HC.SB LIBRARY C^/e^C-x^_ STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. NARRATED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. BY PAUL DU CHAILLU, AUTHOR OF " DISCOVERIES IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA," ETC., ETC 4. NEW YORK AND LONDON: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 1903 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for thfc Southern District of New York. Copyright, 1895, by PAUL Du CHAILLU. PREFACE MY DEAR YOUNG FOLKS, My publishers, thinking that you would like to hear of Friend Paul, have just published specially for you this new edition of his travels in Africa in five little volumes Stories of the Gorilla Country, Wild Life Under the Equator, Lost in the Jungle, My Apingi Kingdom (for the Apingi people made Friend Paul their king), and The Country of the Dwarfs. When Friend Paul returned to New York he found the young folks his devoted friends; they believed in him and his books. They believed in the great forest and jungle where he spent five years. They believed in the horrid gorilla, and in the encounters lie had with that huge monster ; they believed, too, in the other apes that he had discovered, the Nshiego Mbouve, the Kooloo-kamba, and Nshiego Nkengo. Some of them saw the great gorillas and the other apes at the famous publishing house in Franklin Square. They believed in dear little Tom- my, and Fighting Joe ; also in the wonderful animals, insects, and snakes Friend Paul described. They believed in all the tribes of wild men with whom he had lived, and who were friends of his ; in the cannibals ; and in the dwarfs. With him they loved King Ranpano, Quen- gueza, and Obindji, and also his hunters, Igala, Fasiko, Niam- kala, Malaouen, Kerlaouen, and others. iv PREFA CE. The young folks believed in Friend Paul, for he was one of them, a lad nearly eighteen years old, when he went to Africa the first time. When he lectured to the young folks they came by the thousands, girls and boys, to proclaim loudly that they loved him and believed in him ; and when he put on the clothes ho wore in Africa, with all his weapons, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. They rushed on the platform, and boys and girls shook hands and kissed him. Oh, how happy it made Friend Paul ! And many of them are his friends to-day. Since he has been in Africa he has travelled in many lands, and written other books for old folks. One of these lands he has called " The Land of the Midnight Sun," and soon he is going to write for the young folks his adventures in that wonderful country where the sun shines night and day. There he hunted bears, wolves, and other animals, and in winter used reindeer for horses, and long snow-shoes to walk with. Since he wrote about the dwarfs many of the young folks have become mothers and fathers ; and it is for their children that this new edition is published. Friend Paul himself is still a bachelor, and he wants the young folks of to-day to love him as their parents did. Your faithful friend, PAUL Du CHAILLU. NEW YORK. CONTENTS. PRELIMINARY CHAPTER Page 13 CHAPTER II. Arrival on the Coast.- A King and his Palace. Dancing and Idol- worship 15 CHAPTER III. A Week in the Woods. A Tornado. The Leopards prowling about. I kill a Cobra and a Scorpion. Fight with a Buffalo. Hunting for Wild Boars. A Leopard takes a Ride on a Bull. Sick with the Fever 25 CHAPTER IV. A Village on the Sea-shore. Lying in wait for a Leopard 34 CHAPTER V. The Bay of Corisco. The Mangrove-trees. The wonderful Flocks of Birds. What I found in the Pouch of a Pelican. How an old King is buried, and the new King crowned 40 CHAPTER VI. An old Man killed for Witchcraft. My Journey to the Country of the Cannibals. Starting on the Route 48 CHAPTER VII. Our Journey through the Wildernoss continued. A Rebellion in Camp. Nothing to eat. I shoot a Fish and miss an Elephant. I kill a big Snake, and the others eat him. My first Sight of Go- rillas... .. 58 Vl CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. I arrive among the Cannibals. Then Spears, Bows, and Battle- axes. They take me for a Spirit. Their King shakes when ha sees me. I give him a Looking-glass. It astonishes him.. . Page 72 CHAPTER IX. An Elephant Hunt 80 CHAPTER X. Life among the Cannibals. Curious musical Instruments. Cooking Utensils. A Blacksmith's Bellows and Anvil. Cannibal Diet .... 88 CHAPTER XI. Journey to Yoongoolapay. Hunting with Nets. The terrible Bash- ikouay Ants !."> CHAPTER XII. Returning to the Coast. Caverns and Waterfalls in the Highlands. Crossing a River on Mangrove-roots. Stirring up a big Snake. A mutual Scare 101 CHAPTER XIII. Cope Lopez and an open Prairie once more. King Bango and his three hundred Wives. His five Idols. The Slave Barracoons. The Corpse and the Vultures Ill CHAPTER XIV. The Slave Barracoons. A big Snake under my Bed. A Slave-ship off the Coast 117 CHAPTER XV. Going into the Interior. Sleeping with the King's Rats. The Chim- p:m/ce. Kill a Gazelle. Too cold to sleep. The Gray Par- tridge 122 CHAPTER XVI. The Hippopotamus. A Speck of War. Reach Ngola. A Sunday Talk. The Black Man's God and the White Man's God. How Kin;,' Njambai punished his Wife. We build an Olako in the Woods 129 CONTENTS. vli CHAPTER XVH. An unsuccessful Hunt for Elephants. I take Aim at a Buffalo. A Leopard iu the Grass near us. We shoot the Leopard and her Kitten. Great Rejoicing in Camp. Who shall have the Tail? A Quarrel over the Brains. The Guinea -hens. The Monkeys Page 136 CHAPTER XVIII. Alone in Camp. Hunting for Elephants. Aboko kills a Rogue. I cut another Python in two. We shoot some Wild Boars. A Buffalo Hunt. Return to Sangatanga. King Bango sick 147 CHAPTER XIX. A jolly Excursion Party. A Race for the Fishing Banks. The Oroungou Burial-ground 153 CHAPTER XX. Our Camp at Point Fetich. An African Watering-place. Fishing, but not Bathing. The Sharks. Curing Mullets, etc. Turning Turtles. Bird-shooting. A Leopard springs upon us...... 164 CHAPTER XXI. Bound for the Interior. A Sea Voyage. A Tornado. We reach the Fernand-Vaz. Sangala, wishes to detain me. A Night Alarm. Prospect of a War. Arrayed for Battle. A Compromise. My Commi Friends 171 CHAPTER XXH. I build a Village, and call it Washington. I start for the Interior. My Speech on leaving. The People applaud me vociferously, and promise to be honest. We reach Aniambia. The " Eig King," Olenga-Yombi. A royal Ball in my Honor. The Super- stitions of the Natives. A Man tossed by a Buffalo. We cap- ture a young Gorilla 182 CHAPTER XXIII. Capture of a young Gorilla. I call him ''Fighting Joe." His Strength and bad Temper. He proves untamable. Joe escapes. viii CONTENTS. Recaptured. Escapes again. Unpleasant to handle. Death of Fighting Joe Page l'J3 CHAPTER XXIV. Hie Hippopotamus. A Duel. Shooting on the River. Nearly upset. A Night Hunt on Land. My Companion fires and runs. Appearance and Habits of the Hippopotamus 203 CHAPTER XXV. Visit of King Quengueza. I promise to visit him. The Kindness of the Commi. The dry Season on the Fernand-Vaz. Plenty of Birds and Fishes. The Marabouts. The Eagles. A bad Wound 212 CHAPTER XXVI. Another Expedition to Lake Anengue. Difficult Passage up the River. The Crocodiles. King Damagondai and his Troubles. I buy an Mbuiti, or Idol 221 CHAPTER XXVII. A Visit to King Shimbouvenegani. His royal Costume. Hunting Crocodiles. How they seize their Prey. The Nkago. The Ogato 228 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Nshiego Mbouve". Bald-headed Apes. Their Houses in the Trees. Lying in wait for them. We kill a Male. The Shrieks of his Mate. Description of the Animal. Farewell to Shim- bouvenegani , 234 CHAPTER XXIX. War threatened. Oshoria arms his Men. We bluff them off, and fall sick with Fever. The Mbolo Ivoga, or End of Mourn- ing Time. A Death and Burial. Finding out the Sorcerer. The Village deserted. I become Viceroy at