,,among ,,congo ,,cannibals ,illustration3 ,,boloki ,,man ,,and ,,his ,,wife ,notice the cicatrice on the man's forehead and on the woman's stomach4 ,the brass ring round her neck in some cases weighs as much as #bh lbs4 ,in her hand she is holding a paddle4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,among ,,congo ,,cannibals ,,experiences1 ,,impressions1 ,,and ,,adventures ,,during ,a ,,thirty ,,years' ,,sojourn ,,amongst ,,the ,,boloki ,,and ,,other ,,congo ,,tribes ,,with ,a ,,description ,,of ,,their ,,curious ,,habits1 ,,customs ,,religion1 ,,laws ,,by ,,john ,h4 ,,weeks ,,correspondent ,,to ,,the ,,royal ,,anthropological ,,institute ,,and ,,to ,,the ,,folk-,,lore ,,society ,,author ,,of 8,,congo ,,life ,,and ,,folk-,,lore10 ,c4 ,c4 ,,with #ed ,,illustrations ,a ,,map ,,philadelphia ,j4 ,b4 ,,lippincott ,,company ,,london3 ,,seeley1 ,,service ,,co4 ,,ltd4 #aiac ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,preface ,the object of the author throughout these pages has been to give an account of his experiences among the ,boloki 7or ,bangala71 and a description of the manners1 habits1 customs1 etc41 of this interesting people amidst whom he lived in closest intimacy as a missionary4 ,the author went to the ,congo in #ahha1 hence his residence in what has been aptly called 8,darkest ,africa0 covers a period of thirty years--fifteen of which were spent in other parts of the ,congo1 and fifteen amongst the ,boloki people4 ,these pages1 however1 are not a record of missionary life and work1 but a description of primitive life and native organizations1 of ,african mythology1 superstition1 and witchcraft1 and of barbarities that are the natural outcome of the native's view of life4 ,the writer1 from the very first days of his life amongst the ,boloki folk1 kept extensive and careful notes of all that he saw and heard around him4 ,the anthropology and folk-lore of the people have always been interesting subjects to him2 and while reducing the language to writing1 a task which demanded a clear understanding of the various words in use and the customs which they often describe1 he was gaining an insight into the native life and mode of thought only vouchsafed to those who have won the confidence of a savage people1 and are living in close and sympathetic touch with them4 ,the author has no particular anthropological axe to grind1 but has tried to give in plain language what he has seen and heard1 leaving to the reader the pleasure of forming his own theories4 ,the reader of these pages may rest assured that nothing is exaggerated or overcoloured4 ,had the writer wished he could have described the appalling corruption of native morals1 the lack of innocency even among the very young1 the absence of virtue among the women1 and the bestiality existing among the men4 ,one often felt the need of a moral bath to cleanse away the filth4 ,an intimate knowledge of the natives impresses one with this fact3 that the golden age has not yet dawned for them2 and that the unsophisticated savage living a dolce far niente existence in happy surroundings has not yet been discovered on the ,congo4 ,had this been a book dealing with missionary effort among the ,boloki1 the author would have made due mention of the honoured colleagues who so unstintingly shared his labours at ,monsembe2 but as it is an account of the people themselves1 their customs1 habits1 etc41 this must be his apology for an omission that is due not to forgetfulness of happy years of comradeship1 spent amid many perils and hardships1 but simply to the limited scope of the narrative4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the author is much indebted to the ,royal ,anthropological ,institute of ,great ,britain and ,ireland for permission to use his articles printed by them in their ,journal2 and for a similar kindness extended to him by the ,council of the ,folk-,lore ,society4 ,his best thanks are also due to his former colleagues1 the ,revs4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds and ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland1 for their ready permission to use the photographs bearing their names2 to ,prof4 ,f4 ,starr1 of ,chicago ,university1 for permitting the cats' cradles to be reproduced from the ,proceedings of the ,davenport ,academy of ,sciences2 and to ,baron ,haulleville1 ,directeur du ,muse du ,congo ,belge1 for permission to reproduce here the plates of some of the ,congo ,fish which were made from specimens collected by the author4 ,to ,a4 ,r4 ,wright1 ,esq41 ,editor of ,folk-,lore1 and to the publishers' ,reader1 the writer tenders his hearty thanks for useful criticisms and helpful suggestions4 ,,john ,h4 ,,weeks4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,contents ,,chapter ,i ,page ,,in ,,search ,,of ,a ,,new ,,site #bg ,,chapter ,,ii ,,settling ,,at ,,monsembe #ch ,,chapter ,,iii ,,struggles ,,with ,,the ,,language #dh ,,chapter ,,iv ,,early ,,days ,,at ,,monsembe #fe ,,chapter ,v ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,and ,,native ,,industry #gi ,,chapter ,,vi ,,customs3 ,,some ,,curious ,,and ,,some ,,cruel #if ,,chapter ,,vii ,,social ,,life ,,and ,,organization #ajg ,,chapter ,,viii ,,marriage ,,and ,,child-,,bearing #abb ,,chapter ,,ix ,,native ,,education #adj ,,chapter ,x ,,native ,,games ,,and ,,pastimes #adi ,,chapter ,,xi ,a ,,page ,,of ,,native ,,history #aei ,,chapter ,,xii ,,native ,,government ,,and ,,the ,,natives #afi ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,native ,,laws1 ,,crimes1 ,,and ,,ordeals #agi ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,mythology ,,and ,,folk-,,lore #aig ,,chapter ,,xv ,,war #bbb ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,hunting #bbi ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,fishing #bce ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,religious ,,beliefs #bdf ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,boloki ,,world ,,of ,,spirits #bfa ,,chapter ,,xx ,,medicine ,,men ,,and ,,their ,,magic #bgf ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,taboos ,,and ,,curses #bid ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,native ,,charms ,,and ,,their ,,uses #cjb ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,death ,,and ,,burial #cad ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,native ,,diseases ,,and ,,their ,,treatment #cbd ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,appendix ,,note #a4--,,on ,,yeasts1 ,,ferments1 ,,and ,,bread-,,making #cce ,,note #b4--,,on ,,the ,,boloki ,,verb #ccf ,,note #c4--,,on ,,the ,,boloki ,,method ,,of ,,counting #cci ,,note #d4--,,on ,,boloki ,,relations ,,or ,,kinship #cdb ,,note #e4--,,on ,,native ,,diseases #cde ,,note #f4--,,on ,,the ,,health ,,of ,,white ,,men ,,on ,,the #cdf ,,congo ,,index #cej ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,page ,boloki ,man and his ,wife ,frontispiece ,a ,meal 8en route0 #bb ,a new type of ,native ,house #bb ,a ,village ,street in ,monsembe #cd ,group of ,mobeka ,men #db ,looking up ,lake ,libinza from ,bosisera #db ,our ,boat and its ,crew #gf ,a ,room in the ,monsembe ,house #gf ,pots and ,saucepans for sale1 ,libinza ,lake #hh ,a ,native ,woman of ,wealth #ij ,burning ,grass for making ,salt #ib ,a ,boloki ,drinking-bout #ajj ,a ,boloki ,woman and ,child #ajb ,a ,memorial to a deceased ,head-man #ajd ,boloki ,women preparing an ,evening ,meal #aaf ,group of ,boloki ,women at ,mobeka #aah ,native ,carpenter and his ,workshop #aej ,model of a ,state ,steamer #aej ,group of ,libinza ,folk #aef ,mangwende-a typical ,boloki ,head-man #afj ,a ,monitor #afb ,a ,native ,hut #afb ,white ,ants' ,nest #aij ,boloki ,boys with ,wine ,jar #bjj ,huts built for use during ,war time #bbb ,a ,boloki ,shield #bbd ,a ,boloki ,method of ,beheading #bbf ,tetrodon ,mbu #bcf ,gnathonemus ,numenius #bcf ,genyomyrus ,donnyi #bdb ,protopterus ,dolloi #bdb ,a ,mungala ,creek ,village #bfd ,a ,libinza ,charm for protecting a ,village #bgh ,a ,charm for increasing the ,birth-,rate #bij ,a ,bopoto ,fetish for ensuring good health to #cjh ,twins ,a method of ,beheading on the ,upper ,congo #caf ,head-man and his ,wife #cbj ,method of ,securing a ,prisoner #cbf ,a ,boloki woman dressing her ,husband's ,hair #cbf ,the ,author doctoring a ,crocodile-bitten ,hand #ccb ,map for ,among ,congo ,cannibals4 #cec ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,among ,,congo ,,cannibals ,,introduction ,when living at ,san ,salvador1 in what is now known as the ,portuguese ,congo1 in the early eighties of last century1 the writer frequently conversed with the natives about the inhabitants of the far interior who occupied the banks of the ,great ,congo ,river and its tributaries4 ,the ,san ,salvador folk assured him that the natives of the mysterious hinterland were 8half fish and half human02 that 8from the navel upwards they were human1 and downwards they were fish40 ,no arguments would alter their opinion1 and no amount of good-natured raillery would shift them from their position2 and they generally clinched the matter by saying3 8,you have never seen these people2 but some of our grandfathers saw them1 and told our fathers about them40 ,one night this general belief that up-river folk were 8half fish and half human10 received a severe shock from which1 ,i think1 it never recovered4 ,a caravan that had been trading towards ,stanley ,pool returned to ,san ,salvador bringing with it a slave woman from far up the river4 ,about midnight ,i was aroused to go and see this woman4 ,no one understood her language2 but she was making vigorous signs1 and her owner was not sure whether the gestures indicated hunger1 fatigue1 or illness2 so there was nothing for it but to 8call the white man to interpret the signs10 or1 perchance to talk with her1 8for these white men know everything1 therefore let us send for one residing in our town40 ,on arriving at the hut we saw1 by the flickering blaze of the fire1 a fine1 well-proportioned woman of splendid physique4 ,her hair was arranged in a coiffure1 coloured1 stiffened1 and kept in shape by being plastered with palm-oil1 and the powder of burnt pea-nuts1 or soot4 ,it looked as though she wore a shining black fez on her head1 slightly tilted backwards4 ,she was probably a ,bambala1 or a ,kiteke woman of that branch of the tribe that lived behind the riverine folk three hundred miles above ,stanley ,pool4 ,the signs were interpreted as denoting some stomach trouble1 and after a little medicine had been given we heard no more about it4 ,during the short time she remained in the town she was the observed of all observers--a curiosity from afar2 but her appearance killed once for all 8the half human and half fish0 theory the ,san ,salvador natives had so fondly held respecting the inhabitants of the ,upper ,congo4 ,when in later years ,i went to live among the ,bangalas on the ,upper ,river1 ,i found that they held as strange theories about the remoter peoples higher up1 or north and south of them4 ,they would tell of monsters down south whose chief was a woman#a with a white skin that shone so fiercely that the eyes of those who looked on her were scorched2 or of people away north who lived in trees and ate raw flesh1 etc41 because they did not know how to make a fire2 or of folk far away in the watery west who lived half their time in the water and had webbed feet like ducks4 ,it would seem as though folk of all climes1 of all ages1 and of all degrees of civilization have amused themselves by peopling unknown regions with mythical monsters--,cyclops1 men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders1 centaurs1 mermaids1 etc41 and that even the savages of barbarous ,africa beguiled the long evenings around their fires by conjuring up freaks in nature1 like the more learned ancients1 to inhabit the countries beyond their ken4 ,footnote #a3 ,had the fact that some portions of ,south ,africa were governed by a woman--,queen ,victoria--filtered through the tribes in this distorted fashion8 ,there is another peculiarity of the natives1 worthy1 perhaps1 of notice in this connection3 those who live on the coast always refer to the hinterland folk in contemptuous terms as 8bush-people10 i4e4 ignorant1 dull1 slow in the up-take1 or as we say1 country yokels1 clod-hoppers4 ,when you arrive in the hinterland you find that dwellers in the large towns speak of those who live in the villages and hamlets as 8bush-people10 and they put into their tones such contempt that one is surprised to find that they belong to the same tribe and speak the same language4 ,arriving on the ,upper ,river you find also that all riverine peoples speak of the interior folk--those living away from the river--as 8bush-people10 and utterly beneath their notice4 ,there is no more opprobrious phrase that can be flung at a native than to call him a 8bush-man0 in a language that he understands4 ,he will resent it1 and if there is the slightest chance of success he will fight over it4 ,in ,june1 #ahij1 after having lived on the ,lower ,congo at ,san ,salvador and ,matadi for nine years1 ,i started for the ,upper ,congo for the purpose of seeking out a new site for missionary effort amongst the natives of a new tribe and language4 ,between the last navigable point on the ,lower ,congo1 ,matadi1 and the commencement of the navigable water on the ,upper ,congo1 ,stanley ,pool1 there were #bdj miles of very bad1 rough road4 ,since those days a ,belgian company has built a narrow-gauge railway running between ,matadi and ,stanley ,pool4 ,i cannot pay too high a tribute to the splendid courage1 persistency and engineering skill exhibited by the ,belgians who surveyed the land for the lines at the cost of many lives2 and built the railway1 conquering immense difficulties1 and thus achieving for themselves a great and deserved financial success4 ,if the ,congo ,free ,state had sent men of the same kind and class to govern the country that the railway company sent1 and are sending1 to build and control the railway1 we should never have heard about the terrible atrocities that have taken place1 nor should we have heard of mal-administration1 cruel oppression1 and the mutilation of wretched1 unprotected natives4 ,the railway officials treat their native employees honourably and honestly2 and although hundreds of our native ,christians work on the railway as stokers1 guards1 brakesmen1 storekeepers1 and stationmasters1 ,i have never heard a single complaint from them against their white masters4 ,they have to work hard1 but they are treated justly1 and they are sure of their pay2 and our native ,christians are always ready to sign contracts with the railway authorities for one or more years4 ,in the early eighties the road from ,matadi to ,stanley ,pool was thickly populated1 and every hour or two brought the traveller to a large1 decently-kept town2 but in #ahij the people were mostly gone1 and the few villages left on that long stretch of road were small and neglected1 and the few remaining people had a wretched1 poverty-stricken appearance4 ,why this change8 ,in the meantime the country had become the possession of the ,african ,international ,association1 which quickly changed into the ,congo ,free ,state with ,king ,leopold ,,ii of ,belgium as its ruler4 ,zanzibaris were imported during this period1 armed with rifles1 and sent up-country to found and occupy the ,state stations on the ,upper ,congo4 ,these soldiers no doubt were liberally provided with brass rods to buy native food on their march to ,stanley ,pool2 but they found a people practically unarmed1 for what were flint-lock guns in the hands of natives--who depended more on the magic of their 8medicine men0 for straight shooting than on the accuracy of their aim--against weapons of precision in the hands of a trained and unscrupulous soldiery such as were the ,zanzibaris8 ,the results were constant raiding on the part of the ,zanzibaris2 looting of unprotected native huts2 taking twenty rods' worth of food and throwing down only two or three rods in payment2 and often when there was a white officer in charge1 and he was appealed to1 no redress was obtained by the defrauded native1 nor punishment meted out to the offender2 but frequently the accuser was beaten from the white man's presence1 thus adding physical suffering and insult to the loss of goods4 ,there is a probability that the natives were turbulent and swaggering in their attitude2 but it was not until after the first outrages had been committed by the ,zanzibaris that the natives retaliated on every favourable occasion4 ,from what ,i know of the folk from thirty years' experience of them1 ,i feel sure they were not the first aggressors--they had1 and still have1 too wholesome a fear of rifles to be that4 ,it was only when they had been treated like rats1 having no rights in their own country1 that at last1 like rats1 they turned at bay with hearts inflamed by hatred and revenge4 ,but flint-lock guns could not compete with rifles2 and small1 untrained bodies of men lacking leaders and cohesion could not contend against drilled soldiers who fired bullets that penetrated two or three men1 so there was nothing for them but to leave their towns on the road1 and build away in the forests and valleys at some distance from the main track running through the country4 ,hence what was once a populous trade route1 humming with life in the early eighties1 had become by #ahij a desolate track that by its lack of people disappointed the new-comer1 who in ,europe had heard of the teeming millions of the ,congo1 but could not now in #bdj miles of road find enough people to fill a decent-sized ,english village4 8,where are the people80 was the frequent question on his lips4 8,they have left the trade route1 and have rebuilt their towns and villages in the woods1 the valleys1 and the bush-lands for peace and security10 was the repeated answer4 8,why80 was invariably the next question4 8,because the land was cursed with a plague of rascally ,zanzibaris1 and irresponsible white men who feared their soldiers more than they feared ,god1 and who acted unjustly in their dealings with the people40 ,lest some of my readers should think that ,i am unduly prejudiced in the above statements of what took place on the ,stanley ,pool road1 let me give the history of another trade route in practically the same part of the ,congo along which people of the same tribe and language lived1 and for the same period of time1 viz4 #ahgh-ahij4 ,the pioneers of our ,mission in #ahgh penetrated the interior from ,musuku1 which is about fifteen miles below ,matadi1 and used that place as a base for nearly five years4 ,in #ahhc a better site for their purpose was found on the top of the hill at ,tunduwa 7about three miles below ,matadi74 ,our early pioneers#b found the road between ,musuku and ,san ,salvador well populated with hospitable people1 with plenty of food1 so that there was no need to take rations for men1 and very little provisions for themselves1 and towns were so numerous that a tent was unnecessary4 ,footnote #b3 ,messrs4 ,comber1 ,bentley1 ,crudgington1 ,hartland1 and ,grenfell4 ,when we removed our base to ,tunduwa the traveller to ,san ,salvador dropped down to ,noki in a boat1 and in two or three hours from ,noki he joined the ,musuku to ,san ,salvador route4 ,it was generally a five-days' journey4 ,when ,i left ,musuku in ,january1 #ahhb1 for ,san ,salvador1 ,i found just what my predecessors had found--plenty of villages1 abundance of supplies 7fowls1 eggs1 goats1 vegetables1 native bread1 etc471 and a hospitable people ever ready to lend us a house in which to pass the night2 and for all the eight years ,i knew the road intimately1 and traversed it1 the supply of food1 the number of villages1 and the kindliness of the people remained the same4 ,yet during that time there was an increase of traffic on the road1 for our transport grew as our ,mission extended2 and in the meantime two trading factories--one ,french and the other ,portuguese--were started and maintained in ,san ,salvador1 necessitating a greater number of carriers on the road4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,a4 ,billington ,a ,,meal 8,,en ,,route0 ,the carriers1 tired with a four hours' journey1 on coming to a resting-place1 drop their loads and stretch themselves for a good rest4 ,the personal lads prepare a meal1 and as there is a white lady in the party a white table-cloth is spread over the rough table in her honour4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,f4 ,dodds ,a ,,new ,,type ,,of ,,native ,,house ,these large1 airy wattle and daub houses are taking the place of the old-style grass huts that were formerly the usual structures throughout the district4 ,they are more healthy1 clean1 and comfortable4 ,what made the striking difference between the two routes--depopulation and poverty on the one1 continued prosperity on the other8 ,i have already given the causes for the wretchedness and desolation found on the road to ,stanley ,pool in #ahij and the succeeding years2 now let me state1 clearly and briefly1 the reasons for the flourishing condition of the ,san ,salvador road4 ,the men used for the transport service on the latter route were natives of ,san ,salvador and district1 ,kroo boys and ,loangos1 they travelled unarmed1 they bought their food1 and so long as they observed the well-known courtesies of the road they moved freely and were unmolested4 ,the carriers thus behaving themselves en route1 the natives treated them fairly1 and often supplied them with water--a by no means trifling kindness in a country where there are no water-taps in the houses1 and the refreshing drink has often to be carried a mile or more4 ,the inhabitants of the various villages knew that if they overcharged the porters1 were extortionate in their demands1 and surly in their conduct1 the carriers would give them a wide berth and1 by making a detour1 leave them severely alone2 and thus a regular source of their village's wealth would be cut off4 ,besides1 the natives are fond of social intercourse1 giving and receiving news1 and these men who passed constantly to and fro between the centre of native life at ,san ,salvador and the outside world as represented by the trading stations on the river1 were always full of interesting news1 and to turn them aside from a village by outrageous conduct was equal to cutting themselves off from the world1 stopping as it were the daily papers and the weekly budgets4 ,this was unthinkable1 for natives are sociable folk and like to keep in touch with their fellows4 ,when any serious cases of dispute arose between the carriers and the natives on the road1 they were brought to us at ,san ,salvador1 and we settled them impartially1 justly1 and amicably to the satisfaction of the parties concerned4 ,the natives who lived near the large rivers that were impassable by fording during the rainy season1 built bridges across them1 and kept them in repair4 ,we white men at ,san ,salvador acknowledged our indebtedness for this service by paying an understood sum in barter goods--the traders paying a much larger amount than the ,missions#c because their transport was heavier--when we heard they had completed the bridges4 ,it was no easy task to make these bridges long and strong enough1 considering the materials and tools the workmen had at their disposal2 but it meant for us that the road for our cases1 bales1 and mails was open all the year round1 and also that our carriers and goods ran no risks from swollen1 swirling rivers4 ,footnote #c3 ,the ,portuguese ,roman ,catholic ,mission settled at ,san ,salvador a year or more after we had begun our ,mission4 ,it will be seen from the above that the natives on the ,san ,salvador road were treated very differently from those on the other trade route under consideration1 consequently the villagers of the former maintained the food supply1 retained their character for hospitality1 and continued to live and thrive on the transport line2 while the people on the ,stanley ,pool route left the track1 and starvation1 depopulation1 and desolation were the results4 ,the ,congo natives have a keen sense of justice1 and they appreciate straight and honest dealing4 ,it was my first intention to add a chapter on the results of the ,congo ,free ,state's rgime4 ,i refrain1 however1 from doing so1 but desire to touch upon the subject in a few short paragraphs4 ,the charges brought against the ,congo ,free ,state during recent years have1 unfortunately for the natives1 been proved too true4 ,more than that1 they were worse than could ever be published in the daily ,press1 for no self-respecting editor could1 or would1 have printed in his paper the outrageous and abominable details that were brought to light by those who were living in the midst of them4 ,we hope1 and we trust not in vain1 that by the accession of ,king ,albert and his gracious consort1 ,queen ,elizabeth1 to the throne of ,belgium a better day is dawning for the poor1 oppressed and downtrodden natives of the ,congo2 and the news that has come to us from the reformed part of the ,congo indicates greatly improved conditions4 ,it is tacitly understood just now that we should give the ,belgian ,state an opportunity of carrying out its reforms2 and although the agitation is not being prosecuted with its former activity1 that does not mean that we are to relax our former vigilance1 nor shall we do so until the natives enjoy those rights which are their proper heritage in their own country4 ,we missionaries are neither ashamed nor repentant1 and never will be1 of the humanitarian part we played in bringing to light the enormities that came to our notice4 ,we had given up home1 the comforts of civilization and1 rightly or wrongly1 we had devoted our lives to the amelioration of the natives1 and we could not as men1 as ,englishmen1 as ,christian men1 stand by and see those natives1 for whom we had given up all1 slowly oppressed to death for the sake of a clique of men in ,europe who were in a hurry to get rich4 ,i was among the first to raise my voice against the horrible conditions that prevailed until recently in many parts of the ,congo1 and my mode of procedure was this3 ,i sent my letter of protest1 first to the 8,commissaire0 of my district2 if no investigation into the charges was made1 then ,i forwarded a copy of the letter to the ,governor-,general at ,boma1 and then1 if after waiting the necessary length of time there was neither inquiry nor redress1 the letter1 with all particulars1 was posted to ,mr4 ,morel for publication in the ,english ,press as the last resort4 ,the ,state itself forced us to appeal to the public4 ,the ,commission of ,inquiry selected by ,king ,leopold himself exonerated us from all blame and thanked us for the part we had taken in the agitation1 for on investigation we were able to prove to the very hilt every charge we had brought against the administration of the now defunct ,congo ,free ,state4 ,it is too late in the day for travellers to deny that atrocities were committed because natives do not talk to them about such things4 ,let such travellers thoroughly learn the language of the people and gain their confidence and then listen to their story4 ,the native does not wear his heart on his sleeve for every crow to peck at1 and when he sees a white man1 here to-day and gone to-morrow1 who knows little or nothing of his language1 hob-nobbing with ,state officials1 he is not going to pour out his heart to such and tell what he has suffered at the hands of the traveller's white friends4 ,what the ,congo needs is a ,government not seeking to enrich itself to-day1 but with visions of a colony the inhabitants of which1 in days to come1 shall rise up and call it blessed2 it needs civil officers swayed by honourable principles1 and controlled by pure1 conscientious motives that shall administer impartially righteous laws2 it needs traders who shall deal fairly by the people 7and some of them do that1 we are glad to say71 who will exchange the wares1 the civilized conveniences 7not fiery spirits7 of ,europe for the labour and produce of the natives as a further incentive for them to work1 travel1 and trade2 it needs the agriculturist to introduce better methods of cultivating the soil and fostering the resources of the country2 it needs the mechanic to teach various trades and industries2 the educationalist and the ,christian teacher to cultivate the mental and spiritual side of the natives--these all working harmoniously together1 no one class sneering at the other1 no one arrogating to himself the work of another1 but respecting each other and co-operating for the uplifting1 civilizing1 and ,christianizing of the ,congo people4 ,we shall then see a people not cursing the white man1 but blessing him2 not cringing before the white master in grovelling fear and hearts bursting with hatred1 but standing erect as ,god intends men to stand2 and not downtrodden and oppressed1 their lives a misery to them1 but free and happy with the joy of life pulsating through their veins4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,i ,,in ,,search ,,of ,a ,,new ,,site ,peace--,bangala tribe--,panic in ,bungundu towns--,people become friendly--,driven away from ,bokomela--,fierce and revengeful natives--,revisit ,bokomela--,a cordial welcome--,reason for warlike attitude--,shooting a native for a wager--,monsembe district--,bumba people stand to defend their women and children--,quietness dispels their fears4 ,during the early days of ,july1 #ahij1 we were busy at ,bolobo station1 preparing for our long journey up-river in search of a new site for a mission station4 ,the steamer ,peace1 a vessel #gj feet long by #aj feet #f inches wide1 and of very shallow draught1 was placed at our disposal4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,stapleton1 who had just arrived from ,england1 was appointed to be my colleague2 and as ,mr4 ,silas ,field had charge of the steamer and crew we were without responsibility respecting them1 and were free to land at every available place and investigate its suitability as a centre for our work4 ,at this time the ,baptist ,missionary ,society had three stations on the ,upper ,congo--one at ,bolobo1 about #bjj miles above ,stanley ,pool1 another at ,lukolele1 a little over #ajj miles farther on1 and the third at ,bopoto1 more than #djj miles beyond ,lukolele1 or #gjj miles from ,stanley ,pool4 ,it was thought desirable to plant a station among the ,bangalas at a point somewhere midway between ,lukolele and ,bopoto1 and thus occupy a part of that great unevangelized district inhabited by one of the finest tribes on the ,congo4 ,the ,bangalas were reported to be a strong1 warlike1 cannibal tribe of fierce habits1 cruel customs1 and independent spirit4 ,they would demand patience1 tact1 and the facing of many dangers from those who1 without arms and soldiers1 went to live among them4 ,still1 such splendid men were worth winning to better ways1 notwithstanding the many possible risks to be encountered in the work4 ,as savages they were feared by surrounding tribes1 and if won to ,christianity their indomitable courage warranted us in hoping they would become the intrepid heralds of their new faith4 ,by ,july #aath we had packed on board our little steamer the nails1 provisions1 tools1 barter goods1 and medicines that could be collected for our new project4 ,a better outfit would have been welcome2 but we thought it was wiser to start with what we could get together than to wait an indefinite period for larger supplies4 ,two days after leaving ,bolobo we arrived at ,lukolele1 and in due time ,lulanga was reached4 ,lulanga was a large town at the mouth of the ,lulongo ,river1 a fine tributary of the ,congo4 ,there our search began4 ,it took us fifty minutes to walk through the town1 the houses of which were built closely together4 ,we estimated the population at #cjjj people4 ,there was then less than a mile of bush1 and another town of over #ajjj inhabitants1 and about an hour's walk back from the river were other clumps of villages containing1 we were informed1 more than #bjjj persons4 ,it was a good centre for our purpose2 but the ,congo ,bololo ,mission had established some stations up the ,lulongo ,river1 and after consulting with their senior missionary at ,bonginda 7#cj miles up the ,lulongo71 we decided that the town at the mouth of the river they were working should really be their base of operations1 and as they promised to occupy it1 if we did not build there1 we left it to them4 ,at ,lulanga we left the south bank of the ,congo1 and after two hours' steaming and winding among the numerous islands we had the large district of ,bungundu stretching before us on the north shore of the river4 ,picking out the biggest town we could see from the deck of our steamer1 we steered our way towards it1 and as we drew near we could see the women seizing hold of their children and their fowls1 and scurrying away with them into the bush as fast as possible2 the men also were tugging at their goats and sheep to hide them in the bush and woods that surrounded their town1 for it was their unfortunate experience that the white men who came on steamers took fowls1 goats1 and sheep without paying for them4 ,when we landed we could not see a single person4 ,we walked up and down the roads calling upon the people to come out of hiding1 to come and talk with us1 or sell us some fowls4 ,after a considerable amount of shouting an old man put his head round a corner of a house and said3 8,white men1 if you want to buy any fowls of us1 sit down where you are1 and send your boys2 we will sell to them1 but not to you40 ,we thereupon handed some looking-glasses1 knives1 bells1 beads1 and cloth to our boys1 and told them that after they had bartered for some fowls they were to try to persuade the people to have some conversation with us4 ,after buying a few fowls our lads said3 8,come and talk with our white men4 ,see1 they are perfectly harmless1 for they are sitting down where you told them4 ,they are not bula matadi 7 ,state officers74 ,they neither desire to fight you nor tie you up4 ,they are mindele mia ,njambi 7 the white men of ,god1 i4e4 missionaries74 ,come and palaver with them40 ,after much hesitation on the part of the native1 and much persuasion by our lads1 the old man drew near to us1 and as he came closer he put out his hand to greet us2 but on seeing our white hands approaching his1 fear took possession of him1 and he drew his hand quickly back4 ,at last1 however1 we heartily shook his hand and his courage returned4 ,he then went over to a large drum1 and beating upon it the women quickly returned from the bush with their children and their fowls1 the men came back with their goats and sheep1 and the town resumed its usual lively appearance4 ,directly they learned the purpose of our visit they begged us to live in their town2 they took us up and down the various streets1 and pointed out all the advantages we should enjoy if we would only build amongst them4 ,we had to allay their importunity by telling them that we could not decide at once to live in their midst1 as we wished to go higher up the river and visit other towns and tribes2 but if we found their town the most central for our work1 we would return to them4 ,and we concluded by saying3 8,we do not desire1 wherever we go in this district1 that the people should run away from us as you did2 cannot you therefore lend us one or two of your young men to go with us to reassure the people8 ,we promise to return them safely in due time40 ,it was astonishing to us that these nervous1 fearful folk who had run helter-skelter from us about two hours before should bring two of their young men to us1 and in their trustful simplicity place their hands in ours1 saying3 8,here are two of our people to accompany you1 and when you have done with them bring them back again40 ,after that1 whenever we arrived opposite a town1 these two men would go into the bows of the steamer and1 shouting loudly to the people ashore1 would tell them not to be afraid1 not to run away1 that we were good sort of white men1 that we were buying fowls at a very good price1 and if they only stayed they could make some profit out of us4 ,for we were giving the enormous sum of about threepence each in barter goods for the fowls1 instead of the usual price of twopence4 ,throughout the rest of that district we received a hearty welcome from the people1 and many pressing invitations to settle in their midst4 ,we had no illusions about these invitations4 ,we fully recognized that the people desired us to live in their towns for reasons quite different from those that actuated us3 our presence would give prestige to their district1 and especially to the town in which we built2 we should be1 more or less1 a guarantee of security1 and freedom from the lootings and raids of ,state soldiers who were already beginning to trouble the people on the ,upper ,congo2 and it would be an immense advantage to them to be able to exchange their food-stuffs1 etc41 for barter goods at a store in their neighbourhood1 rather than have such weary journeys to take in their canoes1 or go without the needed articles4 ,we understood perfectly well that we were not so boisterously invited because of our message1 for of that they knew absolutely nothing1 and in their then savage and ignorant state cared perhaps less than nothing for it4 ,leaving the ,bungundu district we steamed for many miles along a monotonous stretch of forest1 and then reached the thickly populated line of ,bokomela towns4 ,selecting the largest we could see1 we turned our steamer towards it2 and1 putting our pretty little vessel along the beach in front of the chosen town1 we prepared to go ashore4 ,through our glasses we had seen the women and children running hurriedly away1 and the bustling activity of the men who lined the bank and stood on the trees overhanging the river4 ,just as we were about to step ashore we noticed that the men lining the bank above us had raised their spears in a very threatening attitude1 and the old men on the trees had fitted their arrows to their bows ready to shoot at us4 ,we recognized that we were in a tight corner2 we wondered where the spears and arrows would strike us4 ,a false movement would have been misunderstood1 and a shower of sharp weapons would have been the result4 ,our pulses raced tumultuously1 our hearts seemed to thump our ribs2 but outwardly we were calm and self-possessed4 ,we did not know until months later how near we were to a horrible catastrophe--to being1 in fact1 the principal dishes at a cannibal feast4 ,in the best 8trade language0 we could muster we told the excited savages who and what we were4 8,go away10 they screamed1 8or we will kill you4 ,we want nothing to do with you white men40 ,we tried to explain the purpose of our visit1 and asked them to let the ,bungundu men land and talk with them4 ,and all the time we were standing unarmed within twenty feet of their upraised spears4 ,there was a deadly silence on the little steamer1 and the crew had taken refuge behind any and every thing that offered protection from those murderous lances and arrows4 8,go away10 they shouted more fiercely2 8we will kill the men if they come ashore1 and all of you afterwards4 ,we'll have nothing to do with white men40 ,and in frantic unison the excited mob took up the cry of their head-men4 ,there was nothing for it but to push off our steamer and leave the place4 ,it was not until we were beyond the reach of their arrows that we breathed freely1 and then fully realizing the whole meaning of the incident1 and its possibilities of death to us and disaster to our plans1 we bowed our heads in prayerful thanks to ,god for ,his protecting care4 ,some months after our establishment at ,monsembe1 ,i went down to those districts in a canoe paddled by a few lads2 and those same ,bokomela people1 hearing1 from the song of the lads1 that one of the ,monsembe white men was approaching1 hurried out in their canoes with fowls in their hands as tokens of their good-will1 and begged me to go ashore4 ,what was the reason for this strange and pleasant change respecting us8 ,it was this3 ,in the meantime they had heard of our peaceable lives and intentions2 of our straightforward and honest dealings with the natives about us2 that we neither stole things ourselves1 nor allowed our people to steal2 but always bought what we wanted at a proper market value4 ,these facts coming to their knowledge had entirely altered their attitude towards us1 and had turned former enemies into would-be friends4 ,on going ashore they gave me a most cordial welcome1 and when quietness had been restored1 ,i said3 8,some months ago we came to you on our little steamer1 and you drove us away with murderous threats of spearing us4 ,why was that8 ,we were quiet1 peaceable men2 why were you in such a rage80 ,an oldish man1 sitting quietly on a stool near by1 arose and said3 8,white man1 just before you came to us on your steamer1 the white men on a passing steamer shot our chief and some of our people for no reason at all4 ,shot them down while standing quietly on the bank1 and for that reason we swore to kill the next white men that came our way1 and you were the next to come40 ,undoubtedly they would have had their revenge upon us but that ,god placed ,his hand over theirs1 so that neither spear nor arrow was hurled at us4 ,more than once or twice have we seen the spears poised ready for the throw2 and every time we have found that some cowardly1 dastardly white men had been before us and1 having shot down the natives for no reason whatever1 had gone off and left the next unsuspecting white men who went that way to bear the brunt of the natives' mad1 but excusable1 desire for revenge4 ,legacies of hatred have been unfortunately left by too many white men among savage peoples1 who regard all white folk as belonging to one tribe1 and as one or more of their kinsmen have been murdered by white men1 then to retaliate by killing other white men will1 they think1 balance the account4 ,as illustrative of the preceding remarks the following unvarnished story is unfortunately too propos3 ,a ,state steamer in #ahij was proceeding up a tributary of the ,congo1 and on its upper deck two white officers were sitting holding a discussion on marksmanship1 when they saw1 at some distance in front of them1 a native standing in his canoe paddling it from one side to the other of the river4 ,the two officers instantly made a bet as to which of them could knock the man over4 ,guns were raised and fired1 and ,captain ,x4 brought down the poor unsuspecting wretch and pocketed the stakes2#d but he left a heritage of hate that has lasted to this day1 if there are still alive in that district any relatives of the murdered man1 or witnesses of the foul murder4 ,footnote #d3 ,in #ahij this incident was common talk in that district4 ,besides the two men who laid the wager1 there were two other white men on board--captain of the steamer and the engineer4 ,this incident was more frequently related as a joke than otherwise4 ,it seemed to some of us a righteous retribution when a couple of years later ,captain ,x4 himself was shot by his native attendant1 whether accidentally or purposely nobody knew4 ,let me say1 once for all1 that among the ,state officers there were gentlemen of fine1 sterling character who acted fairly and honourably in all their dealings with the natives2 men whose ideals were high1 whose motives were good1 and who desired nothing better than the amelioration of the tribes with which they came into contact4 ,if such men had been in the majority1 and had had a free hand1 the pitiful1 horrible story of ,congo atrocities would never have been written4 ,about twenty-five miles above ,bokomela we came upon the ,monsembe district4 ,there were three bays crowded with large towns1 and only two miles beyond ,monsembe was a long creek teeming with people4 ,we reckoned also that ,bungundu and ,bokomela districts would come within the sphere of our influence2 but before fixing on ,monsembe as our centre we went still higher up-river to weigh the possibilities of other places4 ,town after town we passed of prosperous1 healthy1 fierce1 and barbarous savages4 ,very often we were amongst them and shaking hands with them before they had decided whether to welcome or fight us2 then seeing two friendly1 unarmed white men in their midst they greeted us heartily and were soon bartering fowls1 plantain1 and various food-stuffs for empty bottles1 old meat tins1 and ,manchester goods4 ,diboko 7or ,nouvelles ,anvers7 was visited2 and with our colleagues at ,bopoto we spent a pleasant time4 ,at ,bumba we came upon a continuous stretch of villages for nearly two miles in length4 ,as we steamed close to the bank we observed that the villages were divided by gullies which were bridged by old canoe planks4 ,the folk were quiet1 and as the place looked well populated with apparently prosperous people1 we decided to land4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,a ,,village ,,street ,,in ,,monsembe ,this row of houses belongs to one man1 and while he may have one for himself1 he will also have a wife in each hut4 ,every marriage means an additional house1 for the ,congo native is too cute to put two women in one house4 ,arriving at the extreme upper end of the series of ,bumba villages1 we tied our steamer to a tree on the bank and went ashore4 ,a few miserable1 half-starved dogs barked at us2 but there was no one to greet us1 or object to our landing4 ,we moved slowly forward1 and then we noticed that the virile1 young men1 armed with spears and shields1 were keeping about fifty yards ahead of us2 that the old men and the sick were crouching over their fires warming their hands and keeping up a constant chatter2 and that there was an absence of women and children in the villages4 ,now when there is an absence of women and children in an ,african town or village1 you may be fairly certain that the men are up to mischief1 or think a fight is to the fore4 ,we walked warily to keep ourselves out of any possible ambush2 and as we came to the gullies dividing the villages we found the planks had been removed1 this necessitated our going down and up the sides of the gullies4 ,arriving at the last ditch we started to cross it as we had done the others1 when we observed a rustle in the tall grass on the further side1 and looking closely we saw that the bush was alive with armed men with spears gripped threateningly4 ,just beyond them in the forest were their women and children1 and they were standing between them and possible death or capture as represented1 so they thought1 by the two white men on the opposite side of the gully4 ,to have run away would have meant a shower of spears hurtling through the air after us from the excited people1 so we sat down and parleyed with them4 8,did you ever know10 we asked1 8white men coming to fight without soldiers80 8,no10 was their ready though surly reply4 8,well1 we have no soldiers with us10 was our quick rejoinder4 ,that was self-evident1 for there were only a few of our personal lads about us4 ,with a little more hope in our heart of escaping from another difficult fix1 we began again4 8,did you ever know white men to come and fight without guns and swords80 was our next question4 8,no10 again was their reply4 ,this time a little more friendliness in their tone1 for their fears of a fight were1 like ours1 passing away4 8,well10 we argued1 8we are two white men without guns or soldiers1 but with simply walking-sticks in our hands2 and are all your men armed with spears afraid of two white men with walking-sticks8 ,come and put up the bridge and help us across40 ,after a short consultation among themselves1 some young men replaced the plank and helped us over2 and the discreet distribution of a few beads1 spoons1 and penny looking-glasses won for us their eternal good-will4 ,our return to the steamer was like a triumphal progress4 ,the men shouted and danced in very revulsion of feeling to find it was a friendly visit and not a fight4 ,plank bridges were quickly rearranged1 and outstretched1 willing hands steadied us as we crossed them4 ,the old and sick who had remained around the fires good humouredly chaffed those who had armed themselves for a battle that never came off4 ,all's well that ends well1 and the people were as glad as we were that no blood had been shed and no wrong committed4 ,they begged us very earnestly to come and live among them4 ,we went as far as ,ngingiri on the ,river ,luika1 and then turned the nose of our steamer down-stream4 ,monsembe was the best centre for our work that we had seen in all the long stretch of river we had traversed above ,lulanga4 ,there we should have ample room for expansion1 itineration1 and out-posts along the north bank from ,bungundu to ,likunungu--a distance of #bjj miles2 we should also have the south bank in our parish from ,bolombo to ,bokatalaka ,creek--a stretch of #hj miles2 and the creek just above our proposed station site was said to communicate with the ,mobangi ,river4 ,we estimated the population near to ,monsembe1 among whom we should be able to itinerate on ,sundays1 at #gjjj1 and throughout the district1 lining the river1 at #ej1jjj at the very least4 ,then there were the hinterland towns1 whose populations were as yet unknown4 ,it was a splendid sphere of immense possibilities4 ,it was therefore with high hopes and undaunted hearts that my colleague and ,i entered upon our labours among the cannibals of ,monsembe4 ,we returned the men we had borrowed from ,bungundu4 ,what a welcome they had on their arrival home6 ,we had been absent so long that the folk had almost given up all hope of ever setting eyes again on their townsmen4 ,they received a suitable reward1 strutted about the town in their fine1 brightly-coloured new cloths1 and ,i suppose ever afterwards posed as widely travelled men whose words in future were to be taken on all matters relating to riverine geography1 tribal marks1 and other subjects4 ,leaving ,bungundu we crossed to ,lulanga and1 picking up the goods we had left there in charge of a ,dutch trader who treated us with much kindness and hospitality1 we returned to our future home at ,monsembe1 which for the next fifteen years was to be the centre of our world and the scene of many joys and sorrows4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,ii ,,settling ,,at ,,monsembe ,moral way of procuring land--,ground measured--,price asked--,amount accepted--,signing the agreement--,buying a house--,an exorbitant price--,a house for five shillings and a penny--,well-populated hut--,making ourselves comfortable--,cooking difficulties overcome--,present of two goats--,inveterate thieves--,afraid of our 8books40 ,the authorities of the ,congo ,free ,state had informed us that we could take possession of any plot of land in the district that we cared to select4 ,we did not1 however1 believe in accepting from a ,state that which they had no moral right to give1 but in buying from the people the ground they only had a right to sell us for our station4 ,a few hours after our return to ,monsembe we measured out a piece of land one hundred paces along the river front by three hundred paces deep1 and said that in the morning we would buy it of them4 ,next morning at six o'clock we found a large crowd gathered to witness the novel transaction of buying and selling land4 ,they formed a motley assemblage4 ,most of the men had two or more spears gripped tightly in their hands1 and broad-bladed1 ugly knives of various shapes were strapped in sheaths around their chests with the handles level with the breast-bone4 ,some wore gaudy cloths1 while others had bark-cloth or rags that scarcely covered their nakedness4 ,the women were dressed in petticoats made from palm fibres1 and these fringes were so numerous and short that the wearers had every appearance of black ballet girls4 ,their faces were streaked with different coloured pigments1 or dusted with camwood powder2 and their bodies were rubbed with palm-oil4 ,beneath the paint1 the powder1 and the grease one found agreeable faces often lit up with really pleasant smiles4 ,we asked them how much they wanted for the piece of land1 and without hesitation they replied1 8,five thousand brass rods40 8,no10 we said1 8we cannot pay you so large a sum as that1 but we will give you one thousand rods now1 and another five hundred in six months' time1 if you behave yourselves40 ,the head-men consulted apart for a time1 and then their spokesman said3 8,we will accept your offer of one thousand rods now and another five hundred in six months' time1 if you will put on top some bottles1 some knives1 spoons1 tin plates1 looking-glasses1 forks1 cowries1 beads1 cloth1 fish-hooks10 etc4 etc41 in fact samples of everything they had either ever heard about or could recall to mind at so short a notice4 ,unfortunately for them we had not such a variety of barter goods as they demanded1 and we frankly told them so2 but we promised to add some of the articles we did have with us4 ,we cut and counted out the thousand rods1#e tied them up in bundles of one hundred each1 and then raked out two empty pickle bottles from our store and1 putting some fathoms of cloth1 a packet of brass chair nails1 a few iron spoons1 some trade knives1 a dozen zinc-framed looking-glasses1 a few empty meat tins1 the ground became the property of our ,society for about #chs4 worth of goods1 reckoning them at invoice price4 ,footnote #e3 ,brass rods4 ,a brass rod at ,monsembe at that time was #ae inches long1 and not quite so thick as a slate pencil4 ,these rods were the currency of the district and1 in fact1 of the whole of the ,upper ,congo4 ,everything had its price in brass rods--one egg one brass rod2 a fowl ten brass rods2 two yards of cloth twenty brass rods2 a male slave #fjj brass rods2 and a female slave #bejj brass rods4 ,the brass wire for these rods was originally melted down for their brass ornaments--anklets1 necklaces1 armlets1 leg rings1 hafts of spears1 paddles1 and handles of knives1 etc4 ,it was using the brass for this purpose that first gave it any real value to them2 and then they exchanged certain lengths of the brass wire at a fixed price--so many fathoms for a goat1 etc42 and gradually the lengths of brass wire became the medium of exchange1 the unit of value1 the currency of the country4 ,in #ahij the brass rods still retained their value not so much as a medium of barter1 although they were convenient for that purpose1 but as the metal from which they made their most popular ornaments4 ,it is quite possible that the rods changed hands in fathom lengths1 and those who came into possession of these lengths1 each cut off a little piece to procure a bit of brass for nothing1 and hence the length was gradually shortened1 until in #ahij it was #ae inches4 ,the process of shortening continued1 and in #aije the standard length was only #aa inches4 ,in ,bolobo it was about #i inches1 and on the ,lower ,congo1 where brass wire was used long before it filtered through to the tribes on the ,upper ,congo1 it was from four to five inches only in #aije4 ,of course1 with the shortening of the rod1 a larger number was given for the article to be purchased4 ,every white man imported his brass wire in coils1 and cut the rod to the length used in the district where he resided4 ,brass rods are now almost a drug in the market1 for not only have they been poured into the country in a steady stream for the last thirty years1 but the custom of melting down brass for the manufacture of ornaments has been slowly dying out during the last ten years4 ,they desire other things than simply ornaments now4 ,we then thought it wise to draw up a paper stating we had bought the land of the people1 the price we had given1 and the amount we had promised in six months' time4 ,the document was duly written out1 and my colleague and ,i signed it on behalf of the ,b4,m4,s4 ,we then asked two of their head-men to put their marks against their names on the paper as witnesses to the fact that we had purchased the ground1 so that there could not be any future possible dispute about our possession of the site4 ,at first they demurred greatly to having anything to do with the white man's 8book02 they were extremely superstitious about the matter2 it was something uncanny1 and for all they knew some mysterious evil might be the result of touching that 8book40 ,it needed much persuasion1 and it was only when we pointed out to them that they would have no proof that we owed them five hundred rods that their cupidity overcame their fears1 and they consented to put their marks4 ,mata ,bombo was the first head-man chosen for this onerous duty4 ,he was the oldest head-man in the town1 and had been foremost in the negotiations for the land1 in counting the goods1 and most clamorous for his share of them4 ,the people therefore rightly thought that he should be the first to undertake the unpleasant duty of putting his mark on the 8book10 so they laughingly pushed him forward much against his will4 ,when he reached the table he was trembling all over from very fear of that 8book0 lying there upon it4 ,his hand shook so much that ,i had to put my hand upon his and help him to make his mark4 ,on finishing it he put the pen down with a dab1 drew himself to his full height1 carefully stretched out his arms1 and finding that nothing had happened to him1 he went away apparently satisfied that it was possible to have contact with that mysterious 8book0 of the white man's and not suffer for it4 ,the next witness was a much younger man1 who1 seeing that nothing had happened to the first1 came forward without any urging1 picked up the pen1 made his mark and went his way as though he were used to signing contracts every day of his life4 ,thus the land became ours on behalf of our ,society4 ,having settled about the site1 our next requirement was a house into which we could move our goods from the steamer1 and in which we could live1 for it was necessary that the ,peace should return immediately to ,bolobo4 ,looking over the ground we had bought1 we saw a native hut that would suit us until we could build a larger and better one4 ,we had purchased the land and the trees upon it2 but we had arranged with the people that all the houses on our newly acquired site should be removed4 ,to them this was a trifling affair3 they ran a knife along a few strings1 a dozen men got under the roof1 and in a few minutes you would see it walking down the road2 a few more men shook the walls1 uprooted the posts1 and in an hour or so the house was rebuilt on another site4 ,we called the owner of the house that we thought would temporarily answer our purpose1 and asked him how much he wanted for it4 8,five hundred brass rods10 was his quick reply4 ,natives generally ask about two or three times the value of an article1 and ,i fancy this custom is not altogether peculiar to ,african people4 8,that is too much10 was our answer to his extravagant demand4 8,we will give you two hundred rods for the house1 and then you will be well paid40 ,he cogitated on our offer for a few minutes1 and then lifting his head1 he said3 8,if you put a tin plate on top of the two hundred rods you can have the house40 ,so we paid him two hundred brass rods1 and a penny tin plate2 and for the first time in our lives became the owners of house property4 ,directly we had paid the price the man called his wives 7he was the happy 787 possessor of six7 to remove their belongings4 ,they brought out their saucepans1 hoes1 baskets1 mats1 drinking-pots1 firewood1 and the rest of their miscellaneous effects2 the man carried out his paddles1 spears1 knives1 shield1 and a few precious glass bottles that had contained pickles1 lime-juice1 and drinks of stronger brew1 and then told us the house was ready for us4 ,we really could not expect a mansion for the amount we had paid1 viz4 #es4 #a;d42 and we found that in order to enter it we had to stoop low1 lift our feet high1 and1 being unfortunately stout1 we had to turn sideways to effect an entry4 ,arriving inside1 by putting up the hand we could touch the ridge-pole1 by spreading out the arms and swaying slightly we could touch both walls1 a few paces took us from one end to the other of the central room1 and if we had gone against the wall and wanted to stand upright we should have had to put our heads through the roof1 for the walls were only just four feet high4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 a ,dutch ,trader ,,group ,,of ,,mobeka ,,men ,mobeka is situated at the mouth of the ,mungala ,river1 and the inhabitants of that and many other villages in the vicinity belong to the ,boloki tribe4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,,looking ,,up ,,lake ,,libinza ,,from ,,bosisera ,lake ,libinza is a large sheet of water in the hinterland of ,nouvelles ,anvers4 ,it is studded with numerous islands1 and is drained by the ,ngiri ,river1 which runs into the ,mobangi tributary4 ,the house1 however1 had the advantage of two small rooms--one at either end of the larger central room4 ,in one of these small rooms we stored our tools1 nails1 and various materials for building our station2 into the other small room we put our barter goods and our scanty stock of provisions2 and in the central room we arranged our two camp bedsteads1 a table1 a trunk or two1 our chairs1 and when we went in ourselves there was not very much room to spare4 ,that night when we went to bed we discovered that although the women had removed their pots1 hoes1 mats1 etc41 they had left behind them a large population which we wished they had also taken with them4 ,to make our hut more habitable was our first object4 ,we cut away the high door-sill of sticks1 canes1 and grass2 then in the eaves above the doorway we made a gap in the roof by shortening a few rafters and removing the palm-frond thatch--this gave us an easy means of entrance and exit4 ,then we placed two poles about eight feet from the front of our hut1 and six feet from each other2 a small pole was tied to the posts about six feet from the ground1 and other thin poles were run from the cross-piece to the roof1 and on these we arranged and tied a large number of fronds from a small species of palm tree--this gave us a fine shady porch to our house1 which we used as dining-room1 study1 pantry1 and reception-room4 ,we routed out a good percentage of the surplus population from our hut1 and on fine days we were not so uncomfortable as to have any real ground for complaint4 ,but alas on wet days6 ,the discomfort of them has left a lasting impression on my memory4 ,with a tornado the temperature often dropped from #ij down to #fe in less than two hours2 the strong1 stormy winds whistled through the grass walls of our hut2 and the rain that fell in torrents percolated through our roof1 and in some places1 along the ridge especially1 it ran in gentle cascades1 anything but pleasant to the owners of such house property to behold4 ,to have made a fire in the house to warm ourselves1 as the natives did1 would have meant being more than half choked and blinded by the smoke that would have filled the chimneyless house4 ,we eventually found that the best way to weather the storms comfortably was to lie on our camp beds1 pull a waterproof sheet over us1 light a candle1 and putting it on a dry spot read until the tornado had spent itself4 ,there was another difficulty that we had to meet1 viz4 cooking4 ,it was easy enough to boil and fry our food2 but boiled meat and fowls after a few weeks somewhat pall2 and we had not sufficient fat or lard to fry much4 ,there was palm-oil in abundance to be bought for a few brass rods1 but we had too frequently watched the natives make it to relish food fried in it4 ,we therefore bought two native saucepans for a penny each2 these were about #aj inches in diameter1 #f inches deep1 and semicircular in shape4 ,one we stood on three stones1 placed an empty sardine tin in the bottom1 and1 laying a fowl on a tin dish1 arranged it on the sardine tin1 and then turned the second saucepan upside down on the first1 fitting their edges together4 ,our fowls baked beautifully in this improvised oven2 but the saucepan had a tendency to crack4 ,later on we procured an empty paraffin-oil drum1 cut out the top with a hammer and chisel1 laid the drum down1 and put in a layer of clay along the bottom side4 ,this clay not only gave us a level surface on which to stand our dishes1 but also kept the food from burning1 and retained the heat4 ,we then nailed some tin1 procured by flattening out a few empty meat tins1 over some pieces of wood1 and there we had an admirable door for our new oven4 ,it cooked fowls1 puddings1 and bread#f splendidly4 ,no patent has yet been sought for these inventions1 so all those placed in a similar predicament are free to use them4 ,footnote #f3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #a1 p4 #cce4 ,fowls were plentiful1 such as they were2 but fresh meat 7beef1 mutton1 or goat7 was a rarity4 ,consequently we were not at all sorry when two head-men brought us1 one day1 a goat each as a present4 ,up to that time we had not received a single present from them1 not because the natives had not brought any to us--they would have loaded us with their so-called gifts--but we had persistently refused them on principle1 knowing as we did that the offerings were simply presented that the givers might receive two or three times their value in return presents1 and we had no desire to foster such a spirit of selfishness1 and no money to waste on foolish amenities4 ,we had refused so many 8gifts0 that when these two head-men brought their goats and offered one to ,mr4 ,stapleton and the other to myself1 we decided to accept them4 ,we had1 however1 no enclosure in which to keep goats1 so putting a private mark on them we sent them to herd with the other goats of the town4 ,we arranged that as the goats were of the same size1 we would give exactly the same return presents4 ,we reckoned the goats at fifty brass rods each--the market value of them2 but we decided to give in barter goods the equivalents of one hundred rods each1 which we thought was sufficiently generous for the occasion4 ,mr4 ,stapleton called ,dintela1 the head-man who had presented him with his goat1 and spreading out the goods he made the usual speech of good-will1 etc41 that the event demanded4 ,dintela gave him to understand that the present was too small1 that white men who were so rich should give a much larger quantity of goods1 and that he could not accept such a paltry present4 ,as ,mr4 ,stapleton would not increase the offering1 ,dintela demanded the return of the goat1 and tying a string round its neck he led it away1 much disgusted that he had not made so good a bargain out of his present to the white man as he had anticipated4 ,a few days later as ,bololi1 the head-man who had given me the other goat1 was passing across the station ,i called him into the house1 and spreading out the goods identically the same as my colleague had offered to his head-man1 ,i asked him to accept them as a token of our friendliness1 etc41 in return for his goat4 ,he made some gestures expressive of his depreciation of the gift1 and after a haggling attempt to procure an increase of goods1 he1 to my surprise in view of the action of ,dintela1 collected the articles1 put them in his shoulder pouch1 and went off apparently satisfied4 ,the next day when we wanted to kill the goat it had disappeared1 and we never again set eyes upon it4 ,dintela refused the goods and took his goat away2 but evidently they had talked over the matter with the other men in the town1 and the result was that ,bololi accepted the articles and afterwards stole the goat1 which in the eyes of the natives was much the smarter action of the two4 ,after this1 when head-men were too pressing in their offers of friendly presents1 we related the story of the two goats1 and it never failed to cure them of their fits of generosity4 ,we found them at that time1 as the above incident of the goats indicates1 most inveterate thieves2 but a few years later when three young men of the town broke into our store and stole goods to the value of sixteen thousand brass rods1 the mass of the people arose in such indignation on learning the facts that they tied up the thieves1 although they were free men and not slaves1 and1 bringing them to us ignominiously bound1 laid them at our feet4 ,and public opinion was so unmistakable in denouncing the act1 that the young men and their families disgorged the whole of what they had stolen from us to the last brass rod4 ,at first they absolutely refused to trust us even with the value of an egg--we had to put the price in their hands as we took the article2 but gradually they became less suspicious of us4 ,during the early months at ,monsembe our steamer failed to arrive at the expected time1 consequently our small supply of barter goods became exhausted2 and to be without these articles of exchange in such a country was like being a foreigner in a strange land without money4 ,food1 however1 was necessary1 both for ourselves and those dependent on us4 ,we told the natives that our store was practically empty1 and that we could not pay them then1 but would do so when we received our goods from down-river4 ,we offered them papers stating what we had bought1 the price agreed upon1 the date1 and the seller's name--a kind of promissory note which we promised to redeem on the arrival of our steamer4 ,the natives said3 8,we will let you have the food supplies that you need1 but we will not accept your books40 ,they called any piece of paper at that time a 8book40 8,why will you not take our books80 we inquired2 8for we may forget how much we owe1 and to whom we owe it40 8,oh1 you will not forget your debts10 they replied2 8and if there were any fear of that we should not even then accept your books1 but should refuse to let you have the food without the money40 8,why will you not take our books1 then80 we again asked in amazement4 8,well10 they said1 8if we were to accept your books1 and put them in our houses1 no rain would fall on our farms1 and we should all be starved to death40 ,argue as we would1 we could not move them from their superstitious position in relation to our poor little pieces of paper4 ,by that time they knew our intentions towards them were good1 or they would not have trusted us with their fowls1 eggs1 plantain1 and native bread without receiving the barter goods at once1 yet they were afraid of the evil effects our 8books0 would have on their farms4 ,they thought the magic was in the 8book10 and in spite of our good motives that that magic would work against them directly the 8books0 had passed from us into their possession4 ,while the 8books0 were in our house we controlled or nullified their evil magic1 but when they had passed out of our hands we had no further power over their wicked forces1 and the natives were afraid of not being able to counteract their black art1 hence their continued refusal to accept them4 ,it was a curious belief that obsessed them3 that men who they firmly believed were kindly disposed towards them should yet have in their possession such 8books0 as would work mischief to those for whom they had nothing but friendly feelings4 ,we therefore entered their names in a notebook as we bought the food supplies1 and thus keeping an account of what money we owed1 and to whom1 we were able to settle our accounts with them at a later date4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,iii ,,struggles ,,with ,,the ,,language 8,trade0 and 8,bangala0 languages--,making a vocabulary--,housekeeper and master of works--,natives tell us words--,elements of difficulty--,glib translations--,natives deceive us--,head-men offer us wines--,we are a conundrum to our neighbours--,confidence gained at last--,collect nearly seven thousand root words--,a mode of making derivations--,native figures of speech4 ,on the main river there was a mixed language1 commonly called among us the 8trade language02 by means of this lingua franca we were able to make ourselves understood at the various places at which we touched on our search for a new site1 and it stood us in good stead during our early days among the ,monsembe people4 ,there was a large element of ,bobangi in it1 some ,kiswahili words1 and a few ,lower ,congo words and phrases4 ,this 8trade language0 has now been supplanted by what is called the 8,bangala language10 which is a mixture of the languages already mentioned1 with a smattering of ,bangala words thrown in4 ,for a considerable time ,diboko 7,nouvelles ,anvers71 or as it is most frequently called by white men generally when speaking to natives1 ,bangala1 was the largest ,state station above ,stanley ,pool4 ,a large number of natives were imported there from all the tribes on the ,upper ,congo1 and this heterogeneous mass of humanity1 often numbering over two thousand soldiers1 workmen1 and women1 held communication with each other by means of the 8trade language40 ,the smartest of the natives