. Before an hour went by, there came boxes full of choroko, beans, rice, matama or dourra, and Indian corn, carried on the heads of a dozen villagers, and shortly after the Mtemi himself came, followed by about thirty musketeers and twenty spearmen, to visit the first white man ever seen on this road. Behind these warriors came a liberal gift, fully equal in v^luc to that sent to him, of several large gourds of honey, fowls, goats, and enough vetches and beans to supply the men with four days' food. AMUSING EXPERIENCES WITH AN ARAB. The chief, a tall robust man, and his chieftains, were invited to seat themselves. They cast a look of such gratified surprise at Stanley, his clothes, and guns, as is almost impossible to describe. They looked intently for a few seconds, and then at each other, which ended in an uncontrollable burst of laughter, and repeated snappings of the fingers. The interpreter was requested to inform the chief of the great delight Stanley felt in seeing them. After a short period expended in inter- changing compliments, and a competitive excellence at laughing at one another, their chief desired Stanley to show him some of his curiosities. Says Stanley: I next produced a bottle of concentrated ammonia, which, as I explained, was for snake bites and head-aches ; the Sultan immediately complained he had a head-ache, and must have a little. Telling him to close his eyes, I suddenly uncorked the bottle, and presented it to His Majesty's nose. The effect was magical, for he fell back as if shot, and such contortions as his features underwent are indescribable. His chiefs roared with laughter, and clapped their hands, pinched each other, snapped their fingers, and committed many other ludicrous things. I verily believe if such a scene were presented on any stage in the world the effect of it would be visible instantaneously on the audience ; that had they seen it as I saw it, they would have laughed themselves to hysteria and madness. Finally the Sultan recovered himself, great tears rolling down his cheeks, and his features quivering with laughter, then he slowly uttered the word "kali " — hot, strong, quick, or ardent medicine. He required no more, but the other chiefs pushed forward to get one wee sniff, which they no sooner had, then all went into paroxysms of uncontrollable laughter. The entire morning was passed in this state visit, to the mutual satisfac- tion of all concerned. " Oh," said the Sultan at parting, " these white men know everything, the Arabs are dirt compared to them !" It had required only a bottle of ammonia to impress him with the vast supe- j"iority of his visitor. no WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Having made a fresh start after full preparation for the next stage, we had barely left the waving cornfields of my friend Ma-manyara before we came in sight of a herd of noble zebra ; two hours after- wards we had entered a grand and noble expanse of park land, whose glorious magnificence and \astness of prospect, with a far-stretching carpet of verdure darkly flecked here and there by miniature clumps of jungle, with spreading trees growing here and there, was certainly one of the finest scenes to be found in Africa. Added to which, as I surmounted one of the numerous small knolls, I saw herds after herds of buffalo and zebra, giraffe and antelope, which sent the blood coursing through my veins in the excitement of the moment, as when I first landed on African soil. We crept along the plain noiselessly to our camp on the banks of the Gombe, the home of the rhinoceros. Having settled the position of the camp, which overlooked one ofthe pools found in the depression of the Gombe creek, I took my double - barreled smooth-bore and sauntered off to the park-land. Emerging from behind a clump, three fine plump spring-bok were seen browsing on the young grass just within one hundred yards. I knelt down and fired ; one unfortunate antelope bounded upward instinctively, and fell dead. Its companions sprang high into the air, taking leaps about twelve feet in length, as if they were quadrupeds practicing gymnas- tics, and away they vanished, rising up like India-rubber balls, until '. knoll hid them from view. My success was hailed with loud shouts by the soldiers, who came running out from the camp as soon as they h.eard the reverberation of the gun, and my gun-bearer had his knife at the beast's throat, uttering a fervent " Bismillah !" as he almost severed the head from the body. We next camped but a few yards from a place which was a favorite resort of wild animals. The herd-keeper who attended the goats and THE RHINOCEROS. 112 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. donkeys, soon after our arrival in camp, drove the animals to water, and in order to obtain it they traveled through a tunnel in the brake, caused by elephants and rhinoceroses. They had barely entered the dark cavernous passage, when a black-spotted leopard sprang, and fas- tened its fangs in the neck of one of the donkeys, causing it, from the pain, to bray hideously. Its companions set up such a frightful chorus, and so lashed their heels in the air at the feline marauder, that the leopard bounded away through the brake, as if in sheer dismay at the noisy cries which the attack had provoked. The donkey's neck ex- hibited some frightful wounds, but the animal was not dangerously hurt. Emerging into the broad sunlight, I strolled further in search of something to shoot. Presently I saw, feeding quietly in the forest which bounded the valley of the Mtambu on the left, a huge, reddish- colored wild boar, armed with most horrid tusks. Leaving Kalulu crouched down behind a tree, and my solar helmet behind another close by — that I might more safely stalk the animal — I advanced towards him some forty yards, and after taking a deliberate aim, fired at his fore shoulder. As if nothing had hurt him whatever, the animal made a furious bound, and then stood with his bristles erected, and tufted tail curved over the back — -a most formidable brute in appearance. While he was thus listening, and searching the neighborhood with his keen, small eyes, I planted another shot in his chest, which ploughed its way through his body. Instead of falling, however, as I expected he would, he charged furiously in the direction the bullet had come, and as he rushed past me, another ball was fired, which went right through him ; but still he kept on, until within six or seven yards from the trees behind which Kalulu was crouching down on one side, and the helmet was rest- ing behind another, he suddenly halted, and then dropped. But as I was about to advance on him with my knife to cut his throat, he sud- denly started up ; his eyes had caught sight of the little boy Kalulu, and were then, almost immediately afterwards, attracted by the sight of the snowy helmet. These strange objects on either side of him proved too much for the boar, for, with a terrific grunt, he darted on one side into a thick brake, from which it was impossible to oust him, and as it was now getting late, and the camp was about three miles away, I was reluctantly obliged to return without the meat. At length, after many perils and adventures, Stanley arrived at Ujiji, having accomplished his mission, yet destined to further extend his fame by discoveries that should awaken the interest of the whole world. CHAPTER IV. STANLEY'S ADVENTURES AND DISCOVERIES. Finding Livingstone — On an African Lake — Illness and Death of Livingstone — Burial — Stanley's Expedition — Cannibals — A Fighting Journey — A Brave Chief — Rescuing e Follower — Cameron's Expedition — A Strange Deity — A King's Burial — Legend of Lake Kassala — Cameron's Adventures. 'R. STANLEY has told the story of his search for Livingstone in a manly and straightforward manner: how, as he approached nearer and nearer to the end of his difficult and toilsome journey, his heart was gladdened by reports of Livingstone still being alive; until at last, on the morning of Friday, the loth of November, 1871, when within a few hundred yards of Ujiji, surrounded by a curious crowd, he suddenly heard a voice say, " Good morning, sir ! " and turning, beheld a man arrayed in a long white shirt, with a turban around his woolly head, " Who the mischief are you ? " is his inquiry. "I am Susi, the servant of Dr. Livingstone." "What! is Dr. Livingstone here?" "Yes, sir." "In this village?" "Yes, sir." "Are you sure?" " Sure, sure, sir. Why, I leave him just now." Now another voice is heard, saying, "Good morning, sir!" which proves to be that of Chumah, another of Livingstone's servants. One can imagine the feelings of the adventurous correspondent as he commands his people to halt, that he may be the first to greet the great traveler. " I pushed back the crowds," he says, " and, passing from the rear, walked down a living avenue of people, until I came in front of the semicircle of Arabs, in the front of which stood the white man with the gray beard. As I advanced slowly toward him I noticed he was pale, looked wearied, wore a bluish cap with a faded gold band round it, had on a red-sleeved waistcoat, and a pair of grey tweed trousers. I would have run to him, only I was a coward in the pres- ence of such a mob — would have embraced him, only, he being an Englir.iman, I did not know how he would receive me; so I did what cowardice and false pride suggested was the best thing — walked deliberately to him, took off my hat and said, — "'Dr. Livingstone, I presume?' " ' Yes,' said he, with a kind smile, lifting his cap slightly. 8 113 114 Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 115 "I replaced my hat on my head, and he put on his cap and we grasped hands, and I then said aloud, — '"I thank God, Doctor, that I have been permitted to see you.' "He answered, 'I feel thankfid that I am here to welcome you.'" Several days of pleasant intercourse passed between Livingstone and the American. The heart of the great traveler was cheered by the knowledge that he had not been wholly forgotten by the world which he had so long left. His spirits revived, his health and strength became restored, and he looked forward to the prosecution of fresh exploits in the field of geographical discovery. He was asked whether he did not feel a desire to re\'isit his own country, and take a little rest after his six years of explorations. " I would like very much to go home," he replied, "and see my children once again, but I cannot bring my heart to abandon the task I have undertaken, when it is so nearly completed. Why should I go home before my task is ended, and have to come back again to do what I can very well do now ? " A BOLD PUSH FOR THE INTERIOR. After a ten days' sojourn at Ujiji, the two travelers set forth to ex- plore the northern half of Lake Tanganyika ; and with one canoe pushed out into the lake, following for a time its eastern coast-line. The scenery is described as being both beautiful and varied. Lofty mountains rising abruptly from the water's edge, broad swampy mo- rasses covered with tall reeds and grass, far-stretching plains dotted with villages amid groups of palms and plantains, strips of sandy beach that glistened in sunshine — such w^ere the pictures presented to the travelers' view as they glided day by day over the .still water of the lake. The object of the expedition having been accomplished, the head of the canoe was turned southward, and they reached the port of Ujiji in December. Livingstone accompanied Stanley on his homeward march as far as Unyanyembe, where, after receiving fresh stores and an additional number of followers, he bade him farewell, and turned his steps toward the south of Lake Tanganyika. It was the last white man the heoric traveler was ever destined to see ; he was now on his last expedition. Weak and ailing in body, the hardships now to be encountered were to tell fatally upon his constitution. Reaching Lake Bemba, a long detour was made, as it was found impossible to follow the borders because of innumerable creeks and streams hidden by dense vegeta- tion. When the lake was again struck, the opposite shores were gained by means of canoes, which they were obliged to seize from the natives, who were unwilling to lend them. While passing through the country of Ukabende Livingstone's strength gave way, and he was obliged to 116 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. confess that he could not continue his explorations ; he must return to Ujiji to recruit his health. Soon he was compelled to give up walk- ing and take to riding a donkey. Even this mode of traveling became too laborious, and his attendants constructed for him a native bed- stead, in which he was carried to his last halting-place. Now followed a long and weary journey, through forests and dreary morasses, beneath the burning sun and in drenching rain. His Nassick boys were very attentive to him, and exhibited a care and devotion beyond praise. " If one of them were ill," they said, "in the course of their journeyings, he always waited for him; but when he himself fell ill or weak, he would push forward and never think of stopping." So now they tried their best to repay their good master's kindness. DEATH OF THE GREAT EXPLORER. Arrived at Ilala, the party were refused permission to remain, and were compelled to retrace their steps toward Kabende. Here Living- stone could proceed no farther; he refused all food, and suffered great pain; he frequently prayed, and desired to be alone. So a rude hut was erected, and fenced round to secure privacy and protection. " I shall never cross the high hills to Katanda," he said, "and shall never see my river again." They hovered round the hut, silently awaiting" the end, only once a day looking in at the door to say, " Yambo, bana" — "Good morning." So quietly and peacefully did he draw his last breath that they knew not for a time that he was dead. One, drawing near, touched his face, and knew then that the end had come. This was on the night of May 4th, 1873, eight years from the time he last landed on African soil. His brave followers, being now sure that their great leader was dead, determined to carry the body to Zanzibar. Here it was shipped for England, and in due time landed at Southampton. The ships in the port lowered their flags to half-mast, the shops were closed, and the blinds of private houses drawn, while the bells of the churches tolled, as the body of the great traveler was received on his native shores, to be deposited in Westminster Abbey, with unusual honors. Brave men are never wanting to carry on the great work of African discovery ; no sooner does one fall than another is ready to step to the front to prosecute the task. Mr. Stanley resolved at once to complete Livingstone's discoveries. His expedition this time was planned on a large scale, comprising a party of several hundred men to serve as porters, boatmen, and soldiers. In November, 1 874, the expedition started from Bagamoyo, on the east coast, presenting a very imposing appearance, from its Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 117 numbers and length. At the head of the procession, and several hundred yards in advance of the main body, marched four chiefs, then came twehe guides clad in red robes of Jobo, carrying coils of wire ; these were followed by a long file of two hundred and seventy men, bearing beads, wire, and cloth, and the sections of an English-made boat, the Lady Alice. Then came a number of women and children, belonging to some of the chiefs and boatmen, each bearing loads suitable to their age and strength, and the long procession closing with a rear guard of sixteen chiefs, who took care that no stragglers should linger behind. Stanley's own place in the caravan was wherever his presence was most needed — now at the head, then in the centre, or now at the rear. The journey thus commenced was likely to be one of considerable toil and danger, and such indeed it proved, even far beyond the calcu- lations of its chief Many were the hardships endured, many the perils encountered, and m.any the lives lost before it was triumphantly accomplished. Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika were visited and explored, the great river Lualaba entered and navigated to its mouth — altogether a journey of more than seven thousand miles. LOST IX THE FOREST. Let us join our brave traveler at a place called Nyangwe, distant from Lake Tanganyika three hundred and thirty-eight miles, the extreme western locality inhabited by Arab traders from Zanzibar, and situated on the right of the eastern side of the Lualaba, on a high bank about forty feet above the river. On three sides spreads for miles an open country, but on the fourth is an impenetrable forest, through which Mr. Stanley and his followers in vain endeavored to force their way ; becoming lost in its recesses, they were compelled to make their way back to Nyangwe. There were, however, discovered in this forest — which they called " The Pagan Forest " — several vil- lages, each consisting of a long straggling street, and in most of these streets were two long rows of skulls imbedded in the ground, with their tops just above the level. The natives said they were the skulls of sokos which had been captured in the forest and eaten ; but a close examination proved them to be those of men, women, and children, whose bodies had been served up at feasts. Our travelers had reached a part of Africa inhabited by cannibals. When the men living in these villages lose their wives, they go into mourning by daubing their faces with a thick coat of charcoal paste, which gives them anything but an inviting appearance. Unable to penetrate the dense forest, our travelers crossed the river Lualaba, and proceeded on their journey along the left bank, through 118 STANLEYS ADVENTURES AND DISCOVERIES. 119 the Ukusu country. Now indeed commenced the most hazardous and perilous portion of their journey. Several of their number had been lost previous to this, from fev^er, from the treachery of the natives, and from desertion. Especially had Mr. Stanley grieved at the loss of a brave Englishman, Edward Pocock, who succumbed to the fatal effects of fever ; but now many more of their number were destined to leave their bodies on the route, with no memorial placed over their remains to tell the passing stranger who rested beneath. Almost every mile of their way was opposed by hostile natives ; their approach to a village was the signal for the war-drums to sound, and the whole population to turn out armed with bows and arrows, spears, and other warlike weapons, bent upon the entire destruction of the intruders. What made these encounters the more serious was, that the cannibals used poisoned arrows ; so that if their victims were not killed outright, death followed soon after a wound was received. Attempts were made to conciliate these terrible barbarians; gifts of beads and cloth were held out for them to receive, but these were rejected ; forbearance was equally unavailing — this was looked upon as cowardice. Night and day the travelers were constantly harassed by their active foes. When they pitched their camp on the banks of the river, the enemy would creep silently through the forest and assail them in the rear. More often they would launch their large canoes and boldly attack them from the river itself; and it was often only the deadly precision with which they discharged their rifles that saved them from destruction. After suffering the loss of many men the natives would retire, but usually only to reorganize their flotilla, when the battle would recommence. Thus would the struggle last for hours, until, wearied with fighting, the enemy retired to seek rest, leaving their victors worn out with fatigue. THE CARAVAN MEETS BLOOD-THIRSTY CANNIBALS. The cannibals fought with great bravery, as Mr. Stanley himself confessed. On one occasion he was particularly struck by the courage and coolness of a young chief. He was in a small canoe, with eight or nine companions, whose shields were placed upright against the sides, and from behind these the arrow was shot and the spear hurled, by none with such dexterity and good aim as by the young chief. Wherever the battle raged the fiercest there darted the canoe to take up an advanced position At length the brave young African received a wound in the right thigh from a rifle ball. The blood was seen to trickle down his leg ; but without retreating, he was observed to lay aside his war weapons, tear a piece of cloth from his dress, stoop down, and coolly bind up the i^Uire^ ''*Mib ; then, again seizing his 120 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. arms, renew the fight as if nothing unusual had taken place, until loss of blood compelled him to give up the contest, and turn his canoe towards the shore. So great was Stanley's admiration for this brave young can- nibal that he gave orders for no one to molest him during his retreat. On another occasion the savages adopted a very novel method in order to make the strangers prisoners. Observing the course they were pursuing, they went some distance on ahead, and during the night fixed an immense net, or a series of nets, among the trees, in which to entangle the travelers, at the same time boasting they were sure to " net their meat." They then hid in ambush, prepared to shoot down their anticipated victims while trying to free themselves from this obstacle to their progress. Fortunately scouts were out watching the movements of the cannibals ; so that being duly informed of wh;,t was in store, Stanley was able to avoid the trap, much, we may sup- pose, to the disappointment of his foes. Matters now began to assume a very serious aspect. It was certain the natives were bent upon their destruction, and it was equally cer- tain that the travelers wished to avoid such a fote. But the question was, what were they to do ? To proceed seemed impossible, and to abandon the expedition appeared very much like cowardice ; yet some of the most disheartened counseled the latter course. They were weary with incessant fighting, and revolted from the idea of being served up as a dinner to their foes ; besides, what was the use of traveling in a country of which they knew nothing ? But their leader suggested that it would be far better to take to their canoes and make their way down the river. Did any one know in what direction it flowed, and in what country it ended ? No, no one knew anything of the river farther than that it led into an unknown country, and among people as hostile as tho.se they had already encountered. Many of the men mutinied and positively refused to go farther. At length, however, Mr. Stanley's wishes were yielded to, and the party set out on their long voyage. DESPERATE BATTLE ON THE WATER. Now began a series of aquatic combats, as desperate as the battles fought on land ; and it was only the superior weapons of the expedi- tion which enabled the explorers to force their way, as, day after day, they met in conflict. The villages on shore were generally found built close together, so as to make in appearance but one long one, the space dividing one from another being very narrow. W'hen Mr. Stanley and his party approached the end nearest to them of one of these continuous villages, and they were seen by its inhabitants, a per- fect chorus of yells would greet them, yells such as could only pro- '11 |!l|P|i||l;lllilp|ll!||l| ", "111 iJ-.:. Mir i!':.: II iJ' I 122 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. ceed from sava' pound box with ease. In a short time one of these was made, and six couples of the strongest swimmers were prepared, and stimulated with a rousing Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 131 ^lass of stiff grog, with a promise of cloth to each man also if they ■succeeded in getting everything ashore undamaged b\' the water. When I saw with what ease they dragged themselves across, the barrow on their shoulders, I wondered that I had not thought of the plan before. An hour after the first couple had gone over, the entire Expedition was safe on the eastern bank ; and at once breaking camp, we marched north through the swampy forest which in some places was covered with four feet of water. Glad indeed the wearied explorers were when they at length reached tribes who were friendly to white men, and more glad still when they saw the waters of the broad Atlantic spreading out before them, and knew that all danger was now over. While Stanley was fighting his way down the Lualaba to the Atlantic, Lieutenant Cameron was making his famous journey from the east to the west coast of the great African continent. His inten- tion was to convey assistance to Livingstone, and it was only while •on his journey that he heard of his death. After having organized his expedition, he left Zanzibar for Bagamoyo, the point of departure for caravans bound to Unyanyembe and countries beyond. Cameron's expedition, although starting from the same point as Stanley's, took quite a different route — one that led between that of the American and the Kingani river, a country open and park-like, varied with woodlands and jungle. But as no villages lay in his path, he was soon obliged to leave it, and make his way across the Usagara Hills, which, he says, in spite of their rocky character, are wooded to the tops, chiefly with acacias. Here he saw the paramasi tree — one of the noblest in the world, having a trunk sometimes fifteen feet in diameter, and ascending as high as one hundred and forty feet, with a bark of tender yellowish green, crowned by a spreading head of dark green foliage. CAMPING under GIGANTIC TREES. In this latitude the traveler will first meet with the gigantic and castle-like Uwana, which is decidedly the most striking and wonderful tree among the thousands which adorn the South African forests. It is chiefly remarkable on account of its extraordinary size, actually resembling a castle or tower more than a forest-tree. Throughout the country of Bamangwato the average circumference of these trees was from thirty to forty feet ; but on continuing researches in a north- easterly direction throughout the more fertile forests, which clothe the boundless tracts through which the fair Limpopo winds, one may meet with specimens of this extraordinary tree averaging from sixty to one hundred feet in circumference, and maintaining this thickness to a A GIANT TRUNK OF THE CASTLE TREE. Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 133 height of from twenty to thirty feet, when they diverge into numerous goodly branches, whose general character is abrupt and horizontal, and which seem to terminate with a peculiar suddenness. The wood of this tree is soft and utterly unserviceable. The shape of the leaf is similar to that of the sycamore tree, but its texture partakes more of the fig-leaf; its fruit is a nut, which in size and shape resembles the egg of the swan. A remarkable fact in connection with these trees is the manner in which they are disposed throughout the forest. They are found standing singly, or in rows, invariably at considerable distances from one another, as if planted by the hand of man, and from their wondrous size and unusual height (for they always tower high above their surrounding compeers), they convey the idea of being strangers or interlopers on the ground they occupy. Over these hills Cameron made his way to the Mpwapwa country, which in some portions of his route proved to be quite parched and dusty from scarcity of water; the vegetation, too, from the same cause, scanty and dry. But when the river of the same name was reached, things presented a more cheerful aspect. On both sides grew very large trees; so large indeed did some prove that the travelers pitched all their tents under one so enormous that one half was an ample shelter. Here provisions were found to be very dear, in consequence of a mountain tribe, called the Wadirigo, lording it over the people, and placing the villages under contribution. This plundering tribe are described as a tall and manly race, satisfied with having a string of beads round the neck or wrist, to serve as a substitute for clothing. They carry very large shields made of hide, a heavy spear for close quarters, and a bundle of slender assegais, which they throw with great force and precision to a distance of more than fifty yards, THIEVES WITH IMMENSE EARS. From Mpwapwa our traveler passed into Ugogo country, the inhab- itants of which — the Wagogo — have the character of being great thieves and extortioners. They have a singular custom of piercing their ears, and enlarging the lobes so enormously that they sometimes fall as low as the shoulders. Ear-rings of brass and wire, pieces of wood, and other articles are worn in them. Their wool is twisted into strings, lengthened by fibres of the baobab, and at the end of these strings are attached colored beads or little brass balls. So on, through country after country, Cameron traveled, his stand- ard-bearers and other followers giving him much trouble and annoy- ance. But in spite of troubles and vexations, he made his way to Unyanyembe, and from thence, making a long detour southward, to avoid a restless chieftain named Mirambo, he reached Uganda, " country 134 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. of farms," and then, soon after, stood on the heights of Ukaranga, "the country of the ground-nuts," and looked on the broad expanse of Lake Tanganyika. After navigating the southern end of this great lake, he journeyed to Nyangwe, and from thence through one thousand two hundred miles of a country never before seen by white man. The great kingdom of Urua was the first country in this new land to claim his attention. It is larger in extent than even Great Britain and Ireland, and has one sole ruler. King Kasongo, who exercises a truly despotic sway. This kingdom is divided into districts governed by a kilolo, or captain, who derives his authority from the king; and the punishments inflicted for various crimes are those of death and mutila- tion. The people tattoo themselves, and their hair is carefully drawn back and tied behind the head, whence it sticks out like the handle of a saucepan. The males of Urua light their own fires and cook their own food, but will never allow another to see them eating, as they consider the sight unseemly; and should any one be present when they convey food to their mouth, they hold a cloth before the face. The different degrees of rank are carefully observed, and one of inferior social position dare not sit down in the presence of one more exalted without suffering punishment. The religion of the people is of a very degraded character, being a mixture of fetish and idolatry; every vil- lage possesses a devil-hut and an idol, before which offerings of meat and grain are placed. Small figures are also worn round the neck. In addition to these, the kingdom possesses one grand deity named Kungwe-a-Banza, who is considered all-powerful for good or evil. The temple of this god is placed in a clearing of a jungle, and guarded by a number of priests, who, however, are never allowed to see it — a pri rilege only accorded to the idol's wife, who is always a sister of the reijning king. To test the supposed feelings of awe and fear in which this idol was held by the common people, Cameron on several occasions went softly behind a man and cried suddenly, "Kungwe-a-Banza!" The man invariably gave a spring into the air and darted away with, every symptom of dread. SINGULAR CUSTOMS AT THE BURIAL OF A CHIEF. At Kilemba, the chief residence of the king, Cameron was delayed for a long time as a prisoner, being only allowed to make short excur- sions into the country. Most of his time was spent in gathering information as to the manners and customs of the people, many of which proved to be of a cruel and savage nature. The first proceeding in the burial of a king is to divert the course of ?» stream, and in its bed to dig an enormous pit, the bottom of which is then covered with living women. At one end a woman is Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 135 placed on her hands and knees, and upon her back the dead chief, covered with his beads and other treasures, is seated, being supported on each side by one of his wives, while his second wife sits at his feet. The earth is then shoveled in on them, and all the women are buried alive with the exception of the second wife. To her, custom is more merciful than to her companions, and grants her the privilege of being killed before the huge grave is filled in. This being com- pleted, a number of male slaves — sometimes forty or fifty — are slaugh- tered, and their blood poured over the grave, after which the river is allowed to resume its course. Smaller chiefs have only two or three wives buried with them, and but few slaves killed over the grave ; while one of the common people is buried alone in a sitting posture, his right forefinger pointing to the sky. When the chiefs are summoned to pay homage to their king, the ceremony takes place in the courtyard of the royal settlement, or Mussumba, the entrance being carefully guarded by sentries, and a por- ter clothed in a leopard skin and armed with a huge club. Kasongo stands with his spear in his hand, while behind him are women carry- ing his shields, and one an axe. A chief approaches, followed by a slave, holding an axe before his face with the edge presented to the king. When within a given distance, he rushes suddenly forward, as if with the intention of slaying his ruler; then, as suddenly stopping, he falls prone to the ground, burying his face in the dust, and throw- ing some on his head. This same ceremony is repeated by all the chiefs present. King Kasongo's rule was very despotic ; no village was safe while he reigned, and when maddened by smoking and drinking bhang he was capable of committing acts of great cruelty. On one occasion a chief paid him the customary taxes of the village. The king pro- fessed great friendship for him, and, to do him honor, said he would accompany him back. When the village was reached, a cordon of men were stationed round it, and at night the chief was compelled with his own hands to fire the huts of the sleeping people, and was then killed. The inhabitants, aroused by the fire, rushed from their dwellings to plunge into the jungle for safety, but the troops placed on the outside of the village slew every man, while the women and children were taken away for slaves. Such things can these barbarous kings do, murdering by the wholesale their defenceless subjects. Mr. Cameron paid this potentate a visit, and he describes his settle- ment as being six hundred yards long and two hundred yards wide, fenced round with sticks five feet high, and lined with grass. The interview was brief and of a formal character, but when the traveler 136 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. took his leave the king's band accompanied him, playing- all the way. While detained a prisoner, Cameron made an excursion to Lake Mohrya, to the north of the capital — a small sheet of water surrounded by wooded hills, but having within it three curious villages built on piles, a platform being laid on these and the huts raised on the plat- HUMAN SACRIFICES IN THE KASONGO COUNTRY. form. Some of these huts were of an oblong shape, others round, with sloping roofs. The people live entirely in these huts with their domestic animals, very seldom coming to shore, and then merely for Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 137 the purpose of cultivating patches of ground and to feed their goats. Men were seen swimming from one village to another, although it was said that large snakes inhabit the water, whose bite is fatal. A QUAINT old LEGEND. In an excursion to the south, Cameron discovered Lake Kassali, concerning the origin of which the people told him the following : — Once there stood, where Lake Dilolo now is, a large and prosperous village. The inhabitants were all rich and well-to-do, possessing large flocks of goats, many fowls and pigs, and plantations of corn and cassava far exceeding anything that is now granted to mortals. They passed their time merrily in eating and drinking, and never thought of the morrow. One day, an old and decrepit man came into this happy village, and asked the inhabitants to take pity on him, as he was tired and hungry, and had a long journey to travel. No one took any notice of his requests, but he was instead pursued with scoffs and jeers, and the children were encouraged to throw dirt and mud at the unfortunate beggar and drive him out of the place. Hungry and footsore, he was going on his way, when a man more charitable than his neighbors accosted him and asked him what he wanted. He said all he wanted was a drink of water, a little food, and somewhere to rest his weary head. The man took him into his hut, gave him water to drink, killed a goat, and soon set a plentiful mess of meat and porridge before him, and when he was satisfied gave him his own hut to sleep in. In the middle of the night the poor beggar got up, and aroused the charitable man, saying, " You have done me a good turn, and now I will do the same for you ; but what I tell you none of your neighbors must know." The charitable man promised to be as secret as the grave, on which the old man told him that in a few nights he would hear a great storm of wind and rain, and that when it commenced he must arise and fly with all his belongings. Having uttered this warn- ing, the beggar departed. Two days afterward the charitable man heard rain and wind such as he had never before heard, and said, "The words that the old man spoke are true." He got up in haste, and with his wives, goats, slaves, fowls, and all his property, left the doomed place safely. Next morning, where the village had stood was Lake Dilolo ; and to the present day people camping on its banks, or crossing in canoes on still nights, can hear the sound of pounding corn, the songs of women, the crowing of cocks, and the bleating of goats. LIONS WALKING THE VILLAGE STREETS. It was here, too, that our traveler heard of the village where the people were on friendly relations with lions, which walked about the Stanley's adventures and discoveries. 