W T ashington 239 CHAPTER XXX. Hunting in the Woods. The Mboyo Wolf. We catch another young Gorilla. He starves to death ,....,, 249 CONTENTS. & CHAPTER XXXI. Going to unknown Regions. Quengueza sends his Son as a Host- age. I take him along with me. Reception by the King. Our Speeches. Quengueza afraid of a Witch. An Incantation Scene Page 252 CHAPTER XXXII. Gorilla Hunting. My Companions, Mombon, Etia, and Gambo. Etia kills a large Gorilla. We make up a large Party. Camp Stories about Gorillas. We capture a young Gorilla. Her un- timely Death 258 CHAPTER XXXIII. Voyage up the River. We build a Village near Obindji. Quen- gueza's Plan for keeping the Sabbath. Kindness of the Natives. A Trial by Ordeal 266 CHAPTER XXXIV. The Kooloo-kamba. The Gouamba, or Meat-hunger. Exploring the Forest. Gorilla-hunting. Within eight Yards of a large Gorilla. He roars with Rage and marches upon us 271 CHAPTER XXXV. We go up the River to N'calai Boumba. A severe Attack of Fe- ver. The tender Care ot the Natives for me. Aguailai ac- cuses his People of bewitching me. I go out and quiet him. A Boy cut to Pieces for Witchcraft. A useful Idol. The Ebo- ny-trees 277 CHAPTER XXXVI. Hunting for Food. We kill a female Nshiego Mbouve. A young Nshiego with a white Face. He becomes my Pet Tommy. His Affection for me. His stealing Pranks. Tommy gets drunk. His Behavior at Meals. His sudden Death. Conclusion 282 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOH PORTRAIT , Frontispiece. MY RECEPTION BY THE KING 15 FIGHT WITH A BUFFALO 24 ENTICING THE LEOPARD 34 FLOCKS OF BIRDS 40 SCENE WITH THE MBOUSHA 48 KILLING THE SNAKE 59 KlNG ASTONISHED AT LOOKING-GLASS 72 ENTRAPPING THE ELEPHANT , , 80 FAN BLACKSMITHS AT WORK 88 THE HANDJA 90 NET-HUNTING 95 MANGROVE SWAMP. TUMBLING AND FALLING 101 SLAVE BARRACOONS. BURIAL-GROUND 110 EMBARKING SLAVES 117 THE GAZELLE , 122 AFTER DINNER 129 A LEOPARD AND HER YOUNG ONE 136 ABOKO KILLS A ROGUE ELEPHANT ,. 146 FISHING 158 TURNING TURTLES JUST BEFORE SUNRISE 164 OUR SCHOONER CAUGHT IN A TORNADO 171 AFRICAN BALL. KING OLENGA-OMBI DANCING 183 CAPTURING A YOUNG GORILLA 193 HIPPOPOTAMI AT HOME 203 MARABOUTS, STORKS, AND PELICANS 213 THE KING RECEIVES ME 221 A CROCODILE HUNT 228 THE NSHIEGO MBOUVE 234 Xii LIST OF IL 1. 1 > 7 'A'. I TIUNS. PAW EXPIRATION OF MOURNING 289 WOLF-HUNTING -M'.t AN INCANTATION SCENK 252 GORILLA-HUNTING :_'">: A TRIAL BY ORDEAL 2GG THE GORILLA MARCHES UPON Us 271 THE MUUITI , 277 A YOUNG NSHIEGO MBOUVB WITH A WHITE FACE 283 PATH, PIT CHATI.LU IN HIS AFRICAN COSTUME. PEELIMINARY CHAPTER. I HAD passed several years on the African Coast before I began the explorations recorded in my first book. In those years I jbimted, traded with the natives, and made collections in natural history. In such a wild country as Africa one does not go far without adventures. The traveler necessarily sees what is strange and wonderful, for every thing is strange. In this book I have attempted to relate some of the incidents of life in Africa for the reading of young folks. In doing this I have kept no chronological order, but have selected incidents and adventures here and there as they seem to be firfed for my purpose. I have noticed that most intelligent boys like to read about the habits of wild animals, and the manners and way of life of savage men ; and of such matters this book is composed. In it I have entered into more minute de- tails concerning the life of the native inhabitants than 1 could in my other books, and have shown how the people 14 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. build their houses, what are their amusements, how they hunt, fish, eat, travel, and live. Whenever I am at a friend's house the children ask me to tell them something about Africa. I like chil- dren, and in this book have written especially for them. 1 hope to interest many who are yet too young to read aiy larger works. MY RECEPTION BY THE KINQ. CHAPTER II. ARRIVAL CO* THE COAST. A KING AND HIS PALACE. DANC- ING AND IDOL-WOKSIIIP. ABOUT the year 1850 a three-masted vessel took me to a wild country on the West Coast of Africa, near the equator. It was a very wild country indeed. As we came in sight of the land, which was covered with forest, canoes began to start from the shore toward us ; and, as we neared the land, we could see the people crowding down on the beach to look at the strange sight of a vessel. The canoes approached the vessel in great numbers. Some of them were so small that they looked like mere nutshells. Indeed, some of the men paddled with their feet; and one man carried his canoe ashore on his shoulder. 1C STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. At last the natives came on board, and what funny people they were! I could not discern one from an- other ; they seemed to me all alike. What a queer way of dressing they had, too ! You would have laughed to see them. Some had only an old coat on. Others had an old pair of trowsers which prob- ably had belonged to some sailor; these wore no shirt or coat. Some had only an old ragged shirt, and some, again, had nothing on except an old hat. Of course none of them had shoes. How they shouted and halloed as they came about the vessel ! They seemed to speak such a strange language. No one on board appeared to understand them. They made so great a noise that I thought I should become deaf. One of them had a fowl to sell ; another brought an egg or two ; and another a few bunches of plantains. Our captain knew the coast, for he had long been an African trader, though he had never been at this place before. The ship cast anchor. It was not far from a river called Benito. I left the vessel and went ashore with some others. As I landed I was surrounded immediately by crowds of natives, who looked so wild and so savage that I thought they would kill me at once. I was led to the village, which stood not far from the sea, and was hidden from view by the very large trees and the great forest that surrounded it. On one side of the village was a prairie. I shall always remember this village. It was the first African village I had ever seen, and it was unlike those b'lilt in Southern Africa. DESCRIPTION OF MY HOUSE. 17 Don't think for a moment that I am going to speak to yon of stone or wooden houses ! No ! These wild peo- ple lived in queer little huts, the w r alls of which were made of the bark of trees, and were not more than four or five feet high. The top of the roof was only about seven or eight feet from the ground. The length of these huts was about ten or twelve feet, and they were seven or eight feet wide. There were no windows, and the door was very small. They immediately took me to one of these houses, and said they gave it to me. They meant that it was mine as long as I would stay with them. It belonged to the son of the king. So I went in. But where was I to sit down ? There was no chair to be seen. Patience, thought I. These people had probably never seen a chair in their lives. It w r as so dark I could not see at first. By-and-by I saw how the hut was furnished. There were some calabashes to hold water, and two or three cooking-pots. There \vere some ugly-looking spears, an axe, and two or three large and queer-looking knives, which could sever the head of a man at one blow. Of course I looked for a bed : I need not tell you there w r as none ; but, instead, there were some sticks to lie upon. The very looks of this sleeping-place made me shudder ; I thought of snakes, scorpions, and centipedes. The dark hut seemed the very place for them. Shortly after the king's son came. If I remember well, his name was Andbke. He told me that his father, the king, was readj to receive me. The king ready to receive me ! This was a great announcement. I must dress. But how 2 2 18 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. There was no -washing-basin to wash myself in; be- sides, I