in the towns adjacent to ,diboko quickly learned this jargon1 and used it more or less fluently when communicating with the ,state soldiers and workmen2 and the white men hearing the natives of the neighbourhood talking this lingo jumped to the conclusion that it was their own tongue in which they were conversing1 and thus called it the ,bangala language1 and by that name it is now generally known on the ,upper ,congo4 ,as it was with the 8trade language0 so it is with the 8,bangala02 it varies considerably with the tribe using it4 ,a ,bobangi man when in difficulty for a word or phrase while speaking 8,bangala0 will fill up the hiatus with a word from his mother-tongue2 the ,bangalas1 ,bopoto1 and ,bosoko peoples will fill up the gaps1 each from their own language1 so that the 8,bangala0 spoken differs according to the district in which the traveller may be sojourning4 ,a crew running a steamer1 or a gang of men working on a station1 though they may come from half a dozen different tribes1 will quickly arrange a lingo of their own1 and the white man running the steamer1 or in charge of the station1 will easily acquire the resulting patter1 and up to a certain point make himself fairly well understood in all matters relating to the ordinary affairs of steamer or station life4 ,in the near future there will be1 no doubt1 a language formed by a gradual selection of words and phrases from all the great languages on the river from ,stanley ,pool to ,stanley ,falls4 ,such a means of intercommunication will be a great boon to all concerned--black and white alike--a better understanding will result1 and1 as a consequence1 a greater respect for each other4 ,directly we settled at ,monsembe we began to learn the language of the people amongst whom we were living4 ,the 8trade language0 was all that was necessary to a passer-by2 it answered the purpose of bartering for food and dealing with the trivialities of life2 but was absolutely inadequate for conveying our message as missionaries1 or for dealing with the finer and deeper affairs of the minds1 hearts1 and souls of our parishioners4 ,we had therefore to learn the language1 and we had no desire to shirk the drudgery1 nor avoid the arduous1 persistent effort such a study demanded1 for we regarded it as a part of our work1 and not the least interesting part either4 ,my colleague1 ,mr4 ,stapleton1 and ,i arranged that one should take charge of the house1 buy the food brought for sale1 and prepare the meals2 while the other should look after the workmen1 clear the grass away1 mark out the ground1 collect materials for building1 and start the erection of a larger and more comfortable house than our poor hut4 ,we were to alternate these duties--one was to be housekeeper one week1 and head of the works department the next week4 ,as ,i had been in the country nine years the heavier end of the stick fell naturally to my lot4 ,i had brought two men and a lad with me from the ,lower ,congo1 one ,cameroons man capable of doing rough carpentry had joined us at ,bolobo1 and we had hired two men at ,lukolele1 so we had some help2 but more was necessary1 and we were able to engage a few natives--as many as we required--at twenty rods per month as pay1 five rods per week rations1 and one fathom of cloth per month to wear1 which came in all to about two shillings1 invoice price4 ,this seems very small1 but we were in the heart of ,africa where brass rods and cloth were worth1 at that period1 many times their invoice value1 for their buying power was very great1 and food was so plentiful and cheap that #ab lbs4 of native bread could be bought for a single brass rod1 and a large-size fish for another rod4 ,the men often requested that we would reduce their ration rods and proportionately increase their monthly pay1 which we did4 ,while we were digging the holes for the posts of our larger house1 the natives who were curiously watching us1 said3 8,oh1 to do that sort of thing10 imitating a scooping action with the words1 8is tima40 ,so we wrote down tima to dig2 when we had finished the hole1 they said it was1 8lifoko10 hence we put down lifoko hole2 when we procured a post1 they told us its name was mwete1 and that we recorded as mwete a post2 on standing the post in the hole they informed us that that was suma mwete1 and we wrote that down as suma mwete to stand a post in a hole4 ,when we placed the wall-plate on they gave us a word for that2 when we brought hammer and nails out of our tool-house they acquainted us with the names for those things2 when we hammered a nail to hold the wall-plate in position they gave us an expression for nailing2 and if by any accident we hit our finger instead of the nail1 they found a suitable expletive for that action also4 ,night by night my colleague and ,i added the words together we had procured during the day and counted them as eagerly as any miser might his gold1 for we recognized in them a means by which we should eventually be able to deliver our message4 ,it was very difficult to acquire words for abstract ideas1 as courage1 faith1 love1 recklessness1 etc42 and it was not easy to procure words for tangible objects--things that we could point to and touch4 ,i remember on one occasion wanting the word for table4 ,there were five or six boys standing around1 and tapping the table with my forefinger ,i asked3 8,what is this80 ,one boy said it was dodela1 another that it was etanda1 a third stated it was bokali1 a fourth that it was elamba1 and the fifth said it was meza4 ,these various words we wrote in our notebook1 and congratulated ourselves that we were working among a people who possessed so rich a language that they had five words for one article4 ,by and by we wanted a table brought to us1 and selecting a word at random from our list of five words1 each one of which we supposed meant table1 we said3 8,benga bokali0 fetch the table4 ,the boys looked at us with considerable astonishment1 and1 noticing their embarrassment1 we checked the list of words and found that one lad had thought we wanted the word for tapping1 so he told us dodela to tap2 another understood we were seeking the word for the material of which the table was made1 and he gave us etanda plank2 another had an idea that we required the word for hardness1 that which caused the noise as we tapped with our finger1 and he told us bokali1 and that is what we had told them to bring3 benga bokali fetch the hardness1 a feat they could not possibly accomplish2 another thought we wished for a name for that which covered the table1 and his contribution was elamba cloth2 and the last lad1 not being able1 perhaps1 to think of anything else1 gave us the word meza table--the very word we were seeking4 ,we had to scratch out the first four words1 leave the word meza1 and pass on1 having learned a good lesson on the evil results of jumping too quickly to conclusions4 ,if the reader knows no ,german1 and should ever happen to be in the company of some five or six ,germans who do not understand a single word of ,english1 let him ask3 8,what is this80 in indifferent ,german1 and write down their several answers4 ,in learning and reducing to writing an unwritten language there are always several elements that increase and complicate the difficulties4 ,there is what is in your own mind as the object for which you are seeking a word1 and there is what the native thinks is the object for which you are wanting the word1 which two things may be very different2 again1 when you are searching for a word to embody an abstract quality there is1 on the one hand1 the meaning you attach to the words you use as illustrative of the idea for which you want the word2 and there is1 on the other hand1 the meaning which your native lad attaches to the words you employ1 and the two sets of meanings may widely vary4 ,you may unknowingly employ a wrong phrase in your description of the quality you are wanting a word to express1 and your teacher is either puzzled or thrown entirely off the scent1 and the result leads to a disastrous mistake and1 unless corrected later1 to a false1 misleading translation4 ,suppose you want a word for healthiness2 you say that a man walks well every day1 paddles for long distances without fatigue1 eats his food heartily1 has no pains in his body1 and never needs to go to a medicine-man4 8,what do you call that80 ,your helper will consider for a moment1 and then reply3 8,abe na bonganga40 ,by and by you go over the description with another person1 and he says of such a man3 8,abe na nkonjo40 ,a few days later1 in order to check the former teachers1 you try another young man1 and he tells you3 8,abe na nkasu40 ,in due time1 however1 you discover that abe na bonganga means3 he has a powerful charm2 that abe na nkonjo he has good luck2 and abe na nkasu he is very strong2 and that nkuli is the proper word for healthiness4 ,your helpers have not purposely led you astray1 for they have simply stated from their point of view how they would regard such a fortunate man who can walk1 paddle1 eat well1 has no pains in his body1 and never needs medicine--he must possess a powerful charm1 or have wonderful luck1 or be exceedingly strong4 ,when you know the natives better you find they rarely talk about their health1 hence abe na nkuli he has healthiness1 would not come readily to their minds4 ,the difference between our point of view and that of our teachers accounts for many of the difficulties we experience in learning a native language2 and ,i am afraid that a real appreciation of those difficulties has rendered me somewhat suspicious of those travellers who1 after a very short acquaintance with the native language1 translate glibly their interviews with the people4 ,just recently ,i have been reading a book on the ,congo in which the following occurs3 8,bikei yonsono1 malami be na ,mputu4 ,sola koye40 ,this the author1 who frequently takes credit to himself for his knowledge of the native language1 translates as follows3 8,all ,i say is true1 you say ,i lie4 ,it is finished4 ,i have seen those things2 you have not40 ,whereas it should be3 ,all things are very good in ,mputu 7white man's country74 ,truly friend6 ,and the sentence in ,bangala should have been written3 ,bike binso bilamu be na ,mputu4 ,solo koye6 ,no ,congo native would have been guilty of the grammatical blunders perpetrated in the sentence as written by the author4 ,i have frequently noticed that the less a person knows about a native language the more fluently and beautifully he will translate it1 as he is bound only by the limitations of his own imagination4 ,when we had been living at ,monsembe a few months we were much vexed and disgusted to find that the people had been deceiving us considerably over their language4 ,one day1 while working with the men1 ,i heard a native workman shout out a request to another native labourer4 ,from the nature of the work being done ,i could easily guess what the phrase really meant2 but the wording of the sentence was entirely different from that which they had given us to express the same idea4 ,going into the house1 ,i brought out my notebook and said3 8,just now you called out so and so10 repeating the short sentence that was still fresh in my memory4 8,how is it we have another set of words in our book80 ,a broad smile gradually spread over the native's face as he replied3 8,white man1 when you came first to live amongst us we could not understand the purpose of your coming4 ,we brought you rubber and ivory2 but you said1 #8,we do not trade in such things4' ,we then brought you male and female slaves1 and asked you to buy them1 and you replied1 #8,we do not trade in slaves4' ,we then brought you a large jar of sugar-cane wine1 but you said that you did not drink wine1 and we answered that we would drink it for you1 and even then you would not buy it4 ,after that we came to the conclusion that there was some wicked reason for your presence in our town1 some bad purpose we could not understand1 and we therefore arranged among ourselves not to teach you our language1 but to tell you as many words and phrases as we could belonging to other languages40 ,we found they had kept their agreement far too well1 and as a result we discovered that a large percentage of the words that we counted as good coin of the realm were nothing but base metal1 and had to be thrown out of our notebook as utterly useless4 ,undoubtedly our presence was a great mystery to the natives4 ,they could easily understand the reasons why traders and ,state officers were living in the country2 but why men who neither traded nor governed should live in their midst was a problem discussed repeatedly around their evening fires4 ,they had asked us more than once3 8,were you bad men in your country that you had to leave it to come and live here in this land80 ,or3 8,is there no food in your country that you come here and buy only fowls and vegetables of us80 ,fowls were plentiful and very cheap1 costing us often less than twopence each1 and as it was the only fresh meat we could procure regularly1 scarcely a day passed without our having a fowl for dinner1 hence the point and purpose of their question4 ,these inquiries we answered as fully as we could2 but1 notwithstanding our replies1 we remained a puzzle to our neighbours and the subjects of many a long and heated talk4 ,one day some of the head-men came to us1 and after solemnly taking their seats on the stools their wives had brought for the purpose1 they said3 8,white men1 we have come to talk a palaver with you40 ,our minds quickly ran over our actions during the last few days1 for we wondered what offence we had committed to cause such a visit from so many serious-looking head-men4 ,we could not recall any action or any words that were likely to have given umbrage to the natives1 so we waited to hear from their lips of some breach of etiquette of which1 all unknowingly1 we had been guilty4 ,old ,mata ,bombo1 a tall1 straight man of over sixty years1 was spokesman for the deputation4 8,we have noticed10 he said1 8that you have no wives1 and we think it would be well for you two white men to marry two of our women2 and we have brought some from which you can make your selection40 ,and as he finished speaking he pointed to a row of giggling girls and women1 who while he was talking had lined up a few yards away4 ,as seriously as we could1 we expressed our thanks for their concern on our behalf1 and also for their generosity in giving us such a fine array from which to choose our wives2 but continuing1 ,i said3 8,i have a wife in ,mputu 7white man's country72 and my friend1 ,mr4 ,stapleton1 has a lady there waiting to become his wife as soon as he returns home4 ,we cannot therefore accept your offer40 8,that is no difficulty10 they all answered in chorus4 8,you can marry two of these now1 and when your white wives come you can send these back to their families1 and there will be no palaver40 ,we1 however1 persisted in declining with thanks1 and at last it dawned upon them that we were quite serious in our refusal4 ,the head-men went off in a huff1 as they expected to make some profit out of the alliance2 and the women moved away chagrined that their charms had had so little effect on us1 and1 possibly1 they were also vexed by the knowledge that they would be1 for many a day to come1 the butts of much ridicule and chaff from the other women of the town and district4 ,doubtless this incident added much to the problem concerning us that was exercising the native mind4 ,here are two strong1 healthy white men1 rich like other white men 7the poorest white man is a millionaire in the eyes of the natives71 building houses in our town1 working hard from sunrise to sunset1 refusing our ivory1 and rubber1 our slaves1 our women1 and our drink4 ,what are they8 ,they say they have 8come to tell us about ,god40 ,but would white men leave home1 wives1 family1 and work in the sun as they do just to tell us about ,god8 ,they say they have 8come to help us1 to teach us many things and to do us good02 and they offer us medicine when we are sick4 ,how can they help us8 ,what can they teach us8 ,how will they do us good8 ,and as for their medicine1 who would be foolish enough to drink it8 ,it might bewitch us4 ,such were the questions surging through their minds 7as we learned later72 and there was no one sufficiently in their confidence to help to the proper solution of this difficult conundrum4 ,is it any wonder that they came to the conclusion that we were bad men living in their district for some ulterior motive2 and the best way to treat us was to humour us in building1 keep their eyes alert to thwart any wicked designs1 avoid teaching us their language1 which we seemed particularly eager to learn1 and in the meantime make as much money out of us as they could1 either by fair or dishonest means1 it did not matter which8 ,many of these thoughts we surmised from their actions1 but their whole course of reasoning we did not fully learn until very many months had passed away1 in fact1 not until we had gained their entire confidence4 ,in the meantime we tried1 in our poor way1 to live the life of our ,master1 ,jesus ,christ1 among our barbarous neighbours1 and their suspicions about us gradually melted away4 ,they would come and chat freely with us1 and by and by it was no uncommon thing to have three or four lads sitting with us teaching us their language and helping us to a right understanding of the rules that govern it2 and men passing by would stop1 and1 listening to the lads for a time1 aid in elucidating some knotty point4 ,patience1 love1 and straight dealing won their confidence1 their disinterested assistance1 and at last their love4 ,eventually1 by the help of the people--old and young1 for all became interested in the work--we were able to collect close upon seven thousand root words which1 with their derivatives1 give us a vocabulary of nearly forty thousand words4 ,these derivatives are produced by very regular rules1 which when once understood1 the learner possesses the key to a large treasury of words1 e4g43 ,verb4 ,tula4 ,to do smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,motuli4 ,a smith4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,motuliji4 ,one who causes the smithing to be done1 a master4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,motuleliji4 ,one who causes smithing to be done for another1 a foreman4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,ntula4 ,the smithing peculiar to one smith1 as distinct from that of another smith--his mode of smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,lituli4 ,the kind of smithing needed by one article as distinct from that required by another4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,botula4 ,skill or ability in smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,etuli4 ,the article worked upon4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,etulela4 ,habit of smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,etuleli4 ,instrument with which to do smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,motula4 ,a smithing1 e4g4 ,atuli motula1 literally1 he smiths a smithing1 i4e4 he works at smithing4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,litulele4 ,a place for smithing a workshop1 smithy4 ,der4 ,noun4 ,motuleli4 ,one who does smithing for another1 an employee at smithing4 ,another set of derivatives is made from the reversive form of the word1 as kanga to tie1 mokangi a tier1 kangola to untie1 mokangoli an untier2 and this reversive form can give us derivatives built on its idea1 as from kangolela to untie for another1 comes mokangoleli one who unties for another2 and from the causative kangolija to cause to untie1 comes mokangoliji one who causes to untie2 and1 again1 from the causative of its prepositional form kangolelija to cause to untie something for someone1 comes mokangoleliji one who causes a person to untie something for or on behalf of another4 ,one could mention the stative and the passive forms of the verb with their respective prepositional and causative suffixes1 each supplying their own series of derivatives2 but ,i fear the reader would weary of them1 and the student of ,african languages has now at his disposal many grammars of ,bantu tongues that will fully satisfy his love for comparative language study4 ,my only desire in these few paragraphs is to show that the natives of the ,congo do not talk a gibberish like a lot of monkeys1 but have at their disposal a magnificent language that excites the admiration of every student4 ,and it will be seen that such complex languages are not to be mastered in a few weeks or months by any globe-trotter who has a fancy for ,african travel1 for they demand time and constant study to appreciate their finesse1 and special linguistic ability to master their details and accurately define the words collected1 and the various derivatives discovered4 ,it must not be thought that for every verb all the various derivatives can be found1 as for obvious reasons some derivatives are not required from some verbs1 and other derivatives are not required from other verbs1 e4g4 the reversive verb tulola to undo smithing1 can be built on tula to do smithing2 but as such an idea as to undo smithing is ridiculous1 hence no derivatives founded on the reversive form tulola are to be met with in the language4 ,smithing can be spoilt1 and for that they have a word1 but when once a knife is forged it cannot be unforged1 i4e4 it cannot be returned to iron ore like a knot that can be untied and the string resume its original form4 ,neither do the natives add to every verb all the prefixes and suffixes that can grammatically be affixed to them4 ,it is very apparent that some verbs are complicated with causative1 prepositional1 tense1 and other forms1 and it is necessary to know for what the polysyllabic word stands as a phrase1 as there is no time to dissect it while a speech is in progress4 ,this is what ,i think the native does4 ,he has no words for the parts of speech as we have in grammar1 he does not know that bakamokangelela ntaba nxinga is made up of the nominative pronominal prefix ba they1 the present tense progressive ka ing1 the objective pronominal prefix mo him1 the verb kanga tie1 the two prepositional suffixes ela for1 and ela with 7the 8a0 elides before 8e071 and two objective nouns ntaba goat1 and nxinga string2 but he knows that bakamokangelela ntaba nxinga means 8they are tying the goat for him with string40 ,and if you1 as a white man1 while speaking and translating1 try to make new polysyllabic words by a new combination of prefixes and suffixes1 then you confuse your hearers 7or readers7 to such an extent that they do not readily follow you4 ,you will have to educate them to a proper understanding of your new phrases1 as ,english folk had to learn ,carlyle's picture-phrases a generation ago before they could appreciate their force and beauty4 ,it seems that in the course of time the various dialects have become more or less stereotyped in the use of certain verbal suffixes1 and if a speaker now creates new combinations the hearers do not at once follow him2 or it may be that at some period in the past when a dialect was in the making the minds of the people were very active1 and the combinations they formed are fixed and remembered1 and no new ones are being made1 as the minds of the present generation are less gymnastic2 or1 again1 it may be that a man with some pretensions to intellectual power created new combinations of verbal suffixes1 and impressed them on his generation1 and thus superseded other word-phrases as ,chaucer's ,english has been succeeded by a later form1 and that by a still later1 and the forms of speech used by his characters have given place to later forms that would have been scarcely understood in his day4 ,however1 in the ,bantu languages there are such possibilities of infinite combinations that as the natives are now being educated it is impossible to foretell what subtleties of thought they will be able to express accurately with so plastic and beautiful a language4 ,the ,boloki dialect1 like all the ,bantu languages1 is alliterative in construction1 i4e4 the prefix of the nominative of the sentence becomes the prefix of all the words dependent on it1 e4g43 matoko mana mabale manene mamansombela we malaba1 7literally7 spoons those two large 7which me_/bought for7 you they are lost those two large spoons which you bought for me1 they are lost4 ,the plural prefix ma of the first word which is the nominative is prefixed to all the other words because they are dependent on it4 ,if it had been in the singular it would have been litoko lina1 etc4 ,this alliterative concord1 as it is called1 is very helpful to clearness of meaning4 ,in the ,boloki language there are eight classes of alliterative concord1#g i4e4 all the nouns in the language belong to one or other of these eight classes1 and directly the class of a noun is decided its pronominal prefixes1 its possessive and demonstrative pronouns1 etc41 are at once known also by the fixed rules of usage1 or1 as we should say1 by the grammar of the language1 and its plural form is also easily ascertainable4 ,footnote #g3 ,on the ,lower ,congo there are fifteen classes4 ,class #a4 ,motu person4 ,batu persons1 people4 ,class #b4 ,ndaku house4 ,mandaku houses4 ,class #c4 ,loboko arm4 ,maboko arms4 ,class #d4 ,linkeme ,mankeme guinea fowls4 guinea fowl4 ,class #e4 ,bopepe pipe ,mapepe pipe bowls4 bowl4 ,class #f4 ,lobeki ,mbeki saucepans4 saucepan4 ,class #g4 ,etanda ,bitanda planks4 plank4 ,class #h4 ,munke eggs4 ,minke eggs4 ,collective noun1 nke a lot of eggs1 and this makes its plural in manke lots1 as manke mabale two lots of eggs1 as a noun of ,class #b4 ,it took us a considerable time to work out this classification1 as it meant the collecting of a very large number of words and the writing down of their singular and plural forms4 ,it was easy enough to see that all nouns beginning with 8e0 made their plurals by turning the 8e0 into 8bi02 but it was not so easy to decide about the 8lo10 for we found that some plurals were made by changing the 8lo0 into 8ma10 and others by turning 8lo0 into 8m02 and when it is remembered that there are sixteen ways of using every adjective1 according as it is singular or plural and belongs to one or other of the classes1 it will be recognized by the reader that an ,african language is something to study and not despise as being 8only a nigger's language40 ,of course1 it is easy to pick up a few words and phrases for ordinary daily use which1 when eked out with gestures1 will carry the traveller a long way if he has a factotum quick at sign and thought-reading2 but for expressing the finer shades of meaning1 and also for receiving the same1 an intimate knowledge of the language is necessary4 ,i have heard more than one white man blame the missionary for 8making a grammar for the nigger02 whereas the missionary has simply found out the rules by which the 8niggers0 talk1 and written them down in such grammatical terms that others might understand them4 ,i have inserted a short note on the verb#h in the ,appendix1 and also a note on the ,boloki method of counting4#i ,but before closing this chapter ,i wish to write a few lines on the figurative mode of speaking which is peculiar to all ,bantu languages1 and by no means confined to the ,boloki people4 ,the phrases in italics are literal translations of the native terms for expressing their emotions1 etc4 ,footnote #h3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #b1 p4 #ccf4 ,footnote #i3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #c1 p4 #cci4 ,when a native is worried his heart is let down1 and should he have a choice of two equally pleasant things his heart is pulled in opposite directions2 but when the heart has recovered its normal condition after some violent outbreak it is said to be stopped1 or after some perturbing grief they say the heart is stuck to the ribs1 as there are no longer any flutterings4 ,a greedy1 selfish person has a heart of leaves1 and a person who is recklessly indifferent to all the consequences of his action has lost his heart1 and one who is lying and treacherous in his ways has a heart that has broken loose1 over which the owner has no proper control4 ,should you be kind enough to comfort a person in a great sorrow1 your action will be described as sticking the heart to the ribs1 and thus keeping it from moving about inside2 or if you have soothed a person in distress you are regarded as having pushed his heart down into its place4 ,when a person is irresolute in mind1 and undecided as to the best course to pursue1 he describes his state by saying1 8,my heart is rolling from side to side10 and the word used describes a canoe rocking in a storm4 ,the moon1 as its light begins to appear above the horizon1 is said to be kicking out with its legs1 and when it shows itself above the sky-line it is then unstuck from the earth4 ,sunset is called either the sun has become black1 or the sun has entered1 or when the fowls go to roost2 and the ,pleiades are spoken of as a crowd of young women2 and the bright star ,venus as it draws near the moon is named the wife of the moon4 ,when you desire to warn a person you tell him to throw his eyes about1 and a person who frowns is said to tie his eyebrows4 ,a conceited person who wants the whole path to himself is scornfully asked1 8,did you plant the earth80 7i4e4 ,did you create the world871 as though it were a pumpkin over which he had sole rights of ownership4 ,a lad who gives an impertinent answer is described as having a sharp mouth1 while one who is not good at repartee is looked upon as having no mouth at all4 ,a person who frequently reverts to the cause of a quarrel1 or a woman who is constantly nagging1 has a word applied to her which means the bubbling up of boiling water2 and one who does not contribute his share to the general talk around the evening fire is likened to the useless fibrous core of a cassava root1 only fit to be thrown away2 while a person who answers a question not addressed to him is picking up something before it is lost4 ,the native word for an umbrella means a large bat4 ,when the eyes are dimmed from any cause they are said to be covered with cobwebs2 and a man suffering from hunger says1 8,my waist is stuck to my back02 i4e4 ,i am so empty of food that there is nothing to keep the front of the stomach from sticking to the backbone4 ,a foolish1 credulous person is likened to a squirrel constantly nodding its head in assent to everything that is said4 ,to become conscious of someone behind looking at you is expressed in the phrase3 to feel the back heavy4 ,the ,congo crow has a broad white band round its neck1 and when the river is dark with the reflection of the frowning storm-clouds above1 and the wind is blowing up-river1 covering the water with white-crested waves1 such waves are called by the natives a flock of crows4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,iv ,,early ,,days ,,at ,,monsembe ,building our house--,armed natives--,their ruse to discover our strength--,the reason of their proffered help--,a tribal war--,cannibal feast--,taunt us with being cowards and women--,we defend some visitors--,blood-brotherhood--,inquisiti ve ,congo boys--,medicine and 8books0--,mental powers of ,congo lads--,native view of women4 ,we were about a fortnight erecting the framework of our house and finishing the walls2 and then it took us over two months to collect and dry local materials for the roof2 but in the meantime we made doors and windows1 and cut a large number of nine-inch blocks for paving the floor4 ,i thought that these blocks would raise us above the damp earth1 and would also help to keep away some of the insect and reptile pests that invade a house built on the ground4 ,we did not square the blocks1 but simply laid them evenly bedded in puddled clay2 and with some native mats spread over them they formed a fairly comfortable floor4 ,the blocks lasted for more than three years1 by which time they began to rot at the bottom and sink2 but they served their purpose1 and then became useful as firewood4 ,the house that we ran up so quickly was #dj feet long by #ah feet wide4 ,this gave us each a bed-sitting-room #ae feet by #ah feet1 a store-room #aj feet by #ab feet1 and a six-foot passage communicating between the two principal rooms1 and into this passage the front doors opened4 ,in the front of the house we built a large open porch #ad feet by #ad feet1 which served the purpose of dining1 drawing and reception-room4 ,thus we had a large airy house1 rain1 wind1 and sun-tight1 which undoubtedly greatly conduced to health and comfort during the building of more permanent dwellings in anticipation of the coming of our wives4 ,at that time the natives never moved many yards from their houses without three or four spears in their hands1 ugly knives in their sheaths1 and shields on their arms4 ,armed in this manner they would frequently congregate on the bank1 and1 shading their eyes with their hands1 they would look earnestly down the river2 and then coming to us they would say1 8,white men1 the people in the lower towns are coming up to fight you2 get out your guns ready and we will help you40 ,looking down the river we could see in the distance many canoes darting about1 but as we had given the natives of those towns no reason for attacking us1 and as we were the guests of another town we knew they would not assail us without collusion with our neighbours2 and as our neighbours had every opportunity of easily killing two unarmed men if they desired so to do without calling in outsiders to share the loot1 we thought that the staring down-river1 their statements regarding the evil designs of the lower towns1 and their offers of help were simply attempts to fleece us of barter goods in payment for their proffered aid2 so we used to get out our binoculars1 look down-river1 and making some laughing remark1 go on with our work4 ,this laughter and brave show were more often forced than not1 for we were at times puzzled by the apparent earnestness of our neighbours1 and their repeated assurances that they would help us if we would only bring out our guns and properly prepare to support them when the attack was made4 ,as a matter of fact1 we had only one gun between us1 and that was in pieces at the bottom of one of my trunks4 ,we had no cartridges1 and although we had cartridge cases1 shots1 balls1 caps1 and outfit for making cartridges1 yet we had not a grain of gunpowder2 but all this we kept to ourselves and refused to make preparations until we were certain the enemy really intended to attack us4 ,it was not until some years later that ,i heard the reason for these frequent demonstrations on our beach2 there was a large party1 composed of the principal head-men in the town1 who wanted to kill and rob us of our goods1 but they were not sure of our resources4 8,what have they in those cases and trunks8 ,are they full of guns and cartridges80 ,these were the questions discussed around their fires1 hence they hit on the ruse of pretending the other towns were coming to fight us that we might make a show of such weapons of defence as were in our possession4 ,they were nonplussed by our apparent indifference and calmness1 and were as much puzzled by our quiet attitude as we were by their warlike demonstrations4 ,after their unsuccessful attempts to make us exhibit our force1 other questions were agitated3 8,why are the white men so calm and quiet8 ,have they some wonderful magic or powerful #8medicine' that will kill us all directly we begin to fight them8 ,what have they behind them that they are not afraid when we tell them the people are coming to attack them8 ,have they little guns 7revolvers7 concealed about their clothes80 ,doubtless our very calmness not only mystified them1 but saved us from an attack that would have been disastrous to us1 and would have frustrated our plans on behalf of the people4 ,some nine years before our arrival at ,monsembe ,i had been told by an old ,german missionary with whom ,i was travelling1 that a display of force often incited the natives to try issues with the sojourner in their midst2 and while the above incident is a confirmation of the soundness of his advice1 we have a better example of it in ,dr4 ,livingstone1 who travelled among the wildest tribes and won their confidence and friendship because he moved freely amongst them unarmed1 and unaccompanied by any exhibition of physical force4 ,one evening in ,november 7#ahij71 soon after we entered our new house1 the whole town was thrown into a state of confusion by the report that some of the up-river towns were coming to attack ,monsembe on the morrow4 ,women hurried by with their children1 their fowls1 and their most treasured belongings1 and1 putting them in canoes1 they paddled away in the darkness to hide them and themselves on the numerous islands opposite and below ,monsembe2 men gathered their spears1 knives1 and shields1 and stood in groups near the various roads that connected their town with the upper towns2 the bigger lads sharpened sticks and hardened the points in the fire so as to embarrass and annoy the enemy with them even if they could not kill2 and all through the long night they sounded drums and gongs not only to keep up their own spirits1 but to warn the foe that they were on the alert4 ,as the sun next morning began to creep above the eastern line of trees that bounded our horizon there was great activity in the town4 ,men ran by with their faces daubed with a thick coating of oil and soot1 or painted with red1 blue or white streaks1 their heads adorned with feather caps1 and their waists bound tightly with closely woven cotton belts2 others had cuirasses of hippopotamus hide protecting their backs1 and all were in a greatly excited state1 waving their spears1 shields1 and knives1 and boasting of what they would do to the enemy4 ,the women who had no children1 and consequently had not left the town1 gathered near our mission house1 feeling perhaps more secure there than anywhere else4 ,soon we heard the shouts of the combatants1 and the occasional bang of a gun 7there were only three or four flint-locks in the whole town72 and in came a man with a deep spear wound4 ,he gave an account of the battle1 and the women screamed in anger1 or shouted in derision as his narrative either told of a friend wounded or an enemy killed4 ,we dressed his wound1 and his wives led him away4 ,for nearly two hours we were busy dressing wounds to a chorus of screaming and shouting women2 and then we heard that the attackers had given way1 and were in full retreat4 ,by this time the natives of the lower towns had arrived to support their neighbours1 and they too joined in the pursuit of the beaten foes1 whom they followed to their towns1 where the fight was renewed until the ,monsembe people took possession of them4 ,for a time the only sounds heard in the town were the low wails of the women mourning for the slain1 or weeping over those who were badly wounded2 and the songs and shouts of the women whose husbands and relatives had escaped death and wounds4 ,before sunset the victorious party returned with their loot of goods and prisoners4 ,goats1 sheep1 and fowls were led or carried by our house2 men laden with bunches of plantains and bananas1 or carrying heavy baskets of peanuts1 cassava1 and native bread2 others were weighted down with fish-nets1 animal nets1 doors1 paddles1 saucepans1 and jars2 for anything that would fetch a few brass rods was stolen and formed a part of the procession of miscellaneous oddments that streamed by our house4 ,after raiding the enemies' towns they set fire to the houses1 and some told us with glee of old and sick folk who had hidden themselves in the dark corners of their huts who were burnt to death1 preferring1 apparently1 the tender mercies of the fire to the cruel death that awaited them if they fell into the savage hands of their ferocious victors4 ,while we were sitting at our tea the last party of returning warriors filed past our house1 carrying the limbs of those who had been slain in the fight4 ,some had human legs over their shoulders1 others had threaded arms through slits in the stomachs of their dismembered foes1 had tied the ends of the arms together1 thus forming loops1 and through these ghastly loops they had thrust their own living arms and were carrying them thus with the gory trunks dangling to and fro4 ,the horrible sight was too much for us1 and retching badly we had to abandon our meal1 and it was some days before we could again eat with any relish4 ,the sight worked on our nerves1 and in the night we would start from our sleep1 having seen in our dreams exaggerated processions passing before us burdened with sanguinary loads of slain and dismembered bodies4 ,that night ,monsembe and the neighbouring towns were given up to cannibal feasts1 and the next morning they brought some of the cooked meat to the station1 and thinking they were doing us a favour1 they offered to share it with us--the meat looked like black boiled pork4 ,we refused their offering with disgust1 and told them what we thought of their horrible custom4 ,long before we settled amongst them we had heard rumours of their cannibalism1 but we regarded the tales as more or less mythical2 we could no longer now disbelieve the stories we had heard4 ,and later still there came to our ears a very circumstantial report that the folk of the lower part of our district were procuring for their cannibal orgies the natives of a tributary of the ,congo4 ,they gave ivory and received human beings in exchange1 who quickly found their way to the saucepan2 and a white trader was the intermediary4 ,however1 as soon as the white folk of the district had gathered such evidence as was irrefutable they brought such pressure to bear on that white trader and his company 7the company was not implicated7 that the horrible traffic was stopped4 ,that an educated white man could sink so low as to become a wholesale dealer in human flesh to a tribe of ,african savages is a psychological mystery that ,i must leave others to solve4 ,after the fighting and feasting were over the ,monsembe folk lived in constant fear of reprisals4 ,night after night groups of men were posted near the roads leading from the enemies' towns1 and frequently the gongs and drums broke on the night's silence with their rapid beats1 awakening the sleepers who1 hastily picking up their spears1 knives1 and shields1 hurried by to the scene of the alarm only to find that the sentries 8thought they saw or heard something0 in the adjacent bush4 ,the women sometimes came screaming in from the farms avowing they had been chased by the enemy4 ,every rustle of the grass1 leaves1 or bush was interpreted into a lurking foe2 and the nerves of the victors became so jumpy that a voice raised in angry conversation would set the whole town agog with expectation that the enemy had come seeking revenge4 ,when these alarms took place during the day1 the fighters would demonstrate before our house1 and ask us to bring out our guns and help them to keep off the foe4 8,you are living in our town1 and you are our white men4 ,we offered to help you against the lower towns if they came to attack you1 and now get out your guns and aid us4 ,why1 if you were only to show yourselves the people of the upper towns would run away4 ,come on1 our white men1 and help us60 ,we pointed out to them that all the people of the district were our friends1 and consequently we could not assist one town to fight against another4 ,then1 finding that arguments and persuasion failed to move us1 they took to taunting us4 8,you are not white men10 they shouted1 8you are women6 ,you are cowards60 ,and with curled lips and gestures of scorn they pointed their spears and knives at us4 ,their taunts and gestures of contempt stung us1 making the blood surge through our veins and causing us to go hot and cold by turns4 ,with pale faces1 compressed lips1 and hands gripping tightly whatever came within our grasp1 we listened patiently to their sneers4 ,how easy it would have been to have taken our gun and made some display of helping them6 ,to have walked among them1 and to have fired a shot into the bush would probably have satisfied them and would have stopped their sneers2 but we were there on behalf of the 8,prince of ,peace40 ,how could we1 then1 consistently help them in their fights8 ,we were there professing that all the peoples of the neighbouring towns and surrounding districts were our friends2 how could we then take up arms against any of them and expect them to believe our professions of good-will or trust again in our word8 ,we were hoping to make our station a centre of peace1 the meeting-place for all factions2 how could we1 then1 with our hopes and prayers1 embroil ourselves in their hatreds and wars1 or join sides with them even in pretending to shoot down our other parishioners8 ,it was very difficult1 but strength was given to meet the emergency1 to bear calmly the taunts1 the sneers1 and the contempt2 and from that time we were regarded by all the towns of the district as belonging to no one place1 but to all of them1 as impartial in our judgments1 and just in our dealings with all alike4 ,about three weeks after the first outbreak of war the natives of the upper towns came to talk over the terms of peace4 ,they landed at our beach as the only neutral spot1 and tied their canoes to our posts4 ,the deliberations were long1 boisterous1 and from the noise that came to our ears we thought two or three times that they were on the point of starting fresh hostilities4 ,at last the palavering was over and the visitors returned to our station1 and bidding us good-bye1 they entered their canoes2 but just as they were pushing off the ,monsembe people became excited and threatening in their attitude1 and seeing that a fight on our beach was imminent1 my colleague and ,i picked up sticks and drove the ,monsembe people back from the river front4 ,we insisted on the neutrality of our station2 we had bought and paid for the land1 consequently it was ours1 and we would have no fighting on it2 if they wanted to fight they must go to another part of the beach4 ,this attitude of ours was a revelation to our ,monsembe neighbours4 ,here were two white men whom they had taunted with being cowards1 women1 etc41 standing with simply sticks in their hands to oppose a crowd armed with spears and knives4 ,two white men with sticks only throwing themselves between them and their enemies1 and demanding that no blood should be shed on their land4 ,what power had these white men behind them8 ,so astonished were they that they halted in their treacherous attack on their visitors1 who1 taking advantage of the lull1 paddled beyond reach of the uplifted spears1 and arrived safely home4 ,after this failure to settle the terms of peace1 a go-between 7molekaleku7 was appointed and approved by both parties4 ,he was an outsider of importance and had the confidence of the clans concerned4 ,he arranged the terms of peace3 all loot and slaves should be retained by the conquerors2 but all the free folk captured should be set at liberty4 ,this go-between selected a neutral place for the ceremony of blood-brotherhood1 and was pledged that the meeting should take place without a renewal of hostilities by either party4 ,all the preliminaries having been settled the parties met at the place and time appointed2 and then a stick called ndeko was procured and carefully scraped1 and these scrapings were mixed with salt4 ,the contracting parties--the head-man of each side--clasped each other's right hand with the ndeko between the palms2 some incisions were then made on the arms and the mixture of ndeko scrapings and salt was rubbed on the cuts2 each then put his mouth to the incisions on the other's arm and sucked for a few moments1 after which one of the contracting parties took the ndeko stick and struck the wrists and knees of the other1 saying3 8,if ever ,i break this covenant may ,i be cursed by having my nose rot off40#aj ,then the other took the ndeko stick1 and1 performing the same ceremony1 he called down the same curse on himself should he ever break the contract4 ,these rites were accompanied by the drinking of much sugar-cane wine1 and the whole ceremony was called tena ndeko to cut the ndeko stick4 ,footnote #aj3 ,probably lupus4 ,there were a few cases of this disease1 and it was regarded as a punishment for faithlessness in observing the oath of blood-brotherhood4 ,after making blood-brotherhood between the head-men1 there was enacted another performance called bakia lolelembe3 a medicine man took a palm frond1 split it and put one half of the frond across the path leading from ,monsembe to the upper towns--the towns of the contracting parties4 ,this was not only a sign that all that palaver was finished1 but it was a fetish having power1 it was supposed1 to punish anyone who broke the treaty4 ,it was firmly believed that the side that renewed that quarrel would get the worst of it by wounds and death4 ,perhaps this is the history of many a tribal fight in ,africa--alarm1 attack1 defeat1 pursuit1 cannibal feasts1 and the making of peace by blood-brotherhood4 ,congo boys are the most inquisitive animals that ,i have yet met in ,africa4 ,crocodiles1 when boats were new to the ,congo1 would follow them for hours in their attempts to investigate the strange object2 goats and sheep were always ready to poke their noses at new things that came within their purview1 but their curiosity was quickly satisfied4 ,congo boys 7and in a minor degree the girls also7 were never wearied of watching us at work1 following us about to see what we would do next1 and asking about our tools1 etc41 and why we did this or that in such a way1 and did not accomplish the same result by some other mode of procedure4 ,they would stand about our table while we were at meals1 and pass critical remarks on our manner of eating1 slyly imitating the action of our jaws as we masticated our food1 or mimic our gestures as we conversed with one another4 ,we seemed to live1 move1 and pass our existence in the full glare of public gaze like fish in a glass tank4 ,one never-ending source of delight to them was to scan our countenances as we read4 ,they noticed every alteration of facial expression as the 8books talked to us40 ,if we burst out laughing at some witticism in our reading they would laugh heartily in sympathy with us1 and would poke one another1 saying3 8,the book is talking some funny thing to them40 ,when their shyness had passed away they would ask3 8,what does the book say to make you laugh80 ,occasionally the bit of wit came within the scope of their comprehension1 and of our knowledge of the language1 and they would enjoy it as much as we did1 showing they had a ready wit and enjoyed a hearty laugh2 and we felt encouraged1 for there is some hope for a people that can laugh joyously and boisterously4 ,at times they would creep behind us1 and looking earnestly at the open page1 they would cock their ears to listen intently for any sound1 and seeing nothing but a blurred page1 and hearing no sounds1 they would insinuatingly ask3 8,white man1 how does the book talk to you8 and can you make it talk to us80 ,we would then explain the system of letters and syllables1 etc42 but would1 at the same time1 express a doubt as to their ability to learn to read4 8,cannot you give us some #8medicine' to make us understand the #8book' talk80 they would pleadingly ask of us4 8,no10 we replied2 8there is no #8medicine' that can give you such wisdom4 ,you must learn letter by letter1 and of course you have no brains for such work4 ,what is the use of wasting time in teaching you80 ,if we had exhibited any special eagerness to teach them1 they would have held back2 but chaffing them and pretending that they had not enough brains to learn had the desired effect of putting them on their mettle1 and they begged us to start school right away4 ,we showed no hurry to fall in with their wishes1 and this only piqued them and made them more desirous of having a school4 ,at last we acceded to their repeated requests1 and told them that on the day that followed the next 8rest-day0 7i4e4 on ,monday next71 we would begin school and hold it every morning for five days a week4 ,the eventful morning dawned1 and with it about twenty lads arrived to enter upon the mysteries of the white man's 8book40 ,at that time ,i was busy building a suitable house in anticipation of my wife's arrival1 so my colleague1 ,mr4 ,stapleton1 took charge of the new school4 ,his room was the school-house4 ,we had written out the alphabet in large letters1 and had prepared some slips from which they might copy4 ,we opened a box containing some slates and pencils4 ,the school-house and apparatus were in keeping with the scholars1 but the latter brought with them a large amount of enthusiasm and determination1 so what was lacking in school furniture1 and in the attire of our pupils1 was made up in the willingness and earnestness of the scholars4 ,the adults were almost as greatly excited as the boys4 ,they watched every movement of the teacher1 and tried to imitate the sounds of the various letters4 ,as ,i passed to and fro at my work ,i could see the door and windows crowded by the throng of onlookers1 and could hear their laughable attempts at learning4 ,two hours at this kind of teaching thoroughly exhausted my colleague1 for there were not only twenty sprightly boys to look after1 but a crowd of men and women who demanded no little attention4 ,in a week or two the newness of the school wore away1 fewer adults gathered around the doors and windows1 and some of the lads1 finding that there really was no 8medicine0 to drink imparting to them book knowledge1 no royal road to learning1 but that it entailed continuous effort1 gave up coming1 and by the end of a fortnight only about half the original class was left--but they were worth teaching1 and they persevered until they became good scholars and afterwards teachers of others4 ,during nearly thirty years' teaching of ,congo youths1 both on the ,lower and ,upper ,river1 ,i have noticed that up to the age of fourteen or fifteen the boys and girls--especially the boys--are very receptive1 and are easily taught2 but after that age comparatively few make real advance in learning4 ,by the age of fourteen they have arrived at puberty1 and after that they have to make a continuous effort to retain any book knowledge they may have received4 ,this may be due in some measure to their thoughts being centred on other matters1 as trade journeys1 fishing1 and hunting on their own account1 and later to building their houses1 looking about for a wife1 and procuring the necessary articles for paying the marriage money1 and meeting the expenses of the feasts1 etc4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 the ,author ,,our ,,boat ,,and ,,its ,,crew ,this boat--the gift of a friend at ,derby--was used in itinerating up and down our large parish with its two hundred miles of river frontage4 ,the following is probably a great factor in causing their mental growth to stop practically at the above age3 ,for generations boys on arriving at the age of fourteen or fifteen had learned all their fathers had to teach them respecting fishing1 hunting1 wood-craft1 building1 paddling1 etc4 ,if they showed a special aptitude for fishing1 hunting1 etc41 they followed their 8bent0 in that particular1 and became proficient simply by practice1 and their successes were generally put to the credit of their charms4 ,they never initiated new ways of building 7until after the arrival of the white man71 or new ways of hunting or fishing1 etc41 but only carried on those modes they had gained from their fathers1 and which were mastered by the time they were fifteen years old4 ,thus their intelligence has attained1 for generations1 its fullest development by the above age1 and now we have to help them over that crucial stage4 ,in some cases it is very difficult1 but in other cases we can do so2 and in such there is no limit to the intellectual progress they may make4 ,in many instances they have mastered a good working knowledge of ,french1 ,portuguese1 or ,english1 both spoken and written1 and as larger opportunities are given1 a large number of youths will make such mental progress as will encourage their friends and teachers4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 the ,author ,a ,,room ,,in ,,the ,,monsembe ,,house ,the author's study and his wife's drawing and reception-room4 ,the walls are made of bamboos1 scraped and varnished1 and all the furniture1 except the chairs1 was made on the spot4 ,the native in his raw state gained such an acquaintance with the languages of neighbouring tribes as to be able to communicate freely with them2 and in many of their folk-lore stories there are sentences taken from other languages and scattered through the tales like ,french phrases in a fashionable novel4 ,we have found1 as a rule1 that lads who came to us at fourteen or fifteen made very slow progress in our schools1 and seldom reached the higher classes4 ,they lost heart at their difficulties1 and left school--there were exceptions1 but such as only go to prove the rule4 ,i think it would not be difficult to prove that ,english lads at the age of fourteen or fifteen need constant spurring by teacher1 father1 or guardian1 or a much larger proportion of them would lose the knowledge they had acquired in their schools4 ,when ,i had almost finished building the three-room bungalow in which ,i hoped to spend many years with my devoted wife1 ,i began to build a kitchen1 and the natives1 seeing a smaller house being built in proximity to the larger one1 said3 8,that is where the white man is going to put his wife1 while he will1 of course1 live in the large house40 8,no10 we answered2 8that is the cook-house4 ,my wife will live here in this house when she arrives40 8,you would not be so foolish1 white man10 they inquired1 8as to put a woman in this fine house8 ,you will send her to live in that small one1 will you not80 ,and there was a certain amount of anxiety in their tones rather indicative of their fear that ,i was going to upset the proper order of domestic life by allowing a woman to live on equality with myself4 ,they would scarcely believe me until they saw the stove fixed in the cook-house1 and my wife installed with me on equal terms in what they called my 8fine house10 which was only a three-roomed cottage with a verandah on two sides4 ,the ,boloki's regard for women was a strange contradiction4 ,i have seen them walking--man and wife--with their arms around each other's waist1 as though they were a couple of ,english lovers crossing a common in the twilight4 ,i never saw natives exhibit so much fondling and affection for each other as was shown among those erstwhile cannibals4 ,ninety per cent of their quarrels were about women1 for every man who had one or more wives bitterly resented any interference with his sole proprietorship in them4 ,they would fondle their women1 yet treat them contemptuously as inferiors2 they would fight to assert their rights of ownership in them1 yet regard them as so greatly beneath them as to send them to eat their food by themselves out of sight2 and they would slave to collect sufficient goods to pay the marriage money for their free wives1 or to procure the price of their slave wives1 yet the former they would thrash unmercifully1 and the latter1 for a whim or in a fit of temper1 they would murder and fling the corpse into the river1 or invite their neighbours to feast with them on the body4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,v ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,and ,,native ,,industry ,a ,congo lad in ,england--,people doing no work--,erroneous views--,a condemnation of 8niggers0--,its answer--,white employers of black labour--,allowances to be made--,leather-work--,string making--,bark cloth--,basket-work--,pottery--,dyeing and painting--,working in metal--,aptitude for learning handicrafts4 ,many years ago ,i brought a native lad of quick intelligence from the wilds of ,congo to my home in ,london4 ,he noticed the people crowding the pavements1 filling the tram-cars1 omnibuses1 and trains2 and his frequent question was3 8,how do all these people live1 for they seem only to ride and walk about and do no work80 ,later he observed that all the articles in the various windows of the different tradespeople had prices marked on them1 and that money was necessary with which to buy them4 ,he had tried to procure things himself from the shops1 and had learned by sad experience that not only was money needful for that purpose1 but the right amount was requisite before he could become the happy possessor of the coveted article so luringly displayed in the window2 and then his question was3 8,how do the people get the money with which to buy all those things80 8,they have to work for their money10 ,i replied4 8,some have to work hard for very little money1 others earn more by less laborious work1 and others again are fortunate enough to have had fathers who worked hard and have left their sons and daughters so rich that they have no need to work40 8,work hard60 he exclaimed incredulously4 8,why1 they only ride1 or walk about the streets1 or sit in shops eating and drinking4 ,i do not see them at work40 ,i fear that if that lad had returned to his country then1 he would have carried with him a very poor idea of white folk1 and would have regarded us as a lazy lot who only walked or rode about the streets1 or sat eating and drinking in shops4 ,it took many a long talk to explain our system1 and when later ,i had the opportunity of taking him behind the scenes into factories1 and over buildings in the course of erection1 he modified his views and came to understand that the white man works4 ,at the back of his mind was the idea1 very prevalent among some of the ,congo tribes1 that all our articles of barter are manufactured by the blacks1 whose dead bodies we have bought in ,africa and sent to ,mputu 7countries of the white people71 where by the wonderful magic of the white men the bodies are resurrected1 and they are now doing our work for us so that we can walk and ride about with nothing whatever to do4 ,it is the ignorance of one people about another that causes such misunderstandings1 prejudices1 and erroneous judgments4 ,the lad would never have thought of charging the traders1 the missionaries1 or ,government officials with laziness1 for he saw and understood their work2 but these white folk who crowded the streets1 filled the vehicles and the shops1 what work did they do8 ,he could not see it1 and his superficial and mistaken opinion was that they were an indolent lot of folk4 ,sitting at tea with me one day at ,monsembe was the captain of a ,state steamer4 propos of nothing in particular1 he exclaimed3 8,what lazy fellows these niggers are60 8,to whom are you specially referring80 ,i inquired of him4 8,well10 he said1 8before coming to your house to tea this afternoon ,i took a walk through the town and saw some men lounging about talking1 and others asleep under the shade of some plantain and fig trees40 8,oh1 yes10 ,i replied2 8,i know them very well4 ,some of them have been for several weeks over on the islands1 living in rough shanties1 fishing all day and smoke-drying their fish over their fires during the evenings4 ,they returned this morning after their long spell on the islands1 and they are resting for a few days before starting on another fishing expedition4 ,another lot of men came in yesterday with that heavy canoe in the rough that you saw on the beach4 ,they were away some weeks felling a huge tree1 hollowing it out1 and shaping it in the rough with their little axes--a laborious job4 ,yesterday they floated it home1 and are now enjoying a well-earned rest before finishing the canoe and selling it4 ,what you saw was not an exhibition of laziness1 but a relaxation after prolonged arduous work40 ,just then a strongly-formed1 well-built young man went past the house4 8,there1 do you see him80 asked my visitor2 8,i saw him asleep in his hammock-chair40 8,yes1 ,i know him10 was my reply2 8he is one of the head-men of this district4 ,his father was wealthy as natives go in this part1 and left him enough to give him the equivalent of #cjj a year in your money4 ,would you work if you had #cjj a year coming in80 8,by ,jove1 no60 he quickly replied1 slapping his knee at the very idea of possessing #cjj a year without working for it4 8,i would have a nice little house with a fine garden1 and ,i would sit smoking all day in the midst of my flowers40 8,just so6660 was my comment4 ,the natives of ,africa live in an enervating climate1 with a temperature frequently nearer #ie in the shade than #gj4 ,they dwell in the midst of a prolific nature that supplies their vegetable foods with very little exertion1 and in such environments that their needs are few and easily met4 ,in their natural state there are both lazy and industrious folk as in other countries4 ,when the white man arrives he engages his native workman1 at so much per month1 for twelve1 eighteen1 or twenty-four months4 ,for the first time in his life the native has to work regular hours1 starting and leaving off to the deep notes of a bell1 or the tap1 tap of a drum4 ,at first the experience is novel1 and he is most willing and hard-working2 but pay-day is a long way off1 his enthusiasm cools as the novelty passes away1 and then the master will have to look vigilantly and constantly after his hired workman4 ,give him piece-work and pay him by results and you will see prodigies of labour1 for every payment made on those lines is an incentive to further effort4 ,the native as keenly enjoys money and what money brings in extra food1 comforts1 and prestige as the white man1 and is as willing to work for them4 ,the employer of labour in ,africa is the white man1 and he desires to get as much work as he can for his money1 and the employee tries to give as little of his energy and strength as he can for the pay he is to receive twelve1 eighteen1 or twenty-four months hence1 consequently there is a clash of interests2 and while the white man has the opportunity1 among his friends1 of talking loudly about the 8lazy niggers10 let him sit with the natives round the fire one evening1 and he may be surprised to learn that there is another point of view1 and that not over-flattering to his fairness as a master4 ,i have frequently asked employers of labour in ,england whether they were satisfied with the work done for them by their day labourers1 and while they readily allowed for exceptions1 yet they spoke strongly of such men as 8doing as little as possible for their pay40 ,every branch of work that it is possible to give out as piece-work is nowadays so arranged4 ,why8 ,the masters are satisfied1 for they get done that for which they pay2 the men are better pleased1 for they receive what they earn1 and the quickest and most industrious man gains the largest pay1 and his superior energy is not balanced against the laziest man in the shop4 ,let us do justice to the black man4 ,he is the only one who in such a climate can work long hours at a time1 and for months at a stretch4 ,all the evidences of civilization on the ,congo are the results of his energy and endurance directed by his white master4 ,he is1 however1 no fonder of work than the average white man2 but like the latter he is willing to labour to increase his comforts in the house1 his prestige in the village1 and to meet his obligations as a man1 a husband1 and a father1 for each relationship makes its own demands on his resources4 ,in #ahij we opened our ,mission station at ,monsembe1 but previous to our arrival the natives had not had sufficient intercourse with white people either to increase their arts and industries or even to modify them by the introduction of new methods or new tools4 ,the natives then were as they had been for many a generation1 and their manufactures were limited by the materials at their disposal4 ,in judging of the merits or demerits of the manufactures of a tribe1 it is necessary to take into consideration the materials to be obtained in their district and the tools with which they are compelled1 by force of circumstances1 to do their work4 ,suppose the ,lancashire people were restricted in their manufactures to such material as they could obtain from the surface of their county1 and the small supplies that filtered through to them from the adjacent counties by laborious and costly transport over the hills1 or by canoes on their rushing streams1 we should hear nothing of the cotton mills1 the weaving1 the iron works1 etc41 of that industrious and hardy folk4 ,it is what has been brought into the county1 what has been dug from the bowels of its land1 and the machinery and tools that have been imported into it that have given ,lancashire the place it rightly holds in the commercial and industrial world4 ,and what has been written of ,lancashire can also be said of many another county in ,great ,britain1 and should be recognized when judging of the merits or demerits of the arts and crafts of an ,african tribe4 ,before the arrival of white men at ,monsembe it was the practice of the natives to ornament their saucepans with a herring-bone pattern and with bands2 their knives and spears with parallel incised lines1 and with herring-bone pattern2 their shields being made of basket-work material had often a border of lozenge pattern round the edge4 ,the blades of paddles had parallel incised lines1 and their canoes had the same kind of lines along the outer top edge4 ,handles of knives and hafts of spears were made in various shapes1 and studded with brass nails1 or bound round with brass ribbon4 ,i never saw any drawings until ,i had been there a considerable time1 and then they took to sketching on the fronts of their houses1 and on letters they sent to each other4 ,these sketches were of steamers1 houses1 and people4 ,the drawings were done in charcoal1 and when outlining a figure the cock's-comb tattoo on the forehead was usually much exaggerated4 ,they had no idea of perspective1 but a sense of humour was often exhibited when 8taking off0 a person4 ,the hides and skins of animals were employed for various purposes4 ,the skin of the hippopotamus was used for cuirasses2 that of the buffalo1 antelope1 goat1 and sheep for belts1 basket-straps1 and knife sheaths2 that of the monkey1 sygale1 monitor1 mongoose and civet cat for hats1 belts1 small sheaths1 and ornamental aprons1 or for containing charms2 that of the boa constrictor and other large snakes for belts1 sheaths1 and drum heads4 ,the skin was either stretched and pinned by wooden pegs on the ground1 or laced on a frame4 ,the bits of flesh were cut off1 some wood ash rubbed on1 and then it was left to dry in the sun4 ,if a soft1 flexible skin was desired1 oil was rubbed into the skin after it was thoroughly dry4 ,it was not the custom to take the hair off any of the skins4 ,leopard skins were prepared by the above mode1 and were usually preserved whole as mats upon which chiefs and head-men sat4 ,if the owner of an animal wished to sell the flesh in open market the skin was not taken off1 but the animal was so cut up that a piece of skin was left on each portion4 ,the buyer could then see the kind of animal flesh offered for sale1 and would know for a certainty whether it was tabooed to him or not4 ,goats1 sheep1 and dogs were thus cut up and hawked for sale through the villages4 ,this custom of cutting up the animals so that the requirements of taboo might be met accounts for the destruction of a large number of skins in ,africa2 but when a party of hunters captured an antelope it was skinned1 or when a family killed a goat or sheep and did not wish to sell any of it1 the animal was skinned whole1 and the hide was preserved and utilized4 ,although the skin of the electric fish 7nina7 is more than half an inch thick1 ,i never saw it used for any purpose2 in fact1 the people would not even eat the flesh4 ,i once tried to dry the skin in the hot1 strong sun1 but it became putrid before the sun had any effect on it4 ,there was a great demand for string1 and it was met in the following way3 ,the bark of a water-plant1 called by the natives munkungi1 was manufactured into rope and string4 ,the withes were cut into lengths from #c to #d feet long and carried into the town1 the bark was then peeled off--it strips easily--carefully scraped on both sides by running it between the edge of a knife and a board1 and then spread in the sun to dry4 ,the strips were taken in the hand1 length by length1 and spun by twisting them between the palm of the hand and the thigh of the operator4 ,the different threads were then plaited into a string1 and these were twisted together into cords three-eighths of an inch in diameter4 ,sometimes the palm-frond fibres were employed for making the finer strings and twine4 ,the strong cords were used for tying up their canoes