13^ streets as dogs do, and that on certain festival days, when they were feasted, as many as two hundred at a time would visit the village and each answer to a name. He was also told of a people who lived in underground dwellings which were situated in immense caverns on the banks of the river Lufira, where there were whole villages and their chiefs, and that the people very seldom visited the upper air. Then there was a mysterious island called Ngornanza, somewhere on Lake Tanganyika, where the inhabitants were all afflicted with the leprosy, and not allowed to leave the island or intermarry with any other tribe; and that when the natives of the surrounding country were compelled by business to pass through its villages, they did so hurriedly, with their mouths covered and their eyes averted. Many other marvelous stories were related. After a lengthened stay at the capital of the Urua country. King Kasongo was at length pleased to give our traveler permission to depart, of which he was glad to avail himself Journeying across Ulunda from east to west, he entered the countries of Lovale and Kibokwe, in the first of which he found the people very savage, and, possessing guns, were much feared by passing caravans, as they made many claims upon them and extorted large tribute; and as the fetish men are all-powerful in this country, the stranger was compelled to keep a sharp look-out and be careful of his actions, for should he chance to rest his gun against a hut in one of their villages, it was instantly seized, and not returned unless a heavy fine was paid; for it was maintained that it was an act of magic, intended to cause the death of the owner of the hut. These people dress their hair in a very singular fashion, by plaiting it into a kind of pattern, and then plaster- ing it with mud and oil, till the head-dress looks as if carved out of wood. CHAPTER V. EXPLORATIONS OF DU CHAILLU, SPEKE, GRANT, AND OTHER CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. Handsome Savages — Penetrating the Wilderness — The Muni Men — Horrible Customs — A Stampede of Gorillas— King of the Cannibals — Monkey Ingenuity — Slaughter of Witches — King Du Chaillu — A Chimpanzee — Boa-constrictors — Small-pox — Otando Land — A Race for Life — Speke and Burton — A Strike — Robbers — "A Stumpy Old Dame" — Grant's Exploits — Wife Fattening— Mtesa, the Greatest of African Kings — Human Sacrifices — Great King Munza. 'AUL DU CHAILLU, an American by birth, but a Frenchman by parentage, between 1856 and 1859, trav- ersed the regions of Africa on the line of the equator, and made scientific discoveries of great importance. A second journey, in which Ashango Land was visited, and the most westerly buttresses examined of the great mountain range supposed to divide the continent of Af- rica nearly along the line of the equator, was also fruitful of results, and the two expeditions may be looked upon as steps towards the realization of that dream of the present age, the connection of the eastern and western coasts of Central Africa, a dream now become almost a waking reality by the conclusion of Lieutenant Cameron's and Stanley's world-famous journeys. Du Chaillu, whose expenses were paid by a Philadelphia scientific society, arrived at the mouth of the Gaboon River, already dotted with missionary settlements, early in 1856, having, in several years' residence on the coast as a trader, acquired considerable experience in dealing with the Mpongwcs, the chief native tribe of the coast di.stricts. Being anxious to harden himself to the climate of the interior, so often fatal to the white man, he took up his quarters at Baraka, eight miles up the river, the station of an American mission founded about 1842. Here our hero was most hospitably entertained, and the early part of his nar- rative is occupied in describing the results already achieved by the little band of Christian teachers there at work, who devoted most of their time to the instruction of the children, teaching them to read the Scrip- tures in their own language, and to master the first principles of geog- raphy and arithmetic. They hoped, by these means, gradually to change the whole character of the Mpongwe race, many members of which have good intellectual ability. (140) EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 141 Here the antecedents of the natives were carefully studied, and according to Du Chaillu, the Mpongwe are but one branch of a great negro family which has moved gradually down from the interior to the sea-coast, taking the place of other tribes, the Ndina, for instance, who have disappeared — we might almost say melted away — in that mysteri- ous way peculiar to native races, leaving scarcely a trace of their exis- tence. The Mpongwes are a fine-looking sturdy set of men, resembling in their general appearance the Mandingoes, so often met with in our travels further north. Eager traders, they and their neighbors to the north-west, the Shekiani and others, mistrust all explorers who seem likely to interfere with their gains, and only by repeated assurances of his innocence of any such intention was our hero able to obtain permis- sion to traverse their country, and even then, many of the merchants with whom he had done a brisk business in ivory and dyes, in former times, tried to scare him from visiting the interior by terrible stories of the ferocity of the cannibal tribes living to the east, and of the untama- ble gorillas and other wild beasts haunting the impenetrable forests and impassable swamps. OFF FOR THE WILDERNESS. Nothing daunted by all he heard, but more eager than ever to see and judge for himself, our hero sailed from the Gaboon early in April, 1856, intending first to explore the Muni, flowing into the Atlantic, and for this purpose he landed at Corisco Island, situated in the bay of the same name, where he was to obtain canoes and men to help him to ascend the river. Here, as at Baraka, Du Chaillu's hosts were missionaries, who had three important stations on the island, and had done much good work amongst the native Mbengas, formerly a warlike, quarrelsome race, but now quiet and peaceable converts to Christianity, retaining, however, many strange, superstitious, and cruel practices, the relics of their former faith. Du Chaillu's efforts at Corisco resulted in his obtaining the escort of a certain chieftain named Mbango, who was to introduce him to an influential king on the Muni, and he started for that river in Mbango's canoe, with a crew of twelve negroes, all armed with guns, and a per- sonal outfit of a chest containing one hundred fathoms of print, nineteen pounds of white beads,- a quantity of small looking-glasses, steels and flints, a quantity of leaf-tobacco, eighty pounds of shot and bullets, twenty-five pounds of powder, and a few guns. Thus provided, he proposed penetrating to the very heart of the Sierra del Cristal, a chain running parallel with and about eighty or a hundred miles distant from the coast, between the equator and two degrees north latitude, visiting the cannibal tribes supposed to lead a wild life in those mountain fast- '^f^^V M IlillilllU !, 'LI IM^^^^^^^ M 'i 142 EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. ' 143 nesses, and ascertain if, as reported, the Congo continued its course in a north-easterly direction above the equator. How far this programme was reahzed our narrative will show. A SUDDEN CHECK. Passing in rapid succession the little islands of Leval, Banian, and Big and Little Alobi, dotting the bay of Corisco, the canoe was making rapid progress, when a detention suddenly occurred of a character so thoroughly African as to merit detailed relation here. We must explain that Mbango was a very great trader, and, as such, the possessor of many creditors, who, like their compeers all the world over, were more ready to borrow than to pay. Now, as the little bark containing our hero and his sable attendants shot along, a large boat came slowly sailing towards it, which, when near enough for its inmates to recognize Mbango, was hurriedly put about, and paddled off, not quite quickly enough, however, for Mbango had already caught sight of an old debtor of his on board, and urging his men to put on all speed, he gave chase, shouting '* Stop ! stop ! " and threatening to fire on the fugitives if he were not obeyed. In vain ! At every shout the rowers on the larger vessel redoubled their efforts, and a few random shots from the canoe only frightened them still more. To make a long story short, the smaller and swifter vessel won the race ; it was hauled along- side the enemy ; a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued, and the debtor's party, finding they were getting the worst of it, finally sprang into the water and swam off, leaving three prisoners, one a woman, in Mbango's hands. These, he coolly informed Du Chaillu — who throughout the scufifle had gesticulated and protested unnoticed — he should retain as hostages until he got some bar-wood for which he had paid in advance. That matter settled, the canoe's head was once more turned towards the Muni ; but our hero, not quite so much accustomed to unexpected fights as his escort, was so exhausted as to be obliged to land on the island of Little Alobi, where he passed the night, and took some doses of quinine to ward off fever. A NOISY WELCOME. The next morning he was visited by several Muni men, and in the afternoon sailed with a favorable tide up the river for the village of Mbango's friend Dayoko. An uninteresting paddle of about forty miles brought our hero to Dayoko's village, a miserable collection of huts rising from a mud bank forming its chief protection from attacks from the river. The natives, roused from their " beauty sleep " by the arrival of the strangers, poured out armed with old muskets, expecting nothing less than a raid from the interior ; but recognizing the friendly Mbangos, they flung down their arms, rent the air with shouts of 144 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. welcome, and conducted them to the stranger's house, always kept empty for visitors. Presently Dayoko himself appeared, followed by his numerous wives, all eager to stare at the white man, and the tedious ceremony of a so- called "salutation," inseparable from a West African welcome, ensued, Mbango making an oration, giving a most minute account of every incident of the trip from Corisco. Not until twelve o'clock was our weary hero allowed to enjoy either supper or bed. The next morning Du Chaillu had an early interview with Dayoko — who, in spite of the wretched appearance of his village, was the oldest and most influential chief of the Mbousha tribe — and consulted with him as to the best plan for carrying out his scheme of a journey into the Fan country beyond the Sierra del Cristal. As usual, the first reply was, " Impossible ; you will die on the road ; you will be murdered by the cannibals, and eaten ; there is war on the river, and the tribes will not let you pass ; the country is sick." To all this Du Chaillu merely answered that his mind was made up ; he would go, and if not with Dayoko's people, then with some one else. HORRIBLE PRACTICES. This settled the matter ; the Mbousha chieftain promised his protec- tion, and it was arranged that after a few days' rest our hero should go on with some of his men to Mbene's village, a little further up the river, and there obtain natives for his proposed journey into the interior. The interval of waiting was employed partly in hunting and partly in examining the beautiful flora of the banks of the river, but just before leaving the village, Du Chaillu's favorable impression of his hosts received a severe shock, for, though not an eye-witness of the actual deed, he saw all the attendant horrors of the murder of a poor old negro, said to be a great wizard, and to have done much harm. In vain did the white man plead his cause with Dayoko ; he was dragged down to the river, and there literally hacked to pieces by some half- dozen of his fellow-countrymen. Dayoko's men were sent home, and Mbene, having agreed that his brother Ncomo and some of his own men should accompany the ex- plorer as far as the Fan country, Du Chaillu resigned himself to wait till the party should be collected. In the latter part of August the start was made for the Sierra del Cristal, the party this time consisting of Du Chaillu, the Ncomo already mentioned, two of Mbene's sons, named Miengai and Maginda, a young man named PouHandai, and half-a-dozen sturdy Mbondemo women to carry the baggage. A walk of a few miles brought the expedition to a table-land some six hundred feet high and three miles long, strewn with masses of quartz and granite, passing. EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 145 which another tier of hills, steeper and higher than the first, had to be climbed. The path was crooked, poorly marked, and wound about in devious courses, rendering their progress very difficult. Following his guides, who, he tells us, scudded up the rocks like mon- keys, clinging to every little foothold with their bare, supple toes, in a A CHIEF IN WAR COSTUME. manner impossible for him to imitate in his heavy shoes, Du Chaillu was about to begin the ascent of this second tier, when Miengai suddenly made him a sign to pause. He had probably caught sight of a herd of elephants or of a tiger, and cocked his gun in readiness to fire, his master following his example. Five minutes of breathless silence followed, and then a long, loud hurrah rung out, answered by shouts 10 146 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. from the rocks and trees around. What could it be ? No elephant, no tiger was ever greeted in such wise. Du Chaillu was still looking about him in wonderment, when Miengai raised the fierce war-cry of his nation and darted forward, his master close behind him. Another moment and the mystery was explained, for our hero came in sight of an encampment of Mbene's people on their way home from a trading expedition to the interior. There lay some hundred weary black men taking their ease about their fires, whilsttheir women cooked and slaved for them, and their children gathered sticks and branches. Pitching his own camp near them, Du Chaillu allowed his men to fraternize with their comrades, and did not resume his march the next morning till they had started for home ; the men carrying only their arms, the women and children staggering under the weight of the baskets of india-rubber and ivory, and constituting the beasts of burden for the journey. TROUBLE IN THE CAMP. A tramp of eighteen miles through rain and mud, and up a continuous ascent, brought our explorer late on the same day to a large Mbondemo encampment in the hills, where he made himself comfortable, and in- dulged in a good, long rest before he began the ascent of the second range of the Sierra del Cristal. Here, however, he had some little difficulty with his men, who declared they would not go a step further unless he paid them more cloth. Putting a bold face on the matter, though to have been deserted then would have been certain death, our hero went amongst the mutineers, pistol in hand, declaring that he would give them nothing more, nor would he permit them to leave him, for had not their father, Mbene, given them to him to go with him to the Fan tribe ? They must go on, or — here followed a demonstration with the pistol — there would be war to the death between them and their master. This steady demeanor had the desired effect ; the men wavered, con- sulted together, withdrew their threats and their demands, and shaking hands with Du Chaillu, promised fidelity and friendship. The ascent of the second range of the Sierra del Cristal began, and struggling up and up through a wild country, densely wooded and apparently unten- anted by a single living creature, they came about midday to the head waters of the Ntambounay, dashing down hill in the form of a mountair torrent, extending for a mile, right before the explorer, like a vast seeth- ing billowy sea. Pausing but to drink a few handfuls of the pure, clear water, Du Chaillu pressed on, and an hour's further- ascent brought him to a clearing once occupied by a Mbondemo village, on the very summit of the range, some five thousand feet above the sea-level, from which he had an uninterrupted view of the hills ascended the day before, and EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 147 tlie apparently endless virgin forests on the west, whilst far away in the east loomed the blue tops of the farthest heights of the Sierra del Cristal, reminding him that his work was as yet but begun. Roused from a dreamy reverie by the yells of his men at the dis- cover}' of a snake, which they killed and ate on the spot, Du Chaillu was seeking about the ruins of the village for something to satisfy his own hunger, when he saw the unmistakable traces of the recent passage of gorillas in patches of beaten-down, torn-up, and chewed sugar-cane. A GORILLA HUNT. Joy, he tells us, filled his heart at the sight, and, calling hi-s men together, he ordered some to remain and protect the women, and others to join him in following the tracks. Armed to the teeth, and not daring to speak, for the gorilla is keen of hearing and prompt in action, the hunters crept cautiously along, descended a hill, crossed a stream on a fallen log, forced their way through the dense bush on the other side, and were finally rewarded by the sight of four young gorillas speeding along on their hind legs, their heads down, their bodies inclined forwards, looking like haiiy men running for their lives. Fierce, discordant, half-human, half-devilish cries testified to their alarm and distress ; but though a perfect volley was fired at them, they got off unhurt, and were careful not to show themselves again. Feeling rather crestfallen at their ill success, the party returned to the camp to find large fires burning as a protection from the gorillas, and their supper ready cooked. Refreshed by a night's rest, they made another expedition with no better results the next day, and then, pro- visions being exhausted, they were compelled to resume their march, a heavy day's tramp along a mere elephant track bringing them to a deserted village, where they were presently joined by some Mbichos from a neighboring settlement, who had never before seen a white man, and expressed the greatest astonishment at Du Chaillu's appearance. Plantains were the only food they could spare for their famishing guests, but the next day our hero's old friend Mbene arrived, who at once set off to a Fan village near to obtain provisions. A STARTLING MEETING. Unable to bear the pangs of hunger until Mbene's return, Du Chaillu took his gun and started to meet him, hoping to be able to shoot some- thing on the way. Giving chase to a monkey, which dodged him whenever he took aim, he became separated from his escort, and came suddenly face to face with a Fan warrior and two Fan women, his wives. Startled at this unexpected apparition, our hero was about to beat a retreat, when it dawned upon him that the blacks were as much alarmed as himself, and it subsequently transpired that they took him for a 148 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. spirit fresh from the sky. SmiHng and looking as pleasant as he could, he advanced close to the sable warrior, who seemed ready to sink into the ground with fright, and at this juncture the Mbondemo people came up, mutual explanations ensued, Du Chaillu gave the women some strings of white beads, and the Fan trio went off highly delighted. These, the first acquaintances made by a European in Fan country, were tall, strong, active-looking people, with skins rather less dark than those of their sea-coast neighbors, woolly hair drawn out into long thick plaits, high cheek bones, prominent lips, and large black deep-set eyes. They wore the minimum of clothing — nothing more, in fact, than a piece of the soft inside bark of a tree covered with the skin of a wild cat or tiger, and hung round the waist. ASTONISHMENT AT A WHITE MAN. The news of the arrival of a white man soon spread through the neighborhood, and Du Chaillu was presently mobbed by a crowd of men and women, who touched everything he had on, and were especially astonished at the appearance of his feet, taking his thick boots for a new variety of limb. Being anxious to impress his admirers with his power as well as his beauty, and knowing only too well that their enthusiasm would not prevent his being killed and eaten should oppor- tunity offer — for the Fans are undoubtedly cannibals — Du Chaillu shot two swallows on the wing in their presence, a feat which they thought more wonderful than anything else. At four o'clock, much to the weary explorer's delight, he was at last left alone, his visitors promising to send him plenty of fowls on the morrow. This they did, and, the claims of exhausted nature being at last satisfied, our hero lost no time in beginning the gorilla-hunting, which was one of the secondary objects of his journey. SHOOTING A GORILLA. The first day one female only was wounded, and escaped, but the next, after pushing through a dense and all but impenetrable forest, the very home of a huge male was reached, and Du Chaillu found himself for the first time face to face with what he calls the " king of the African forest." Rising to his full height, nearly six feet, he glared upon the intruders with his large deep gray eyes, beating his fists upon his breasts, and barking like an angry dog. Motionless stood Du Chaillu, his gun pointed at the enemy's heart ; motionless stood the Mbondemo warriors, a little further back, awaiting the onslaught which they knew would not long be delayed. Then, as the great beast dashed forward, with eyes flashing fire, to stop within six yards of his adver- saries and utter a fearful roar of defiance, the word to fire was given, and with an almost human moan he fell forward on his face — dead ! A EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 149 few days after this successful hunt our hero moved on, by invitation, to a Fan village, and on his very first entrance saw unmistakable evidence of the existence of cannibalism in the human remains lying outside the houses, and a human thigh carried by a woman as indifferently as any poor person in our own country would take home the meat purchased at a butcher's. THE KING OF THE CANNIBALS. Arrived at the palaver-house, Du Chaillu had to wait a little time for an audience with the cannibal king, his majesty being engaged in superintending the division of a human body ; and when his host did arrive, escorted by a tumultuous crowd of warriors, he turned out to be a savage, ferocious-looking fellow, naked except for the small waist garment mentioned above, but tattooed with all manner of weird and fantastic designs. With Mbene as interpreter, Du Chaillu had a short and not very interesting talk with the king, who seemed rather afraid of him, and sent his queen to get a lodging ready for him with rather more alacrity than politeness. Only too glad to get away, the white man was soon ensconced in a small bark house with a roof of palm- leaf matting, and containing as a bed a rough bamboo frame, sleeping on which left him bruised and aching all over. The next morning, the first sight which met his eyes on opening the door of his hut was a pile of human ribs, leg and arm bones, and on taking a short stroll, fresh evidences of cannibalism stared him in the face at every turn. In spite of all these horrors, however, and the full conviction that he might any day himself fall a victim to the man-eating propensities of his hosts, the intrepid traveler remained some weeks in the village, joining in a grand elephant-hunt, witnessing a Fan wedding, and paying a visit to the neighboring Osheba tribe, greatly resembling the Fans, by whom he was very courteously received. He even contemplated penetrating further to the east, but he frankly owns that he was deterred by the stories, only too likely to be true, which he heard on every side of the bloodthirsty character of the cannibal tribes through which he would have to pass alone, Mbene being unable to accompany him further. He therefore determined to make at once for the coast, intending to go from there across country to Sangatanga, the head- quarters of the Oroungou tribe. After a somewhat tempestuous voyage down the coast, our hero ar- rived at the mouth of the Fernand Vaz, the largest river of the Ogobai delta, and landing at a village in the dominions of King Ranpano, after that potentate and a neighboring chief had almost gone to war for the honor of entertaining him, he gave out that he had come to trade, and had a house built on a beautiful situation a little apart from the native 150 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. huts. In April he took possession of his new home, to which he gave the name of Washington, and with an escort of Cammamen, whom he had bound to his service by judicious bribery, he started up the river Fcrnand Vaz in a fine canoe, for which he had paid some thirty dollars' worth of goods. Passing between dense tropical forests, tenanted by numerous monkeys with white whiskers, and amongst huge hippopotami, the party came in a couple of days to the important Camma village, Aniambia, the river running in the earlier part of its course parallel with the sea. STRANGE ANTICS OF MONKEYS. One could scarcely help laughing aloud at the odd manner in which the monkeys made their way among the branches, now swinging down by their tails, now catching another branch, and hanging on by their arms. .They were extraordinarily thin creatures, with long arms and legs, and still longer tails. Those tails of theirs were never quiet, but kept whisking about in all directions. They caught hold of the branches with them, and then hung by them with their heads downwards, an in- stant afterwards to spring up again. Presently they came close to the water, when one of them caught hold of a branch with his fore-hands and tail, another jumped down and curled his tail round the body of the first. A third descended and slung himself in a similar manner. A fourth and fifth followed, and so on ; and there they hung, a regular monkey chain. Immediately the lowest, who hung with his head down- wards, gave a shoxe with his fore- paws, and set the chain swinging, slowly at first but increasing in rapidity, backwards and forwards over the water. The swinging increased in violence, till the lowest monkey got his paws round the slender trunk of a tree on the opposite side. Immediately he drew his companions after him, till the next above him was within reach of it. That one caught the tree in the same way, and they then dragged up their end of the chain till it hung almost hori- zontally across the water. A living bridge having thus been formed, the remainder of the troop, chiefly consisting of young monkc}-s who had been amusing themselves meantime frisking about in the branches, ran over. Two or three of the mischievous )oungsters took the opjjor- tunity of giving a sly pinch to their elders, utterly unable just then to retaliate ; though it was evident, from the comical glances which the latter cast at them, that the inflictors of the pinches were not unnoticed. One, who had been trying to catch some fisli apparently during the in- terval, was nearly too late to cross. The first two who had got across now climbed still further up the trunk ; and when they had got to some distance, the much-enduring monkey, who had been holding the weight of all the others, let go his hold, and now becoming the lowest in the EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 151 chain, swung towards the bank. As soon as he and his companions reached it, they caught hold of the trunk either with their hands or tails. The whole troop thus got safely across, having effected the transit by their wits and extraordinary agility. On his return to Washington Du Chaillu found, to his great delight, that a )^oung gorilla had been taken alive by his men, a little fellow of between two and three years old, two feet six inches in height. Hoping to be able to tame him, his master named him Joe, and shut him up in CURIOUS MONKEY BRIDGE. ■a. strong bamboo hut built expressly for him, but the poor captive, un- able to reconcile himself to his confinement, managed to force aside the stakes of his prison, and was found concealed under Du Chaillu's bed. A terrible scene ensued, the frightened beast being ready to tear to pieces every one who approached, but he was at last secured, and once more shut up, only to escape again, just as his master thought he was winning his affections by unwearying attentions. A third time he was secured, a light chain being now fastened to his neck ; but this last in- dignity was too much for him, and he died miserably ten days afterwards. 