had forgotten my soap. I was glad I had no beard at that time, for I do not know how I could have shaved. In short, I resolved to go and see his majesty as I was. The sun being very warm, I took my umbrella with me. The people conducted me to the royal palace. What do you suppose a palace to be in the Benito country ? The king's palace was made of the same ma- terial (bark of trees) as the houses I have just described to you, and it was only about twice as big. As I entered I went toward the king, who was seated on a stool. Another empty stool was by his side. I may say that Apourou such was the king's name did not come up to my ideas of a king. In fact, I should have laughed at him had I dared. His costume was composed of a red soldier's coat, and he wore a little bit of calico round his waist. That was all. You must understand he had no shirt. He was a tall, slim negro, with gray hair, and had large scars on his face, and his whole body was covered with tattoos. He wore large earrings. He was smoking a i >ig He looked at me, and I looked at him. The room was full of people, and the king had several of his wives around him. The queen was there. Would you believe it? in that country a man marries as many wives as he chooses ! The king looked at me for a long time without saying a word. Finally he opened his mouth, clapped his hands, and said I was a funny-looking fellow. He next said he was very glad to see me, and would I AM DESIRED TO MARRY. 19 lake care of me. Then he touched my hair, and said 1 must give him some. He would like to have me remain ISH. 27 Our dogs had hidden themselves indeed, all animala and birds of the forest were much frightened, which waa not to be wondered at. How thankful I was to be shel- tered from such a storm ! We had collected plenty of fuel, and our fires burned brightly. "We formed a strange group while seated around the fires, the men and women smoking their pipes and telling stories. We had several fires, and, as they blazed up, their glare was thrown out through the gloom of the forest, and filled it with fantastic shadows. Though tired, every body seemed merry. We were full of hope for the morrow. Every one spoke of the particular ani< mal he wished to kill, and of which he was most fond Some wished for an antelope, others for an elephant, a wild boar, or a buifalo. I confess that I myself inclined toward the wild boar ; and I believe that almost every one had the same wish, for that animal, when fat, is very good eating. Indeed, they already began to talk as if the pig were actually before them. All fancied they could eat a whole leg apiece, and their mouths fairly watered in thinking about it. No wonder they are so fond of meat, they have it so seldom. Who among UB does not relish a good dinner, I should like to know ? By-and-by all became silent ; one after the other we fell asleep, with the exception of two CT three men who were to watch over the fires and keep them bright; for there were plenty of leopards prowling in the neighbor- ing forest, and none of us wanted to serve as a meal for them. In fact, before going to sleep we had heard some of these animals howling in the far distance. During the night one came very near our camp. He went round and round, and, no doubt, lay in wait to see if one of us 28 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. would go out alone, and then he would have pounced upon the careless fellow. I need not say we did not give him a chance; and you may be sure we kept the liiv blazing. Finally, we tired a few guns, and he went off. These leopards are dreadful animals, and eat a great many natives. They are generally shy; but once they have tasted human flesh, they become very fond of it, and the poor natives are carried off, one after another, in such numbers that the villages have to be abandoned. The next day we went hunting. I had hardly gone into the forest when I saw, creeping on the ground un- der the dry leaves, an enormous black snake : I fancy I see it still. How close it was to me! One step mure, and I should have just trodden upon it, and then should have been bitten, and a few minutes after have died, and then, boys, you know I should have had nothing to tell you about Africa. This snake was a cobra of the black variety (Dendrapspis angusticeps). It is a very common snake in that region, and, as I have said, very poisonous. As soon as the reptile saw me he rose up, as if ready to spring upon me, gave one of his hissing sounds, and looked at me, showing, as he hissed, his sharp-pointed tongue. Of course, the first thing I did was to make a few steps backward. Then, leveling my gun, I tired and killed him. He was about eight feet long. I cut his head off, and examined his deadly fangs. What horrible things they were ! They looked exactly like fish-bones, witli very sharp ends. I looked at them carefully, and saw that he could raise and lower them at will ; while the teeth are firmly implanted in a pouch, or little bag, wliich contains the poison. I saw in the end of the fang I KILL A COBRA AND A SCORPION. 29 a little hole, which communicated with the pouch. When the snake opens his mouth to bite, he raises his fangs. Then he strikes them into the flesh of the animal he bites, and brings a pressure on the pouch, and the poison comes out by the little hole I have spoken of. I cut open the cobra, and found in his stomach a very large bird. Andeke packed the bird and snake in leaves, and, on our return to the camp, the men were delight- ed. In the evening they made a nice soup of the snake, which they ate with great relish. I had also killed a beautiful little striped squirrel, upon which I made my dinner. I felt almost sorry to kill it, it was such a pretty creature. In the evening, as I was sitting by the fire and look- ing at the log that was burning, I spied a big, ugly black scorpion coming out of one of the crevices. I immedi- ately laid upon its back a little stick which I had in my hand. You should have seen how its long tail llew up and stung the piece of wood ! I shuddered as I thought that it might have stung my feet or hands instead of the wood. I immediately killed it, and the natives said these scorpions were quite common, and that people have to be careful when they handle dry sticks of wood, for these poisonous creatures delight to live under the dry bark, or between the crevices. A nice country this to live in, thought I, after killing a snake and a scorpion the same day ! So, when I lay down on my pillow, which was merely a piece of wood, I looked to see if there were any scor- pions upon it. I did not see any ; but, during the night, I awoke suddenly and started up. I thought I felt hund- reds of them creeping over me, and that one had just 30 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. stung me, and caused me to wake up. The sweat cov< ered my body. I looked around and saw nothing but sleeping people. There was no scorpion to be found. I must have been dreaming. Not far from our camp was a beautiful little prairie. I had seen, during my rambles there, several footprints of wild buffaloes, so I immediately told Andeke we must go in chase of them. Andeke, the son of the king, was a very nice fellow, and was, besides, a good hunter just the very man I wanted. So we went toward the little prairie, and lay hidden on the borders of it, among the trees. .By-and-by I spied a huge bull, who was perfectly unaware of my presence, for the wind blew from him to me ; had the wind blown the other way, the animal would have scented me and have made off. As it was, he came slowly toward me. I raised my gun and fired. My bullet struck a creeper on its way, and glanced aside, so I only wounded the beast. Turning fiercely, he rushed at me in a furious manner, with his head down. I was scared ; for I was, at that time, but a young hunter; I got ready to run, though I had a second barrel in reserve. I thought the infuriated bull was too powerful for me, he looked so big. Just as I was about to make my escape, I found my foot entangled and hopelessly caught in a tough and thorny creeper. The bull was dashing toward me with head down and eyes inflamed, tearing down brushwood and creepers which barred his progress. Turning to meet the enemy, I felt my nerves suddenly grow firm as a rock. If I missed the bull, all would be over with me. He would gore me to death. I took time to aim care* fully, and then fired at his head. lie gave one loud, I KILL MY FIRST BUFFALO. 