and bundles2 and also plaited into mats about #c feet long by #a foot to #a foot #f inches wide1 for crushing the sugar-cane fibre when making sugar-cane wine4 ,the better-made strings and twines were made into shoulder-bags or satchels1 and also into fighting-belts4 ,these belts were from #i to #ab feet long1 and about #d or #e inches wide1 and were generally well smeared with pipe clay2 they were wound round the abdomen just before a fight1 and afforded a good protection against spear-thrusts4 ,the string was wound on a wooden spool1 and the fish-nets1 of all sizes and shapes1 were made by the ordinary process of netting1 the mesh varying according to the size and purpose of the net4 ,for some years after we arrived at ,monsembe the old folk wore bark cloth4 ,a strip of bark #ah inches long by #e or #f inches wide1 and #a inches thick was taken from the tree--the wild fig tree1 or from a tree called ngumbu4 ,the strip of bark was soaked in water for a time1 and then beaten with an ivory mallet as it lay across the palm of the hand4 ,the strip of bark gradually widened to #ah inches1 and lengthened to #c or #d feet4 ,some cloths were very evenly beaten1 so that no holes appeared2 others were not so well done1 and holes and uneven places showed in the finished cloth4 ,likuta was the name given to the finished cloth4 ,i never saw any weaving among these ,boloki folk1 but they told me of an ancient native-made cloth called pelele2 but ,i never saw a specimen of it1 and cannot speak of its texture4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,bangala ,,woman',s ,,dress ,this is one of about fifteen fringes that a woman wears tied round her waist4 ,the more chic the wearer the shorter the fringes are cut4 ,they are made from scraped palm leaves4 ,not many baskets were made by the ,boloki folk1 but the most common was a wedge-shaped basket of medium texture1 and with a capacity of about half a bushel1 used for carrying home farm produce4 ,this was made of split cane1 of the same thickness and style as the seat of a cane chair4 ,it was a large oval at the mouth running down to a small oval at the bottom1 and was carried on the back either by a single strap across the chest or forehead1 or by two small loops through which the arms were passed4 ,for soaking their cassava roots long conical baskets were used with lids to tie down4 ,occasionally ,i saw their large sugar-cane wine-pots covered with stout basket-work1 and strong handles plaited on to them4 ,other kinds of baskets found amongst this tribe were made by slaves captured or bought from neighbouring districts2 and their shields of basket-work were1 ,i believe1 bought ready-made from other tribes4 ,i never saw one in the making4 ,a very large variety of fish-traps and baskets were made by these folk4 ,some were over #f feet in diameter and long in proportion1 while others were small enough for a child to handle4 ,they were very dexterous in twisting canes into various shapes for their basket-work1 and in making mats from papyrus4 ,the pottery made by the ,boloki women divides itself easily into three kinds3 #a4 ,saucepans of various sizes but only one shape4 #b4 ,wine-pots from #f inches high to #b and #c feet high and broad in proportion4 #c4aa ,firepans or hearths for carrying fire in their canoes when travelling4 ,these latter had three prongs overhanging the top of the saucepan1 upon which an ordinary cooking-pot could be placed1 and allow of a free passage of air to the fire4 ,footnote #aa3 ,no4 #a was called lobeki4 ,no4 #b mobako1 or a small size ndubu4 ,no4 #c was named lokenge4 ,there were many other names1 but they only differentiated the sizes1 and also showed whether they were well or badly made1 etc4 ,they had no knowledge of a wheel1 but built up their pottery on a base by rolling the clay between the palms of the hands into long pencils about the size of a finger1 and then welding the strip to the base and flattening it out with the fingers as they worked round the pot4 ,the only decorations ,i have seen on their pottery are 8chevrons0 and 8herring-bone40 ,in baking their pottery no kilns were used1 but firewood was laid carefully on the ground1 and the pots arranged on the top1 and then small firewood1 twigs1 etc41 were thrown over the whole pile and the fire lighted4 ,on the ,mobangi ,river ,i saw some varnishing done4 ,when the pots were sufficiently baked1 and while still very hot1 they were rubbed over with lumps of gum copal4 ,pots treated in this way were suitable for drinking-vessels1 or as dishes in which to place food2 but they were unsuitable for cooking purposes1 for directly the pot got hot the gum copal caught fire4 ,some1 before being rubbed over with the gum copal1 were smeared with arnotto dye1 and thus showed red through the glazing4 ,iron ore was imported from the upper reaches of the ,lulanga ,river1 and smelted in native crucibles4 ,the furnace was a hole about #ah inches deep1 about #ae inches in diameter at the top1 and #h to #aj inches at the bottom4 ,charcoal made from hard woods was the heating medium4 ,the smelting pot with the ore was put in the middle of the furnace1 and the blast was furnished by native bellows and conducted to the heart of the furnace by a funnel-shaped tube of burnt clay4 ,the bellows were cut out of a solid block of wood4 ,there were two holes1 each from #h to #ab inches in diameter1 which opened below into a common wooden tube which fitted into the above-mentioned clay funnel4 ,over each of the holes a soft skin was securely tied1 and to the centre of each skin was fixed a stick about #c feet #f inches long4 ,the operator worked the sticks up and down alternately1 and the more vigorously he worked the more powerful the blast4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,,pots ,,and ,,saucepans ,,for ,,sale4 ,,libinza ,,lake ,a wheel is unknown1 but the pottery is generally very perfect in shape4 ,the pots are baked1 and sometimes glazed with gum copal4 ,those with three prongs are used for cooking while travelling in a canoe4 ,the saucepan of food is supported on the three prongs1 and small firewood is put in the openings4 ,the native blacksmith made hoes and axes2 knives of various shapes and sizes2 spear-heads of different kinds1 barbed for fishing-spears1 small-bladed ones for fighting1 or broad-bladed fancy spears for purposes of show when visiting friends and neighbours4 ,he also fashioned large hooks for catching crocodiles1 the razors for shaving the head or face1 lances for killing hippopotami1 knives for household use1 gouges and chisels for canoe-making1 and piercers for matmaking4 ,unfortunately the introduction of ,european knives1 hoes1 and axes has ruined this native industry4 ,for some time after we settled at ,monsembe the blacksmith would buy up the iron bands from our bales and boxes1 and work them up into hoes1 knives1 axes1 and spear-heads4 ,the anvil was a block of hard wood1 the hammer was a bar of iron about #h or #aj inches long1 and #a inches square4 ,they had no pincers1 but when the piece of iron was too short to hold while working it they made a wooden handle for it1 which they slipped on and off as required4 ,they knew the process for making steel1 and could put a very fine edge on their razors1 spears1 and knives4 ,large brass rings for the neck were made in the following way3 ,the potato-like substance of the plantain root was cut into shape of the desired circumference and thickness2 this model was surrounded with well-kneaded clay1 a funnel-shaped opening being made to let off steam1 to clear out the charred fibre of the plantain root1 and to pour in the molten metal4 ,this mould1 when completed1 was baked in the fire1 and as it baked the plantain-root model inside was burnt2 the ashes were cleared out and the liquid brass poured in4 ,when cool1 the mould was broken and the brass ring was well polished by scraping and rubbing1 and 8herring-bone10 and 8lozenge0 patterns were cut on it4 ,small rings were made for the legs and wrists4 ,a ring was put on each leg1 resting on the ankles2 a year or so later another pair of rings was added to the first pair1 and so on1 until the rings almost reached the knees4 ,by gradually adding ring to ring the wearer became used to the weight1 and the ankles became corneous4 ,i once took more than a dozen rings from the legs of a woman1 weighing #fj lbs4 in all--#cj lbs4 of brass on each leg4 ,when these heavy rings had been removed the woman seemed top-heavy2 her legs were now so light that apparently she had no control over them1 and she crossed our enclosure like a drunken person4 ,i have seen solid brass necklets weighing from #bj to #bh lbs4 each4 ,on one occasion1 while chatting with a chief1 ,i asked him if he buried the brass rings when his wives died1 and he at once replied3 8,no40 8,how do you remove such heavy1 strong rings from the neck of a dead woman80 was my next question4 ,he did not reply in words1 but he ran his finger round his own neck1 indicating that under such circumstances they cut off the head in order to remove the rings4 ,long spiral leg rings were made in the following manner3 ,a bamboo1 from #ab to #ae feet long1 was split 7bamboo1 ,raphia vinifera1 in which there are no nodes74 ,the pith1 to the desired depth and width1 was taken out of one half and the molten brass#ab was poured along this channel4 ,this gave the operator a long brass rod about the thickness of the index finger1 and this rod was carefully beaten round1 scraped1 and polished2 and starting from the ankle it was wound round and round the leg nearly up to the knee1 each circumference of the spiral being made a little larger than the one immediately below it4 ,at the bottom the leglet impinged on the ankle1 which bore the whole weight2 but at the top it had #b or #c inches' play about the calf of the leg4 ,brass ribbon was made by beating out the brass rods to the required width1 and this ribbon was used for ornamenting spear and knife handles1 the hafts of paddles1 and knife sheaths4 ,footnote #ab3 ,copper 7dikulu7 was known1 but ,i never saw any of it worked1 and only very little worn as ornaments4 ,the social position of a smith among the natives was very high1 and he was regarded with as much respect as a professional man is in ,europe4 ,the natives thought that the smith was not only wise and skilful1 but that he practised witchcraft in order to perform his work properly4 ,no one was allowed to step over a smith's furnace1 nor blow it with his mouth1 nor spit into it1 as either of these actions would pollute the fire1 and thus cause bad workmanship4 ,any person polluting the fire would have to compensate the smith by the payment of a heavy fine4 ,a smith taught his son or his nephew the trade1 but would not take an apprentice on any consideration4 ,he was always known by the name of his trade1 and was consequently called motuli the one who tula1 or works in iron4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,native ,,woman ,,of ,,wealth ,she has highly prized beads across her chest1 a brass chain around her waist from which dangles a large brass bell1 numerous brass rings round her arms1 and brass rings on her big toes4 ,on her legs she has spiral brass rings4 ,how did the smith procure his brass for the making of rings1 etc48 ,the currency of the country was the brass rod1 and the rods were also used for their brass-work4 ,the brass-worker would collect as many rods as possible1 and cut from half an inch to one inch off each rod1 and thus get his material for nothing4 ,before1 and for some time after1 the arrival of white men salt#ac was made by the natives burning two different kinds of vegetation4 7#a7 ,the thick1 succulent stems of a grass#ad that grew in the water along the banks of the river4 ,this was cut in large quantities and heaped along the bank until dry1 when it was carried to the town4 7#b7 ,it was also made from a small plant from #d to #e inches in diameter1 with thickish leaves1 no stem1 rootlets coming straight from the leaves1 with the leaves arranged like a rosette4 ,this plant floats on the river in large quantities1 being torn from the banks by every storm that ruffles the river4 ,the process of manufacturing salt with either the plants or the grass was the same4 ,a large quantity1 say of the succulent grass1 or grass and plants mixed1 was collected on the bank1 turned over from time to time until thoroughly dry2 then it was carried to the town1 heaped up1 and burnt to ashes4 ,a large funnel was made of leaves1 folded and plaited together1 and suspended from a stick4 ,into this funnel some ashes were put and water poured on them4 ,the water dissolved the greater part of the ashes and percolated gently through the leaves into a shallow saucepan1 where the moisture evaporated1 leaving behind a dirty white granulated substance which was used and sold as salt4 ,about a tablespoonful cost #a;d4 ,i knew a semi-mad man who ate two tablespoonfuls of this salt and died in a few hours from the effect of it4 ,footnote #ac3 ,native names for salt1 monana and mokwa4 ,footnote #ad3 ,called by the natives monkoko mwa njoko sugar-cane of the elephant1 because it was so juicy4 ,the ,boloki were very fond of music1 and quickly acquired a new tune4 ,their voices1 as a rule1 were loud1 clear1 steady1 and flexible1 and they sang from the chest4 ,there were harsh1 strident voices among them1 but they were the exception1 and at certain ages their voices broke and became falsetto4 ,their singing was mixed1 i4e4 men and women sang together1 and was generally accompanied by an instrument1 or by the beating of a stick on a plank1 or the clapping of hands to give the time4 ,in some ceremonies the women sang by themselves1 at other times the men by themselves1 and very often the two sexes together1 as when travelling in their canoes4 ,the companies sang in unison1 and recitative time4 ,many of their songs were a combination of solo and chorus4 ,when paddling their canoes1 either a small drum was beaten or a stick struck rhythmically on the edge of the canoe to give time to the stroke of their paddles1 and to the rhythm of their songs1 solos1 and choruses4 ,as a rule one sang a solo1 and the others took up the chorus4 ,their songs were generally topical1 and as they paddled up- or down-river they gave all the latest information of interest to the villages as they passed them4 ,i have often been amazed at the rapidity and accuracy with which news was spread in this way4 ,a canoe leaving ,nouvelles ,anvers 7,diboko71 where the ,state had a large station1 would carry up or down river all the gossip about the doings and sayings of the white men of the station1 accounts of their punitive expeditions1 judgments passed on captives and prisoners1 their treatment of the natives who had taken the taxes there1 what new white folk were expected and who was leaving for ,europe1 etc4 ,the white officers told their personal boys any item of news1 and they passed on the items to their friends2 hence in the course of an hour or two everybody on a station was acquainted with all the special bits of information worth knowing4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,,burning ,,grass ,,for ,,making ,,salt ,the proper kind of grass is collected1 dried1 and burnt4 ,a funnel of large leaves is prepared1 some of the ashes are put in the funnel and water poured over them4 ,this percolates through the leaves1 and when evaporated leaves a thin layer of salt4 ,this singing answered another purpose3 it gave warning to the village that a canoe was approaching1 and that the folk in it were friendly4 ,a canoe of any size that approached a town without singing and drumming was regarded as an enemy's canoe1 and was treated as such1 i4e4 spears1 stones1 etc41 would be thrown at the occupants of it4 ,occasionally a professional singer would visit our town and teach the young men a new tune4 ,he charged two or three brass rods per person1 but would not teach the tune unless he had enough pupils to pay him1 and then he would stay a day or two until they had learned the tune perfectly2 and when once they had caught it they would set their own words to it4 ,a few years ago ,i wrote in my notebook as follows3 8,a professional dancer and singer has recently visited the town1 and1 like so many of his ,european brethren1 he was marked by some eccentricity in dress4 ,he wore a belt of red and blue baize about #ah inches wide 7the usual width is #d to #h inches71 which made him the observed of all observers4 ,our professional in walking about the town put on a swagger fully in keeping with his position and dignity--his bells tingled1 and his monkey and wild cat skins dangled to and fro4 ,he received a large fee from a mourning family that engaged him to dance and sing in honour of their dead relatives40 ,the native songs may be divided into three classes3 7a7 topical1 as sung in canoes while distributing news2 7b7 local songs1 in which the events of the daily life of the village are temporarily recorded1 as the bravery1 cowardice1 unsociability1 generosity1 meanness1 thievishness1 etc41 of the men and women of village or town4 ,these local songs have a great effect on the people1 for they crystallize the public opinion concerning an individual1 and the ,african hates nothing so much as being sung against or ridiculed in a song4 7c7 ,songs at funeral festivities1 when the praises of the dead are sung4 ,they borrowed tunes freely from other tribes1 and soon learned to sing all the ,european tunes we cared to teach them2 but ,i do not think that any sounds affected them like the rhythmical beat of their own drums4 ,to that beat they would paddle vigorously for hours beneath the tropical sun2 dance perspiringly through a long afternoon1 or through a long night2 fight recklessly1 or drink their sugar-cane wine until their stomachs were well distended4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,wooden ,,head-,,rest ,,or ,,pillow ,when the hair has been dressed1 at the expense of much time and money1 the dandy sleeps with his neck on a pillow of this kind to avoid disarranging the hair4 ,they were clever in making canoes1 which were cut out of solid trees1 sometimes from soft woods1 but generally from hard timber1 such as cedar1 mahogany1 and even camwood4 ,these canoes were sometimes small enough to be handled by a child1 and carried by one person1 and so shallow of draught that they would run easily over a few inches of water2 but they were also made large enough to take from #fj to #gj paddlers1 and more than half a ton of cargo4 ,the tree was felled and roughly shaped in the forest1 and then floated to the town of the maker4 ,it was drawn up out of the river1 and a rough shelter built over it to shade the worker and keep the canoe from warping4 ,a piece of ,euphorbia candelabra was tied to it1 and the maker was not to drink water while working on it1 otherwise it would leak2 and the charm kept it from cracking and warded off all evil influences from spoiling it4 ,they were also expert in making paddles1 handles for axes and hoes1 and in carving out chairs from solid blocks of wood4 ,these latter had four legs and gracefully curving backs1 but cost so much that only chiefs and head-men could afford them2 and when they went to a drinking-bout at a neighbour's it was no uncommon sight to see the women carrying the chairs and stools to accommodate their lords and masters in comfort while drinking4 ,the natives1 with teaching1 made good carpenters1 and were always handy with tools4 ,our advent1 with new ideas of building and with many tools the like of which they had never seen before1 opened to them fresh channels of industry2 and as they lost their fear of the 8witch-doctor0 and were set free from his accusations of 8witchcraft0 they gave vent to their skill by imitating our dwellings1 our furniture1 and other conveniences that they saw about our houses1 and had seen us make out of the very materials that they had always had to their hand4 ,they eagerly exchanged fowls and other kinds of food for our tools1 and we were always ready to help them4 ,before our arrival the 8witch-doctor10 by threats of 8witchcraft10 killed every aspiration of the people and smothered every sign of inventive genius that exhibited itself4 ,to make anything out of the ordinary--any new article--was to be regarded as a 8witch10 and trouble was sure to follow any suspicion of that kind4 ,there was no hope for them until they burst the bonds that held them in thraldom to their 8witch-doctors02 but once released from those miserable trammels1 no limits can be set to their future progress4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,vi ,,customs3 ,,some ,,curious ,,and ,,some ,,cruel ,stopping the rain--,causing the river to subside--,appeasing water-spirits--,saved by his wit--,debit and credit in killing--,methods of drinking--,purification by fire--,preventing spirits following their relatives--,burying women alive with their husband's corpse--,killing a man for a feast--,honouring the dead--,ceremonies at a grave--,a monument to a chief4 ,it was raining one day for about three hours when ,i noticed a rain-doctor standing on our beach trying to stop the continuous downpour4 ,he was a tall1 upright1 old man of very kindly disposition1 and we had often had joking conversations on this very subject of his power to stop the rain4 ,he had frequently1 with much emphasis1 asserted his possession of such a power1 and assured me that one day he would prove it to me4 ,it was now raining one of those kinds of rain that seem as if it had begun at the ,creation and would continue to the crack of doom4 ,from the verandah of my house ,i saw the rain-doctor pluck a leaf1 and going to the bank of the river1 he placed the leaf on the closed fist of his left hand1 and after extending the arm towards the quarter from which the wind was blowing1 he waved it to and fro in a semicircle1 and then struck the leaf with the open palm of his right hand4 ,this operation he repeated several times1 and at the end of an hour or so the rain began to abate and at last ceased4 ,he then came smilingly up to my house1 and said1 8,you see1 white man1 ,i can stop the rain40 ,of course he could when there was no more rain to fall4 ,i reminded him of his many failures1 and the frequency with which he himself had been caught in the rain2 but such reminders neither shook his own faith1 nor the people's1 in his power to stop the rain4 ,if a family were troubled with much sickness1 and a witch-doctor said it was due to the dissatisfaction of ,so-and-so's spirit 7mentioning the name of an important and recently deceased member of the family71 because no offering had lately been made to him1 then the family would kill a slave and send him with a message to their troublesome deceased relative1 requesting that he would not cause them any further misfortune4 ,if the deceased belonged to a 8bush0 or inland tribe1 the slave would be killed and buried2 but if the departed one was a member of a riverine tribe1 then the slave was tied up and thrown into the river4 ,we induced them to stop this custom1 but the more timorous ones for a time compromised the matter either by burying brass rods1 equal to the price of a slave1 in the grave1 or scattering them in the river4 ,the occasion was as follows3 ,the river was rising rapidly and flooding the low-lying town of ,monsembe1 and as the water rose higher and higher the head-men met together to decide what was to be done to cause the river to subside4 ,passing that way at the time and hearing the subject of their discussion1 ,i listened to the conference1 which lasted about three hours4 ,they suggested one reason after another for the flood1 but at last they were unanimously of the opinion that the father of one of the men present was angry with his family for slighting him so long1 and to show his disapprobation1 he had caused the river 7,river ,congo7 thus to rise1 and the only method of securing its subsidence was to throw a human sacrifice into the river4 ,when they arrived at this decision ,i asked for permission to speak1 which was readily granted4 ,with my walking-stick ,i drew an outline of the ,congo ,river1 and1 putting in some of the larger tributaries1 ,i told them how the rain was falling incessantly in those parts1 and that if they wanted to keep the river from rising1 the best way was to send their rain-doctor to ,stanley ,falls to stop the rain1 and thus end their anxiety4 ,and as ,i spoke ,i pointed to the old man who was sitting among the other head-men4 8,oh10 they exclaimed in chorus1 8our rain-doctor can stop the rain falling in these parts2 but his powers will not act in another district4 ,our only remedy is to throw an old man into the river40 ,old men were cheaper than young ones4 8,well10 ,i replied1 8old ,mata ,bwata 7the old chief who was credited with the rise of the river7 was a little man1 and ,i am a big man2 but one day ,i shall die and shall be buried here in ,monsembe1 and if so little a man can cause the river to rise so much because he is angry with you about a ceremony1 how high do you think ,i shall cause the water to rise when ,i shall be angry with you about murdering men and women in this manner80 8,why10 they answered1 8you will be able to make the water come right above our heads1 and we shall all be drowned4 ,all right1 white man10 they continued1 8we know what you mean1 and we promise not to throw anyone into the river40 ,we found afterwards that they compromised the matter1 for when they held a mimic 8naval0 battle 7with canoes7 in honour of ,mata ,bwata's memory1 to appease his dissatisfied spirit1 they scattered six hundred brass rods in the river--the price of a slave--in lieu of a human sacrifice4 ,while on this subject of appeasing water-spirits ,i may relate a very amusing incident that came to my knowledge1 the chief actor in which was well known to me4 ,the folk in the ,bombilinga district had been very unsuccessful in their fishing1 and putting the cause of their non-success down to the wrath of the water-spirits who had turned aside the fish from their traps and nets1 they desired to conciliate them4 ,with this object they decided to buy a man and throw him into the river4 ,they bought a man with one eye1 who1 on account of that deformity1 was sold cheap1 and1 tying him1 as they thought1 securely1 they hurled him from a canoe into the river4 ,by some means1 however1 he got loose and swam ashore1 and on his landing the surprised people asked him why he had returned after being sacrificed to the water-spirits4 ,his smart reply was3 8,the water-spirits did not want any one-eyed folk down there1 so they loosened the ropes and sent me ashore40 ,by his wit he saved his life1 but another and more perfectly formed person was bought and thrown into the river in his stead4 ,this happened some years before we went to live in the district1 but the one-eyed man ,i knew very well1 and more than one person told me of the incident4 ,up to the early months of #ahij eight brothers lived at ,bonjoko--a town three miles below ,monsembe4 ,for some unknown reason their slaves beat to death the chief of that town4 ,now slave-owners were held responsible for the actions of their slaves1 so the brothers had to flee for their lives2 but one of them was killed before he could escape1 and the others came to ,monsembe and built a set of houses with a strong palisade round them4 ,they lived thus for nine months in apparent security4 ,a chief1 however1 is worth two ordinary men1 and the family of the murdered head-man did not forget that one more life was owing to them1 but they waited their time and opportunity4 ,some nine months afterwards a ,monsembe slave fell from a palm tree and was picked up dead4 ,all that day and the next the other slaves of the town danced and sang at the funeral festivities of the dead man1 and during the noise of their crying and chanting dirges some ,bonjoko people entered the town1 rushed into the stockade1 and1 killing one of the brothers there1 they cut open the head of another1 and chased a third one into the bush1 where they speared him to death4 ,if only one brother had been killed the feud would have ended1 and reconciliation between the families would have followed2 but in affairs of this kind they have a credit and debit side1 i4e4 the chief of ,bonjoko was a great man1 so it needed two deaths to expiate his4 ,the ,bonjoko people had killed one brother before the family had escaped from the town1 and now they desired to kill one other only to square the account2 but being divided in their attack into two or three parties1 acting independently1 neither knew what the other had done or was doing1 two brothers were killed1 during the raid1 instead of one4 ,thus the ,bonjoko family owed one life to the brothers1 and according to custom they should not have stopped hostilities until there was a clear balance-sheet4 ,the remnant of the brothers could move about freely1 and needed no longer to live enclosed in a stockade4 ,it was now the turn of the other family to go in fear of their lives4 ,the brothers took the bodies of their slain relatives to ,bonjoko for burial2 and a short time afterwards made blood-brotherhood with the other family1 and the blood feud was thus finished4 ,it leaked out eventually that the ,monsembe head-men1 who had little or no sympathy with the brothers1 had received #ajjj brass rods not to oppose the ,bonjoko family when they came for vengeance1 although the head-men had accepted large presents from the brothers on the promise of protection and the right of asylum in their town4 ,this treachery was condemned by public opinion1 but those who condemned it only did so because they had had no share of the spoils4 ,the principal drink1 apart from water1 was manga sugar-cane wine4 ,the canes were cut into two-feet lengths and the outside skin peeled off4 ,the juicy pith was put into a long1 strong1 canoe-shaped trough1 where it was pounded into pulp with heavy pestles4 ,by the side of the trough was a strong cross-stick fixed to two stout uprights1 and from the cross-stick was suspended by many loops a cord-plaited mat about #af inches wide and #b feet #f inches long4 ,at the lower end of the mat was a stout stick hanging from the bottom loops of the mat4 ,the operator took a large handful of crushed fibre from the trough1 and placing it on the mat he gave a twist to the lower stick1 folding the mat over on to the fibre1 then with both hands he turned the lower stick again and again1 until no more juice could be pressed from the enclosed fibre4 ,the juice ran from the rope mat into a conduit below1 and on into a large jar at the bottom4 ,this process was repeated until all the crushed fibre had been pressed in the mat4 ,this operation was generally begun about #d a4m4 and completed by #h or #i a4m4 ,a little old sugar-cane wine was added to the new1 and by #c or #d p4m4 the whole jar1 containing from eight to twelve gallons1 would be fizzing with fermentation4 ,a jar of four gallons could be bought for two yards of calico4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,d4 ,dodds ,a ,,boloki ,,drinking-,,bout ,sugar-cane wine is made early in the morning1 and by the afternoon it is well fermented4 ,a native bell1 or drum1 is sounded1 and the folk gather for the carouse4 ,when a drinking-bout lasts several days the men have leaves fastened in their hair4 ,a man would buy a jar of wine and beat his drum in a certain way to call his friends1 who1 after a few minutes1 began to gather from various parts of the town1 each followed by a wife carrying a stool and some article out of which her husband was to drink4 ,one had a bottle1 another a saucepan1 another an old coffee-pot1 another a jug1 another a glass or an enamel mug4 ,a man was chosen to dole out the wine with a small wooden bailer1 and no matter how large the vessel offered1 the recipient only received so many dips of the bailer1 and thus all shared alike4 ,during the sugar-cane season drinking-bouts were common and would last from eight to ten days4 ,different head-men would buy on succeeding days large jars of manga1 and would beat their drums to call their cronies and friends to the 8drink40 ,they would sit in a circle round the jar of sugar-cane wine1 and one would solemnly ladle it out1 but no one would drink until all were served4 ,women1 who sat behind their husbands at these carousals1 drank only what their husbands gave them1 and ,i have seen only three drunken women4 ,this was not because the women had any aversion to drinking or to drunkenness1 but because they could not procure the liquor4 ,the making of the 8wine0 was a laborious process1 hence1 while the women cultivated and prepared the canes1 the men made the wine and took care to drink it4 ,drinking-bouts were always followed by a certain amount of sickness1 as fever and diarrha1 and a complete loss of appetite for a time4 ,i think the rough1 sharp pieces of fibre found in the unstrained wine irritated the bowels and brought on dysentery2 and the irregular lives they lived during these bouts induced fever4 ,the majority drank in the ordinary way1 but some in a manner peculiar to themselves4 ,one sucked his wine through a reed2 another had a cloth dropped over his head while drinking2 another placed some fine-shredded grass over the mouth of his bottle and quaffed his wine through that2 another took a piece of plantain leaf and1 making a channel down the middle1 put one end into his mouth and poured the wine out of his bottle on to the top end of his leaf1 whence it ran down the groove into his mouth4 ,all these various modes of drinking are rigidly followed out of regard to the strict injunctions of some 8medicine man10 who has told them that in order to prevent the return of a sickness from which they have suffered1 or to escape certain diseases1 they must drink in such and such a manner1 or not at all4 ,when a man was 8on the booze0 he stuck a leaf in his hair to show it1 and then no notice was taken of any stupid or insulting remarks he might make1 or of any business transaction he might enter upon4 ,one day ,i saw an old woman whom ,i knew very well sitting in the centre of a ring of fire1 and upon inquiry ,i found that she had had much to do with preparing a corpse for burial1 and at the close of the ceremony she had to be purified4 ,a ring of fire made of small sticks encircled her2 she took a leaf1 dried it1 crunched it in her fist1 and sprinkled it on the fire1 moving her hands1 palms downwards1 over the fire ring4 ,when the fire had died out a witch-doctor took hold of the little finger of her left hand with the little finger of his right hand1 and1 lifting her arm1 he drew her out of the fire circle purified4 ,she was now supposed to be cleansed from all contamination with the dead4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,a ,,boloki ,,woman ,,and ,,child ,the parallel lines of cicatrices running from the neck to the navel are for ornamentation4 ,the ring of solid brass round the neck weighs about #ab lbs41 but some weigh even #bh lbs4 ,walking one day in ,monsembe ,i saw an incident that recalled ,burns' 8,tam o',shanter0 to my mind4 ,there had been a death in a family1 and the relatives had just performed all the necessary rites and ceremonies1 and were returning to their homes4 ,a small trench some twenty feet long was dug with a hoe4 ,the relatives took up their position on the side of the trench nearest to the grave1 the medicine-man stood on the other side1 and his assistant was placed at the end of the trench with a large calabash of water4 ,at a signal the water was poured into the trench1 and while it was running the medicine-man took each person by the hand1 and mumbling an incantation he pulled him1 or her1 over the running water4 ,when all had been pulled over1 one by one1 the water was allowed to run until the calabash was empty4 ,i asked the reason of the ceremony1 and they told me it was to keep the spirit of their deceased1 and buried1 relative from following them4 ,it was very evident from the rites observed that they thought the spirits could not cross running water4 ,one evening ,i heard a considerable amount of shouting and screaming1 and on going to the scene of the excitement ,i found two women strongly bound who were weeping most bitterly1 and begging to be set free4 ,i asked them the reason for being thus tied1 and they replied1 8,you know our husband1 ,mangwele1 is dead4 ,he is to be buried to-morrow morning1 and we are to be buried alive with his body4 ,untie us1 white man1 and save us from such a death40 ,i knew the custom of the district very well1 but had never been brought into contact so closely with it4 ,in every family of importance there were one or two women called mwila ndaku1 which meant that when their husband died they were to be buried alive with his corpse1 unless in the meantime they bore children1 when other women took their place4 ,every time they heard their name it was a reminder of the awful fate that awaited them4 ,from my heart ,i pitied the women1 and turning to the members of the family ,i pleaded and remonstrated with them in such a way1 and with such ,god-given eloquence1 that they at last said1 8,all right1 white man1 we will give up this custom40 ,they untied the women1 who at once began to dance about us1 relieved that they had been rescued from such a horrible fate4 ,next morning the men came and asked me to attend the funeral1 to see for myself that they really intended to keep their promise4 ,i went1 and for the first time in the history of that district a man of importance was buried without living women being inhumed with the corpse4 ,now ,i knew all the wives1 children1 and slaves of that man1 and whenever ,i asked for them1 they were able to show them--a proof that they had not secretly buried any after ,i had left the grave2 and as only members of the family1 or slaves owned by the deceased1 would follow and attend upon the spirit of the departed1 ,i felt sure that no outsiders had been surreptitiously substituted4 ,from that time they used to request that either ,i or one of my colleagues would attend important funerals1 to see that they kept their promise4 ,we were exceedingly glad to stop such a cruel custom4 ,we were not always successful in our efforts to save life1 as the following incident will show3 ,the people at ,bonjoko determined to have a great feast4 ,they bought as fat a slave as they could procure1 broke his legs and arms1 and fed him for three days1 while they made a great quantity of sugar-cane wine4 ,i made every possible endeavour to save him1 but utterly failed to do so1 and on the third day he was killed and the horrible orgy was held4 ,that was in the early years of our ,mission2 but in after years they became heartily ashamed of the whole affair4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,a ,,memorial ,,to ,a ,,deceased ,,head-,,man ,a shelter with an open front is erected1 and lined with cloth4 ,a rough table covered with a cloth is arranged1 and on it are placed wash-hand basins1 bottles1 etc41 and under it are put stools1 large wine jars1 etc4 ,these things are all 8killed10 that their spirits may go to the spirit-land and be the property of the chief thus honoured4 ,see page #ajf4 ,when a man of any position died his wives would throw off their dresses and wear old rags 7sometimes they would go absolutely naked71 pick up anything belonging to him--his chair1 spear1 pipe1 mug1 knife1 shield1 or blanket--anything that first came to hand1 and having covered their bodies with a coating of clay1 they would parade the town in ones1 or twos1 or threes1 crying bitterly and calling upon him to return to them4 ,they would stop at times in their crying and say1 8,he is gone to ,so-and-so1 we will go and find him10 and away they would start off in a business-like fashion in their pretended search for him4 ,this parading they would keep up for a day or two1 and then women of the town would bedeck themselves with climbing plants1 vines1 leaves1 and bunches of twigs1 and forming themselves into a procession they would march through the town chanting the praises of the deceased4 ,men would paint and arm themselves as for a fight1 and would imitate the daring acts of the departed as a warrior2 and if he had been remarkable for fighting on the river1 they would arrange a sham canoe fight in his honour4 ,fifteen or twenty canoes1 filled with men armed with spears1 shields1 and guns1 would go through all the manuvres of a mimic river fight1 firing their guns1 pretending to throw their spears1 or deflect them with their shields1 circling round each other amid shouts of their prowess1 or laughter at those who1 losing their balance1 fell into the river4 ,those ashore would crowd along the bank and yell out directions1 approbation1 and encouragement to their friends in the canoes4 ,it was an amusing and interesting sight1 and seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed both by actors and spectators alike4 ,they called this praising or honouring the dead4 ,i was asked on one occasion to attend the burial of a prominent man of the district1 and was interested in seeing the following rites performed3 ,after the coffin had been lowered into the grave1 men came forward1 and1 taking a spear1 they called upon the spirits of those whom the deceased had killed in times of war to attend their conqueror in the spirit-world1 and every time a name was mentioned or an order given a thrust was made with a spear4 ,the deceased had killed seven persons1 and their skulls were arranged round the base of the wild fig tree just in front of his house4 ,different men called on the different spirits1 and so far as ,i could ascertain it was those who knew all the particulars of the slain1 and the circumstances attending their death1 that had to call on them to attend and obey the deceased4 ,it seemed to me that he gave details of the person killed in order that the spirits should make no mistake as to who was meant1 and described the manner of death that there might be no misapprehension about a claim on their service being established4 ,some spears and knives were put in the coffin1 and some brass rods 7the currency7 were laid in the grave for the use of the departed4 ,some months later a shelter was built over the grave1 with a rough table under it4 ,on this table mugs1 bottles1 saucepans1 plates1 etc41 were arranged2 and at the sides1 and under the table1 stools1 chairs1 large wine-jars were put2 but everything was 8killed10 i4e4 broken4 ,all the natives told me that the articles were 8killed0 to keep people from stealing them1 yet they had an idea that the things thus displayed not only served as a memorial to the deceased1 but helped him in some indefinable way in the spirit-land4 ,undoubtedly they had forgotten the reason for 8killing0 the articles4 ,the stealing reason was not sufficient to meet the case1 for there was too wholesome a fear of the revenge the spirits could inflict1 and detection was too easy for anyone to be so foolhardy as to rob a grave4 ,no1 this display of useful goods served three purposes3 it was a 8monument0 to the important man buried beneath it2 it was a proof of his own1 and his family's1 wealth2 and lastly1 and probably the original object of the articles being placed on the grave1 they were conveniences to increase his comfort and prestige in the spirit world to which he had gone4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,vii ,,social ,,life ,,and ,,organization ,salutations--,sneezing--,land is communal--,river rights--,slaves and their position--,laws of inheritance--,sons given as pawns--,masters' responsibility--,debtor and creditor--,rules for collecting debts--,rules for fighting--,the evening meal--,dividing food--,greediness condemned--,the village dance--,the impromptu song--,its effect on various people4 ,rudeness1 discourtesy1 and lack of sociality are greatly condemned by the ,boloki1 and will be punished in longa1 or the nether regions to which their spirits go after death2 hence they are very punctilious about saluting each other whenever they meet1 visit1 or pass one another4 ,the following are their principal salutations4 ,morning3 ,olongo ,o6 ,you are awake4 ,answer3 ,nalongoi ,o6 ,i am awake4 ,obimi ,o6 ,you are out4 ,answer3 ,nabimi ,o6 ,i am out4 ,later in the day1 when a man is passing a neighbour's house1 he will say to the one sitting inside or outside his house3 ,ojali ,o6 or ,ol' o moi ,o6 ,you are alive 7exist or sit71 or1 ,you are there4 ,answer3 ,najali ,o6 or ,nal' oni ,o6 ,i am alive1 or ,i am here4 ,if the resident sees the visitor first he says3 ,oy' oni ,o6 ,you have come here4 ,answer3 ,nay' oni ,o6 ,i have come here4 ,if the visitor stays chatting for a little time1 he says on leaving3 ,nake ,o6 ,i go4 ,and the other responds3 ,oke ,o6 ,you go4 ,if a man is ill he is greeted thus3 ,okeli boti ,o6 ,you are a little better 7bolau is understood74 ,after his illness the greeting is3 ,okeli bolau ,o6 ,you are good1 i4e4 ,you are better4 ,and the answer to the first is3 ,nakeli boti ,o6 ,i am a little better2 and to the second3 ,nakeli bolau ,o6 ,i am well4 ,to leave out the ,o6 is for the greeting and response to lack cordiality1 and the emphasis on the ,o6 and the tone in which it is uttered are indicative of the feeling those greeting one another have for each other4 ,bwanda is the word used in greeting a superior1 and the answer is ,bika 7these words have lost their meaning72 but a superior greets an equal with the same salutations as an inferior does an equal1 i4e43 ,ojali ,o6 ,obimi ,o6 ,oy' oni ,o6 etc4 ,there is another salutation used by a person to an equal1 the answer to which is very various2 and1 in fact1 every person has his own reply according to his circumstances and the way in which he thinks his neighbours regard him at the time4 ,one man greets another by saying1 ,losako1 ,blessing on you2 and he replies1 ,ngai nkumbaku1 ,i am one who is cursed1 i4e4 the people in the town are always cursing him1 or he fancies they are4 ,or the reply may be1 ,bansina1 ,they hate me1 i4e4 the folk in the town do not like him2 or ,ngai nsu ya mai1 ,i am a fish1 i4e4 ,everybody likes me just as everybody likes fish2 or1 ,nakalela bana ba ngai1 ,i am weeping for my children1 said by one mourning over some great misfortune or bereavement4 ,a vain person arrogates to himself a phrase indicative of his egotism1 while a despondent one uses a sentence that does not truly reflect the attitude of his neighbours towards him1 although in his humility he may think so4 ,there is a curious saying after one has sneezed1 viz4 ,ngai nya1 motu mosusu1 8,it is not ,i1 but someone else10 and this is accompanied by a vigorous clapping of the hands and snapping of the fingers1 expressive of great astonishment4 ,it means3 ,i am surprised that you want to call away my spirit 7the spirit is supposed to escape through the nostrils71 ,i really am not the person you think ,i am1 but somebody else4 ,the natives are fond of water1 and bath frequently during a hot day2 and children are bathed regularly twice a day4 ,a mother takes her infant to the river1 and1 gripping it tightly just under the right armpit1 she dips it beneath the water4 ,and after holding it there many moments1 she will lift it out1 and just as it regains its breath to start crying1 down it will go again4 ,this is repeated about a dozen times1 and then rubbing the superfluous water off with the palm of her hand1 she holds it out in the sun for a few moments to dry4 ,riverine people can remain under the water for a long time while attending their fish-nets1 and this habit they have gained from those infantile experiences1 when it was either holding the breath1 or drinking a quantity of dirty river water4 ,they wash their mouths both before and after meals1 and generally carry a native tooth-brush 7a piece of cane three inches long and frayed at one end7 about with them1 and use it frequently during the day4 ,to this habit they probably owe the beautiful white teeth so usually found among the natives4 ,both men and women occasionally pay a hairdresser to comb out their hair nicely1 and plait it into three plaits--two standing out at right angles to the temples and one standing out above the forehead4 ,they also frequently rub their bodies with palm-oil and camwood powder1 and will sometimes blacken their eyebrows4 ,the land surrounding a town belongs to the people who live in the town4 ,certain landmarks1 as streams1 forests1 etc41 are agreed upon as boundaries4 ,if there is a town near the boundary the land reaches right up to the boundary of the next town1 but if the town is some distance from the forest boundary1 then the ground between the boundaries is neutral land in which the folk of both towns can hunt1 cut timber1 etc41 as they please4 ,within the boundary the people of the town are free to make their farms and build their houses where they like1 provided the land is not already occupied by someone else4 ,priority of occupation is the only title recognized4 ,there is no such thing as unclaimed land4 ,it is either within the boundary and is claimed by the town living on it1 or it is between the boundaries and is for the benefit of the near towns as neutral hunting1 etc41 but no one can sell that land without the consent of those towns that are mutually benefited by it4 ,if a slave belonging to a man of the town cultivated a piece of land owned by her master's town1 she had full rights over it1 and her master is careful to see that those rights are not infringed4 ,of course1 she cannot sell the ground1 but she can sell the farm as a farm and the stuff growing on it1 and the person who buys the 8stuff0 can continue to cultivate it1 if she is an inhabitant of the town owning the land1 if not1 she can let the produce mature there1 and when she has removed the said produce the land will revert again to the town4 ,men1 women1 and children can own1 for the time being1 the land that they have cleared for farming purposes2 and can own slaves whom they have bought or inherited4 ,i have known a case in which a slave owned a slave1 and that slave--the property of another slave--owned a slave also4 ,when we bought a piece of land in #ahij1 the price given was divided among the head-men in the town according to their importance1 and they gave a part of their shares to their followers--members of their family1 but not to their slaves4 ,the ,state told us we could take the plot of land we wanted for nothing2 but we recognized the natives' rights in their land1 and thus paid them compensation for relinquishing those rights to us4 ,if we had not done so1 the natives would have regarded us as interlopers who had stolen their land1 and ,i think their view would have been the right one4 ,the river running by the land belonging to a town is the joint property of the townsfolk for fishing purposes4 ,people of other towns are not allowed to fish there4 ,there are1 however1 large tracts of neutral water where anyone can fish with trap or net1 provided no one else is fishing in that spot4 ,these fishing rights are so well recognized that men never think of fishing along our bank without first seeking our permission4 ,slaves can be sold by their owner2 and they can also be killed by their master1 and no one can prosecute him for murder--he has simply destroyed his own property1 and 8surely a man can do what he likes with his own goods40 ,slaves are1 as a rule1 treated well1 for they can easily run away1 and their owner will then lose the money invested in them4 ,it is to the owner's interest to look properly after them--to house them1 to provide them with wives or husbands1 and maintain their rights as members of the community4 ,i have known some few slaves run away2 but ,i have known more than a few to be treated like members of the family4 ,the better the slaves are treated1 the more secure are their masters of their services and value4 ,the eldest son takes his father's title1 and also inherits a larger proportion of the property than his brothers4 ,the amount depends on the number of sons--if there are three sons1 the eldest takes a half1 the second son two-thirds of the remaining half1 and the last son the rest4 ,the property of a woman goes to her husband1 and1 failing him1 to her own sons1 or daughters4 ,the sons of a free woman take priority over those by a slave wife4 ,on the ,upper ,congo father-right is the rule1 whereas on the ,lower ,congo mother-right is the recognized native law4 ,sons inherit their father's widows1 and in sharing them out it is arranged for a man not to have his own mother as a part of his share of the women4 ,the son1 on becoming possessed of his father's widows1 can either keep them as his wives1 or1 if they are slave women1 he can sell them2 and if they are free women he can arrange for them to marry someone else1 and keep the marriage money paid for them4 ,failing direct male heirs1 the daughter 7or daughters7 takes the estate2 but she gives the wives to some of her near of kin1 such as male cousins1 etc41 but should there be no direct male or female heirs1 the family clan takes possession of the estate and divides it among themselves4 ,when there are male heirs1 and the estate is divided up1 the daughter 7or daughters7 takes as her portion the women who were given to her father as her marriage money by her husband2 and these she gives to her brother by the same mother as herself1 so that that brother receives his share of the estate as a son1 and also the women 7if still alive7 given as a marriage portion for his sister4 ,in recognition of this gift the fortunate brother will make frequent presents of sugar-cane wine and meat to his sister's husband1 as this increment to his wealth has come indirectly from him4 ,slaves number about #be per cent of the population4 ,some were born slaves1 others were seized for debt1 a few were captured in war1 and some had sold themselves to pay their debts1 incurred by adultery1 or by the loss of a lawsuit1 the expenses of which they could not meet4 ,some were sold to pay the family debts4 ,it is also the custom for a father to give a son in pawn as security for a loan4 ,the status of a pawn is somewhat higher than that of a slave1 for he may be redeemed at any moment1 and thus again become a free person4 ,the one who holds such a pawn cannot sell him1 nor pass him on to anyone without the consent of the pawner1 for the family may arrive with the redemption money1 and if the pawn cannot be produced the pawnee will have to pay the family three or four times the value of the pawn4 ,there are no absolutely independent men and women apart from head-men and chiefs4 ,all the rest are attached to head-men as relatives1 slaves1 pawns1 or by a voluntary surrender of themselves to a chief4 ,if the family of a free man dies off1 or becomes very weak--too weak to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the other families in the town1 such a free man attaches himself 7and any relatives dependent on him7 to the head-man of any one of the stronger families he may select4 ,he then practically becomes a member of that family4 ,their quarrels are his1 and his quarrels are theirs4 ,his position is that of a free man owning fealty to the head of his adopted family1 and he is never treated as a slave4 ,if he had tried to stand alone in his weakness some quarrel would have been picked with him by one of the more powerful families1 and eventually he and his would have become slaves4 ,a slave is called mombo1 from omba1 to buy2 a pawn is ndanga a token2 but a free man who attaches himself to a chief is called ejalinya1 probably from jala to live with4 ,a slave boy is not permitted to use either camwood powder or oil on his body2 but should he please his master one day by bringing him a present of a fine fish1 or a large piece of meat1 or some cloth and brass rods worthy of his master's acceptance1 his owner on receiving the offering will rub his hands over his slave's face1 and say1 8,your skin is very bad4 ,why don't you rub it with camwood powder and oil80 and from that time he is allowed to use the cosmetic so prized by all the natives4 ,as a rule the best dressed men in a town are the slaves1 and the worst dressed men the masters4 ,they are afraid to parade their wealth for fear of charges of witchcraft on account of deflecting other folk's goods to their own store2 and also a man can more consistently and more easily refuse a loan on the plea of poverty1 in old clothes1 than he can if he is gorgeously arrayed4 ,of course1 on special occasions1 the masters will wear plenty of good cloth1 and decorate their bodies with powdered camwood and oil4 ,a slave can dress his hair like a free man2 but if he has a beard he must leave it loose1 for only free men are permitted to plait their beards4 ,the master is responsible for the actions of his slaves4 ,i remember a case in #ahib when a slave attempted the life of the head-man of his master's town4 ,his attempt failed1 and he escaped to a distant town2 but the master was tied up1 killed1 and eaten4 ,it is not at all improbable that if the master had been a more influential man some other way would have been found to meet the case--a heavy fine--as the attempt was unsuccessful4 ,while theoretically a master is liable for his slave's debts1 yet he will repudiate them on the ground that the lender had no right to advance goods to a slave without first ascertaining whether the master will be responsible for the payment for them or not4 ,a slave badly treated by his master breaks the eboko1 or fetish saucepan1 belonging to a witch-doctor4 ,then the witch-doctor demands such a heavy price from the master1 as he is responsible for his slave's action1 that he prefers to leave the slave as compensation in the witch-doctor's hands to paying such heavy redemption money4 ,the sum demanded is usually more than the price of a slave2 but public opinion is very pronounced against a slave who breaks the eboko for insufficient reasons4 ,the fear of this has a strong deterrent effect on bad1 passionate-tempered masters in restraining them from ill-treating their slaves4 ,labour is not regarded as a degradation1 and those who are skilled in smithing1 canoe-making1 etc41 not only become comparatively wealthy1 but are regarded with great respect on account of their skill4 ,boys like to accompany their fathers on fishing and trading expeditions2 and girls go with their mothers to the farms as soon as they can walk1 and toy hoes are given them to play with while on the farm4 ,these journeys to the farms or to the fishing camps are a change to the young folk1 and are much enjoyed by them4 ,among the ,boloki there are neither markets nor market-places4 ,if a person has anything for sale he walks through the town calling out its name like a ,london hawker4 ,sometimes a person catches a fish that is taboo to him1 and he will hawk it through the town to try to exchange it for another that he can eat4 ,in their business transactions credit is frequently given1 and for such credit no interest is expected4 ,to recover a debt a creditor first duns the debtor until he is tired1 then he breaks the pots and saucepans1 and anything he finds outside the debtor's house1 and finishes by telling him that on a certain day he will call again for the money4 ,if the debtor then fails to pay1 the creditor will collect a few of his friends1 and together they will go and lie in ambush near the farms until a wife of the debtor comes along1 when they will pounce upon her and take her to their town4 ,the woman will kick1 struggle1 and scream for the sake of appearances2 but she knows that she will be lightly tied and well treated4 ,the debtor will hear of the capture of his wife1 and1 supposing he owes #ajjj brass rods1 he will collect the money as quickly as possible1 and take it with #ejj extra rods1 which he will now have to pay to his creditor to compensate him and his friends for the trouble of tying up the woman and the cost of feeding her4 ,as a woman is worth nearly #cjjj rods1 it pays the debtor to redeem his property by paying his debt and the sum demanded for expenses4 ,if the debt is for #ajjj rods the creditor may tie up one woman1 but if he ties up two women he puts himself in the wrong1 for the value of one woman more than covers the debt and expenses4 ,if the debt is for #cjjj or #djjj rods1 the creditor may capture two women1 and so in proportion to the debt4 ,it is very seldom that a woman is seized for any sum less than #ejj rods4 ,if the debt is not paid within a reasonable time1 the creditor can keep the woman as his wife1 or if she happens to be a slave1 he can sell her4 ,if the debtor has no wives1 then a member1 or members1 of his family can be seized on the same principle as shown above4 ,sometimes a creditor will tie up a person belonging to the town of his debtor2 but this is rarely done except in cases of hostility between the towns4 ,these debts are generally incurred either in buying a large canoe1 or a wife1 or in losing a lawsuit4 ,a village may have from twenty to five hundred huts in it1 and even more4 ,the rows of houses are generally built in parallel lines to the river2 and a head-man possesses one or more lines1 according to the size of his family or clan4 ,he may have many wives1 slaves and their wives1 8pawns10 and dependents1 and consequently own several rows of houses2 or he may be the eldest of several brothers who with their wives1 slaves1 etc41 jointly own several rows of dwellings4 ,the former head-man is a greater man than the latter1 he has more prestige in the town1 and has greater influence in its palavers1 for such a man is the head of a powerful family1 each unit of which may number more than the brothers1 their wives1 and slaves put together4 ,the mboka village1 town1 locality1 may consist of from #bj to #aej families1 numbering anything up to #bjjj or #cjjj people1 or it may mean only one or two families not numbering more than #ej or #fj people2 but it does not matter how large or how small the mboka is1 it is independent1 self-governing1 and recognizes no over-lord4 ,there is the head of the family1 whose word is law to his own relatives and immediate dependents living in his section of the town4 ,then there are the heads of the families who meet together to arrange the affairs of the town1 and to decide on any course of action in relation to the neighbouring towns4 ,some are heads of larger and richer families than others2 and such men necessarily have more influence1 and their words carry greater weight than the utterances of poorer and smaller men4 ,the lives of the people are rendered pleasant1 or otherwise1 according to the temper and ambitions of these head-men4 ,the various families forming a town live1 as a rule1 at peace with each other2 and if there is a dispute they try to settle it by 8holding a palaver40 ,but if the quarrel develops into a fight1 then sticks are the weapons used1 as guns and spears are rarely1 if ever1 brought out in these miniature 8civil wars40 ,they combine as a whole against a common foe4 ,the family that causes the quarrel leads the van in a war1 and if only the offended family attacks the offending family1 the other families of the offender's town stand armed ready to defend their dependents and property1 should the offenders prove unable to repulse the attack4 ,but if the offended family brings the several families of its town to attack the offenders1 then the other head-men and their followers will join to repel the attack1 for it is no longer a quarrel between two families of different towns1 but a fight between town and town4 ,thus a family combines to fight a family1 and a town to fight a town1 and ,i have known one case in which a district joined its forces to fight a district4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4,dodds ,,boloki ,,women ,,preparing ,,an ,,evening ,,meal ,the woman on the right has a mortar and pestle for pounding boiled plantain4 ,she has a broad band of hair shaved off in the style of the day4 ,the walls show the split bamboos used at the outer lining of the hut1 then there are an inch or two of grass and another lining of bamboos inside1 and the whole is tightly laced to the uprights of the wall4 ,the evening meal is practically the only meal of the day1 and every effort is made to render it as tasty as possible with the limited ingredients at the disposal of the woman cook4 ,cassava figures as the principal article in every menu2 and for this meal it is commonly prepared by soaking it for three days1 and then after peeling1 coring1 and dividing it into quarters1 it is steamed1 and comes out looking white and appetizing4 ,either fish1 or meat when procurable1 is stewed in a small saucepan or roasted over the fire1 or wrapped in leaves and covered with red-hot embers2 but if there is neither fish nor meat1 then a sauce of pounded leaves1 red peppers1 and palm-oil is concocted1 and the whole is washed down with gulps of water4 ,they prefer to keep sugar-cane wine for their drinking-bouts and for their cannibal feasts1 the latter1 in their view1 demanding something better than water4 ,the food is served first to the elders 7male71 and if visitors are present they take precedence according to their age4 ,as a rule the members of a family are polite to one another1 and any departure from the usual forms of courtesy is regarded with disapprobation by the other members of the family4 ,guests are treated with hospitality1 and are protected by the family they are visiting2 and ,i never knew a guest come to harm during a visit4 ,men and women do not eat together1 as it is accounted immodest and indecent for a woman to eat with a man2 and it is infra dig4 for a man to partake of his food with a woman4 ,they eat by themselves at some little distance1 and usually out of sight and hearing of the men4 ,in dividing food1 such as meat or fish1 the one who divides it takes the portion left after all the others have selected their shares1 and in this way they have a guarantee that all the portions are equal in size and quality4 ,if a saucepan of fish and another of cassava are put before five or six persons for them to eat1 no division is made1 but all help themselves from the same saucepans1 yet each will be very careful not to eat more than his fair share4 ,but when a fish1 or a lump of meat1 is given to half a dozen men1 or women1 they appoint one to divide it into six lots1 and the one to whom this very doubtful honour is given is careful to make all the lots equal--in bone1 flesh1 and fat--for he knows that the others will choose their portions before himself4 ,any greediness is condemned1 and if persisted in others will refuse to eat with the offender1 and he becomes an object of ridicule to the rest of the family and in the village4 ,the following story1 which ,i often heard related around their evening fires1 will well illustrate how the natives regarded any greediness about food3 8,mokwete possessed a large number of wives2 and one day he made a trap and eventually snared an animal which he carried to his town and told his wives to cook4 ,when they had cooked the meat they took him his share1 and reserved a portion for themselves4 ,mokwete ate his meat alone1 but it did not satisfy him1 for having so many wives the portion of meat that fell to him was rather small4 8,by and by he killed another animal1 and he said to himself3 #8,i kill plenty of animals1 but get very little meat for myself1 because my wives are so numerous4' ,when he reached the forest near his town he disguised his voice and shouted3 #8,wives of ,mokwete1 wives of ,mokwete4' 8,they answered1 #8,e6' thinking it was a spirit calling them from the bush4 8,then he said3 #8,when your husband comes with meat1 you must not eat any of it2 if you do1 you will die4' 8,in a little time he picked up the animal and went on to the town4 ,the women cooked the meat and brought it all to him4 ,he asked them why they had not taken any of it1 and they told him what they had heard from one of the bush spirits4 ,mokwete ate all the meat1 was well filled1 and congratulated himself on the success of the ruse4 ,he repeated this trick again and again4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 a ,dutch ,trader ,,group ,,of ,,boloki ,,women ,,at ,,mobeka ,the women are wearing skirts of palm-frond fibre4 ,when 8dressed0 a young woman has fifteen of these skirts on1 and then they stand out like a ballet-girl's dress4 ,some of the older ones have the cock's-comb tribal mark4 ,those without the tribal marking are slaves4 ,the collar on the older woman is of solid brass and weighs about #ae lbs4 8,one day ,mokwete's son went into the bush1 and while there he heard the sound of someone coming1 so he hid himself4 ,in a little time a man arrived and threw something with a thud to the ground1 and then he heard a voice say3 #8,wives of ,mokwete1 wives of ,mokwete1 when your husband comes with meat you must not eat it2 if you do1 you will die4' 8,the lad1 on looking out1 saw that it was his father who was deceiving his mothers1 and keeping him and the other children from having their proper share of the meat4 ,he hurried home and told his mothers all that he had seen and heard1 but they disputed his word4 ,however1 one of them went to look1 and saw that it was really the husband who had been telling them not to eat the meat4 ,she went and told the others1 and they decided to run away4 8,while ,mokwete was out hunting one day1 his wives broke their saucepans1 put out their fires and fled2 and upon reaching their various towns they told their families why they had left their husband--on account of his greediness--and everybody justified them40 ,now ,mokwete would return to a fireless hearth1 an empty village1 and no one to cook for him and wait on him4 ,and ,i have heard the folk snap their fingers1 and say3 8,mokwete was well punished10 and there was no one to pity him4 8,when a man buys a fish or a piece of meat he should share it with the wife who cooks it for him2 and when he kills an animal he should share it with all his wives40 ,the children received their share of meat or fish through their mothers4 ,while the hearth is the centre of a woman's family life1 for her children 7if she is fortunate enough to have any7 will gather around it at sundown to watch the bubbling saucepans on the fire1 and her husband may occasionally be found there playing with his youngsters1 or chatting to his wife1 yet the dance is the real centre and expression of the social life of the village4 ,is there a death8 ,then relatives and friends will show their sympathy1 not by sitting around talking over the good qualities of the departed1 but by dancing their best and chanting the praises of him who has so lately gone to that mysterious longa1 or nether regions1 where all spirits find their home for a time4 ,and standing round the funeral dances will be the whole village1 applauding the agile or chaffing the awkward4 ,is there a marriage8 ,then relatives and boon companions of the old bachelor days are invited1 and after the feast a dance is arranged1 and although some of the legs will be unsteady1 through too much sugar-cane wine1 yet all present1 both dancers and spectators1 will be in a jovial mood4 ,on moonlight nights the drums will be brought out1 reed rattles1 ferret bells1 and anything else that will tinkle1 will be tied around the ankles1 the men and women will form lines opposite each other1 and for hours the dancers will jump1 twist1 and wriggle to and fro in the most approved fashion to the tap1 tap1 or boom1 boom of the rhythmic drum4 ,all distinctions are forgotten for the time being4 ,the skilled and the unskilled1 the poor and the rich1 the slave and the free1 are all mixed in indistinguishable confusion4 ,it is the best dancer1 be he poor and a slave1 who is the cynosure of all eyes and the object of all their praises4 ,and as the dance proceeds the dancers sing in unison some recitative song1 while the onlookers keep time to song and dance by clapping their hands and swaying their bodies to and fro4 ,the greedy man1 the coward1 the thief1 the scamp who disregards the feelings of others and rides rough-shod over the social and communal customs1 the man who is accused of witchcraft and refuses to take the ordeal1 and the incestuous1 are all put into the songs which are sung at these village dances2 and there is no more powerful factor in influencing the native to good and evil1 inciting him to reckless bravery1 or deterring him from committing some foolish deed1 than to put his name into an impromptu song at a village dance4 ,the paragraph in our newspaper is read by comparatively few people1 and only a small percentage of those who read it know the person mentioned2 but the song is sung1 night after night1 by all the village--the very neighbours of the one thus held up to ridicule or honour4 ,the village song inspires the daring deeds in time of war1 it brands and shames the cowards1 it considerably restrains the rascals1 and maddens to the verge of suicide the fool who so badly treats his wives that they run away and leave him a cold hearth by which to sit4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,viii ,,marriage ,,and ,,child ,,bearing ,young