152 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Poor Joe Gorilla being dead, Du Chaillu again started on his explora- tions. Soon after this he narrowly escaped death from poison adminis- tered by his cook, a native of Sangatanga, who was condemned to death for this offense by Ranpano, but begged off by Du Chaillu, who got his sentence commuted into the infliction of one hundred and ten lashes with a whip of hippopotami-hide. These were given with a severity appropriate to the serious nature of the offense. TERRIBLE COMBAT WITH THE KING OP' THE FOREST. His health restored after all his sufferings, our hero started on a trip up the Rembo, a large river joining the Fernand Vaz, near its mouth, to pay a visit to King Quengueza of Goumbi, an important village some hundred miles from the sea-coast, and from thence he made his way in an easterly direction from one village to another to the Balakai country — inhabited by roving negro tribes, who lead a simple life, possessing no property but their wives and slaves, and showiitg marvelous courage in hunting the gorilla — which he scoured again and again on many an exciting expedition, including one in which a poor native was fatally injured. The actual conflict was not witnessed by Du Chaillu, but he came up with the victim just before his death, and the man related how he had suddenly come face to face with a huge male gorilla, who made. no attempt to escape, and seemed very savage. He fired at a distance of about eight yards, but the ball only wounded the animal's side, and, roaring with rage, he began beating his breasts, and dashed upon his victim, knocking his gun out of his hand, and striking him a fearful blow with his open paw, which felled him to the ground. The gorilla then seized the gun, wrenched it out of all shape, and made off, leaving the native to die. The poor fellow lingered on for some days in great agony, and then expired. In another .struggle with the fierce king of the forest, the man turned out to be the victor, his loaded gun going off in the gorilla's face before it could be rendered useless. During a short necessary halt made at Goumbi, our hero was witness of a terrible execution, proving how savage were the hearts of the natives, in spite of their unfailing courtesy and kindness towards himself An old friend of his, a sturdy young native named Mpomo, had been taken ill during his absence, and died the day after his return. Du Chaillu hastened at once to his house, to find his wives sitting weeping on the ground, throwing a.shes and dust over their bodies, shaving their heads, and tearing their clothes. Their grief was evidently real, but the day after the funeral our hero's feelings of pity for the mourners were changed into indignation at the scenes which ensued. The natives, unable to believe that any but the old could die from natural causes, sent for a great doctor from a distance to discover who EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBkATED TRAVELERS. 153 had bewitched Mponio, and caused his death. Two days of frantic excitement were succeeded by the assembly of all the inhabitants of the village in the market-place to witness the doctor's final incantations for disclosing the names of the sorcerers. Every man and boy was ENCOUNTER WITH A GORILLA. armed with spears, swords, guns, or axes, and on every face was written the lust for blood. In vain did Du Chaillu, who had hitherto generally been able to obtain a hearing, lift up his voice in favor of mercy ; permis- sion to kill the witches had already been obtained from King Qucngueza^ and the white man's protests were only laughed at. 154 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Determined to see the end. no matter how awful that sight might be, Du ChaiUu drew back amongst the gesticulating crowds, and, silence being with great difficulty enforced, he heard the doctor say : " There is a very black woman, who lives in a house " (here followed its descrip- tion) ; "she bewitched Mpomo." The words had scarcely left his lips when the armed natives, leaping and yelling, rushed to the place indi- cated, and brought back a poor girl named Okandaga, sister of a guide who had faithfully served Du Chaillu. Bound with cords, and with spears waving above her head, she was swept down to the river side, catching sight, as she passed, of our hero looking on with horror-struck dismay. " Chally, Chally!" she cried, " do not let me die ! " and for a moment the white man thus appealed to was tempted to rush in amongst her murderers and try to rescue her. But it would have been useless, and. turning away, he owns he shed bitter tears at his own helplessness. Okandaga gone, the people waited in eager silence for the name of the next victim, and soon a harsh voice again rang out, shouting : " There is an old woman in a house ; she also bewitched Mpomo." This time a niece of King Quengueza was seized, a fine, noble-looking crea- ture, who met her accusers with quiet dignity, motioning to them to keep their hands off, and saying : " I will drink the mboundou, but woe to my accusers if I do not die." Then she too was taken down to the river, but unbound. A third time silence fell upon the multitude, and a third time the doctor's voice proclaimed the name of a sorceress, .singling out a woman with six children, one of Quengueza's slaves. DRINKING THE FATAL CUP. The unhappy trio now awaited their doom upon the river bank, and the doctor having recited their crimes, calling upon the people to curse them, they were put into a canoe with the executioners, the doctor, and some others, all armed. The tom-toms or native drums were then beaten, and the mboundou was prepared. The cup was held by Quabi, Mpomo's eldest brother, and at sight of it Okandaga wept, and even Quengueza's niece grew pale. First the old slave woman, then the royal lady, and lastly Okandaga drank, the people .shouting : " If they are witches, let the mboundou kill them ; if they are innocent, let the mboundou go out." A few moments of expectant silence ensued, and then the slave fell down. Before life was extinct the executioners fell upon her, and hacked off her head. Next came Quengueza's niece, and lastly Okandaga, their blood dyeing the waters of the river for some distance. The awful tragedy was terminated by the cutting up of the bodies into small pieces and strewing them on the river. In the evening the guide Adouma, brother of the hapless Okandaga, EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 155 came to Du Chaillu, and poured out all his grief and horror. He had been obliged to take part in the awful scene, to curse his sister himself, or he would have had to share her fate, and now his heart misgave him. Our hero did his best to comfort him, telling him of the true God to whom Okandaga's spirit was gone, and the poor fellow said at last, " Oh, Chally ! when you go back to your far country, let them send men to us poor people to teach us from that which you call God's mouth " (the Bible). The man was a savage in name, yet not in heart. AN OFFER OF A FAT NATIVE FOR SUPPER. A tramp across a swamp, a perilous climb along a rope bridge over the roaring Ovigni River, brought our hero into a rugged and mount- ainous country, covered with dense forests, haunted by gorillas, whose fearful roars, to which the explorer tells us he never became accustomed, alone broke the awful stillness. Beyond that again came a high table- land, forming the entry to the Alpine-like range running eastwards for a distance not yet determined from the Balakai country ; and in December, as the party were passing through a dense wood, they suddenly arrived at the encampment of Remandjii, the king of the Apingi tribe, a fine- looking old negro, who immediately began to skip and jump in a very undignified manner, crying, " The spirit has come to see me ! the spirit has come to see me ! " When his majesty's excitement subsided a little, Du Chaillu asked him to direct him to the next village, and, following the instructions obtained, with some difficulty he came to a magnificent stream called the Rembo Apingi, some three hundred and fifty yards wide. Rafts and canoes were at once put off from the opposite side, and he was triumphantly escorted by Apingi boatmen to their principal town, where a hut was immediately assigned to him. Here he was soon visited by Remandjii and the chiefs from the neighboring villages, who astonished him by presenting him with a slave, bound, ready for execu- tion, with the words : " Be glad, O spirit! and eat of the things we give thee!" "Kill him for your evening meal." added Remandjii; "he is tender and fat, and you must be hungry." This was the fare offered. Shaking his head and spitting on the ground to show his disgust, Du Chaillu made his host understand that he could not oblige him in this particular, and with some reluctance the white visitor's prejudices were humored. He was allowed to sup off fowls and plantains, Remandjii tasting everything first lest it should have been poisoned. Du Chaillu describes the Apingi as a savage looking, yellowish-black race, with the usual woolly hair, broad nostrils, and thick lips, and much the same superstitions respecting death and witchcraft, as their neighbors of Ashira Land. After he had been amongst them but a few 156 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. days, and had excited much wonder by his powers of writing, he was- surprised at being urged by thirty of the great chiefs, with Remandjii at their head, to be their king. " Spirit, you are our king," said their spokesman. " You have come to our country to do us good. You can do everything. Now make us a pile of beads as high as the highest tree in the village, that we and our women and children may go and take as much as we wish." They ascribed to him supernatural powers. DU CHAILLU MADE KING. His refusal to accomplish this impossible feat was considered unkind, but he could not convince them of his powerlessness, and was formally invested by Remandjii, in the presence of an immense crowd, with the insignia of royalty, and from that time till his return home he was treated with all, and more than all, the honor due to a native potentate. But not even this distinction could reconcile him to a further protracted exile. He made, it is true, another unsuccessful attempt to reach the Falls of Samba Nagoshi, but on the very eve of a trip into Ashango Land, an attack of fever so completely prostrated him, that he resolved, as soon as he could walk, to return to Europe. Of the journey back to Remandjii's he retained but a faint remem- brance, and, arrived there, he lost no time in explaining that he must resign his royal dignity, and go. "We are sorry," said his subjects; " but as it is the will of the spirit, we must submit. Wait, however, that we may get him food, that he may not be hungry by the way." Plantains and fowls were then brought to him ; he was requested to keep his kondo, or insignia of royalty, that he might be master again when he came back, and bidding his simple friends farewell, he started for the coast, arriving in the Gaboon early in June. On the publication of Du Chaillu's account of his experiences in this eventful journey, a perfect storm of accusation arose against him. His visit toAshira Land and discovery of the Ngouyai River were spoken of as pure inventions, and his descriptions of the gorilla, and the nest- building ape, were laughed at as widely exaggerated. In 1 862, however, a French Government expedition ascended the Ogobai for some distance, confirming in the main all their great predecessor's state- ments, converting his adverse critics into admiring friends, and encouraging him to undertake a new journey in 1863-65, in which he penetrated still further into the interior than before, and fixed with scientific accuracy the geographical position of places discovered in his former explorations. He tells us that he also cherished a secret hope, unfortunately not realized, of reaching in the far interior some unknown western tributary of the Nile, and to descend by it to the great river^ and thence to the Mediterranean. EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 157 Following out his determination to add to his previous discoveries, on this new journey Du Chaillu arrived off the Camma coast in October, 1H63, and two days later in the same month at the mouth of the Fernand Vaz. Two canoes were put off from shore as soon as his vessel was sighted, m one of which he recognized an old negio friend. REMARKABLE FOREST GROWTHS IN AFRICA. who exclaimed on seeing him : "Are you Chally, or are you his spirit ? Have you come from the dead ? Tell me quick, for I don't know whether I am to believe my own eyes ; perhaps I am getting a kende '" ,(fool). Assured of Du Chaillu's identity, the warm-hearted native 158 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. flung his arms round his neck and hugged him in a transport oi joy ; and as soon as this rather too warm greeting was over, came a nephew of our old acquaintance, Chief Ranpano, whose enthusiasm at the white man's return was equally great. After a somewhat perilous paddle from his vessel to the shore in one of the frail canoes, Du Chaillu landed amongst a crowd of gesticulating and yelling natives, frantic with joy at his return, and was escorted up the river to his old home of Washington, which lie found in ruins, a few loose bamboos and rotting poles alone remaining. Having determined to fix his new quarters about two miles above the site of Washington, our hero returned to the schooner to superintend the disembarkation of his outfit and goods, hoping almost immediately to begin his explorations. But, alas ! the canoe in which he and the captain of the schooner embarked with all the valuable scientific instru- ments was upset, and though, thanks to the eager devotion of the na- tives, the two white men escaped with their lives, all the instru- ments which were recovered were rendered useless by the salt water. There was nothing to do but to wait until others could be obtained from England. In November- a young male chimpanzee about three years old was brought to him by a negro, who had caught him. The little fellow, whom Du Chaillu christened Thomas, proved tractable though mischievous, and was sent to England. He lived for some years in the Crystal Palace, but perished In the great fire of 1867. GORILL.\S ON THE RUN. On this journey Du Chaillu's main object in passing through Ashira Land was to visit the Falls of Samba Nagoshi, which he had already made two abortive attempts to reach, and well provided by Olenda with guides and porters, he started on this interesting excursion in Decem- ber. Following a north-easterly direction, he quickly reached the Ovigni River, and crossing it with great difficulty by means of a single tree-trunk thrown carelessly over its foaming waters, he began a weary march along the western foot of the hilly range shutting in Ashira Land, through an almost impenetrable forest, to the Opangano prairie, a little beyond which he came to the first Bakalai village. Passing through its single street, with a gate at each end and houses with no doors in the outer walls, our hero passed on in a north-easterly direction till he came to the wild Lambcngue prairie, succeeded by a dense forest, where, marching somewhat in advance of his party, he surprised a group of some ten gorillas in a single tree. With nothing in his hand but a walking-stick, and feeling discretion to be the better part of valor, our hero was about to beat a retreat, when his men coming up altered the aspect of affairs ; the gorillas, who were hurrying down to the attack of EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 159 a single enemy, uttered wild cries of fright, and disappeared in the thick jungle. The negroes ru.shed after them with their guns, but were un- able even to bring down one, ov\ing to the bad markmanship of the natives, and great agility on the part of the gorillas. The first white man to visit the country between- Ashira Land and the mountains inhabited by different A\iia Iriljcs, Du Chaillu's approach caused the immedi- ate evacuation ot every village, and only with great diffi- culty were the in- habitants coaxed back to their homes and induced to sup- ply their visitors with food. Ever\'- where famine had been doing its ghast- ly work, and in one miserable hut our hero was shocked to see an old woman, a mere skeleton, left to die alone. She was infirm and use- less ; why should any of the small store of food left be given to her ? urged the men to whom he expressed his horror. In December, finding the river n(- longer navigable, Du Chaillu started on foot for the falls with A strange Combat. an Aviia guide, and after an exciting march through dense jungle^ across small tributaries of the Ngouyai, some so deep as to involve swimming, he came at last in view of the object of his journey. The stream, he tells us, just above the falls is one hundred and fifty yards wide, but a rocky island in the middle, covered with trees, divides the 160 ■ WONDERS OF EXP1.0RATI0N AND ADVENTURE. water in two unequal parts, only one of which can be seen at a time. The right hand fall, some seventy yards wide, rushes down a steep incline in immense volume, but the left is comparatively insignificant. The right, on the whole, though grand and wild, was not in fact so impressive as our hero had expected, and he found the less important rapids lower down more beautiful. Still he had achieved the object of his journey. A singular combat he witnessed in the depths of the forest between two huge boas, probably of different species. One lay coiled on the ground, the other had taken post on the branch of a tree. It ended by the former seizing the head of its opponent with its wide open jaws, sucking in a part of its huge body, gradually unwinding it from the tree. It had attempted, however, a dangerous operation. Suddenly down came the tail, throwing its coils round the victor, and the two monsters lay twisting and writhing in the most terrific manner, till both were dead. A PLAGUE AMONG THE NATIVES. Eager now to pursue his course eastwards, Du Chaillu lost not one moment in pressing forward his preparations, but before he was able to start a terrible calamity overtook Ashira Land, involving not only serious delay, but personal danger to the explorer. This was the breaking out of small-pox, a disease never before known among the natives. Elanga, one of Olenda's nephews, was the first to fall a victim, and being in Du Chaillu 's service, suspicions of witchcraft having been exercised by the white man were at once aroused. A few da)'s later, two other cases occurred, also amongst our hero's .servants, and when he separated the survivors from those whom he thought infected, giving them strict orders to keep away from the places where the disease had broken out, public opinion ran high against him. He was boldly accused of having introduced the plague, of having brought death instead of the promised good to the people, of having killed Remandjii, who had died since his last visit to Apingi Land. But for Quengueza's and Olenda's faithfulness, thmgs might have gone badly with Du Chaillu, for a word from cither of them would have fanned the smouldering fire into a flame, and another fearful execution would have taken place, with the once-beloved " spirit " as the central figure. Fortunately, Quengueza became very angry at the suspicions of " his white man," asking the people whether he, the king, who held the passage of the Rembo, had come with him into the bush amongst these pigs of Ashira to be cursed ? This protest was seconded by Olenda, who Jield his royal guest in great respect, and sent round at his sugges- tion to the neighboring villages to try and collect porters and guides. Du Chaillu, after many difficulties from the dishonesty of his Ashira EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 161 porters, arrived in safety at Mayolo, an important village of Otando Land, early in April, but he had not long been there when the chief was taken ill. This was embarrassing, for, should he die, further pro- gress would be impossible, as the negroes would certainly have driven away the man at whose coming their head men were thus stricken down. To add to the visitor's troubles, a conflagration of the prairie round the village took place immediately afterwards, but the fire was checked in time to save his goods, and Mayolo recovered, not, however, without suspicion of witchcraft again fallen on the " spirit." A grand palaver was held, in which Du Chaillu was put on his trial, and, thanks to the friendship of Mayolo, came off with glowing colors, the chief winding up a long oration by shouting, with repeated blows on his chest to give force to his words : " Here I am alive ; they said I should die because the spirit had come, but here I am." This quieted suspicion. FOES LN THE PATH. At Dilolo, a very dubious reception was given to the travelers. The entrance to the village was barricaded and guarded by all the fighting men, armed with spears, bows, arrows, and sabres, who cursed the Oguizi carrying with him the plague into their country, and declining to give him permission to enter. Anxious to avoid an encounter, the travelers turned off into a path leading round the village, but they were met by a fresh body of natives, \\'ho drew their bows, ready to fire. The Cammi men, who from the first had behaved with admirable pluck, gathered round their master, and the lad Rapelina pointed his gun in the face of one sturdy fellow, telling him he would be a dead man if he let fly his arrow. This demonstration was immediately effective, the Ishogo warriors drew back, yelling and gesticulating, and the little caravan passed unmolested. Similar difficulties occurred in the more easterly villages, and as the party penetrated further and further into the unexplored interior, the people became more suspicious and traveling more arduous. One range of mountains succeeded another, one village after another sent out its crowd of Aponos or Ishogos to stare at and interrogate the white man, but his guides remained faithful, and his own courage never failed. Ishogo Land, with its well-watered prairies and densely-wooded hills, its well-built towns and sturdy inhabitants, was traversed in safety, and the end of June found our hero entering Ashango Land, the most easterly province explored, where he made acquaintance with the curious dwarf tribe known as Obongos, living in low oval diminutive huts, and keeping themselves apart from all intercourse with their fel- low-countrymen, the true Ashangos, a race differing in language, but in little else, from their neighbors the Ishogo. 11 162 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. An unfortunate accident alone prevented Du Chaillu from realizing his dream of returning home by way of Abyssinia and Egypt, and for the time being placed his expedition in jeopardy. He had penetrated as far as the east of Ashango Land, he had quelled a dangerous mutiny amongst his porters, he had overcome the reluct- ance of the natives to allow him to proceed, and persuaded them that he meant no harm to anyone, when his man Igala accidentally let off his gun and killed an Ashango. The effect was electric and instanta- neous. The war drums began to beat, and the chief shouted indignantly, "You say you do not come here to do us harm, and do not kill people; is not this the dead body of a man ? " SUDDENLY ATTACKED BY A SHOWER OF ARROWS. No more hope now of further progress, scarcely any of escape with life. Knowing that hundreds of natives armed with spears and pois- oned arrows would be upon him in a few minutes, Du Chaillu called his men hastily together, loaded them with his most valuable posses- sions, and with the words, " Now, boys, keep together ; do not be afraid; let us try our best, and we may reach the sea in safety," he prepared to sound the retreat should the worst come to the worst. For one moment there seemed to be a chance of peace. Igala had explained that the man had been killed by accident, and that his master would pay the value of twenty men in goods. The war drums ceased to beat. A headman cried, "A palav^er, a palaver ! " but before Du Chaillu had time to hope, a woman came rushing out of a hut declaring that her husband also had been killed by the fatal bullet, which, after passing through the head of the negro, had pierced the thin wall of her hut. It was too true ! A general shout of war was raised, and every war- rior rushed for his weapon. The order was given for retreat, and away went the little band — first Igala, then his Cammi comrades, then Du Chaillu himself Not a moment too soon ! Showers of arrows were discharged even before they left the village. Makondai and Rebouka were all but transfixed by spears, Igala was hit in the leg, and Du Chaillu on the hand. But on, on they sped, their blood dyeing the path behind them, and closer and closer came the pursuers. • One load after another was flung down, one man after another staggered as some well-aimed missile quivered in his flesh. A second arrow struck Du Chaillu in the side, causing exquisite agony, but at last a little stream near the village of Mobana was crossed, and the fugitives managed to elude the enemy by striking into a secluded forest path. One negro alone was left behind, but as his comrades were resting for a few moments and trying to stanch the blood from their wounds, he came up unhurt, with the good news that the natives had determined to fol- EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS 163 low no longer — so many of their men had fallen already, " they should all be killed one by one if they went on." Cheered by this good news the fugitives pressed on, and after many a narrow escape they got back to Ishogo Land, where they were eagerly welcomed and entertained by friends made on the journey up. Mayolo could scarcely believe his ears when he heard of the flight with- out the loss of a single man from the poisoned arrows and spears of the dreaded Ashangos, and the remainder of our hero's progress to the coast was one long triumph. Avoiding Olenda, where he had suffered so terribly, he made his way across country to Goumbi, and thence to his own little settlement on the Fernand Vaz, arriving there in 1865. Here he took a most touching farewell of the faithful Cammi with whom he had seen and suffered so much, and six days later set sail for Europe, having considerably supplemented the geographical and eth- nological discoveries of his previous journey by his researches in Ishogo and Ashango Land, escaping as many if not more perils than any other hero of African exploration, either north or south, in that dark countiy. CAPTAINS BURTON AND SPEKE. The cause of geographical research owes much to Baker, who pur- sued his travels in Africa with the energy of an enthusiast, and even more, perhaps, to Burton, Speke and Grant, all of whom have made rich contributions to our knowledge of the tropics, and have rendered themselves famous by their successful explorations. Burton and Speke were companion discoverers, and, for a time, fellow travelers. The end of May, 1857, found all ready for their great expedition to the west, and early in June they left Zanzibar to land on the opposite coast at Kaole. The party consisted of Burton and Speke, the Sheikh Said, who acted as leader of the caravan ; two half-caste boys from Goa, a couple of negro gun carriers, and eight men as general helpers and protectors, all of whom would be needed in the journey. Towards the close of August the east coast range of mountains was approached, and the spirits of the explorers rose, only to sink again as they passed the skeletons of native porters, who had fallen here and there upon the road in former expeditions. Some of their own men from Zungomero died, but they themselves escaped, though Burton's sufferings were very great. In the actual transit of the mountains several men struck for food, as they were disappointed at the goats being spared for future contingencies when they were hungry, a diffi- culty which Speke settled by ordering a march, and going on without the malcontents, who had relied on his finding them indispensable. Not approving of being left behind to shift for themselves, they sulkily followed the caravan, and on their voluntarily aiding Burton, who fell 164 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. down by the wayside in a paroxysm of fever, they were forgiven, and allowed to march on with their comrades. This incident produced a good result, and pressing on with fresh courage, in spite of Burton's terrible condition of health, they came to a village in the mountains, where they hoped to obtain provisions and help. But alas ! on enter- ing it they found it deserted, and the huts burned down. It had evi- dently quite recently been the scene of an outrage by slave-traders, but our heroes' men were so little touched by what they saw that they spent the night in singing, dancing, and ransacking the ruins. At Rumuma, a well-known resting-place for caravans, plenty of pro- visions were obtained. Before ascending the so-called Windy Pass, a long halt was made in a cheerful ravine. When they were about half-way up, and the animals were stumbling at every step, scarcely able to proceed, the native war-cry suddenly rang out, and from every hill-top near poured down archers and spearmen on their way to the villages below. The presence of the white man's carav^an had pro- tected the inhabitants for a time, but now it was leaving, and a fora- ging raid was at once sent down, yet no attempt was made to stop the explorers, nor to inflict upon them any bodily injury. A WHOLESALE ROBBERY. Cheered by the hope of crossing the intervening plateau of Ugogo and reaching Kazeh, the great emporium of Arab traffic in the lake regions, without much further difficulty. Burton and Speke pressed on, but their troubles were not yet over. The mountains, it is true, were left behind, and there were no more war parties to be encountered, but at every village the unfortunate travelers were delayed to be plundered by chief and people, force being used if the exorbitant tribiite de- manded was not readily paid. This state of things reached its climax at a place called N'yika, or the wilderness, the home of the most powerful chief of the Ugogo, who kept our heroes prisoners for five days, but finally let them go on payment of a smaller sum than that originally demanded. Beyond Ugogo, the last and most interesting stage of this important journey began, for the now famous Land of the Moon was entered, the Garden of Central Intertropical Africa, consisting of a hilly table-land, including in its breadth one hundred and fifty-five geographical miles. Bounded on the north by the Nyanza Lake, afterwards discovered by Speke, and on the west by Lake Tanganyika, it has now been traversed from end to end by modern explorers, and the origin of its name and its former history have alike been eagerly studied and discussed. It is enough for us to state that there is evidence of its having once existed as a great empire, and that its general character is rolling ground, inter- EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 165 sected with low and conical hills, whose lines ramify in every direction. The reclaimed tracts and clearings are divided from one another by strips of primeval jungle varying from two to twelve miles in length, and. as in so many parts of East Africa, the country is dotted with fairy mounts, dwarf mounds, the ancient sites of trees now crumbled to dust, and the debris of insect architecture. Villages rise at intervals above their impervious walls of milk-bush, with its coral-shaped arms, and in rich pasture-lands graze extensive herds of plump high-humped cattle. Lions, leopards, and wild cats still haunt the forests ; the giraffe, the rhinoceros, the Cape buffalo, the zebra, and the koodoo roam the plains ; and hippopotami and crocodiles abound in every large pool. HUNTER PURSUING A GIRAFFE. The giraffe is one of the curiosities of the animal kingdom. In nearly every part of Africa it is found, is wild in its natural state, yet easily be- comes domesticated, and in captivity is extremely gentle, becoming strongly attached to those who treat it with kindness. It sometimes grows to such a height that its head is sixteen or seventeen feet from the ground. Formerly it was supposed that its fore-legs were longer than those behind, but actual measurement shows them to be an inch shorter. Its eyes are very beautiful, large, and brilliant, and its skin is finely marked with dark brown spots surrounded by a narrow white strip. It feeds upon grass and the leaves and tender branches of trees, and when startled by the hunter darts away with a speed nearly equal to that of the swiftest horse. 166 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. The two chief races inhabiting this favored district are the Wakimbu and the Wanyamwezi, the former an immigrant tribe from the south, the latter the original proprietors of the soil, and a typical race of this part of Africa, its industry and commercial activity having given it a superiority over kindred tribes. Tall and stout, with a dark sepia com- plexion and crisp curly hair, but with features less strongly marked than is usual with negroes, the Wanyamwezi distinguish themselves from other clans by removing the eyelashes, enlarging the lobe of the ear, and branding a double line of little cuts from the eyes to the middle of tne cheek. Sometimes a third line or band of three small lines is drawn from the forehead to the bridge of the nose. The women extract the lower central teeth, and the men chip away the inner corners of the front upper incisors. The long tobe or loose mantle is the favorite garment of both sexes, and beads and copper ornaments are worn in profusion. AN ECCENTRIC QUEEN. Leaving Unyanyembe in July, Speke crossed a broad valley with a gentle declination, full of tall and slender forest trees, and lined on either side by low hills, and entered the Unyambewa district, ruled over by a sultana named Ungugu, on whom every traveler was obliged to call, but who, as usual with African potentates, detained our hero several days before she granted him an interview. A messenger came to fetch the white man to the royal abode, and he was conducted to a palisaded house set down in a wave-like valley, one of many undulations charac- teristic of Unyambewa. Arrived in a yard full of cows, serving as an ante-room, a number of negroes welcomed him with a salute of drum- beating, and in ten minutes a body of slaves came rushing in and hastily desired him to follow them. Obeying orders, as in duty bound, Speke and his servants were led down one passage and up another into the centre of the sultana's estab- lishment, a small court full of mushroom huts. Seated on a wooden stool set upon an outspread ox-hide, and with his suite squatting round him on the floor, the white man now awaited the arrival of his hostess, who, however, sent her "lady's-maid" first, just to make sure of the harmlessness of the visitor. Being very hungry, Speke's first request was for food, and this the "lady's-maid," an ugly, dirty, but kindly ne- gress, at once supplied. Then, having watched the eggs and milk pro- vided disappear with extraordinary rapidity, and convinced that the white man would not hurt her mistress, the maid disappeared, to return almost immediately and usher in her mistress.