3] hoarse bellow, and tumbled almost at my feet. In the mean time, Andeke was coming to the rescue. I must say I felt very nervous after all was over. But, being but a lad, I thought -I had done pretty well. It was the first direct attack a wild beast had ever made upon me. I found afterward that the bulls are gener ally very dangerous when wounded. Now I must tell you how this beast looked. He was one of the wild buffaloes frequently to be met with in this part of Africa. During the greater part of the day they hide in the forest. When much hunted they be- come very shy. They are generally found in herds of from ten to twenty-five, though I have found them some- times in much greater number. This animal (Bos brachicheros) is called by some of the natives " mare*." It is of the size of our cattle. It is covered with thin red hair, which is much darker in the bull than in the cow. The lioofs are long and sharp ; the ears are fringed with most beautiful silky hair ; the horns are very handsome, and bend backward in a grace- ful curve. In shape, the buffalo looks like something be- tween an antelope and a common cow ; and, when seen afar off, you might think these wild buffaloes were a herd of our cattle at home. How glad the people were when Andeke and I brought the news that we had killed a bull ! There was great rejoicing. But I was tired, and remained in the camp, while they went with knives and swords to cut the buf- falo to pieces, and bring in the flesh. What a fine place it was for hunting! The animals seemed to come down from the mountains beyond, and remain in the flat woody country along the sea-shore. 32 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. There were a great many wild boars. You know we all wanted one of these. So one night Andcku and I agreed to go and lie in wait for them on the prairie. In order to look like Andeke", I blackened my face and hands with charcoal, so that in the night the color of my face could not be distinguished. We started from the camp before dark, and readied the prairie before night. I stationed myself behind a large ant-hill not far from the open space. There I lay ; one hour passed two hours three hours, and still nei- ther wild boar nor buffaloes. I looked at Andeke. lie was fast asleep, at the foot of another ant-hill close by. Once I saw a whole herd of gazelles pass by ; but they were too far from me. Occasionally a grunt, or the cracking of a twig, told me that a wild boar was not fai off. At last every thing became silent, and I fell asleep unconsciously. Suddenly I was awakened by an unearthly roar the yel I of a wild beast. I rubbed my eyes in a hurry what could be the mat ter? I looked round me, and saw nothing. The woods were still resounding with the cry that had startled me. Then I heard a great crash in the forest, made by some Aeavy animal running away. Then I saw emerge from the forest a wild bull, on whose neck crouched an im- mense leopard. The poor buffalo reared, tossed, roared, and bellowed, but in vain. The leopard's enormous claws were firmly fixed in his victim's body, while his teeth were sunk deeply in the bull's neck. The leopard gave an awful roar, which seemed to make the earth shake Then both buffalo and leopard disappeared in the forest^ I HA YE AN A TTA CK OF FE VEtt. 33 and the roars and the crashing of the trees soon ceased. All became silent again. I had fired at the leopard, but it was too far off. We staid a week here, and I enjoyed myself very much in the woods. I collected birds and butterflies, killed a few nice little quadrupeds, and then we return- ed to the sea-shore village. There the fever laid me low on my bed of sickness. How wretched I felt ! I had never had the fever before. For a few days my head was burning hot. When I got better, and looked at my- self in my little looking-glass, I could not recognize my- self ; I had not a particle of color left in my cheeks, and I looked as yellow and pale as a lemon. I got fright- ^ned. This fever was the forerunner of what I had tc expect in these equatorial regions. 3 ENTICING THE LEOPARD. CHAPTER IV. A VILLAGE ON THE SEA-SHORE. LYING IN WATT FOR A LEOPARD. I ON the promontory called Cape St. John, about a de- gree north of the equator, stood a Mbinga village, whos< > I fired a charge of small shot into it ; but no sooner had I pulled the trigger than I heard a tremen- dous crash on the opposite bank, about six or seven yards off. Small trees were torn down violently, and then we heard the shrill trumpetings of a party of frightened ele- phants. They were probably sleeping or standing in a lead silence on the opposite bank in the jungle. I was sorry I had fired, for after crossing the stream we might have killed an elephant. Poor Miengai was terribly vexed. " I am sure," said he, " they had big tusks of ivory." Our party, as soon as they heard the gun, came up in haste, and asked w r hat was the matter. "When they heard the story, they began to lament our not killing an ele- phant, for then we should have had meat enough for the whole journey ; and they shouted with one accord, "Ele phant meat is so good !" This exclamation made me wonder how an elephant steak would taste. On we went, and got fairly into the mountainous coun try. The hills became steeper as we advanced. How tired I felt ; for the diet at Mbene's camp had not strengthened me. These Mbondemos had a great ad- vantage over me. They used their bare feet almost a 62 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. deftly as monkeys, and hence got their foothold more easily than I. Miengai and I were in advance. All at once he made me a sign to keep very still. I thought he had discov- ered a herd of elephants, or seen the traces of an enor- mous leopard. He cocked his gun ; I cocked mine ; the other men did the same ; and there we stood, in perfect silence, for at least five minutes. Suddenly Miengai sent a " hurrah" echoing through the forest. It was immedi- ately answered by shouts from many voices not very far off, but whose owners were hidden from us by huge rocks and trees. Miengai replied with the fierce shout of the Mbondemo warriors, and was again answered. Thinking we were going to have a general fight, I looked carefully after my powder-flask and my bullets, and found they were all right. Going a little farther on we came in sight of the en- campment of a large party, who proved to be some of Mbene's people just returning from a trading expedition to the interior. Two men of this camp offered to go with us. Their names were Ngolai and Yeava. We consented to take them. What a journey it was! Nothing but thick woods to struggle through, hills to climb, rivers to cross, and near- ly all the time it rained ; in fact, I was wet from mom- ing to night. How glad I was when, in the evening, we had made our camp, and built great fires ! For my part, I had three fires lit about my bed of leaves; and in the evening I always hung up my clothes to dry, so as to have them ready for the next day. One morning my men came to tell me they were tired, and would not go a step farther unless I gave them more cloth. A MOUNTAIN TORRENT. 