girls betrothed--,the bespoke money--,marriage money--,dressing the new wife--,a large looking-glass--,a woman can choose her husband--,divorce--,no great desire for children--,storage for baby spirits--,treatment of twins--,snake omen--,woman's totem--,the mother-in-law--,polygamy and its results--,monogamy and its results--,better morality--,more children--,purer women--,better home-life4 ,young girls and even babies are betrothed in marriage1 and payments made for them long before they are old enough either to understand the contract or give their consent4 ,on the marriage money being completed the man takes a brass bracelet1 and in the presence of witnesses he puts it on the child's arm1 saying1 8,this is my wife40 ,when the girl arrives at a suitable age1 and sometimes even before puberty1 she is taken by her parents1 together with some sugar-cane wine1 to her husband1 and handed over to him2 and on the man giving the parents a present the transaction is completed4 ,should1 however1 the child die1 another is put in her place2 but if that is impossible1 the money is returned4 ,sometimes a girl objects to being handed over in this way to a man whom she dislikes1 and if her protests are disregarded she will run away to a neighbouring town and select her own husband1 if she has not already done so1 and the parents will have to make the best bargain they can in the way of marriage money with their new son-in-law4 ,they would be at an obvious disadvantage1 as their customer would already be in possession of the 8goods40 ,if a man in search of a wife sees an unattached young woman whom he likes he may speak to the girl or to her father first1 and if they--the girl and her parents--are agreeable1 he will call his friends as witnesses and go to the father's house4 ,the girl will then be called out1 and the man will take his spear1 and going into the centre of the crowd he will stick the spear in the ground1 and say3 8,if the girl loves me1 let her pull up the spear40 ,thereupon the girl will step forward1 and pulling up the spear she will carry it to her father1 saying1 8,namojinga0 ,i love him4 ,when the girl has pulled up the spear1 the man has to pay the 8bespoke0 money--a hoe1 an axe1 a blanket1 a looking-glass1 a matchet1 and a few other odds and ends--to the head of the girl's family4 ,the girl is then reserved for him until such time as he can pay the whole1 or the larger part of the marriage money--equal to about #aj1 which is approximately the cost of two male and two female slaves4 ,in the meantime he can give the girl small presents1 and she may cook and send him an occasional dish of food1 and often there is cohabitation before marriage1 for the young man regards the girl1 and speaks of her1 as his wife4 ,a free man marrying a free woman will have to give her father or family two male and two female slaves1 and neither brass rods nor barter goods will be taken in lieu of them2 but as there are so many debts among them a person will sometimes 7and it is not uncommon7 pay this 8marriage money0 and marry without a single slave actually passing between them2 i4e4 ,b wants to marry ,a's daughter1 so he will go to ,c and ,d1 who each owe him a slave1 and will take them to ,a1 who accepts them as his debtors2 then ,b will go to ,e and ,f1 who each owe him a female slave1 and these debtors of ,b will be taken to ,a1 who accepts them as his own debtors2 now ,c1 ,d1 ,e1 and ,f have no slaves they want to part with1 so they1 in their turn1 will look up some debtors and take them to ,a1 who will again accept these new parties as his own debtors4 ,this was called bwaka nyungu to pass on or throw over a debt 7or credit as the case may be7 from one to another4 ,i have known more than one case in which the father of the girl has had the debt worked gradually back to himself1 and in giving his daughter in marriage he has received nothing1 but has paid some of his creditors4 ,when the time arrives for the marriage the parents take some plantain1 cassava1 fish1 with various other kinds of food1 and a calabash or jar of sugar-cane wine1 and together with their daughter they go to the house of the bridegroom and hand over the girl by putting her hand in the man's hand in the presence of witnesses4 ,these latter1 after drinking the wine and sharing in the feast1 will dance in honour of the occasion1 and the ceremony is completed4 ,the food and wine1 given by the parents1 are a proof that the girl is not sold as a slave1 but is given in marriage as a free woman4 ,during the time the man is collecting the marriage money he will build a house1 if he does not already possess one1 and the girl1 under the supervision of her mother1 will prepare a farm4 ,after the ceremony described above is over1 the girl borrows all the finery she can of her female friends1 decorates herself with palm-oil and camwood powder1 and for two or three weeks walks about the town with her husband--a sign to all that she is now his wife4 ,if the man has already a few wives1 they will help to 8dress her0 by the loan of their own trinkets1 and will lead her about the town as a proof that she is now a fellow-wife and belongs to their husband4 ,hanging on the wall in my dining-room was a looking-glass #ae inches wide by #ah inches high2 it was probably the largest looking-glass in that part of ,africa1 and it was one of the 8sights0 of the district4 ,frequently while sitting in my study ,i would hear the shuffling of many feet and much giggling4 ,on going into the dining-room ,i would see perhaps eight or ten women all laughing and nudging one another1 and there in the centre right before the glass would be a well-decorated woman wriggling about in her vain attempt to see both sides of herself at once4 ,it was a new wife whom the older wives had brought to view herself in the white man's looking-glass4 ,in the 8trade looking-glass0 she could only see small sections of herself1 but in this large one she had an expansive view of the whole 8landscape10 and her remarks of wonder and surprise were causing the onlookers to giggle and to excite her to greater efforts to procure broader views of herself4 ,they exhibited no jealousy1 but regarded her as an acquisition--the new wife being one more to help keep the husband4 ,during this period the man buys all the food1 but when the 8honeymoon0 is over the girl takes up her farm-work and settles down to ordinary life4 ,from that time she brings home each afternoon some of her farm produce to prepare for her own and her husband's evening meal4 ,the husband1 however1 must find her the fish for such meals as he partakes with her1 and should he have a quantity of meat he must be willing to share it with his wives4 ,for the poor slave woman there are no preliminary gifts1 no 8bespoke0 money1 no wedding feast and dance1 and no 8honeymoon40 ,the sum agreed upon is paid1 and the slave woman is taken to her new owner's house1 or given as a farm help to his favourite wife4 ,the children of such a marriage are called mbotela semi-slave1 indicating that one of the parents is a slave4 ,if a man cannot afford to pay the marriage money for a free wife1 or even to buy a slave1 he can hire a slave as his wife1 and any children born to them belong to the owner of the slave woman and not to the father and mother4 ,or a man will sometimes borrow a wife of another man for three or six months1 and will pay a fixed sum according to the length of time he has her2 but any children born of such an arrangement belong to the real husband of the woman4 ,a man can marry as many women as he can find the marriage money for1 but to each he must give a house1 and all his free wives have equal rights4 ,his slave wives are simply slaves1 and he can sell or kill them just as he pleases4 ,polygamy is very general1 and monogamy is the result of poverty4 ,free men1 as a rule1 do not marry slaves2 but the slave woman is given in marriage to the slave man1 and she thus helps to make him contented with his lot in the town and tribe2 she keeps him in food and increases the wealth of her master by bearing children1 who are slaves and the property of her owner4 ,when a free woman does not want to marry the man who is trying to arrange for her1 she will tell him frankly that if he persists in marrying her1 she will run away from him4 ,but if1 in spite of this threat1 he completes the arrangements1 then a few days after the marriage she will escape to a neighbouring town and put herself under the protection of the chief by tearing his cloth4 ,the chief then gives the husband notice of what has happened1 and before he can claim his wife he has to pay the chief #fjj brass rods #cis4 as compensation for his torn cloth4 ,if the husband does not then permit her to marry the man she wants1 she runs away again and again1 and every time she runs it will cost her husband #fjj brass rods4 ,a sensible man will take warning by the first threat1 and will not complete the marriage4 ,if a free woman is badly treated by her husband1 she will resort to the above method of making him pay for his ill-treatment of her1 and will thus force him to use her more kindly4 ,there is also a more drastic way of punishing a husband for outrageous conduct towards his wife4 ,after repeated complaints of his ill-usage she will run to the witch-doctor and smash his eboko1 or saucepan of 8medicine10 and in so doing she will commit a great offence4 ,the witch-doctor will hold her until the husband redeems her by the gift of a slave1 and the payment of a large sum to replace the eboko and make fresh 8medicine40 ,having paid the money--for she is worth more than the total value of the slave and the brass rods--he will treat his wife better in future1 or she will again break the eboko4 ,a slave woman who runs away to a chief will be brought back1 and her master will beat1 kill her1 or sell her right out of the district1 so it is wiser for her to run right beyond his reach in the first instance4 ,i have known women who successfully carried out these various modes of punishing their abusive1 bad-tempered husbands2 and undoubtedly the fact that the women can and will make their husbands pay in this way renders life more tolerable for them4 ,without some such system the wife's lot would be terrible and impossible4 ,breaking the eboko1 or 8medicine0 saucepan1 answers another purpose3 a man's wife has been stolen from him1 and all other means having failed to regain her1 he goes to the witch-doctor1 tears his cloth and breaks the eboko4 ,this action calls attention to the case and arouses widespread interest4 ,the witch-doctor must now take up the case1 or he will lose his dignity as a witch-doctor1 and folk will lose their respect and fear for his eboko4 ,so he places himself at the head of a movement to punish the wife-stealer1 and the men who would not help the husband volunteer to fight under the witch-doctor2 and when the woman is captured the husband has to pay heavy damages for tearing the cloth1 breaking the eboko1 and for the help of the witch-doctor in the fight4 ,the husband will then try to recover all the damages from the stealer of his wife4 ,it is interesting to note that1 both to the husband and to the wife1 there is such a force available in their utter need4 ,here and there a man treats his wife with kindness and consideration1 and he sometimes displays an affection for her that is pleasing to the onlooker and an encouragement to those who are working for the uplifting of the race1 for it shows of what the men are capable2 but to the majority of the men the wife is a passing fancy1 a brief passion which is quickly extinguished1 and all that remains to warm their hearts1 and keep them faithful to each other1 are the cold1 charred embers of a bare toleration for one another4 ,above the age of five years it is impossible to find a girl who is a virgin1 and it has been difficult to find a word for virgin in the ,congo languages4 ,the only thing a man can do is to see that his wife does not commit adultery after he has married her1 without his consent and receiving due compensation for it4 ,should she do so1 then the adulterer is punished1 but the woman goes free4 ,if she were punished she would not confess1 and without her confession the husband is not able to enforce the fine on the lover4 ,a woman's word is always taken against the man's most solemn oath4 ,i have a very strong suspicion that this power is often abused1 7a7 by the woman to pay off a grudge against someone who has slighted her1 and also to be regarded by the other women of the town as one after whom the men run2 7b7 by the husband as a means of replenishing an empty purse--the fine being shared by the husband and wife4 ,there are undoubtedly women who remain faithful to their husbands2 and there are men who treat their wives with kindness and consideration1 but from what ,i observed they are very few indeed4 ,sometimes in anger two men will exchange their wives1 especially if one man's wife is continually running after the other man4 ,if a woman does not know1 or will not perform1 her duties properly as a wife1 i4e4 will not farm1 cook1 etc41 the man can take her back to her family and receive in return the marriage money he gave for her to her family2 but not the 8bespoke0 money4 ,should she die within a few years of her marriage the husband can claim another woman1 or the return of the marriage money1 for his view is that a faulty article has been supplied to him4 ,when a free woman wants to leave her husband1 or have a divorce from him1 she sends a 8token0 to the man of her choice1 who1 if desirous of possessing her1 goes to the husband and tries to arrange the matter4 ,if the husband acts unreasonably in his demands--wants too much marriage money1 or desires the whole sum down at once--then she resorts to the expedient of escaping to a neighbouring chief 7as mentioned above71 and the husband is quickly brought to his senses4 ,should the 8token0 sent be returned1 she knows that the man does not want her1 and if her family are unwilling1 or unable through poverty1 to return the marriage money1 or think she is unreasonable in seeking a divorce1 she has to remain with her husband4 ,to run away1 without just cause1 to another town1 is to make her name a byword among her acquaintances1 and the native is very sensitive to public opinion1 as we tried to show in the chapter on ,social ,life4 ,we have not found the same desire for children1 on the part of the women1 as we observed on the ,lower ,congo4 ,this may be accounted for by the fact that on the ,lower ,congo the law of mother-right is in full force1 and consequently all the children belong to the mother and her family2 while on the ,upper ,congo father-right is the general custom1 and the children belonging to the father1 the mother has no particular interest in them4 ,the beliefs of a tribe considerably affect their point of view1 and this is seen in nothing more emphatically than in their beliefs about child-bearing4 ,on the ,lower ,congo a non-child-bearing woman is the butt of the town's ridicule1 she is sneered at1 pointed at by all the other women1 and is the object of their scorn4 ,she feels degraded in the eyes of all1 and however much she may blame her husband1 or may try to prove that she is bewitched1 yet her shame is bitterly felt and resented4 ,she has failed ignominiously in her one paramount duty to her family4 ,her sterility is the constant theme of her husband's bickerings2 and when everything else fails to quicken her or stop her nagging tongue1 he has only to hint at this abnormal disability and she is choked with chagrin and almost ready to commit suicide4 ,now on the ,upper ,congo among the ,boloki it appears that every family has what is called a liboma1 it may be a pool in the bush1 or in the forest1 or on an island2 it may be a creek1 or it may be a ,bombax cotton tree2 but wherever the liboma may be it is regarded as the preserve of the unborn children of the family4 ,the disembodied spirits 7mingoli7 of the deceased members of the family performed the duty of supplying these preserves with spirit-children to keep their families strong and numerous4 ,they have very misty ideas as to how these liboma are supplied with the spirit-children 7or bingbongbo71 but ,i have a suspicion that underlying the liboma is some idea of reincarnation--some thought there was a rebirth of certain deceased members of the family1 and others thought that the disembodied spirits had spirit-children1 and these were sent to the liboma to be endowed in due time with bodies4 ,now if a man does not have a child by his wife1 then she is simply barren 7they always think it is the fault of the woman71 but there are no sneers1 and no shame4 ,the woman takes her sister to her husband1 that he may have a child by her4 ,but if a man has one child by a wife1 and no more1 he thinks someone has bewitched his liboma by taking the family's stock of children from it and hiding them2 or1 it may be that the other members of the family have bewitched her so that she may not be able to procure another child from the liboma1 that there might be more for themselves2 if1 however1 none of the family have more than one child by their wives1 then some other family1 through hatred or jealousy1 has taken by witchcraft the children from their liboma and concealed them1 for only the family to which the liboma belongs can give birth to the unborn infant spirits there4 ,twins are not frequent1 but when they do arrive they demand proper treatment and entail more than ordinary care in the observance of certain duties4 ,three days after the birth of twins 7masa7 the mother takes them in her arms and dances in front of her house before her neighbours1 who join in a chorus in which they sing over and over again3 8,masa e maolela0 the twins cry for you4 ,the mother is decorated with leaves1 sprays1 and twigs1 the same as for an ordinary birth4 ,these are made into garlands for her head1 stuck into her waist-belt1 and fixed on her wherever it is possible4 ,at this ceremony the names are given1 which are the same for every pair of twins1 and these names are retained through life4 ,other folk may change their names according to fancy1 but twins never4 ,the first-born is always known as ,nkumu1 and the second as ,mpeya1 and whenever you hear either of these names you know at once that the bearer is one of twins4 ,the first-born of twins is always carried on the right arm1 and the second on the left arm4 ,whenever the mother replies to a salutation she must give two answers1 one for each child2 and should she greet anyone she must duplicate her greeting1 that each child may be recognized4 ,she carries the dual idea further than that1 for she must eat1 not with one hand1 but with both1 that each child may be properly nourished4 ,presents are given in duplicate1 or the child not receiving a present will fret1 become ill1 and die2 and the sickness or death of either child is supposed to arise from carelessness in the observance of these rules4 ,the twins are expected to cry together1 rejoice together1 and should they lack unanimity in either of these functions of rejoicing or sorrowing together1 it is because one is sulky on account of one or other of the above rules having been broken4 ,when one of the twins dies the mother borrows a baby of the same age1 and puts it with the living twin that it may not fret4 ,when a man finds a snake 7called ,mwaladi1 a snake with red marks on it7 lying by his side when he awakes1 he regards it as a sign that he will have a child by his wife2 and if a woman lying or sitting observes the same snake approaching her1 she remains quietly in her position1 and if it passes near her she sprinkles a little camwood powder over it1 and regards it as an omen that she will soon become a mother4 ,the child born after such an augury is not treated with any special respect or interest1 and no special name is given to it as on the ,lower ,congo4 ,i found that when a woman married she brought her totem with her1 and then not only observed her own totem but her husband's also2 and the child born to them took the totems of both parents until there was a council of both families--the paternal and maternal branches--and then it was generally arranged that the child should observe the father's totem4 ,one day ,i was interested in watching the following ceremony3 ,the women of the village had rubbed themselves well with camwood powder1 they had also decorated their bodies with leaves1 and tied on sashes of a creeper with small leaves 7nkokolemba71 and danced for a considerable time to the sound of drums1 then the lobe of the right ear of the child was pierced4 ,it was a boy1 for if it had been a girl the left lobe would have been pierced 7the left is always a token of inferiority74 ,this ceremony took place during the morning1 and was a sign to the boweya spirit that that child belonged to a family in whose totem the spirit was specially interested4 ,the pierced ear indicated to the spirit that the owner had a claim on its help and protection4 ,these rites were only observed when the family possessed a totem that had a boweya spirit to preside over its interests and health1 and always took place on the fifth day after the birth of the child4 ,the father during the pregnancy of his wife is prohibited certain foods1 and he is neither to hunt nor fish during the pregnancy and confinement of his wife1 unless she goes to a medicine man and is marked with different coloured pigments on the breast1 abdomen1 shoulders1 temple1 and forehead1 and wears two or three charms2 these ensure for her a good delivery and a healthy child1 and also allow her husband to go hunting and fishing4 ,the food prohibitions vary considerably1 and while the man is observing these taboos he is said to be in a state of liboi1 a noun derived from the verb bwa to be confined1 to deliver of a child4 ,it is very probably a remnant of la couvade4 ,they have1 however1 no tradition of the man ever having taken the place of the woman by lying in bed during confinement4 ,there is no adoption into a family1 but there is milk-brotherhood1 and the milk-brother often receives a portion of the estate2 and there is also milk-sisterhood1 and when a woman is a milk-sister it is permissible1 but is regarded as very irregular1 for her milk-brother to marry her4 ,there are two names given to illegitimate children--mwana wa ngangi child of a mistress1 i4e4 a woman who has been hired from her husband or family for a fixed period at a certain price2 and mpampoka a child whose father is not known4 ,in the former case the child will eventually be owned by the proper husband or guardian of the woman1 unless the lover made other arrangements1 that is1 paid a larger fee1 at the time of hiring his mistress2 in the latter case the child will belong to the woman1 and hence to her family1 and in both cases the child will remain with its mother until it is ten or twelve years of age4 ,abortion is produced by the drinking of a decoction made by boiling kungubololo leaves1 which is said to be very bitter1 like quinine4 ,abortion is practised to avoid the trouble incurred by having children1 or from hatred towards the husband1 whom the woman may desire to divorce2 for if she has any children by him1 her relationship to her husband is so complicated thereby that she cannot easily leave him for another man4 ,when a man divorces a wife who has a child of tender years1 the child is allowed to remain with her until he or she is about ten or twelve years of age1 and then is given up to the father1 but is permitted to visit the mother should she be living in a neighbouring town or district4 ,the father has the right to kill his own child1 and although the act may be strongly condemned by his neighbours and his family1 yet they have no power to punish him1 though it may be a clear case of murder4 ,i may say that ,i never heard of a father killing his child while ,i lived amongst them2 but the natives assured me that there had been such cases4 ,a father1 however1 would not hesitate to pawn his children1 or even to sell them into slavery1 if he were in dire straits4 ,as a rule they are fairly kind to their children1 even to over-indulgence1 for it is rarely that they punish them4 ,perhaps this will be the best place in which to make a few remarks on the mother-in-law4 ,she and her son-in-law may never look on each other's face4 ,i have often heard a man say1 8,so-and-so1 your mother-in-law is coming10 and the person addressed would run into my house and hide himself until his wife's mother had gone by4 ,they can sit at a little distance from each other1 with their backs to one another1 and talk over affairs when necessary4 ,bokilo means mother-in-law1 daughter-in-law1 brother-in-law1 father-in-law1 sister of mother-in-law1 brother of father-in-law1 wife of wife's brother1 and in fact any relation-in-law4 ,bokilo1 the noun1 is derived from kila to forbid1 prohibit1 taboo1 and indicates that all bearing the relationship of bokilo can have no intimate relationship with one another1 for it is regarded as incestuous2 and it is according to native ideas just as wrong for a daughter-in-law to speak or look at her husband's father1 as for the son-in-law to speak or look at his wife's mother4 ,some have told me that this was to guard against all possibility of cohabitation1 8,for a person you never look at you never desire40 ,others have said1 8,well1 don't you see1 my wife came from her womb40 ,i am strongly inclined to the opinion that the former is the real reason4 ,i knew a case in which a man married his mother-in-law by marriage4 ,the woman was not his wife's mother1 but his wife's father's wife1 and as such was his mother-in-law4 ,i had seen him avoid her many times1 and it was thus evident that all the wives of the wife's father are regarded as joint-mothers of the children1 and hence mothers-in-law4 ,his wife's father died1 and the man wanted to have one of the wives 7i4e4 one of his mothers-in-law7 as his own wife1 so he arranged with a friend to pay the marriage money and take her as his wife1 then she1 by that marriage1 being no longer his mother-in-law1 he was able to take her as his own wife4 ,he thereupon paid the money for her and took her to his house4 ,i cannot close this chapter on marriage and child-birth without putting on record my observations regarding polygamy and its effects on the ,congo4 ,polygamy means monopoly in women1 and causes great immorality among the natives practising it2 and it is now fast dying out within the sphere of our influence upon the ,lower ,congo1 and in the neighbourhood of our stations upon the ,upper4 ,the effect of polygamy was to tie up the women to a comparatively small number of men who were fortunate 787 enough to inherit them1 or had procured the wealth with which to pay their marriage money4 ,there was a constant complaint amongst the young and vigorous men of the middle and lower orders that it was almost impossible for them to procure wives4 ,thus we found a small number of men possessing nearly all the women in a town1 having from four or five up to twenty-five and thirty each1 and a large number of young men who could not secure wives4 ,moreover1 these wealthy men1 besides having all these wives1 had bespoken most of the young girls1 many almost infants2 for it was no uncommon thing for girls of three or four years to be betrothed to men of forty and fifty years of age2 and as soon as they reached puberty the marriage money was completed1 and they were passed over to their already very much married husbands4 ,now my observations of polygamy1 both on the ,lower and ,upper ,congo1 have led me to form a decided opinion that it does not conduce to productivity1 but the contrary4 ,under this system ,i have never known a large family4 ,one man had eight wives1 and he had five children by one and none by the others2 another had ten wives and no children2 another had twenty-three wives and only one child2 another twenty-five wives and three children only2 another who had eight wives had three children4 ,mapwata1 chief of ,ntenta in ,french ,congo1 had forty wives1 but only five children4 ,in ,mfumu ,ngoma's village there were #hg men1 #fg married women1 and only #cg children4 ,in the village of ,mbela there were about #fj married women1 as shown by the number of houses1 and only #bh children1 and so on ad lib4 ,if you ask a native chief1 husband of many wives1 how many children he has1 he will state an absurd number1 not because he desires to deceive you1 but for the following reasons3 ,all the children1 of his brothers and sisters1 and all their children's children1 are spoken of as the chief's children1 as he is the head of the family1 i4e4 all the nephews and nieces1 the grand-nephews and grand-nieces are regarded as a man's own off-spring1 besides his own children and grandchildren2 many of us could make up large families in this way4 ,and again1 the native has a very strong superstition and prejudice against counting his children1 for he believes that if he does so1 or if he states the proper number1 the evil spirits will hear it and some of his children will die2 hence when you ask him such a simple question as1 8,how many children have you80 you stir up his superstitious fears1 and he will answer3 8,i don't know40 ,if you press him1 he will tell you sixty1 or one hundred children1 or any other number that jumps to his tongue2 and even then he is thinking of those who1 from the native view of kinship1 are regarded as his children1 and desiring to deceive1 not you1 but those ubiquitous and prowling evil spirits1 he states a large number that leaves a wide margin4 ,i have been introduced by young men to men1 much older than themselves1 as 8my children10 and there was a twinkle in their eyes1 showing that they appreciated the humorous absurdity of the situation4 ,among the ,congo languages there is no proper word for virgin1 for there was not in the old days a pure girl above the age of five4 ,i would1 therefore1 most emphatically dissent from the oft-repeated fallacious statement that polygamy promotes morality among native tribes2 that it has caused widespread immorality on the ,congo is truer to the facts4 ,after carefully reviewing all the data ,i am forced to the conclusion that polygamy is not necessitated by the climate1 but is the natural outcome of their customs1 mode of thought1 and view of life4 ,a ,congo man will fight1 trade1 carry heavy loads for long distances1 and work1 but he will not hoe the ground1 that is infra dig4 to him4 ,he will dig the white man's farm1 but he will not work land in his own village1 so1 to use his own words1 he 8hires0 or 8borrows0 a woman to do this for him1 and the more women he has the less likely is he to go hungry4 ,again1 the more women he has the more important he is1 the greater his influence and social standing2 when a native wants to impress you with the greatness of his chief or the importance of the head of his family1 he tells you the number of his wives1 and he does not mind adding a dozen to the sum total4 ,again1 chiefs in receiving visits from other chiefs and their retinues had to give free hospitality for long periods4 ,this required a large amount of food and several women to prepare it daily4 ,then again1 for generations the women have believed that if they allowed their husbands to have intercourse with them between the time of pregnancy and the weaning of their children1 those children would die4 ,this superstitious belief has been a potent factor in keeping polygamy alive1 if it did not originate it4 ,remember how they procure their wives1 and that the woman's family must replace her in the event of death1 consequently the family has been careful to see that she has not been weakened by frequent child-bearing1 lest they should have to give another woman in her place4 ,among some tribes the man had to wait until his wife's family took him a calabash of palm-wine1 and renewed their permission to him4 ,some writers think1 judging by the tone of their articles1 that we missionaries rush pell-mell into a country1 and delight in upsetting the institutions and customs of a place whether they are good1 bad1 or indifferent4 ,this1 however1 is not true to the facts as ,i know them4 ,our ,mission on the ,congo commenced its operations in #ahgh1 and it was well on in the eighties before churches were formed1 with rules and regulations for the guidance of converts4 ,in the meantime a language had been reduced to writing1 much translation work had been done1 and a mass of information collected about the habits1 customs1 and view of life taken by the native4 8,many men1 many minds0 is an old saying1 and we found it a true one when the time came to deal with native marriage customs and polygamy in relation to church membership4 ,there was not a single aspect of this great question but had its exponents2 and it was not until after mature consideration1 and a careful study of all the pros and cons1 that we came to the conclusion that monogamy was the only wise rule to adopt1 and we therefore laid it down as a condition of church membership that one man should have one wife only4 ,it is also a rule of the church that no ,christian shall receive marriage money for his daughter1 niece1 or ward2 and no ,christian is permitted to give marriage money for his wife1 except to a heathen if he asks for it4 ,the reasons for this exception are obvious4 ,we also insist that all ,christians shall marry either by civil law or 8holy matrimony40 ,we are interested in the natives and1 rightly or wrongly1 we devote our lives to them2 and if we had desired numbers on the church roll to quote in reports rather than the moral and physical well-being of our parishioners1 we should have made these restrictions less rigorous1 and entrance to church membership more easy and pleasant for them4 ,our ,society gives us a free hand in dealing with these great problems4 ,now we find that ,christian teaching and monogamy have conduced to stricter morality among the people1 and also to an increase in the birth-rate4 ,in the old days there was in every village on the ,lower ,congo a house called ,mbongi1 or ,nzo-a-matoko 7house for young men71 where the lads and unmarried men slept4 ,girls from an early age had free ingress to these houses1 and their mothers encouraged them to go4 ,these houses have been cleared out of all the villages where there is any ,christian influence at work1 and even from heathen villages also1 for they have been greatly influenced by the purer public opinion of recent years4 ,now that monogamy is practised by so many1 the young men know that in due time they will be able to secure a wife1 and they desire to receive her as pure as possible1 hence the closing of these village bachelor houses even in the heathen towns4 ,christian parents also use their best endeavour to preserve their daughters in innocency4 ,we have within a stone's-throw of ,wathen ,station a ,christian village where monogamy is the rule without exception4 ,there are twenty-four married women living there with their husbands1 and they have between them fifty-seven children now living 7noted in #aijh71 and five have died1 making in all sixty-two births4 ,some of these have only been married eighteen months or two years1 and there is no doubt that as the years go by there will be many more children born to these twenty-four wives4 ,now the same number of women tied to one man would not have had a tenth of the children4 ,again1 we have throughout our districts a large number of teachers1 many of whom are married1 and most of them have children--one1 two1 or three1 according to the length of time they have been married4 ,there is another noticeable thing1 that in the ,christian villages1 i4e4 the monogamous villages1 there are plenty of children1 while the same cannot be said of the heathen in polygamous villages4 ,some seem to think that polygamy spells large families and a fair state of morality2 but on the ,congo1 and ,i speak of what ,i know1 polygamy means a very low birth-rate and an absolute lack of morality and common decency4 ,polygamy is giving place to monogamy1 and that means a higher morality1 a purer and more self-respecting womanhood1 and the introduction of a truer affection between the husband and the wife which will result in a better and more healthy home-life for the children1 and will lead to the coming of a brighter day on dark1 oppressed ,africa4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,ix ,,native ,,education ,precociousness of the children--,teaching the tribal mark--,knowledge of astronomy--,divisions of night and day--,education--,paddling and canoeing--,swimming--,fishing--,hunting- -,blacksmithing--,the girls learned farming--,cooking--,hair-dressing--,mat and saucepan making--,charms--,taboos--,first-fruits- -,first teeth--,no moral training--,great liars and thieves--,capable of truth and honesty4 ,there were no schools to attend until the white men went to live in their district2 but the lads accompanied their fathers and elders and learned by imitation1 by listening to the talk on the road1 in the canoe and around the camp fire1 and by special instruction4 ,most lads of #ad or #ae knew the names of the innumerable fish in their river and creeks1 their habits1 and the best mode of catching them4 ,they also knew the names and habitat of most bush animals1 either by experience or repute2 the names of the birds1 insects1 trees1 plants1 etc41 were all well known to them and easily distinguished4 ,the village life was so open1 so lacking in privacy1 that almost every function of the body was performed without any attempts at secrecy1 hence observant young eyes drank in all that came within the purview of their vision1 and boys and girls of a tender age were precocious in their knowledge of those matters which are left to a much later period in civilized countries4 ,tattooing was begun in earliest childhood by the parents1 but not more than sufficient to show that the child belonged to the tribe4 ,later on the boys and girls were urged to cut their own tattoos1 and were taught to bear the pain unwhimperingly4 ,i have seen boys and girls sitting by the river's edge summoning up the necessary courage to make the incisions1 and when they failed to do so they were ridiculed by the others until at last they would run the knife1 by the aid of a bit of looking-glass or the reflection in the river1 along the old lines in the forehead4 ,at the age of #ah or #bj the person--man or woman--who wished to be thought fashionable would work away every week or so1 cutting the flesh deeper and putting wads in the cuts to cause the flesh to stand up1 until they had a veritable likwala1 or cock's comb1 which would be the envy of those who had not attained to such a fine decoration4 ,there was another pain they were taught to bear patiently1 and that was the chiselling of the upper incisors to ,v-shaped points4 ,some only had two cut1 while others had all the upper incisors done4 ,this operation was supposed to improve their appearance4 ,i said once to a native1 8,your teeth are like a dog's10 and his quick retort was1 8,well1 your teeth are like a bat's40 ,i suppose he preferred being like a dog1 to having teeth like a bat4 ,they paid two brass rods for cutting the teeth1 and two brass rods every time they bit the operator4 ,the eyelashes also were pulled out as an aid to beauty4 ,they picked up a little astronomy from their elders4 ,venus was called 8wife of the moon02 a shooting star was 8fetish fire02 a cluster of stars 7,pleiades7 was a 8crowd of young women02 the 8,milky ,way0 was 8the road of floods and drought40 ,both on the ,lower and ,upper ,river the natives connect the 8,milky ,way0 with the abundance and scarcity of rains2 they say that when the 8,milky ,way0 is bright1 clear1 and well seen there will be plenty of rain4 ,three bright stars in ,orion's belt were named the 8three paddlers02 and the five stars near each other in ,orion were regarded as the 8bundle of thunder or lightning40 ,in the constellation ,lepus there is a set of five stars thus 39931 and these were said to resemble a man--the top star being the head1 the two lower stars the hands1 and the two bottom stars the feet4 ,when this set of stars1 called kole1 reached the meridian the natives did more planting than at any other season4 ,this kole was so well recognized by the natives that we used the word as an equivalent for our word year4 ,there is a legend that the moon was once a python and made a road for itself on the earth4 ,some adventurous trappers1 however1 snared it1 but on noticing there was no more moonlight they let it go1 whereupon it sprang into the sky and never again returned to earth4 ,when there is no moon1 some say that the python has gone on a long journey1 and others that it dies every month4 ,there is much shouting and gesticulating on the appearance of a new moon2 and those who have enjoyed good health ask that it may be continued1 and those who have been sick ascribe their complaint to the coming of the new moon1 and ask it to take away bad health and give them good health in its place4 ,here1 as on the ,lower ,congo1 many believe that the sun returns from the west to the east during the night to be ready to rise in the morning4 ,they were taught that the stars were a species of large fire-flies that formerly existed on the earth1 but have now gone into space1 and that the comets are signs that a great chief has recently died4 ,another thing necessary to the young ,congo boy was to teach him1 not the movements of the clock's hands1 but the crowing of the cocks1 the notes of the nkuku-mpembe 7name of a bird71 and the movements of the sun3 #b a4m4 was 8the lying fowl02 #c a4m4 8the lying bird0--because they falsely heralded the dawn which was not due until later2 #d a4m4 was 8the first fowl02 #d to #e a4m4 8the sun is near02 #e4cj to #f a4m4 8the dawning02 #f a4m4 8the sun is come02 #f4ae to #g a4m4 8the first sun02 #ab noon 8the meridian02 #f p4m4 8when the fowls go in10 or 8the sun enters02 #aa to #ab p4m4 8one set of ribs10 or 8one side of a person10 and means that about that time a person turns from lying on one side over on to the other4 ,for all these and many other divisions of the day there were special names or phrases4 ,then there was a system of counting1 and an elaborate mode of stating numbers with the fingers#ae which ,i must enter into more fully under another heading2 suffice it to say that he had to learn to count from one up to ten thousand1 and any amount beyond that up to one hundred thousand he had no difficulty in expressing after he had once mastered the system4 ,footnote #ae3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #c1 on ,boloki method of counting4 ,the length of time that a child remained under the tutelage of his father depended largely on the character of both1 and the strength of will each possessed4 ,there were no bachelor houses in the villages1 consequently male and female children belonging to the same mother were brought up together in her house until such times as the boys were old enough to build a house for themselves1 if they cared so to do4 ,there was no age limit4 ,i have known big lads sleep in their mothers' houses2 and ,i have know smallish lads of energy and initiative combine to build a hut for themselves of which they were very proud4 ,from his very boyhood the ,boloki was a keen trader4 ,he accompanied his father on all trading journeys as soon as he was able to beat time with a stick in the bows of the canoe1 or handle a paddle4 ,in the village he learned the value of different articles1 and nothing delighted him more than exchanging what he did not want for something that he needed4 ,while his father was bartering he would eagerly listen1 and thus learn how to praise his own goods1 and disparage in depreciatory terms the articles which he desired to purchase1 so as to lower their prices4 ,before an article could be exchanged with profit to himself he had many things to learn--the first cost of the article1 the time spent in hawking it1 the payment and keep of those who helped to paddle him from place to place in search of a buyer--or he would find himself poorer at the end of his trading expedition than he was at the beginning4 ,this was no small part of the lad's education4 ,the boy1 as a part of his training1 had to learn to handle his paddle with agility1 gracefulness1 and accuracy4 ,there were clumsy paddlers who were the butt of their companions' ridicule1 but there were others who so swung their paddles as to excite the admiration of the onlookers4 ,as a child his father gave him a toy paddle and taught him how to back-water1 to steer1 and to move his paddle in unison with others4 ,nor was this all1 for there were over fifty words and phrases he had to learn dealing with canoeing4 ,there were the words for canoes of different sizes and shapes1 from the large canoe that would take fifty paddles and a heavy cargo to the shallow marsh canoe that would skim over the surface of a six-inch pool4 ,there were the names for the various parts of the canoe--stern1 bows1 middle1 sides1 etc42 for beaching1 launching1 steering1 turning sharp round corners1 or guiding the canoe to a landing-place4 ,there were names for a patch on a canoe1 for the usable part of a broken canoe1 for the haft and blade of his paddle1 and for their various sizes4 ,these and many other things about canoes he had to know before his education was completed4 ,the ,boloki boys1 living near the river as they did1 learned to be good swimmers4 ,they started swimming at so early an age that they regarded it as a natural action as much as walking4 ,canoes were often upset in the storms or turned over by a hippopotamus1 therefore it was necessary for a lad to know how to save himself4 ,the hand-over-hand stroke was most common1 and they kicked out with the legs4 ,they trod the water very well2 but they always dived feet first1 never head first4 ,when a canoe was upset they were very dexterous in turning it over1 bailing it out1 putting their possessions 7such as were floating7 back into the canoe1 catching their paddles1 and then climbing into their frail canoe again without upsetting it4 ,this ,i have seen them do repeatedly1 and often sent out a canoe to help them1 but before it arrived they would be sitting in their canoe smiling4 ,the girls learned both to swim and paddle2 but the same skill in either accomplishment was not expected of them as of the boys4 ,the boys went with their fathers on fishing and hunting expeditions4 ,they were taught how to make the various fish-traps and nets1 and the best places to put them in the river1 creeks1 or pools1 and also how to bait and cast the hook4 ,there were curious kinds of traps to make that would allow the fish to enter1 but rigidly bar their exit2 long fish-fences for closing up the mouths of creeks1 or run for forty yards by the river bank2 nets to be woven1 which when cast with the right sort of twist would entangle the unwary fish4 ,they had to learn to watch the river for the best time for setting the traps and fixing the fences4 ,they had to remember to address their father and the other fishermen as ,mwele1#af for if the water-spirits heard their proper names they would turn aside the fish from the nets1 and they would have ill-luck in their expedition4 ,there were the names of a score of traps1 nets1 and modes of fishing to keep in mind4 ,footnote #af3 ,this name is given to all fishermen while fishing1 and just as they leave the river with their catch1 or bad luck will follow4 ,in hunting there was much knowledge to be gained1 for not only were the habits of the different animals to be thoroughly understood1 but also the proper charms to be used1 and the necessary ceremonies to be observed to counteract the adverse influences of the bush-spirits who were always on the prowl to render their hunting futile4 ,for hippopotami1 elephants1 and antelopes1 spring-traps were made and placed in the proper tracks4 ,occasionally holes were dug and sharpened sticks and iron prongs were fixed upright in them1 and then the holes were covered very lightly with sticks1 leaves1 etc4 7,i often shudder1 even now after many years1 at the narrow escape ,i once had while hunting from falling into one of these traps47 ,for hunting crocodiles and bush-pigs spears were most commonly used1 and the lads learned to throw them with force and accuracy4 ,i have seen lads stand at a distance of from #fj to #hj feet and put spear after spear1 with great precision1 into an upright plantain stalk not more than #e inches in diameter4 ,if the lad had a blacksmith or a witch-doctor as a relative1 then these professions were opened to him4 ,the former commanded respect because of his skill and usefulness2 but the profession of the latter was not only very lucrative1 but gained the respectful fear of the people1 for did he not control those evil spirits that were always troubling the folk8 ,and again1 a witch-doctor was never charged with witchcraft1 hence the lad would know in learning the tricks of that trade he would never have to undergo the ordeal1 and might1 if he were cunning enough1 live on the best of the land4 ,the girl in the course of her education went as a child with her mother to the farm1 and with her small hoe helped her mother to weed1 and as she grew older she would hoe and plant4 ,there were the various kinds of cassava to learn1 and their characteristics and appearances2 the best time of the year for planting according to the position of the kole in the sky1 and the best sort of soil1 and when it was unprofitable to plant an old farm1 and better to start a new one4 ,the girl had also to learn the sundry ways of cooking cassava--for there were several--all entailing much time and thought4 ,the modes of boiling1 steaming1 grilling1 smoking1 or baking fish and meats4 ,she had to become expert in making up tasty messes with leaves and palm-oil1 caterpillars1 palm maggots1 etc4 ,she should know how to shave the head1 comb out and plait hair1 massage the skin1 and decorate the face and body with various pigments and camwood powder1 for these would be expected of her by her future husband4 ,she had to learn to make her own dresses from palm-frond fibre1 and if she desired to be 8chic10 then she must dye them to the fashionable colour4 ,if she wanted extra pocket-money1 then she might master the mysteries of papyrus mat1 and saucepan making1 or even turn her hand to the art of basket-making4 ,the more she knew of these various accomplishments the better chance she had of securing the man she wanted for a husband4 ,what a mass of information the girl collected about fetishes1 charms1 and medicine men6 ,the proper charms to protect her farm produce1 to ward off the evil eye from casting bad luck on her farming2 the right charms to keep her in good health1 and render her attractive to the village lads4 ,she had to store her mind with a knowledge of the best charms to use to allure her lover to her side1 to preserve her during pregnancy1 to ward off sickness from her child1 to retain her position as the favourite wife1 and to keep away those many evil spirits that seemed to hem her in on every side4 ,both boys and girls had to remember the family totems1 and the family and personal taboos2 what they should do and eat1 and what it was necessary for them to avoid doing and eating4 ,then there were the first-fruits of the fish they caught1 the animals they killed1 the foods they planted1 and the various articles they made which had to be given to their parents or nearest relatives1 otherwise bad luck would follow them4 ,the first teeth that came out had to be carefully hidden1 for if they were found by anyone no other teeth would come in their place4 ,although there was much physical training to make them efficient in hunting1 fishing1 farming1 etc41 and much mental training to gain a full knowledge of all that boys and girls should know1 yet there was no moral training4 ,from early age to puberty boys and girls had free access to each other4 ,public reprobation was only visited upon those who committed a wrong so clumsily as to be found out4 ,i have heard them speak admiringly of one who1 while working for a white man1 robbed him so cleverly as not to be discovered1 and such a one would bring back to his town the proceeds of his robbery and boastfully describe how he committed it2 on the other hand1 ,i have heard them call the unsuccessful thief a 8fool10 not bad nor wicked1 but elema stupid1 fool1 etc4 ,we could not discover any words for virtuous or vicious2 a person either had 8good ways0 or 8bad ways10 but these referred more to the presence or absence of rudeness1 disrespect to superiors1 or greediness1 than to any moral or immoral qualities4 ,for lying and stealing a child was not punished unless the lie or the theft inconvenienced the parent in some way4 ,as a result of the lack of any moral training while young we found both men and women most unblushing liars and thieves4 ,i have seen the tail of a fish sticking out of a man's cloth1 and he asseverating with many oaths that he had neither touched nor seen the fish1 until the fisherman who had been robbed pointed to the fish-tail sticking out well in view beyond the thief's cloth2 and when convicted he laughingly said1 8,i don't know how the fish got there40 ,yet they were capable of telling the truth and being honest1 as ,i discovered later4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,x ,,native ,,games ,,and ,,pastimes ,dolls--,make-believe games--,mimic war--,model of steamers--,game of hand-thrusting--,hockey--,wheel game--,flipping arrows--,lip-sucking game--,ball game--8,tip-it0--,game with palm nuts--,african backgammon--,gambling game--,teetotums--,hoop game--,cat's cradle--,water games--,spear-throwing--,bull-roarers--, imitating movements of animals4 ,there are not many games1 but such as there are train the eye in quickness1 the hand in precision1 and the body in agility4 ,some little girls take pieces of stick or cassava roots to represent dolls1 or1 as they call them1 bana babies1 and tying them on their backs with an old rag they play with them as such4 ,an ,english doll is too uncanny1 too much like a human1 for them to play with2 they do not understand it1 and put it away1 or their elders take it away and sell it as a powerful fetish4 ,parents fond of their children make small paddles1 baskets1 and hoes in imitation of their own1 and the youngsters play with them when they accompany their mothers to the farms1 or their fathers in the canoes4 ,toy hoes and baskets are given to girls only1 toy fish-traps to boys2 but toy paddles to both boys and girls4 ,the boys of the village plait basket-work shields about #c feet long and #h inches wide1 and with stout water-grass and young plantain stalks as spears and clubs1 and imitation wooden knives in their belts1 they take sides in a great sham fight1 and amid much laughter and good humour a mimic battle is waged until one side is driven from the field--the village street4 ,such 8fights0 are interesting to watch1 for the movements of the more than half-naked bodies are swift1 precise1 and graceful1 and undoubtedly help to keep them in good form2 and the accuracy with which they hurl their imitation spears is a fine display of dexterity4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,,native ,,carpenter ,,and ,,his ,,workshop ,this young man is only one of several expert carpenters trained on our ,monsembe stations4 ,besides mimic war1 the youngsters have their make-believe games of marketing1 cooking1 feasting1 and housekeeping4 ,the more expert among the lads make toy steamers in imitation of those running on the river2 and it is interesting to see two lads approaching from opposite directions pulling their 8steamers0 behind them4 ,as they pass each other they whistle three times as a salute to one another1 then comes a long whistle as a sign to stop1 and the 8steamers0 are supposed to stop at a beach1 and the two boys1 who are acting as captains and wearing any old hat they can find for the occasion1 approach each other1 raise their hats1 bow1 shake hands1 and then jabber for a few moments in bits of ,french and any of their own syllables that sound to them like ,french2 then come the ceremonies of parting1 and the whistling of a pretended farewell from the 8steamers10 and the shu6 shu6 shu6 of the working engines4 ,the lad pulling the steamer is engine1 whistle1 pilot1 steersman1 and captain all combined1 and seems to enjoy it4 ,the best model has the largest crowd of followers after it4 ,these boys are splendid actors1 and the whole scene just enacted is a fine1 humorous imitation of the actions of ,state steamers and captains meeting on our beach4 ,a hat is as necessary almost as the 8steamer10 for it has to be taken off when the bow is made1 and if a boy does not possess a hat1 or cannot borrow one1 he will make a good imitation of a helmet or a straw hat out of papyrus pith and plantain leaves4 ,the following is a list of the games#ag played among the ,boloki boys and girls3 ,footnote #ag3 ,for ,lower ,congo games ,i would refer the reader to ,folk ,lore1 ,vol4 ,,xx1 #aiji1 p4 #deg1 where the writer has given a full description of them4 #a4 ,ndangu1 hand-matching game4 7,lower ,congo ta mbele is slightly different47 ,the players form two lines 7mabenge7 facing each other4 ,the first player ,a faces the first of the opposition line ,b2 ,a throws up both hands and brings them down with a clap 7esaku71 and then darts out one hand4 ,b does the same--claps his answers 7tambola71 and if ,b's hand meets ,a's hand1 ,a is wounded 7ajwe mpota71 and if ,a receives three wounds 7mpota iatu7 he dies 7awe74 ,that is to say that if ,b is quick enough1 or lucky enough1 to throw out a hand to meet ,a's thrust1 then instead of being wounded he wounds ,a1 and three wounds count a death--,a goes to the bottom of his own line4 ,if1 however1 the hands do not meet1 then ,b is wounded and ,a passes on to the next1 and the next1 until he wounds all in ,b's line or is himself killed2 if he is killed1 then the next boy to ,a tries until he is either 8killed0 or has been down ,b's line4 ,those who are 8dead0 stand at the bottom of their line4 ,after all the 8men0 in ,a's line have played1 ,b's line starts1 and should he lose any 8men0 they are redeemed in the following way3 ,a's line lost1 say1 five1 and ,b's line lost1 say1 four1 ,a counts four of his five as redeemed1 and ,b counts his four as redeemed1 thus over the first bout ,b has lost none1 and ,a has lost one 8man40 ,the game proceeds until all on one side are killed4 ,the sharpest players stand at the top of the line1 and are much admired for their prowess4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,,model ,,of ,a ,,state ,,steamer ,the lads holding the model made it out of bamboo1 papyrus pith1 and the potato-like substance of the plantain root4 ,the lads delight to pull these toy steamers through the villages and imitate the white captains1 with their make-believe salutes1 etc4 #b4 ,ta mbali1 or hockey 7,lower ,congo ta mbadi71 is probably a recent introduction by steamer lads from the ,lower ,congo1 as the ,monsembe boys had no open spaces for such a game until they played on the cleared opening in front of our station4 ,i found hockey played most vigorously at ,san ,salvador du ,congo when ,i arrived there in the early part of #ahhb4 #c4 ,nkeka1 or wheel4 ,the potato-like substance of the plantain root is cut into a wheel1 and the players arm themselves with long1 sharpened splinters 7mbenge7 of bamboos2 they divide themselves into two parties1 which place themselves at about #cj or #dj yards from each other4 ,party ,a throws the wheel 7kula nkeka7 along the ground towards party ,b at the other end 7nsuku71 and as the wheel rolls towards them the boys of ,b throw their splinters at it1 and if all miss1 side ,a chants3 8,thud1 thud1 thud1 bad marksmen1 die like a gazelle0 7,ju1 ju1 ju1 bamai babi1 bawa na npambi72 if some miss and some hit1 those who hit sing3 8,we have hit the wheel right through the rim0--the most fatal part 7,yeke1 yeke1 nakeke na ndende na mimpesa72 if two hit they say1 8,brothers truly0 7,jimi be72 if they all hit they sing1 8,it is absolutely lost and done for10 i4e4 ,it is no good looking for slaves from this side 7,mampasa malambasana74 ,to win3 ,should ,b party hit the wheel with three splinters1 then three of ,a party become slaves1 i4e4 they stand out of the game until they are redeemed2 but if on the return of the wheel to ,a party that party hits it with four splinters1 they thereby redeem their three slaves and place one of the other side in slavery4 ,this continues until one side is in total slavery4 ,the game excites great enthusiasm1 and encourages precision in throwing4 #d4 ,ngenza4 ,a game in which small bamboo arrows are flipped at the fleshy mid-rib of the plantain leaf4 ,sides are taken1 and the side with the best marksmen wins4 #e4 ,epapunga4 ,they make a sucking noise with the lower lip inside the upper1 and the one not able to do it in unison with the others 7lembwaka lokela7 is 8killed10 i4e4 drops out until all are killed except the last1 who becomes the winner4 #f4 ,ntamba4 ,a kind of ball game4 ,a ball 7lingendu7 of leaves is made and thrown up1 and is kept in the air by beating it with the palms of the hands4 #g4 ,nkulu-nkulu4 ,two lines of boys sit on the ground opposite each other2 the first lad of each line is called moloi 7husband71 the rest are called bali 7wives74 ,each wife on the playing side interlaces her fingers1 thus forming a hollow with the palms of her hands4 ,the 8husband0 takes a small article and1 passing his hand rapidly up and down the line of hands1 he drops the article into one of the arched hands4 ,the opposition has now to discover who has the article1 and the following conversation takes place4 ,opposition says3 8,baninga-baninga0 7,you players74 ,players3 8,eh60 ,opp43 8,bankutu bengi0 7name of some leaves74 ,pls43 8,eh60 ,opp43 8,ba nyango ya bilulu0 7,they are bitter leaves74 ,pls43 8,eh60 ,opp43 8,obe na nkulu1 abete mungita0 7,he who has the article make the sound of thunder74 ,pls43 8,kilil60 7imitation of rolling thunder74 ,opp43 8,bakunguika0 7,make it again74 ,pls43 8,kilil60 ,opp43 8,motu yona0 7,that person74 ,if the person thus pointed out is the hider of the article1 he shows it1 and his side loses1 and the opposition side takes its turn2 if1 however1 he has not the article1 then the one who has it says1 8,eh6 nabuti mwana0 7,oh6 ,i have given birth to a child71 and shows the article4 ,it then counts one game to them1 and is called mwana wawi one child4 #h4 ,liba4 ,a game with palm nuts 7and this very often precedes peke1 or backgammon74 ,in liba they throw up a palm nut1 and then before it falls they swoop up with the right hand as many palm nuts as they can1 and put them down to catch the descending nut before it touches the ground4 ,the one who picks up most in an agreed number of throws wins the game4 #i4 ,peke 7kind of mancala1 or ,african backgammon74 ,a number of holes are made in a circle on the ground1 and the players either take as many palm nuts as they can in so many handfuls1 or procure them as in liba 7see game #h72 then they put one nut into each hole1 and the one whose nuts pass the holes of the other's1 wins2 if his nuts fall short of the other's1 he loses4 ,the game is very complicated1 and its rules little understood by any ,european4 #aj4 ,lobesi1 or the game of pitch-and-toss with six counters4 ,the counters are called mbesi2 the light side of the counter is nke1 the dark side is mpili4 ,the stakes 7libeta7 are taken up when the counters in three throws either fall dark side up 7mpili71 or light side up 7nke71 or three of each 7miu matu three eyes74 ,the person putting down the stakes is mobeti wa libeta1 the place of playing is ekali1 and the turn to play is ngala1 and pula is to demand a second set of throws with the mbesi4 ,in this game there is always a large amount of gambling for brass rods and anything else of value1 in fact1 slaves are sometimes staked on the throw4 ,i never knew it to be played except for gambling purposes4 #aa4 ,nsoko4 ,in this game it is necessary to make a table 7juku7 of four lengths of plantain stalks1 two #c feet long1 and two #b feet long1 and these are so placed as to make an oblong1 and the space is filled with earth or sand in a concave shape1 and on this concave bed some pieces of plantain leaves are smoothly spread4 ,the teetotums are made from the large ,calabar 7nsoko1 hence the name of the game7 beans4 ,a hole is bored through the middle of each bean1 and through the hole is pushed a splinter of wood to form a peg in4 long on the under side1 and about #c inches on the upper4 ,this is called the mundindi4 ,the juku and the nsoko being prepared1 the players1 as many as can sit at the table1 take their places1 and one having taken the mundindi between the extended palms of his hands1 he rubs it to and fro to give it momentum1 and then he drops the teetotum on the table1 where it spins rapidly4 ,in the meantime another has done the same1 and on the two revolving tops colliding1 one is knocked out and becomes the property of the one whose teetotum is left on the 8board40 ,if both are knocked out they begin again4 ,if one teetotum holds the 8board0 for a round1 the owner of it is monzo 7the best spinner74 ,he who procures the most tops belonging to the others is the winner4 #ab4 ,molangu 7hoop74 ,the lads take sides1 each side having a town 7mboka7 about #cj yards apart2 and each lad has a piece of string from #f to #h feet long weighted at the ends4 ,all being ready the hoop is rolled along from town ,a towards town ,b1 and as it approaches a lad steps out and throws one end of his string at the hoop1 and lets the string run freely from his hand4 ,his object is to entangle his string about the hoop4 ,when the hoop stops and falls1 he goes and picks up one end of his string and swings the hoop round his head as he takes it back to the throwing side ,a4 ,if he succeeds he has repulsed the enemy1 and it counts as one game to his side4 ,if he misses the hoop1 then the enemy has entered his town1 and it is reckoned as one game to the town ,a1 and the town ,b has to roll the hoop towards their opponents4 ,if the hoop happens to come off the string while being twirled1 then the side of the twirler loses1 and he has to take the hoop back to his own town and throw it to the town of the enemy4 ,each lad steps out in turn for a throw of the hoop1 and for a throw at the hoop4 ,illustration3 ,by permission of - ,prof4 ,f4 ,,starr4 ,this ,design is called ,sanduku1 or ,box4 #ac4 ,nka1 or cat's cradle1 is well known to the lads and lasses1 and many an hour is spent in working out the different designs on their fingers and toes4 ,the following are the names of a few patterns3 7#a7 ,moleki na nkusu1 snare for a parrot1 because of its similarity to a snare2 7#b7 ,mwana muntaka1 girl1 because of its large1 oval shape2 7#c7 ,mwana lele1 boy1 because it has a small waist2 7#d7 ,julututu1 spider2 7#e7 ,nkungu1 a triangular pattern4 ,there is a very large number of designs1 but some children are more expert than others in forming them accurately and easily4 ,illustration3 ,by permission of - ,prof4 ,f4 ,,starr4 ,this ,design is named ,ndako1 or ,house4 ,if the picture is turned upside down the ,pitch of the ,roof will be clearly seen1 the ,ridge-pole and ,wall-plates4 ,illustration3 ,by permission of ,prof4 ,f4 ,,starr4 ,called by the ,natives3 ,narrow ,roads through the ,farms4 #ad4 ,nsau ya mai1 or water games1 of which the following three are specimens3 7#a7 ,nkoli 7crocodile74 ,an active boy represents a crocodile1 and diving beneath the water tries to catch the feet of his comrades1 and others try to capture him4 ,if they succeed in so doing they thereupon pretend to kill him and cut him up2 but if he catches a playmate they exchange places4 7#b7 ,tasana 7to find one another74 ,one dives and remains quiet under the water1 while another searches for him4 7#c7 ,munteko 7game of touch in the water74 ,if one lad fails to catch or touch another1 the others sing1 8,otenda tendaka yau nzala ya nkabu0 7,you will not grow1 you eat greedily1 but are always hungry74 ,the boy becomes angry at this taunt1 and renews his efforts to catch one of them4 ,the ,boloki are good swimmers1 great divers1 and can remain under the water for a long time2 and undoubtedly these water games help them to become so much at home in the river4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,,group ,,of ,,libinza ,,folk ,these men are having a small drinking-bout and a little music4 ,the band consists of one drum1 one trumpet1 and one iron gong played by the man at the end of the row4 ,the elder lads often brought out their thin1 well-balanced fighting spears1 and having selected a growing plantain with a stalk about #e inches in diameter1 they would stand from #fj to #hj feet away and launch their spears in turn at the stalk4 ,i have seen them pierce the stalk right through again and again4 ,i have tried spear-throwing1 and it is not so easy as it looks4 ,there is a knack in holding the spear-haft well down across the palm of the hand1 so that the whole force of the arm is conveyed to the spear4 ,the lads1 when they saw my poor attempts at spear-throwing1 used to say laughingly to me1 8,ah1 white man1 if you would fight us with spears1 and not with guns1 we would soon wipe you out40 ,bull-roarers are known and made2 but the elders do not like the lads to play with them1 and give as their reason3 8,you are calling the leopards40 ,this is because the whirl of the bamboo makes a sound like the growling of a leopard4 ,the young girls have an interesting little dance in which they form a circle around one of their number1 who is on all fours in the centre4 ,as the girls in the ring sing about the different animals1 as the leopard1 the hippopotamus1 the crocodile1 the elephant1 etc41 the girl in the middle imitates the movements of the animal1 and she receives praise or ridicule according to her ability to imitate the movements accurately4 ,the men and women take very little part in any of these games 7except the men at lobesi71 but they monopolize a large share in all the dances1 and in most of the dances the sexes are mixed4 ,wrestling of a rough-and-ready kind is indulged in by the lads2 and round the fires of an evening stories are told with dramatic power1 and conundrums are propounded and answered4 ,although ,congo is practically a toyless land1 and so far as the adults are concerned the children are not catered for1 yet from their loud laughter the young folk seem to extract a great amount of pleasure out of life4 ,the boys delight in talking a slang language of their own manufacture1 which is called jimu4 ,they select a syllable1 say 8sa10 and insert it between the syllables of the words they use1 so mboka village becomes mbo-sa-ka vil-sa-lage4 ,they acquire great glibness in this kind of talk1 and enjoy the fun that it brings in mystifying others4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xi ,a ,,page ,,of ,,native ,,history ,a great inland sea--,the ,boloki and ,bantus--,the ,boloki man--,a native retort--,meaning of ,bangala--,movements of tribes--,murder of ,boloki chief--,refuge in a tree--,boloki raiding--,a famous chief--,comets an evidence of greatness--,tribal marks and meaning4 ,there is much evidence in favour of the theory that the low-lying country of the ,congo basin was once the bottom of a great inland sea1 with here and there the highest points of land rearing their heads above the water1 and thus forming numerous islands4 ,the pressure and rush of water gradually wore down the barriers made by the ridge of rocks running across the river at ,kintamo1 and now forming the ,kintamo ,falls1 thus draining the country and rendering it habitable4 ,then came another silting up1 and the lower levels of the country1 that had been covered in the meantime by trees and grass1 were again flooded1 and heavy deposits of clay were dropped on to and pressed down the vegetable growth4 ,when the river was extremely low one year in the ,monsembe district1 ,i noticed for many miles a stratum of vegetable matter1 about three inches thick1 with here and there a tree of six inches diameter1 a good eleven feet below the top of the bank4 ,this vegetable layer was not fossilized1 but was extremely hard1 and though of a blackish brown colour1 every vein in the leaves1 and every line in the grass1 was clear and perfect4 ,it is highly probable that as the ,congo basin was drained the ,bantus pressed down from their northern homes2 and the ,boloki tribe for greater security1 perhaps1 took possession of the ,libinza ,lake1 and enlarged the islets they found there into places large enough to hold one1 two1 or more families4 ,the ,boloki tribe belongs to the great ,bantu race that stretches from #f north of the ,equator to ,cape ,town1 and from the east to the west coast4 ,the ,bantus reach a higher latitude on the western than on the eastern side of the ,african continent1 and here and there we find dotted over this vast tract of country small tribes--like the ,hottentots1 the ,bushmen1 the ,pigmies1 etc4--that are remnants probably of the aborigines of the country4 ,these portions of tribes1 speaking other than ,bantu dialects1 have not been absorbed1 for geographical and other reasons1 by their more civilized ,bantu neighbours during the progress of many generations2 but are there to-day like so many isolated pages of primitive history4 ,the ,boloki man is above the average height1 of sturdy frame1 well-developed limbs1 and splendidly proportioned body4 ,when necessity has demanded it1 he has paddled me for fifteen hours with only one short interval for food2 but 8on the road0 he is not a good walker1 for he finds his rations too heavy a burden1 much more a #gj-lb4 load such as the ,lower ,congo man carries with a light heart and step for many days4 ,in the canoe the ,boloki swings his paddle with much grace1 and if a drum is beaten1 or a song is sung1 the line of twenty paddlers will dip1 bend1 and raise their paddles in perfect time to the rhythm of the drum1 or the lilt of the song4 ,the ,boloki man is sociable and of a kindly disposition1 but liable to fits of uncontrollable passion1 and is then capable of great cruelty4 ,he is fond of a laugh1 enjoys a good joke1 and appreciates a repartee1 which he gives and takes in good humour4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,g4 ,e4 ,moore ,,mangwende--,a ,,typical ,,boloki ,,head-,,man ,running up the forehead will be seen the cock's-comb tribal mark1 above which is the plait of hair worn by the better-class men1 and on the temple the palm-leaf mark4 ,we make more than three hundred dinners a year off fowls--they are very cheap1 and are the most regular form of fresh meat that we can procure4 ,speaking with a native one day1 ,i laughingly twitted him with the scarcity of fowls and the difficulty of buying any in his village4 ,he at once retorted3 8,white man1 if all the fowls you have eaten from our village were to cackle and crow simultaneously in your stomach1 there would be a tremendous noise40 ,and as he spoke there was a good humoured twinkle in his eye as he conjured up the noisy scene4 ,formerly the term ,bangala was applied only to those natives who lived at ,diboko 7,nouvelles ,anvers71 and for forty or fifty miles up and down the river on either side of them2 but in a work published in ,brussels called ,les ,bangalas1#ah the term ,bangala is made to cover an area reaching far east of ,bopoto1 west of ,equatorville1 north of the ,welle1 and south of the ,congo ,river for some distance4 ,this includes a dozen or more different tribes1 talking as many distinct languages1 having various tribal marks1 possessing in many instances very different customs1 etc41 and among whom there is nothing in common except their black skins and backwardness in civilization4 ,since seeing the above-mentioned book1 ,i have preferred using ,boloki as a more definite term for denoting the inhabitants of certain towns on the main river1 on the ,mobangi ,river1 and the ,libinza ,lake4 ,intermixed with the ,boloki towns on the ,congo ,river are other towns belonging to a hinterland people well known to us as the ,bomuna4 ,footnote #ah3 ,by ,m4 ,cyr4 van ,overbergh and ,m4 de ,jonghe4 ,the ,boloki folk have very hazy ideas about relationship1 and scarcely any two will give the same name to all the relatives1 and1 moreover1 if you take a list of the names of relations from a young man and put it away for six months1 and then ask the same lad about the same relations in the same order as before1 with your list in front of you1 he will give you another set of names that will not tally with your first one in several points4 ,i have made many attempts to draw up a complete list1#ai and if ,i had been satisfied to take one man and examine him once only1 ,i might have procured a list of the names of relations that would have been full1 but it would have been inaccurate1 i4e4 it would have been that man's list then1 but it would not have been his six or eight months later1 and it would not have been anyone else's list even at the time he gave it to me4 ,in this there was no desire to deceive us1 for we found the same difficulty on the ,lower ,congo4 ,footnote #ai3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #d1 page #cdb4 ,among the ,boloki there is no historical literature1 for not a single member of the tribe could write until we taught them2 but although there is no written history there has been much oral communication dealing with the origin of the tribe1 the place from whence it came1 the approximate time of the migration1 and the reason for it4 ,their communications have been handed from father to son1 and the facts have been the constant theme of fireside conversations4 ,the following incidents connected with the migrations of a large portion of the tribe from the low-lying ,libinza ,lake district to the main river ,i gathered from a man of about #ce years of age1 of good intelligence1 and ,i have every reason to believe that they are the putting together of what he frequently heard around the evening fires1 as well as what he learned from his father4 ,besides1 in chatting with other folk1 ,i have gathered various particulars that confirm his statements1 and the constant antagonism shown by the ,bomuna people to the ,boloki1 and the geographical distribution of these two tribes1 all go to prove the truthfulness the main facts of this page from native history4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 the ,author,a ,,monitor ,these creatures are very scarce2 but our lads killed this one1 and brought it to me before cutting it up for the saucepan4 ,it was #h feet #g inches long4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,native ,,hut ,a native house of the size and shape that we bought for #es4 #a;d4 ,the old man on the right illustrates a method of hair dressing--shaving the hair so as to show a very round face and high forehead4 ,the ,bomuna people1 about the middle of the nineteenth century1 came from the bush towns lying in the forest between the ,mobangi and the ,congo ,rivers1 and settled on the bank of the main river4 ,not being a riverine people1 they had no knowledge of swimming1 and possessed no canoes4 ,they worked their way along the river's bank from the ,monsembe district up-river until they came to the ,ejeba stream1 near the village of ,nyoi1 which deep stream they passed by means of a stout cane-creeper that happened to stretch across the water from the overhanging trees4 ,many passed1 and while others were working their way hand over hand along the cane creeper it broke1 and thus severed the only means of communication between those on the opposite sides of the stream4 ,those who found themselves on the eastern side continued their journey1 and founded the settlements of ,diboko 7sometimes called ,iboko71 now ,nouvelles ,anvers4 ,thus the ancient people of ,diboko were ,bomuna of the tribe of ,bobanga1 of whom the chief1 ,mata ,bwiki1 is the best known to fame1 being the head-man who encountered ,stanley1 and on whose land the ,congo ,free ,state built their station of ,nouvelles ,anvers4 ,the ,bomuna folk left on the western side of the stream settled on suitable town sites in the ,mungala ,creek above ,monsembe1 and along the banks of the main river below ,monsembe4 ,i knew this branch of the tribe well as being both ignorant and timid in all matters relating to water and canoes4 ,between forty and fifty years ago some ,libinza ,lake people of the tribe of ,boloki left their swampy island homes under the leadership of ,munyata1 and working their way in shallow canoes through the creeks1 they came out on the main river near to ,moboko4 ,they paddled down the river to the ,mungala ,creek1 which at that time was inhabited by ,bomuna people4 ,there ,munyata made blood-brotherhood with ,munkua1 the chief of the ,bomuna1 and settled there with his people4 ,the ,bomuna at that time possessed no spears1 but did their hunting and fighting with sharpened sticks1 the points of which were hardened in the fire4 ,munyata presented ,munkua with a spear1 and received a fine young woman as a return present4 ,munyata1 the ,boloki chief1 was apparently a very grasping man1 for although he had several wives he coveted more1 and was always asking ,munkua for one of his4 ,for a time ,munkua occasionally gave one2 but ,munyata let it be known that any woman who ran to him would be retained1 and so much was the ,boloki chief admired and feared1 that one after another of the wives of ,munkua escaped to him1 until at last only one1 his favourite1 or principal 7nkundi7 wife was left1 and she was eventually stolen from him by ,munyata4 ,so exasperated was ,munkua by this treatment that1 taking advantage of the first opportunity that offered1 he speared ,munyata to death4 ,on the murder of ,munyata the ,boloki folk came out in crowds from the ,libinza ,lake to avenge the death of their head-man1 and so successful were they with their iron spears against the sharpened sticks of the ,bomuna that1 although more numerous1 the latter gave way before their fierce onslaught4 ,many escaped1 but some took refuge in a high bombax tree4 ,the tree was surrounded by the ,boloki1 who threatened to starve their enemies to death unless they submitted2 and apparently after some palavering the entrapped people had the privilege accorded to them of selecting their own future owners4 ,thus one would say1 8,i will take ,so-and-so as my master10 and on his request being agreed to he would climb down the tree and take his place among the followers of his new master4 ,in this way they divided themselves among their conquerors1 and it seems from all accounts they were well treated by the ,boloki4 ,other contingents of the ,boloki came out on to the main river and wrested sites from the ,bomuna at ,monsembe1 ,lobengu1 ,maleli1 and ,bokomela1 and up-river at ,bombilinga4 ,in the meantime the ,diboko ,bomuna had increased in numbers1 had become possessed of canoes1 and had learned the way to manage them4 ,their numbers also had been greatly augmented1 and their passions inflamed by those who had escaped from the ,mungala ,creek before1 and during1 the fight caused by the death of ,munyata4 ,these ,diboko ,bomuna so harassed and fought the ,mungala ,creek ,boloki that numbers of them fled up-river 7undoubtedly passing behind the islands to avoid their enemies at ,diboko71 and established themselves at ,mobeka1 at the mouth of the ,mungala ,river many miles above ,diboko4 ,when first we went to live at ,monsembe a very high tree that stood on the bank at the bend of the river was pointed out to me as their post of observation when watching for the ,diboko ,bomuna4 ,the ,boloki tribe in #ahij possessed the following districts on the north bank of the ,congo3 ,mobeka1 at the mouth of the ,mungala ,river1 ,bombilinga1 the ,mungala ,creek towns1 ,monsembe1 ,lobengu1 situated in the ,mangala ,creek1 ,moleli1 ,bokomela1 and ,bungundu4 ,on the south bank they owned ,bokumbi1 ,libulula1 and ,bolombo4 ,at some time or other the people of ,bungundu1 ,bokomela1 ,moleli1 and ,lobengu were called ,mangala1 and gave their name to the creek in which their principal town was built4 ,perhaps there was a powerful family called ,mangala1 and this has been corrupted into ,bangala2 or the ,mungala ,river was supposed to be the original home of these people1 and as mu means place1 locality1 and ba means people1 it was easy to call the people the ,bangala4 ,i am rather inclined to the latter reason for the origin of the term among white people1 but the natives themselves never used the name ,bangala4 ,near to ,mobeka are the ,ngombe people1 who are also called ,bokumbi1 and this tribe in #aijh was becoming mixed with the neighbouring tribes2 and as they are being absorbed into them they no longer call themselves ,ngombe or ,bokumbi1 but appropriate the names of the peoples whose language they learn and whose tribal mark they imitate4 ,the hinterland folk of ,diboko belong to the ,mokulu tribe1 and the ,bomuna of ,diboko to the ,bobanga tribe2 others in between the ,boloki towns down to ,bokomela retain their old name of ,bomuna4 ,below ,bokomela is the ,mbonji tribe that came originally from the bush4 ,the ,baloi on the ,mobangi ,river are ,boloki from ,lake ,libinza4 ,the ,libinza ,lake is a large sheet of shallow water that drains itself1 by the ,ngiri ,river1 into the ,mobangi1 and retains its distinctive colour for many miles4 ,islands have been slowly made with great labour1 and they need constant watching or they will be washed away by the annual floods4 ,the folk drove stakes around any slight elevations shown at low water1 and then dug up clay and mud from the bottom of the lake and put inside the stakes1 and thus formed an island4 ,these islands are small1 but they are numerous1 and are often linked together by bridges4 ,there are some large islands1 but most of them are small4 ,the lake was thickly populated in the nineties with expert fishermen and saucepan-makers2 and they often came out in parties of twenty and thirty to fish with their peculiar box-shaped nets1 and to sell their fish1 their saucepans1 and 8fire-pots0 to the riverine people for cassava roots4 ,they frequently camped on our beach1 and thus we saw much of them4 ,the ,libinza folk lived chiefly on plantains1 as cassava would not grow in their swampy soil1 hence they always exchanged their wares for cassava2 and this may have been one of the reasons why ,munyata came out from the lake1 to establish a centre of exchange for cassava roots4 ,the tribe near the river always ridicules the tribe behind in the bush1 as the ,boloki laugh at the ,bomuna1 and the ,bomuna at the ,ndobo people further behind4 ,the ,boloki are proud of their name and their origin2 and the neighbouring tribes acknowledge their courage and endurance1 and prefer their friendship to their enmity4 ,the following is an instance of their bravery and the long distances the ,boloki men paddled on their raiding expeditions3 ,in the beginning of #ahia there was a big fight in our vicinity1 and on inquiring the cause we learned that the reason for the fight between these ,boloki towns was this3 ,a year or two before our arrival the ,boloki of the ,monsembe district paddled over #cjj miles up-river and raided the ,bopoto riverine towns1 carrying off a quantity of loot and a number of captives2 and the unsatisfactory division of the spoils culminated in the fight that cost some few lives4 ,about #ahgj there lived at ,mobeka 7one of the ,boloki towns7 a chief who styled himself ,monoko mwa ,nkoi1 or ,mouth of a ,leopard1 for he boasted that1 like that animal1 he never let go any person unfortunate enough to fall into his clutches4 ,he was the terror of the district1 and a message from him made a whole town quake with fear2 and a demand from him was instantly obeyed from apprehension of the consequences4 ,he was a man of war1 a cruel warrior who held life cheap2 and he burnt down many a town1 scattered the people1 or took them as slaves4 ,on one of his raids among the ,bopoto towns 7which district is about #acj miles above ,mobeka7 he was mortally wounded and carried back to his town1 where he died4 ,about the time of his death a large comet appeared1 which was described by my informant as being 8like a large star with a hat on it40 ,it was seen for three nights in succession1 and was regarded as a sign of the greatness of ,monoko mwa ,nkoi4 ,abnormal appearances in the sky are either the evidences of the death of some great chief whom they do not know1 because he lived and died among a distant tribe1 or are a proof of the greatness of a chief who has died within the limits of their own district4 ,i have also known them to blame a lad1 recently buried1 for the tornado that was rushing across their village1 shaking their huts and uprooting their plantains and bananas4 ,they abused him in unmeasured language1 and expressed the hope that he would be 8humbugged0 in the nether regions4 ,emanya of ,diboko is the name of another fighter whose cruel exploits are the subject of conversations around the evening fires4 ,the tattoo marks give indications of tribal movements1 and also some idea of the various component parts that go to the making of a village community4 ,i have noticed three kinds of tattooing among the ,boloki4 7#a7 ,a single line of elliptical punch-marks running from temple to temple just above the eyebrows4 7#b7 ,a cock's comb 7called likwala7 running from the tip of the nose in some1 and from between the eyebrows in others1 to the crown of the head4 7#c7 ,a cock's comb plus a palm leaf on each temple1 or some other marking4 ,when you look at the profile of a man his tattoo stands out like a cock's comb1 hence the name4 ,the first kind of tattooing--line of elliptical punch-marks--is to be found only on the old men and women1 indicating that they are probably some of the original contingent of ,libinza ,lake people who forced a footing on the main river4 ,they cling to the ,libinza tribal mark1 being proud of their kinsfolk and their origin4 ,the second tattoo is seen on boys and girls1 and on men and women from #ce downwards1 and shows that the new marking had come into fashion when they were young1 and was sufficiently in favour to supplant the old ,libinza marking4 ,on men and women from #ce to #de there were 7in #aijj7 slight traces of the ,libinza marks1 but the cock's comb was the more prominent tattoo4 ,whence did they borrow the cock's-comb tattoo8 is a question ,i have often asked myself2 or did they originate it as a distinctive mark of their own as they became a separate tribe and the ties binding them to the ,libinza people gradually faded8 ,the third set of marks is to be found on the slaves1 who imitate the tattoo of their masters4 ,hence the ,mongo tribal marks--lumps the size of a bean on the nose and across the forehead--will be seen on a man in conjunction with the cock's comb2 or the palm leaf on the temples--mark of a tribe on the upper ,lulanga ,river--and the cock's comb4 ,slaves captured or bought young allow their distinctive tribal mark to disappear1 and try to work up a good-sized cock's comb like their owners1 so as to be regarded as belonging to the same tribe as their masters4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xii ,,native ,,government ,,and ,,the ,,natives ,no paramount chiefs--,head-man rules his own family--,stanley's 8,lord of many guns0--,monanga1 a term of respect--,the alien is robbed--,the guest protected--,arrival of canoes--,estimation of native character--,good memories--,learning to read pictures--,timid and superstitious--,lack of reverence--,pride--,greedy and mean4 ,among the ,boloki there are no paramount chiefs4 ,each town has its set of families that prefer living together1 and each family has its head called mata1 who is the eldest son1 and who as eldest takes the title and the largest share of the estate4 ,at any time a family is at liberty to break away from the rest and live by itself on a new site4 ,the mata may be a man with wives1 slaves1 and followers numbering from #bjj to #cjj and even more1 or the mata may not be able to muster more than fifteen or twenty people2 yet as head of his family he possesses the same title 7mata7 as the more powerful ones4 ,stanley in his books on the ,congo uses many phrases about ,mata ,bwiki of ,diboko 7now ,nouvelles ,anvers7 that favour the idea that he was an overlord1 or lord paramount of the district2 but that was not so4 ,mata bwiki simply means ,head-man ,plenty1 or ,plentifulness4 ,stanley1 ,i think1 gives as its meaning1 8,lord of ,many ,guns10 but his name then should have been1 ,monanga wa bibau biki lord of guns many4 ,stanley on his memorable journey happened to go ashore at the landing-place belonging to ,bwiki's family1 and he as head of his family took the lead in ,stanley's reception4 ,if ,stanley had landed half a mile above or half a mile below that particular spot he might never have heard of ,mata ,bwiki4 ,the word monanga is used in a restricted way as meaning a free-born person1 either male or female4 ,it also is employed as a term of respect and means 8lord10 and frequently is equivalent to ,mr41 ,monsieur1 etc4 ,it is attached to the name of any man to whom or of whom you wish to speak with deference and respect4 ,we are always addressed as monanga1 but never as mata2 and many of the more wealthy natives who are not mata are spoken of as monanga1 and all who are entitled to be called mata have a right to be addressed as monanga1 but they prefer the former title4 ,mata is distinctly the hereditary designation of the eldest son and points to him as the head of his family1 and monanga a courtesy title of respect4 ,the mata then governs all matters relating to his own family1 and from his decisions there is no appeal4 ,undoubtedly he calls together the elder folk of his family to counsel him on important affairs2 and these head-men of the village meet under the wild fig tree1 or in the palaver house1 and decide village matters as between family and family1 and also their policy towards other villages in the district4 ,there is an unwritten code of laws dealing with most offences1 and by these the heads of the families judge each other and the members of their own families4 ,the status of a person in the family and town council depends on whether he is entirely free-born1 or slave-born1 or partly so4 ,a child of slaves is a slave1 and as such his advice is never sought2 a child of a slave father by a free woman1 or of a slave woman by a free father1 is a semi-slave 7mbotela71 but the position of the latter in the family life is much higher than that of the slave1 yet of course he does not rank so high as the child born of free parents4 ,birth alone constitutes membership of the family and tribe4 ,a slave who redeems himself 7a very rare occurrence1 for all that a slave earns belongs to his master7 will be tolerated in his attempts to pass himself off as a member of the tribe2 he may affect the tribal mark1 and also plait his beard1 etc41 and his wealth may win respect1 but being of no family he will have no influence in the palavers of the village4 ,in dealing with an alien it is not considered wrong to rob1 beat1 abuse1 or even murder him1 unless he has come on a visit1 for trade or other purposes1 to someone in the town4 ,he will then be under the protection of his host1 and receiving the hospitality of his host he will also receive the hospitality of the town and neighbourhood4 ,the host will have a casus belli against anyone who molests his guest2 and a village1 on the other hand1 will hold a host responsible for the offensive actions of his guest4 ,men and women travelling alone1 or in twos and threes in places where they are not known1 run the risk of being captured4 ,such defenceless travellers hide by day and travel by night to their destinations4 ,green1 in his ,shorter ,history of ,england1 says that 8in ancient times the painted ,british savage on approaching a village sounded a horn to warn the villagers of his coming1 otherwise he would have been treated as an enemy who tried to surprise them by stealth40 ,among the ,boloki it is the custom that when a canoe containing six or more men approaches a town they have to beat a drum and sing to notify the folk of their coming1 otherwise they are treated as enemies and lay themselves open to an attack4 ,for a canoe of strangers from other towns and districts to approach a town unannounced by drum and song is regarded as an act of war4 ,if their coming is peaceful1 why are they afraid to drum and sing8 ,i have seen the crew of such a canoe badly handled for omitting these courtesies1 and but for our presence some of the travellers would have been speared4 ,the mata in the performance of his duties as head-man has to guard1 in the interests of his family1 all those palm trees and nsafu 7canuarensis7 trees that have been planted by his forebears4 ,the proprietary rights in these trees are by inheritance1 or by planting them1 and the rights in them are handed on from father to son in the proper line of heirship4 ,they are sources of wealth to a family1 and the members of a family support their chief man when those rights are infringed4 ,the head-man in the government of his family holds a very difficult position when sitting in judgment on a relative1 for such is the character of the family life that if he fines the delinquent he will be punishing himself indirectly--the family stands or falls together4 ,robbery1 adultery1 wounding1 and murder when committed within the limits of one's own family will receive the strong disapprobation of the other members1 but there is no punishment that the mata can inflict unless the offender is a boy1 and then a sound thrashing will be administered2 for will they not be punishing themselves if they insist on the infliction of a fine and to whom can the fine be paid8 ,the fine imposed would have to be paid by the family to itself4 ,the mata1 therefore1 in ruling his family exercises his greatest tact in maintaining the various units of which it is composed in the friendliest relation to each other and to himself4 ,then he has to keep a strong hand on the family slaves1 for he and his family will be held responsible for whatever offences they commit against other families2 and if they fight and quarrel amongst themselves1 his only wise course is to sell them and buy others who may not be so contentious4 ,i never came across a more democratic form of government on the ,congo than that of the ,boloki tribe4 ,there is no prestige of birth to help1 as among the ,lower ,congo chiefs1 for his subjects are of the same blood as himself--except his slaves1 and they are his property and not his subjects4 ,he has no position of priesthood 7as the family 8medicine man07 to inspire with awe those who owe fealty to him as head-man2 and there is no position he can gain in any secret society that will inspire with fear of him the other members of his family4 ,his position is no sinecure1 and while his trouble is great his perquisites are few4 ,perhaps this will be the best place to attempt an estimate of the ,boloki folk who thus live in families each under the rule of a head-man1 and in village communities governed by elders or head-men4 ,their memories are exceedingly good respecting the debts owing to them1 but with regard to the debts they owe they have1 or pretend to have1 very bad memories--it is for the creditor to keep in mind the debts owing to him1 and to bring the proofs at the proper time4 ,there are occasionally cases of insanity among them1 some caused by uterine trouble1 and others are the results of sleeping-sickness4 ,if insanity is of long duration and the patients are destructive or troublesome1 they are quietly put out of the way4 ,i only met with one man who ran amok4 ,he had had a very serious illness1 and either the illness or the decoctions given to him to effect his cure made him temporarily mad4 ,he cut down all the plantain trees in his path1 and destroyed everything he came near2 the people cleared out of his way1 but being a man of importance he got off without any payment of damages4 ,when ,i went first to live among the people of ,monsembe ,i had with me a roughly bound volume of the ,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,it was very interesting to watch the development of their artistic faculties4 ,at first they looked at a picture and asked what the marks were2 they held the picture anyhow1 and looked at it from any point that might be convenient to them without any regard to the picture being right side up1 or upside down1 or any other way4 ,by and by they began to pick out the features1 one by one1 and say1 8,why1 it is a man60 ,they would pick out the doors1 windows1 walls1 etc41 and remark1 8,why1 it is a house60 ,after a time they would drop this spelling out1 as it were1 of the picture and say1 8,a man1 a woman1 a house10 etc41 at once4 ,later on1 they would take in the whole of a picture at a glance4 ,i suppose it is in this way we learn pictures in our childhood--spell them out4 ,it was interesting to watch the same process in young men1 women1 and adults4 ,i remember one day a man was looking at a picture of the members of the ,l4,c4,c4 gathered in their council chamber4 ,he asked what it meant1 and ,i explained the significance of the assembly4 ,he could only see well with one eye1 and with that one he very carefully scanned the whole of the picture for two or three minutes1 and then he asked in an incredulous tone of voice3 8,this is a picture of men met to talk palavers1 but where are their spears and knives80 ,the natives never talked palavers without having their spears and knives ready to hand1 hence the doubt expressed in his question and voice4 ,the native has immense respect for force1 but totally despises gentleness4 ,he likes to be treated with kindness and consideration1 but instead of regarding such treatment as an expression of your goodness he considers it a sign of your weakness1 and will behave accordingly4 ,if you point out to him that you treat him with kindness and expect some consideration in return1 he will acknowledge that that is fair and right1 and will for a time try to act more thoughtfully1 but soon the better feeling will pass away unless you constantly remind him of his many deficiencies--of all that he has to learn and all that he needs to become4 ,to teach a native that he is your equal in all things is not to incite a desire on his part to emulate you1 but rather tends to cause him to regard you with disrespect and contempt4 ,the native knows he is not your equal1 and he thinks you must have a despicable twist in your vision1 and some bad1 ulterior motive1 if you think that he is your equal and wish him also to believe the same4 ,i teach him that he is a creature of ,god as ,i am1 that the ,redeemer died as much for him as for me1 and that ,god will judge him righteously1 and will show neither of us favour or disfavour on account of the colour of our skins4 ,at the same time1 the relation between teacher and taught must be maintained1 and he must be made to understand in how many ways he must be changed--morally1 intellectually1 and socially2 and that before he can take his place among civilized and ,christian men he must rise out of his degrading superstitions1 control his lusts1 govern his passions1 and strive after all that is good1 noble1 and beautiful4 ,he will admit that you are his superior in every way1 but unless you firmly insist on his taking his right position as a learner he will conduct himself towards you with less respect than he pays to the smallest and poorest chief in his district1 and in a short time your influence will be gone and you will wonder why4 ,treat the native with respect1 and insist on receiving the same from him2 treat him with firmness1 decision1 masterfulness1 and he will go as a rule as far as you want him to go4 ,faithfully keep all your promises and fulfil all your threats1 therefore never make a promise you do not intend to redeem1 and never threaten a thing you are not able1 on the face of it1 to perform1 i4e4 treat the native with gentle firmness1 persuasive force1 and masterful consideration1 and you will get the best out of him1 and cause him to respect himself while respecting you4 ,the native can love and he can hate2 but he is neither a good lover nor a strong hater4 ,his affections are neither steady nor permanent4 ,he will1 however1 remember a wrong committed against him much longer than a good deed done to help him4 ,he is moved more by fear of pain1 by loss of material profit1 and by public opinion than swayed by principles and arguments4 ,he will float with the stream rather than continually struggle against it2 but at the same time he can obstinately and doggedly follow a course that will result in physical pain1 financial loss1 and ridicule if he is once persuaded that his ultimate interests lie in that direction4 ,he is not lacking in gratitude1 but he is afraid of displaying it lest a favour be asked of him in return4 ,when you visit him he will remind you of the fact that you mended his broken leg or cured his disease1 not to make it the basis of a generous act towards you1 but rather as a plea to procure something extra out of you by awakening your further interest in him4 ,in some districts you will find he is more a liar than a thief1 and if you investigate you will discover that the fines imposed for thieving are such as to deter him from following his inclination to steal4 ,in other districts1 where the native laws are more lax1 he will excel both in thieving and lying1 but he will readily admit they are vices worthy of stringent punishment1 and will express his regret that the thief stole either from you or from himself1 and at the same time he will be doing his best to rob you4 ,before the unknown and mysterious he is timid and very superstitious4 ,he will regard you as a god1 and yet try to fight you2 he will superstitiously believe that you have wonderful occult powers that can stop the rain1 cause pestilence and plagues1 and yet he will not attempt to conciliate you1 but will savagely shout at you to clear out of his town and take your witchcraft elsewhere4 ,when fighting with a gun he is timid1 nervous1 and apparently very cowardly1 because he does not understand the mysteries of gunpowder2 but give him a shield and a spear and his bravery is evidenced by his boldness in a fight1 and his utter indifference to wounds and death4 ,the mysterious overawes1 paralyses him1 but superstitious fears will often arouse the very demon of cruelty and vindictiveness1 and incite to boldness and recklessness4 ,he lacks reverence1 but is easily filled with awe and overcome by wonder4 ,the stars in their courses make for him no song around the eternal throne2 but the smoke ascending from his great bush-fires forming a halo round the sun will make him quake with fear because it is an omen of evil4 ,the movements of the sun and the moon awaken no admiration in him2 but exhibit some poor conjuring trick1 or a shilling mechanical toy1 and his eyes and mouth are not big enough to express his wonder4 ,he is prouder than ,lucifer is reputed to be1 and will resent the smallest slight put upon his so-called dignity4 ,in a fit of overweening vanity he will sacrifice everything he possesses1 and destroy all his future prospects to satisfy the pride of the moment4 ,his family may be insignificant1 his town paltry1 himself small and dirty1 but touch his pride and he will act as though he were un grand seigneur4 ,he himself must be the judge of what hurts his pride1 not you4 ,he has his own code of honour and etiquette1 difficult at times for you to understand1 hence you wonder at some of the exhibitions of his pride4 ,his memory is well trained1 and his powers of observation keen and minute2 his ability to adapt himself to his surroundings is wonderful1 and his imitative faculties are remarkable2 but he lacks power of mental concentration and logical thought4 ,his physical powers are highly developed--he will carry a heavy load1 from #gj lbs4 to #hj lbs41 up and down hill and across broken country1 or paddle a heavy canoe hour after hour1 without exhibiting much fatigue2 but he cannot1 or will not1 follow a line of thought1 metaphorically speaking1 for twenty yards4 ,his reasoning and reflective faculties are stunted1 undeveloped1 for they have been exercised upon nothing more profound than the very alphabet of existence4 ,he knows that two and two make four--that certain results follow certain causes1 but that a series of causes will produce a series of results complicated and wide-spreading in their effect he cannot grasp4 ,he has no power of deduction1 and little or no faculty for producing a well-developed plot or involved plan4 ,with those who have a right to a share of meat or cloth1 etc41 he will be most scrupulous in dividing the article into equal portions1 forgetting no one2 but to those who have no right to a share he will be niggardly1 mean1 selfish1 and grasping4 ,his apparent generosity is innate selfishness1 for he only gives that he may receive more in return1 and be the giver black or white he will complain bitterly if the return present is not so large as his greed imagined it should be4 ,perhaps this trait in his character may be accounted for by his desire to have a grand funeral--the talk of the village or the countryside4 ,for this he will save and scheme1 lie and steal1 rob his neighbours1 his wives1 and his children to hoard up cloth1 etc41 for his own burial1 that he may have a good start in the spirit-land4 ,he has a wonderful power of imitation1 but he lacks invention and initiative2 but this lack is undoubtedly due to suppression of the inventive faculty4 ,for generations it has been the custom to charge with witchcraft anyone who has commenced a new industry or discovered a new article of barter4 ,the making of anything out of the ordinary has brought on the maker a charge of witchcraft that again and again has resulted in death by the ordeal4 ,to know more than others1 to be more skilful than others1 more energetic1 more acute in business1 more smart in dress1 has often caused a charge of witchcraft and death4 ,therefore the native to save his life and live in peace has smothered his inventive faculty1 and all spirit of enterprise has been driven out of him4 ,in the foregoing sketch ,i have generalized1 and have not allowed for the exceptions that are always to be found to every rule4 ,anyone who has lived among the natives1 and has known them intimately1 will supply examples of those who were kind1 generous1 grateful1 of others who were affectionate1 devoted1 unselfish1 and again of others who were patient1 brave1 faithful1 and persevering2 but these exceptions show that they are capable of being possessed by the noblest virtues and swayed by the highest and purest motives4 ,generations of superstition and moral degradation have not entirely obliterated from among them examples of kindness of heart and generosity of feeling1 and these examples assure us that with proper care and cultivation such virtues and graces may become more widespread4 ,those of us who teach the native in the workshop and the school find through stirring up his moral and mental depths many undesirable qualities coming to the top1 and these we repress2 but1 on the other hand1 pleasant traits also exhibit themselves1 and these we try to cultivate4 ,the beneficial results may not be obvious to the unseeing eye in the first generation1 and perhaps not in the second1 but they will manifest themselves in due course4 ,the civilization of ,england is the outcome of a thousand years' teaching and training1 and you cannot expect us to attain the same results in a generation or two4 ,it is1 at least1 unfair of those who boast of their 8superiority0 to criticize us for not accomplishing in a generation with 8inferior0 material what it has taken a score of generations to accomplish in their own case4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,native ,,laws1 ,,crimes1 ,,and ,,ordeals ,the family judge--,the chief judge--,stolen property--,punishment for murder--,adultery--,the ,court--,native advocates--,no oaths administered--,giving the ordeal--,various ordeals--,an impartial judge needed--,white man as judge--,a selection of cases4 ,it has already been stated in a previous chapter that the mata or head-man of the family dealt with all matters relating to his own family1 and against his verdict there was no appeal2 and also that the heads of the several families forming a town would meet together and arrange the affairs of their various families2 but it sometimes happened that these 8heads0 disagreed1 and there was a need to call in some outsider to settle the case4 ,in every district there is a chief who is appointed by the towns of the district to act as chief judge in all important matters--at palavers between family and family1 and town and town4 ,at the time of his appointment the 8heads0 of all the families living in the district who desired to come under his jurisdiction cut down his plantain and banana trees4 ,this action gave him a casus belli against all the towns that acknowledged him as a judge4 ,by cutting down his plantains he became the offended party1 and as such had the right of aggressive action against the offenders4 ,now1 it was the custom that the people of the offending town must not go to fight the offended town1 but must wait for the offended ones to attack them--the offenders4 ,no subsequent quarrel could be taken up until the first was settled4 ,hence the chief appointed as judge might enrage a town by his decision1 and might call on the other towns to help him in enforcing his verdict1 yet the said town could not attack the chief judge's town because of the old-standing and unsettled palaver of cutting down his plantains and bananas4 ,this ensured to the chief judge immunity from quarrels with the people who did not like his decisions1 and his immunity from all such quarrels was a guarantee that there would be a certain amount of justice and impartiality in the verdicts given4 ,he was paid to act as judge by those who sought his services1 and the fees remunerated him for his temporary loss from his destroyed plantains and bananas4 ,there is an unwritten code of rough-and-ready laws to guide the head-men and chief judge in deciding cases4 ,stolen property found on anyone can be claimed by the owner1 and the possessor made to pay a fine unless he can prove by witnesses that the article was either given to him or he had bought it4 ,the giver or seller then paid the fine1 and in addition returned the money he received of the buyer4 ,the thief1 besides returning the stolen article or replacing it1 pays1 as a fine1 an amount equal to the value of the goods stolen1 and the robbed person will retain a part of the fine and give the rest to those who helped him to enforce the verdict4 ,when an article is stolen the owner walks through the town calling out a description of it1 and invoking on the thief all the fetish curses that come to his mind4 ,these curses are often so frightful as to intimidate the thief1 and frequently the stolen goods are secretly replaced4 ,when it is farm produce that has been purloined1 say some cassava1 the robbed woman ties a piece of cassava in the cleft end of a stick1 and fixes just below it a piece of ,euphorbia candelabra1 a powerful charm4 ,this she carries through the town1 calling out her loss and invoking horrible curses on the thief1 and as she shouts she whacks her fetish stick1 with another piece of wood1 to arouse it to action against the robber4 ,when something valuable1 such as a piece of cloth or a large knife or an axe1 is lost1 and the owner has a shrewd suspicion that a certain man is the thief1 he can accuse that man1 and if the man denies the theft his accuser can demand that he shall take the ordeal and thus definitely settle the matter4 ,to refuse to take the ordeal is an admission of guilt4 ,should the test go against the accused he will have to replace the stolen article1 pay a fine1 and all the expenses of the ordeal drinking4 ,but should the test establish his innocence1 the accuser then has to compensate the accused and pay the fees of those who administer the ordeal4 ,as a rule1 there are not many accusations brought on mere suspicion2 they prefer to discover the stolen property on the thief1 or trace it back to him through those who have received it or bought it of him4 ,if a slave kills a slave1 the owner of the murdered slave can demand two and even three slaves in place of the one killed2 and he can then slay them all in revenge or retain them as his own slaves1 just as he likes4 ,for the murder of a free man the blood of a free man1 or men1 has to be shed4 ,there is no distinction between premeditated and accidental homicide4 ,life has been taken1 and it is regarded and dealt with as murder4 ,drunkenness and madness are no excuse for committing crimes4 ,adultery is a personal injury1 for the offender has used something that does not belong to him without the consent of the owner4 ,the fine for adultery is from #ajj to #cjj brass rods--from three to nine months' ordinary wages--according to the position of the husband and the offending party4 ,i have never heard of mutilation as a punishment for adultery among the ,boloki4 ,i have seen it stated that an ear is cut off as a punishment for this offence4 ,i travelled constantly among them for fifteen years1 and only occasionally saw either a part or the whole of an ear cut off1 but ,i was always told on inquiry that that was a punishment for repeated thefts1 and those thus mutilated were slaves4 ,free men were fined for thefts and adultery1 not mutilated4 ,i have known men to be financially ruined through having to pay fines for repeated acts of adultery2 but if the ear-cutting were the punishment there would not be a single man with both ears1 for there is not a morally pure one among them4 ,the family avenges all cases of assault on any of its members1 no matter whether it is physical violence1 abduction1 rape1 adultery1 theft1 or anything else2 and no one has a right to pardon the offender except the injured person or family4 ,retaliation in kind1 when possible1 is the essence of justice among the natives--an eye for an eye1 a cut for a cut1 a bump for a bump1 and a life for a life4 ,when retaliation is impossible1 compensation by fines is enforced4 ,i have seen a lad carefully measure a cut that he might inflict one of a like size on his enemy4 ,guardians can use the women left to their wards as their own wives1 and may trade with their ward's goods without paying any interest2 but when the ward reaches his majority he can demand the right number of women from his guardian1 and the exact amount of goods left in his charge4 ,if the guardian dies in the meantime1 then his heir will take the privileges and obligations of the guardianship1 and reserve out of his inherited estate the amount due to the ward4 ,uncles and heads of families will act as guardians for minors left with property1 and they will have to render a proper account of the amount received when the minor becomes old enough to look after his own affairs4 ,if a minor inherits a 8palaver0 from his father1 the guardian cannot 8talk0 it1 but the case has to wait until the minor is old enough to conduct the affair himself4 ,i have known cases to be postponed for this reason for fifteen and twenty years4 ,some years before we went to live at ,monsembe1 a free man and head of his family was accused of witchcraft4 ,he agreed to take the ordeal1 but as all the members of his family were absent from the town1 he wished the trial to be postponed until their return4 ,this the accuser would not sanction1 and pressed and taunted him so that at last he took the ordeal and died from its effects4 ,the deceased's family returned1 and were astonished to learn of the death of their 8head40 ,they threatened to kill the accuser1 as they contended that their 8father0 had not had a fair trial1 and that he had a right to demand the postponement of the ordeal until their return4 ,it resulted in a big palaver being talked1 and the accuser and his family were compelled to promise fifteen slaves to the family of the murdered man as compensation4 ,the last of the slaves was paid some eighteen years after the affair occurred1 and ,i saw him taken by my house in #aijd to be handed over in completion of the imposed fine4 ,the court is generally held beneath the shade of a spreading wild fig tree4 ,the head-men who act as jury sit at the top of the square2 the plaintiff1 his witnesses and followers sit on one side2 the defendant1 his witnesses and followers sit on the opposite side2 and the bottom of the square is left open for neutrals1 onlookers1 and for those coming and going4 ,before the proceedings begin the plaintiff and defendant will each take their party of followers on one side1 but in different parts of the town1 and state tersely their case to them1 and then distribute from #bjj to #fjj brass rods among them according to the importance of the case4 ,it is their duty to clap their hands and applaud every point made by the one who hires them1 and to laugh ironically at the arguments of the other side4 ,these followers will be gathered from any of the men belonging to the neighbouring towns who happen to be drawn together to hear a 8big palaver0 and pick up a few brass rods4 ,they are in honour bound to applaud their own side1 and to remain as long as the case lasts that day4 ,if the case goes into the second and third days1 then 8refreshers0 have to be given to the crowd of followers each day4 ,some who have urgent business cannot attend the second day1 but there are others to take their places who were not able to be present on the first day4 ,i have seen from #aej to #bjj followers on each side1 most of whom had no interest in the case beyond the three or four rods they received for shouting on one side or the other4 ,there was a fiction that they were genuinely interested supporters of the side they took2 but ,i have often been present when the rods were divided among them1 and know for a fact that the majority did not care which side won4 ,they always made sure of their rods before they shouted and clapped4 ,if the man who has a case is not a good speaker he can engage an advocate 7ntendeko go-between7 to speak on his behalf for a fee of from #bjj to #cjj brass rods a day4 ,such men are natural orators1 and it is a pleasure to hear them speak and see their graceful actions4 ,when all is ready the parties take up their positions opposite each other1 and the plaintiff will open the proceedings by stating his case1 and calling on witnesses1 if he has any1 to confirm his statements4 ,the speaker holds in his hand a small bunch of palm-frond leaves1 and as each point is rounded off he lays a leaflet on the ground in front of him4 ,when he makes a telling point against his opponent his followers clap their hands1 shout1 laugh1 and snap their fingers at each other1 and the wits of the party hurl quips1 jokes1 gibes1 and proverbs at the opposite side1 and try to look as though it were impossible to lose such a strong case so lucidly stated4 ,these breaks give the speaker a breathing time in which to collect his thoughts and gain strength for the next point4 ,so the speaker will go on stating point after point until there are twelve or fifteen leaflets on the ground1 all lying in the order of his arguments4 ,before sitting down he will briefly state the argument that each leaflet represents1 and it is rarely that he makes a mistake in the order1 and if he does those sitting close by will instantly correct him4 ,if not too late in the day the defendant states his case1 combating his opponent's arguments1 calls his witnesses1 puts down his leaflets one by one1 and rests while his followers indulge in bantering the other side4 ,interruptions are frequent1 noisy1 and often come to the verge of violence4 ,at a biting sarcasm1 or a bitter retort1 spears and knives will shake 7for all the men present are well armed71 and more than once ,i have been sent for to intervene at a critical moment and to stop bloodshed or a general mle4 ,many a time has an old chief come to my door and said3 8,white man1 they are fighting2 come and stop them40 ,and my wife has often thought ,i was badly wounded in the scuffle1 for in pushing my way among them the red camwood powder would be transferred from their bodies to my coat1 and would show up like blood on my white garment4 ,the jury of head-men1 after the defendant has finished1 withdraw to go over the evidence pro and con1 and to consider their verdict2 and on their return a couple of men with fine wood-ashes1 or powdered camwood on leaves1 take up positions--one near the plaintiff and the other near the defendant4 ,the appointed chief judge will sum up the case and give the verdict1 say1 in favour of the defendant1 and instantly the man sitting near him will rub1 with more vigour than gentleness1 the wood-ashes or camwood powder over the face of the winner as a sign to all that he is acquitted of the charge brought against him4 ,he will leave the mess on his face for days as a proof1 to all and sundry1 of his acquittal4 ,the loser of the case refunds the winner all his expenses1 pays the judge and jury of chiefs1 and is a poorer if not sadder and wiser man4 ,there appears to be no cross-examination of witnesses1 no guarantee of truthfulness1 and no punishment for perjury4 ,each side starts away in the far-distant past1 and drags in as much irrelevant matter as possible1 and thus fogs1 confuses and entangles the case to the best of his abilities4 ,the ordeal is at times resorted to in order to decide involved cases1 and from the results of the ordeal there is no appeal4 ,sometimes1 after one or two days' hearing1 the jury is not able 7or is afraid7 to decide a case satisfactorily in favour of either side1 and then it is dismissed--each side bearing its own expenses4 ,there is nothing resembling an oath administered to witnesses1 and there are no modes of punishing perjury1 hence witnesses are seldom called upon to give evidence in a case1 and when they are put forward no one on the opposite side and no judge accepts their statements as true4 ,in ordinary cases the judge and jury of head-men decide the case on their own knowledge of the affair 7and the arguments of the plaintiffs and defendants71 for they are fully in touch with all local matters1 and only local cases are laid before them4 ,in complicated palavers they resort to the ordeals1 which are as follows3 7#a7 ,nka 7,lower ,congo nkasa71 which among the ,boloki was the outer reddish skin of the rootlet of a certain tree carefully scraped off4 ,a few years ago ,i had the opportunity of witnessing a rather complicated discussion and cross-accusation settled1 to the satisfaction of all the natives present1 by the parties concerned drinking1 or rather eating1 the ordeal4 ,the trial took place on neutral ground1 i4e4 in a section of the town midway between the sections in which lived the parties who were concerned4 ,the court-house was a wide-spreading wild fig tree that threw a shade over the whole of the gathered crowd1 which formed an oblong figure4 ,the plaintiff stood at one end with his supporters1 the defendant at the other with his1 and the two sides were occupied by neutral spectators and sympathizers4 ,the case was as follows3 ,the plaintiff had two slaves run away1 and after some days he heard that these slaves had escaped in a canoe belonging to the defendant1 so he accused the latter of aiding and abetting their escape1 and wanted him to pay the price of the slaves4 ,the defendant1 on the other hand1 desired the plaintiff to pay him back a canoe1 or the price of it1 as he said it had been stolen by the plaintiff's slaves4 ,for three hours they discussed the matter and tried to arrange an amicable compromise2 this1 however1 was impossible1 as each wished to get the best of the bargain4 ,from the very nature of the case it was impossible to call witnesses1 although many persons spoke on either side4 ,at last it was decided that the parties should take the ordeal 7nka74 ,each was so confident of the righteousness of his claims that he was willing and eager to eat his portion of the poisonous drug to support them4 ,the plaintiff was a short1 thick-set young man troubled with elephantiasis1 and from that and his apparent nervousness he was greatly handicapped in the trial4 ,the defendant was a tall1 thin1 wiry man about fifty years of age1 who had1 ,i think1 often taken the nka before1 and was inured to it4 ,the ordeal drug used was the outer skin of the rootlets of a tree that was to be found up the ,lulanga ,river--a tributary that enters the ,congo ,river on the south some forty miles below the ,monsembe district4 ,when scraped off the rootlets it is very fluffy and of a deep scarlet colour4 ,two 8medicine men0 prepared equal portions of the nka4 ,there was about a tablespoonful in each portion4 ,the accused had first choice1 after which each 8medicine man0 with a portion of the nka in the palm of his hand took up his position by the side of his client1 and at a given signal the portions of the ordeal were simultaneously held to the mouth of the two opponents1 and at the same moment they began to chew the drug4 ,after chewing for a few moments each washed it down with gulps of sugar-cane wine4 ,after taking the ordeal the men were not allowed to sit down1 nor to lean against anything1 nor even to touch anything with their hands4 ,the ordeal given in the above quantity blurs the vision1 distorting and enlarging all objects1 makes the legs tremble1 the head giddy1 and gives a choking sensation in the throat and chest4 ,in fact1 it gives all the symptoms of intoxication1 and a few more besides4 ,the one who first becomes intoxicated and falls down loses his case1 and the one who resists the effects of the drug and controls himself the longest wins4 ,about five minutes after they had taken the ordeal one of the 8medicine men0 stepped into the centre with a plantain stalk in his hand1 about #b feet #f inches long and from #c to #d inches in diameter4 ,he flourished the stalk about a little and then placed it in front of the plaintiff for him to step over4 ,the plaintiff went forward boldly1 stepped over the stalk1 and returned to his place4 ,this he repeated six times without his feet once touching the stalk4 ,the defendant had then to go through the same test1 which he did laughingly1 throwing his legs and arms about in all directions4 ,this was done occasionally for the next thirty minutes1 and by that time the plaintiff began to show signs of intoxication4 ,his steps faltered1 his eyes brightened and glared1 and it was with difficulty that he raised his feet over the stalk4 ,then the 8medicine man0 began to mock him by pretending to put the stalk close to his feet and tantalizingly drawing it back4 ,forty minutes after taking the nka the climax came4 ,the 8medicine man0 threw the stalk to the defendant1 who caught it in his hands and carried it to the centre of the crowd1 where1 firmly fixing his feet on the ground1 he carefully stooped forward and placed the stalk with both hands in a straight line1 then slowly raising himself he returned to his place4 ,the plaintiff then went to pick up the stalk1 but no sooner did he lean forward than a spasm of pain seemed to seize him1 and he would have fallen in a heap on the ground had not a man who for the last twenty minutes had followed him closely caught him in his arms and quickly carried him to his house4 ,no sooner did the crowd of neutrals see the fall of one of the opponents than with a bound they jumped to their feet1 and with spears and knives raised in the air they danced1 shouted1 and sang around the winner4 ,some rubbed dirt1 others ashes1 and others red camwood powder on the fellow's face--a sign that he had won the case4 ,they hoisted him on the back of a friend and accompanied him to his hut1 and there he distributed #djj brass rods among the throng of his admirers who swore they had helped him to win his cause4 ,he sat outside his house all the rest of the day with his face smeared1 so that all could see that he had won1 and could congratulate him4 ,the plaintiff had to pay him two slaves and a canoe as damages4 ,the next day both the plaintiff and the defendant were walking about the town1 and seemed none the worse for swallowing so powerful and dangerous a drug4 ,they apparently had no enmity towards each other1 but chatted freely and laughingly over the events of the previous day4#bj ,footnote #bj3 ,on the ,lower ,congo the ordeal is given only to the accused1 and if he does not vomit it1 then it is fatal1 and the man falling is beaten and stabbed to death as guilty of witchcraft4 ,when one remembers the amount of corruption and bribery among these people--that the most familiar words on their lips are 8lie0 and 8liar10 and the most frequent question is1 8,is it true80 and the answer1 8,it is true1 or cut my throat0--the wonder is that they can settle a palaver in any way4 ,to drink the ordeal and be either right or wrong according to its action settles the affair once for all1 ends all possible deadly feuds and bloodshed1 and saves many a man from what is worse than death1 viz4 an ever-present1 anxious fear of what his enemy or enemies will do to him4 ,if a man accuses another of giving him a disease1 or of causing the death of his wife by witchcraft1 how can the accused disprove such a charge8 ,not by talking1 no matter how much he may swear that he is innocent4 ,if he calls the head-men together1 he knows the verdict will be given in favour of the one who pays the most2 if he runs away he will soon be captured by some other town and probably sold to furnish a cannibal feast2 if he runs to a friendly town he will lose caste1 he will be treated with contempt as a coward1 and his life rendered miserable4 ,so he boldly steps forth and takes the ordeal and the affair is settled4 ,is the ordeal in his favour8 ,then he claims and receives heavy damages4 ,does the ordeal go against him8 ,then he pays the damages1 if wealthy enough1 or1 if poor1 he sells himself1 or if he is already a slave then his master pays for him2 but whatever be the result1 that palaver is decided once for all4 ,no stigma attaches to the man who is proved guilty by the ordeal1 for 8one can have witchcraft without knowing it40 ,moreover1 no one lightly brings a charge of witchcraft against another1 for1 if the ordeal test goes against the accuser1 the damages for compensation are so very heavy as to deter frivolous accusations4 ,the administration of the nka is reserved for very complicated civil cases and for serious charges of witchcraft2 but there are other ordeals used for minor charges of witchcraft and for various other offences4 ,they are as follows3 ,epomi and mokungu are both trees4 ,the juice from the bark of these trees is pressed out and dropped into the eye of the accused1 and if the sight is destroyed the accused is guilty4 ,the epomi juice is more powerful than the mokungu4 ,the nka and epomi are for witchcraft and serious charges of theft and adultery1 but the mokungu is used only in the more trivial charges4 ,in each case the accused can refuse to submit to the ordeal unless the accuser takes it with him1 hence the juices of these trees are rarely employed4 ,when a 8medicine man0 charges a person with being a witch1 the accused cannot demand that the 8medicine man0 shall take the ordeal with him4 ,another test is as follows3 ,three boys are accused of thieving1 which charge they indignantly repudiate2 three young plantains are then cut--one to represent each boy--and the juice of the mokungu bark is pressed into the centre of each plantain stump left in the ground4 ,now it is usual that when a plantain is cut it will1 in a few hours1 send up from its centre the beginnings of a fresh growth2 but if one of the three plantain stumps does not begin to sprout afresh by the next morning1 the lad represented by that plantain is the guilty one2 if two do not sprout1 then there are two thieves1 and if none sprout1 then all the three lads are regarded as guilty4 ,on the other hand1 if all three sprout as usual1 then the lads are proved to be innocent of the accusation4 ,the mokungu juice destroys the eye1 so in mercy the 8eyes0 of the plantain are used as substitutes for the eyes of the lads1 and it is probable that the juice when well pressed in retards for a short time the sprouting of the plantain4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,,white ,,ants' ,,nest ,white ants are a constant menace to the woodwork in houses1 to stores1 and to books4 ,at one of our stations sufficient clay was procured from a white ants' nest to make #bej1jjj bricks4 ,it is splendid material for that purpose4 ,lingola is a word denoting the giving of the ordeal to a medium 7moyengwa71 and after a certain time1 when the ordeal begins to work1 the name of a man who is supposed to be the witch is called out1 and if the medium stumbles over the plantain stalk put in his path while this name is 8on the card0 the owner of the name is regarded as guilty2 but if the medium does not stumble the man is innocent1 and another name is called1 and the process is repeated until the witch is found or the effects of the drug have passed away from the medium4 ,mai ma mungunga water of the bell4 ,this is used by the 8medicine man of the bell40 ,a person is very ill and charges some members of his family with bewitching him4 ,they deny the accusation1 and he thereupon challenges them to drink water that has been dipped up in the 8medicine man's0 bell1 which will not hurt them if they are innocent1 but will kill them if they are guilty of the charge4 ,anyone who refuses to drink from the bell is regarded as guilty4 ,what constitutes guilt in such cases8 ,simply a strong desire that a person might die2 and how often in their uncontrollable anger have they wished for one another's death2 hence occasionally an over-sensitive person will refuse to drink out of the bell for fear of the consequences4 ,by frequently drinking the ordeal drug one becomes immune from its effects1 and ,i have noticed that old people who have taken it many times never feel intoxicated by it2 but young people1 who were not used to it1 fell quickly from its narcotic effects on their system4 ,i have no doubt that the administrators of the various ordeals were open to bribery and other influences1 and could1 and would1 dilute the ordeal for one in whom they were interested4 ,the natives were dissatisfied with the way their 8palavers0 were settled4 ,their cost1 the long time it took to talk them1 and the unfair favouritism of the head-men made them wish for some better mode of dealing with their affairs4 ,about #ahig and #ahih they frequently asked me to act as judge1 as they felt that ,i should be absolutely impartial in my verdicts1 but ,i objected to do so1 because ,i had no power to compel a man to appear before me2 and1 again1 ,i had no soldiers to enforce any verdict ,i might give1 and thus ,i should waste my time in listening and trying to settle their palavers4 ,after some time it was arranged that the two persons wishing me to arbitrate on their case should each bring me a fowl as a token that they desired me to settle their dispute1 and were willing to abide by my decision4 ,this giving of a fowl weeded out the trivial cases that would have wasted my time1 and yet was not prohibitive1 for whereas a fowl cost only from #aj to #bj brass rods each1 the payments under the old method ran into #ejj rods or more4 ,moreover1 ,i gave them to understand that directly ,i heard that a verdict had been defied1 not another case would ,i judge until the said verdict had been honoured4 ,i must in all fairness say that although ,i judged many scores of cases not a single verdict was disregarded4 ,the court-house was the verandah of my house1 about #h feet wide and #ej feet long4 ,neither knives nor spears were allowed on it or near it4 ,i generally sat on a chair in the middle of the verandah--on either side were the opposing factions1 and many onlookers were on the ground below4 ,there was generally sitting near by a man with some wood-ashes or red camwood powder in a leaf1 ready to rub it on the face of the winner4 ,only one was allowed to speak at a time1 and the talking was confined to the points at issue4 ,a few questions well put would often throw such a light on the matter under consideration that the plaintiff himself would feel that his claim was preposterous4 ,as a result of this plan very few cases took more than half an hour4 ,when cases were talked in the town everybody was permitted to speak1 and often they spoke all together4 ,a thousand extraneous things were dragged in to the hiding and confusing of the real point1 and sometimes they would be all day over a very small matter1 and then not settle it4 ,i have known them to fight over the irritating gibes they threw at each other1 and ,i often had to separate the combatants--a little stern authority and a few jokes have quieted them down2 but it was much easier and better to act as arbitrator and settle the palaver than to have frequent quarrels and rows4 ,i kept a record of many cases1 and ,i herewith transcribe a few for the benefit of my readers1 as they throw considerable light on the native life and mode of thought4 ,case ,i4 ,the plaintiff said that many years ago his brother was very ill1 and went to the defendant's father's town for medicine4 ,when he was dying the sick man took a long flat pod and struck his friend1 the 8medicine man10 across the ankle4 ,for this the 8doctor0 demanded from the family of his deceased patient a slave1 three pots of sugar-cane wine1 two spears1 and some brass rods4 ,the plaintiff paid the goods at the time1 but now he wished to have them returned on the ground that3 7#a7 ,no medicine was made and given to his brother1 i4e4 the patient died before he could be treated2 and 7#b7 ,that since white people had come he could see that it was stupid to follow such customs4 ,the defendant acknowledged the debt on behalf of his father 7the 8doctor071 who was dead4 ,he admitted that the above statement was correct1 and that the custom was quite general in this part of ,congo1 and was recognized by all4 ,it seemed to be one way of making a codicil to a will1 or a mode of leaving property to an outsider who legally did not inherit anything1 but who1 on account of his technical assault1 had a legal claim for compensation to be paid out of the deceased's estate4 ,i told them that ,i could not interfere with palavers that had happened so long ago2 but in future when a man was dying and wanted to leave an outsider any of his property1 he was to call some of his family and direct them to give ,so-and-so certain goods after his death4 ,only such a bequest would be recognized4 ,their own custom was a good one1 viz43 ,a token was given in the presence of witnesses1 and the article or articles named4 ,the eldest son was then informed of the token1 the person to whom it was given1 and the nature of the goods bequeathed4 ,after the testator's death the token was taken to the eldest son1 and the property handed over in the presence of witnesses4 ,case ,,ii4 ,a man of about #de years of age complained that a young fellow1 then present1 had a woman belonging to him and would not give her up4 ,by a series of questions the following facts were elicited3 ,the plaintiff's mother was living in a bush town2 goods were being continually stolen from her house1 until at last she went and consulted a 8witch-doctor0 who resided in a river-side town4 ,she desired to take the ordeal 7nka7 to discover whether she had unwittingly stolen and hidden her own property1 or someone else had been the thief4 ,when the 8witch-doctor0 was about to administer the nka the woman was dissuaded by her friends from taking it4 ,the 8witch-doctor0 thereupon went to the woman's husband and demanded a slave on the ground that he had prepared the ordeal which the wife had not taken1 and by her refusal to take it she was bringing contempt on his fetish4 ,the husband acknowledged the justice of the claim and paid a female slave as compensation4 ,the plaintiff now wanted that slave or another returned4 ,the defendant admitted the facts as stated1 but said it all happened long before he was born4 ,the plaintiff said it took place before they had ever heard of white people1 and when he was a little boy 7or about #ahfh74 ,i dismissed the case with costs--one fowl from each party4 ,case ,,iii4 ,lokangi was a lad of about #ad years4 ,he went one day in a canoe with some young men to take the monthly tax to ,diboko 7,nouvelles ,anvers74 ,while on the way a crocodile attacked the canoe1 which was upset1 and the whole party of six paddlers was thrown into the river4 ,the crocodile caught ,lokangi1 and he was seen no more4 ,lokangi's family1 the plaintiffs in this case1 accused the leader of the canoe party of bewitching the crocodile to take ,lokangi and leave all the others2 they argued that he must have bewitched the crocodile to do so1 for why were none of the others seized8 ,the defendant admitted that ,lokangi had been killed in the manner stated1 but strenuously denied having bewitched the beast to take the lad4 ,i went carefully and patiently into the whole palaver of such superstitions1 and at the close gave the verdict in favour of the defendant4 ,case ,,iv4 ,plaintiff said the defendant owed him one woman1 some spears1 and #cjjj brass rods4 ,the defendant denied the debt4 ,on examination it was proved that the defendant's father owed the above-stated amount to the plaintiff1 but the father was dead1 and the defendant 7an only son7 had inherited his father's goods4 ,i laid it down as a principle that the inheritor should pay the debts owing by the person whose estate he inherited1 and if the amount of the debts exceeded the sum inherited he should not be responsible for the whole of the debts1 but should divide the property received among the creditors2 but if the property exceeded the debts1 he should pay the debts and keep the surplus