- The sultana wms a .stumpy old dame, with a short, squat, flabby nose, and an everlasting smile, dressed in a dirty Arab costume, with a pro- fusion of brass, horn, and ivory ornaments. Squatting by Speke's side^ EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 167 she first shook hands, and then felt her visitor's boots, trousers, coat, and waistcoat all over. What a beautiful coat he wore, to be sure — could he not give it to her? No. What nice soft fingers and hands he had — they were like a child's, and what hair — like a lion's mane. Where was this wonderful hero going? "To the lake, to barter his cloth for large hippopotami teeth," answered a dozen voices ; and, sat- isfied with this reply, her highness took her leave, followed by Speke's slave laden with the inevitable present, and charged to obtain permis- sion for his master to depart. Of course the present was voted poor, and not what the sultana would have expected from so distinguished a guest. She herself w^ould give him a bullock, but that bullock was out grazing, it could not at once be caught ; Speke must wait. The old story told in so many different ways on every journey in Africa — the explorer must never be in a hurry. Only after much persuasion would the sultana allow our hero to proceed without the bullock, which he did not want, and when he at last got away, he had to leave three porters behind him to drive the animal after him. THE LONG-SOUGHT SOURCE OF THE NILE. Speke at last discovered a sheet of water on the left, which ultimately turned out to be a creek, and the most southern point of the Nyanza. Crossing a grassy and jungly depression, he arrived at a deep, dirty watercourse, the fording of which delayed him several hours, and follow- ing its right bank the whole of the next day, he came to another and yet another jungle, ever, as he knew, close to the lake, but still unable to see it, until at last he ascended a long but gradually inclined hill, from the summit of which the vast expanse of the pale blue waters of the Nyanza burst suddenly upon his gaze. Thus took place the dis- covery of the second of the great Central African lakes, and, convinced that he had found the true and long-sought source of the Nile. Speke at once conceived the idea of undertaking a new expedition which should place the fact beyond a doubt. In this he was accompanied by Grant, his old friend and brother sportsman in India. FATTENING WIVES. Speke remained in Karagwe for a month, but Grant was detained there by serious illness until the .spring of 1862, when he rejoined his comrade in Uganda. During their stay with the celebrated chief Ru- manika, neither of the explorers .saw cause to change the first opinion they had formed of that chieftain's personal character, but more intimate intercourse with him showed that he held many strange and supersti- tious beliefs, and indulged in practices the reverse of civilized. One of the latter, which appears to have struck Speke most unpleasantly, 168 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. was the fattening of the women of the court to such an extent that they could not stand upright. Scarcely able to credit the reports he heard of this peculiarity in the royal females, the English leader obtained an interview with the king's eldest brother and his wife. On entering the hut, he found the old man and his chief wife sitting side by side on a bench of earth strewed over with grass, and partitioned like stalls for sleeping apartments. The wife could not rise, and so large were her arms that between the joints the flesh hung down like large loose-stuffed puddings. This result the husband triumphantly informed his guests had been obtained by milk, and milk alone. " From early youth upwards," he said, pointing to rows of milk bowls on the ground, " we keep these pots to our women's mouths." Wife-fattening is also practiced in the north-west of Africa, where obesity is considered the chief beauty in a woman. Another revolting custom in Karagwe was the mode of burial of members of the royal family. Speke relates that the body of Rumanika's prede- cessor, after floating about in a boat on the lake until decomposition set in, had been shut up in a hut with five living maidens and fifty cows, so inclosed that the whole of them subsequently died of starvation. A VISIT TO THE GREATEST OF AFRICAN KINGS. Early in January, 1862, messengers arrived from Mtesa, king of Uganda, inviting Speke and Grant to visit him, and reluctantly leaving the latter under the charge of Rumanika, the former started with a party of Arab traders. Speke entered Uganda in February, and came in sight of the king's kibuga or palace, which he described as a magnifi- cent sight — a whole hill being covered with gigantic huts, such as he had never seen in Africa before. Eager at once to open relations with the owner of this handsome residence, our hero was advancing towards it, when he was stopped by some officers of the court, who told him that to enter unannounced would be considered indecent in Uganda; the men must be drawn up, the guns must be fired to let the king know of the arrival, then a house would be assigned to the visitor, and to- morrow he would be sent for. Disappointed at this check, Speke ordered his men to fire, and was then shown some miserable huts for the accommodation of himself and his suite. Indignant at what he thought the disrespect of this welcome, Speke declared that the palace was the place for him, and if he could not go there at once he would return without seeing the king; but a native who had acted as messenger to Mtesa, persuaded him to have patience, or the consequences might be terrible — no stranger was ever allowed to enter the palace ; the white man must conform to the cus- toms of the country. 169 170 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Giving way to the man's appeal, which was evidently well meant, Speke entered the hut assigned to him, and was almost immediately molified by a message brought by the king's pages that a levee would be held in his honor the next day, which levee, the first of many since witnessed in the Palace of Uganda by white men, duly came off Dressed in his best, in which, however, he tells us he fears he cut but a sorry figure, Speke, accompanied by his traveling escort, decked out in gorgeous array, started for the palace in high spirits, the courtiers lining the way shouting as he passed, " Irungi ! Irungi !" (beautiful ! beautiful !). The Union Jack, carried by a guide, led the way, followed by twelve men as a guard of honor, dressed in red flannel cloaks, and carrying their arms sloped with fixed bayonets, whilst in their rear were the rest of our hero's men, each carrying some article as a present. Winding up the sides of the hill, the procession entered the palace, and passing first the inclosure, in which the lesser female celebrities of the court reside, Speke was met beyond it by the high officers of the king, who stepped forth and greeted him with courteous dignit}-. Men, women, bulls, dogs, and goats, were being led about by strings ; cocks and hens were carried in men's arms ; and little pages, with rope tur- bans, rushed about conveying messages, as if their lives depended on their swiftness, every one holding his skin-cloak tightly round him, lest his naked legs might by accident be shown, for it was against Uganda etiquette that anything should be uncovered in or near the royal presence. In fact, but for Speke's interference, all his presents would have been wrapped in chintz, even to inanimate objects! SPEKE STANDS ON HIS DIGNITY. In the ante-rece]ition court our hero was requested by the chief officers in waiting to sit on the ground in the sun with his servants, but he had determined beforehand neither to do that nor to make any obeisance but such as is customary in England. An English gentle- man, he determined on being treated as such, and the event proved him to have been wise, for this rather vigorous standmg up for his dignity gave the natives an impression of reserved power. Surely, they thought, this white man must be possessed of resources of which we know nothing, or he would never thus brave our master in his very stronghold. On the reiterated but hesitating request of the officers that he would be seated, Speke declared that he gave them five minutes' grace, and if a proper reception were not then recorded him, he would walk away without seeing the king. There was a hut close by; why should he not enter and wait there? The five minutes passed in anxious sus- pense. Speke's servants trembled for his fate and their own. The EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 171 officers looked at each other in despair. Finally our hero turned on his heel, ordered a porter to leave the present he held on the ground and follow him, and walked straight away home. Intelligence of the white man's behavior at once reached the king, who seems at first to have thought of leaving his toilet-room, where he was donning all his finery, and run after his guest himself, but his second impulse was to send messengers entreating him to return ; he would not himself taste food until his guest was with him. All in vain ; Spcke merely shook his head ; and at last came an humble message that if he would only return he might bring his own chair with him, and sit upon that, tliough an artificial seat was exclusively the attribute of the king. GAY FESTIVITIES AT THE PALACE. The point was gained, and having refreshed himself with coffee and a pipe, our hero returned to the palace, bearing his iron chair with him. The officers were now all obsequious ceremony ; would their visitor sit down — would he hear some music ? A band of performers, wearing long-haired goat-skins down their backs, then passed before him, dancing as they went along like bears in a fair, and playing on reed instruments worked over with beads in various patterns; drums were vigorously beaten by other attendants ; and these preliminaries over, the white man was ushered into the presence of his majesty, who turned out to be a good-looking young man of about five-and-twenty, wearing a loose flowing garment fastened on the shoulder, and a quantity of really pretty ornaments made of beads, brass, and copper. His hair was cut short, except at the top, where it was combed up into a high ridge. Staff-officers on one side, a group of female sor- cerers on the other, and numerous wives behind him, made up the court, who were one and all squatting on the ground in tailor fashion. A little chat about the object of the white men in coming to these parts closed the first interview, and those which succeeded it were but repetitions of the same kind of thing. A few days after his arrival, however, Speke was admitted to an interview with the queen-mother in which he was entertained with music, and allowed to remain seated. Her majesty, fat, fair, and forty-five, greatly amused her guest by run- ning away several times to change her clothes, with a view to impress- ing him with her wealth and importance. All the vagaries of the court were, in short, very amusing ; and Speke, feted everywhere, had nothing to desire except permission to send an escort for Grant, and with him proceed on his journey. But here, as everywhere else in Africa, the king would fain have kept his white man with him for- ever. As in Karagwe, further acquaintance with the natives revealed many terrible practices, the worst of which was perhaps the daily offer- 172 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. ing of a human sacrifice for the good of the state, though Speke seems to have been more impressed by the occasional sudden execution of THE GREAT I one or another of the king's wives for some trifling offense. The be- lief in magic, and many absurd superstitions connected with that belief, also prevailed throughout Uganda, but neither king nor people EXPLORATIONS OF CELEBRATED TRAVELERS. 173 were as bigoted as either the coast or southern tribes of Africa. Mtesa knew of the navigation of the Nile by white men ; he had heard of Gondokoro, and was anxious to open relations with its merchants. The explorers have given some account of the powerful tribe called the Akkas, who have been conquered by King Munza, of the Monbuttoo tribe, and are now his subjects. This African monarch is second in power and wealth only to Mtesa, of Uganda, but is grossly addicted to cannibalism. A distinguished traveler, who recently visited his country, and was received with royal honors by the king on his throne, says : I was intensely interested in gazing at the strange, weird-looking sovereign, of whom it was commonly reported that his daily food was human flesh. With arms and legs, neck and breast, all bedizened with copper rings, chains, and other strange devices, and with a great copper crescent at the top of his head, the potentate gleamed with a shimmer that was to our ideas unworthy of royalty, but savored far too much of the magazines of civic opulence, reminding one almost unavoidably of a well-kept kitchen ! His appearance, however, was decidedly marked with his nationality, for every adornment that he had about him belonged exclusively to Central Africa, as none but the fabrications of his native land are deemed worthy of adorning the person of a king of the Monbuttoo. Agreeably to the national fashion, a plumed hat rested on the top of his chignon, and soared a foot and a half above his head ; this hat was a narrow cylinder of closely-plaited reeds ; it was ornamented with three layers of red parrots' feathers, and crowned with a plume of the same ; there was no brim, but the copper crescent projected from the front like the vizor of a Norman helmet. The muscles of Munza's ears were pierced, and copper bars as thick as the finger inserted in the cavities. The entire body was smeared with the native unguent of powdered cam-wood, which converted the original bright brown tint of his skin into the color that is so conspicuous in ancient Pompeian halls. His single garment consisted of a large piece of fig-bark impregnated with the same dye that served as his cosmetic, and this, falling in grace- ful folds about his body, formed breeches and waistcoat all in one. Around the king's neck hung a copper ornament made in little points which radiated like beams over his chest ; on his bare arms were strange- looking pendants which in shape could only be compared to drumsticks with rings at the end. Halfway up the lower part of the arms and just below the knee were three bright, horny-looking circlets cut out of hippopotamus-hide, likewise tipped with copper. As a symbol of his dignity, Munza wielded in his right hand the sickle-shaped Monbuttoo scimitar, in this case only an ornamental weapon. CHAPTER VI. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. Tlie Pyramids, One of the "Seven Wonders of the World" — Their Use — Ascending the Pyramids — Egyptian Mummies — Ruins of Thebes — Mamelukes — Diamond Fields — Kimberly Mine — Mode of Operations — "Claims" — A Fight with Baboons — Ostrich Farming — The Hunter's Paradise — Dangers of Ele- phant and Buffalo Hunting — Adventures of the Chase. 'HE ancients were in the habit of speaking of the "seven wonders of the world," one of which was the pyramids of Egypt. There are three principal pyramids, three that we hear most about, but there are nine, which form part of the vast necropolis or graveyai"d of Memphis, stretching out for miles along the sandy desert. At a distance the pyramids are not impressive. It is after you have climbed the long sand-slope leading to the rocky platform on which they stand, and find your- self a mere pigmy looking up at the vast array of colossal steps of the Pyramid of Khufu, commonly called Cheops, the perpendicular height of which is four hundred and eighty feet, that you really feel overwhelmed. And when you call to mind that six decades of cen- turies have clasped since its builders were in the flesh like ourselves, and think of the enormous amount of money and labor which it cost to erect this vast pile, your astonishment increases still more. Herodotus tells us that the onions, garlic, and ruphanus roots con- sumed by the workmcMi cost one thousand and six hundred talents, or one million dollars. But it is not so much the money spent on the pyramids as the wonderful scientific knowledge and skill required to build them that gives cause for surprise. There have been a great many theories as to their use, but there can be little doubt that they are simply royal sepulchres, and when- you reach the summit of the great Pyramid you can see quite clearly that the k:ng lay buried among his family and his nobles, his colossal funereal edifice towering over the many smaller tombs which are placed round him in a square, the little pyramids being those of the princes of his hou.se. But quiet thought is impossible until one has been some time on the ground, for the Arabs are clamorous to assist in the ascent, and though an active climber can do without them, you cannot send them away. 174 NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 175 It is most amusing to watch them helping a lady, and as they do the business much better than those who are unaccustomed to it, the best plan is to let them have their way. The steps are generally about two feet in height, and some of them as much as three or four, so two Arabs take hold of the lady's hands, and a third follows behind to give her a friendly lift when needed. The affair takes about twenty minutes, if she does not stop too often. The Arabs say that ladies always go to the top, but they find gentlemen are by no means so fond of doing so. The whole exterior surface of the pyramids was originally polished, and also — as is believed — covered with inscriptions, but the blocks forming this surface were taken away by the Khalifs as material for other buildings, and it is their removal which has left the series of steps by meaiis of which one now climbs to the top. INTERIOR OF THE OLD PYRAMIDS. An Arabian writer of the thirteenth century, tells us how "people without sensf " destroyed ancient monuments in their search for con- cealed wealth., and adds that when treasure was no longer expected, the stones wf>re carried away to be used as building material. In the clear atmosphere of Egypt you can see an immense distance from the summit of Cephren, and the view is full of interest. The desert lies at your feet, stretching away to the south and west, a billoAvy waste of sand dotted at intervals with other pyramids; and not far off Cairo, with its creamy domes and minarets, backed by a belt of palms, makes a lovely picture. The entrance to the Pyramid of Cheops was formerly quite con- cealed, only the priests knowing where to find the movable stone that would admit them; now, however, we go in by an opening made in the north side, about forty-five feet from the ground, covered with a pent-house roof, and then descend by a narrow passage some three hundred and twenty feet in length, which probably led straight to the sepulchral chamber, but is now cut off by the falling of a granite block, so that one has to turn aside and scramble up one passage and down another, now leaping across a chasm, now climbing with the help of a ladder, if one wishes to visit all these strange chambers, which look like a fit prison for fallen angels. There is, however, only one thing to be seen, the great red granite sarcophagus now emptied and broken; but the effect of the vast cavern-like place, partially revealed by torches, or perhaps wholly so for a moment by magnesium light, is very striking. On coming out of the pyramid the great Sphinx stands before the visitor. The body is one hundred and forty feet long, and its head is thirty feet in height. It has an altar between its paws to which you ascend by a long flight of steps. It is now, however, so mutilated and NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 177 covered by sand that it is difficult to form any idea of its real grandeur. The Arabs call it "the father of terror." Of the many wondrous discoveries made by Belzoni, none was more noteworthy than that of the entrance to Cephren, the second of the mighty pyramids of Ghiza. Seated during his travels at the foot of this second pyramid, Belzoni mused as to the probability of there being an entrance to its interior, arguing that it was highly improbable that such a magnificent structure should have been reared without containing chambers and a means of entrance thereto. He knew that the first pyramid had been explored, but every historical account, from those of Herodotus downward, joined in declaring the second pyramid ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEMPLE. to be one huge monumental blank. But Belzoni, carefully examining the exterior, at length came to the conclusion that there must be a way to the interior, and set himself boldly to the discovery. The first step to be taken was to obtain permission from the Bey, and that accorded, he collected sixty workmen, and set them to break with their hatchets through a heap of debris joined together by the pulverized mortar that had fallen from far up the side of the pyramid, and then been moistened by the heavy night dews. A long period of toil then followed, ending in the discovery of a cavity in the side, but no means of entrance. Disappointed but not 12 NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 179 daunted, Bclzoni again surveyed the vast sides of the building, and determined to try in another spot, where, after the kbor of many days, first one and then another block of granite was uncovered, and at last the entrance to the pyramid reached — a low passage choked up with fallen stones, which required arduous toil to draw them out. But in spite of the opposition and idleness of his Arab laborers, Belzoni per- 180 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. severed, till a passage large enough to admit one of the men was cleared, and soon after, armed with a torch, the traveler stepped in, and began to look for the reward of his thirty days of incessant labor. His light burned dimly in the gloomy echoing passage leading to the vast solitudes that had not been invaded for more than two thousand years, and it was with a strange feeling of awe that this enterprising man passed on, breathing the dust of a vast antiquity, and with lifted torch trying to pierce the gloom. Passage after passage he explored through the huge rock-built structure; peering anxiously forward lest he should be plunged un- awares into some deep pit yawning to engulf him; but he passed on in safety till he reached a door, evidently leading into some great chamber, and then, stepping boldly forward, he stood in the centre of the huge building, trying to pierce the darkness around, and gazing wonderingly at this mausoleum of an antiquity so great that human history gives but a poor clue to its age. The contents proved to be a large sarcophagus of granite; but far from satisfied with this result of his research, Belzoni sought on, and explored passage after passage, and echoing gloomy chambers, evidently formed to be the last resting places of the kings of some ancient dynasty ; but the grandeur of this solemn temple of the dead .seemed to lie in its vast solidity and massive- ness of construction, qualities which have been the admiration of travelers of every country. The preservation of dead bodies in an uncor- rupted state was one of the principal arts of ancient nations, while with some it was also a sacred duty. Prescott says that the Peruvians were in the habit of placfng the bodies of their dead upon the high levels of the Andes, where the continuousness of the draught of pure air acted as an antiseptic, and prevented natural decay. In deserts, corpses have been found, presumably hundreds of years old, preserved by the action of sand and wind ; and it is known that in the Arctic regions the intense cold of the atmosphere acts as a preservative against corrup- tion; but in both cases equally, the preserved bodies have been the result of accident rather than design. The Egyptians were of all people the most particular about insisting A MUMMY CASE. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 181 on the preservation of their dead bodies, and the most skillful in carry- ing it out. They used to keep the bodies of their ancestors embalmed, in little houses, beautifully adorned, and took great pleasure in behold- ing them, as it were alive, without change, and with " no hint of death in all their frame." Testimony to their skill in embalming is borne by the mummies that remain even to this day, many of them being upward of two thousand years old. They used several processes for embalming. After injecting medicaments, which consisted of myrrh, cassia, and other spices, and soaking the body in nitre seventy days, it was wrapped in swathes of fine linen and gums, and these were covered again, according to fancy, with robes and tissues, or" were sim- ply placed, as it were, in bed in the dead-room. Another process, used for in- expensive embalming, was to in- ject a liquor extracted from the cedar-tree, into the body of the dead, which caused the corrupt- ing elements to come away with the liquor. The body was then wrapped in a winding sheet con- taining a quantity of salt of nitre, and so was preserved for a time; but this process, as it was not so costly, was not so durable as the other. The modern process of embalming is different from both A VFTLED BEAu-i\-i (Am \N CUSTOM of thcsc, and though very suc- cessful cases of preservation have been effected by it, it is to Egypt that must be ascribed the greatest excellence in the mummy-mak- ing art. In the Etruscan Vase Room at the British Museum is to be seen the skeleton of one Pharaoh Mykerinus, decently encased in its original burial-clothes, and surrounded by fragments of the coffin, whereon the name of its occupant can be easily read by Egyptologists, afford- ing conclusive evidence that it once contained the mummy of a king who was reigning in Egypt more than a century before the time of Abraham. Astronomical evide .2 enables us to determine the time of two important epochs in the history of Egypt, one of which is connected with this mummy. Sir John Herschel has fixed the age of the Great Pyramid of Ghizeh to the middle of the twenty-second 182 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. century b. c. The tablet of Abydos shows that the Pharaoh whose bones still exist succeeded the builder of the Great Pyramid with only two intervening kings. We are therefore warranted in assuming that the remains of Pharaoh Mykerinus belong to the age to which they have been assigned. They are the dusly relics which remind us of a period far remote in antiquity. One of the most wonderful sights this country contains are the ruins of the city of Thebes, in upper Egypt, "the city of a hundred gates," the admiration and theme of ancient poets and historians. This venerable city, the date of whose destruction is older than the founda- EGYPTIAN MUSEUM. tion of other cities, and the extent of whose ruins, and colossal frag- ments, still offers so many astonishing objects, is so full of interest, that one is riveted to the spot, unable to decide whither to direct the step or fix the attention. For eight miles on either bank of the Nil: do these ruins extend, retreating inland until enclosed by mountains, and describing a circuit of twenty-seven miles. Perhaps the most remarkable of these ruins are those of Carnac and Luxor on the eastern bank, and the palace of Memnon on the western, the sepulchre of the kings, and the temple of Mcdinct Abu. The temple of Carnac has twelve principal entrances ; tiie body of NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 183 the temple, which is preceded by a lar^re court, is a prodigious hall, the roof being supported by one hundred and thirty-four columns, some of them no less than thirty-four feet in circumference ; four obelisks mark the entrance to the shrines, which, built of granite, consists of three apartments. The temple of Luxor is not so extensive, but is con- sidered to be of a superior style of architecture and in better preser- vation ; at the entrance are two of the finest obelisks in the world, made of rose-colored granite, and rising to the height of one hundred feet. What most attracts attention are the sculptures on the east wing of the northern front, said to be a pictorial representation of a victory gained by some ancient king over his enemies. But to describe all the wonders of these amazing series of ruins would take volumes. Many learned men have made these and other relics, such as Rameses' Palace, the tombs, Pyramids, and labyrinths, their study, so as to try and master the history of a people and civilization dating so many hundreds of years back, even to the early morning of time, ere history began to be recorded. Hitherto the results of their labors have been most interesting and satisfactory, for in some measure they have enabled us to picture to ourselves cities as they were in that far-back time, when thronged with living men, women, and children. SAILING UP THE NILE. As the boat glides up the Nile towards the first cataract, every few miles sighting some object of interest, it often touches at a village or town on the banks, where on one side may be seen the fishermen's boats, hauled on shore, and on the other the white mud or stone-built houses, gleaming in the sunshine, fringed by palm-trees, while the ever-graceful minaret of the mosque of the Mohammedan points its finger to the sky. The two most important cities in the country — Cairo and Alex- andria — are both situated in Lower Egypt. Alexandria is seated on the Mediterranean sea-coast, and the ground-plan of the city was traced by the hand of Alexander the Great more than three hundred years before the birth of Christ. In the present day it contains a pop- ulation of more than 200,000. It is divided into two sections, one of which is occupied by Europeans and the other by Arabs. The first is of recent date, and consists of broad and straight streets, many of them shaded by row^s of fine trees, squares tastefully laid out with evergreen plants and sweet-scented flowers. The houses are well and solidly built, and many of them are large and commodious, while elegant shops abound, replete with both European and Eastern goods. At night the streets are lit by gas, and a company supplies the inhabitants with water from the Nile, which is said to be the best for drinking in 184 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. all the world. The Arab quarter pre.sents quite a contrast to the European, the streets being narrow and crooked, and so muddy in winter and dusty in summer as to make walking quite unpleasant, and sometimes even impossible. The houses are mostly of one story, and,, with but few exceptions, present bare walls to the street. To see real glimpses of Egyptian life a traveler must not linger in a coast city, or even the capital itself, but sail slowly up the Nile, visit- |r<;H&=>-: -'■ - ^'--^■T^-p-t-:'-^^-^'--^-^^ ^-^r^"^'"-^^ -'?:i:^^^' '^^^^ ■ *- '^ ^^^mt \":. f<(.-'"'f,t>:*','7^" ^ - , -J '■ r^J'' ,-'-!/ " [(.'T' •' -Ti^" ",-7-^'' v^ ■"-, '^ ■\-~^'-:^'--;.<)-^^r^ \yy'i> •; '/is ".'i?^ 1; ^^^t~-^-'^^>^\)g^^ii:'-:,-.i ^)pj-} ^rSil-i^-Y^v.^^^ ^ ^ ;i'-7V^?:^:-;r^1/.^^=-^^'^^ i;iiil?