63 They seemed in earnest ; and I began to question my- self whether they meant to plunder me or to leave me in these mountains ? To be left thus alone would have been almost certain death. To give them what they asked waa to show them I was afraid of them. If they knew I was afraid of them I did not know what they might next do. So I determined to put on a bold front. Taking my two revolvers in my hand, I said, " I will not give you any more cloth. I will not let you leave me, because your father Mbenu has given you U> me to accompany me to the Fan tribe. You must therefore go with me, or" (here I motioned with my pistols) " there will be war between us. But," said I, " this is a rery hard road, and at the end cf the journey I will give you something more." This satisfied them, and we again resumed our journey. Up, and up, and up we struggled, and now we began to meet with immense boulders. Not the scream of a bird, or the shrill cry of a monkey, broke the stillness of the dark solitude. Nothing was heard but the panting breaths of our party as we ascended the hills. At last we came to an immense mountain torrent, which rushed down the hill side with fearful force, and was white with foam. Its course was full of huge gran- ite boulders, which lay about as though the Titans had been playing at skittles in that country. Against these the angry waters dashed as if they would carry all before them, and, breaking, threw the milky spray up to the very tree-tops. As I looked up the torrent seemed to pour its foaming waters directly down upon us. This was the head of the Ntambounay River which I had ascended in a canoe, and on the banks of which 1 came near being murdered in the Shekiani village. 64 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY What a change had taken place in it! Here a canoe would be dashed into a hundred pieces against the rocks. I was so thirsty and tired that I went to the river's bank, and drank a few handf uls of the pure, clean cold water After resting a little while, we continued our course till we reached the top of a very high mountain, whence I could see all the country round* How wild and des- olate it looked ! Nothing but forest and mountains stretching away as far as the eye could reach. I was sitting under a very large tree, when, suddenly looking up, I saw an immense serpent coiled upon the branch of a tree just above me ; and I really could not tell whether he was not about to spring upon me and entangle me in his huge folds. You may well believe that I very quickly " stood from under." I rushed out, and, taking good aim with my gun, I shot my black friend in the head. He let go his hold, tumbled down with great force, and after writhing convulsively for a time, he lay before me dead. lie measured thirteen feet in length, and his ugly fangs proved that he was ven- omous. My men cut off the head of the snake, and divided the body into as many pieces as there were people. Then they lighted a fire, and roasted and ate it on the spot. They offered me a piece ; but, though very hungry, I de- clined. When the snake was eaten I was the only in- dividual of the company that had an empty stomach ; I could not help reflecting on the disadvantage it is some- times to have been born and bred in a civilized country, where snakes are not accounted good eating. We now began to look about the ruins of the village ON THE TRACK OF GORILLAS. 65 near which we sat. A degenerate kind of sugar- cane was growing on the very spot where the houses had formerly stood. I made haste to pluck some of this, and chew it for the little sweetness it had. While thus en- gaged my men perceived what instantly threw us all into the greatest excitement. Here and there the cane was beaten down or torn up by the roots, and lying about were fragments which had evidently been chewed. There were also footprints to be seen, which looked almost like those of human beings. What could this mean ? My men looked at each other in silence, and muttered " Ngiiyla !" (Gorillas !) It was the first time I had seen the footprints of rhese wild men of the woods, and I can not tell you how I felt. Here was I now, it seemed, on the point of meeting, face to face, that monster, of whose ferocity, strength, and cunning the natives had told me so much, and which no white man before had hunted. My heart beat till I feared its loud pulsations would alarm the gorilla. I wondered how they looked. I thought of what llanno the Carthaginian navigator said about the wild hairy men he had met on the West Coast of Africa more than two thousand years ago. By the tracks it was easy to know that there must have been several gorillas in company. We prepared at once to follow them. The women were terrified. They thought their end had come ; that the gorilla would be soon upon them ; so, before starting in search of the monster, we left two or three men to take care of them and reassure them. Then the rest of us looked once more carefully at our guns for the gorilla gives you no time to reload, and 66 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. woe to him whom he attacks 1 We were fortunate!} armed to the teeth. My men were remarkably silent, for they were going on an expedition of more than usual risk ; for the male gorilla is literally the king of the forest the king of the equatorial regions. He and the crested lion of Mount Atlas are the two fiercest and strongest beasts of that continent The lion of South Africa can not be com- pared with either for strength or courage. As we left the camp, the men and women left be- hind crowded together, with fear written on their faces. Miengai, Ngolai, and Makinda set out for the. hunt in one party : myself and Yeava formed another. We determined to keep near each other, so that in case of trouble, or in a great emergency, we might be at hand to help one another. For the rest, silence and a sure aim were the only cautions to be given. As we followed the footprints, we could easily see that there were four or five of them, though none appeared very large. We saw where the gorillas had run along on all fours, which is their usual mode of progression. We could perceive also where, from time to time, they had seated themselves to chew the canes they had bonie off. The chase began to be very exciting. We had agreed to return to the women and their guards, and consult about what was to be done, after we had discovered the probable course of the gorilla, and this was now done. To make sure of not alarming our prey, we moved the whole party forward a little way, to some leafy huts, built by passing traders, and which served us for shelter and concealment. Here we be- stowed the women, whose lively fear of the terrible go- AFTER GORILLAS. 67 rilla arises from various stories current among the tribes of women having been carried off into the woods by the fierce animal. Then we prepared once more to set oul on our chase, this time hopeful to get a shot. Looking once more to our guns, we started off. ) confess that I was never more excited in my life. Foi ;r;irs I had heard of the terrible roar of the gorilla, oi its vast strength, cf its fierce courage when only wound- ed. I knew that we were about to pit ourselves against an animal which even the enormously large leopards of the mountains fear, which the elephants let alone, and which perhaps has driven away the lion out of this ter- ritory ; for the " king of beasts," so numerous elsewhere in Africa, is not met with in the land of the gorilla. We descend 3d a hill, crossed a stream on a fallen log, crept under the trees, and presently approached some huge boulders of granite. In the stream w r e had crossed we could see plainly signs that the animals had just crossed it, for the water was still disturbed. Our eyes wandered every where to get a glimpse of our prey. Alongside of the granite blocks lay an immense dead tree, and about this the gorillas w r ere likely to be. Our approach was very cautious; I wish you could have seen us. We were divided into two