for himself4 ,the case was thus settled1 in favour of the plaintiff1 to everybody's satisfaction4 ,case ,v4 ,plaintiff said he owed the defendant #ajjj brass rods1 but as he did not pay up quickly the defendant lay in wait and caught his two wives who had gone together to fish among the islands2 that by right of custom he should have taken only one and let the other go4 ,defendant admitted the statement made as correct1 but said that he had gone so often to the plaintiff's town to collect his debt1 and had been put off with such unreasonable excuses1 that he was angry and took the two women instead of one4 ,i pointed out3 7#a7 ,that the price of a woman was #bejj rods1 but the debt was only #ajjj1 and the expenses 7fees to the men who helped him7 only #ejj1 making in all #aejj1 and the value of one woman more than covered this amount4 7#b7 ,in tying up two women he had greatly exceeded the debt1 and had thus put himself in the wrong4 ,verdict for the plaintiff4 ,one woman to be returned at once1 and the other to be delivered up on payment by the plaintiff of #ahjj rods2 the defendant to lose thus #bjj rods for tying up two women when one well covered the debt and expenses4 ,case ,,vi4 ,motuli1 the plaintiff1 said he owed the defendant a woman1 and in payment of the debt he handed over a woman large with child1 of which he1 ,motuli1 was the father4 ,the child was now two years old1 and he wanted the child to be handed over to him4 ,the defendant allowed that all the above was true1 but said that as the child was born after the woman came into his possession1 the child was his4 ,i pointed out to ,motuli3 7#a7 ,that he was wrong to give his wife1 by whom he was expecting a child1 in payment of a debt4 7#b7 ,he should have made an agreement at the time with his creditor respecting the ownership of the child4 7#c7 ,that if the woman had died in child-birth he would have refused to pay another in her place1 so as the creditor took her and the risks with her the child should remain with its mother4 ,motuli thus lost the case and was very angry4 ,case ,,vii4 ,bodia1 the plaintiff1 said he bought a wife of the defendant and had one child by her1 which was now three years old2 that when his wife had a second child she died in delivery1 and now the mother and second child were dead4 ,he wanted either the money returned1 or that the defendant should pay him another woman4 ,defendant admitted that all the statements were true1 but said that ,bodia had had the woman a long time and he could not see that he was responsible for her death4 ,i explained to ,bodia3 7#a7 ,that every woman who had a child had it at some risk to her life4 7#b7 ,that he had owned the woman for four years1 and she had farmed1 cooked1 and borne him one child2 and as he had brought her into the position that caused her death1 he himself must accept the loss4 7#c7 ,his first child was properly born and grown up healthy1 so there was no malformation of the womb4 ,verdict for the defendant4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,mythology ,,and ,,folk ,,lore ,ideas concerning rebirth--,ideas concerning white men--,a hippopotamus spirit--,a prediction--,reticence of natives--,recited round the fire--,the origin of man--,the sun--,a deluge--,the destruction of the world--,fifteen folk-lore stories4 ,there were misty ideas1 but no definite belief1 concerning the rebirth of their deceased ancestors4 ,a few years before ,stanley descended the ,congo there was a general belief extant among the ,boloki that many of their ancestors would appear in another form1 and yet would be recognizable by similarity of features to those whose appearances the spirits took4 ,when the white men arrived this belief seemed to be confirmed by the fact that the natives often thought they saw a likeness in the features1 walk1 or gestures of some of the white men to dead men whom they knew4 ,i myself have often been surprised and amused when a motion1 a glance1 or some little peculiarity among these folk has called vividly to mind some person ,i knew at home4 ,there was one man ,i never met without having a certain uncle of mine recalled to mind1 and another person--a girl--always by an indescribable something reminded me of a girl ,i knew in ,england4 ,when we came here in #ahij my colleague was thought to resemble a chief who had died some time before1 and ,i was thought to be like another deceased chief belonging to a family that had a hippopotamus for its omen 7not totem1 that is another word72 and this view was confirmed by my firing on two successive nights at a hippopotamus that came prowling about our beach1 for the animal sent me a message4#ba ,footnote #ba3 ,see ,chapter ,,xix1 p4 #bff1 for full details4 ,we found a prediction extant that white men would come1 and some of them would be like chiefs who had died2 but this slight suspicion of a belief in reincarnation may1 ,i think1 be accounted for by rumours of the white men having filtered through from the coasts4 ,the ,boloki thirty-five years ago were a strong1 war-loving people who travelled far and wide on the river2 and slaves were bought and exchanged from widely different parts1 and1 of course1 carried with them the news and rumours1 true and false1 of their last residences4 ,this factor in the disseminating of religious belief1 and the interweaving of those beliefs into what is often a patchwork system of belief1 has not always been properly allowed for in dealing with the superstitions of ,african races4 ,soon after we opened our station in ,august1 #ahij1 ,i tried to procure some native stories from the boys1 but failed in every attempt4 ,i felt sure1 however1 that they had folk tales1 and therefore persevered1 though nearly two years passed before ,i was successful4 ,one evening1 in the early months of #ahib1 some boys sat on the floor of my house talking while ,i was busy writing4 ,after a time ,i noticed that one was talking and the others listening intently4 ,i made a mental note of the circumstance1 and the next day ,i asked the lad to write out on a slate 7for in the meantime we had taught them to read and write7 the palaver he had told the boys on the previous evening4 ,he did so1 and ,i found it was a native story4 ,i gave him a few brass rods1 asked him to write some more1 which he did2 and in a short time ,i had four or five boys writing stories on my verandah1 and very often one boy who knew a story1 but could not write1 sat and told it to one who could1 and then shared the spoil4 ,we have between sixty and seventy native stories1 and most of them were handed down by one chief who1 although he died long before we came here1 was spoken of to us with respect on account of his wide knowledge of the ancient myths#bb and customs4 ,most of the stories we printed in a book and used it as a reading-book in the classes4 ,there were many stories about men1 women1 and animals1 and to each story a moral was attached4 ,footnote #bb3 ,in the chapter on ,religious ,beliefs will be found some information on their ideas of a ,supreme ,being2 and in ,chapter ,,xix1 on spirits and mythical monsters that inhabit the islands and forests4 ,the stories were told on moonless nights around the village fires when it was too dark to dance and play1 or around the camp fires when travelling and fishing4 ,the stories relate the cunning way in which some animals outwit others--generally the smaller ones outwitting the larger and more cumbersome2 that the biter is himself bit1 and the bully overwhelmed with ridicule4 ,many of the stories try to account for the peculiarities observed in nature1 as why birds build nests in certain ways1 or have no nests at all2 the enmity among the various animals2 the presence of dogs and fowls in the towns2 the cause of death and the origin of fire4 ,some stories would well illustrate the text3 8,be sure your sin will find you out02 while others are absurdly comic1 and many of them dirty4 ,a line from some of the stories was often used as a proverb1 or to call up the situation described in the story as a warning to a person not to overreach another1 or he himself may fall4 ,no ,european elements were to be found in them1 as they were procured before we could talk freely with the natives1 and certainly before our teaching had in any way influenced their thoughts and modes of expression4 ,many of the stories were recited for amusement1 but most of them were told as true1 even the amusing ones2 and they undoubtedly embody the wit1 wisdom1 and philosophy of life4 ,some are only remarkable for the way in which they account for the present state of affairs in the physical and moral worlds2 others give a clear insight into the mind of the native1 and his view of the spirit-world2 and these stories were at times narrated in their 8palavers0 to enforce a point and drive home a moral4 ,i did not meet1 among the ,boloki1 with any stories or legends regarding the origin of man1 of the sun1 of a deluge1 or of the destruction of the world4 ,there were stories of folk with tails1 but not of animal ancestors2 of dwarfs and frightful monstrosities--all heads and no body--but not of giants4 ,when the end of a rainbow touches a town a death is sure to occur there1 and the bright red after-glow occasionally seen at sunset indicates the death of a chief4 ,i have already given the legend about the moon having once been a python4 ,the following are a few typical stories1#bc and in translating them ,i have kept as near the original as possible4 ,no ideas have been added1 and no plot has been altered1 but the translator has tried to give in easy ,english a true representation of the stories4 ,footnote #bc3 ,the stories given are of course ,boloki stories2 but the writer has published some forty ,lower ,congo stories in ,congo ,life and ,folk-,lore1 ,r4,t4,s4 #es4 net4 ,it must be remembered that the morals appended to the stories were put there by the natives when they wrote them down for me2 and when ,i was sitting with them around their fires and hearing them relate the stories ,i noticed that the moral was always given1 and frequently formed the subject of comment1 and of angry curses being called down on the one who was credited with starting such bad customs4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,,boloki ,,boys ,,with ,,wine ,,jar ,this well illustrates the methods of wearing a cloth by the male folk4 ,either a string is tied round the waist and the cloth hung--back and front--over it1 or the corners are tied at the side4 ,the wine jar has a capacity of several gallons4 ,there are not more than two or three in a large village2 but they are freely lent4 ,,story ,i ,the ,adventures of ,libanza2 or1 a ,boloki version of ,jack and the ,beanstalk ,libanza and his sister1 ,nsongo1 started on their travels in the long ago1 and as they journeyed ,libanza changed himself into a boy covered with yaws4 ,a man out hunting turned aside from his party of hunters1 and meeting ,libanza and his sister1 he exclaimed3 8,i have found some slaves60 ,he thereupon took possession of them and led them to the hunting camp4 ,their new master and the other hunters were there for the purpose of snaring monkeys1 and although their master caught some1 yet he was not very successful4 ,so one day ,libanza said to him3 8,give me the snares1 and let me try to catch some monkeys40 ,but as he appeared to be such a poor1 weak boy covered with yaws1 the master laughed at him1 and twitted him with his smallness4 ,however1 on being repeatedly asked1 the master gave the boy the snares1 and he caught thirty monkeys in a very little time1 and brought them back to the camp to be divided among the hunters4 ,while the hunters were busy dividing the monkeys1 ,libanza and his sister took some meat and ran away4 ,after journeying for a long distance they came near to a large town1 and again ,libanza turned himself into a boy covered with yaws4 ,the people of the town were pounding sugar-canes for making sugar-cane wine2 but a man seeing them claimed them as his slaves1 and brought them and sat them on the end of the large wooden mortar in which the other men were pounding up the canes4 ,after a time ,libanza said3 8,give me a pestle1#bd so that ,i may crush the canes40 ,but the people laughed that so small a lad should make such a request4 ,footnote #bd3 ,the pestles for crushing sugar-canes are like heavy clubs1 made of hard wood1 and weigh from #bj lbs4 to #cj lbs4 each4 ,however1 after he had repeatedly asked1 they gave him a pestle1 and ,libanza used it with such vigour that it snapped in two4 ,they brought him two others1 and taking one in each hand he pounded so strongly that they also broke2 and thus he broke all they had in the town except the last one1 and with that he ran away1 and the people feared to follow him4 ,as they travelled1 ,nsongo caught sight of a person in the distance and wanted to marry him2 but on being called the person would not come to her4 ,so ,libanza changed himself1 first into a shell and then into a saucepan1 and followed the man2 but in these disguises ,libanza was not able to catch the man for his sister because he ran away filled with fear4 ,libanza then turned himself into the handle of an axe1 and when the man came to pick up the handle1 ,libanza caught him and led him to his sister4 ,now this person had only one leg and simple stumps for fingers2 and ,nsongo1 on a closer view observing these deformities1 refused to have him for a husband4 ,libanza and his sister1 ,nsongo1 resumed their wanderings1 and on passing a palm tree ,nsongo saw a bunch of ripe palm nuts1 and she implored her brother to ascend the tree and cut down the nuts4 ,libanza climbed the palm tree1 and as he ascended it the palm tree grew higher and higher and higher1 until the top was hid in the heavens1#be and there ,libanza alighted1 leaving his sister down below on the earth4 ,footnote #be3 ,the word used here is bolobo the upper regions1 of which place they had very hazy ideas4 ,about the lower regions--longa--they always spoke more definitely1 and would describe what took place there4 ,when ,nsongo was left on the earth she heard a rumbling noise1 which she thought was her brother1 ,libanza1 scolding up above4 ,she called a 8wizard10 and asked him how she could rejoin her brother4 ,the 8wizard0 said3 8,you must call a ,hawk1 and tell him you want to send a packet to your brother1 ,libanza2 and then tie yourself up into a packet and put yourself on the roof of a house1 and when the ,hawk sees it he will say1 #8,that is surely the parcel ,i am to take1' and the ,hawk will carry you up above40 ,nsongo did as she was told by the 8wizard10 and the ,hawk saw the bundle and picked it up2 but twice on the way the ,hawk rested and tried to open the parcel1 and would have done so1 but at each attempt he heard a deep sigh proceed from the interior of the bundle1 and desisted4 ,at last the ,hawk reached the place where ,libanza was1 and said to him1 8,here is a packet which your sister has sent to you40 ,now when ,libanza essayed to undo the parcel1 out came his sister4 ,libanza became a blacksmith1 and there was in that country a person whose name was ,ngombe1 and because he swallowed people every day he was also called ,emele ,ngombe 7,ngombe the ,swallower74 ,when ,libanza heard about this ,swallower of people1 he called his bellows blower1 ,nkumba 7,tortoise71 and they heated an ingot of iron4 ,now as the ,swallower was passing the smithy he made the sound 8,kililili10 and ,libanza mocked him by saying1 8,alalalala40 ,ngombe the ,swallower then asked3 8,who dares to ridicule me80 ,and again he murmured1 8,kililili40 ,and ,libanza answered him by saying3 8,ngalalala1#bf ,i am anjaka-njaka lokwala la lotungi1 ,libanza1 the brother of ,nsongo40 ,footnote #bf3 ,this is the full name of ,libanza4 ,it means3 ,the one who makes things with force and noise and runs off with them1 whose scraped finger-nails are tied with cane1 he who is ,libanza the brother of ,nsongo4 ,the ,swallower went at ,libanza with his mouth wide-stretched to gulp him down1 and as he went his lower jaw dragged along the ground4 ,libanza stirred the molten metal1 the ,tortoise blew the bellows1 and as the ,swallower rushed forward with his mouth wide open ,libanza threw the liquid metal right into the gaping jaws1 and the ,swallower of people fell dead4 ,there are several folk-lore stories that have crystallized for us their ideas concerning ,libanza1 and it is interesting to note that such stories are called ,mabanza 7plural form of ,libanza71 and these contain a statement of some of the doings of ,libanza1 whereas their word for fable1 parable1 story is mokulu4 ,the common opinion was that ,libanza lived on the earth1 and was the first to go into heaven4 ,his origin1 life1 and adventures as told in their folk stories are briefly as follows3 ,libanza's mother 7names of father and mother were never given7 gave birth first to elephants1 the various kinds of bush animals1 the different varieties of flies and insects1 and to the amphibia2 then his mother told him to come out1 but before ,libanza would do so he ordered his mother to scrape her finger-nails2 when she had done this he threw out spears1 shield1 a chair covered with brass nails1 and finally came out himself4 ,libanza's father1 according to another folk story1 was trapped and killed while stealing some nsafu fruit for his wife4 ,and he acquainted his wife of his death by causing a fetish horn he had left with her to overflow with blood4 ,as soon as ,libanza was born he inquired about his father and the manner of his death1 and set himself to punish the one who had killed him1 which after a series of futile attempts he finally accomplished by slaying the murderer of his father4 ,then comes the story of his own adventures1 which reach their climax in the destruction of the ,swallower of people4 ,it is not at all improbable that ,libanza is the name of some great chief who by his resource and courage delivered the people from great peril and oppression1 and around whose name have gathered many myths1 and to him is ascribed great magical power4 ,in the original story much magic is performed to meet the various difficulties that arise1 as changing himself into different shapes1 making horns and saucepans move and speak1 and resurrecting broken and dead animals4 ,no moral qualities were ascribed to ,libanza1 but he was regarded as being very strong1 and rich4 ,when our steamer1 the ,peace1 made her first journey up-river1 the ,boloki of ,monsembe told me that they thought it was 8,libanza going to ,singitingi 7,stanley ,falls7 to visit his sister ,nsongo40 ,they could hear the noise of the engines1 but as they could see no paddles they thought that 8the river mingoli 7water-spirits7 were pushing the steamer along40 ,,story ,,ii ,the ,fowl and the ,hippopotamus2 or1 the ,cause of the ,enmity among ,birds and ,animals4 ,a ,fowl1 on returning from a trading journey1 hid one of his legs under his wing and said3 8,i sold my leg for two thousand brass rods in the towns ,i have been visiting40 ,a greedy hippopotamus1 hearing this1 said3 8,if the ,fowl could receive two thousand brass rods for his small leg1 how much shall ,i receive for mine80 ,so calling some of his friends they entered a canoe and paddled down-river to the towns4 ,on arriving1 the leg of the ,hippopotamus was cut off1 carried ashore1 and sold for a large number of brass rods4 ,when the ,hippopotami returned to the canoe1 after selling the leg1 they discovered that their friend had bled to death1 so they picked up their paddles in great anger and returned to their town4 ,on arriving at their town they sought out the ,fowl and charged him with the death of their friend1 for they said1 8,because of your lying deception he went and sold his leg40 ,in their anger they called on the ,hawks and ,kites to swoop down and carry off the chickens belonging to the ,fowls2 and they told the wild bush-cat that whenever he found the door of the ,fowl-house open he was to creep in and kill the ,fowls4 ,in this way so many ,fowls were killed1 that in defence the ,fowls called on the ,crocodiles to bite the ,hippopotami and wound them to death2 and they asked ,man whenever he saw a ,hippopotamus to hurl his spear at it and kill it4 ,thus1 through the ,fowl's one deception1 enmity1 quarrels1 and death were first introduced among the birds and animals4 ,,story ,,iii ,the ,punishment of the ,inquisitive ,man ,motu made a large garden1 and planted it with many bananas and plantain4 ,the garden was in a good position1 so the fruit ripened quickly and well4 ,arriving one day at his garden he found the ripe bunches of bananas and plantain had been cut off and carried away4 ,after that he did not go once to his garden without finding that some of the fruit had been stolen1 so at last he made up his mind to watch the place carefully1 and hiding himself he lay in ambush for the thief4 ,motu had not been in hiding very long before he saw a number of ,cloud-folk descending1 who cut down his bananas1 and what they could not eat they tied into bundles to carry away4 ,motu rushed out1 and1 chasing them1 caught one woman whom he took to his house1 and after a short time he married her1 and gave her a name which meant ,favourite4 ,although ,favourite had come from the ,cloud-land she was very intelligent1 and went about her housework and farming just like an ordinary woman of the earth4 ,up to that time neither ,motu nor the people of his village had ever seen a fire4 ,they had always eaten their food raw1 and on cold1 windy1 rainy days had sat shivering in their houses because they did not know anything about fire and warmth4 ,favourite1 however1 told some of the ,cloud-folk to bring some fire with them next time they came to visit her1 which they did4 ,and then she taught the people how to cook food1 and how to sit round a fire on cold days4 ,motu was very happy with his wife1 and the villagers were very glad to have her among them1 and1 moreover1 ,favourite persuaded many of the ,cloud-folk to settle in her husband's village4 ,one day ,favourite received a covered basket1 and putting it on a shelf in the house she said to her husband1 8,we are now living with much friendship together2 but while ,i am away at the farm you must not open that basket1 if you do we shall all leave you40 8,all right10 replied the husband1 8,i will never undo it40 ,motu was now very glad in his heart1 for he had plenty of people1 a clever wife1 and the villagers treated him as a great man4 ,but he had one trouble3 ,why did his wife warn him every day not to open the basket8 ,what was in that basket8 ,what was she hiding from him8 ,and foolish-like he decided to open it4 ,waiting therefore until his wife had gone as usual to the farm he opened the basket1 and--there was nothing in it1 so laughingly he shut it up and put it in its place4 ,by and by ,favourite returned1 and1 looking at her husband1 she asked him3 ,why did you open that basket80 ,and he was speechless at her question4 ,on the first opportunity1 while ,motu was away hunting1 ,favourite gathered her people1 and ascended with them to ,cloud-land1 and never again returned to the earth4 ,that is how the earth-folk received their fire and a knowledge of cooking2 and that is also how ,motu through being too inquisitive lost his wife1 his people1 and his importance as a big man in the village4 ,,story ,,iv ,mbungi and his ,punishment ,mbungi one day said to his wife3 8,dig up some cassava1 prepare it1 and cut down some plantain1 for we will go hunting and fishing40 ,the wife did as she was told1 and in a short time everything was ready for the journey4 ,they put their goods into a canoe and paddled away to their hunting and fishing camp4 ,after resting1 the man went and dug a hole and set his traps2 and the next morning he found an antelope and a bush-pig in the hole4 ,these he took to the camp1 cut up1 and gave to his wife to cook4 ,by and by when all was cooked she brought the meat to her husband1 and as she was taking her portion he said3 8,wait1 ,i will ask the forest-folk 7or spirits7 if you may eat it40 ,he went and pretended to ask the forest-folk1 and brought back a message that if she ate the meat the traps would lose their luck and catch no more animals4 ,in this way the selfish husband had all the meat for himself and his wife went hungry4#bg ,mbungi found many animals in his traps1 and the woman1 because of the prohibition1 did not have her share of them4 ,footnote #bg3 ,a person considered he had not made a meal if he had no meat or fish to eat with his cassava4 ,one day the woman made some fish-traps and set them1 and on her return to the camp the husband wanted to know where she had been1 but she refused to tell him4 ,next day she went to look at her traps and found many fish in them1 which she brought to the camp and cooked4 ,mbungi1 however1 returned unsuccessful from his traps2 but when he saw his wife's fish he laughed and said3 8,bring the fish here for me to eat40 8,wait10 answered the woman1 8,i will ask the forest-folk if you may eat the fish40 ,and she brought back a reply that he was not to eat the fish1 for if he did so the fish-traps would lose their luck4 ,it was now ,mbungi's turn to be hungry4 ,days and days passed and he caught no more animals2 but his wife always had plenty of fish4 ,he became very thin and angry4 ,one day he drew his large knife1 and cutting off the head of his wife he buried the head and the trunk together in the ground1 and departed for his town4 ,mbungi had not gone very far on his way when he heard a voice shouting3 8,mbungi1 wait for me1 we will go together60 ,he wondered who was calling him1 so he hid himself1 and in a little time he saw the head of his wife coming along the road calling after him4 ,he went1 and catching the head he cut it into small pieces and buried it again2 but before he had gone far he heard it shouting3 8,mbungi1 wait for me1 we will go together60 ,he cut and buried it again and again1 but it was no use1 it continued to follow and call after him4 ,mbungi reached his town1 and his wife's family asked him3 8,where is your wife80 8,oh1 she is coming on behind10 he replied4 ,they accused him of killing her1 but this he strongly denied4 ,while he was denying the charge of murder the head came right into the town2 and when the family saw it they immediately tied up ,mbungi and killed him4 ,this was how murder was first introduced into the world4 ,,story ,v ,why the ,fowl and ,dog are abused by the ,birds ,there was a time when all the birds and animals lived in the sky4 ,one day it was very rainy and cold--so cold that they were all shivering4 ,the birds said to the ,dog3 8,go down and fetch us some fire to warm ourselves40 ,the ,dog descended1 but seeing plenty of bones and pieces of fish lying about on the ground he forgot to take the fire to the shivering birds4 ,the birds and animals waited1 and the ,dog not returning they sent the ,fowl to hasten him with the fire4 ,the ,fowl1 however1 on arriving below1 beheld plenty of palm nuts1 pea nuts1 maize1 and other good things1 so he did not tell the ,dog to take up the fire1 and did not take any himself4 ,this is the reason why you can hear of an evening a bird that sings with notes like this1 8,nsusu akende bombo6 nsusu akende bombo60 which means1 ,the ,fowl has become a slave6 the ,fowl has become a slave6 ,and the ,heron sometimes sits on a tree near a village and cries1 8,mbwa owa6 mbwa owa60 ,dog1 you die6 dog1 you die6#bh ,footnote #bh3 ,i have often heard these birds1 and their notes quickly suggested the phrases quoted above1 and undoubtedly gave rise to the story4 ,this is why you hear these birds jeer at and abuse the ,fowl and ,dog1 because they left their friends to shiver in the cold while they enjoyed themselves in warmth and plenty4 ,,story ,,vi ,the ,eagle leaves the ,tortoise in the lurch ,a ,leopard had three young children1 and she asked the ,tortoise to take care of them while she was away hunting4 8,very well10 said the ,tortoise1 8,i will nurse them for you40 ,so the ,leopard went hunting1 and after a time she returned with some meat which she wished to give to her children4 8,no1 no1 do not open the door10 whispered the ,tortoise1 8your children are asleep4 ,throw the meat in at the window40 ,the meat was passed through the window1 and the ,leopard went off hunting again4 ,while the ,leopard was gone the second time1 an ,eagle came to the ,tortoise and said3 8,friend ,tortoise1 let us make blood-brotherhood40 ,the ,tortoise agreed1 and the friendship was properly made4 ,after a short time the ,eagle asked the ,tortoise for one of the children to eat1 and one was taken1 and they ate it between them4 ,by and by the ,leopard returned again from the hunt with some more meat2 but the ,tortoise pretended that the children were asleep2 so the meat was again put through the window1 and off went the ,leopard to hunt in the forest4 ,the ,eagle then came and begged for another child1 and receiving it he went and ate it on a high tree4 ,when the ,leopard returned next time1 she insisted on seeing the children1 but the ,tortoise said3 8,you stop there and ,i will show them to you at the window40 ,the ,tortoise then took up the only child left1 and holding it at the window he said1 8,that is one40 ,he put it down and held it up again1 and said1 8,that is two40 ,then he showed it again at the window for the third time1 and said1 8,that is three40 ,the ,leopard1 thereupon1 went away satisfied4 ,the ,eagle came again and asked for the 8other child to eat40 8,what shall ,i do10 asked the ,tortoise1 8when the ,leopard returns and finds all her children are gone80 8,oh1 ,i will take care of you10 said the ,eagle reassuringly2 8,i will fly with you to a high tree40 ,the last child was given and eaten1 and then the ,eagle took the ,tortoise to the branch of a very high tree4 ,shortly after the ,eagle had carried off the ,tortoise the ,leopard returned1 and finding all her children gone she wept very loudly for some time2 then looking about her she saw the ,tortoise on the top of a tree4 ,the ,leopard gnawed at the tree1 and just as it was going to fall the ,tortoise called out to his friend1 the ,eagle1 to help him4 ,the ,eagle carried him to another tree4 ,the ,leopard gnawed that one2 so the ,eagle removed the ,tortoise to another high tree2 but the ,leopard gnawed that also4 ,the ,tortoise called for his friend1 the ,eagle2 but the ,eagle replied3 8,i am tired of helping you1 take care of yourself10 and off he flew1 leaving his friend in the lurch1 and never returned again4 ,the tree fell1 and the ,leopard killed the ,tortoise4 ,that is why the bush animals are afraid to hurt the ,leopard's children4 ,,story ,,vii ,the ,kite breaks his promise to the ,tortoise ,when the ,tortoise and the ,kite made blood-brotherhood the ,kite said3 8,friend ,tortoise1 now that we have become brothers1 catch an electric fish for me40 8,friend ,kite10 replied the ,tortoise1 8when you see a skin floating on the river you will know that ,i have caught the fish you desire4 ,swoop down and take it2 and1 friend ,kite1 thou art one who lives in the air1 tie up the wind and bring it to me40 ,by and by the ,tortoise killed an electric fish 7nina71 and set it floating on the river4 ,when the ,kite saw it he said3 8,ah1 there is the fish my friend ,tortoise has sent me40 ,he thereupon dropped to the river1 picked up the fish1 and carried it away to a high tree1 where he ate it4 ,the ,tortoise waited a long time1 but the ,kite never brought him the wind2 so seeing the ,eagle one day fishing by the river bank he said to him1 8,come here1 friend ,eagle10 and when the ,eagle had alighted on a branch near by1 the ,tortoise continued3 8,well1 my friend the ,kite and ,i made blood-brotherhood1 and he asked me to send him an electric fish1 and ,i asked him to bring me the wind1 and he agreed to this bargain4 ,i have sent him his fish1 but he has not brought me the wind4 ,when you see the ,kite remind him of his promise40 ,the ,eagle met the ,kite next day on the top of a tree and said to him3 8,when you make blood-brotherhood with a person you should keep your promise to him4 ,why don't you take the wind to the ,tortoise80 8,i have not yet tied it up10 said the ,kite as he flew off4 ,the ,tortoise waited1 but the ,kite not coming he went ashore1 climbed to the roof of a house1 and tied himself into a bundle like a parcel of fish4 ,the ,kite1 seeing the bundle and thinking it was some fish1 he swooped down on it and carried it away to a tree1 and while he was undoing the bundle the ,tortoise said3 8,friend ,kite1 you have deceived me1 and you have broken your promise4 ,where is the wind you agreed to bring to me80 ,the ,kite was so alarmed that he dropped the ,tortoise and flew away4 ,and because of his broken promise to his friend he has lost the power to sail on the wind like the ,eagle2 but has to constantly flutter and flap his wings4#bi ,footnote #bi3 ,to break a promise made at the time of making blood-brotherhood is considered very bad1 and is regarded as certain to bring punishment4 ,,story ,,viii ,why the ,plantain-eater did not build a ,nest ,the ,plantain-eater is a gaudy-plumaged bird1 not quite so large as a ,cockatoo4 ,it is called by the natives ,lukulukoko4 ,its notes are1 ,kulu6 kulu6 kulukoko6 hence the natives say1 8,it is always talking about itself40 ,all the birds built nests so that when it rained they could enter them and remain dry4 ,the ,plantain-eater1 however1 never troubled to build a nest1 but when the rain fell in torrents he went to a neighbour and said3 8,let me come into your nest out of the rain40 ,but his neighbour answered him3 8,no1 go and cut some palm fronds and build your own nest40 ,the ,plantain-eater1 at this reply1 went off crying3 8,kulu6 kulu6 kulukoko6 ,wait until the rain stops1 and then ,i will fetch fronds to build my nest40 ,by and by the rain ceased and the neighbours called out3 8,plantain-eater1 the rain is finished1 now get your fronds for nest building40 ,but the ,plantain-eater said3 8,i will stop where ,i am1 and when it rains ,i will raise my shoulders and put my head under my feathers1 and the rain will not hurt me40 ,the next time it rained1 however1 he found it was very unpleasant to be out in it2 and again he asked to be allowed to enter a neighbour's nest1 but he was driven off4 ,thus it always happened that when it rained he intended to build a house2 and when it was fine he said he did not need a house1 but would put his head under his feathers4 ,and that is why the ,plantain-eater is seen jumping from branch to branch in the rain1 trying to enter other people's nests1 making all kinds of promises in the rain1 and only talking loudly and boasting in the fine weather of what he will do4 ,,story ,,ix ,why the ,water-snake has no ,poison ,when the ,python had given birth to all the snakes she said to them3 8,you have no poison now1 but another day ,i will call you1 and give to each of you a proper share of poison40 ,after a time the day arrived1 and the ,python called all her children to receive the promised gift4 ,the green snake1 the viper1 the whip-snake1 the diamond-headed snake all arrived1 and each received his share of the poison so as to defend himself from his enemies4 ,wherever these snakes went on a journey everybody jumped out of their way1 for if they did not they were bitten and suffered much pain4 ,the ,water-snake1 however1 instead of obeying his mother's call1 went off to the river to fish4 ,by and by he became tired of fishing1 and thought he would go and hear what his mother the ,python wanted4 ,as he went he met the other snakes returning1 and heard that they had received their gifts from their mother4 ,on his arrival he asked her for his share of the poison4 ,but the ,python said3 8,no1 ,i called you1 and instead of coming you went fishing1 so now you have lost your share of the poison through disobedience40 ,that is why the ,water-snake is only laughed at when he bites1 and no one thinks of moving out of his way1 for he has no poison through disregarding his mother's call4 ,,story ,x ,how the ,squirrel outwitted the ,elephant ,the ,squirrel and the ,elephant met one day in the forest and had a big discussion about forest matters4 ,at last the ,elephant sneeringly said3 8,you are a ,squirrel1 you are only a little bit of a thing4 ,can you hold either my foot or my leg8 ,no1 you are too small to touch even one of my legs60 8,you may be a big thing10 retorted the ,squirrel1 8but can you keep on eating palm nuts as long as ,i can80 ,after much talk they decided to collect bunches of palm nuts1 and when all was ready they sat down to the eating contest4 ,before beginning1 however1 the ,squirrel had secreted a number of his friends in the forest near by4 ,the ,elephant began the contest by putting a bunch of palm nuts into his mouth2 but the ,squirrel took the nuts one by one and ate them4 ,and when the ,squirrel was full he made some excuse and slipped away1 and another squirrel took his place4 ,in this way ,squirrel after ,squirrel exchanged places with each other unnoticed by the ,elephant1 who continued to eat all the morning1 and the big pile of palm nuts grew smaller and smaller4 ,at last the ,elephant asked3 8,are you full1 friend ,squirrel80 8,no10 answered the last ,squirrel1 8,i feel as though ,i had only just begun40 8,is that so80 grunted the ,elephant4 8,well1 you are a wonderful little thing4 ,why1 ,i am getting fuller and fuller40 ,after that they went on eating again4 ,in the afternoon the ,elephant asked again3 8,friend ,squirrel1 are you full yet80 8,no10 replied the last ,squirrel1 8,i have not eaten half enough yet40 ,and he took up some more nuts to eat4 ,the ,elephant had not room for more than a sigh2 and towards sunset he said3 8,i am full1 and cannot eat any more palm nuts40 ,thus the ,elephant confessed he was beaten1 and ever after that he refrained from annoying and ridiculing his friends and neighbours because they were smaller than himself4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the natives are very careful not to taunt slaves about their condition1 or to twit a person about poverty or lowly birth4 ,it is considered to be the acme of rudeness to remind another that he is not so fine a fellow as you are1 or as he thinks he is4 ,of course1 folk often lost their temper and said bitter things to each other4 ,the following story shows the punishment that fell to a man because in his anger he was rude to his slave wife4 ,,story ,,xi ,rudeness and its ,punishment ,there was a man once who built a house on an island and went fishing in its creeks and pools4 ,he plaited a large number of fish-traps1 and set them in good places for catching fish4 ,one morning he went to look at the traps and found one full of fish1 and among the fish was a ,lolembe4#cj ,he took them to his house1 and then went to another part of the island to visit some other traps2 but on his return he found some food cooked and placed in a saucepan by the fire4 ,in his surprise he called out1 8,who has cooked this food80 but there was no answer4 ,all night he pondered this wonder in his heart1 for he knew he was alone on the island4 ,footnote #cj3 ,notopterus afer4 ,the next morning he pretended to go to his traps1 but turning back quickly he hid himself behind his house and watched through an opening in the wall4 ,by and by he was amazed to see the ,lolembe turn into a woman1 who at once began to cook the food1 whereupon the man showed himself to her and said3 8,oh1 you are the one who cooked my food yesterday60 8,yes10 she replied4 ,they were married1 and in due time the woman gave birth to two boys and a girl2 and they lived with much contentment on the island4 ,one day the man said to one of his sons3 8,you come and help me with the fish-traps10 and away they went together to look at the various traps4 ,the lad was a lazy1 disobedient boy who would not listen properly to what was told him1 so when the father wanted to empty the water out of the canoe and told him to go to the right side1 the boy went straight to the left side1 because it was nearer to him than the other side4 ,the father became very vexed1 and beating him in his anger1 he said3 8,you are too lazy and too proud to do what you are told4 ,do you know that your mother came out of one of these fish-traps1 for she was only a ,lolembe80 ,the boy on hearing this went crying to his mother1 and told her all his father had said4 ,the mother soothed him1 but in her heart she said3 8,my husband jeers at me because ,i am only a ,lolembe1 yet ,i have been a good wife to him2 perhaps some other day he will call me worse names1 and when we return to the town everybody will know that ,i came out of one of his fish-traps4 ,i will return to my own place in the river40 ,she thereupon fell into the river1 and changing into a ,lolembe she swam away4 8,therefore10 says the native storyteller1 8never taunt a person with being a slave40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the next two stories are illustrative of the native reason for the loss of eternal life1 or why people die1 instead of continuing to live for ever on the earth4 ,,story ,,xii ,nkengo fails to obtain lasting life ,nkengo was the son of ,libuta1 and he noticed that the people were dying daily in great numbers4 ,so one day he called out loudly3 8,you ,cloud-folk1 throw me down a rope60 ,the ,cloud-folk heard and threw him a rope4 ,nkengo held on to it and was pulled up to the ,cloud-land4 ,when he arrived there ,nkengo had to wait one day1 and in the morning the ,cloud-folk said to him3 8,you have come here to receive lasting life 7lobiku7 and escape from death4 ,you cannot make your request for seven days1 and in the meantime you must not go to sleep40 ,nkengo was able to keep awake for six days1 but on the seventh day he nodded and went to sleep4 ,the ,cloud-folk woke him up1 saying3 8,you came here to receive lasting life and escape from death4 ,you were able to keep awake six days4 ,why did you abandon your purpose on the seventh day80 ,they were so angry with him that they drove him out of ,cloud-land and lowered him to the earth4 ,the people on the earth asked him what had happened up above1 and ,nkengo replied3 8,when ,i reached ,cloud-land they told me that in order to gain lasting life ,i must keep awake for seven days4 ,i did not sleep for six days and six nights2 but on the seventh day ,i nodded in sleep2 whereupon they drove me out1 saying3 8,get away with your dying2 you shall not receive lasting life1 for every day there shall be death among you60 ,his friends laughed at him because he went to receive lasting life and lost it through sleeping4 ,that is the reason why death continues in the world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following story also gives the reason for the continuance of death in the world4 ,it was told me by a friend who lived for many years among the ,balolo tribe at ,bolengi 7,equatorville district71 about fifty or sixty miles below ,monsembe4 ,,story ,,xiii ,the ,two ,bundles ,while a man was working one day in the forest a little man with two bundles--one large and one small--went to him and asked3 8,which of these two bundles will you have8 ,this one0 7taking up the large bundle7 8contains looking-glasses1 knives1 beads1 cloth1 etc42 and this one0 7taking up the little bundle7 8contains lasting life40 8,i cannot choose by myself10 answered the man2 8,i must go and ask the other people in the town40 ,while he was gone to ask the other people some women arrived1 and the choice was put to them4 ,the women tried the edges of the knives1 bedecked themselves in the cloth1 admired themselves in the looking-glasses1 and without more ado they selected the big bundle and took it away4 ,the little man1 picking up the small bundle1 vanished4 ,on the return of the man from the town both the little man and his bundles had disappeared4 ,the women exhibited and shared the things1 but death continued on the earth4 ,hence the people say3 8,oh1 if those women had only chosen the small bundle1 we folk would not be dying like this60 ,,story ,,xiv ,the ,spider regrets her ,marriage ,there was a ,spider who lived with her parents in their town4 ,she was unmarried1 and it was very difficult to find a husband for her as she was so hard to please4 ,one young man asked her father for her in marriage1 but he said3 8,you must ask her yourself40 ,and when he said to her3 8,i love you4 ,will you be my wife80 she replied1 8,no10 in such a way that he went back to his house very angry4 ,another young man came1 and she said3 8,i refuse all husbands1 for ,i am going to remain as ,i am40 ,after a time another suitor came1 and when the ,spider declined him he said3 8,you refuse all offers of marriage from us2 but a person will come who will not be a proper person at all1 for he will have changed himself to look like a nice man4 ,you will marry him1 and you will have much trouble on going with him1 for he will take you to his country1 which will be far away1 and you will regret that you have refused all of us40 8,be quiet60 she shouted2 8you are angry because ,i will not marry you1 and that is why you threaten me40 8,very well10 said he1 8you think ,i am telling you a lie10 and away he went to his town4 ,now this was the ,python who spoke to the girl4 ,the ,python waited in his town for some time1 and then he changed himself into another and nicer form and paid a visit to the ,spider1 and said to her3 8,spider1 ,i have come to marry you40 ,the ,spider asked him3 8,do you love me or not80 ,he answered her3 8,i love you10 and they were married4 ,after a time he said3 8,spider1 we must return to my town40 ,and he deceitfully told her that he lived in a fine town1 and was very rich4 ,he also promised his father-in-law that he would return in six months--a promise he never intended to keep4 ,the ,spider and her husband started on their journey1 and went on and on and on for two months1 and the wife became very tired with the long walk4 ,as they were nearing their town a person said to her3 8,the one who is travelling with you is not a real person1 but a snake that has changed itself to look like a person4 ,do not believe in him40 ,they reached the husband's town1 which she found was simply a tree with a large hole in it4 ,the husband changed back to his snake form1 and coiling himself up in the hole he left his wife to do the best she could outside4 ,the ,spider was very angry1 and repented having been so stupid as to refuse all the nice young men of her own town to be deceived by this snake from a distance4 ,the poor ,spider became very thin and would have died1 only someone helped her back to her father4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the custom of making blood-brotherhood was very common on the ,upper ,congo4 ,the ceremony has already been described in a previous chapter1 and therefore it is not necessary to go again into detail4 ,during the performance of the rite the contracting parties who exhibited any doubt of each other's faithfulness in properly observing the bond would put one another under a prohibition or taboo1 and so long as they carefully obeyed the prohibition the blood bond remained in force4 ,in the following story the birds enter into this blood bond1 and the peculiarities of each are regarded as prohibitions placed on them during the ceremony4 ,there are many such stories accounting for the physical idiosyncrasies of various birds and animals4 ,,story ,,xv ,the ,heron and the ,parrot are unbelieving ,when the ,heron and the ,parrot entered into the bonds of blood-brotherhood the ,heron put the ,parrot under a ban1 saying3 8,friend ,parrot1 you must always remain in the tree-tops1 and never alight on the ground4 ,if you do so you will not be able to fly again1 for you will be caught1 killed1 and eaten2 and even if you are not killed the folk who catch you will tame you1 and you will lose your power to fly again in the air40 ,the ,parrot said3 8,friend ,heron1 you must never build a house to sleep in it2 if you do you will die40 ,after some time the ,heron began to doubt the words of the ,parrot1 and he said to himself3 8,perhaps my friend told me a lie about sleeping in a house4 ,i will test his words1 and if ,i die my family will know that the words of the ,parrot are true1 and they will never sleep in a house40 ,that evening the ,heron entered a house 7nest71 and next morning his family found him lying dead4 ,ever since that time the ,herons have always slept on the branches of the trees4 ,the ,parrot also doubted the power of the ,heron's prohibition1 and said to himself3 8,i will alight on the ground1 and if ,i am unable to fly again my family will know the ,heron's words are true ones40 ,so down the ,parrot flew1 and alighting on the ground he found there plenty to eat1 but when he tried to rise again he was not able to use his wings4 ,some people caught him and tamed him1 and he remained a slave in their town4 ,that is the reason why the ,parrots always fly high above the tree-tops and never alight on the earth1 because of the prohibition of their friend the ,heron4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the writer has many more of these stories1 but the above are fairly typical of the lines upon which they run1 although every story has its own little plot and exhibits some characteristic trait of native mind and habit4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xv ,,war ,no army--,the family fight--,the town fight--,the district fight--,procuring volunteers--8,medicine0 put on spears--,poison used--,no night attacks--,lips of the slain worn by the slayer--,spirit of the slain--,mode of attack--,prisoners--,women a cause of quarrels--,war omens--,war dance--,spears and flint-lock guns4 ,one can hardly dignify the quarrels and fights that occur among the ,boloki and their neighbours by the name of war4 ,there is no army and no organization1 but all the men and lads take part in the fight that affects their family or their town4 ,their fights may be divided into three classes--the family fight1 the town fight1 and the district fight4 ,the second and third generally arise out of the first4 ,the family fight4 ,if a family has a quarrel with another family in the town neither guns1 spears1 nor knives are used in the fight that follows1 but always sticks4 ,i do not mean to say that no man ever draws his knife on another in a town quarrel2 but that when two families in the same town deliberately fight each other they use only sticks as their weapons4 ,they have talked until they are tired2 it is not a case for the ordeal2 and the ordinary methods of judging a case have failed1 so they resort to sticks1 and the party driven off the 8field0 by sheer weight of blows is the loser4 ,the losing side then pays up and the affair is ended4 ,the other families in the town scarcely ever take sides1 but look on and enjoy the performance4 ,illustration3 ,,huts ,,built ,,for ,,use ,,during ,,war ,,time ,the ,monsembe people for several weeks were threatened by some neighbouring villages with an attack1 so they abandoned their houses1 and built a number of these huts on the beach1 and on the land side erected a strong palisade to protect themselves4 ,when a family in one town has a fight with the family of another town1 then spears1 knives1 and guns are freely used4 ,if family ,a of ,x town goes to fight family ,b of ,z town1 then the other families in ,z will stand ready armed to assist their neighbours should they not be able to repulse the enemy2 and should the other families in ,z town help the ,b family to drive out ,a family1 then the other families in ,x town will help ,a family on its next venture into the enemy's town1 and what was originally a family feud becomes a fight between two towns4 ,it may happen that ,b family has not the sympathy of the other families in ,z town1 and they will stand by and see that family driven out and their houses raided2 or it may also happen that the ,a family has not the sympathy of the other families in ,x town1 and they will not join forces with it to fight the folk who have repulsed them4 ,this is put to the test in the following way3 ,the head of the defeated family puts a plantain leaf over his shoulder one evening and walks through the town calling out the reason for the fight1 the family against whom he is fighting1 and asking that volunteers who are willing to help him will meet next morning outside his house ready armed to accompany him4 ,very often no one turns up1 and the man has to consider whether his own family has any chance of success if it prosecutes the fight alone1 or whether some other way cannot be found of settling the affair4 ,if1 however1 the head of the family is an important man of known bravery who can command a large following of slaves and relatives1 and there is every prospect of success1 then a large number of volunteers will turn up the next morning4 ,i have often seen a man going through the town with a plantain leaf across his shoulder calling for supporters4 ,sometimes they were such unimportant men that they were laughed at for their trouble4 ,when the families in ,z town see ,a family returning to the assault with so many volunteers they will at once go to the assistance of their hard-pressed neighbour1 for the honour and safety of the town are now at stake1 and the affair now becomes a town fight4 ,a town fight4 ,the ,x town goes en masse to fight the enemy1 leaving behind only the women1 the children1 the aged1 and the sick4 ,if ,x town is driven back by ,z town and is unable to defend its position1 then the women and children are carried off1 the aged and sick are killed1 the town raided1 everything portable is removed1 and the houses burnt to the ground2 but if the ,x folk1 although driven back1 are able to defend their town they will set sentries for the night2 and next day they will send their biggest head-man with a plantain leaf over his shoulder to call up volunteers from the other towns with whom they are friendly1 and then it becomes a war between district and district4 ,when men go to fight distant towns their wives are expected not to commit adultery with such men as are left in the town1 or their husbands will receive spear wounds from the enemy4 ,the sisters of the fighters will take every precaution to guard against the unfaithfulness of their brothers' wives while they are on the expedition4 ,some fighters put fetish 8medicine0 on their spears to give precision of aim2 others rub them with a vegetable poison made from the burnt ashes of munsansangu leaves2 and others go to the medicine man of the ndemo to render them invisible to the enemy4 ,it is impossible to keep the arrangements for an attack secret4 ,there are always friends and relatives who will inform their friends1 etc41 on the other side1 and the drums are beaten and the fighters prepare for the attack4 ,the head of the family whose quarrel it is arranges the fight and leads the van with his own slaves1 family1 etc4 ,if necessary he takes counsel with the heads of the other families helping him4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,stapleton ,a ,,boloki ,,shield ,the man is a ,monsembe slave of the ,mongo tribe4 ,the shield is strongly plaited of dyed grasses and ornamented round the edge with skins4 ,it is used more for deflecting spears than for receiving them4 ,at the back is a wooden plate about half the length and width of the shield1 to which the basket-work is laced4 ,i never knew them to make a night attack4 ,they would often lie in ambush and capture1 if possible1 those who fell into the trap1 and kill those who tried to escape4 ,attacks were often made in the early morning1 soon after three o'clock4 ,no scouts were employed1 but when necessary sentries were placed1 and when they became sleepy they aroused two of their comrades to take their places4 ,the fighting was not worthy of the name of a battle1 but was simply an affray1 a mle1 in which there was no order and no words of command4 ,no truce was allowed1 but when one side was tired of the fight1 or was getting the worst of it1 they sent for a go-between 7molekaleku7 to arrange a meeting and the terms upon which blood-brotherhood could be made4 ,a man of conspicuous bravery who kills a man in a fight receives congratulatory presents1 and at drinking-bouts the first mug of sugar-cane wine is served to him as long as he retains such pre-eminence1 and he has no difficulty in procuring volunteers to aid him in any of his personal quarrels4 ,when a man kills his opponent in a fight he cuts off his head and removes his lips1 which latter he thoroughly dries in the sun1 and then sticks them over with brass chair nails and wears them as an ornament with as much pride as a decoration is worn by the civilized soldier--it is the man's medal for bravery4 ,the skull of the slain man is put at the base of a palm1 or other tree just outside the victor's house1 and when the victor dies the spirit of the conquered and slain man is called upon to do service to the spirit of the conqueror in longa1 or the spirit-world4 ,the ,boloki when attacking a town will often divide into two parties1 and while one division attacks the place in front by water1 the other makes a detour over land and attacks the rear4 ,when chasing the enemy they throw their light1 thin1 fighting spears in the air1 and these1 turning1 come down head first and pierce the shoulders1 and ,i have known some to enter the top of the arm and come out at the elbow4 ,for warding off spears they use grass-plaited shields1 fine-woven cotton belts wound round and round the waist1 and some have cuirasses of hippopotamus hide to cover the back4 ,the cuirass fastens in front1 and at the fastening there is generally a dagger in a sheath1 which is easily drawn4 ,there are a few flint-lock trade guns among them1 but they rely on their light1 thin spears and knives of various lengths and shapes4 ,lads who cannot obtain spears use sticks with sharpened points that have been hardened in the fire1 and with these they harass the enemy4 ,when fighting they wear skin hats1 more as a protection against cuts than for ornament2 and the whole face is blackened with a thick paste of oil and soot1 or oil and burnt ground nuts1 and the eyes are surrounded with circles of chalk or white clay4 ,this is to disguise them from their enemies4 ,the ,boloki1 among the ,congo people1 are acknowledged to be the fiercest and the bravest in a fight1 and are greatly feared by the other tribes4 ,prisoners taken are held to ransom1 and if not ransomed they are retained1 sold1 or killed1 according to the whim of the captor4 ,the first prisoner taken by a man is given1 as a first-fruit1 to the man's father1 or1 failing him1 to his nearest relative4 ,women very often become the wives of their captors4 ,prisoners captured in war belong to their captors1 and the same applies to all kinds of spoils4 ,the bodies of enemies are carried when possible from the 8field0 and eaten at a general feast4 ,if the prisoners are not redeemed they become slaves1 and while the young ones amalgamate with their conquerors1 and often become a part of the families of their owners1 the elder ones who have their own tribal marks well defined never take other than a servile position in the towns of their masters4 ,the chief cause of quarrels and fights on the ,congo is about women1 and although the ostensible reason may be a drunken row or a debt1 yet if you push the matter to its real origin you will in nine cases out of ten find a woman at the bottom of it4 ,directly after blood-brotherhood is made all is friendly so far as seeming outward appearances may show2 but ,i know from experience that the conquered are only awaiting their opportunity of revenge4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,boloki ,,method ,,of ,,beheading ,the victim here lies on the ground with a plantain stem under the neck4 ,this plantain stem supports the neck for a clean cut through1 but does not damage the edge of the knife4 ,there are certain omens that demand careful attention during war time4 ,to some1 if a snake during war goes in front towards the enemy it is a sign that success will attend their undertaking1 but if the snake comes towards them the omen is against them4 ,to others1 if the muntontwa 7a small active bird with a long beak7 flies towards the enemy the omen is in their favour1 but if it comes from the direction of the enemy it is not to be disregarded or some calamity will surely overtake them4 ,to most natives it will be a bad sign if a man kicks his foot against anything in the road4 ,sometimes the stronger-minded ones laugh away the fears of those who are inclined to turn back if the omens are against them2 but it more frequently happens that they turn en masse1 probably glad to postpone the fight4 ,after a fight1 in which some of the enemy are killed1 only the men meet to engage in the bonkani dance4 ,the men dance with their spears and knives1 and any goats1 sheep1 dogs1 or fowls that approach the dancers are instantly speared1 cooked1 and eaten4 ,as a man beats the drum one after another of the dancers advances1 and in a solo tells of his exploits during the late fight1 which exploits are more often in the imagination than on the field of battle2 but they vie with one another in 8drawing the long bow0 on such occasions4 ,at times they use the following divination to ascertain the results of a proposed fight3 ,a saucepan of marsh or forest water is procured and some 8medicine0 is put into it4 ,the saucepan is placed on the fire1 to which none but the operators have access1 and then1 after due time1 they say to this likato 7saucepan of water with 8medicine0 in it71 8,will they kill us in the fight80 ,if the water boils up and fills the saucepan1 then it is an omen that some of them will be killed1 so they abandon the war2 but if the water keeps low they ask1 8,shall we kill some of them in the fight80 ,then if the water rises in the saucepan it is an omen that some of the enemy will be killed1 and the war is prosecuted2 but if the water does not boil over it indicates that they will not kill any of the enemy1 consequently the proposed fight is dropped4 ,this test is applied several times before it is considered satisfactory4 ,i have seen natives fight both on the ,lower and ,upper ,congo4 ,on the ,lower ,congo flint-lock guns are used1 and do almost as much harm to the firer as to the one fired at4 ,through being so flimsily made a heavy charge of gunpowder will often cause the old gas-pipe barrels to explode1 and a large number of our hospital accidents are from guns bursting in hunting and fighting4 ,the firer holds the butt of his gun against the palm of his right hand1 consequently when the gun jerks in firing1 the bullet goes anywhere but at the object aimed at unless that object is very near4 ,i have known over two hundred men fire at about thirty for a whole day and only one man was wounded in the ankle by a spent slug4 ,their guns will not carry far1 and they stand at long distances from one another and fire4 ,on the other hand1 the ,boloki1 relying as he does on his fighting spear1 runs in to throw it1 and many wounds are inflicted in a very short time4 ,on the ,lower ,congo a person is seldom killed in a fight with guns2 but among the ,boloki there is never a fight between town and town without several deaths4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,hunting ,scarcity of animal life--,bush-burning--,game in ancient times--,no bush-burning on ,upper ,congo--,scarcity of game--,absence of prairie lands--,large forests--,division of an animal--,mode of preserving meat--,omen of success or failure--,taboo on trap makers--,fetishing hunting-dog--,spears used for some animals--,string nets for others4 ,those parts of the ,congo with which ,i am acquainted are not teeming with animal life1 so far as my experience goes4 ,i cannot claim the rle of an ardent sportsman1 yet ,i carried my gun many a weary mile in search of supplies for my table1 nor did ,i often return unsuccessful4 ,the natives1 both on the ,upper and ,lower ,congo1 give much time to hunting1 and are fairly successful when there is game about4 ,undoubtedly the annual grass-burning on the ,lower ,congo has gradually and surely reduced the game1 so that a party of hunters does not now bring home an antelope once in two months1 although they might be out almost every day4 ,in ,august1 ,september1 and early ,october hundreds of miles of bush are burnt to the ground4 ,every town has its own 8bush10 and after burning a circle round their town to secure it against fire when the 8bush0 is blazing before a rushing wind1 the town-folk arrange to fire one 8patch of bush0 after another1 until the whole country is black with charred grass stumps4 ,when a patch is burnt it is surrounded by the chief and his men owning it1 and they shoot down the antelopes1 bush-pigs1 palm-rats1 gazelles1 etc41 as they rush by in terror from the oncoming flames4 ,this annual bush-burning has been going on for generations1 and accounts for the scarcity of animal life on the ,lower ,congo4 ,in a book#ca ,i have before me there are evidences that animal life was very prolific at the time of the narrator's visit to the ,kingdom of ,congo4 ,he gives various accounts of the mode of hunting then followed on the ,lower ,congo1 but does not mention any bush-burning1 so apparently this mode of hunting came into vogue at a later date4 ,he also speaks of the lion and zebra as being plentiful2 these now1 however1 are never seen on the ,lower ,congo4 ,he mentions the tiger 787 as being very numerous and fierce2 but as he gives the native name--engoi--we know that he is speaking of the leopard1 which is regarded still as a royal beast1 and is always spoken of as mfumu 7lord74 ,footnote #ca3 8,a ,report of the ,kingdom of ,congo from the writings etc4 of ,duarte ,lopez by ,filippo ,pigafetta1 in ,rome #aeia40 ,on the ,upper ,congo are many hippopotami--in a quiet side channel in #ahij we counted over one hundred of these huge beasts on a single sandbank2 and as we passed the noise of our steamer frightened them4 ,they took to the water1 churned it in their alarm1 and thumped the bottom of our steamer repeatedly4 ,crocodiles are very numerous1 and are frequently killed from the decks of steamers passing up and down the river4 ,they are more cautious than formerly1 and make for the river on the slightest alarm4 ,many water-birds are to be seen along the banks1 and in the quieter creeks and channels monkeys of various species sit chattering in the trees4 ,the numerous steamers that now run up and down the river and its larger tributaries have frightened the hippo1 the crocodile1 and monkeys from the main channels to the smaller ones1 and the hunter must now go by canoe1 boat1 or small launch up these unfrequented water bypaths if he is in search of sport4 ,there is no bush-burning on the ,upper ,congo1 for the greater part of it is forest land1 with here and there an open glade of forty or fifty acres in extent4 ,animal life1 however1 is not prolific1 and this may be accounted for1 perhaps1 by these reasons3 ,there are no great prairie or bush-lands where animals can breed in comparative security1 and the ,equatorial district for hundreds of miles is periodically flooded4 ,about every ten or eleven years the banks are under water4 ,i have had to go about my own station in a boat1 and ,i have eaten antelopes and bush-pigs that were caught and killed just off our station in the over-swollen river4 ,in ,august1 #ahij1 the river at ,monsembe was eleven feet below the bank1 but every year its highest rise was higher than the previous year1 until in ,november1 #ahif1 and again in #ahig1 the river was running under our houses4 ,then for a few years its highest watermark was lower than the preceding year2 and in #aijc it took the turn1 and the country was flooded again in #aijh4 ,during the #ahif flood we learned from the natives that the river 8was flooded like this when ,so-and-so was a boy that height40 ,we judged that to be about ten years before4 ,these floods have undoubtedly helped to keep down the animal life of the ,equatorial district1 and1 in addition1 it is probable that forest lands are not such good breeding-places as the open veldt lands of ,south ,africa1 where the enemy cannot so easily take an animal by surprise4 ,there are in every ,boloki town two or three men who are the recognized hunters1 either because of their success1 their swiftness of movement1 their accuracy of aim1 or their daring courage4 ,these men are the leaders in the hunt1 and always receive a larger share of the spoil than the ordinary man4 ,the owner of the slain animal is he whose spear first enters a vital part1 and though the others have a share according to their importance1 yet he takes the largest portion for himself4 ,various relatives1 head-men1 and chiefs have rights over certain parts of an animal killed by a relative or a member of the town4 ,these portions vary considerably with the different families and towns4 ,a child takes a leg or a shoulder of the animal slain by his father1 a mother receives the belly-piece or the neck from her successful son4 ,these bespoke portions that belong to the family are called bilelo4 ,the head-man of the town receives the head or a leg1 and his portion is called motando4 ,after the fortunate hunter has met these claims1 and has given his companions in the hunt a piece each1 there is often not much left for himself4 ,there is no close season for hunting4 ,the boundaries of the town are well defined1 and the islands belonging to a town are well known to all the other towns in the neighbourhood4 ,if an animal is killed on ground owned by a town other than that to which the huntsman belongs1 he has to send a portion of it--generally the head--to the chief who claims the land4 ,the only mode ,i observed among them for preserving the meat is that of thoroughly drying it1 or smoking it1 over a fire4 ,as a rule not much meat is preserved in this way1 as the animal is usually eaten all up in three or four days4 ,those who have more than they can eat are always willing to sell some of it to the less fortunate1 and buyers are numerous4 ,men going to hunt carry their special charms with them1 either on their person or on their spears4 ,these charms are almost as numerous as there are huntsmen2 you will scarcely find two men in a party who have faith in the same kind of charm4 ,but there are certain ceremonies performed in which all the huntsmen take part4 ,in the case of a special hunt1 say for killing elephants1 a medicine man was called who took two or three days to perform an elaborate ritual and 8make medicine40 ,this only occurred once during my residence at ,monsembe1 and then the hunt was not successful4 ,although ,i inquired about what the medicine man did1 the people were too suspicious of me to inform me about his proceedings4 ,i found later that the natives thought that the spirits of the deceased who inhabited the forests had power to turn the animals aside from the traps and thus render them ineffective1 so the first thing to be done when arranging a hunt was to call the medicine man of the mat4 ,this medicine man brought his mats1 charms1 some saucepans and calabashes4 ,he set up his mat1 and entering the enclosed space he went through secret rites that lasted from one to three days4 ,during these secret ceremonies he caught the spirits of the locality where the trap was set 7or was to be set71 and shut them up in a saucepan1 or secured them safely in a calabash4 ,again1 all those concerned in the hunt had to chew red pepper and the pulp of the nsafu fruit1 and if anyone refused to eat this mixture or could not spit it out properly it was taken as an adverse omen and the hunt abandoned4 ,when the medicine man had secured the spirits in his saucepan or calabash1 and the omen was satisfactory1 the man who started the proceedings and two or three friends went and put up the spear-trap4 ,from the time of setting the trap until an animal was killed in it and eaten1 these men abstained from all intercourse with women1 otherwise the luck would be bad and their trap unsuccessful4 ,the same prohibition was enforced on hunters who made traps 7motambu noose-traps7 for bush-pigs and burrowing animals4 ,the natives are not good trackers4 ,i very often hunted with them1 and after a short time ,i was able to track the game as quickly as they4 ,they relied more on the animal running into a trap1 or into a noose1 than tracking them down and spearing them4 ,they never went tracking for long distances like the ,north ,american ,indians1 but simply for a mile or two round their own towns4 ,undoubtedly the various chiefs owning the ground and demanding certain parts of the animals killed on their land restricted the tracking and hunting to small areas for setting traps only1 and consequently their tracking instincts were not developed4 ,the medicine man of the mat takes the dog selected for hunting purposes and puts into its mouth and nose the juice pressed from a crushed shrub called mumpongo1 and this makes the dog keen of scent and courageous in the hunt4 ,when such a dog dies it is not eaten like other dogs1 but is buried in