^MMi^jii]iilTiiMt]ijiM^ INTERIOR OF PORTICO OF THK TEMPLE AT DENDERAH, EGYPT. ing the various villages scattered along its banks. As the vessel glides smoothly along, we are .struck by the verdant richness of the level plains, as contrasted Avith the rocky and sandy deserts by which they are bounded. The river itself contains but few of those rushes which anciently were so plentiful, and in which, as we are told in Genesis, the future lawgiver of Israel was hidden. Lady Duff Gordon, who- NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 185 traveled in Egypt, relates that, meeting a troop of graceful Arab women, carrying jars poised upon the head, they all wished her to go to their village and partake of food ; while an old weaver, whose loom she walked in to inspect, wished to set a piece of bread before her. The voyage terminates for a time at Cairo, the capital of Egypt ; and that which first demands attention is the great citadel, which, standing on a slight elevation, commands the city. Some of the Government buildings are within its walls, and a splendid mosque con- taining" the body of Mehemet Ali, that able yet unscrupulous man who nearly succeeded in shaking off his allegiance to the Porte. Meet it is that his remains should rest within the enclosure which witnessed his most terrible act of perfidy ; for it was here that he massacred the Mamelukes. FEROCITY OF THE MAMELUKES. These Mamelukes were a brave but turbulent body of warriors, at one time so formidable from their number and daring, that they deposed the Egyptian Sultan and chose one of their own Beys to reign in his stead, and their rule lasted in Egypt for more than two hundred years. But when, in 15 17, Selim the First destroyed their power, he appointed a Turkish Pasha as Governor ; yet so mighty were they that this Pasha had to rule according to their will and pleasure. When the French invaded Egypt under Napoleon, these Mamelukes played a dis- tinguished part ; their furious attacks upon the army were with diffi- culty repulsed, and then only by the army forming into hollow squares. One officer who shared in the campaign says, " One of the Mamelukes entered the square near where I was stationed. The ferocity of this man was scarcely to be imagined. When he found himself to be encircled, he fought so desperately that his sabre was dripping with blood, his horse was in a violent perspiration, and wounded in several places with bayonets ; but finding no hope of escaping, he threw his. arms on the sand, and then dismounted, patted his horse's neck, and kissed it." Because of their power, their bravery, and restlessness, Mehemet Ali determined on their destruction. Having defeated one portion with great slaughter, and driven many of them into Nubia, he still remained uneasy at the numbers left ; orders were sent that the Mameluke Beys — to the number of four hundred and eighty — should be present at a grand ceremony, to be given in honor of his son, who was shortly to depart for Mecca. Not dreaming of treachery, they came on the day appointed, and were received within the citadel with all expressions of Eastean flattery ; Ali called them the eldest sons of the Prophet, and invited them to celebrate with him the departure of his son for the 186 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. holy tomb. Meanwhile, he had concealed a number of his most faith- ful troops upon the ramparts, the towers, and behind the walls of the fortress. At a signal the gates were closed, while the Pasha seated himself on a carpet on the summit of a terrace, smoking a magnificent Persian pipe, from whence he could see all without himself being seen. He gave the word to fire, and the massacre commenced. Encumbered with their arms, unable to reach their foes, they fell thick and fast; one alone survived, he being saved by his horse taking a leap over the breastwork of the citadel. The remainder in the provinces were also put to death. Such was the fate of the Mamelukes. A splendid view of Cairo is gained from the walls of the citadel — the tapering minarets of four hundred mosques, a sea of houses, and in the background the yellow mountains of the desert. Behind the city lies a green plain, -well watered by the Nile; and then, farther still, are seen the mysterious Pyramids, aloft in their awful grandeur, a witness at once to the power and vanity of man. WHIRLWINDS IN THE DESERT. It is a well-established fact that two thousand six hundred miles of desert in North Africa may be traversed without crossing a stream. There are dry sand, rock, and stone in abundance ; but they are not covered with mould, and without this nothing can grow. The sand is often very dust-like, and the slightest breeze keeps the top of it on the move. It puffs upwards in the traveler's face as he walks, and irritates the eyes and skin. A gentle gale moves the sand in low clouds, and waves of it are formed to be destroyed and scattered about hour after hour. No road can be distinguished, on account of this constant movement of the sand ; and the dead and dying, which the caravans leave behind, are soon covered up. They may remain under the sand until, during some terrific wind-storm, succeeding travelers hurrying on over the trackless waste see them white and fleshless, and are warned of their own danger. The wind is the thing to be feared on the desert, and the heated soil, the ab.sense of moisture, and the vast extent of the surface, where there is nothing to break the force of a moderate gale, combine to make its effects very terrible. Whirlwinds rush over the sand and twist it up in gigantic columns, darkening the noonday light, and the travelers are surrounded with clouds of dust moving on in the direction of the storrn. The columns of sand are often many yards in height, and they move like waterspouts at sea. Woe to the caravan or the camp they overtake ! for those that are not killed by the weight of the sand poured over them, are liable to be suffocated by the dust and the hot wind. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 187 The bricks of Egypt are among the most interesting reUcs of •antiquity, preserved, as it seems, in an imperishable form. A brick from the Pyramid of Bashour has been examined, which dates from between 3400 and 3300 B.C., and was found embedded among the Nile mud or slime, chopped straw, and sand of which it is composed, remains of animal and vegetable forms, and of the manufacturing arts, entirely unchanged. So perfectly, indeed, have they been preserved in the compact substance of the brick, that little or no difficulty is ^WDSlUKM IN \(JklH \1 RICA experienced in identifying them. By this discovery we are made acquainted with wild and cultivated plants, which were growing in the pyramid-building days; with fresh water shells, fishes, remains of insects, and so forth ; and a swarm of organic bodies, which, for the most part, are represented, without alteration, in Egypt at the present time. Besides two sorts of grain — wheat and barley — were found the field pea and the common flax, the latter having, in all probability. 188 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. been cultivated as an article of food, as well as for spinning. The relics of manufacture consist of fragments of burnt tiles, of pottery, and a small piece of twine, spun of flax and sheep's wool, significant of the advance which civilization had made more than five thousand years ago. The presence of the chopped straw confirms the account of brick making as given in Exodus, and by Herodotus. Egyptian architecture has always been a thing of wonder. While it is bold and massive, it is not without the most elaborate ornament, as may be seen from the workmanship on ancient temples, many of which are beautiful. THE LAND OF DIAMONDS. Not in Egypt alone have remarkable discoveries been made. Of late years attention has been turned especially to the southern part of Africa, where the search for precious stones has been amply rewarded. A great excitement prevailed in Cape Colony in the year 1867. A report was spread abroad that an African trader had purchased a diamond from a native, and had afterward disposed of it to the governor, Sir Philip Wodehouse, for no less a sum than two thousand five hundred dollars. Furthermore, it was rumored that a colonist had given all the. stock on his farm to a Bushman for a diamond which he showed him, and that the fortunate purchaser had obtained fifty- five thousand dollars for the gem. Then came the news that a native woman had dug up a diamond with her " kcpo," a sharp pointed piece of wood, for which her husband had secured in exchange a wagon,, oxen, and a load of goods. These rumors were at first received with suspicion, but their truthfulness being confirmed, there was an imme- diate rush to the district where these diamonds were to be found. Most of the frontier towns were speedily deserted; parties started from distant colonial towns, while at Cape Town, all sorts of conveyances were placed under contribution, from the heavy and lumbering ox- wagon to the light cart, which is the South African express, for transit to the diamond fields. In a few months, where before a scattered native population and a few Europeans existed, no less than ten thousand people were hard at work, eagerly hoping that some of the precious gems would fall to their share. The natives were astonished, and some said, " Who can understand you white men ? You first clear off the elephants for the sake of the ivory, and the ostriches for their feathers, and when you have swept the country clean as to what is above ground, you then proceed to find treasures in the bowels of the earth ? " Situated in the very heart of Southern Africa lies the territory of Griqualand West, bordering on the great Kalahari desert, and extend- NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 18i> ing over an area of sixteen thousand square miles. In the centre of this great plateau, at an elevation of three thousand feet above the .sea, is the diamond-field country. It is bare and uninviting enough, except along the banks of the Orange and Vaal rivers, which are well wooded and picturesque. Diamond-fields were discovered on both sides of the Vaal river, at places named Klip Drift, Pniel, and Hebron, and also in the Orange Free State. In the last-mentioned places the dry diggings were very productive, being almost literally sown with diamonds. But it was on the Vaal, in Griqualand, that the most extensive fields were found. The .scenes presented at these diggings were similar to those witness- ed years before at the gold fields of California and Australia. Owing to the scarcity of wood, cantowns sprang up as if by magic, the mixed inhabitants of v/hich would willingly toil all day in the dusty mines, and then spend the night in dancing, gambling and drinking. In the best days of diamond hunting, about sixty thousand people gath- ered round the dry and river diggings; but washing diamonds. when the great rush was over, and it became a more settled industry, the population decreased to forty thousand. The centre of operations is at the New Rush Mine of Kimberly, round which a town has been built, with a fine market-place, churches, clubs, assembly rooms, and hotels. This celebrated mine has the appearance of a hollow about three-quarters of a mile in circumference. Before it became a digging it had a slight elevation above the sur- rounding plain. It is now scooped out to a considerable depth, the lowest point reached being about two hundred and twenty feet. 190 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Natives do a considerable deal of the mining work, laboring with pick and spade, loading buckets, which are hauled up and let down by- ropes. These buckets are carried off to sorting grounds, where the stuff is thrown into sieves and carefully sieved, and afterward examined with the aid of a knife, or piece of tin, on a table in the open air. In the earlier rush to these valuable fields the mode of procedure was as follows : Under the sanction of the Provisional Government, a piece of ground was marked off, called a "claim." The owner di- A NATIVE ATTACKED BY A TIGER. rectly sets to work with pick and shovel to collect the soil into a heap. The loose stones are removed, and the sand separated by a fine sie\'e. The residue of earth and pebbles is then conveyed to the washing place on the bank of the river. The washing is accomplished b}' means of a " cradle," or " long Tom," the latter of which consists of two sieves, the upper one having holes about half an inch in diameter, while the under one is made so as to detain a diamond of about half a carat- After the washing follows the sorting process. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 191 As possibly a rich fortune might be derived from a single gem, in the earlier times of the excitement many of these claims were sold for almost fabulous prices; in one instance half a claim, thirty feet by sixteen feet, already worked down to a depth of fifty feet, fetched as much as one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. And not seldom were these mines worth working, and not rare were the finds of lucky fortune-seekers; for we are told that an Irishman, after a few hours search, came upon a stone which he was able to pawn for fifteen thousand dollars, while another discovered, on an abandoned claim, one of one hundred and fifteen carats. One of the greatest diamonds found in these rich fields was named the "Star of South Africa," and, before cutting, was sold for fifty-five thousand dollars. To the northeast of Cape Colony, separating it from Natal, is Kaffraria, a country rich in beautiful scenery, both of foliage and mountain, and abounding in all varieties of animal life. The larger animals, such as the lion and the elephant, have now retreated further inland, to be beyond the reach of the white hunters and settlers. Still, numbers of beasts of prey, including tigers, infest the thickly-wooded forests, lurking in their green retreats till darkness or hunger drives them forth to prey upon the cattle and upon the natives and settlers. Huge baboons, too, inhabit the tangled recesses of the bush, traveling in troops varying in size and number. Many are the stories told of these ugly misshapen creatures, their raids upon well-stocked gardens, and of their savageness when molested by man. PURSUED BY BABOONS. On one occasion the author of an interesting work on Kaffraria was making an excursion into the bush, about sixteen miles from King William's Town. His object was to visit some saw-pits situated deep in the forest. After transacting his business, he started alone upon a ramble deeper into the woods. The loveliness of the scene so charmed him that he was induced to go farther than he at first intended, and, leaving what is called the Kaffir path, he soon became entangled in the bush and underwood. The leaves over his head were so thick as to hide from him the sun, so that he was compelled to have recourse to his pocket-compass; but while adjusting this, he was surprised by receiving a salute of broken sticks and berries. Wondering what such an attack could mean, he peered up into the foliage over his head, but seeing no animals he continued his occupation, when a second volley made him desist, and turn in all haste to seek the lost path. The chattering overhead soon told him that his assailants were a large troop of baboons. Having got clear of the thicket, he thought that now he might retaliate upon his enemies. He therefore commenced 192 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. throwing stones at those who were within reach; but, to his dismay, instead of taking to flight, he saw, from every tree near him, five or ten of the ugly creatures swinging from branch to branch and dropping upon the ground, with the evident intention of making a personal attack. Unarmed, and totally unable to cope with such monsters, he thought the best thing he could do was to turn and run, or his life would not be worth many minutes' purchase. This he accordingly did, with the whole troop in full cry after him. He never ran so fast in his life, while at the same time he bitterly regretted his ill-advised attack. At the saw-pits he hoped to gain assistance, but found the men had gone to dinner; nothing was to be done but to increase his speed, and try to outdistance his pursuers. This he finally accom- plished, and never again ventured, when unarmed and alone, to attack a troop of baboons. One of the great scourges of Kaffraria, and also of other parts of Southern Africa, is the periodical vi- sits of immense flights of locusts. They are common to nearly all eastern countries, and work their ruin by the sheer power of numbers. The Bushmen eat them, and consider them a great delicacy; but the ruin they effect is something ■dreadful to think of In one of these periodical visits, we are told, the sun at midday was quite darkened by their flight, and the whole country for miles was covered by them. When they alighted upon the ground, they lay there ten and twelve inches deep ; if disturbed, they arose in such dense clouds as to prevent any one moving forward through them without the face and eyes being endangered. Wherever they alight, all the vegetation disappears — leaves, vegetables, fruit and corn — leav- ing nothing but desolation behind. Whenever they are seen approach- ing, the Kaffirs light large fires in all directions, so that the heat and smoke may make them pass on. Horses, dogs, cats, and poultry eat them with avidity, while the Bushmen collect and save them in large quantities ; grinding them between two stones into a kind of meal. THE LOCUSTS. NORTH AND riOUTH AFRICA. 193 they mix with them fat and grease, and then bake them in cakes, and upon these they hve for months together. The Kaffirs dread the approach of the locusts, but the Bushmen hail their appearance by clapping of hands, leaping, and every manifestation of joy. A valuable export from the Transvaal consists of ostrich feathers. Vast quantities are annually sent to England, and to supply the demand thousands and tens of thousands of these birds fall victims to the hunters. Both in the Cape Colony, Transvaal, and the Orange Free State one of the most singular enterprises is that of ostrich farming. The idea appears to have been borrowed from the French, who tried it in Algeria. All ov'er the several colonies are now seen flocks of "Zl-^i-f**^'' THE OSTRICH. ostriches. Farmers buy and sell them as they do sheep ; fence their flocks in, stable them, grow crops for them, study their habits, and cut their feathers. At eight months old the birds begin to feather, and their plumes improve in value with each season, the feather being nipped or cut, not plucked, as they come to maturity. In 1874 no less than one million dollars' worth of these feathers were exported from Cape Town. Although ostriches have a somewhat stupid look, they are more on the alert than is supposed. Timid in their wild state, domesticated they are bold and dangerous. They will attack a man without any provo- cation ; raising their foot and striking forward, they will cut your clothes the whole length of the stroke. The only safe plan for the assailed to 13 194 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. pursue is to lie down on his face; the bird cannot kick, but amuses itself by trampling- all over you. The African lion, however, is not always so tender of his prey. The Transvaal has been called the paradise of the hunter, where game of all sorts and in vast profusion is found — zebras, the spring- NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 195 bock, the steinbock, gnus, and others too numerous to mention, beasts of prey as well as inoffensive creatures. The elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, buffalo, and giraffe, and such large game, have retreated before the white man farther into the interior. The lion is still met with, fierce and dauntless as ever, although seldom attacking man unless disturbed or driven by hunger. On the extreme frontier of the Transvaal flows the Limpopo river, beyond which was the scene of Gordon Cumming's hunting exploits, of which aged natives still talk Avith wonder and admiration. . The boomslang tree still stands with his name cut deeply in the bark, and that of other African hunters as well. It was while encamped beneath this tree, that his faithful driver, Hendrick, was seized and carried off by a lion. He had arisen in the night to drive in a wandering ox, and lay down again by the fire with his back to the forest. The lion had evidently watched his move- ments; for no sooner had he resumed his position by the fire than the brute sprang upon him, and grappling him with his fearful claws, kept biting him on the breast and shoulders, all the while feeling for his neck, which when he succeeded in griping he at once dragged him into the bush. In the morning search was made for the unfortunate driver, but only a leg and fragments of clothes were found. DREADFUL ENCOUNTER WITH AN ELEPHANT. Hunting large game is not unattended with danger; the ferocious beasts, when wounded, turn upon their assailants with sav^age fury, and the hunter has need of all his coolness and presence of mind to avoid a fatal termination to his sport. We have a very graphic instance of this in the case of Lieutenant Moodie, when hunting elephants in Southern Africa. He had set out to join a party of sportsmen, when he lost his way in the jungle; but hearing shots at some distance he made for the spot, when, says he, I was suddenly warned of approaching danger, by loud cries oVPassop f — Look out ! — coupled with my name in Dutch and English ; and at the same moment heard the crackling of broken branches, produced by the elephants bursting through the wood, and the tremendous screams of their wrathful voices resounding among the precipitous banks. Immediately a large female, accom- panied by three others of a smaller size, issued from the edge of the jungle which skirted the river margin. As they were not more than two hundred yards off, and were proceeding directly toward me, I had not much time to decide on my motions. Being alone, and in the middle of a little open plain, I saw that I must inevitably be caught, should I fire in this position and my shot not take effect. I therefore retreated hastily out of their direct path, thinking they would not observe me, until I should find a better opportunity to attack them. NORTH AND SOUTH AFRICA. 197 But ill this I was mistaken, for, on lookini; back, I perceived, to my disma\-, that they had left their former course, and were rapidly pur- suing and gaining ground on me. Under these circumstances, I determined to reserve my fire as a last resource; and, turning off at right angles in the opposite direction, I made for the banks of the small river, with a view to take refuge among the rocks on the other side, where I shouM have been safe. But before I got within fifty paces of the river, the elephants were within twenty paces of me, the large female in the middle, and the other three on each side of her, apparently with the intention of making sure of mc ; all of them screaming so tremendously that I was almost stunned with the noise. I immediately turned round, cocked my gun, and aimed at the head of the largest — the female. But the gun, unfortunately, from the powder being damp, hung fire till I was in the act of taking it from my shoulder, when it went off, and the ball merely grazed the side of her head. Halting only for an instant, the animal again rushed furiously forward. I fell — I cannot say whether struck down by her or not. She then caught me with her trunk by the middle, threw me beneath her forefeet, and knocked me about between them for a little space. I was scarcely in a condition to compute the number of minutes very accurately. Once she pressed her foot on my chest with such force that I actually felt the bones, as it were, bending under the weight; and once she trod on the middle of my arm, which fortunately lay flat on the ground at the time. During this rough handling, however, I never entirely lost my recol- lection, else I have little doubt she would have settled my accounts with this world. Rut owing to the roundness of her foot, I generally managed, by twisting my body and limbs, to escape her direct tread. While I was still undergoing this buffeting, Lieutenant Chisholm, and Diederik, a Hottentot, had come up, and fired several shots at her, one of which hit her in the shoulder ; and at the same time, her companions, or young ones, retiring, and screaming to her from the edge of the forest, she reluctantly left me, giving me a cuff or two with her hind feet in passing. I got up, picked up my gun, and stag- gered away as fast as my aching bones would allow ; but observing that she turned round, and looked back toward me before entering the bush, 1 lay down in the long grass, by which means I escaped her observation. On reaching the top of the high bank of the river, I met my brother, who had not been at this day's hunt, but had run out on being told by one of the men that he had seen me killed. He was not a little surprised at meeting me alone, and in a whole skin, though plastered 198 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. with mud from head to foot. While we were talking of my adven- ture, an unlucky soldier attracted the attention of a large male ele- phant, which had been driven toward the village. The ferocious animal gave chase, and caught him immediately under the height where we were standing, carried him some distance in his trunk, then threw him down, and, bringing his four feet together, trod and stamped upon him for a considerable time, till he was quite dead. Leaving the corpse for a little, he again returned, as if to make quite sure of his destruction, and, kneeling down, crushed and kneaded the body with his forelegs. Then, seizing it again with his trunk, he carried it to the edge of the jungle, and threw it among the bushes. While this tragedy was going on, my brother and I scrambled down the bank as far as we could, and fired at the frenzied creature ; but we were at too great a distance to be of any service to the unfortunate man, who was crushed almost to a jelly. Most of the settlers in the Transvaal are noted hunters and splendid shots. The particular game they chiefly search after is the buffalo, a more dangerous beast than is generally supposed, for he is as cun- ning as a fox, as stealthy as a cat, almost as swift as a horse. He never knows when he is beaten ; for riddle him with bullets, he will still charge you, and show'fight, until some lucky shot touches him in a vital part. When Mr. Parker Gillmore was once on the trail of the elephant, five buffaloes charged right into the mid.st of his men. His own horse jumped over a bush and placed him in safety; but when he turned round to see what mischief had been done, he saw one poor fellow turning a somersault in the air, and another hanging by his hands from the branch of a tree, beneath which an infuriated animal was vainly charging backward and forward at him. CHAPTER VII. WONDERS OF CHINA. The Great Wall — Pekin — Pagodas — Chinese Mottoes and Signs — Curious Conveyances- Puppet Shows — Imperial Navy — Temples and Idols — Veneration for the Aged — Won- derful Porcelain Tower — Vases and Screens — Small Feet of Chinese Ladies — Social Customs — Dinner to General Grant — Chinese Wedding — Dress — Treat- ment of Criminals — Punishment by Decapitation. NE of the early emperors of China devised a way for defending his dominions from the Tartars, who were making constant inroads, and waging a relentless war- fare. He erected a great wall along the whole extent of the northern frontier of China, of very great height, thickness, and strength, made of two walls of brick many feet apart, the space between them being, for half the length of the wall, filled up with earth, and the other half with gravel and rubbish. On it were square towers, which were erected at about a hundred yards' distance from one another. Some say this wall extended one thousand five hundred miles from the sea to the most western provinces of Shen- si ; the best authorities pronounce it to be one thousand two hundred and fifty miles in length. It was carried over mountains and across rivers. Six horsemen could ride abreast upon it. But there was great cruelty practiced in its construction, for the Emperor obliged every third laboring man in the kingdom to work at this wall without payment. It took five years to finish, and has now existed for more than two thousand years. The material in the Great Wall, including the earth in the middle of it, is said to be more than enough to surround the world with two walls six feet high and two feet thick. Guards are stationed in the strong towers by which the wall is fortified ; every important pass having a strong fortress. The height of the wall is about twenty feet ; and there are steps of brick and stone for men on foot to ascend, and slanting places for cavalry. In addition to the Great Wall, China can boast of the most remark- able city in Asia. Pekin ranks as the second city in the world, only London having more inhabitants, Paris about the same number. There are about two million inhabitants. As Pekin was built many centu- 199 200 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. ries before the Christian era, it is a very old city. The name means Court of the North. After the conquest by the Tartars of the kingdom of Yen, of which Pekin was the capital, it became only a provincial town, when, at the beginning of the fifteenth centuiy, it was again made the capital of China. The Chinese sovereigns used to live at Nankin, but when the Tartars had so often invaded the country, they removed to the northern province, to enable them the more easily to keep out the invaders. Pekin is situated in a large sandy plain on a small tributary of the river Peiho. This city is again divided into the Chinese and Tartar cities, the Imperial city, in which live the emperor and his retainers, and another in which the court officials have their residence. Like all other Chinese cities, they are surrounded by high walls. At the north, south, east, and west sides of towns are large folding-gates, which are often further secured by three inner gates. The one in the south is that of honor, through which the emperor passes, but which is usually kept closed at other times. DEFENSES OF THE GREAT CITY. The wall of Pekin, which is sixteen miles round, has two gates on three sides and three on the other, of which the principal is Chean- Mun, at the south of the Tartar city. Over the gate is a building occupied by soldiers, who are there for purposes of defense. The streets in Pekin are very broad. They are raised in the centre, and covered with a kind of stone, to form a smooth, hard surface. In summer they are often very dusty, and during the rainy seasons very dirty. At the end of each street is a wooden barrier, which is guarded day and night by soldiers. The barrier is closed at nine o'clock at night, after which time the Chinese are only allowed to pass through if they have a very good rcasoil to give for being out so late. Order is well kept in the streets of Pekin by the soldiers and police, who may use their whips on troublesome customers whenever they think it necessary to do so. The principal streets, or main thoroughfares, extending from one end of the city to the other, are its only outlets. Trees grow in several of these streets. Houses in which the inhabitants live, are in smaller streets or lanes, the houses themselves being often shut in by walls. Pagodas (temples to the gods, built in the form of towers), monasteries, and churchyards, are all outside of the walls, and the city itself is principally kept for purposes of commerce. There is a great noise in some of the streets, for instance in the Hata-mene-ta-kie, where many people are to be seen bustling about and talking very loudly to one another. Tents are here put up in 202 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. which rice, fruit, and other things are sold, and any one wishing for a pretty substantial meal can be supplied with it, for before stoves stand the vendors of such meals, who have cooked them ready for purchasers. Other tradesmen carry hampers, slung across their shoulders, in which they keep their goods, calling out, from time to time, to let people know what these hampers contain. Carts, horses, mules, wheel- barrows, and sedan-chairs pass along, the whole place seeming to be alive with buyers and sellers. The cobbler is sure to be somewhere close at hand in his movable workshop, and first here and then there, as may best suit himself and employers, the blacksmith pitches his tent, which sometimes consists of a large umbrella; whilst, again, people can refresh themselves, if they do not care for a heavier meal, with some soup or a patty at a soup stall. And the barber does not forget that he is a very useful person. There, in the open streets, he communicates, by the tinkling of a little bell, the fact that he is ready to shave the heads and arrange the cues or pig-tails of those who may require his services; and as one man after another takes the seat that is ready for him, the barber not only shaves and plaits, but also frequently paints his customers eyebrows and gives his clothes a brush. After the Chinese were conquered by the Tartars they were obliged to wear the pig-tail, to show that they were in subjection to their conque- rors; but now the pig-tail is held in honor, and the longer it will grow the better pleased is the Chinese gentleman who wears it. Some very bad criminals l^ave their hair cut off as a great punishment and disgrace. Most of the shops in China are quite open in front; but in Pekin many have glass windows. In China there are certain streets for certain shops, where the different branches of trade have generally their own sides of the road. A shop is called a hong. Sometimes the master sits outside, waiting for his customers to arrive. At the door of each hong are sign-boards, upon which are painted in gold, or colored letters, a motto instead of a name, and what the shop offers for sale. A motto often seen contains the following words: Teen Fung Yee Poo Seih Shun Tian Teen The four largest characters, which form the motto, may be taken to signify that " Heaven favors the prudent." The other smaller char- acters designate the nature of the business, a cushion and matting manufactory; the last character, without which no sign-board is com- plete, meaning shop or factory. A CHINESE PAGODA. 