parties. Ma- kinda led one, and I the other. We were to surround the granite block, behind which Makinda supposed the gorillas to be hiding. With guns cocked and ready, we advanced through the dense wood, which cast a gloom, even in midday, over the w r hole scene. I looked at my men, and saw that they were even more excited than myself. Slowly we pressed on through the dense bush, fearing 6tf STOliTES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. almost to breathe, for fear of alarming the beasts. Ma- kinda was to go to the right of the rock, while I took tlio left. Unfortunately, he and his party circled it at too great a distance. The watchful animals saw him. Sud- denly I was startled by a strange, discordant, half hu- man, devilish cry, and beheld four young and half -grown gorillas running toward the deep forest. I was not ready. We iired, but hit nothing. Then we rushed on in pur- suit ; but they knew the woods better than we. Once I caught a glimpse of one of the animals again ; but an intervening tree spoiled my mark, and I did not fire. We pursued them till w r e were exhausted, but in vain. The alert beasts made good their escape. When we could pursue no more we returned slowly to our camp, where the women were anxiously expecting us. I protest I felt almost like a murderer when I saw the gorilla this first time. As they ran on their hind li-gs, with their heads down, their bodies inclined forward, their whole appearance was that of hairy men running for their lives. Add to all this their cry, so awful, yet 'with something human in its discordance, and you will cease to wonder that the natives have the wildest* super- stitions about these " wild men of the woods." In our absence the women had made large fin;s, and prepared the camp. I changed my clothes, wliiuh had become drenched by the frequent torrents and puddles we ran through in our eager pursuit. Then we sat down to our supper, which had been cooked in the mean time. I noticed that all my plantains were gone eaten up. What was to become of us in the great forest ? I had only two or three biscuits, which 1 kept in case of Actual starvation or sickness. STORIES OF THE NATIVES. 69 As we lay by the fire in the evening before going to sleep, the adventure of the day was talked over to those who had not gone with us, and, of course, there followed some curious stories of the gorillas. I listened in silence. One of the men told a story of two Mbondemo women who were walking together through the woods, when suddenly an immense gorilla stepped into the path, and, clutching one of the women, bore her off in spite oi the screams and struggles of both. The other woman re- turned to the village much frightened, and told the story. Of course her companion was given up for lost. Great was the surprise when, a few days afterward, she re* turned to her home. " Yes," said one of the men, " that was a gorilla inhab- ited by a spirit." This explanation was received by a general grunt of approval. One of the men told how, some years ago, a party of gorillas were found in a cane-field tying up the sugar- cane in regular bundles preparatory to carrying it aw r ay. The natives attacked them, but were routed, and several killed, while others were carried off prisoners by the go- rillas ; but in a few days they returned home, not unin- jured indeed, for the nails of their fingers and toes had been torn off by their captors. Then several people spoke up, and mentioned names of dead men whose spirits were known to be dwelling in gorillas. Finally came the story that is current among all the tribes who are acquainted with the habits of the gorilla, that this animal will hide himself in the lower branches of a tree, and there lie in wait for people who go to and fro. When one passes sufficiently near, the gorilla grasj>s 70 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. the luckless fellow with his powerful feet, which he uses like giants' hands, and, drawing the man up into the tree, he quietly chokes him there. Hunger and starvation began to tell upon us severely . When we started I did not calculate on meeting with go- rillas. I had eaten all my sea-bread. There was not a particle of food among us, and no settlement near us. I began to feel anxious for fear that we should die. Ber- ries were scarce, and nuts were hardly to be found. The forest seemed deserted. There was not even a bird to kill. To make matters worse, we had been misled. We were lost lost in the great forest ! and we failed to reach a certain settlement where we had expected to ar- rive. Traveling on an empty stomach is too exhausting to be very long endured. The third day I awoke feeble, but found that one of the men had killed a monkey. This animal, roughly roasted on the coals, tasted deli- cious. How I wished we had ten monkeys to eat ! but how glad and grateful we were for that single one. Presently Makinda, looking up, discovered a bee-hive. He smoked the bees out, and I divided the honey. There might have been a fight over this sweet booty had I not interposed and distributed it in equal shares. Serving myself with a portion not bigger than I gave the rest, I at once sat down, and devoured honey, wax, dead bees, worms, dirt, and all, I was so hungry. I was only sorry we had not more. I had really a hard time getting through the old ele- phant tracks, which were the best roads through the jun gle. The men seemed to have lost their way. We saw no animals, but found several gorillas' tracks. A MBICHO VILLAGE. GOUAMBA. 71 At last my men began to talk more cheerfully ; they knew where they were; and, soon after,! saw the broad leaves of the plantain, the forerunner of an African town. But, alas ! as we approached we saw no one coming to meet us ; and when we reached the place we found only a deserted village. But even for this how thankful I was ! Since I left Dayoko I had experienced nothing but hunger and starvation, and these were the first hu- man habitations we had met. Presently, however, some Mbicho people made their appearance. They were relatives of Mbene", and their village was close by. They gave us some plantains, but no fowls. I wished very much to get a fowl. I felt gouamba (which means hunger) for meat, and knew that a good warm fowl broth would have done me a great deal of good. We spent the evening in the houses, dry- ing and warming ourselves. It was much better than the forest, even if it was only a deserted town. I asked if we should ever reach the Cannibal country, and found that, with the exception of the Mbicho village near at hand, we were already surrounded on three sides by Fan villages. i was too tired to rest. Besides, I was getting deep into the interior of Africa, and was in the neighborhooo. of the Fans, the most warlike tribe that inhabited the country. So I barricaded my hut, got my ammunition ready, saw that my guns were all right, and then la? awake for a long time before I could go to sleep. KINO A8TON18HEP AT A LOOK1N-GLA89. CHAPTER VIII. I ARRIVE AMONG THE CANNIBALS. THEIR SPEARS, BOWS AND BATTLE-AXES. THEY TAKE ME FOR A SPIRIT. THEIR KING SHAKES WHEN HE SEES ME. 1 GIVE HIM A LOOKING-GLASS. IT ASTONISHES HIM. WE were, at last, near the Fan country. "We had passed the last Mbichos village, and were on our way to the villages of the man-eaters. I remember well the first Fan village I approached. It stood on the summit of a high hill in the mountains, All its inhabitants were very much excited when thej perceived we were coming toward it, through the planta- tion path; for the trees around the hill had been cut down. The men were armed to the teeth as we entered the village, and I knew not whether hundreds of spears I ARRIVE AMONG THE CANNIBALS. 