a mat like a child1 for it is a fetish dog1 and hence it is supposed to have a kind of spirit which1 if not properly treated1 can bring bad luck on its former owner4 ,for hippopotami1 elephants1 and antelopes spring traps were placed across their tracks4 ,these traps are made by putting two stout uprights about four feet apart1 one on either side of the track2 then a stout cross-piece is tied at about twelve feet from the ground4 ,to the middle of this cross-piece and right over the track is fixed a heavy log of wood2 and into the downward end of the log is placed a strong1 sharp1 heavy spear or prong4 ,the log is so arranged that when the string which stretches across the path is touched by the passing animal1 down comes the log1 and four times out of six the spear enters the body of the beast4 ,i once saw the body of a man who1 while running in the forest1 had inadvertently touched the spring of one of these traps4 ,the spear caught him in the back of the neck1 passed through his body1 and came out between his legs4 ,such traps were called mbonga4 ,occasionally pit-traps are made1 but it is seldom that anything is found in them4 ,in hunting the larger bush animals1 and also crocodiles1 the spear is the most common weapon1 and this is hurled with great precision and swiftness4 ,but in hunting smaller game1 as the small antelopes1 coypus1 or palm-rats1 bush-pigs1 and gazelle-like animals1 long string nets are employed4 ,these nets are placed in a semicircle near where the animal is supposed to be1 and then the hunters carefully beat the bush1 driving the game before them into the net4 ,most of the hunting-spears are light1 with a small blade and thin shaft1 and some have barbs along either side of the blade4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,fishing ,collecting fish for the ,museum--,modes of fishing--,by torchlight--,fish-fences--,traps and spoon-nets--,floating buoys and hooks--,fish-spears--,fish poisons--,prohibition with fish traps--,addressing the fisherman--,penalties--,first-fruits--,p ortion given to head chief4 ,fish is very plentiful in the ,congo and its tributaries4 ,the writer was asked a few years ago by the authorities of the ,natural ,history ,museum1 ,london1 if he would undertake to collect ,congo fish for them4 ,this he readily consented to do1 and was glad of the opportunity of rendering them any assistance in his power on the understanding that it should be no expense1 for transport1 etc41 to his ,society4 ,the ,museum authorities sent him the necessary preserving spirits and the tanks4 ,the latter he filled with fish1 labelled them and forwarded them to ,m4 ,g4 ,a4 ,boulenger1 who has charge of the ,ichthyological ,department at the ,natural ,history ,museum4 ,the natives themselves became interested in collecting fish1 and brought me their catches to see if there was a fish among them that ,i had not put into the 8box02 and when later the ,museum authorities sent me about fifty plates1 beautifully engraved1 of the ,congo fish that ,i and others had sent to them1 nothing delighted the native lads more than looking over those plates and talking about the fish represented by them4 ,i started collecting in the following simple way3 ,in #ahic we had no fish-hooks on the station1 but the boys asked my wife to give them some pins with which to make hooks4 ,this we did1 on the condition that the young fishermen brought their catches to us and allowed us to take one or two fish for my bottle4 ,the fish they caught by such primitive means were1 of course1 rather small1 about the size of one's fingers2 but ,i soon had two pickle bottles full of various kinds of fish4 ,these bottles ,i brought home in #ahie and gave to the ,natural ,history ,museum1 and several new species were found in that small1 unpretentious collection4 ,this led the ,museum authorities to ask me to collect larger fish1 which ,i gladly did4 ,i was much interested in noticing the various modes of fishing pursued by the different tribes on the ,congo1 and will here give the results of my observations3 7#a7 ,fishing by torches at night4 ,fishermen in twos and threes would light a bunch of grass1 or an old mat1 on a dark night and would walk quietly along the river's bank1 holding the light well up with one hand so as to attract the fish1 and having in the other hand a long knife or spear well poised1 ready to strike any fish that was attracted by the bright light4 ,i never saw them catch a fish in this way1 but they must kill one occasionally1 or they would not trouble to spend their time in this manner4 ,this mode of fishing was common to all the peoples right along the river4 7#b7 ,during certain seasons of the year--,may and ,november--the ,congo itself and its numerous tributaries1 inlets1 and creeks are flooded with heavy rains4 ,the watershed of the ,congo ,river is extensive enough to benefit by the rainy seasons both north and south of the ,equator2 hence the two rises in the year--,may and ,november4 ,illustration3 ,by permission3 ,muse du ,congo ,belge ,,tetrodon ,,mbu ,this fish has the power1 when irritated1 of distending itself enormously1 and becomes covered with small spines4 ,this is its mode of defence1 for when swallowed by a larger fish it at once inflates itself in its enemy's throat1 who has either to expel it or choke4 ,at flood times fences are built across the smaller creeks and streams4 ,these fences are so closely woven that none but the smallest fish can pass4 ,as soon as the water falls1 which it generally does in six or eight weeks1 those who built the fences go and search the shallow water and mud for any fish that may have been shut in the trap4 ,in this way large quantities of various kinds of fish are caught1 which1 being cleaned and thoroughly dried in the smoke over a slow fire1 help them much by rendering their sour cassava more palatable4 ,during the time that the river is subsiding the people catch snails1 and cut them up to feed the fish in these creek traps1 and also in any ponds and pools left on the islands by the receding river4 ,at flood time many of the islands are one and two feet under water1 and as the river goes down large pools are left in the hollows4 ,these are claimed by those people who1 as the water shallows1 fatten the fish with snails and cassava parings1 and in due time they bail the remaining water out of these pools and catch the gasping fish left on the muddy bottom4 ,the mud-fish and siluroids are caught in large quantities in these pools and ponds4 ,both these modes of fishing are common to the whole river above ,stanley ,pool4 ,illustration3 ,by permission3 ,muse du ,congo ,belge ,,gnathonemus ,,numenius ,this curious fish1 with a proboscis like an elephant's1 is to be found on the ,upper ,congo4 ,the long snout is used for searching for snails1 worms1 and insects in the mud4 ,the eyes are protected by a transparent covering4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,long ,,fish-,,trap ,the mouth is put up-river1 and partitions in it are so arranged that fish can enter1 but cannot get out4 ,see page #bda4 7#c7 ,on the ,upper ,congo1 where the water is shallow and the banks slope gradually and regularly1 the natives select a suitable place and drive in a number of wooden stakes forming a large semicircle1 the ends of which touch the bank at from #ae to #bj yards from each other4 ,they then fasten long bamboo nets to the stakes1 thus enclosing a large sheet of water4 ,a large number of light branches and leaves are loosely thrown over the surface of the enclosed water2 the up-river end of this fish-trap is left open for the fish to pass in where they find shade4 ,snails and cassava parings are cut up and thrown in to fatten the fish and induce them to stay4 ,as the river rises more branches are thrown on the enclosed water1 and the fish gliding along the bank enter1 and are charmed by the cool shade and food they find there4 ,as soon as the river begins to fall below the top of the net the opening is shut4 ,at this stage the natives frequently spear fish by probing with their fish-spears among the branches and grass inside the trap4 ,in a few weeks the river falls1 and the branches are carefully removed1 and a number of women and boys and girls enter the water with cone-shaped baskets about #b feet high1 #ah inches in diameter at the mouth1 and an #h-;inch opening at the top4 ,these baskets they lift up and down in the water1 placing the bottom firmly each time on the river-bed1 and from the feel they can tell whether a fish is enclosed or not4 ,they catch fish frequently in this way1 and then they put their hand through the top opening and grip it4 ,if the fish is too large for that1 then a spear is passed through and the fish pinned to the ground4 ,see page #bci4 ,around the outside of the fence will be a number of canoes1 occupied by men and lads fishing with large string nets fastened to stout canes of calamus palms4 ,with these they spoon the water and often bring up a fish4 ,after a time the large bamboo-net fence is slowly pulled up the sloping bank1 sweeping before it and enclosing in its narrowing space any fish that may have escaped the spears1 nets1 and traps1 until it is drawn right up the bank4 ,the whole scene is very animated1 men and women1 boys and girls--a score or more of them--laughing1 jesting1 joking most noisily1 splashing each other1 scrambling1 swimming1 kicking1 fighting1 and diving in their efforts to catch the fish they feel gliding between their legs or slipping through their fingers4 ,many go as much for the fun as for the fish4 ,illustration3 ,see page #bda4 ,illustration3 ,see page #bch4 7#d7 ,fish-hooks1 probably first introduced by white men1 are in general use all along the river4 ,the hook is baited with cassava1 or earth worms1 or the entrails of fowls4 ,it is thrown into the river to lie on the bottom until it is found and swallowed by a hungry fish4 ,i have seen a fish weighing #bj pounds caught in this way4 ,the end of the line is a running noose placed round the angler's wrist4 ,i once saw a boy about #ad years old jerked off the bank into the river by a fish that had swallowed his hook1 and then in fright had suddenly started off4 ,the boy1 taken by surprise1 lost his balance and toppled into the river2 he and his fish1 however1 were soon pulled out4 ,illustration3 ,,anchored ,,float ,,with ,,baited ,,hook ,the following is another mode of using the fish-hook3 ,a crescent-shaped float of light wood 7generally ambash7 is prepared1 and a cord is fixed across from horn to horn2 from this cord hangs a string with the baited hook at the end4 ,this float has a heavy stone fastened to it at the end of a long cord4 ,the fisherman goes into the middle of the river1 drops the stone anchor 7to keep the float from being carried away by the current71 arranges the float and hook1 and returns to land in his canoe4 ,as long as he sees the horns of his float above water he knows that no fish is on the hook4 ,when a fish takes the bait and swallows the hook1 it overturns the float in its attempts to escape1 and when the fisherman sees the rounded bottom of his float above water he knows that a fish is caught on the hook4 ,i have seen fish weighing close on #dj pounds caught by this ingenious method4 ,illustration3 ,,single ,,and ,,double ,,fish ,,traps ,see pages #bda-b ,illustration3 ,,fish ,,spear ,,with ,,detachable ,,head ,throughout the whole length of the river the natives use large cone-shaped traps made of split canes and bamboos4 ,these traps vary in size from #f feet to #ab feet in length1 and from #b feet to #g feet in diameter at the mouth4 ,the sides run straight for two-thirds of the length1 and then taper off to a point4 ,inside are several partitions running in semicircles and at an obtuse angle to the sides1 so that it is easy for the fish to enter2 but if they try to escape1 the sharp1 irregular ends of the canes forming the partitions probe them1 and effectually turn them back4 ,these large basket-like traps are weighted and dropped into deep water with their mouths upstream4 ,some have only one smaller circle of canes arranged inside a larger4 ,there is also another trap having the same diameter for its whole length1 and a mouth at each end with a smaller cone-shaped partition arranged in each opening1 so that fish coming from opposite directions can enter4 ,fish-spears are of different shapes1 but their hafts are always long--from #aj to #ab feet--and tapered towards the end4 ,sometimes the handles are of sticks1 and sometimes of bamboos4 ,the fish-spear is often a simple prong1 sometimes an ordinary spear shape1 but the commonest form is the barbed--single1 or double1 or triple4 ,the two former are always tightly fixed in their handles1 but the barbed kind is always detachable1 having two or three yards of string loosely wound round the handle near to the spear-head4 ,this allows the barbed head of the spear to remain in the fish1 and the handle to float and show its whereabouts4 ,i think the only reason for this difference is that the barbed spear-heads are scarce and costly1 and on account of the detachable handles they are not so likely to lose them4 ,fish poisons are used4 ,one was the milky juice of a leguminous1 hairy plant1 called botoko 7probably ,tephrosia toxifera71 which was crushed and thrown into the streamlets and creeks and has the effect of partially stupefying the fish4 ,the other was the juice of the ,euphorbia1 named by the natives kokotulu4 ,illustration3 ,by permission3 ,muse du ,congo ,belge ,,genyomyrus ,,donnyi ,this remarkable fish is to be seen in different parts of the ,upper ,congo4 ,it feeds on molluscs1 worms1 and maggots4 ,its eyes are protected by a transparent covering which permits it to probe among heaps of river refuse4 7#e7 ,the ,libinza people1 to whom ,i have referred several times1 make the largest nets1 and fish in a more business-like way than any tribe ,i have seen on the ,upper ,congo4 ,these nets are of a large mesh1 and are made entirely of native string4 ,in shape the net is like a box without a lid4 ,it is #ae feet long1 about #h feet wide1 and from #c to #d feet deep4 ,illustration3 ,by permission3 ,muse du ,congo ,belge ,,protopterus ,,dolloi ,the mud-fish--partly fish1 partly reptile1 with its rudimentary fins1 breathes by gills and lives like a fish when there is plenty of water in the creeks and river2 but when the river subsides it burrows in the mud1 which soon bakes into a hard cake1 and there the mud-fish passes the dry season rolled up and in a torpid condition4 ,this is a fair average size2 there are many larger than this1 and some smaller4 ,soon after dark the ,libinza fishermen select a suitable place--a sandbank with three or four feet of water on it4 ,the net is fixed by one end and the two sides1 being tied to stakes driven in the sand2 the other end was allowed to lie on the bottom of the river4 ,having fastened the net1 they form a wide semicircle at some distance from the loose end of their net1 and at a signal they begin to beat the water with their hands and feet1 gradually working up to the open end and driving the startled fish before them4 ,this operation is frequently repeated through the night1 and as a result large quantities of all kinds of fish are brought to the town next morning4 ,for this kind of fishing the river must be fairly shallow4 7#f7 ,the ,basoko people have another mode of fishing by means of a string net #cj feet long and #e feet high4 ,the two ends are fixed to sticks2 along the upper edge of the net were floats of pith-wood1 and along the bottom edge were weights of burnt fire-clay4 ,the men go out in a canoe1 and at a likely place the net is unrolled1 and one man slips over the side of the canoe with one end of the net which1 by means of the stick1 he fastens upright in the bed of the river2 the other man then jumps into the river with his end of the net and makes a wide detour--the floats buoying up one edge and the weights sinking the other4 ,the second man having made as wide a detour as the length of the net permits1 sweeps round the fixed end and winds the net closely round and round1 entangling in its meshes any fish caught inside the circle of its sweep4 ,i have seen many fish caught in this manner4 7#g7 ,the ,bopoto people have another mode1 which appears more clumsy than it really is4 ,a light frame of poles about #h or #i feet square is covered with a fine mat of bamboo laths closely woven together4 ,one side of this frame is hinged to the side of the canoe so that it moves freely4 ,the two upper corners of the frame have ropes attached to them4 ,the two fishermen hold the frame upright while a third paddles them into mid-stream2 then the frame is lowered by the ropes until the top end is #ab or #ad inches under the water1 and the canoe is then allowed to drift with the current4 ,by and by a fish swims over the submerged net1 and the men1 who are watching1 pull quickly at their ropes1 up comes the net1 and down tumbles the fish into the canoe4 ,it is a curious fact that one tribe never imitates another in its principal mode of fishing4 ,i have seen an ,upper ,river native make and use a cast net such as he had seen the ,accra carpenters use2 but ,i never saw a man of one tribe imitate a man of a neighbouring tribe in his peculiar mode of fishing4 ,they have traps common to all1 but each tribe has its own principal mode peculiar to itself4 ,i have twitted a native of ,monsembe about not following1 or even trying1 the successful mode of fishing pursued by the ,libinza people1 and he has replied3 8,we could not catch fish like them even if we tried2 that is their way1 and we have ours40 ,fishermen while making their traps 7moleke7 are prohibited from all intercourse with women1 and this prohibition continues until the trap has caught some fish and the said fish has been eaten1 otherwise they will have no luck in fishing4 ,this abstinence may last some few weeks1 or only a few days4 ,the ,boloki folk in the old days often threw old men or women into the river to appease the water-spirits 7mingoli71 that they might be more successful in fishing4 ,while a man is fishing1 and immediately on his return from fishing1 he is called mwele1 no matter who he may be4 ,the river is supposed to be full of spirits1 and if these hear the proper names of the fishermen they can so work against them that they will catch little or no fish1 consequently the fishermen desire to hide their identity under the general name of mwele4 ,again1 when a man lands with his fish the buyer must not address him by his proper name1 but as mwele1 or the spirits will hear it1 and either mark him as one against whom they will exercise their influence another time1 or they will impoverish the fish just caught1 so that the man's chances of a good price will be lost4 ,hence the fisherman can make the person who breaks this rule either pay him heavy damages1 or compel him to sell the fish in the village at a good price and thus restore his luck4 ,the first-fruits of a lad's fishing are given to his nearest relatives4 ,when this is not possible1 then other fish are given later on4 ,very often a share of the first catch of every season is similarly given to the parents or nearest relatives4 ,a part of the fish caught is given to the head-man of the town to which the fisherman belongs4 ,this was regarded as one of the perquisites of his position1 and the non-observance of custom is bitterly resented4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,religious ,,beliefs ,ideas of a ,supreme ,being--,his various names--,views of the spirit life--,fetishism--,medicine men and spirits--,black and white magic--,origin of the term fetish--,native crusade against fetishes--,bundle of charms--,its contents--,sacrifices to fetishes--,rise and fall of witch-doctors--,an attempt to define fetishism--,natives very religious4 ,we have found a vague knowledge of a ,supreme ,being1 and a belief in ,him1 very general among those tribes on the ,congo with which we have come into contact4 ,in each case the natives' ideas of the ,supreme ,being were gathered and noted long before our teaching had influenced their views or increased their knowledge concerning ,him4 ,before we could preach our views we had to learn their language1 and while learning their language we necessarily received--in the definitions of the words we were learning from them--their ideas of that great ,being who created the world4 ,we found their knowledge of ,him was scarcely more than nominal1 and no worship was ever paid to ,him4 ,on the ,lower ,congo ,he is called ,nzambi1 or by ,his fuller title ,nzambi a mpungu2 no satisfactory root word has yet been found for ,nzambi1 but for mpungu there are sayings and proverbs that clearly indicate its meaning as1 most of all1 supreme1 highest1 and ,nzambi a mpungu as the ,being most ,high1 or ,supreme4 ,on the ,upper ,congo among the ,bobangi folk the word used for the ,supreme ,being is ,nyambe2 among the ,lulanga people1 ,nzakomba2 among the ,boloki1 ,njambe2 among the ,bopoto people it is ,libanza1 which word is also well known among the ,boloki people1 and was probably introduced by slaves from ,bopoto4 ,at ,yakusu1 near ,stanley ,falls1 the word used is ,mungu1 which is a shortened form of the ,swahili word muungu1 and this may contain the root of the ,lower ,congo word mpungu4 ,it is interesting to note that the most common name for the ,supreme ,being on the ,congo is also known1 in one form or another1 over an extensive area of ,africa reaching from #f north of the ,equator away to extreme ,south ,africa2 as1 for example1 among the ,ashanti it is ,onyame1 at ,gaboon it is ,anyambie1 and two thousand miles away among the ,barotse folk it is ,niambe4 ,these are the names that stand for a ,being who is endowed with strength1 wealth1 and wisdom by the natives2 and ,he is also regarded and spoken of by them as the principal ,creator of the world1 and the ,maker of all things4 ,some think ,him so perfect in all ,his works that semi-sane people1 crooked sticks1 and deformed persons and animals are placed to the credit of a subordinate divinity--a demiurge called ,kombu4 ,but the ,supreme ,being is believed by the natives to have withdrawn ,himself to a great distance after performing ,his creative works2 that ,he has now little or no concern in mundane affairs2 and apparently no power over spirits and no control over the lives of men1 either to protect them from malignant spirits or to help them by averting danger4 ,they also consider the ,supreme ,being 7,nzambi7 as being so good and kind that there is no need to appease ,him by rites1 ceremonies1 or sacrifices4 ,hence they never pray to this ,supreme ,one1 they never worship ,him1 or think of ,him as being interested in the doings of the world and its peoples4 ,during the whole thirty years of my life in various parts of the ,congo ,i have heard the name of the ,deity used in the following four ways only3 ,among the ,lower ,congo people1 when they desire to emphasize a statement or vouch for the truthfulness of their words1 they use the name in an oath4 ,when in extreme trouble they cry out3 8,i wish ,nzambi had never made me60 or when in great distress3 8,nzambi1 pity me60 ,also on the ,lower ,congo there is the phrase lufwa lua ,nzambi death by ,god1 i4e4 a natural death as distinctive from death by witchcraft2 but this view of death is not so frequently heard on the ,lower ,congo as among the ,boloki people1 where awi na ,njambe he died by ,god1 i4e4 there is no witchcraft about the death of the deceased1 nor anything pointing to witchcraft about the accident that caused the death1 is often heard4 ,these are the only phrases which suppose that the ,supreme ,being has anything to do with the world4 ,they are generally employed in the case of poor folk when they die1 as no one wants the trouble and expense of engaging a witch-doctor to seek out the witch4 ,about four years ago ,i asked a most intelligent native1 whose age was about #de1 if he could recall any prayer that was offered to the ,supreme ,being 7,nzambi7 by his family or any natives before the coming of the missionaries4 ,he sat quietly for a few minutes and then answered3 8,no1 but a woman in great distress would say1 #8,nzambi1 pity me1' not because she thought she would receive pity1 for we all believed ,nzambi was too far away to hear us or think of us1 but because it was a saying amongst us for such times of distress40 ,among the ,lower ,congo people the belief exists that when there is a halo round the moon it is a sign that the ,supreme ,being is there confirming the residence in that cool place--hence state of happiness of some spirits which have just arrived2 and when the halo is round the sun1 then those who have recently lost relatives or friends by death will tremble and wail1 because that halo round the sun is an indication to them that the ,supreme ,being 7,nzambi7 is there confirming the punishment that has consigned the late departed to the hot place--hence state of unhappiness4 ,there is a proverb that shows the lastingness of this punishment3 8,the bad people are tortured like a locust on the burning grass2 it wants to die1 but is kept alive40 ,these comprise the only ideas concerning the ,supreme ,being that ,i have ever heard expressed1 either on the ,lower ,congo or among the ,boloki natives4 ,on the other hand1 there is a seeming contradiction of the moon and sun theory1 as stated in the preceding paragraph1 by another belief extant among the ,lower ,congo people1 viz4 that all the souls of the departed go to a great spirit-town in the forest1 and that is the reason why burials take place at sunset4 ,the natives argue thus3 ,during the day folk go to farms1 to market1 to work in the forests1 etc41 and the town is left empty2 in the evening the inhabitants have returned from their different occupations1 and are ready to accord a welcome to any visitor2 thus also the spirit-town3 all the spirits are away at their different employments and do not return until the evening1 and if the deceased were buried during the morning or early afternoon there would be no one in the town to welcome him4 ,these differing beliefs appear to be co-existent1 and the natives1 if they perceive their inconsistency1 have not offered any explanation4 ,i once pointed out the contradictory nature of these beliefs to a smart native with whom ,i was conversing on the subject1 and his reply was3 8,some believe one thing1 some believe the other1 and some people believe both40 ,among the ,boloki people there is a general and firm belief in a spirit-world1 or nether region 7called longa74 ,it is supposed to be somewhere down below4 ,from many natives ,i have received the same direction1 always accompanied by the same action and words1 viz4 they have pointed with their fingers to the ground1 saying1 8,it is down underneath there40 ,in the nether regions the conditions of existence appear to be similar to those in the villages and town1 with this exception1 that a man may be too high in the social scale to be punished on earth1 but he cannot escape punishment in the nether regions for the disagreeable qualities he has exhibited on earth4 ,within a few hours of an unpopular head-man's death1 ,i have heard the ordinary natives laughingly say to one another as they have snapped their fingers in glee3 8,he is being punished now40 ,who allotted the punishment and saw to its infliction ,i could never ascertain4 ,juries of head-men on earth sat to decide difficult cases2 and it may be that they thought juries in the nether region sat on cases and allotted the necessary punishment4 ,the firing of guns1 shouting1 wailing1 beating of drums and such noises are heard in the nether regions1 and give notice to the inhabitants there of the approach of another disembodied spirit4 ,the louder the noise the greater is the expectation of those in the spirit-land of seeing a great man arrive4 ,the spirits of the departed wait about the entrance to the nether regions to greet the one about whose departure for their abode so much fuss is being made4 ,the soul of a living person is called elimo1 but on the person's death his soul becomes a disembodied spirit named mongoli2 and the ,boloki spirits after sojourning for a time in the nether regions leave that place and wander about the rivers and creeks1 doing all the harm they can to the living by flooding their villages and keeping the fish from entering the nets and traps4 ,the spirits of the ,bomuna people1 and of the bush-people generally1 are supposed to roam about the forests1 turning the animals from the traps and nets set to snare them1 not to save them from death1 but to show their hatred of the folk living in the towns4 ,are these disembodied spirits turned out of the spirit-land as a punishment8 ,natives believe that the spirits of bad men are punished in the nether region--by bad they mean a disagreeable1 unsociable1 disobliging1 greedy1 rude1 discourteous person4 ,the ghost of such a one will return to trouble his whilom neighbours1 and it is against his disagreeable qualities as a man that they have to guard now that he is a spirit4 ,there are many stories about the doings of the disembodied spirits--their tricks and their mode of revenge--which will be related in subsequent chapters4 ,the foregoing paragraphs give1 ,i trust1 a clear statement of the natives' ideas of the ,supreme ,being and their views of existence after death1 so far as ,i have been able to collect their thoughts and beliefs during a long and intimate intercourse with the people4 ,we now come to a larger subject--larger because it holds a more important place in the life and thought of the native--,i refer to fetishism4 ,if fetishism is a form of religion1 then the ,boloki people1 like all other tribes on the ,congo1 are a very religious folk4 ,in obedience to fetish taboo and custom they exhibit a devotion and persistency worthy of a better cause2 in subjection to the demands of their witch-doctors they cut themselves1 deny themselves many kinds of pleasant food1 and pay heavy fees1 even to the impoverishment of themselves and families4 ,but all this is done through their abject fear of the various malignant spirits who1 so their medicine men inform them1 have power over them for the time being4 ,it may be one spirit to-day and an entirely different one next month1 according to the sickness1 misfortune1 or particular kind of bad luck from which the man is suffering2 or a man may for twenty years possess good health and good fortune1 and consequently he will need neither the medicine man nor his rites and ceremonies2 or it may be that a man thinks 8prevention is better than cure10 and in such a case he will fee the medicine men to appease on his behalf such evil spirits over whom they profess to exercise control1 or to prepare for him certain charms to destroy their wicked designs4 ,no single witch-doctor pretends to control all the evil spirits1 or confer immunity from all diseases1 or remove all misfortunes1 or impart every kind of good luck4 ,hence on the ,lower ,congo there are about fifty different kinds of medicine men1#cb and among the ,boloki some eighteen varieties of them1 each supreme in his own particular branch4 ,the order is not confined to men only1 for many women are to be found in its ranks4 ,some medicine men are supposed to be stronger than others1 and1 controlling more powerful spirits1 they either avert greater evils or confer larger benefits1 and consequently receive more respect and richer fees for their services4 ,footnote #cb3 ,see ,folk-,lore for ,dec4 #cast1 #aiaj1 p4 #ddg1 for a complete list of ,lower ,congo medicine men and their various functions written by the author4 ,it is a misrepresentation to depict the ,congo native as 8bowing down to wood and stone40 ,he never worships his fetishes2 he exhorts them to do his bidding2 he commands them to do that for which they were made1 and he is not backward in arousing them to alertness by whistles and explosions of gunpowder1 or to activity by whacking them with a stick4 ,no native of any tribe ,i have met ever assigned creative powers to his fetishes1 or respected them as the representatives of a deity4 ,the fetishes were made yesterday at his bidding and expense by the witch-doctor1 and to-morrow1 if they fail in their purpose1 they will be consigned to the rubbish heap1 or left neglected on some shelf in his house4 ,the native lives and moves1 so he believes1 surrounded by evil spirits which1 on account of their own malignant natures or at the instigation of his enemies1 are constantly trying to work him harm1 and the only means known to him of counteracting the evil1 or of appeasing the malignant power1 is the medicine man with his powerful fetishes1 charms1 and ceremonies4 ,there are two phrases that contain the whole theory and practice of the ,congo medicine man's black and white magic4 ,by the black magic he professes to incite an evil spirit by means of a fetish to inflict a sickness or some other misfortune on an enemy2 and by white magic1 to appease the evil spirit through the medium of the fetish1 so that the sickness or bad luck shall be removed from one's self or one's family and friends4 ,the same medicine man uses the same fetish to curse a man with disease1 or to cure the man so cursed1 hence he often draws fees from both parties4 ,to curse a person by the aid of a fetish is called loka e nkisi4 ,the fetish is beaten with a stick1 informed what it is to do1 and then hung up outside the invoker's house1 and the spirit of the fetish flies off to obey its orders4 ,this is the simple modus operandi followed by all the witch-doctors on the ,lower ,congo1 who invoke their fetishes to employ their various powers against the enemies of their clients4 ,to soothe and appease the spirit of the fetish so that it will remove the curse from working by so conciliating the fetish power1 or the spirit the fetish is supposed to control1 that it will work for the medicine man's client and not against him1 is called lembola e nkisi 7 to soften1 tame a fetish71 and the ceremony is as varied as there are medicine men1 for each branch of the profession has its own special rites to observe4 ,now fetishes on the ,lower ,congo are either images1 bundles1 or large horns1 and these as a rule are owned by the medicine men4 ,smaller fetishes and charms are made by them for various purposes and sold to the natives4 ,sometimes a wealthy man will buy a powerful fetish and use its power entirely for himself2 at times a poorer man will pay a good fee to a medicine man to borrow his fetish1 or the rich man's fetish for one or two days1 so that he may have the entire attention of the spirit it controls4 ,a rich man will sometimes buy a powerful fetish as a speculation1 and make a good profit by hiring it out for a fee1 and the poorer man will pay the fee1 hoping to reap good results to his bodily health or to his prosperity by having the undivided interest of the fetish at his service4 ,the term fetish comes from the ,portuguese word feitio1 and the early navigators of the ,west ,african ,coast were ,portuguese1 who carried with them amulets and charms1 i4e4 feitios1 in the form of crosses1 beads1 images1 etc41 that had been blessed by their priests4 ,and when these ancient navigators saw the natives wearing shells filled with some mixture1 or displaying on their persons some articles with which they were unwilling to part even for costly gifts1 what was more natural for them than to regard such objects as something akin to their own feitios8 ,and 8as they discovered no other traces of religious worship they concluded that this outward show of regard for these feitios constituted the whole of the negro worship40#cc ,footnote #cc3 ,i am indebted to ,f4 ,max ,mller for much in this paragraph4 ,see ,hibbert ,lectures1 p4 #fa4 #ahgh4 ,the native word on the ,lower ,congo for fetish 7nkisi71 and among the ,boloki 7bonganga71 means an image1 a horn1 a shell1 a saucepan1 etc41 and1 in fact1 anything into which a medicine man has put a part of his 8medicine0 from his store bundle2 and it is not an effective fetish until it has been through the hands of the medicine man and received its power from him4 ,no one witch-doctor makes all the fetishes1 but every one has his own speciality1 in the making of which he is accounted an expert4 ,on the ,lower ,congo the native offers periodic sacrifices to his fetish to keep it in a good humour1 otherwise through sulkiness it may refuse to help him2 or he returns it to a medicine man to renew its energies when it proves too weak for his purpose2 he explodes gunpowder around it to arouse it to proper alertness that it may attend to its owner's affairs2 or he beats it to make it subservient to his wishes1 but he never worships it1 nor does he ever pay homage to it4 ,among the ,boloki sugar-cane wine is poured over the fetish to render it amenable to its owner's wishes1 and it is threatened if it does not act quickly on its owner's behalf2 and while the ,boloki fears his fetish in a way1 yet he never worships it4 8,about #ahgb some natives of ,loanda came through the country preaching a crusade against fetishes of all kinds1 inducing the natives in town after town to destroy all their fetishes1 assuring them that since death and sickness came by the exercise of the black art1 which everyone fully believes1 if then every fetish were destroyed and no more made there would be no more suffering and death4 ,far and wide the most strenuous efforts were made to accomplish the destruction of all fetishes to that happy end40#cd ,in #aiji a man with whom ,i was conversing told me that he as a child was shaken over the fire during this campaign to destroy any fetishes he had about his person4 ,he well remembered this crusade against fetishes1 and said that when the people became ill and died as usual1 the originators of it said3 8,it is because some of the people have not destroyed all their fetishes40 ,footnote #cd3 ,see ,dr4 ,bentley's ,appendix to the ,dictionary and ,grammar of the ,congo ,language1 #ahie1 on p4 #hdi1 under the word ,kiyoka4 ,on the ,lower ,congo every witch-doctor has a bundle of medicines or charms 7called ebunda dia mfula7 which is the source of his power and the spring from which he draws his supplies for making his own great fetish1 and the charms1 amulets1 and minor fetishes for his clients4 ,this bundle is a conglomeration of powdered chalk1 crushed red pepper1 wood ashes1 bits of the skins of strong animals1 claws and beaks of strong birds1 heads of snakes1 poisonous plants and beans1 various herbs1 and any other mess the medicine man can collect together4 ,a portion of this bundle is put into the head of the fetish image 7and sometimes into the stomach71 and becomes the brains1 intelligence 7nkinda7 of the fetish4 ,when a medicine man uses his fetish on behalf of a client1 he takes a little of the bundle and puts it into a horn or shell and ties it round his patient's neck1 telling him that while wearing it he must not eat this or that article of diet1 or he must not do certain things4 ,in due time the medicine man goes to receive his fee1 and on receipt of it he removes the special charm from the neck of his patient1 and at the same time takes off the taboo4 ,if the person does not pay1 then the medicine man leaves him under the taboo1 and perhaps adds others4 ,the ,congo medicine man never has any bad debts4 ,no native thinks the fetish he uses is possessed of divine power1 nor does it represent a deity to him1 and he uses no language about it that would lead one to suppose that for a moment he in his own mind invests it with divinity4 ,what is the fetish to him8 ,it is something in which a portion of the mfula bundle has been put which has imparted to it its own mysterious power--to him any portion of the bundle contains the power of the whole4 ,what then is the bundle8 ,it is composed of the skins of strong animals which are thereby represented1 and their combined strength is conserved in it2 there are pieces of the skins of cunning animals1 and their united craftiness and cuteness are imparted to it2 there are portions of strong1 swift birds that sail on tireless wings through the air1 and they give to it their power of flight2 there are various poisonous plants and beans that lend their qualities of harming the human body when used against the enemy of a client2 there are beneficial herbs and powders that are supposed to cure the person who uses it for his recovery from a disease2 and there is generally powdered chalk1 symbolical of brain matter1 that gives intelligence to the whole mass4 ,i do not think the native mind goes farther back than the bundle1 which contains for him representations of all those qualities that he fears and admires1 and whose combined forces overawe him4 ,and should he go beyond that bundle it is only to the animals--the lion1 the leopard1 etc41 whom he fears2 the eagle1 the hawk1 and the falcon whom he admires and wonders at for their flight through space2 and to those plants and herbs whose mysterious powers he dreads4 ,the native supposes that the medicine men have some occult method of so mixing these qualities and forces together in the bundle that they become active agents in flying through the air and seeking out the enemies of their clients1 or of destroying those who are bewitching them1 or of curing those who seek their aid4 ,all the medicine men do not have all the skins1 powders1 herbs1 etc41 in their charm bundles1 but each procures what he thinks will make the desired combination for his purpose4 ,it is quite probable that the medicine men and the more intelligent natives believe that by mixing the skins1 plants1 chalk1 etc41 in different ways they induce different spirits to take up their abode in the various fetishes1 because they like the mixture prepared for them1 and in thus taking up their residence in them1 or being influenced by them1 the medicine men gain power over them4 ,this view is supported by the following considerations3 ,the fetish when first made is only a piece of wood and can be bought for a few pence2 but after the witch-doctor has put a portion of the charm bundle into it the price for it is considerable--from a few shillings to a few pounds--according to what it is expected to do4 ,sacrifices are offered1 not to the piece of wood1 but to the spirit now dwelling in it1 or over which the charms in it have some influence4 ,these sacrifices range from an occasional drop of blood from a frog's foot to a goat every new moon1 the blood of which is poured over the fetish1 and the flesh of the sacrificial goat must not be sold1 but eaten by the sacrificer and his family and friends--the larger the benefits expected1 the more costly and regular the sacrifice4 ,the sacrifices are to keep the spirits in good humour4 ,the portion of the bundle put into the fetish is after a time played out1 becomes stale1 and loses its power of attracting the spirit to it1 i4e4 the fetish becomes ineffective1 so the owner of it takes it to a medicine man to have it refreshed by renewing the charms from the bundle2 and then if it is still inactive1 i4e41 if the owner's luck is still bad1 or his health continues unsatisfactory1 he throws the fetish on one side and tries the fetish of another branch of the profession1 thinking that the former's mixture of ingredients has no further power to attract the spirit to his fetish1 or the fetish does not influence the particular spirit that is able to help him4 ,the ,boloki medicine men have a 8bag of tricks0 made of very similar ingredients to the charm bundle1 and regarded in much the same way4 ,the only difference being that on the ,lower ,congo the witch-doctors largely use images 7called teke#ce7 into which they put the portions of the bundle1 while among the ,boloki the fetish power is imparted to any article that comes conveniently to hand4 ,during fifteen years' residence among the ,boloki people ,i saw only two very crudely made images in use 7they are now in ,horniman's ,museum71 and those ,i bought easily for a few brass rods1 showing that they valued them very lightly as receptacles for fetish power4 ,footnote #ce3 ,the ,kiteke people are experts in carving figures of men and women1 and many of the images so frequently found years ago on the ,lower ,congo received the name teke for that reason4 ,the ,bakongo also make their own images1 but they are cruder than the ,kiteke ones4 ,as already stated1 there are nearly fifty different kinds of medicine men on the ,lower ,congo1 and about eighteen among the ,boloki4 ,it is not to be thought for a moment that all these medicine men sprang simultaneously into existence1 or that they are the product of only one tribe2 they are undoubtedly the evolution of many generations1 and a free appropriation from neighbouring tribes of fetish ceremonies1 etc41 that appealed to them through being made widely known by some famous medicine man of the time4 ,the ,congo native has always been ready to try a new fetish1 hoping thereby to gain some advantage to his fortune and health4 ,the following is probably the rise of many branches of the medicine man's profession now1 or recently1 in vogue3 ,a quick-witted1 observant man noticed that a certain herb1 or a certain mode of procedure1 such as massage or inducing perspiration by steaming1 was beneficial to a patient suffering from a certain disease4 ,if he had given the herb in a simple way without any hanky-panky1 or had done a little medical rubbing without any ceremonies1 or had given a vapour bath without ostentatious and mysterious rites1 the natives would not have regarded him as a bona fide medicine man1 and he would have procured very little business4 ,in order to protect his discovery and to draw patients he surrounded it with the hocus-pocus of fetish rites and ceremonies1 and thus started a new class of 8doctors0 that had its day4 ,it is more than probable that many medicine men and their fetishes have risen in power1 have had wide fame and much popular support1 have then fallen into disrepute and have been abandoned in favour of new ones2 and1 if the truth were known1 as many if not more kinds of medicine men have been forgotten than are now remembered4 ,the following is an account of the rise and fall of one fetish order in very recent years3 ,a few years ago a medicine man appeared in ,portuguese ,congo with a new fetish called nkisi a kiniambe the divine fetish4 ,the witch-doctor and his fetish with its high-sounding name visited all the towns round about ,san ,salvador4 ,the ceremony was a form of communion prepared with small slices of cassava1 pea nuts1 and palm-wine4 ,the recipient had first to pay one string of beads for a child and five strings for an adult1 and he or she confessed all their witchcraft palavers1 i4e4 all the evil desires they had in their hearts1 for the sickness or death of anyone4 ,after this confession the medicine man gave them a piece of cassava1 a pea nut1 and drop of palm-wine1 and he also gave them a promise that they should never die4 ,when1 however1 the recipients died the witch-doctor said it was because they had not made a full confession of their witchcraft4 ,he and his accomplices reaped a large sum of money from the natives' fear of death and the promise of immunity from it2 but the medicine man promised too much1 and consequently his fetish was soon in disrepute and quickly neglected4 ,while we find a dim knowledge of a ,supreme ,being among all the ,congo tribes1 we also find co-extensive with it an elaborate system of fetishism1 which ,i would define as those means employed by the ,congo natives for influencing the various spirits by which they believe themselves to be surrounded1 either to act on their own behalf by giving them good luck and good health1 or to act against their enemies by sending them misfortune1 sickness1 or death4 ,their system of belief has its basis in their fear of those numerous invisible spirits--invisible to the ordinary man1 but not to the medicine man--which are constantly trying to compass their sickness1 misfortune1 and death2 and the ,boloki's sole object--and the same may be written of his near and distant neighbours on the ,congo--is to cajole or appease1 to cheat or conquer1 and even destroy the troublesome spirits1 hence their witch-doctors with their fetishes1 their rites1 and ceremonies4 ,if there were no spirits to be circumvented there would be no need of medicine men as middlemen1 and no need of fetishes as mediums for getting into touch with the spirits4 ,theologically speaking1 the ,congo natives are utterly void of religion1 for they neither worship the ,supreme ,being nor their fetishes as representing a deity2 but if 8the belief in and a measure of obedience to a potent being or beings not ourselves is an early minimum of religion10#cf then the ,congo folk are very religious1 for they carefully obey the taboos put on them by their witch-doctors in the name of their fetishes2 they invoke the power of the spirits by exploding gunpowder around their fetishes1 and by whistling to them and beating them2 they try to appease them by frequent sacrifices2 and they have dances about some of the fetishes1 during which they call upon them1 or the spirits they influence1 to protect their fighting-men and destroy their enemies4 ,footnote #cf3 ,see ,mr4 ,andrew ,lang in ,folk-,lore for ,december1 #aiaa1 p4 #dab4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,boloki ,,world ,,of ,,spirits ,surrounded by spirits--,the soul leaves the body--,dreams--,bewitching folk--,losing one's shadow--,disembodied spirits or ghosts--,ghosts enter animals--,deceiving the ghosts--,spirits of disease--,spirit of wealth--,spirits of crocodiles--,leopards--,spirits of unborn babes--,monsters on the islands--,forest sprites--,cloud-land folk--,spirits in spears--,in canoes--,in trees4 ,the ,boloki folk believe they are surrounded by spirits which try to thwart them at every twist and turn1 and to harm them every hour of the day and night4 ,the rivers and creeks are crowded with the spirits of their ancestors1 and the forests and bush are full also of spirits1 ever seeking to injure the living who are overtaken by night when travelling by road or canoe4 ,i never met among them a man daring enough to go at night through the forest that divided ,monsembe from the upper villages1 even though a large reward was offered4 ,their invariable reply was3 8,there are too many spirits in the bush and forest40 ,in the following pages ,i shall attempt to give1 as succinctly as possible1 an account of the various spirits that trouble the ,boloki world1 their powers and their limitations4 ,the information has been gathered from various natives in conversation around their fires1 or from talks when travelling with them by canoe and boat2 and may be accepted as reflecting the native opinion respecting those spirits by which they suppose themselves to be surrounded4 ,the embodied spirit or soul 7elimo7 is dreaded almost as much as the other spirits4 ,in dreams the soul visits various scenes1 and no matter how quickly the dreamer is aroused the soul can always return in time to take its place in the awakened person4 ,with regard to dreams1 some of the natives believe in them1 and bad dreams are often accepted as omens to warn them against going on journeys1 and fishing and hunting expeditions that would be either fruitless or disastrous4 ,when a person faints1 or becomes unconscious1 massage with water is used1 and on the patient reviving it is said that the soul has returned4 ,the soul travels about to bewitch people1 and some of their charms are made on purpose to destroy such wandering spirits4 ,these wicked souls travelling about with such sinister motives are regarded as witches worthy only of death1 and some of their witch-doctors reap a rich harvest in trying to kill them4 ,a seriously sick person fancies he sees a relative or neighbour in a dream1 and at once believes that the witch-soul of his relative has come to throttle the life out of him1 so he pays a witch-doctor a goodly fee to kill the prowling spirit1 or protect him from its malignant assaults4 ,i noticed that the mouths and nostrils of the recently dead were always plugged and tied1 and to my questions on the subject ,i always received the same reply3 8,the soul of a dying man escapes by his mouth and nose1 so we always tie them in that fashion to keep the spirit1 as long as possible1 in the body40 ,the shadow of a person1 his reflection in water1 or in a looking-glass1 and more recently a photograph1 is called by a word 7elilingi7 that is often used interchangeably with the word for soul 7elimo74 ,they repeatedly informed me that a 8dead person casts no shadow10 and that therefore he has no soul1 hence to say that ,so-and-so has no shadow is1 with them1 equivalent to saying that he has no soul1 i4e4 that he is dead4 ,these two words were frequently employed when speaking of the soul1 and also of the shadow of a person2 but the word for soul 7elimo7 is never used for the shadow of a tree1 house1 animal1 etc41 but they speak of a fallen house or a fallen tree as having no shadow1 i4e4 they cast no shadows--a sign that they are dead4 ,if for some reason a man does not see his shadow reflected when he looks into some water1 he thinks someone has taken his spirit away1 and that he will soon die4 ,even if at midday he does not see his shadow1 because he is standing on it--the sun being absolutely vertical at noon so near the ,equator--he will go to a witch-doctor1 who will make medicine that he may recover his shadow or soul4 ,i once asked a chief to sit for his photograph a second time1 and he laughingly refused1 on the ground that ,i had sent his soul once to the white man's country1 and he could not let me have it again4 ,and it was a considerable time before he consented to sit again4 ,the most troublesome spirit1 however1 with which the native has to contend is the disembodied spirit 7mongoli74 ,directly the soul 7elimo7 leaves the body it becomes a disembodied spirit 7a mongoli71 and this distinction should be carefully borne in mind4 ,it is generally believed that the disembodied spirit of a good man--good according to the native code of morals--remains in the nether world 7longa72 but that of a bad man is punished in the nether regions and driven out4 ,then if the spirit belongs to a member of a bush-tribe 7or to one whose family originally came from the bush71 it will inhabit the forests or bush-lands1 and unless properly appeased by gifts or conquered by charms it will turn aside animals from the hunting-traps and try to spoil all hunting operations4 ,if the spirit belongs to a member of a riverine tribe1 then1 after being turned out of the nether world1 it haunts the river and creeks and endeavours to hinder successful fishing4 ,hence it is no uncommon thing1 when a village fails in its fishing1 for the inhabitants to join their brass rods together to buy an old man or old woman--old and therefore cheap--and throw him 7or her7 into the river to conciliate the water-spirits4 ,hence1 also1 all the care taken by a fisherman to conceal his name while fishing under the general term mwele1#cg lest the disembodied spirit of an enemy should hear it and1 recognizing him1 keep all the fish from his traps and nets4 ,footnote #cg3 ,the natives can give no meaning to this word1 and from their use of it to hide a name it is something like our phrase3 ,mr4 ,so-and-so4 ,sometimes these spirits can be heard walking through the forests1 and the noise they make is called bie-bie2 and at times they visit the town and cause 8a rustling in the grass roofs1 as though searching for a place through which to drive their spears40 ,the land and water are full of these disembodied spirits1 hence the timorous folk are afraid to travel by night4 ,certain witch-doctors can see these spirits1 and when they are mischievous they pretend to capture them and secure them in saucepans and calabashes4 ,men may become the mediums by which these spirits hold communication with the living1 generally to the advantage of the medium1 as the following incident will illustrate3 ,baloli1 the head-man of his family1 died1 and was buried in the usual way4 ,some time afterwards his younger brother1 ,mangumbe1 became subject to frenzies1 during which his brother ,bololi spoke his oracles through him4 ,mangumbe admired and coveted the wives of a certain man in his town and tried to buy them1 and failing in that he desired to exchange others for them1 but their husband refused all offers4 ,one day ,mangumbe worked himself into a frenzy1 and when he was supposed to be under the influence of his brother's spirit he said that a certain man 7giving the name of the man whose wives he coveted7 must get rid of his wives or they would cause his death by a serious and fatal illness4 ,then ,mangumbe went to a friend and told him to treat with the husband for the wives4 ,the husband1 now thoroughly afraid of his wives1 was quite willing to sell them at a cheaper price than ,mangumbe had previously offered for them4 ,by this cunning trick he became the owner of the women he wanted4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,a ,,mungala ,,creek ,,village ,at the time the picture was taken the folk were dispirited by heavy taxes and many deaths1 hence the neglected appearance of the houses4 ,meeting the demands of the taxes in food1 etc41 left them little or no time to look after their own affairs4 ,these taxes are better adjusted now to the number and condition of the people4 ,on one occasion ,mangumbe wanted to buy my arm-chair4 ,i told him the price as a bit of information1 as ,i had no intention of selling the chair4 ,he doubted my word4 ,i told him that ,i had heard that he held communication with his brother's spirit1 and if he wanted to know the price of goods in ,england he had better ask his brother's spirit to go there1 learn all it could1 and come back and inform him of the prices of the various articles4 ,mangumbe shook his head sadly and said3 8,his spirit cannot travel so far1 it keeps just around this district only40 ,the people firmly believed that ,mangumbe held counsel with his brother's spirit1 and when he acted as a medium they were quite willing to accept all that he said4 ,ordinarily he was little respected by the people2 he was of mean appearance and of petty1 shabby ways1 and had no command even over his own people1 and yet when acting as a medium in a sance he was feared1 obeyed1 and his word received without the slightest demur4 ,when a spirit is speaking through a person1 who is usually a member of the disembodied spirit's family1 the medium does not always talk in the language of the present day1 but in the archaic language known only to the old people4 ,when the medium is a youngish man1 i4e4 one not familiar with the ancient language1 he then expresses his oracles in the ordinary speech1 but with sufficient of the archaic forms to lend mystery to the communication4 ,i have seen the medium work himself into a frenzy1 shout1 tremble all over1 his muscles quiver1 his body undulates1 perspiration breaks out on his forehead1 and foam gathers about his mouth1 and his eyes roll2 and when thoroughly under the spell of the spirit he gives utterance to oracles that are implicitly believed by the people4 ,all these sances are performed in the open and in broad daylight1 the medium sometimes sitting alone in the centre of a crowd2 but when much agitated and swaying considerably1 he has one or two of his wives near to catch him should he fall4 ,sometimes one of these spirits takes possession of a hippopotamus and visits the towns on the river-banks1 and when that occurs the family to whom the spirit is supposed to belong puts a small saucepan of sugar-cane wine and a little food for its refreshment on its nightly visit2 and as the food and wine are both gone in the morning 7there are plenty of dogs about71 the natives assured me that the spirit in the animal had partaken of them4 ,the spirit also1 at times1 enters a crocodile and visits a town2 but the hippopotamus is the more common form4 ,on one occasion a hippopotamus came off our beach for a few nights4 ,i could only hear it1 as it was too dark to see it2 but on the chance of wounding it fatally ,i fired in the direction of the sound4 ,i fired on two successive nights1 and during the next day some natives came and told me that that particular hippopotamus was possessed by the spirit of a member of such and such a family1 and that the said spirit had sent a message to the head of the family1 telling him that he was to inform me that ,i should only waste my bullets as it was impossible to kill a spirit-possessed hippopotamus1 and asking him to request me not to fire again1 as he 7the hippopotamus7 only wanted to visit the town peaceably for his offering of sugar-cane wine and food4 ,i told them that ,i would have another shot or two2 but they assured me that ,i should not hit it4 ,they did not doubt my marksmanship1 as they had seen me bring down many birds on the wing1 and they knew that ,i scarcely ever went to shoot monkeys and guinea-fowls without bringing one or more back with me4 ,they did not doubt my skill with the gun1 but they doubted the power of a bullet to kill a spirit-possessed animal4 ,the hippopotamus1 however1 never came again1 consequently ,i had no further opportunity of testing the point at issue4 ,i was much interested in learning from this incident that spirits not only took possession of hippopotami1 but could thus communicate with their living relatives4 ,according to the native idea these spirits 7mingoli7 are everywhere1 and are ever ready to pounce on any living person1 and either carry him away captive or inflict a disease on him1 or kill him2 consequently his life is one long drawn-out fear of what the spirits may next do to him2 and his many witch-doctors1 fetishes1 and ceremonies are to control1 appease1 circumvent1 and perhaps conquer the spirits4 ,the spirit of a deceased enemy can inflict an illness on a family1 a member of which had wronged him when in the body4 ,fortunately1 these spirits are limited in the area of their operations and can be deceived4 ,the witch-doctor can cork them up in calabashes1 can cover them with saucepans1 and when necessary1 if the fee is large enough1 he can destroy them4 ,a man ,i knew well was sick for a long time with some internal complaint1 and after other means had failed to cure him he was told by a witch-doctor that he was troubled by a bad spirit1 and he advised him to go right out of the district beyond the sphere of its operations and remain there until he was better4 ,the man had no friends to whom he might have safely gone1 so he left his house at dead of night1 taking only two of his wives with him1 and telling no one of his destination lest the spirit should hear it4 ,he went as far as he safely could from his own town and donned a woman's dress1 and assuming a woman's voice he pretended to be other than he was1 in order to deceive the spirit should it search for him4 ,this also failed to cure him1 and in time he returned to his town1 but continued to dress and speak as a woman1 and every time he ate or drank he first scattered a portion of his food and drink behind him for the spirit to eat1 and eating be appeased4 ,the food best liked by these spirits is the heart of any animal1 but it must be boiled1 minced1 and mixed with cassava4 ,the witch-doctor can see the disembodied spirits1 and those persons who have the occult power 7called likundu7 can also see them4 ,the natives tell me that these spirits are like people in appearance--they come into view1 pass1 and are lost to sight like ordinary beings4 ,they have quiet voices1 and eat monkey peppers 7amomum71 and drink sugar-cane wine2 but if the stems of the monkey pepper are put across a path the spirits cannot pass over them4 ,it is a curious belief that these spirits may eat the fruit of the monkey pepper1 and yet cannot step over the stalks of the same plant4 ,on the ,lower ,congo red peppers are used for the same purpose of blocking a road to spirits2 and in ancient ,britain the red holly berries were used for keeping evil spirits out of the huts and houses of those who feared them4 ,there are indications that the sight of the spirit is very defective1 but its hearing is very keen1 consequently a man's name is never mentioned while he is fishing1 for fear the spirits will hear and turn the fish from his traps4 ,one would think that if the spirits can see and recognize a fish they could also recognize a fisherman2 but there are many gaps in native logic4 ,as the spirit of a bush-man is supposed to wander in the bush after leaving the nether world1 any human offering made to appease it is buried on the edge of the forest2 but an offering to the spirit of a riverine man is thrown into the water4 ,these offerings are made with the object of gaining the good-will of a father or grandfather2 but there is no ancestral worship1 as beyond the fourth generation the ancestors are forgotten1 or are regarded as being ineffective in their anger4 ,there is no regularity in these offerings1 but they are made when other means have failed to avert a calamity1 such as the flooding of a river1 or to ensure a positive good1 such as a large catch of fish4 ,a homicide is not afraid of the spirit of the man he has killed when the slain man belongs to any of the neighbouring towns1 as disembodied spirits travel in a very limited area only2 but when he kills a man belonging to his own town he is filled with fear lest the spirit shall do him some harm4 ,there are no special rites that he can observe to free himself from these fears1 but he mourns for the slain man as though he were a member of his own family4 ,he neglects his personal appearance1 shaves his head1 fasts for a certain period1 and laments with much weeping4 ,abnormal events are often placed to the credit of the spirit of a man recently deceased4 ,a few hours after the death of a young man whom ,i knew a furious storm broke on the town1 blowing down plantain trees and working great havoc in the farms4 ,it was stated in all seriousness by the folk that the storm had been sent by ,mopembe1 the lad's name4 ,we had for dinner one day the shoulder of an antelope1 the history of which will further illustrate the above statement3 ,three days before we had that piece of antelope on our table1 ,mumbamba1 an old head-man1 died4 ,after his death his relatives came from various towns to mourn at his grave4 ,on the morning of our antelope dinner three canoes of men and women were coming up-river1 with the object of expressing their grief at the grave1 when they happened upon a large antelope caught in the grass of an islet that had lodged against a fallen tree in the river4 ,the mourners killed the antelope1 dragged it into the canoe1 and gave ,mumbamba the credit of sending them an antelope to eat as an expression of his favour2 thus spirits can send good as well as evil upon those who are left on the earth4 ,we find1 then1 among the ,boloki three words for soul1 spirit1 and ghost4 ,the first1 elimo1 is the embodied soul that is able to leave the body during sleep1 it visits people and places in dreams1 travels about1 and performs actions1 as throttling an enemy4 ,this1 ,i believe1 is the only word they have for soul4 ,there is then the elilingi1 a shadow1 shade1 reflection that a dead man1 or dead thing1 does not possess1 and a living man can lose and have restored by a witch-doctor1 and this word is also used in a restricted sense as being synonymous with elimo4 ,and1 lastly1 there is mongoli1 a disembodied soul1 a spirit1 a ghost of the bush1 forest1 and water that sends evil and good upon the living--more often evil than good--which it is necessary to appease with offerings of food1 of trade goods1 and of human beings4 ,the natives are subject to various serious sicknesses which they think are caused by spirits1 and each sickness has its own spirit 7or bwete1 plural1 mte71 hence the native names#ch for debility1 anmia1 rheumatism1 sciatica1 ague fevers1 and sleeping-sickness are not only the names of diseases1 but really denote the names of those spirits responsible for sending them4 ,they cannot tell me from whence these spirits emanate1 but the only means of luring them out of the body of the patient is to set up for some of them specially prepared posts1 for others a saucepan of small sticks1 and again for others a saucepan of medicine water4 ,footnote #ch3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #e1 p4 #cde1 for the native names of the diseases4 ,for debility1 rheumatism1 sciatica1 and ague they erect a post 7called etoli7 about #d feet long1 peeled of its bark1 shaped to a point at one end1 and daubed with yellow pigment2 this is marked with red and blue spots1 and stuck upright in the ground with about #b feet #f inches showing4 ,for the spirit of sleeping-sickness they prepare a saucepan in which they put small sticks1 and the whole is decorated with yellow1 red1 and blue spots and stripes4 ,for the spirit of another form of sleeping-sickness a saucepan of bush-water is prepared1 and the pot ornamented with various colours4 ,the saucepan of sticks is called muntoka1 and that of the bush-water is called eboko4 ,the latter is broken1 as described in another chapter1 by a badly treated slave1 or an ill-used wife1 to obtain redress for his or her wrongs4 ,these decorated fetish posts and saucepans often have little shelters built over them which are coloured with various paints1 and every time the owner takes a meal he throws some of his food on the roof of his house for the spirits to eat4 ,from time to time he pours sugar-cane wine over the posts1 or into the saucepans4 ,there is no ancestral worship in this1 but an appeasing of the spirits of the diseases4 ,not to make these offerings is to invite a return of the spirit or spirits to the body of the owner1 i4e4 to have a relapse4 ,i have known a man to have four of these posts and saucepans4 ,this indicated that he had had several complaints1 or had had his one and only complaint wrongly diagnosed4 ,persons who have never suffered from these serious illnesses1 and they are numerous1 never trouble to prepare either a saucepan or a post4 ,when there is much sickness in a family1 not confined to one or two members only1 but a kind of family epidemic1 it is said to be caused by a spirit 7named mweta7 left1 or sent1 by a deceased relative as a punishment for failing to observe some fetish taboo1 or for not having shown due respect for the deceased when he was buried by having a proper ceremony1 or for not keeping his memory alive by occasional mimic fights on land or water1 or by the gifts of brass rods and slaves4 ,sometimes the family is conscious that they have properly observed all these things1 and then they know that their deceased relative has sent the spirit of family sickness maliciously1 or through jealousy of their apparent prosperity4 ,these spirits1 when they are troubling a family1 can be driven into animals by the witch-doctor and killed by him2 and as a proof of his prowess he will exhibit a bleeding head1 and assure the family that they need no longer worry as he has killed the animal which was possessed by the spirit1 and it is therefore punished1 killed1 and will not bother them again4 ,sometimes the witch-doctor will drive the spirit into a saucepan1 or calabash1 and either kill it or imprison it4 ,the ,boloki man1 like folk of other climes and colour1 is not averse to wealth1 so he has his spirit for giving wealth 7called ejo74 ,now a man who desires to become rich pays a large fee to a certain kind of witch-doctor1 who then uses his influence with the spirit on behalf of his client1 who must in all future gains set apart a portion for it2 but should he fail to do so1 the spirit has power to punish him4 ,the goods are given to the witch-doctor to pass on to the spirit4 ,this spirit can assume any shape it pleases1 and entice a person down to the river1 where it returns suddenly to its proper form and jumps into the river with the enticed person4 ,this person is then either killed by the spirit1 or held at ransom for a slave or his equivalent4 ,how the ransom is paid no one could tell me1 although ,i put the question to various natives at different times4 ,the person thus enticed is he who has not paid his proper dues to the spirit4 ,when a person has received the medicine or charm of this spirit1 and has become wealthy by its luck-giving power1 he takes the nail-parings and hair-cuttings#ci of a woman and makes medicine with them2 the woman then quickly dies1 and her spirit goes to the wealth-giving spirit as an offering for its help4 ,he is said to pass her on as a gift to the spirit of wealth4 ,if a man is saved1 when a canoe is swamped and his companions are all drowned1 he is regarded as having given them to the spirit 7ejo7 to save his own life4 ,should a man be successful in fishing or trading without any apparent reason1 and shortly after his success his wife falls ill and dies1 he is said to have given his wife to this spirit as an acknowledgment of his increased wealth4 ,the ordeal is often administered to prove or disprove these accusations2 but marvellous