203 204 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. In China may be seen both shut and open carts, the latter being^ used as carriages. Those in common use are made of wood, the body of the cart resting on an axle-tree, supported by the wheels. Horses and mules are very little used in China, except for traveling and for conveying luggage long distances. Horses and ponies require very little guiding. Sometimes they go without reins, when their masters will perhaps walk beside them, carrying a whip. There may also be seen very polite drivers, who, whenever the)' meet a friend, jump off their carts, and walk on foot to pass one another. Govern- ment servants generally use ponies, but as China is so densely popu- lated — having, it has been estimated, about four hundred million inhabitants, and people find it so hard to obtain enough to support themselves and families — they keep as few beasts of burden as pos- sible. The farmer employs the bullock a great deal, and in the north of China the camel is also much used. Much trade is carried on by boats, and where there is no water, and farmers are without other conveyances, they will sometimes push their wives along the roads in wheel-barrows, sons giving their parents similar drives. In many parts of China there are few carriage roads. The Chinese have all kinds of boats for use on their rivers, A junk has sails like butter- flie's wings. But the kites made by the Chinese are very curious. They are like birds, insects, animals, clusters of birds, gods on clouds : all kinds of things, in fact, are represented by these kites, which the Chinese are most clever in making, and also in flying. Old men, seventy years of age, may be seen thoroughly enjoying flying their kites. The Chinese do not care much for our favorite games. They are very fond of battledore and shuttlecock, but instead of using a battledore, they hit the shuttlecock with their heads, elbows, or feet. Seven or eight children play together, and nearly always aim the shuttlecock rightly. Girls play at this game too, in spite of their small feet. Tops, balls, see-saws and quoits are also favorite toys and games among the Chinese. Puppet shows they exhibit in the streets, amusing the spectators. The pictures in these shows are exhibited by means of strings, which are either worked from behind or from above the stand, and as the people look through a glass, the views are displayed to them. A man standing at the side calls out loudly, and beats a little gong to sum- mon people to attend the show. In winter the people of China sleep on kangs to keep themselves warm. The kang consists of a platform built of brick, so much larger than a bed that several people can sleep on it at once. A kind of tunnel passes through the platform, which has a chimney at one WONDERS OF CHINA. 205 end, while at the other end, a httle while before bed-time, a small quantity of dry fuel is set on fire, when the flame passes through the tunnel and out of the chimney. In this way the kang is warmed, when felt matting is put upon it The covering is a kind of cotton- wool counterpane, is light, at the same time affording comfort. The Imperial Chinese Navy is divided into river and sea-going INTERIOR OF A CHINESE TEMPLE, SHOWING THEIR IDOLS. ■vessels, the full complement consisting of nearly two thousand of the former, and one thousand of the latter, with abtuit two hundred thousand sailors. Ships generally fly a flag at the main, on which red lines are drawn, or sometimes a tri-color is hoisted there instead. Red would be for safety, as this is the lucky color of the Chinese. At the stern 206 WONDERS OF EXPLORATIONS AND ADVENTTRE. of the vessel may be seen the name of the official who directs and superintends the ship. As to religion most of the Chinese are either Confucianists, Buddhists, or Taouists, although there are also Jews and Mahometans amongst them. At one time it is supposed the people of China worshipped in much the same manner as did the Hebrew patriarchs. But mixing with this an idolatrous worship of departed ancestors, they nearly lost sight of Wang-teen, the Supreme Ruler. About the latter half of the sixth century before Christ, Confucius, a great and clev^er philosopher of China, who was born 551 B.C., wrote and put together books that held very moral and good maxims, after- wards called " The Classics." He taught that men must always be obedient to those to whom they are in subjection : people to prince, child to parent, filial piety being enforced before every other duty. He was very anxious to improve the manners of the people ; but women he ranked very low. Confucianism is more a philosophy than a religion. Its followers have no particular form of worship, and no priesthood. The Pearly Emperor, Supreme Ruler, is their deity, but worship is seldom offered to him, and then only by a few. Although Confucius disapproved very much of idols, after he was dead many of his followers worshipped him. CURIOUS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE CHINESE. Confucianists do not believe in a future state of rewaros and punishments, but think that their good and bad deeds will be rewarded here by riches or poverty, long or short life, good or bad health. Conscience is to lead people aright, and tell them when they do wrong. The high mandarins and literary people are generally Confucianists ; schoolboys also worship an idol or tablet of the sage, in which his spirit is supposed to dwell. There is a temple to the honor of " The Great Teacher " in every large town ; and on great occasions, and always in spring and autumn, sacrifices are here offered, the Emperor himself, as high priest, presiding at some of these ceremonies. Mandarins are Chinese officials, of which there are many grades, and many in each grade, all of whom are paid by Government. To every province there is a viceroy, to every city a governor, and to the village a mandarin, who is elected to rule over it for three years; and all these, again, have many officers under them. There are also a great many military mandarins. A great mark of imperial favor is to allow mandarins, civil or military, to wear a peacock's feather in their caps, which hangs down over the back, and the ball placed on the top shows, by its color and material, the rank of the wearer. Soldiers fighting very bravely are often buoyed up with the hope of receiving CHINESE MANDARIN AND HIS BRIDE. 207 208 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. one of these feathers. Mandarins, who stand in a sort of fatherly- relationship toward their people, although they do not always behave like fathers toward them, look for implicit obedience from them. Man- darins who are in high office, wear a long, loose robe of blue silk, embroidered with gold threads. This reaches to their ankles, being fastened round their waists with a belt. Over this is a violet tunic, coming just below the knees, which have very wide, long sleeves, usually worn turned back, but if not, hanging over the hands. The Buddhism of China is not at all the pure Buddhism, and has been much corrupted by its professors. The founder was an Indian prince, of beautiful character, born 620 B.C., and called Shakyamuni Buddha, who left wealth and luxury to go about relieving suffering wherever he found it. After he died his followers believed that he was trans- formed into a god, having three different forms. A GREAT VARIETY OF DEITIES. Some of the gods are a god of rain; a god of wind; a god of thunder; a god of wealth, the latter worshiped very much by trades- men; a god of thieves; a goddess of thunder; a guardian goddess of women and little children, called Kum-fa, whose ten attendants watch over children, helping them to eat, and teaching them to smile and walk; a god of wine; a god of fire; a goddess of mercy; a goddess of sailors; a goddess of children, called "Mother;" a god of the kitchen ; a god of measles; a god of small-pox. Then the Confucian- ists worship two stars, who are supposed to look after literature and drawing, the former called the god of literature. And besides house- hold gods belonging to every family, there is a god of the passing year, and numerous others. Many of the gods are deified persons. There is another form of Buddhism, called Lamaism, and this, though it prevails principally in Thibet and Mongolia, has also its followers in Pekin. The Great Lama, or Living Buddha, is the head of this. His soul is said never to die ; therefore, when he dies it is supposed to pass into an infant whom the priests select by a likeness that they trace to the late Lama. In the centre of a Lama temple facing the worshipers, is a very large idol of Buddha. To the right and left of the temple are smaller idols. Some gods in temples do not receive worship, but guard the doors. Incense is burning in front; the high priest, to the right, is lifting up his hands in adoration, whilst the people offer scented rods and tapers to Buddha. As they light their offerings they kow-tow, or hit their heads upon the floor. This is the Chinese way of reverent, respectful salutation. The devotees are grouped fn squares. The Sun and Moon are also worshiped. At Pekin there is a temple 210 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADTENTUR^l of the Moon. On the day of the autumnal equinox, at six o'clock in the evening, a very solemn sacrifice is offered, and the great ladies of the capital meet to burn tapers. This temple is approached by a long avenue of beautiful trees. The building is large ; but more women than men come to attend the ceremonies. The more enlightened heathen only regard their idols as represen- tations of the Deity they are feeling after, but many of the simpler sort, in different degrees, regard their idols with great religious awe. Then, many Chinamen, again, often seem to have no religion at all. Confucius having for nearly twenty centuries held such a sway over the minds of the Chinese, they do not care to listen to new teachers. They had a literature seven hundred years before Christ. REMARKABLE VENERATION FOR THE AGED. The sacred regard which Chinese pay to the claims of kindred, secures to the patriarchs of respectable families ample support in the advanced and helpless stage of their pilgrimage ; and charity often relieves poor septuagenarians whose relations may be unable to supply them with comforts or necessaries at their mature age. In China one's feelings are not harrowed with the sad spectacle of an aged parent discarded by his children, and left to perish, unattended and unnursed, under a scorching sun, or on the banks of a rolling river. But you will see the tottering senior, man or woman, who has not the means to hire a sedan, led through the alle}'s and streets by a son or a grand- child, commanding the spontaneous respect of each passer-by, the homage of every junior. The deference of the public to the extreme sections of old age is manifest likewise from the tablets and monuments you may any day stumble upon, that have been erected by public subscription to' the memory of octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians. Nor is the government backward in encouraging this, but the reverse. Hence may often be seen very aged men and women in the streets, arrayed in yellow, that is, imperial, robes, the gift of the emperor, in mark of honor, and out of respect to their gray hairs. The reader will remember that an honorary degree is given to competitors who have reached an advanced age, a kind of prize for long life. On one occasion, the emperor called together about four thousand old men at his palace, entertained them with a banquet, at which they were served by his own children and grandchildren, presented each of them with money and a yellow robe, and conferred upon the oldest of the assembly, a man aged one hundred and eleven years, the rank and dress of a mandarin, to reward him for being so old. In every town or village, the oldest persons are treated with the WONDERS OF CHINA. 211 greatest consideration, not on account of their rank or wealth, but of their age. Every one gives way to them, they have the best places in the theatres, are brought forward at every public spectacle, and are indulged in every possible way. Such has been the custom from time immemorial in this great nation, which was civilized when the inhabi- tants of England were naked savages. The oldest civilized nation in the world, the>- have honored their fathers and their mothers, and their days have been long in the land. Parents are very particular as to their choice of a schoolmaster, who must be considered good, as well as able to teach; and to qualify him- self the master must, of course, know the doctrines of the ancient sages. After all has been settled for a boy to go to school, the parents always invite the schoolmaster to a dinner, given expressly for him. Then a fortune-teller is asked to decide upon a " lucky" day for the boy to make his first appearance at school, when he takes the tutor a present. No boy ever goes to school first on the anniversary of the da}' on which Confucius died or was buried. On entering school, he turns to the shrine of Confucius — an altar erected to his honor in every school — and worships him, after which he salutes his teacher very respectfully, hears what he has to do, and goes to his desk. At the new year and in the autumn there are always holidays, but children also go home to keep all religious festivals, to celebrate the birthdays of parents and grandparents, to worship their tablets, and at the tombs of ancestors. Children are very much punished in China when they break school-rules. Perhaps the punishment they fear most is to be beaten with a broom, because they think this may make them unlucky for the rest of their lives. ELEGANT ARCHITECTURE. The architecture of China, as would naturally be supposed, is of a light order, and suited to a warm climate. Many buildings are highly ornamented, and abound with elegant carvings. Great care and pains are bestowed on some of the temples, which are considered very beau- tiful and imposing. Some houses are very large, in order to accommodate several brahches of the same family, who often live together in different parts of them. There are generally three doors of entrance to a house, of which the principal, in the centre, leads to the reception hall, into which visitors are shown. The walls of rooms are sometimes hung with white silk or satin, on which sentences of good advice are written. All sorts of beautiful lanterns hang from the sitting-room ceilings, sometimes by silk cords. The furniture consists principally of chairs, tables, pretty screens and cabinets, with many porcelain ornaments. WONDERS OF CHINA. 213 and fans are very numerous in a Chinese household. Most houses have very beautiful gardens ; even the poor try to have their houses sur- rounded by as much ground as possible. Many houses also have ve- randas, where the Chinaman likes to smoke his evening pipe. The custom-house at Shanghai is a very strange and beautiful building, unlike anything to be seen elsewhere, and the town is adorned with many fine residences. At some cities and towns, on the banks of rivers, floating hotels are to be seen ; and as people generally have to travel by water, and the Chinese are not allowed to keep open their city-gates after nine o'clock at night, these hotels prove very useful to those arriv- ing too late to enter the city. Lighted with lanterns, they look very pretty floating on the water, and are generally airy and cool. A FAR FAMED TOWER. The city of Nankin, once the capital of China, has for centuries been famous to the " barbarians " of the outer world for its Porcelain Tower — a relic of the splendor of its ancient days, before Pekin usurped its dignity as the seat of empire. The place is now to a great extent a city of ruins ; its palaces, tombs and monuments were long since given over to decay, and the wars of recent years have greatly increased the general dilapidation. The city proper has shrunk to one-fourth of its former dimensions, the present population inhabiting its inner portion, while the memorials of past magnificence are distributed around them. The Porcelain Tower was built early in the fifteenth century by the order of the P^mperor Yung-loh, and as a work of filial piety. It was a monument to the memory of his mother; and he determined that its beauty should as far outshine that of any similar memorial, as the tran- scendent virtues of the parent, in her son's eyes, surpassed those of the rest of her sex. No expense was spared in its erection. The work was commenced at noon on a certain day in 141 3, and occupied nearly twenty years in its completion. An idea of the appearance of the Porcelain Tower is given by our description, but this is peculiarly one of the instances in which the actual sight is required to convey an adequate notion of the magnificence and beauty of an object. The total height of the tower was more than two hundred feet, and it was faced from top to bottom with the finest porcelain, glazed and colored. It consisted of nine stories, surmounted by a spire, on the summit of which was a ball of brass, richly gilt. From this ball, eight iron chains ex- tended to as many projecting points of the roof^ and from each chain was suspended a bell, which hung over the face of the tower. The same arrangement was carried out in every story. These bells added much to the graceful appearance of the tower, breaking its otherwise formal and monotonous outline. Round the outer face of each story were THE WONDERFUL PORCELAIN TOWER. 214 WONDERS OF CHINA. 215 several apertures for lanterns, and when these were all illuminated, we are told, in the magniloquent language of the Chinese historian, that '• their light illuminated the entire heavens, shining into the hearts of men, and eternally removing human misery." It is not difficult to imagine, however, that the appearance of the tower on such an occasion EMBROIDERED CHINESE SCREEN. must have been beautiful in the extreme. On the top of the tower were placed two large brazen vessels and a bowl, which together contained various costly articles, in the nature of an offering, and a charm to avert evil influences. Among these were several pearls of various colors, each supposed to possess miraculous properties, together with other precious stones, and a quantity of gold and silver. In this collection, 216 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. designed to represent the best treasures of the state, were also placed a box of tea, some pieces of silk, and copies of some ancient Chinese writings. The Chinese historian to whom we have alluded, announced to the world, in the simplicity of his heart, that this splendid monument of filial gratitude would continue to endure and teach its lesson for hundreds of generations. But alas ! for human foresight, and the stability of all things on earth. In the month of March, 1853, the Taeping rebels took Nankin, and sacked the place. For a long time they appear to have kept their destroying hands off the Porcelain Tower; but at last — probably to wreak full vengeance on the Imperialists — they demolished it. This occurred in 1856. Since that time. Nankin has been taken and retaken, both by Imperialists and rebels, but the city is no longer adorned with that famous structure which was truly one of the wonders of the world. FINE FANCY WORK. In all works of art the Chinese excel, having a style peculiar to themselves. Their porcelain, or " China ware," is famed throughout the world, and no better material of this description was ever manufac- tured. The Chinese tea sets and vases are transported in large quantities and find a ready market among other nations. Great skill in embroidery is also displayed, the coloring and design being especially admired. All kinds of figures, particularly those of birds, are used in fancy work, and also in the manufacture of porcelain. Chinese screens may be seen, with costly material of groundwork, and having rich de- signs representing the peacock, the bird of Paradise, domestic fowls, and other members of the feathered tribes. These are not found alone in the houses of the better class ; but, as the Chinese are very expert with the needle, some very fine specimens of embroidery may be seen in the cottages of the poorer people, who seem to take great delight in this kind of decoration. Rich colors are blended with beauty of design, the general effect is studied, and thus exquisite pictures are produced, the product of the needle and the brush. Raising tea has long been one of the principal industries of China. The tea-plant yields a crop after it has been planted three years, and there are three gatherings during the year : one in the middle of April, the second at Midsummer, and the third in September. The plant requires very careful plucking, only one leaf being allowed to be gathered at a time ; and then a tree must never be plucked too bare. Women and children, who are generally, though not always, the tea gatherers, are obliged to wash their hands before they begin their work, and have to understand that it is the medium-sized leaves which they are to pick, leaving the larger ones to gather the dew. When the WONDERS OF CHINA. 217 baskets arc full, into which the leaves have been dropped, they are carried away hanging to a bamboo slung across the should- ers, which is a very usual way of carry- ing things in China. The tea-plant is the most important vegetable produc- tion of the " Flowery Land." There are several kinds of tea, that called Congou being prepared as follows : The leaves are first spread out in the air to dry, after which they are trodden by laborers, so that any mois- ture remaining in them, after they have been exposed to the air or sun, may be pressed out ; after this they are again heaped to- gether, and covered for the night with cloths. In this state they remain all night, when a strange thing hap- pens to them, spon- taneous heating changing the green leaves to black or brown. CHINESE VASES. They are now much more fragrant and the taste has changed. 218 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. As the tea must now be carefully made ready for the market, the next process is to twist and crumple the leaves, by rubbing them between the palms of the hands. In this crumpled state they are again put in the sun, or if the day be wet, or the sky threatening, they are baked over a charcoal fire. Leaves, arranged in a sieve, are placed in the middle of a basket-frame, over a grate in which are hot embers of charcoal. After some one has so stirred the leaves that they have MEW OF TIEN-TSIN, ONE OF THE TEA MARKETS. all become heated alike, they are ready to be sold to proprietors of tea-hongs in the towns, when the proprietor has the leaves again put over the fire and sifted. After this, women and girls separate all the bad leaves and stems from the good ones ; sitting, in order to do so, with baskets of leaves before them, and very carefully picking out with both their hands all the bad leaves and stems that the sieve has not got rid of The light and useless leaves are then tlivided from those that are heavy and good, when the good are put into boxes lined with paper. WONDERS OF CHINA. 219 Those leaves which are prepared at Canton are black or brown, with a slight tinge of yellow or green. The tea-leaves growing on an extensive range of hills in the district of Hokshan are often forwarded to Canton, whence they are exported. This, with the trade from other markets, forms an important part of the commerce of the world. Chinese women have always been celebrated for their diminutive feet. This was long regarded as a national peculiarity, asserted to be of nat- ural growth, and has thus been a wonder in the books of travelers ; but by our less restricted intercourse with China the secret has been let out. There were certain small-footed ladies at Hong-Kong who gained a very fair livelihood by exhibiting their feet to sea-captains, and other curious Europeans, at a dollar a head, and the evidence satisfied a superficial examination and belief. But it appears that in the missionary schools may be seen numbers of little girls whose feet are in the various stages of torture, as narrated by a visitor who had the opportunity of witness- DEFORMED FEET OF CHINESE LADIES. ing what he has well described. On an appointed day the children were all seated in a row, and their feet, which had undergone a prepar- atory washing, were unbound by their mothers. The first was a child two years old. Her penance had but just commenced. When the bandage of blue cotton was taken off it was seen that the great toe had been left untouched, but the other four had been forced down under the ball of the foot, and closely bound in that position. The child, there- fore, walked upon the knuckle-joints of her four toes. The toes were red and inflamed, and the ligature caused evident pain. In the next three children, of ages advancing at small intervals, the preparation was only to the same extent ; it was confined to the four toes. Gradually, however, these four toes, according to the continual pressure, lost their articulation and identity as limbs, and became amalgamated with the sole of the foot. In the eldest of the four the redness and inflammation 220 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. had entirely disappeared ; the foot was cool and painless, and appeared as though the four toes had been cut off by a knife. The foot was somewhat of the shape of a trowel. In the fifth girl was seen the commencement of the second operation — a torture under which sickly children frequently die. The sole of the foot was now curved into the shape of a bow : the great toe and the heel being brought together as near as possible. This is done very gradually. The bandage is never slackened ; month by month it is drawn tighter. The foot inflames and swells, but the mother perseveres. As the bones and tendons accommodate themselves to the position con- strained by the bandage, so it is drawn tighter. At last the ball of the natural foot fits into the hollow of the sole, and the root of the great toe is brought into contact with the heel. The foot is a shapeless lump. The instep is where the ankle was, and all that is left to go into the slipper and to tread the ground is the ball of the great toe and the heel. This is the small foot of the Chinese woman ; a bit of toe and a bit of heel, with a mark like a cicatrice left after a huge cut, running up be- tween them. Two of the girls seen by the narrator were yet suffering great pain, and their feet were hot and inflamed, but in the eldest the operation was complete. She had attained to the position of a small- footed woman, and her feet were quite cool, had no corns, and were not tender to the touch. One of the mothers solved the mystery. Some- times, it seems, when a woman is expected to have to do hard work, her toe and heel are not drawn together so as to produce the true "small foot." To disguise this imperfection upon her marriage day she has recourse to art. A piece of cork, shaped like an inverted sugarloaf, is strapped on to her foot, and the small part goes into her slipper, and passes for her foot. HONORS PAID TO GENERAL GRANT. Some of the social customs of the Chinese may be learned from a description of a grand dinner given in honor of General Grant during his tour round the world. The narrator says : I tried to pay my hosts the compliment of using the chop-sticks. They are about the size of large knitting needles, and, in the hands of a Chinaman, useful instru- ments. The servants twirled them all over the table, and picked up every variety of food with sure dexterity. I could do nothing with them. I never thought I had so large fingers as when I tried to carry a sweetmeat from one dish to another with chopsticks. The food was all sweetmeats, candied fruit, walnuts, almonds, ginger, cocoanuts, with cups of tea and wine. The Viceroy, with his chopsticks, helped the General. This is true Chinese courtesy for the host to make himself the servant of his riuest. Then came a service of wine — sweet cham- WONDERS OF CHINA. 221 pagne and sauterne — in which the Viceroy pledged us all, bowing to each guest as he drank. Then, again, came tea, which, in China, is the signal for departure, an intimation that your visit is over. The Viceroy and party arose and led us to our chairs. Each one of us was severally and especially saluted as we entered our chairs, and, as we filed off under the trees, our coolies dangling us on their shoulders, we left the Viceroy and his whole court, with rows of mandarins and far-extending lines of soldiers in an attitude of devotion, hands held together toward the forehead and heads bent, the soldiers with arms presented. • The music, real, banging, gong-thumping, Chinese music, broke out, twenty- one guns were fired, so close to us that the smoke obscured the view, and we plunged into the sea of life through which we had floated, and back again, through one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen — back to our shady home in the American Consulate. The call of the Chinese officials the next day was a solemn ceremony. Tlie Viceroy sent word that he would come at ten. Punctuality, how- ever, is not an Oriental virtue, and ten o'clock had passed and we were sitting on the piazza looking out on the shipping in the river, when the beating of gongs gave the signal of the coming in state. VISIT FROM A POMPOUS OFFICIAL. I went out under the trees to see the procession, at the risk of exciting remark as to my curiosity from the crowd of Chinamen, chair-bearers, attendants and others who were standing around waiting for the show. The visitor proved to be the Tartar General, and he came in the most solemn state. First came the gong-beaters, who beat a certain number of strokes in a rapid measure. By the number you know the rank of the great man. Then came soldiers carrying banners on which were inscribed the names and titles of the commander. There was a marshal on a pony who seemed to command the escort. There were soldiers carrying spikes and spears and banners. The profusion of banners, or more properly small silk pennants, gave the procession a picturesque aspect, and the waving, straggling line, as it came shambling along under the trees, was quaint. There were attendants carrying the pipes and teapots of the great man. Four coolies carried a load under which they staggered, and this, I was told, was food. It is the custom when a great man goes forth to carry food and refreshment for himself and party and to give as largess to friends on the way, and although this General was only making a morning call, he showed honor to our party by coming in as much .state as though he were journeying through the country. There were aids in chairs, but the General rode in a green .state chair, the blinds closely drawn. I noticed that there was no drill or discipline in the procession — no keeping step. It shuffled and 222 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Straggled along, the gongs beating and the attendants shouting in chorus to clear the way and do honor to the great man they were escorting until the Consulate was reached. Then the soldiers and burden-bearers crowded under the trees and the Tartar General's chair was borne to the piazza, and he at once alighted. THE CONVERSATION AND REFRESHMENTS. The Tartar General, Chang Tsein, was met at the door by the Consul and escorted into the parlor, where General Grant shook hands and gave him a seat. The attendants swarmed around the doors and the windows. I rather pitied the Tartar General, who looked tired and nervous, when I was told that his hour for rising was three o'clock in the afternoon ; that he was not in the best of health, and that nothing but his desire to be civil to General Grant induced him to break through his habits. But His Excellency was chatty and ran into a long con- versation, mainly about the age of General Grant and his own, the long distance between America and China, the extraordinary fact that the world was round, which no Chinaman really believes, and the singular circumstance that while we were sitting there looking at the trees and the shining sun, people at home were either in bed or thinking of going to bed. One of the party, for the purpose, I presume, of sustaining the conversation, said that in going around the world we lost a day — that it was 364 days in the year going one way, and 366 going another ; to all of which the Tartar General listened with a polite but doubting interest. General Grant ventured upon some questions as to the resources of the country, and learned that Pekin was much colder than Canton, that the Tartar General's home was in Pekin, that he had been so long in Canton, that his health was affected and he wanted to be recalled. This talk ran on for fifteen minutes and tea was passed around in Chinese fashion, and the Consul led the way to another room. Here were refreshments, mainly sweetmeats and wine. Ten minutes more were spent over the candies and cakes, and the Tartar General, filling his glass with champagne, drank our health. Then tea was served again and the Tartar General arose, took his leave, and went off amid the beating of gongs, the \\'aving of banners and the cries of his retinue. In this, as in other grand ceremonies and customs of the Chinese, noise was an essential feature. The sounds of the gongs had scarcely died away when the sounds of other gongs announced the coming of the Vicero)-, Lin Kwan Yu. He came in a little more state than the Tartar General, but the cere- monies of the reception were about the same. Then came other officials, all of whom had to be i-eceivcd, and given tea and sweatmeats "and wine, so that the morning had gone before the last visit. 223 224 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. From the narrative of a traveler who closely observed the social customs of the Chinese, it appears that a wedding is attended with some very curious ceremonies, as will be seen from the description. The bridegroom sent very early in the morning for his bride. The bridal-chair was painted red. Before the bride took her seat in the sedan, which was brought into the reception-room of her home for her, she having eaten nothing that morning, and having "kowtowed" very often to her parents, they covered her head and face with a thick veil, so that she could not be seen. The floor, from her room to the sedan, was covered with red carpet. When in the sedan, four bread-cakes were tossed into the air by one of the bridesmaids as an omen of good fortune. In front of the procession two men carried large lighted lan- terns, having the family name of the bridegroom, cut in red paper, and pasted on them. Then came two men bearing the family name of the bride, who were, however, only to go part of the way. Other men fol- lowed, some carrying a large red umbrella, others torches, and again some playing a band of music. Near the bridal chair brothers or friends of the bride walked. Half-way between the two houses the friends of the bridegroom met the bride, and as they approached the procession stopped. A BRIDAL PARTY WITH LIVELY MUSIC. The bride's friends brought out a large red card, on which was writ- ten the bride's family name, and the other party produced a similar one, bearing that of the bridegroom. These were exchanged with bows. The two men at the head of the procession then walked, with their lan- terns, between the sedan-chair and the lantern-bearers, who carried the bride's familyname.and returned to their places in front, when the bride's party turned round and went back to her father's house, canying home her family name, she being supposed to have now taken that of her hus- band. Even her brothers went back also, and then the band played a very lively air whilst the rest of the procession took her on. Fire- works were let off along the road, and a great many outside the bride- groom's door when the bride arrived. Her bridesmaids, who have to keep with her throughout the day, accompanied the procession. As the sedan-chair was taken into the reception-room the torch-bearers and musicians stayed near the door, and where it was put down the floor was again covered with red carpet. The bridegroom then came and knocked at the bridal door, but a married woman and a little boy, holding a mirror, asked the bride to get out. Her bridesmaids helped her to alight. The mirror was supposed to ward off evil influences. Sometimes, much for the same purpose, a bride is carried over a charcoal fire on a servant's back, but this was not done on this occasion. WONDERS OF CHINA. 