73 and poisoned arrows might not be thrown at me, and I be killed on the spot. What dreadful spears those Can- nibals had ; they \vere all barbed. Each man had sev- eral in his hand ; and, besides, had a shield made of ele- phant's hide, to protect himself with. Others were arm- ed with huge knives, and horrible-looking battle-axes, or with bows and poisoned arrows. Wild shouts of astonishment, which, for all I knew, were war-shouts, greeted me as I entered the village. I must own that I felt not quite at my ease. How wild and fierce these men looked ! They were most scantily dressed. When they shouted they showed their teeth, w T hich were filed to a point, and colored black. Their open mouths put me uncomfortably in mind of a tomb ; for how many human creatures each of these men had eaten ! How ugly the women looked ! They were all tat- tooed, and nearly naked. They fled with their children into their houses as I passed through the street, in which I saw, here and there, human bones lying about. Yes, human bones from bodies that had been devoured by them ! Such are my recollections of my first entrance into a village of Cannibals. The village was strongly fenced or palisaded, and OH the poles were several skulls of human beings and of gorillas. There was but a single street, about two thirds of a mile long. On each side of this were low huts, made of the bark of trees. I had hardly entered'the village when 1 perceived some bloody remains, which appeared to me to be human. Presently we passed a woman who was running as fast as she could toward her hut. She bore in her hand a 74 STORIES OF THE GORILLA C<>t'\Ti;Y. piece of a human thigh, just as we would go to market and carry thence a joint or steak. Tliis was a very large village. At last we arrived at the palaver house. Here I was left alone with Mbene for a little while. There was great shouting going on at a little distance, at the back of some houses. One of them said they had been busy dividing the body of a dead man, and that there was not enough for all. They nocked in presently, and soon I was surrounded by an immense crowd. Not far from me was a fero- cious-looking fellow. On one arm he supported a very large shield, made of an elephant's hide, and of the thickest part of the skin, while in his other hand he held a prodigious war-knife, which he could have slashed through a man in a jiffy. Some in the crowd were armed with cross-bows, from which are shot either iron-headed arrows, or the little insignificant-looking, but really most deadly darts, tipped with poison. These are made of slender, harmless reeds, a foot long, whose sharpened ends are dipped in a deadly vegetable poison, which these people know how to make. These poisoned darts are so light that they would blow away if simply laid in the groove of the bow. Hence they use a kind of sticky gum to hold them. The handle of the bow is ingeniously split, and by a little peg, that acts as a trigger, the bow-string is disen- gaged. The bow is very stiff and strong, and sends the arrow to a great distance. As you see by the represent- ation of a Fan bowman, they have to sit down and apply both feet to the middle of the bow, while they pull with all their strength on the string to bend it back. These little poisoned arrows are much dreaded by FAN IMPLEMENTS OF WARFARE. 75 them, and are very carefully kept by them in little bags, and which are made of the skin of wild animals. Some bore on their shoulders the terrible war-axe. One blow of this axe suffices to split a human skull. 1 saw that some of these axes, as w r ell as their spears and other iron-work, were beautifully ornamented. The war-knife, which hangs by their side, is a terrible weapon. It is used in hand-to-hand conflict, and is de- signed to be thrust through the enemy's body. There was also another sort of huge knife used by some of the men in the crowd before me. It was a foot long, about eight inches wide, and is used to cut through the shoulders of an adversary. It must do tremendous exe- cution. A few of the men had also a very singular pointed axe, which is thrown from a distance. When thrown, it strikes with the point down, and inflicts a terrible wound. They handle it with great dexterity. The object aimed at with this axe is the head. The point penetrates to the brain, and kills the victim immediately. The spears were six or seven feet long, and are ingen- iously adapted to inflict terrible wounds. They are thrown with an accuracy and a force which never ceased to aston- ish me. The long, slender staff fairly whistles through the air, and woe to the man who is within twenty or thirty yards of their reach. Most of the knives and axes were ingeniously sheathed in covers made of snake or antelope skins, or of human skin. These sheaths w r ere slung round the shoulder or neck by cords, which permit the weapon to hang at the side, out of the wearer's way. These Fan warriors had no armor. Their only weapon 76 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. of defunse is the huge shield of elephant hide of which I spoke to you. It is three and a half feet long, by two and a half feet wide. Besides their weapons, many of the men wore a small knife, as a table-knife or jack-knife. From this description of the men by whom I was sur- rounded, you may judge with what amazement I looked around me, with my guns in my hands. It was a gnu id sight to see such a number of stalwart, martial, fk-nr.- looking fellows, fully armed and ready for any desperate fray, gathered together., Finer-looking savages I never saw ; and I could easily believe them to be brave ; and the completeness of their warlike equipments proved that fighting is a favorite pastime witUthem. No wonder they are dreaded l>y. all theif 'neighbors! . : .-' Here was I, at this 'time only a -lad, alone in the midst of them. Presently came the king, a ferocious-looking fellow. His body was naked. His skin in front was painted red, and his chest, stomach, and back were tattooed in a rude but effective manner. He was covered with charms, and wore round his neck a necklace made with leopard's teeth. He was fully armed. Most of the Fans wore queues ; but the queue of Ndiayai, the king, was the big- gest of all, and terminated in two tails, in which were strung brass rings. His beard was plaited in several plaits, which contained white beads. His teeth were filed sharp to a point. He looked like a perfect glutton of human flesh. I looked around me in a cool, impassive manner. Ndiayai, the king, fairly shook at the sight of me. He NDIA YAI.MASHUMHA. 77 had refused to come and see me, at first, from a belief that he would die in three days after setting eyes on me. But Mbenc had persuaded him to come. Kdiayai was accompanied by the queen, the ugliest woman I ever saw, and very old. She was called Ma- shumba. She was nearly naked, her only covering being a strip of cloth about four inches wide, made of the soft bark of a tree, and dyed red. Her body was tattooed in the most fanciful manner ; her skin, from long exposure, had become rough and knotty. She wore two enormous iron anklets, and had in her ears a pair of copper rings two inches in diameter. I could easily put my little fin- gers in the holes through which the earrings passed. The people looked at me, wondered at my hair, but never ceased to look at my feet. They thought my boots were my own feet. " Look at the strange being," said they to each other ; " his feet are not of the color of his face, and he has no toes !" Finally the king said to Mbene* that, when surrounded by his people, he was not afraid of any body. I could well believe him. When fighting they must look perfect devils. "When night came I entered my house, and looked about to see how I could barricade myself for the night, for I did not fancy putting myself entirely at the mercy of these savage Fans. Their weapons had been sufficient to show me that they were men who were not afraid to fight. I told Mbene to send for Ndiayai. .The king came, and I presented him a large bunch of