225 All this time the bride's face was hidden by her veil. She was then taken into a room, where the bridegroom was waiting for her, and here they sat down together for a few minutes, without speaking a word. Sometimes the bridegroom sits on a high stool, while the bride throws herself down before him, to show that she considers man superior to woman. He then went into the reception-room, where he waited for his bride to come to worship his ancestral tablets with him. A table was put in front of the room, on v.'hich were two lighted candles and lighted incense. Two goblets, chop-sticks, and other things were on the table, when the bride and bridegroom both knelt four times, bow- ing their heads towards the earth. This was called "worshiping heaven and earth." The ancestral tablets were on the tables at the back, on which were also lighted candles and incense. Turning round towards the tablets, they worshiped them eight times, and then facing one another, they knelt four times. THE bridegroom's FIRST SIGHT OF HIS BRIDE's FACE. Wedding wine was now drunk, and the bride and bridegroom ate a small piece from the same sugar-cock, which was to make them agree. The thick veil was now taken off the bride, but her face was still partly hidden by strings of pearl hanging from a bridal coronet. It often happens that the bridegroom now sees his bride for the first time, the two fathers having perhaps planned the marriage, asked a fortune-tel- ler's advice, sent go-betweens to make ail the necessary arrangements, chosen a lucky day, without the bride or bridegroom having a voice in the matter, and conducted all the negotiations. Many other ceremonies had to take place, such as kneeling very often before the bridegroom's parents, when at last it was time for the bride's heavy outer garments to be taken off, together with her head- dress, so that her hair could be well arranged ; but she was not allowed to eat anything at all at the wedding dinner. Indeed, on her wedding- day, she is hardly expected to touch food at all. Many people came in to see her, and on this day she must be quite natural, and wear no rouge at all. She has to stand up quietly to be looked at, blessed, and have remarks made upon her appearance. Presents are sent to the bridegroom's family. For three days the bride's parents send her food, as she may not, during that time, eat what her husband provides. In some districts of the province of Canton the bride leaves her husband, and goes home again for a time after she is married, but after marriage she is generally considered to belong almost entirely to her husband's family, in a wing of whose house she lives with him, and to whose parents she is supposed to help him to be filial. On many other days the ancestral tablets have to be worshiped by the 15 226 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. bride and bridegroom, and amongst other gods and goddesses, those- of the kitchen have adoration paid to them with becoming gravity. Both boys and girls in China sometimes marry when they are only sixteen years of age, thus making an early start in life. It is customary for terrible tortures to be inflicted upon criminals. f. The most common punishment of criminals in China is that of the cangue, a sort of moveable pillory. A piece of wood, some four feet square and nearly four inches in thickness, has a hole in the middle, through which the culprit's head is passed. The machine opens with a hinge, and when closed is locked, and a placard designating the offense is pasted on it. As long as the cangue is worn, the unhappy WONDERS OF CHINA. 227 delinquent cannot feed himself, so that he would be starved to death were he not fed by casual contributions. Fortunately, it is considered a meritorious action to feed a prisoner in the cangue, so that little risk of actual starvation is run, and the principal terror of the cangue lies in the pain caused by carrying such a weight upon the neck and shoulders. This instrument is often worn for weeks and sometimes for three months, which is the extent of its legal use. Finger squeezing is another torture which is frequently used. Four pieces of bamboo are tied loosely together at the end, and a string passes through the other ends, so arranged that by drawing it they can be pulled closely together. The fingers are introduced between the bamboos, and by pulling at the string they can be crushed almost to pieces. This torture is often employed by the mandarins, when endeavoring to extort money from persons whom they suspect of con- cealing their wealth. The ankles are squeezed after a similar fashion, only in this case the bamboos are much larger. Most of the so-called minor tortures, that is, those which are not directly aimed at life, are employed for the purpose of extorting money, which seems to be a customary procedure among landlords. Beating with the bamboo is another common punishment. There are two kinds of bamboo for this purpose, the small and the large; the latter being capable of producing death if used with severity. This punishment is employed for men and women alike ; the only differ- ence being that the man is thrown prostrate on the ground, while the woman suffers in a kneeling posture. HIRING A SUBSTITUTE TO TAKE THE WHIPPING. A man of forethought, however, never suffers much from the bam- boo, and, if possible, nothing at all. In the former case, he bribes the executioner, who strikes so as to produce a very effective sounding blow, but in reality inflicts very little injury. In the latter case, he bribes a man to act as a substitute, and, just as the first blow is about to be struck, some of the officers, who are also bribed, get between the judge and the culprit, while the latter rolls out of the way, and the substitute takes his place. A similar ruse is enacted at the completion of the punishment. It may seem strange that any one should act as a substitute in such a business ; but in China men care little for their skins, or even for their lives, and it is possible to purchase a substitute even for capital punishment, the chief difficulty being not to bribe the substitute, but to find enough money to bribe all the officials, who must act in concert, and each receive his handsome fee. Powerful as they may be, the mandarins have not all the power of life and death, though they can inflict punishments which practically 228 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. lead to the same result. A case of this kind is narrated. Two men had been arrested in the act of robbing a house during a fire. This is rightly held to be the most heinous kind of theft, and is generally punished with decapitation. The mandarin of the district had not the power to inflict death, but contrived to manage that the men should die. Accordingly, he had two tall bamboo cages made, placed a man inside each, and tied him by his hair to the top bars of the cage. The cages were placed in the open air, in charge of officers, who would not allow any communication with the offenders. The natural consequence was, that privation of food, drink, sleep, and rest of any kind, together with exposure to the elements, killed the men as effectually as the sword of the executioner. A modification of this mode of punishment is by covering the top of the cage with a board through a hole in which the head of the sufferer passes. The top of the cage is adjusted so that the man is forced to stand on tiptoe as he is suspended by the neck. His hands being bound behind him, relief is, of course, impossible. Snake tubes made of soft metal are sometimes coiled round the body, and boiling water is then poured into them, producing the most horrible torture, and sometimes a slow, lingering death. SINGULAR MODES OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. As to capital punishments, they are inilicted in various ways. The mode that is thought to be the least terrible is the command to com- mit suicide, because in that case they can avoid the mangling of the body, and so make their appearance in the spirit world whole and en- tire. This is a privilege only accorded to officers of very high rank, and is conferred upon them by sending the "silken cord." No cord is really sent, but the mandate implies the instrument of death. When it is received, the doomed man takes some of his nearest relatives and most valued friends to his house, fastens the silken cord to a beam, places himself on a stool, passes the noose round his neck, and then leaps off the stool, and so dies. Officers of lower rank, when they see that they will probably be condemned to death, generally anticipate their sentence by hanging themselves on their own responsibility. For criminals of no status, strangulation is the mode of death most pre- ferred. It is accomplished in a manner exactly resembling the Span- ish garrote. The criminal stands with his back to a post, through which a hole is bored at the level of his neck. The two ends of a cord are passed through the hole, the loop embracing the man's neck. The ends are then twisted round a stick, and, by a few rapid turns of the stick, the man is killed. Decapitation is always conducted with much judicial solemnity, and, as a rule, is restricted to certain seasons of the year, when large batches WONDERS OF CHINA. 229 of criminals are executed. There are, however, occasional exceptions to the rule. The instrument employed is a sword made expressly for the purpose. It is a two-handed weapon, very heavy, and with a very broad blade. The executioners pride themselves on their skill in its management, and, in order to show their powers, will draw a black-ink line round a turnip, and sever it at a blow, the cut never passint^ on DECAPITATION OF A CHINESE CRIMINAL. either side of the line. Before a man is admitted to be an executioner, he is obliged to prove his ability by this test, and be able to carry a steady hand as he gives the fatal blow. The criminal is carried to the place of execution in a bamboo cage, and by his side is the basket in which his head will be removed. He is pinioned in a very effective manner. The middle of a long and thin rope is passed across the back of l.is neck, and the ends are crossed on the chest, and brought under the arms. They are then twisted round the arms, the wrists tied together behind the back, and the ends fastened to the portion of rope upon the neck. A slip of paper containing his 230 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. name, crime, and sentence is fixed to a reed, and stuck at the back of his head. On arriving at the place of execution, the officials remove the paper, and take it to the presiding mandarin, who writes on it in red ink the warrant for execution. The paper is then replaced, a rope loop is passed over the head of the culprit, and the end given to an assistant, who draws the head forward so as to stretch the neck, while a second assistant holds the body from behind ; and in a moment the head is severed from the body. Chinese people do very singular things. Because they think that their birds sometimes like change of air, they carry their cages out of doors with them for a walk. Dogs are sold in the shops, and in one district of Canton a fair is held, where they are regularly sold for food. Many people like black dogs best. At the beginning of summer nearly everybody eats dog's flesh, when a ceremony takes place. If people eat it, they think it will keep them from being ill. Yet the Cantonese think that they displease the gods when they eat dog's flesh, and you may see it written on Buddhist temples that people ought not to eat "their faithful guardians." The Cantonese must not go into a temple to worship till they have been three whole days without eating any dog. Thus a little respect is shown to the brute creation. THE MAN WHO MAKES THE FASHIONS. Chinese gentlemen and ladies dress very much alike ; and people cannot change their clothes as they choose, because there is a minister of ceremonies, who says of what color, stuff, and shape things are to be made, and when winter and summer things are to be changed. Even a head-dress may not be altered as people like, or they might be breaking a law. No Chinaman wears a beard till he is forty. The outside robe of a gentleman is so long that it reaches to his ankles, and it is fastened with buttons. The sleeves are first broad, and then get narrower and narrower. A sash is tied round his waist, and from this chop-sticks, a tobacco-case, fans, and such-like things hang. The head-dress is a cap with a peak at the top. Men do not take off their hats to bow ; indeed, they would put them on if they were off In- doors they wear silk slippers, pointed and turned up at the toes. Chi- nese men are admired when they are stout, and women when they are thin. Women also have two robes, the top one often being made of satin, and reaching from the chin to the ground. Their sleeves are so] long that they do instead of gloves. They always wear trousers, and] often carry a pipe, as women smoke a great deal in China. Old ladies! wear very plain clothes. People wear shoes of silk, or cotton, with thick felt soles. The women spend hours having their hair done into all sorts of shapes, such as baskets, bird-cages, or anything they can WONDERS OF CHINA. 231 manufacture. Then besides ornaments in their hair, they wear ear- rings and bangles. Even boat-women wear these ; and the ladies al- -Tiost always paint their faces, to do which they have a kind of enamel. Chinese ladies have little useful occupation, and spend a great part of their time, when they are not doing embroidery, in gambling and adorning themselves. The peasants wear a coarse linen shirt, covered by a cotton tunic, with thin trousers fastened to the ankles. In wet and cold weather they make a useful covering of net-work, into which are plaited rushes, or coarse dry grass, and they put on very large hats, made in the same way. The Chinese are not at all lazy people. After their shutters are closed, and all looks dark from the outside, they are often at work, and they get up early too. Coolies wear their hair twisted around their heads. They do all the heavy work, and are porters, common house laborers, and sedan-chair bearers. You may see men carrying baskets, in which they are collecting every bit of paper they can find about the streets, which has been written upon. The Chinese have such respect for every little piece of paper, on which have been any Chinese characters, that they will not allow any parcels even to be wrapped up in them. When all these scraps have been collected, they are burnt in a lurnace, and the ashes are put into baskets, carried in procession, and emptied into a stream. Slips of paper are pasted on walls, telling people to reverence lettered paper. Chinese characters are called " eyes of the sage ; " and some people think that if they are irreverent to the paper, they are so to the sages who invented them, and they will perhaps, for a punishment, be born blind in the next world. Men become famous in China when they write very beautifully. They write with a brush and India ink. There are three styles of writing Chinese characters, and the literature of China is the first in Asia. A Chinaman writes from right to left, and all the writing consists of signs or characters. One word will signify a number of things, and you know which word they mean by the sound of the voice and the stress on the word. When a person dies gongs are beaten, and when the body is placed in its coffin, every corner of the room is beaten with a hammer, to frighten away bad spirits. A crown is also put on any person of rank. Widows and children, to show their grief, sit on the floor instead of on -chairs for seven days, and sleep on mats near to the husband and father's coffin. On the seventh day letters are written to friends, informing them of the death, when they send presents of money to iielp to defray the funeral expenses. CHAPTER VIII. WONDERS OF JAPAN. Personal Appearance of the Japanese — Fruits and Food — Theatrical Plays and Jugglery — Shops and Markets — Fortune Telling — Art — Social Customs— Dinner to General Grant — Musicians — Royal Reception and Court Manners — Potteries — Modes of Traveling — Forms of Religion — Shintoism and Buddhism. HE Japanese are a people quite separate from the Chinese, although in certain general features there is, between the two nations, a resemblance, easily traced. The complexion of the inhabitants of Japan varies from copper color to the olive-brown of Italians and Spaniards, but is far from being the same as the yellow of the Chinese. The Japanese have thick black hair and beards — at least would have if they would let them grow. Some do let the hair grow in an unparted mass, but most shave and arrange it carefully, according to custom. The reason for shaving the hair from the temples and the front of the head, and gathering all the rest into a top-knot, is because, in the feudal times, it became a custom for warriors to do this, that they might keep the hair out of their eyes when fighting. Gradually the custom spread to all classes. But in more ancient times still, the warriors were long- haired, bearded and moustached, and wore a kind of armor. The com- plexions of children are often brilliant and rosy, like those that accom- pany dark hair and eyes among ourselves ; while those of ladies of the upper-classes, who go out but seldom and guard carefully against sun and wind, are very fine, white, and delicate, but almost colorless. The people generally have expressive and animated faces, the children are pretty and engaging, and every one confesses that Japanese girls are very charming in their way. Two kind of faces are to be seen very unlike, although, no doubt, a -Stranger would at once recognize either as Japanese. The one is seen chiefly among the wealthy and noble classes, especially the female part of them ; the other is the commoner type all over Japan, although it is not unfrequently found among nobles. The high class type of face is long and oval, with a high and narrow forehead, straight or aquiline nose, slanting, deep-set, almond-shaped eyes, small thin-lipped mouth, and pointed chin ; this type of face is (232) WONDERS OF JAPAN. 233- called "nut-cracker" by the irreverent. The half-shaved crowns of the men give an appearance of undue length and oddity to their coun- tenances, from which the women's frizzed-out rolls of abundant lustrous black hair saves them. Women of this type are really beautiful, and they are, besides, so graceful in their carriage and manners, and so win- ning, and yet dignified, that even strangers are charmed with them. The voices of all classes are soft, and the manners of all are courteous, and of the higher class very elaborate and stately. It is supposed that the poor food and laborious life of the mass of the people has something to do with their flatter and coarser features and sallower complexions. They are not unhealthy, but they have little to make them strong and hearty. There are about ninety different kinds of fish — thirteen or fourteen of them shell-fish — to choose from ; fourteen kinds of beans, which more nearly supply the place of meat than anything else ; many vege- tables, potatoes, spinach, egg-plant, yams, leeks, and others, sea-weed made into jelly, and many roots whose names you never heard of. In some parts of the country grapes, bananas, orange-trees, and sugar-cane grow. A loaf of bread would nev^er cheer your eyes. Sweetmeats, and sponge-cake, and oranges, those who are not too poor can have in abun- dance. They have the persimmon, a golden fruit much larger than an apple, and more delicious than any when fresh, and when dried by hang- ing from the kitchen roof tasting something like a fig ; but game, fowls, or ducks, hardly ever. Cattle and sheep now are used both for milk and food. Fish is fish, even if it be only a piece of whalesteak, which sometimes comes to the table after a whale has been unfortunate enough to visit the north-eastern shores. Sometimes stews are made of quail, woodcock, and pheasant by the wives of the tired sportsmen who have snared them ; and in the mountains, where monkeys are plentiful, they are trapped and killed and roasted, and are considered a great delicacy ; so, by-the-bye, are sea-slugs, and many other things you would shudder at, even to a kind of whitish clay which the poor Ainos make, with boiled lily-bulbs, into soup. The Japanese do not take such pains to have their food hot as we do. Even in the depth of winter, you will see a porter taking for his break- fast a mass of cold rice, just warmed by pouring tea over it. They use chop-sticks and spoons, for the most part, af meals. The daughter of the house, or the maid, generally dispenses the food, ladling out the rice from a bucket into little bowls, pouring out the tea, and waiting upon all. Theatres are so important a part of Japanese life that a description of them must be given. The best and most serious people do not care.- WONDERS OF JAPAN. 235 to attend the theatres, nor is it the custom for persons of high rank to do so. They attend or join in the private performances given within the palace. Women under forty are forbidden by law to visit the pub- lic theatres — but many among the poorer classes, however, disobey the law and attend, with their husbands and families, an amusement which has a peculiar charm for the Japanese. Sometimes juggling and acro- batic performances are given, sometimes plays on legends of heroic or feudal times or on real events. These are very interesting as giving a faithful representation of the good old times, with all their dignity and splendor of ceremonial and dress, and as reminders of the patriotism and great-heartedness of ancestors. The scenery and dresses for these are most elaborate and even magnificent ; the latter are often almost priceless, being heir-looms handed down from one generation of actors to another. The actors were once a despised class, and reckoned among the eta or outcasts. They learned the art from their fathers, and passed ■on its traditions to their sons, thus making the profession hereditary. SINGULAR JAPANESE AMUSEMENTS. Then, again, masques and pageants are given — such as scenes from the old court life, or celebrations of the changing seasons. These are beautiful and instructive, but the tragedies and ordinary plays are neither. Women were not allowed to act in public except in one or two compa- nies, composed of women only. Men act the women's parts cleverly enough, but their imitation of women's voices sounds laughable to strangers, and produces a ludicrous effect. The play begins about nine or ten in the morning, and lasts all day ; sometimes two or three days ! Generally it leaves off at dark. When a favorite play is announced, people come early to get good seats on the floor, of course. Mothers bring their babies, and their husbands the provisions in the dinner-box, and they spend the whole day at the theatre, smoking all the time, chatting and eating when the actors rest. Tea-house servants bring in trays and offer refreshments. Black-capped ■boys (whom you are supposed not to see) wait on the actors' movements, slipping behind them and taking away the stage furnishings that are •done with, or placing supports, unobserved, for aweary actor, so that he may keep his position the due length of time. If the performance goes on after dark, candles are lit in front of the stage, and, in addition, attendants hold wands with candles at the end of them, so that the light falls on the actors' faces. Next day, if the play is unfinished, the crowds come again and listen unweariedly, and often breathless and silent with excitement, to the long drawn out ago- nies, raptures, and suspenses of a Japanese play. The masked dances and pageants are especially delightful, coming 236 WONDERS OF JAPAN. 237 down, as they do, from very ancient times, when they were associated with rehgious meanings, and were intended to teach moral lessons. Women, besides keeping house, work in the fields as hard as the men, and there is scarcely anything that they can do, from leading pack-horses to swimming and diving for shell-fish among the rocks, that they are not employed in. They spin and weave, after they have combed out the fluffy heaps of cotton ; they take. their part in picking, drying, and sorting the tea-crop ; they act as barbers and hairdressers to their own sex, building up erections of false and real hair, with ribbons and pins, which last a week untouched, and because Japanese custom requires the eyebrows to be plucked out after marriage, and any stray hair on the neck and temples to be extracted. They work at the mechanical part of various arts, such as fan-making, lacquer-box making, the polishing of mirrors, and so on ; but they have not been allowed to compete with men in the more skilled labors. The fans are not painted, but put together by them, and even a painter of mere signs would disdain to teach his art to a woman. On the other hand, in music they may take an equal share ; in fact, it is really more practiced by women than men. They are more commonly to be seen than men in the shops of some of the large cities, such as Yedo, with the ready-reckoner for ever between their fingers, managing and serv- ing. Wherever there is a " local manufacture," the women take part in it. The peasants' wives go to market to sell and buy, and if they have any distance to go, instead of jolting along in a cart, they hang their wares in baskets to the horses' sides, or pile them under the high saddle, which they then mount like men, having never heard of side- saddles. That is what the poor people do. •' Ladies " take a noriman or a kango in such cases, and if they are very great ladies indeed, their norimon is borne by four men, but otherwise by two. HUMAN BEASTS OF BURDEN. Everywhere men — and women too, when the men are otherwise em- ployed — are used as beasts of burden in a way that strikes foreigners painfully at first. You wall see men on the coldest days in winter, scarcely clothed at all, flying along with the post-bag, or with a live fish, wrapped in straw, sflung across their shoulders, which they are bound to deliver in an hour to some epicure who likes his fish fresh from the sea. Then there are the jinnikishas, in which men act as horses, going at six miles an hour, and who suffer much from complaints of the heart in consequence, and are liable to sudden and early deaths. Then, where other people would perhaps use a ferry-boat, many a poor man is glad to get his living by carrying people and packages across the river. Here, again, you can see the difference between the well-to-do lady, who 238 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. sits at ease on a kind of tray with poles, carried by four men, and the poor woman, who trusts to one man's shoulders for her safety. One of the flourishing professions of women is fortune-telling. The divining-woman is consulted by all classes. She professes to be a medium, and says that the spirits she is in communication with speak through her voice when suitably summoned. Every one wears charms and amulets. When the small-pox rages, anxious parents write outside their houses that their children are away from home, and fancy that the spirit which brings the disease will be cheated by seeing the inscription ! They carry tiny figures of their favorite god or goddess in little embroidered scarlet bags, made on purpose, within the sleeves or girdles, and think that to let one drop by accident is a certain sign of speedy death. But the number of omens they believe in is endless. THE STRANGE BELIEF IN WIZZARDS. Thus they are only too ready to take a professed " medium " at her word, and call her in to know if a sick person will recover, if a traveler will return safely, if they will be happily married, if their enterprises will turn out prosperously — anything and everything. The same superstition leads some of them to try to please the gods, or rather to escape their displeasure, by retiring from the world and living a life of inactive contemplation. This is dying out, as the power of Buddhism dies away. Shintoism has never had life enough in it to inspire such sacrifices, but sometimes, here and there, you may find a true ascetic — a hermit — perched, like the baby of the nursery rhyme, in the tree- top, living by the charity and reverence of passers-by, who hoist his food to the holy man, and thankfully receive his blessings in return, as heavenly payment for an earthly gift. One reason for the excellence of Japanese art is, that the artists, instead of copying from each other, invariably go to nature for their models. They have teachers just as we do, but the great object of these professors is to teach their pupils how to produce the greatest effect with the fewest lines. Book after book may be seen entirely filled with studies for the guidance of the young artists, in which the master has depicted various scenes with as (ew lines as possible. One of these books is entirely filled with studies of falling rain, and, monot- onous as the subject may seem, no two drawings are in the least alike, and a separate and forcible character is given to each sketch. Another book has nothing but outlines of landscape scenery, while some are entirely filled with grass-blades, some bending in the wind, others beaten down by rain, and others flourishing boldly upright. The bamboo is another favorite subject; and so highly do the Japanese 239 '240 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. prize the skill displayed by a master, that they will often purchase at a high price a piece of paper with nothing on it but a few strokes of the brush, the harmony of the composition and the balance of the different lines of beauty being thoroughly appreciated by an artistic eye. Studying as the Japanese do in the school of nature, they are marvelously apt at expressing attitude, whether of man, beast, or bird. They never have any difficulty in disposing of the arms of their figures, and, no matter what may be the action, there is always an ease about it which betrays the artist's hand even in the rudest figures. Among living objects the crane appears to be the special favorite of the Japanese, its popularity being shared, though not equaled, by the stork and the heron. These birds are protected both by law and popular opinion, and in consequence are so tame that the native artists have abundant oppor- tunities of studying their attitudes, which they do with a patient love for the subject that is almost beyond praise. No figure is so frequently introduced in Japanese art as the crane, and so thoroughly is the bird understood, that it is scarcely possible to find in all the figures of cranes, whether cast in bronze, drawn on paper, or embossed and painted on articles of furniture, two specimens in which the attitude is exactly the same. With us, even the professional animal painters are apt to take a sketch or two, and copy them over and over again, often repeating errors as well as excellencies, while the Japanese artist has too genuine a love for his subject to descend to any such course. Day by day he studies his living models, fills his book with sketches taken rapidly, but truly, and so has always at hand a supply of genuine and original attitudes. The porcelain of the Japanese is singularly beautiful, and sometimes is adorned with ornaments -which may be reckoned under the head of " conceits." For instance, a cup will be adorned with a representa- tion of pleasure boats on the river. With a needle the tiny windows of the boats can be raised, when a party of ladies and gentlemen drinking tea are discovered inside the boat. Sometimes a little tortoise may be seen reposing quietly at the bottom of the cup, until the hot tea is poured into it, when the creature rises to the surface, shaking its head and kicking with its legs as if in pain from the hot liquid. In Japanese pictures certain curious figures may be seen, looking as if human beings had been wrapped in a bundle of rushes, This strange costume is the snow-cloak of the ordinary Japanese. For mere rain the Japanese generally wear a sort of overcoat made of •oiled paper, very thin, nearly transparent, and very efficient, though it is easily torn. But when a snow-storm comes on, the Japanese puts WONDERS OF JAPAN. 