white beads, a looking-glass, a file, fire-steels, and some gun-flints. Hie countenance beamed with joy. I never saw such aston- ishment as he exhibited when I held the looking-glass be ?g STORIES Ol' THE GORILLA COU\'TI\ Y. fore his face. At first he did not know what to make of it, and did not want to take the glass, till Mlx'nr told him that he had one. lie put his tongue out, and he saw it reflected in the looking-glass. Then he shut one eye, and made faces; then he showed his hands before the look- ing-glass one finger two fingers three iinuvrs. He became speechless, and with all I had given him, he went away as " happy as a king;" and "every inch a (savage) king" he was. Shortly afterward, Mashumba, the queen, thinking that probably I had something for her, also came and brought me a basketful of plantains. They were cooked. At once the idea rushed into my mind that perhaps the very same pot that cooked the plantains had cooked a Fan's head in the morning, and I began to have a horrible loathing of the flesh-pots of these people. I would not have cooked in their pots for the world. A little after dark, all became silent in the village. I barred my little bit of a door as well as I could with my chest, and, lying down on that dreadful Fan bed, I placed my gun by my side, and tried hard, but in vain, to go to sleep. I wondered how many times human flesh had en- tered the hut I was in. I thought of all I had seen dur- ing the day, which I have related to you. The faces of those terrible warriors, and the implements of war, were before my eyes, though it was pitch dark. Was I afraid ? Certainly not. What feeling was it that excited me? I can not tell you. It was certainly not fear ; for if any one the next day had offered to take me back where I came from, I should have declined the offer. Probably I was agitated by the novel and horrible eights that had greeted my eyes, and which exceeded all / TRY TO SLEEP. A PILE OF &ONES. 79 my previous conceptions of Africa. Now and then 1 thought that as these men not only killed people, but ate them also, they might perhaps be curious to try how T tasted. Hour after hour passed, and I could not get to sleep. 1 said my bed was a dreadfully bad one. It was a frame composed of half a dozen large round bamboos. I might as well have tried to sleep on a pile of cannon-balls. Finally I succeeded in going to sleep, holding my gun tightly under my arm. When I got up in the morning, and went out at the back of the house, I saw a pile of ribs, leg and arm bones, and skulls piled together. The Cannibals must have had a grand fight not long before, and devoured all their prisoners of war. In what was I to wash my face ? I resolved at last not to wash at all. BMTfcAPPINO THE ELEVKAWT. CHAPTER IX. AN ELK1MIANT HUNT. AFTER a few days the Fans began to get accustomed to me and I to them, and we were the best friends in the world. They are great hunters. One day a woman returning from the plantations brought news that she had seen ele- phants, and that one of the plantain-fields had been en- tirely destroyed by them. This was an event of common occurrence in the country; for the elephants are not very particular, and whatever they like they take, not caring a bit how much hunger they may occasion among the poor natives. When the news arrived a wild shout of joy spread among the villagers. The grim faces of the Fans smiled, and, in doing so, showed their ugly filed teeth. thinner than parchment. And what kind of skin do you think it was ? It was the skin of the very large spidei which abounds in that country, and from which I should not care to receive a bite, it is so poisonous. The performer sits down, with the frame across his knees, and strikes the strips lightly with a stick. There are two sticks, one of hard wood, the other of much soft- er wood. The instrument is played on the same princi- ple as a chime of bells, or an instrument used in France, and which, perhaps, some of you have seen, composed of a series of glasses. The tone of the handja is very clear and good, and, though their tunes were rude, they played them with considerable skill. The Fans work iron better than any tribe I met with. They are very good blacksmiths. Their warlike habits have made iron a very necessary article to them. It is very plentiful in their mountainous country. At the head of this chapter is a picture of two Fan blacksmiths. Look at the curious bellows they have. It is made of two short, hollow cylinders of wood, surmount- ed by skins very well fitted on, and having an appropri- ate valve for letting in the air. As you see, the bellows- blower is on his knees, moving down these coverings with great rapidity. There are two small wooden pipes, con- nected with two iron tubes which go into the fire. The anvil, as you see in the picture, is a solid piece of iron. The sharp end is stuck into the ground ; and the blacksmith sits alongside his anvil, and beats his irop 02 STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. with a singular-looking hammer, clumsy in form, and with no handle; in fact, it is merely made of a heavy piece of iron. The blacksmiths sometimes spend many days in mak- ing a battle-axe, knife, or spear. They make, also, their own cooking utensils and water-jugs. They also make their own pipes, for they are great smokers. Some of their pipes are not at all ungraceful in shape. Besides the water-j tig, they frequently use the calabash as a vessel to carry water in ; and some of their calabash- es are really pretty, and very nicely ornamented. Some of the spoons, with which they eat their human broth, are very beautiful. They are made of various woods, and sometimes of ivory. It is quite sickening to think what horrible people these Fans are ! Such inveterate cannibals are they, that they even eat the poor wretches who die of disease. As E was talking to the king one day, some Fans brought in a dead body, which they had bought, or bartered for, in a neighboring town, and which was to be divided among them. I could see that the man had died of some dis- ease, for the body was very lean. They came round it witli their knives; and Ndiayai left me to superintend the distribution. I could not stand this j and when I saw them getting ready, I left the spot and went to my hut. Afterward I could hear them growing noisy over the di- vision of their horrid spoil. In fact, the Fans seem to be perfect ghouls. Those who live far in the interior practice unblushingly their horrid custom of eating human flesh. It appears they do not eat the dead of their own family, but sell the corpse to some other clan, or make an agreement that when one CANNIBAL DIET. 93 of their number dies they will return the body in ex- change. Until I saw these things I could not believe a story I had often heard related among the Mpongwe tribe, which is as follows : A party of Fans once came down to the sea-shore to view the ocean. While there, they actually stole a freshly buried body from the cemetery, and cooked Euid ate it. Another body was taken by them and con- veyed into the woods, where they cut it up and smoked Lhe fle^h. These acts created a great excitement among the Mpongwes. But you must not think that the Fans are continually eating human flesh. They eat it when they can get it, but not every day. They kill no one on purpose to be eaten. One day Kdiayai took me to an Osheba town, the king ot which tribe was his friend; and let me tell you that the Oshebas were also great man-eaters, like the Fans, whom they greatly resemble in appearance. The chief of that Osheba village was called Bienbakay. The Fans are the handsomest and most resolute-look- ing set of negroes I have ever seen in the interior. Eat- ing human flesh does not seem to disagree with them, though I have since seen other Fan tribes whose men had not the fine appearance of these mountaineers. Here, as