241 on another garment, which is made in a way equally simple and effective, and affords him protection from the inclement weather. A sort of skeleton is made of network, the meshes being about two inches in diameter. Upon each point of the mesh is tied a bunch of vegetable fibre, like very fine grass, the bundles being about as thick as an ordinary pencil where they arc tied, and spreading toward the ends. The garment thus made is exceedingly light, and answers its purpose in the most admirable manner. The bunches of fibres overlapping each other like the tiles of a house, keep the snow far from the body, while any snow that may melt simply runs along the fibres and drops to the ground. To wet this snow cloak through is almost im- possible, even the jet of a garden engine having little effect upon it except when quite close, while no amount of snow would be able to force a drop of water through the loose texture of the material. The Japanese silks have long been celebrated, but there is one kind of which scarcely • anything is known among us. A number of rolls of silk were once presented to the members of a foreign em- bassy. They were all in strips about three yards long and one wide, so that they seemed to be useless. They happened, however, to be exceedingly valuable ; in fact, absolutely priceless, as no money could buy them. They were made highly figured Japanese v.\se. by exiled nobles, who were punished by being sent to the island of Fatsizio, where they spend their time in making these peculiar silks. No one below a certain rank is allowed to wear the silk which has been woven by noble fingers, or even to have the fabric in the house, and in consequence not a piece ever even found its way to the shops. From an interesting account of a dinner given to General Grant when he visited Japan, we may get a good idea of some of the Japanese customs. The narrative, after describing the beauty of the grounds sur- rounding the temple where the festivities took place, proceeds as follows: 16 242 WONDF.RS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. The servants have brought in the candles. Before each table is a pedestal on which a candle burns, and the old temple lights up with a new splendor. To add to this splendor the wall has been draped with A REMARKABLE JAPANESE BRONZE VASE. heavy silks, embroidered with gold and silver, with quaint and curious legends of the history of Japan. These draperies lend a new richness to the room, and you admire the artistic taste which suggested them. The merchants enter bearing meats. Advancing to the centre of the WONDERS OF JAPAN. 243 room, and to the General, they kneel and press their foreheads to the floor. With this demure courtesy the course begins. Other attendants enter, and place on each table the lacquer bowls and dishes. Instead of covering the tables with a variety of food and tempting you with auxiliary dishes of watermelon seeds and almond kernels, as in China, the Japanese give you a small variety at a time. I am afraid, however, we have spoiled our dinner. Our amiable friend, the Japanese Minister, warned us in the beginning not to be in a hurry, to restrain our curiosity, not to hurry our investigations into the science of a Japanese table, but to pick and nibble and wait — that there were good things coming, which we should not be beyond the condition of enjoying. There is no bread and no wine, and our only drink is the hot preparation from rice with its sherry flavor, which is poured out of a teapot into shallow lacquer saucers, and which you sip, not without relish, although it has no place in any beverage known to your experience. We are dining, however, in strict Japanese fashion, just as the old daimios did, and our hosts are too good artiste to spoil a feast with champagne. Then it has been going on for hours, and when you have reached the fourth hour of a dinner, even a temperance dinner, with nothing more serious than a hot insipid sherry-like rice drink, you have passed beyond the critical and curious into the resigned condition. If we had only been governed by the Minister we might have enjoyed this soup, which comes first in the course, and as you lift the lacquered top you know to be hot and fragrant. It is a soup composed of carp and mushroom and aromatic shrub. Another dish is a prepared fish that looks like a confection of cocoanut, but which you see to be fish as you prod it with your chop- sticks. This is composed of the red snapper fish, and is served in red and white alternate squares. It looks well, but you pass it by as well as another dish that is more poetic at least, for it is a preparation of the skylark, wheat flour cake and gourd. We are not offended by the next soup, which comes hot and smoking, a soup of buckwheat and egg- plant. You push your soup to the end of the table and nip off the end of a fresh cigar, and look out upon the town over which the domi- nant universe has thrown the star-sprinkled mantle of night, and follow the lines of light that mark the welcome we are enjoying, and trace the ascending rockets as they shoot up from the hillside to break into masses of dazzling fire and illuminate the heavens for a moment in a rhapsody of blue and scarlet and green and silver and gold. If you have faith you will enter bravely into the dish that your silk- draped attendant now places before you, and as he does, bows to the level of the table and slides away. This is called oh-hira, and was composed, I am sure, by some ambitious daimio, who had given 244 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. thought to the science of the table and possessed an original genius. The base of this dish is panyu. Panyu is a sea fish. The panyu in itself would be a dish, but in addition we have a fungus, the roots of the lily and the stems of the pumpkin. The fungus is delicate, and reminds you of mushroom, but the pumpkin, after you had fished it out and saw that it was a pumpkin seemed forlorn and uncomfortable, con- scious no doubt of a better destiny in its New England home than flavoring a mess of pottage. What one objects to in these dishes is the objection you have to frogs and snails. They lack dignity. And when we come to real American food, like the pumpkin and buckwheat, we expect to see it specially honored, and not thrown into a pot boiled in mixed company. The lily roots seemed out of place. I could find no taste in them, and would have been content to have known them as turnips. But your romantic notions about the lily — the lines you have written in albums, the poetry and water colors — are dispelled by its actual presence in a boiled state, with arrowroot and horse-radish. GROUPS OF MAIDENS MAKING. MUSIC. While our hosts are passing around the .strange dishes a signal is made and the musicians enter. They are maidens with fair, pale faces, and small, dark, serious eyes. You are pleased to see that their teeth have not been blackened, as was the custom in past days, and is even now almost a prevalent custom among the lower classes. We are told that the maidens who have come to grace our feast are not of the com- mon singing class, but the daughters of the merchants and leading citi- zens of Nagasaki. The first group is composed of four. They enter, sit down on the floor and bow their heads in salutation. They wear the costume of the country, the costume that was known before the new days came upon Japan. They have blue silk gowns, white collars and heavily brocaded pearl-colored sashes. After they had played an over- ture another group entered, fourteen maidens similarly dressed, each carrying the small banjo-like instrument and ranging themselves on a bench against the wall, the tapestry and silks suspended over them. Then the genius of the artist was apparent, and the rich depending tap- estry, blended with the blue and white and pearl, and animated with the faces of the maidens, their music and their songs, made a picture of Japanese life which an artist might regard with envy. You see then the delicate features of Japanese decoration which have bewitched our artist friends, and which the most adroit fingers in vain try to copy. When the musicians enter the song begins. It is an original composi- tion. The theme is the glory of America and honor to General Grant. They sing of the joy that his coming has given to Japan, of the interest and pride they take in his fame ; of their friendship for their friends 245 246 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. across the great sea. This is all sung in Japanese, and we follow the lines through the mediation of a Japanese friend who learned his English in America. This anthem was chanted in a low, almost monotonous key, one singer leading in a kind of solo and the remainder coming in with a chorus. The song ended, twelve dancing maidens entered. They wore a crimson-like overgarment fashioned like pantaloons — a foot or so too long— so that when they walked it was with a dainty pace, lest they might trip and fall. The director of this group was constantly on his hands and knees, creeping round among the dancers keeping their drapery in order, not allowing it to bundle up and vex the play. These maidens carried bouquets of pink blossoms, artificially made, examples of the flora of Japan. They stepped through the dance at as slow a measure as in a minuet of Louis XIV. The movement of the dance was simple, the music a humming thrumming, as though the performers were tuning their instruments. After passing through a few measures the dancers slowly filed out and were followed by another group, who came wearing masks — the mask in the form of a large doll's face — and bearing children's rattles and fans. The peculiarity of this dance was that time was kept by the movement of the fan — a graceful, expressive movement which only the Eastern people have learned to bestow on the fan. With them the fan becomes almost an organ of speech, and the eye is employed in its management at the expense of the admiration we are apt at home to bestow on other features of the amusement. The masks indicated that this was a humorous dance, and when it was over four special performers, who had unusual skill, came in with flowers and danced a pantomime. Then came four others, with costumes differ- ent — blue robes, trimmed with gold, who carried long, thin wands, en- twined in gold and red, from which dangled festoons of pink blossoms. All this time the music hummed and thrummed. To vary the show we had even a more grotesque amusement. First came eight children, who could scarcely do more than toddle. They were dressed in white, embroidered in green and red, wearing purple caps formed like the Phrygian liberty cap and dangling on the shoulders. They came into the temple inclosure and danced on the graveled walk, while two, wearing an imitation of a dragon's skin, went through a dance and various contortions, supposed to be a dragon at play. This reminded us of the pantomime elephant, where one performer plays the front and another the hind legs. In the case of our Japanese dragon the legs were obvious, and the performers seemed indisposed even to respect the illusion. It was explained that it was an ancient village dance, one of the oldest in Japan, and that on festive occasions, when the harvests are ripe or when some legend or feat of heroism is to be commemorated^ WONDERS OF JAPAN. 247 they assemble and dance it. It was a trifling, innocent dance, and you felt as you looked at it, and, indeed, at all the features of our most unique entertainment, that there was a good deal of nursery imagination in Japanese fetes and games. A more striking feature was the decorations which came with the second course of our feast. First came servants, bearing two trees, one of the pine, the other of the plum. The plum tree was in full blossom. One of these was set on a small table in front of Mrs. Grant, the other in front of the General. Another decoration was a cherry tree, sur- mounting a large basin, in which were living carp fish. The carp has an important position in the legends of Japan. It is the emblem of ambition and resolution. This quality was shown in another decora- tion, representing a waterfall, with carp climbing against the stream. You will note, however, as our dinner goes on it becomes bizarre and odd, and runs away with all well-ordered notions of what even a daimio's dinner should be. The soups disappear. You see we have only had seven distinct soups served at intervals, and so cunningly prepared that you are convinced that in the ancient days of Japanese splendor soup had a dignity which it has lost. The music is in full flow, and the lights of the town grow brighter with the shades of darkening night, and some of the company have long since taken refuge from the dinner in cigars, and over the low brick wall and in the recesses of the temple grounds crowds begin to cluster and form, and below, at the foot of the steps, the crowd grows larger and larger, and you hear the buzz of the throng and the clinking of the lanterns of the chair-bearers, for the whole town is in festive mood, and high up in our open temple on our hillside we have become a show for the town. Well, that is only a small return for the measure- less hospitality we have enjoyed, and if we can gratify an innocent curi- osity, let us think of so much pleasure given incidentally to others. A ROYAL WELCOME TO GENERAL GRANT. The customs which prevail at the royal court of Japan will be seen from a graphic description of the Emperor's reception of his distin- guished visitor, furnished by one of the party. The Japanese, with a refinement of courtesy quite French in its way, were solicitous that General Grant should not have any special honors in Japan until he had seen the Emperor. It was felt that as the General was the guest of the nation he should be welcomed to the nation by its chief They were also anxious that the reception should take place on the Fourth of July. Their imaginations had been impressed by the poetry of the idea of a reception to one who had been the head of the American nation, on the anniversary of American Independence. 248 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. The hour for our reception was two in the afternoon. The day was very warm, although in our palace on the sea we have whatever breeze may be wandering over the Pacific Ocean. General Grant invited some of his friends to accompany him. At half-past one Mr. Bingham, our Minister, arrived, and our party immediately drove to the palace. The home of the Kmperor is a long distance from the home of the General. The old palace was destroyed by fire, and Japan has had so many things to do that she has not built a new one. The road to the palace was through the section of Tokio where the old daimios lived when they ruled Japan as feudal lords, and made their occasional visits to the capital. There seems to have been a good deal of Highland freedom in the manners of the old princes. Their town houses were really fortifications. A space was inclosed with walls, and against these walls chambers were built — rude chambers, like winter quarters for an army. In these winter quarters lived the retainers, the swordsmen and soldiers. In the centre of the inclosure was the home of the lord himself, who lived in the midst of his people, like a general in camp, anxious to fight somebody, and disappointed if he returned to his home without a fight. A lord with hot-tempered followers, who had come from the restraints and amenities of home to have a good time at the capital, and give the boys a chance to distinguish themselves and see the world, would not be a welcome neighbor. And as there were a great many such lords, and each had his arm}' and his town fortress, the daimio quarter became an important part of the capital. Some of the houses were more im- posing than the palace — notably the house of the Prince of Satsuma. There was an imposing gate, elaborately buttressed and strengthened, that looked quite Gothic in its rude splendor. These daimio houses have been taken by the government for schools, for public offices, for various useful purposes. The daimios no longer come with armies and build camps and terrorize over their neighbors and rivals. We drove through the daimios' quarter and through the gates of the city. The first impression of Tokio is that it is a city of walls and canals. The walls are crude and solid, protected by moats. In the days of pikemen and sword-bearers there could not have been a more effective defence. Even now, it would require an effort for even a German army to enter through these walls. They go back many gen- erations. I do not know how many. In these lands nothing is worth recording that is not a thousand )'ears old, and my impression is that the walls of Tokio have grown up with the growth of the city, the necessities of defence, and the knowledge of the people in attack and defence. We passed under the walls of an inclosure which was called the castle. Here we are told the luiiperor will build his new palace. WONDERS OF JAPAN. 249 AVe crossed another I)ridc^e — I think there were a dozen altogether in the course of the drive — and came to a modest arched gateway, which did not look nearly as imposing as the entrance to the palace formerly occupied b)' the great rrince Satsuma. Soldiers were drawn up and the band played " Hail Columbia." Our carriages drove on past one or two modest buildings, and drew up in front of another modest building, on the steps of which the Minister Iwakura was standing. The General and party descended and were cordially welcomed and escorted up a narrow stairway into an anteroom. When you have seen most of the available palaces in the world, from the glorious home of Aurungzebe to the depressing mighty cloister of the Escurial,' you are sure to have preconceived notions of what a palace should be, and to expect some- thing unique and grand in the home of the long-hidden and sacred Majesty of Japan. The home of the Emperor was as simple as that of a country gentleman. We have many country gentlemen with felicitous investments m petroleum and silver who would disdain the home of a prince who claims direct descent from heaven, and whose line extends far beyond the Christian era. What marked the house was its simplic- ity and taste; qualities for which my palace education had not pre- pared me. You look for splendor, for the grand — at least the grandiose - — for some ro)'al \\ him, like the holy palace near the Escurial, which cost millions, or like Versailles, whose cost is among the eternal mys- teries. Here we are in a suite of plain rooms, the ceilings of wood, the walls decorated with natural scenery — the furniture sufficient but not crowded — and exquisite in style and finish. There is no pretence of architectural emotion. The rooms are large, airy, with a sense of summer about them which grows stronger as you look out of the window and down the avenues of trees. We are told that the grounds are spacious and fine, even for Japan, and that His Majesty, who rarely goes out- side of his palace grounds, takes his recreation within the walls. STRIKING APPEARANCE OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS. The palace is a low building, one or at most two stories in height. They do not build high walls in Japan, and especially in Tokio, where earthquakes are ordinary incidents, and the first question to consider in building up is how far you can fall. We enter a room where all the Ministers are assembled. The Japanese Cabinet is a famous body, and tested by laws of physiognom\- would compare with that of any Cabinet I have seen. A lord in waiting, heavily braided, with a uniform that Louis XIV. would not have disliked in Versailles, comes softly in and makes a signal, leading the way. The General, and Mrs. Grant, escorted by Mr. Bingham, and our retinue followed. The General and the Minister 250 WONDERS OF EXPLCJRATION AND ADVENTLRI were in evening dress. The naval officers were in full uniibrm, Colonel Grant wearing the uniform of lieutenant-colonel. We walked along a short passage and entered another room, at the further end of which were standing the Emperor and Empress. Two ladies in waiting were GENERAL GRANT MEETING THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN. near them, in a sitting, what appeared to be a crouching attitude. Two other princes were standing. These were the only occupants of the room. Our party slowly advanced, the Japanese making a profound obei.sance, bending the head almost to a right angle with the body. WONDERS OF JAPAN. 251 The royal princes formed in line near the Emperor, along with the princesses. The emperor stood quite motionless, iipparently unobser- vant or unconscious of the homage that was paid him. He is a young man with a slender figure, taller than the average Japanese and of about the middle height, according to our ideas. He has a striking face, with a mouth and lips that remind you something of the traditional mouths of the Hapsburg family. The forehead is full and narrow, the hair and the light moustache and beard intensely black. The color of the hair darkens what otherwise might pass for a swarthy countenance at home. The face expressed no feeling whatever, and but for the dark, glowing eye, which was bent full upon the General, you might have taken the imperial group for statues. The empress wore the Japanese costume, rich and plain. Her face w^as very white, and her form slender and almost childlike. Her hair was combed plainly and braided with a gold arrow. The solemn etiquette that pervaded the audience-chamber was peculiar, and might appear strange to those familiar with the stately but cordial manners of a European Court. But one must remember that the Emperor holds so high and so sacred a place in the traditions, the religion and the political system of Japan that even the ceremony of to-day is so far in advance of anything of the kind ever known in Japan that it might be called a revolution. The Emperor, for instance, as our group was formed, advailted and shook hands with the General. THE emperor's EXTRAORDINARY CONDESCENSION. That seems a trivial thing to write about, but such an incident was never known in the history of Japanese majesty. Many of these details may appear small, but we are in the presence of an old and romantic civilization, slowly giving way to the fierce, feverish pressure of European ideas, and you can only note the change in those incidents which would be unnoticed in other lands. The incident of the Emperor of Japan advancing toward General Grant and shaking hands becomes a historic event of consequence, and as such I note it. The manner of the Emperor was constrained, almost awkward, the manner of a man doing a thing for the first time, and trying to do it as well as possible. After he had shaken hands with the General, he returned to his place, and stood with his hand resting on his sword, looking on at the brilliant, embroidered, gilded company as though unconscious of their presence. Mr. Bingham advanced and bowed, and received just the faintish nod in recognition. The other members of the party were each presented by the Minister, and each one standing about a dozen feet from the Emperor stood and bowed. Then the General and Mrs. Grant were presented to the princesses, each party bowing to the other in silence. This ro>'al reception past, there were various sights which 252 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. claimed the attention of the visitors. The narrative continues : A few mornings before we left Euriokwan there was another experience. Our hosts had sent us some workers in pottery to show us the skill of the Japanese in a department of art in which they have no superiors. One of the famous potters had expressed a desire to show the General his work. After breakfast we found the artisans arranged in the large drawing-room. There was the chief worker, a solemn, middle-aged person, who wore spectacles. He was dressed in his gala apparel, and AM1:RICANS visiting a JA1'\M..--1 l'OIiiK\ when we came into the room went down on his face in Japanese style. There were three assistants. One worked the wheel. Another baked the clay. A third made himself generally useful. The chief of the party was a painter. We saw all the processes of the manufacture, the inert lump of clay going around and around, and shaping itself under the true, nimble fingers of the workmen into cups and vases and bowls. There is something fascinating in the labors of the wheel, the work is 50 thoroughly the artisan's own, for when he begins he has only a lump WONDERS OF JAPAN. 253^ of mud and when he ends his creation may be the envy of a throne room. It seems ahiiost Hke a Providence, this taking the dust of the valley and creating it, for the work is creation, and we are reminded of Providence in remembering that when the Creator of all fashioned His supreme work it was made of clay. The decoration of the clay was interesting, requiring a quick, firm stroke. We were requested to write something on the clay before it went into the furnace. General Grant gave his • autograph and the rest of us inscriptions written, as well as we could write, with a soft, yielding brush. After the inscrip- tions had been written the cups were washed in a white substance and hurried into the furnace. When they came out the fire had evaporated the coating and turned into a gloss the tints of our writing and the painters' colors had changed, and our inscriptions were permanent. A JAPANESE LADY ON HORSEBACK. A common mode of traveling in Japan, especially among the wealthier classes, is by the palanquin, or chair carried by men. Horseback riding is another mode, employed by the wealthier class, and is worth describing. The attitude and general appearance of a female equestrian in Japan differ considerably from those of our own country. Side-saddles are unknown, the fair rider perching herself upon a saddle which lifts her high above the back of the animal, concealing her body downward, holding on tightly by the front part of the saddle, and, in fact^ giving herself a look very much resembling that of a gayly attired monkey on horseback. This mode of riding is even followed by the opposite sex, the retainers of the high nobles sitting in their lofty saddles in very much the same attitude as that employed by the women, and being in consequence absolutely useless, except in looks, as cavalry. Yet, when they choose, the Japanese can ride tolerably, as is shown by the fact of a game which is played among them, in which the com- petitors are all mounted. In this game the players have to contend against very great disadvantages. In the first place, the horses which they bestride are wretched animals, mere rough ponies, and the accou- trements are so clumsy, that it is a wonder how the horse can be guided at all. According to our ideas, a horse is guided by the pressure of the leg and the touch of the rein, but the Japanese saddles render such guidance impossible. The former mode is prevented by the shape of the saddle, which has large flaps of stiff leather hanging so low that the heel or knee of the rider has no effect upon the animal ; and the latter mode is nearly as impossible as the former, by reason of the bit and the fashion of riding. The bit is a mere light snaffl2 placed loosely in the mouth, and the reins are used, not so much for the purpose of guiding the horse, as of 254 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. keeping the rider in his seat. The horsemen grasp a rein tightly in each hand, and so hang to the bit. The natural consequence is, that the mouths of the horses are nearly as tough as the leather saddle-flaps, and the animals always go with their noses in the air, so as to counter- act the perpetual haul on the bridle. The strangest part of horse equipment in Japan is, however, the shoe. Our idea of a horseshoe is a metallic plate to protect the horse against hard ground. The Japanese shoe is made of plaited straw, and is, in fact, nothing more than a straw sandal tied to the foot, giving it a very clumsy appearance. As may be imagined, their shoes never last very long, and on a stony road are soon cut to pieces. The rider, therefore, takes a supply of shoes with him, and renews them as fast as they are worn out. Indeed, a journey is often roughly calculated as a distance of so many shoes. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that the horse is seldom used in traveling. None but a poor noble will condescend to ride from one place to another, as it might be supposed that he could not afford the retinue which is required to carry him. Sometimes a nobleman will condescend to ride in public, but then his horse must be held by two grooms, who tug continually at the poor animal's mouth, and shout continually, " Chai ! Chai !" meaning gently, for haste is always thought undignified by the Japanese, and a person of consideration would suffer a o-reat infraction of dignity if he allowed himself to hurry on the road. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES IN JAPAN. One of the world's remarkable facts is that no nation can be found without a religion of some kind. No people have yet been discovered without customs and practices which can be accounted for only from the religious instinct and sentiment. There are two religions in Japan, very different in their original meaning and in their ceremonies, yet not so unlike in results as would be supposed by a stranger. The older and native religion is called Kami-worship, or Shinto ; the other is Buddhism. Shinto is a kind of worship of ancestors, or of warriors, or public benefactors, who lived long ago. Their memorable deeds are to be had in remembrance. The Shinto sacred book, "The Book of Ancient Traditions," only contains stories of gods and heroes. The Shinto commandments, which the adherents of this faith must observe, are these : — 1. Thou shalt honor the gods, and love thy country. 2. Thou shalt clearly understand the principles of heaven (relig- ion), and the duty of man. 3. Thou shalt revere the Mikado as thy sovereign, and obey the will of his court. 255 256 WONDERS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE. Shintoism was the religion of the Japanese as far back as we have records, and reverence for the Mikado or Emperor is a part of it. The Shinto Bible, written about the year 712 of our era, professes to give the date of the first Mikado, and of all his successors up to that period;; and although it is not certain that he ever really existed, the years are dated from his supposed reign. He is represented as having been a divine being, descended from the "Sun-Goddess," while it is said that SINGULAR CEREMONIES OF BUDDHIST PRIESTS. Japan was created before any other country, and so it is called "The Land of the Gods," a name popular among the people. It is supposed by those who study history most, that the Demi-gods, Mikados and heroes of early traditions may have been real people, who came later from Asia, and were cleverer and wiser than those they reigned over, so that the ignorant and simple natives, overawed and dazzled, ascribed to them many absurd things that they could not do. WONDERS OF JAPAN, 257 A few years ago, when an American steamer was seen in a Japanese harbor, the people would pray that the foreign sorcerers, who had power over a volcano to tame and use it for their purposes, might be sent away from their shores. It was thought by many Japanese that Europeans and Americans were not even men, but some kind of dragon-sorcerers, and that the chimney of the steamer was puffing out the breath of the great Fire- spirit. Hence they regarded it with a singular awe. As a rule, Shintoism has been the religion favored by the Mikado's Government, as a means of promoting loyalty and patriotism. The Shinto temples and the Mikado's palace are built alike, and called by the same word to express their sacredness. There are no idols in the temples. A mirror of polished metal is placed on a stand in the inner- most court, and is supposed to be a symbol of the presence of the gods. It is believed, too, that a guilty man's face is reflected back to him dis- torted, if he dare to gaze on it. Besides the mirror, there is a w'ooden wand called the gohei, with slips of white paper tied to it and hanging down, which has some similar meaning, but no one knows clearly what. A gohei is often put up in " groves and high places," and prayers are said before it. The Mikado's palace and the Shinto temples are built of fine-grained wood, with steep, thatched roofs ; and no paint, gilding, or ornament is allowed to defile them. No sacrifices are made, but offerings are daily laid before the altars. Pigeons are considered sacred, and kept in flocks in the Temple gardens ; they perch on a cross-bar joining two upright beams, which is called a Tori, and is in front of every Shinto temple, and some Buddhist temples also. The Shinto priests marry ; they do not shave their heads, nor do they dress differently from other people, except when officiating ; then they dress in pure white robes and high lacquer caps. Their office goes from father to son. The chief priests are of royal descent, and all are government servants. Sometimes virgin priestesses officiate. The Buddhist religion was about a thousand years old when it was brought to Japan near a.d. 6oo. Like Shintoism, it does not profess to be idolatrous, but, like that, it has become so in practice. It is the popular religion. At first the people did not care for it, but in the ninth century it occurred to a priest that the gods and heroes whom the natives worshiped must certainly be " incarnations of Buddha," and if so, that their images ought to be set up in the Budd- hist temples, and his belief spread and was acted on. Then the people turned to the Buddhist religion, and ever since Buddhism and Shintoism have had some gods and some ceremonies in common. 17 CHAPTER IX. WONDERS OF THE PACIFIC ISLE3. New Zealand — Rare Products — Tattooing — Strange Customs - Recepi ion of a Kir.g — Voicanoes and Boiling Springs — The Bread Tree — New Caledoni.i — Superstitions — Dances— Coral Islands — New Guinea — Description of the Natives — Savage Fijiaiis Island of Tahiti —Excitement over a Horse — San