stories are told about the wealth-giving power of this spirit1 and as only rich men can afford to pay the fee to the witch-doctor in the first instance1 the fact of their wealth fosters the superstition4 ,footnote #ci3 ,this is one of the reasons why a person always hides his1 or her1 nail-parings and hair-cuttings1 as 8powerful medicine0 can be made with them to the disadvantage of the owner4 ,that some men are stronger than others in wrestling1 and able to overcome those who try to hold them1 is well recognized by the natives1 but instead of its being an indication of greater strength and fitness it is placed to the credit of a spirit 7called embanda74 ,when this spirit takes possession of a man it enables him to throw his enemy2 it strengthens the legs of its possessor1 and weakens by pain the legs of its owner's opponent4 ,he who possesses this spirit is always successful in capturing one or more prisoners in a fight1 and can cause the death of many members of any family he hates4 ,the word jando stands for the peculiar characteristics of the animal to which it is prefixed1 i4e4 a man successful in fishing is said to have the peculiarities of a crocodile1 for this creature is regarded as being quick in catching fish2 and a person swift and cunning in fight and flight has the qualities of a leopard4 ,these qualities or spirits are not gained by eating either of these creatures1 but are procured1 for a few1 from the witch-doctor by some occult intercourse with the crocodile and leopard4 ,it is also affirmed by the natives that a person can become so possessed by the spirit 7jando7 of a crocodile or of a leopard that he will let himself loose occasionally on his neighbours1 and thus preying in spirit on them many will die4 ,one of the functions of the disembodied spirits is to supply certain places in the forests1 or trees1 or creeks with the spirits that are to enter unborn children4 ,these spirits of unborn children 7called bingbongbo7 can make boys and girls thin and weak1 but are to be appeased by the proper kind of medicine man preparing a suitable feast for them4 ,these spirits are supposed to crowd the pools in the forests1 the shallow ponds on the islands1 the many creeks of the river1 and even to people the great bombax trees to be found here and there along the river's bank4 ,every family has its own special preserves 7called liboma7 where the spirits are waiting for bodies in which to appear as babies4 ,next to the spirits in the terror they cause to the natives is a mythical monster 7engenenge7 inhabiting the islands4 ,he is represented as having many heads and no body1 and is greatly dreaded by those who have to camp on the islands during fishing and travelling2 and the natives tell many stories of visits they have received from him4 ,next to this many-headed monster is a mythical person or spirit 7named nyandembe7 who is mentioned in the folk-lore stories as having caused the death of ,libanza's father1 but was eventually killed by him as a punishment4 ,he is thought by the natives to have been very strong and rich2 but being dead he is no longer feared4 ,there is a race of folk who live somewhere above1 as the word indicates 7ba people1 and likolo above71 but up-river and all the country east of them is also called likolo2 and it is most probable that the word likolo in the above phrase had originally that meaning1 but as the natives pushed their journeys higher and higher up the river and heard of peoples like themselves still higher up1 they removed the balikolo from a locality beyond their district to a place above them in the sky4 ,these ,cloud-folk are said to have tails1 and are very fond of ripe plantains1 and in the folk-lore stories they descend on the banana farms solely to eat and carry off the ripe fruit4 ,there is a legend that the ,boloki people bought their first fire#dj from the ,cloud-folk in exchange for a young woman4 ,previously to that 8we cooked our food in the sun1 or ate it quite raw40 ,these ,cloud-land folk are not regarded as spirits1 but the natives always speak of them as a great nuisance1 and as something uncanny and in possession of supernatural power4 ,footnote #dj3 ,see also the folk-lore story1 8,the punishment of the inquisitive man10 page #bje4 ,there is a class of supernatural beings that inhabits the forest and bush 7named baijamba people of the bush74 ,they are often appealed to in the folk stories to decide what a person should or should not eat2 and also to judge on a point of etiquette or custom4 ,they are not looked upon with much dread1 and no one speaks of them as having done any harm to the folk who visit the forests4 ,they seem to be friendly spirits1 or sprites1 that are always at hand when wanted1 and they just as readily give their verdict in favour of a mean trick as support a ruse to outwit the meanness4 ,when a man is under the sway of the disembodied spirit he takes his spear and1 tying some dried plantain leaves to it1 he holds it before him with his left hand2 and as he trembles with the excitement of the spirits in him the spear shakes and rustles the leaves until the spirits go out of him into the spear1 and it then becomes a fetish spear and his luck is bound up in it4 ,this spear1 henceforth1 may not be touched by anyone but himself1 and it is carefully guarded by its owner1 for to lose it is to fail in all his undertakings4 ,these spirits are passed into hunting-spears1 fighting-spears1 and fish-spears1 and although they are especially effectual in their own particular line1 they also have a general influence on the man's luck4 ,it is also asserted that a rich man who has the spirit of wealth 7ejo7 passes that spirit into his canoe1 and this enables him to make successful trading expeditions and other journeys to his own advantage4 ,i found only one tree that is supposed to have a spirit1 and that is the tree used for ordeal purposes4 ,when a person wants to take the rootlets of the ordeal tree 7nka71 he first selects the tree1 then spreads a leaf on the closed fist of his left hand1 and strikes it with the palm of his right hand4 ,if the leaves on the tree tremble in response1 he knows the tree is strong and fit to use2 but if they remain quiescent1 it is a sign that the ordeal property 7nka7 is weak and unfit for its purpose1 so another tree is sought1 until he finds one that responds in sympathy to the striking of the leaf4 ,the life of the native1 surrounded as he is by all these various spirits1 would be intolerable1 unthinkably so1 were it not for his many witch-doctors1 who have power to control the spirits1 and even kill them1 and his many charms that protect him from their many malignant designs1 or enlist their power on behalf of the wearers and users of them4 ,which came first--a belief in the spirits1 or the witch-doctors to circumvent them8 ,i am disposed to think that the witch-doctors are largely responsible for the creation of these various spirits to account for their numerous failures in warding off sickness and death4 ,with these witch-doctors1 however1 we must deal in another chapter4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xx ,,medicine ,,men ,,and ,,their ,,magic ,number of medicine men--,how to become a witch-doctor--,mayeya and his long dive--,makwata and his talking spear--,a simple trick--,female witch-doctors--,three kinds of witchcraft--,discredited witch-doctors--,fear of the witch-doctors4 ,there is not so great a variety of medicine men 7nganga7#da among the ,boloki as among the ,bakongo of the ,lower ,congo1 nor is the modus operandi of bewitching people and of removing the witchcraft so well defined4 ,among the ,boloki the medicine man is much in evidence1 but he is not regarded with much awe or respect4 ,the office is hereditary1 and it is difficult for a person to become a medicine man who has not already a near relative in the profession4 ,the old medicine man teaches his son the tricks of his trade free of all charges2 and when a novice is considered efficient he undergoes the following test3 ,something is hidden and he has to find it1 and having discovered the secreted article he must then perform a magic ceremony1 such as killing an animal possessed by a spirit--a trick he has easily learned from his father1 and after that he blossoms out as a fully qualified medicine man4 ,footnote #da3 ,nganga means medicine man1 witch-doctor1 doctor1 wizard1 soothsayer1 sorcerer1 magician1 etc4 ,if a person in whose family there has been a medicine man desires to join the profession he goes to an old witch-doctor1 and on paying a heavy fee he is taught as though he were a son1 but he must pass the usual tests as above2 if1 however1 a person in whose family there has never been a medicine man wishes to join the profession1 he is deterred from so doing by being told that he must first kill all the members of his family by witchcraft1 as offerings to that spirit 7mweta7 of the particular branch he desires to join4 ,this results in the man refusing to become a witch-doctor1 and even if he were so callous as to still wish it1 his family would not allow him to proceed1 as they believe they would fall victims to his witchcraft4 ,thus the secrets of the profession are retained in a very few families4 ,still1 ,i have known a slave belonging to a ,boloki man become a great medicine man by pretending to perform a wonderful feat1 which was as follows3 ,mayeya1 for that was the man's name1 went one day with a lad in a canoe across the river4 ,by and by the lad returned without ,mayeya1 and on being asked where he was1 the lad replied3 8,mayeya fell from the canoe into the river1 and since then ,i have not seen him40 ,seven days after this ,mayeya walked up from the river into the town dressed in his best cloth1 etc4 ,the people gathered around him asking him where he had been1 and he solemnly informed them that he had been under the river for the whole of the seven days1 consulting with the water-spirits1 and that now he was a witch-doctor4 ,the people believed in him1 and flocked to him with cases from all the neighbouring villages1 towns1 and districts1 and by his many and large fees he became so wealthy that he was able to pay ten men and two women--one woman is equal in price to four men--for his ransom1 and then became a slave-owner himself and a man of wealth4 ,one day ,i heard ,mayeya boasting outside my house of the seven days he had spent under the water in company with the water-spirits2 so going to him ,i said3 8,mayeya1 ,i hear you have lived under the river for seven days40 8,yes10 he said1 8,i have40 8,well10 ,i replied1 8,i will give you five thousand brass rods0--the currency of that district--8if you will remain under the water here in front of my house while ,i count them40 ,he answered3 8,i cannot do it just now1 but ,i will return on another day and do it for you40 ,whenever ,i met ,mayeya after that ,i always reminded him of his promise to stop under the river while ,i counted the rods4 ,the people at last used to urge him to accept my challenge and offer of #ejjj brass rods4 ,they argued with him1 saying3 8,you have remained under the water for seven days1 surely you can stay under it while the white man counts five thousand1 for you know he counts very quickly4 ,go and get your five thousand rods1 and then you will be able to buy two more wives40 ,mayeya1 however1 put them off with first one excuse and then another1 until at last they chaffed him about it1 laughed at him1 and expressed the doubt as to whether he had stayed under the water half a day1 much less seven whole days and nights4 ,as he still continued to make excuses the natives lost faith in him1 his practice fell off1 and the last ,i saw of ,mayeya was his coming to borrow of me #ajj brass rods1 for he was in difficulties4 ,to his request ,i replied3 8,no1 you have cheated many people out of their money1 and done to death many a person by your false accusations of witchcraft2 ,i will not lend you a single brass rod1 but there are five thousand waiting for you if you will only remain under the water while ,i count them40 ,i was seated one day among some natives when they began to talk of the wonderful things ,makwata 7who was present7 could do in making his spear shake and talk4 ,now ,i never laughed at the pretensions of the natives1 no matter how absurd they might be1 nor did ,i ridicule their views1 thoughts1 and expressions4 ,perhaps that was the reason why they spoke so frankly to me1 and tried to explain their ideas about things in general4 ,i always dealt with them seriously and sympathetically4 ,i turned to ,makwata and asked him whether he could do the wonderful things his companions were talking about or not4 ,he very emphatically asserted that he could 8make his spear shake and talk40 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,a ,,libinza ,,charm ,,for ,,protecting ,a ,,village ,spirits causing sickness have been driven out of the patients into this hut1 where food is thrown to them4 ,the sticks forming the walls are dyed red1 and ornamented with yellow spots4 ,the elegance of the hut and the daily sprinkling of food help to make the spirits contented with the place4 8,i suppose10 ,i said1 8you will stand near the spear1 or put the spear in a lot of grass40 8,no10 he replied1 8,i will stick my spear on the bank by the river1 and ,i will sit here40 8,very good10 ,i answered2 8,i will give you five hundred rods if you do it40 8,i can do it in my town10 he asserted1 8but not here40 8,all right10 ,i said2 8,i am coming to visit your town next ,sunday1 and will bring the rods with me40 ,but when ,i went to the town at the appointed time1 ,makwata was not there2 he had1 however1 left me a message to say that he would bring his spear up to ,monsembe and do the wonderful performance there4 ,several weeks passed away1 and while talking to some natives on the verandah of my house ,i saw ,makwata pass1 so ,i called to him and asked if he had brought his talking spear1 for the #ejj rods were ready4 8,no10 he replied1 8,i have not brought my spear40 ,turning to my native companions ,i said3 8,your witch-doctors will never do their tricks before me1 although ,i offer them many brass rods2 but my wife and ,i will do a trick before you without payment4 ,i will put three articles on the verandah1 my wife shall go into her bedroom1 and when she comes out she will tell you which article you touched40 8,oh1 no60 they said in chorus2 8she is not able to do that40 ,the articles were arranged in a line1 my wife went to her room1 one of the things was touched1 and she came and pointed out which they had touched4 8,let her do it again10 they requested4 ,it was done again and again1 until one young man thought he had fathomed the trick1 and he1 with much excitement1 said3 8,mama looks through the window4 ,let someone go into the room with her40 8,certainly10 ,i at once acceded to their request1 and two native women accompanied my wife1 and on their return the natives asked3 8,did ,mama look through the window80 8,oh1 no10 the women replied2 8she went right to the other side of the room40 ,my friends were nonplussed4 ,they could not see through the trick1 and many came in ones and twos afterwards and asked me how many fowls or goats did ,i want to teach them the trick4 ,they never again boasted in my presence of what their witch-doctors could do4 ,there are some quasi 8doctors40 ,men and women who have recovered from a serious complaint set up to cure that particular sickness4 ,they use massage with hot or cold water1 or no water at all1 and simple herbs1 and there is no doubt that they do a considerable amount of good4 ,there are female witch-doctors who perform the same rites as the male ones1 such as the witch-doctors who conduct their ceremonies either enclosed in a mat or out in the open2 but the one who cures anmia and debility1 makes the necessary 8medicine0 for pregnant women1 attends confinements1 and takes certain cases of sickness among men is always a female4 ,each is more or less famous in his own line1 and with one or two exceptions rarely goes beyond his own limits4 ,there is the general practitioner1 who is not a specialist as the other medicine men are4 ,he is regarded1 however1 as knowing more than the others1 with the exception of the one who performs in a mat4 ,he uses all kinds of herbs1 prepares the different charms for warding off diseases1 and cures divers complaints2 but he never attempts to exorcise spirits or to find witches4 ,he is called by the natives nganga ya mono1 i4e4 the medicine man who uses medicines1 herbs1 or charms4 ,his fees are comparatively small1 and he is consulted in the first stages of an illness in the hope that he will be able to effect a cure1 and thus save the larger fees demanded by other branches of the profession4 ,when rain is falling1 and for some reason or other it is not desirable1 the rain-doctor takes a small leaf and puts it on the closed fist of his left hand1 and extending the arm in the direction from which the rain is coming he waves it to and fro in a semicircle2 he then strikes the leaf with the open palm of the right hand1 and should the leaf burst at the first smack the rain will stop in 8one paddling10 i4e4 the time paddlers paddle on one side of a large canoe before changing to the other side--this is about twenty minutes2 if the leaf does not burst at the first smack but at the second1 then the rain will not stop for 8two paddlings10 i4e4 forty minutes1 and so on2 but if the leaf does not burst at all after repeated slaps1 then the rain will not stop for a very long time4 ,when rain is threatening1 this ceremony is performed in order to ascertain how long it will be before the rain will fall4 ,if the leaf breaks at the first blow the rain will begin to fall in twenty minutes1 and so on to two blows and three blows4 ,they will start a journey or remain at home according to the indications of this performance4 ,the lads have often asked me to postpone a journey because the divination of the leaf predicted rain4 ,when a storm threatens to break during the funeral festivities of a man the people present will call the beloved child of the deceased1 and giving him 7or her7 a lighted ember from the hearth with a vine twined round it1 they will ask him to stop the rain4 ,the lad steps forward and waves the vine-encircled ember towards the horizon where the storm is rising1 and says3 8,father1 let us have fine weather during your funeral ceremonies40 ,the son after this rite must not drink water--he may drink sugar-cane wine--nor put his feet in water for one day4 ,should he not observe these prohibitions the rain will fall at once4 ,when it is desirable to have rain the native takes down from the shelf some sticks which have 8medicine0 bound round them and plunges them into water mixed with arrowroot leaves1 and then the rain will soon begin to fall4 ,it is rarely that they have to resort to the rain-doctor to bring rain1 as the rains fall with great regularity all the year round2 they employ him more frequently to predict when the rain will stop1 or to stop it with his charms4 ,on the ,upper ,congo throwing salt on the fire will cause a superabundance of rain to fall1 but on the ,lower ,congo salt is a charm for stopping the rain4 ,when a family is troubled with much sickness or frequent deaths the medicine man of the mat 7nganga ya bwaka7 is engaged1 who1 on his arrival1 puts some stakes in the ground and ties a mat round them1 thus making an enclosure in which he sits while performing his ceremonies4 ,a string is stretched from the roof of his client's house to one of the stakes of this mat enclosure1 and the end of the string drops inside2 dried plantain leaves1 twigs1 etc41 dangle from the string1 and outside the mat sit some young men and lads with drums and horns1 and the various folk interested in the rites stand or sit around4 ,when all is ready the medicine man enters his enclosure and pulling the string1 he shakes the leaves and the lads beat their drums and blow their horns1 and the men and women sitting around chant a chorus in admirable time4 ,directly the leaves stop shaking the drummers and singers understand it as a sign for them to remain quiet4 ,the medicine man then begins to speak to the various spirits1 and answers himself in assumed voices1 thus pretending to hold conversations with them4 ,as often as he feels tired with his efforts he shakes the leaves1 and the drums are beaten1 and the folk chant until he has recovered his breath1 whereupon he starts the pseudo-conversations again4 ,these conversations he maintains through the whole day 7sometimes for two or three days71 but generally towards the afternoon of the second day he comes out of the enclosure holding a bleeding head in his hand1 and assures the family that he has killed the animal in which the troublesome spirit was residing1 and now the family will no more be afflicted with sickness and death4 ,to vary the ceremony the medicine man sometimes rushes out of the enclosure into a house1 or behind a house1 or into the adjacent bush as though in chase of something1 and he returns with a bleeding head1 and says that he has slain the spirit-possessed animal4 ,it is this medicine man who searches for the witch 7moloki7 in the family of the sick one4 ,if a layman charges another with witchcraft the accused can demand that the accuser shall drink the ordeal with him2 but if this witch-doctor charges a person with witchcraft he himself will not take the ordeal1 and no one expects him to do so4 ,the accused must take the ordeal alone1 and should he 7or she7 fall repeatedly he is condemned1 and is left either to die as the result of the large doses of ordeal or is hung on a tree4 ,the corpse is left unburied--it is the body of a witch1 the most hated being in all ,congoland4 ,this medicine man of the mat in killing a spirit troubling a family works hard and earns his money4 ,after spending several hours a day in the mat discussing with the spirits and trying to discover which is menacing the family1 he at last decides on one1 and when the right moment arrives the medicine man makes a terrific noise inside the mat1 as though he were fighting for his life4 ,shouts1 screams1 derisive laughter1 whacks1 thuds1 and smacks proceed from the interior of the mat1 and at last the witch-doctor rushes out panting and sweating profusely1 holding in his hand a bleeding head1 and declaring that he has killed the animal possessed by the particular spirit that was troubling the family4 ,with the bleeding head he rushes to the river and throws it far out into the running water4 ,the family is supposed now to recover its health1 the medicine man pulls down his mats1 receives his fee1 and departs4 ,what is the bleeding head8 ,on one occasion some of our school lads chased one of these medicine men who came from his mat with a bleeding head4 ,he ran for the river1 but they headed him off1 and in desperation he ran to a pool of water and threw the head into it4 ,the boys entered the water1 and bringing it out they found it was a lizard's head4 ,on another occasion it was a rat's head4 ,thus the family had paid a big fee to have a rat or lizard killed1 and the bleeding neck shown to them4 ,up to that time the folk had always believed that it was some mysterious animal which the medicine man dug up from the ground inside his mat1 killed by his occult power and threw into the river so that it could never more harm his clients4 ,this medicine man who operates in a mat is the most feared and respected of all the witch-doctors4 ,it is believed that he can see the disembodied spirits1 i4e4 ghosts1 also the souls of people1 and the different spirits of disease1 and hold communication with them4 ,he bottles in calabashes or imprisons in saucepans the local spirits that will otherwise hinder the hunters trapping the wild animals2 he makes the dogs keen hunters with his charms and medicines2 he gives the reasons for the floods1 and indicates the best way to cause them to subside2 and he also has very close dealings with the spirit of wealth4 ,there is another class of medicine men that scorns to perform its ceremonies inside a mat1 but practises its craft in the open before all the people4 ,these are called 7nganga ya libanda7 medicine men of the open1 outside4 ,a family suffering from much sickness has called in one medicine man after another without experiencing relief1 and they may have had even the 8mat witch-doctor0 and felt no better after having paid him his large fee1 so now they try again with this one who works in the open4 ,he arrives dressed in monkey skins1 bush-cat skins1 etc41 and well decorated with charms4 ,men beat drums1 sing chants and choruses2 the medicine man dances about1 working himself into a frenzy4 ,he peers here1 there1 everywhere1 looking for the spirit that is troubling the family4 ,he sees it in a plantain tree1 hurls his spear at it1 but no1 he misses it2 he sees it on the roof of a house and away darts the spear1 only to miss it again4 ,he prods his spear into the different parts of the outside of the house1 but he misses the elusive spirit every time2 he is1 however1 working it towards the doorway4 ,at last the spirit takes refuge in the house1 the medicine man springs forward with alacrity1 enters the house1 darts his spear in all directions1 yelling loudly and screaming terrifically2 then a frightful cry is heard1 and in a few moments the medicine man comes out with the blade of his spear well smeared with blood4 ,he has killed the spirit1 or rather the animal possessed by the spirit4 ,i have often watched this performance1 and they always killed these animals possessed by spirits in the house4 ,i often wondered why1 and from whence came the blood on the spear4 ,the son of one of these medicine men told us that when his father wanted blood to smear over his spear-head1 he dug his finger-nail into his gum and procured from thence the blood for the purposes of this trick4 ,on showing the spear thus stained with blood he asserted that he had destroyed the spirit that was troubling the family1 he received his fee1 and went4 ,the semi-darkness of the native hut rendered a trick of this kind quite possible4 ,we have seen in the preceding chapter on spirits that certain spirits cause certain diseases1 and that the names of many diseases are really the names of those spirits that are supposed to cause them4 ,to deal with the spirit of extreme debility there are 8doctors10 who are always women1 and these are engaged to treat both men and women suffering from this complaint4 ,the 8doctor0 in dealing with this spirit dances1 chants1 and shakes a rattle1 until the patient says he has the spirit 7bwete7 of debility stirring in him2 he knows it by the way it jerks and sways his body4 ,the medicine woman prepares the post 7etoli7 and invites the spirit to go and reside in it and not trouble the patient any more4 ,these female 8doctors0 attend the women of certain totem families1 whose children five days after birth have their ears pierced2 such families are supposed to be patronized by a parturition spirit 7bwete bwa boweya7 that will help the child to grow strong1 fat1 and healthy if its ears are pierced on the fifth day with the proper dance and ceremony2 but will cause the child's death if the mother when enceinte does not use the proper medicines under the guidance of this female 8doctor10 or does not have its ears pierced in the proper way4 ,when a man is troubled with a sickness which has failed to yield to other means1 or one in whose family there has been a death and he cannot afford to hire a witch-finder1 he goes to a medicine man whose fee is comparatively small1 for his operations are simple and his paraphernalia small4 ,he1 on being hired1 brings out his fetish saucepan of water1 and placing it in a good position he pours some sugar-cane wine by its side1 for souls or embodied spirits are very fond of this drink4 ,he then calls the spirits by putting a leaf on the closed fist of the left hand and striking it with the palm of the right hand2 thereupon they show themselves one by one in the fetish saucepan 7likenge71 into which only the witch-doctor is allowed to look4 ,a spirit appears1 turns1 and shows its face when challenged to do so1 and shakes its head negatively1 and as the showing of the face is regarded as a proof that it belongs to an innocent person1 it is told to pass4 ,by and by a spirit appears in the saucepan that persistently refuses to show its face after being repeatedly ordered to do so by the medicine man1 therefore he stabs it with a splinter of bamboo1 and the owner of that spirit1 who is the witch1 is now supposed to die very soon1 and thus release this medicine man's client from its malign influence4 ,it is interesting to note that a person's soul can be called from him by a witch-doctor1 for the word used in this connection is elimo1 and that means the soul of a living person4 ,it is also noteworthy that they expect more truthfulness in the soul of a person than in the person himself4 ,the ,boloki folk1 like others more advanced in civilization1 are very anxious to know about the future1 so they have a soothsayer whose special function it is to predict coming events4 ,this diviner dances to the beat of drums and chants1 the chorus being taken up by all who are present4 ,when he has worked himself and his audience up to a certain pitch of excitement he looks into his fetish bag of medicines1 and from what he sees there he foretells war1 or the reverse1 its success or failure1 and other events1 such as the success or non-success of a trading expedition1 fishing and hunting parties1 etc4 ,the natives1 both male and female1 are not always successful in their love affairs1 hence they have a special medicine man who makes their love philtres4 ,a woman takes the nail-parings1 hair-cuttings1 and chewed pith of the sugar-cane of the person whose love she desires1 to this particular 8doctor40 ,he makes them into a medicine which1 after well drying1 he pounds into a powder4 ,this powder the woman takes and blows over the object of her love while he is asleep4 ,the man procures the nail-parings and hair-cuttings of the woman he loves1 and carries them to this maker of love philtres2 but instead of the powder being blown over the sleeping object of his passion1 he mixes it with sugar-cane wine and gives it to her to drink4 ,a slave will use the same method to gain an easier time from his master or mistress2 and this philtre is also used on people to cause them to forget a wrong or grant a request4 ,there are to be found among them witch-doctors to help them in every emergency of life1 and not the least curious is the one who aids them to vanish in the midst of danger4 ,the medicine man who thus serves them takes his name from the charm he makes1 which is rubbed on the body1 or tied on the wrist or leg of his client1 who1 when thus protected1 can walk right among his enemies1 and if they catch him they find only his cloth in their hands1 for the person in the cloth has vanished4 ,this charm 7called ndemo7 is largely used in times of war1 as the possessor of it can fight and kill without being seen by the enemy1 and it is also in great favour with thieves4 ,the charm consists of a yellow pigment rubbed on the temples1 or 8medicine0 mixed with the pigment and fixed to brass wire and tied round the wrist1 the leg1 or the waist4 ,they frequently told me of the wonderful power of this charm in rendering a thief invisible2 but they never accepted my challenge to put the matter to the test4 ,i offered to allow any one of them to keep any article he could steal in my rooms2 the conditions were that ,i was to be in the room and the thief was to take the article while ,i was present and yet be invisible to me--,i should simply see the thing move1 apparently of itself1 out of the room4 ,they said it could be done1 but they never proved it4 ,when there is smallpox in a district the nervous go to a medicine man1 who makes small cuts on his client's body and sucks out some blood1 which he spits on to a leaf and examines very carefully4 ,if some small threads are seen in the blood1 the 8doctor0 points them out to the others present1 and says that 8as ,i have sucked out the witchcraft 7likundu7 the person will not die1 although he may become infected with smallpox40 ,should no threads be seen and by and by the person catches smallpox1 his relatives will tell him that he cannot recover unless he confesses to having bewitched one or more persons4 ,under pressure of constant nagging the patient will confess 7and who among them has not desired the death of one or more enemies and acquaintances87 to his mother1 or father1 or to an intimate friend1 that he has bewitched several persons1 and will even mention them by name2 and after this confession he may become better4 ,it is a very crafty performance4 ,the person's blood is sucked1 and the threads are shown1 and if he does not have smallpox1 then the 8doctor0 has the credit of having drawn all the witchcraft out of him4 ,if1 however1 he has smallpox1 then he has his own witchcraft in him and that has caused the illness1 and the only way to ensure recovery is to confess his guilt--this exonerates the 8doctor40 ,if no threads are seen in the blood and the person has smallpox1 then his own witchcraft has given it1 and he must confess2 and here again the 8doctor0 is cleared4 ,now if a person has not been operated upon by the 8doctor0 and gets smallpox1 he must confess to bewitching others1 and should he recover1 well1 his confession has cured him2 should he die1 then either he has not fully confessed1 or someone else has bewitched him to death4 ,if a person does not catch smallpox1 then he is not bewitched by anyone1 and he himself has no witchcraft4 ,during an epidemic of smallpox at ,monsembe in #ahic it was absolutely impossible to isolate patients1 for1 according to their belief regarding infectious diseases--that no one would have it unless he were bewitched to have it--there was no need for isolation4 ,i have seen the hut of a patient literally crowded with women1 lads1 and girls1 giving advice and showing sympathy with the sick4 ,many died from the loathsome disease4 ,this particular 8doctor0 also looks at the arteries in the stomach of a dead person to discover whether the person died by his or her own witchcraft1 or by the witchcraft of another4 ,for full details see the chapter on 8,death and ,burial10 where it deals with death by witchcraft4 ,a person suffering from sleeping-sickness has his own special 8doctor0 to look after him4 ,he scarifies the body of the patient with numerous cuts1 and then sprinkles hot water over him1 rubs pepper paste into the cuts1 and puts a drop or two of pepper juice in each eye4 ,this practitioner is called by the natives nganga ya luwa--the medicine man of sleeping-sickness1 or of the spirit that causes that complaint4 ,there are many cases of debility1 lack of energy1 and anmia in which the symptoms are somewhat similar to sleeping-sickness1 such as drowsiness1 no desire to move about1 loss of appetite1 etc4 ,such cases are greatly benefited by the massage of warm water and pepper paste1 and by the change of scene and life necessitated by the visit to the 8doctor's0 village2 and when the patients return to their own towns after four or five weeks' treatment1 much better and sometimes quite well1 they are regarded by the natives as cured cases of sleeping-sickness4 ,the pepper juice in the eyes causes great agony1 but it keeps the patient awake and moving about4 ,the 8doctor0 puts various taboos on his patients1 both as to what they shall eat and how their food shall be cooked4 ,my wife had a girl about fifteen years of age who fell a victim to sleeping-sickness4 ,she was smart in her house-work1 intelligent and quick in school1 and neat and clean in her person4 ,she gradually lost her smartness1 forgot all she gained in school1 and became dirty and slovenly in her dress1 etc4 ,she also had a temperature every morning of about #ajj degrees that yielded to no treatment4 ,it was an undoubted case of sleeping-sickness1 but as it occurred in #ahid not much was known of the complaint1 and there were very few suggestions as to treatment4 ,those suggestions1 however1 we followed1 and the patient became no better for tonics1 bromide of potassium1 etc4 ,i was then told about this kind of 8doctor10 and finding there was nothing really objectionable in his mode of procedure ,i asked the girl if she would like to undergo his treatment4 ,she readily expressed her wish to be put under him1 and seemed to have great faith in him4 ,the girl went1 and ,i watched the treatment with much interest4 ,at first she brightened up under the pepper massage1 but at last she died in our house1 for finding the treatment failed we brought her1 at her own desire1 back to our house4 ,it is needless to say that ,i never came across a single case of true sleeping-sickness cured by this class of 8doctors40 ,there are some curious contradictions about this complaint4 ,in some cases there is loss of appetite1 and in others a ravenous hunger2 in some great drowsiness1 and it is almost impossible to keep the patient awake1 in others entire insomnia2 in some saneness to the last1 but others exhibit insanity and even violent madness4 ,when a boy or girl is very thin and weakly1 his father kills a monkey1 or buys a large piece of meat or a big fish and sends for the medicine man1 who has a reputation for conversing with the spirits of unborn children 7called bingbongbo71 and interpreting their demands4 ,on his arrival he shuts himself up in one of his client's houses and is heard to speak with these spirits4 ,after a time he comes out and tells his client that the spirits complain because he has never given them a feast1 and that if he desires to see his son improve in health he must at once prepare one for them4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,a ,,charm ,,for ,,increasing ,,the ,,birth ,,rate ,the scarcity of children in the ,libinza ,lake villages alarmed the inhabitants considerably1 so they paid a large sum to a witch-doctor to set up this fetish that their progeny might be increased4 ,the father gives the monkey1 meat1 or fish he has procured ready for this demand4 ,it is cooked and the medicine man takes the food on a plate into the house1 puts it down on the floor and1 coming out1 shuts the door4 ,after a time he again enters the house1 brings out the plate and shows that the food has partly disappeared1 and that the edge of the plate is smeared with the food 7there are always plenty of rats and mice in a native hut74 ,this is accepted as evidence that the spirits have partaken of the feast1 and the patient will get better as the offering has been accepted4 ,the medicine man gives the patient a new name--if a girl1 ,bolumbu1 and if a boy1 ,loleka4 ,the spirits of unborn babies are supposed to be supplied to the family preserves 7called liboma7 by the disembodied spirits of the deceased members of the family4 ,these are responsible for keeping the preserves well filled with spirits awaiting birth4 ,the preserves may be a pool on an island1 a pond in the bush or forest1 or a great bombax tree4 ,the 8doctor0 who deals with madness has simply a saucepan of water in which he mixes some medicines1 and the patient immerses his face every day in it1 and then he drops some juices from plants into his eyes until the person is cured of his madness4 ,madness is called mokalala1 and the 8doctor0 who treats it is named by that title also--the 8doctor for madness40 ,when the death of a prominent man has occurred1 and the 8doctor for witchcraft0 has inspected the entrails of the deceased and has stated that the departed one was bewitched to death1 the family then calls in the witch-finder to point out the person guilty of that detestable thing called witchcraft4 ,the usual fee is one slave1 but if the witch-finder is a very famous one he will demand and receive two slaves4 ,he insists on receiving his fee before he begins operations1 as he may have to rush off with undignified haste directly he has pointed out the witch1 for the accused person does not always take the charge quietly1 but sometimes rushes off for spear or gun to kill his accuser1 hence the demand for the fee first4 ,the people gather on the appointed day in a large circle1 and the medicine man1 dressed as a woman in skins and cloths fantastically arranged1 his face1 legs1 and arms decorated with pigments of various colours1 takes his place in the centre and dances throughout the whole of the first day to the beat of drums4 ,towards the end of afternoon of the second day he points out the witch1 and then hurries at once to his waiting canoe4 ,the accused must take the ordeal and abide by the result4 ,the 8doctor of the mat0 very often performs this ceremony of discovering the witch4 ,there is another class of medicine men who scrape their eyes with the sharp edge of the sugar-cane grass1 which operation clears the vision and enables them to see spirit witches afar off and frustrate their evil designs4 ,he pretends to see the witch at night running off with the soul of a person1 and this soul he rescues and restores to its owner4 ,the next day the medicine man will go to the owner of the soul he rescued and say3 8,last night ,i saw a witch spirit running away with your soul1 and ,i stopped it or you would be dead by now40 ,and then he demands a present1 which is at once given through fear2 for if they refuse to satisfy this medicine man he will allow the witch spirit to escape another time with the soul1 and death will be the result4 ,now a man who has many and powerful enemies needs someone to help him1 and there is a special branch of the profession created on purpose to render him assistance4 ,such a man goes to a proper medicine man1 who will give him a medicine that will overawe or soothe his enemies so that they will no longer desire to work him any harm4 ,they will become subject to his will and influence4 ,this medicine man 7he goes by the name of nganga y' elembia overawe1 subdue1 soothe7 also initiates his clients into various tricks for striking awe into the onlookers that they may fear their power1 and respect them accordingly4 ,when a man is ill1 or has lost a relative by death1 he may in his vexation accuse the other members of his family of witchcraft4 ,they of course indignantly deny the charge1 so the accuser challenges them to drink the water from a fetish bell4 ,should anyone refuse to drink from the fetish bell he is regarded as guilty of witchcraft4 ,if1 however1 they agree to accept the challenge the particular kind of medicine man who operates with the fetish bell is called1 and on his arrival he gives to each person a draught to drink from his fetish bell4 ,and it is firmly believed that the one guilty of witchcraft will soon die from the effects of the bell medicine1 whereas the innocent will suffer no inconvenience from it4 ,it will be seen from the above-mentioned medicine men that the natives have a medicine man to help them in every emergency of life1 and also one to control1 soothe1 or destroy every kind of spirit that is likely to do them any harm personally1 and bring any sort of misfortune or ill-luck upon them4 ,however1 witchcraft is at the bottom of all their fears1 and it will be noticed that the majority of the different branches of medicine men deal with1 or pretend to avert1 that most dreaded and hated thing witchcraft4 ,there are three kinds of witches among the ,boloki people1 viz4 the active1 that is the person who fees a medicine man to kill his enemy or procures some medicine to do him to death4 ,the passive1 that is the person who in a temper1 or because of some grievance1 wishes ,so-and-so were dead1 or in a curse shouts at his tormentor and oppressor3 8,may you die quickly02 but takes no active measures to procure the death of the said person4 ,there is scarcely a person who has not wished for the death of one or more persons2 and when the ordeal of the fetish bell is administered and the drinker of the 8bell water0 has not desired the death or illness of that particular person he feels secure2 but if he has desired the death of that person he feels nervous1 doubtful1 refuses to drink the ordeal and is accused of witchcraft or drinks it and perhaps dies from sheer fear4 ,the third kind of witch might be called the self-inflicted one1 that is1 a person in utter misery desires to die1 and the witchcraft works in him and he dies2 the natives think that many people die by their own witchcraft4 ,on the ,lower ,congo ,i found no idea of suicidal witchcraft among the people4 ,i think many of the medicine men thoroughly believe in themselves2 and even those who assert that they see spirits or have performed such wonders as living under the water for seven days1 or making their spear shake and talk relate the incident so often that they come to believe that they really did it4 ,many of the people before we went there had no faith in the medicine men2 but they were afraid to oppose or ridicule them for fear of being charged with witchcraft1 so they pretended to accept all that was said and done by them4 ,our presence inspired many with the courage to test the witch-doctors1 and finding them frauds they turned from them with contempt4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,taboos ,,and ,,curses ,variety of taboos--,the totem taboo--,the permanent taboo--,the inherited taboo--,the temporary taboo--,circumcision taboo--,canoe-maker's taboo--,mourner's taboo--,cursing a wife--,taboo of sympathy--,father's curse on a child--,kicking a person's foot--,various curses--,different oaths--,giving tokens4 ,taboos are the prohibitions and restrictions put on things and actions by the witch-doctor during and after an illness1 by the family totems1 and temporarily by the individual himself4 ,they are the 8thou shalt nots0 of fetishism4 ,to disobey them is to risk dire consequences to health of body1 to success in expeditions1 and to one's luck4 ,among the ,boloki the outraged spiritual powers are supposed to avenge themselves on the breakers of the taboo4 ,the taboos send their ramifications into every part of native life1 thought1 and action4 ,there is not a single article of food that is not taboo to someone1 there is not a place that has not been tabooed at some time or other1 and there is not a possible action that has not been1 or is not1 affected by taboo4 ,when a witch-doctor tells his patient that he is not to eat goat's meat1 then goat's meat to that man is tabooed1 forbidden1 unlawful for that man to eat2 and should he break the taboo by eating goat's meat1 then he believes that a serious relapse will follow and probably death4 ,the taboos are many and various1 but most of them fall under the following heads3 ,the totem taboo 7called mokumbu7 is not so evident to the casual observer among the ,bololi people1 and ,i might say among ,congo people generally1 as it is in other parts of the world4 ,one family that ,i know may not eat a certain snake1 and another may not eat fowls4 ,if the men of these families kill and eat their totems they will become thin and weak2 the women will not only become thin but sterile2 and the pregnant woman who breaks her totem taboo will be delivered of a weak child1 who will remain thin and undersized all his life4 ,to another family a tree with small edible fruit 7named mwenge7 is a totem4 ,the tree must not be cut down1 nor its fruit eaten1 and if by any mistake a woman of this family burns it while pregnant she carefully saves the ashes1 i4e4 instead of throwing them away she puts them in a special place apart from the usual heap of refuse1 otherwise her child will be born emaciated and weakly4 ,strange to say1 the boys and girls of the family before puberty may eat the fruit of this tree without any evil consequences4 ,another family has a plant with red leaves 7called nkungu7 as a totem4 ,when a woman of this family becomes enceinte for the first time a nkungu is planted near the hearth outside the house1 and it is never destroyed1 or the child will be born thin and weak and remain very small and sickly4 ,the healthy life of the children and family is bound up with the healthiness and life of the totem tree as respected and preserved by the family4 ,the killing of a fowl by a member of the snake family1 and vice versa1 does not affect the family whose totem it is4 ,when a free woman marries she takes her totem with her and observes not only her own1 but also her husband's totem4 ,and any child born to them takes the totem of both parents until there is a family council of the paternal and maternal branches1 when it is generally arranged that the child shall in future observe its father's totem4 ,these notes contain all the information ,i could gather relating to their totems2 and ,i received the impression that the totem taboo is gradually dying out4 ,this is also the impression ,i have about the totems on the ,lower ,congo1 where one finds only a vestige of what was once probably a potent factor in their family life4 ,then there is the permanent taboo 7called ngili74 ,this taboo is put on any kind of food1 as1 8,you must not eat goat's meat02 or1 on going to a certain place1 as1 8,you must not go across the river to a particular island02 or1 on performing a particular action1 as1 8,you must always drink sugar-cane wine through a reed1 never straight out of a vessel of any kind40 ,this taboo must be carefully observed by the person under it as long as he lives or serious consequences will follow the breaking of it1 such as a return of the sickness from which the person was suffering when placed under this taboo1 or a loss of property and life1 or the sickness and death of a child4 ,every kind of food is ngili to someone1 and it is no uncommon sound to hear a person going through the town crying out3 8,exchange for piece of antelope40 ,that means that someone has come into possession of a portion of antelope to whom it is taboo1 so he 7or she7 is trying to exchange it for fish or something else that is not taboo to him with someone to whom antelope is not taboo4 ,this permanent taboo 7ngili7 is very frequently an inherited one4 ,a man has1 say1 elephantiasis and the 8medicine man0 says he is not to eat either elephant or hippopotamus flesh 7both these animals have stout legs71 and the man will pass on this taboo to his sons1 who will carefully observe it lest their legs become 8swollen like an elephant's40 ,milk is tabooed by all and regarded with great abhorrence4 ,anyone drinking it is considered unclean 7bosoto7 for several days1 and is not allowed to eat with his family4 ,they may touch milk1 for they milk our goats and sheep and carry it to us without suffering any defilement1 but it must not touch their lips4 ,a house boy of mine was known to have drunk some water out of a milky glass1 and he was not permitted to eat with his family for five days4 ,the natives could give no reason for this1 but only stated that it was their custom4 ,the eating of raw eggs is also tabooed by all1 and the breaker of this taboo is not allowed to eat with his family for a few days4 ,they eat well-cooked eggs no matter how unsavoury they may be through age4 ,i may say in passing that the more ancient an egg is the better it is liked by the native1 and they do not appreciate our preference for fresh eggs4 ,if a native gives an aged egg to a white man as an expression of gratitude it does not mean that he is giving it because it is bad and worthless to himself1 but because it is to him better than a fresh egg1 and he thinks it is so to you until he learns better1 and then he will bring fresh ones4 ,the temporary taboo 7mungilu7 covers a large number of different circumstances that1 according to the native view of life1 call for a taboo4 ,during pregnancy a woman is placed under a taboo1 generally that she is not to eat a certain kind of food--not the same article of food to every woman1 but according to the momentary whim of the 8doctor0--and this she observes until the medicine man removes it either on the birth of the child or when it is weaned1 or the first time the child has its hair cut4 ,some pregnant women are told not to throw the ashes of their fires away until their children reach the age of twelve or fourteen4 ,the ashes are therefore carefully gathered and put into a special place4 ,these women1 however1 belong to families which have trees and shrubs for totems1 and for fear of scattering the ashes of their totem trees inadvertently burnt they have to put all the ashes of their fires in a particular place1 thus honouring all ashes to avert the possibility of being disrespectful to the ashes of their totem trees4 ,a witch-doctor may say that on account of a certain sickness the patient must not eat a particular kind of food1 and the food he may eat must be prepared in a special way1 say1 cooked in forest water and not in water taken from the river4 ,when1 however1 the man is better a feast is prepared1 and then all kinds of food are cooked in the ordinary way1 including the interdicted articles1 and the patient partakes of them and the prohibitions are removed4 ,lads who have been circumcised must remain indoors until the wounds are healed1 and during that time they are not to eat the heads and tails of fish4 ,when a man is making a canoe he ties a piece of a cactus-like plant to the log he is working1 and while working on it he must not drink any water1 otherwise the canoe will leak4 ,the charm also wards off evil influences and keeps the canoe from warping4 ,members of a deceased person's family are forbidden to sleep for two or three weeks on their ordinary beds1 and must sleep on leaves spread on the ground4 ,after the mourning they have a drinking-bout of sugar-cane wine1 to which all the town is invited1 after which they return to their ordinary sleeping-mats on the raised frame4 ,the prohibitions on fishermen and hunters have already been mentioned4 ,sometimes a man in a rage will put himself under a taboo4 ,a wife by her conduct has irritated him beyond all endurance1 and at last in anger he strikes on the ground with a stick1 and says3 8,may ,i be cursed if ever ,i eat food cooked by you40 ,he is now under a taboo 7mungilu7 not to eat food from that woman's hands4 ,such a mode of procedure will bring the woman to her senses1 for undoubtedly the taboo and curse go further than the mere non-eating of food cooked by her4 ,it means that he has put a taboo on her and will have nothing more to do with her1 or the curse will come on him in the form of a severe disease4 ,by and by the woman is sorry for her conduct1 and begs the husband to remove himself from under the curse by removing the taboo of having nothing more to do with her4 ,should he after a time relent1 the curse is removed by the following ceremony1 which is called reversing1 or undoing1 of the beating of the ground3 ,a trench is dug while some women sing3 8,remove the curse1 the curse of beating on the ground0 7,bondola bondo mobondo bondo74 ,a spot of red camwood powder is rubbed on the woman's chest1 or as they say1 8over the heart10 the taboo and curse are removed and the pair are reconciled4 ,men and women to express their sympathy with a sick parent or relative will make a vow1 saying3 8,i will not eat fowls10 or1 8,i will not go to ,lulanga until my father is better40 ,should the father die1 then the person who made the self-imposed taboo must not eat any more fowls1 or must never go again to ,lulanga4 ,these vows are very carefully observed1 or a disease will result from breaking them4 ,a person therefore can be under four taboos1 viz43 7#a7 ,the totem taboo 7mokumbu7 of his family4 7#b7 ,the taboo 7ngili71 because of a serious illness and the desire to avert a relapse4 7#c7 ,the inherited taboo 7also ngili71 to avoid a complaint from which the father suffered4 7#d7 ,the temporary taboo 7mungilu7 of anger and sympathy4 ,this may be the best place in which to mention their curses1 for they are often interwoven with their taboos4 ,a very common curse employed on most occasions is to strike on the ground with a stick1 and at the same time mention the name of the person cursed2 and the person thus cursed will have a very bad form of dysentery1 and the curser may say3 8,may ,i be cursed if ever ,i do such and such a thing02 thus the curser will become subject to the disease should he break his word4 ,a person curses an adult relative in the following manner3 ,he rubs his thighs1 bends down1 and turns his back towards the one to be cursed and shouts3 8,be accursed40 ,this is also done in the face of an enemy as an insolent curse on them4 ,early morning is said to be the best time for making it effective4 ,i have seen this performed several times1 and the person so cursed has hurled his knife or spear at the curser4 ,a father1 or guardian1 curses his child by words1 and then the child will neither grow properly nor become wise or rich2 but this is only resorted to on great provocation4 ,should the child become penitent and apologize for his evil ways1 he takes a large fish or monkey or a goat to his father and begs him to remove the curse4 ,the father accepts the present1 and then chewing the stem of a certain shrub 7called munsangasanga71 he expectorates the pieces out on to the palm of his child's hand1 saying2 8,what ,i said ,i said in anger1 and ,i now remove the curse40 ,the child is comforted and the two are reconciled4 ,to kick or touch a person accidentally1 while passing him1 with the foot is equivalent to cursing him4 ,the person must turn round and slightly kick again the person whom he touched with his foot1 otherwise bad luck1 etc41 will come upon the person kicked4 ,where we apologize they kick again1 and the phrase used for the second kick means1 8to reverse the effects of the first kick40 ,they are exceedingly careful not to touch a person with the foot in passing--that brings bad luck1 and not to step over a person--that is an insult4 ,a person moving out of a sitting crowd of folk shuffles his feet along the ground so as to avoid stepping over anyone1 and will tell those squatting around to draw their feet up out of the way so as not to touch them4 ,there are other curses used by old and young alike during fits of passionate anger1 as1 8,may you die by witchcraft02 or1 8,may you die by euphorbia poison02 or1 8,cry for your mother10 i4e4 ,may your mother die4 ,the last is a curse bitterly resented1 and is only uttered when a person is greatly exasperated4 ,when a person is undergoing any ordeal test he repeatedly uses the word ngambu1 which means3 8,if ,i am guilty1 let the ordeal work against me2 but if ,i am innocent1 then let my accuser be accursed and die40 ,the ngambu curse is greatly dreaded by all natives4 ,promises and oaths are ratified by each contracting party putting a curse on the other should he break his oath2 and illness and bad luck are often regarded as due to unfaithfulness to one's oath4 ,sometimes taboos are put on one another by the contracting parties1 and so long as the taboos are carefully observed they are reckoned as faithful to their promises and oaths4 ,this is specially so in the covenant of blood-brotherhood1 and to disregard the taboo is to court either death or some great disaster4 ,many of their folk-lore stories are illustrative of the evil consequences resulting from the breaking of blood-brotherhood taboos4 ,oaths are freely used by the ,boloki in their conversation1 and such liars are they that they feel it necessary to back their statements with1 8,i swear it0 7ndai74 ,the commonest form of oath is1 8,cut my throat0 7tena nkingu71 and is always accompanied by the speaker wetting his finger and drawing it across his throat4 8,by my mother0 7nta mama71 and 8,by my father0 7nta tata7 are very strong oaths and are felt to be binding on the user of them1 otherwise disaster will follow if the statements to which they are affixed are not true1 or the promises to which they are attached are not fulfilled4 8,truly so1 by my mother0 7bwele unko mama71 and 8,truly so1 by my father0 7bwele unko tata71 are not regarded as being so strong as the former two1 but they infer that the speaker pledges himself that his words are true1 otherwise his mother or father will suffer4 ,a piece of stick1 tin1 or anything handy is cut into pieces1 and each combatant or disputant takes a portion as a token that all matters of dispute are finished1 and he who again starts one of the old quarrels calls down a curse upon himself4 ,this cutting of a token 7tena ndanga7 is also done by the party who loses a case4 ,he gives a portion of the cut token as an earnest of the payment of expenses1 and of the fine imposed by those who judged the case1 and if he does not redeem it he is under a curse and will suffer accordingly4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,native ,,charms ,,and ,,their ,,uses ,a general name--,no sacrifices to them--,preventive charms--,thief's charm and antidote--,charm for rendering the owner attractive--,helpful charms in war--,modes of dealing with witchcraft--,certain charms for certain spirits--,for success in fishing--,to detect a murderer--,to preserve goats in health--,giving ordeal to a son4 ,the general name for fetish1 charm1 amulet1 talisman1 mascot1 etc41 is bonganga2 and this is also the word for the skill or art of the medicine man--that which constitutes him a member of the profession4 ,it is1 however1 difficult to decide whether this skill arises from his own inherent intuitions or is imparted to him by his own powerful fetish--the word bonganga favours both views4 ,the prefix 8bo0 can indicate the thing into which a medicine man has put his power1 hence a charm1 fetish1 etc42 and it also denotes a noun of quality1 and thus points to the skilfulness1 art1 etc41 or that quality by which the witch-doctor is able to perform his magic4 ,it is very probable that both views are necessary for a complete understanding of the word--it is a thing into which the medicine man has put his power1 and it is also the skill1 art1 power1 etc41 by which he imparts it and by which he works as a witch-doctor4 ,no offerings are presented to charms1 and there is no mode of refreshing them as on the ,lower ,congo2 but when a charm does not act as it should the owner takes it back to the medicine man to have some more 8medicine0 put into it1 as it is thought that the old has become ineffective through being played out4 ,images are not used among the ,boloki1 but various articles are employed to conserve the fetish power imparted to them4 ,the charms belonging to the witch-doctors have been handed down from time immemorial and the various 8doctors0 make the amulets1 charms1 etc41 for the people4 ,the larger the fee the more powerful the charm4 ,in writing about the ,boloki charms it is very difficult to classify them1 for they so frequently overlap each other in their operations4 ,i have collected the names of a large number of their charms1 etc41 and when describing some of them ,i shall have to repeat a little of the information given under the heading of 8,medicine ,men and their ,magic02 but ,i will avoid more repetition than is necessary to put the reader in touch with the supposed powers of the charm4 ,there are those charms that help them in dire distress1 and among the most potent of them is the ekando1 which really means a snag hidden under the water4 ,the owner of this charm can cause a snag to break the canoe of his pursuing enemies4 ,in the excitement of a chase the paddlers do not always look where they are going and will run on a hidden snag1 and the impact will split the canoe and the charm has the credit for it4 ,many trees topple from the bank into the river1 and by and by the jagged end of a large branch will be just under water as the river rises and falls1 and this favours the belief in the powers of the ekando charm4 ,i have been nearly thrown out of my canoe two or three times from running on a covered snag1 and they are a source of considerable danger to river steamers4 ,the owner of this charm has the power also to call on the hippopotami and crocodiles to help him when hard pressed by his foes4 ,hippopotami quite unintentionally1 in coming up to breathe1 overturn a canoe2 and crocodiles have the trick of coming up suddenly by the side of a canoe and causing the paddlers to start so violently that they upset the canoe4 ,the crocodile takes a man and goes off4 ,another charm with curious power is the 8fetish axe0 7ekoko74 ,the possessor when desirous of eluding his enemies takes the 8axe0 in his hand and beats an island with it1 whereupon the island splits and he passes through the opening1 which at once closes behind him1 and he is safe4 ,the numerous creeks and inlets favour this superstition4 ,another charm on much the same lines as the two already mentioned1 is the jelo or sandbank4 ,the lucky owner of this charm1 when escape from the enemy is otherwise impossible1 will take a handful of sand and throw it towards his pursuers1 and a sandbank will immediately form and stop their progress until the owner of the jelo charm is far beyond their reach4 ,the innumerable and ever-changing sandbanks in the river favour this belief4 ,on one occasion the folk were much troubled by steamers calling at ,monsembe1 the crews of which took every opportunity of robbing the people4 ,the natives therefore decided to employ this charm by making a series of sandbanks across the channels1 thus preventing the approach of steamers4 ,i informed them that we were expecting our steamer the ,peace1 and they must not shut her out or we should run short of provision and barter goods4 8,we will leave an opening for your steamer10 they assured me as they continued the ceremony4 ,a couple of days afterwards a ,state steamer came in sight1 the very kind of steamer they wanted to keep out4 8,how did that steamer pass your sandbanks80 ,i quietly asked4 8,oh10 they replied nonchalantly1 8some mischievous boy must have bewitched our line of sandbanks and caused several openings40 ,i have never found them lacking a loophole out of difficulties of this kind4 ,there are various preventive charms to maintain them in good health1 to ward off the return of a sickness1 preserve them from wounds1 and to protect their property4 ,a cross-stick on uprights 7called mokando71 rubbed with red camwood powder and arranged with a noose to catch witches that try to enter a house or village1 is regarded as a health-preserver to a household and to a community4 ,or a medicine man can take certain stalks1 or anything else to hand1 and after putting a charm into it he can lay it along or across any path1 and neither witch nor disembodied spirit desiring to commit evil in the village will be able to cross this charm 7jeko7 into the village4 ,a forked stick 7mutumu7 is carried by a man who has had rheumatism as a charm against the return of the complaint2 but if the stick is touched by anyone else1 or broken1 the man will have a serious relapse4 ,a brass ring with a few wood knots threaded on it1 or a piece of string with knots tied in it1 are both used for curing and for preventing diarrha1 especially in children4 ,the mpete is a charm to preserve the owner from being wounded in a fight1 but for it to be effective the owner's wives must remain faithful while he is at the war4 ,this name is also given to the brass ornaments on a ,state officer's helmet and uniform1 as the natives when first they saw them thought they were charms worn by the white men to preserve them from wounds1 and not as decorations or insignia of rank4 ,there is also a charm that is supposed to render the owner invulnerable to all weapons used in fights and quarrels4 ,a native does not own very much property1 but what little he has he desires to keep1 so there are charms for that purpose4 ,a plantain stalk bound with the proper medicine is a charm to preserve its owner's canoe from being swamped in a storm4 ,it is not necessary to have it 7the mokombe7 in the canoe at the time1 for it can act through any reasonable distance of space4 ,the python charm 7nguma7 is regarded as a powerful charm for protecting wealth and slaves2 and should either be lost it has the reputation of restoring them quickly to their owner4 ,there is a general charm 7nseka7 for preserving property from robbery and destruction4 ,it is made of anything according to the preference of its user1 as shells1 leaves1 skins1 etc4 ,such a charm is frequently carried through the town to notify that something has been stolen and to bring a curse on the thief1 and then it is partly made of the same material as the thing stolen4 ,charms are placed round the farms to mark the boundaries of a field belonging to one woman from that of another1 and also to protect the produce from thieves4 ,the charms then employed seem to be almost anything2 but those most frequently seen are large univalve snail shells1 bivalve shells like mussels1 pieces of cactus1 bits of rags1 old calabashes1 etc41 these are all tied on sticks stuck in the ground and the charms dangle to and fro in the breeze4 ,when a woman runs away1 her husband takes her nail-parings and hair-cuttings1 which he has gathered for this and other purposes1 to a medicine man1 who puts them into a skin with medicine and returns them to him4 ,the husband with this charm in his possession takes a leaf1 spreads it on the closed fist of his left hand and strikes it with the palm of his right hand1 and says3 8,if my wife stops to eat at the place to which she has run1 let her die quickly40 ,the same ceremony is performed to ensure the return of a runaway slave1 or to inflict harm on anyone with whom the owner of this special charm 7named likunda7 has quarrelled2 consequently natives carefully destroy all their hair-cuttings and nail-parings so that no one may gain power over them4 ,the thief has a charm--a simple yellow pigment--to rub on his temples to help him steal cunningly and successfully2 but if a man desires to protect his property from this kind of thief he procures a very long1 broad-bladed knife with curved points1 and on this he smears stripes of yellow pigment1 and then a serious sickness will come upon the robber who steals from the owner of such a powerful charm 7named lingundu74 ,this charm is also used for two other purposes3 when it is put near the door of a sick man it will kill the witch that tries to enter2 and a medicine man also uses it to cut the soul 7elimo7 in half to cause the death of his client's enemy4 ,as the yellow pigment renders the thief invisible1 so it also renders the knife invisible1 so that the witch not seeing it blunders on it and fatally cuts itself2 and the soul cannot see it1 and can be executed by it when in the hands of the witch-doctor4 ,how does a native account for a man 7or woman7 being successful in his undertakings1 fortunate in his circumstances1 and acceptable and popular with folk generally8 ,well1 the secret of it is that he has a charm 7named montala7 which operates powerfully in his favour4 ,it is a bundle1 a horn1 or a hollow piece of bamboo with medicine in it4 ,it renders its owner very attractive to women1 to slaves1 and to the people1 and thus he is successful4 ,handsome1 healthy1 prosperous men are supposed to be what they are on account of the benefits bestowed by this charm4 ,when a son or daughter is about to leave home for another town1 or to travel and trade1 the father or near relative chews the leaves of a certain shrub1 spits them out on to another leaf and mixes some camwood powder with the mess1 and the son1 or daughter1 has to rub a little of this mixture 7makako7 on his body every day1 otherwise he will not find favour with those among whom he may live or travel4 ,neither a son1 nor a daughter1 will travel without his charm4 ,the ingredients of the love-charm1 or philtre1 have already been given 7see the chapter on ,medicine ,men71 and also the methods of effectively employing them4 ,it is also necessary1 according to the native view of life1 to have charms to help them in war1 in rows1 and among their enemies4 ,there is a class of charms that enables them to go into the midst of their foes and yet escape1 although they wish to capture them4 ,by one charm the native bewitches the enemy2 by another he excels the enemy in craftiness and cunning2 by another he overawes and fascinates them so that they forget their hatred2 and by another he becomes invisible to them4 ,each man patronizes his own particular charm1 some having more faith in one than in another4 ,there is also a charm1 specially procured from a spirit and costing a goodly fee1 that always enables its owner to capture one or more prisoners in a fight1 and then helps him to disappear with his captives if too closely pursued by the enemy4 ,the mud-fish is called njombo1 and this name is given to a charm that imports the slippery characteristics of the eel-like mud-fish4 ,the owner of this useful charm is as difficult to hold as an eel1 and consequently it is much in demand by fighters and thieves1 as it enables them to slip out of the hands of their captors4 ,witchcraft plays a large part in native life1 therefore we find among them various means of finding witches and counteracting their malignant powers4 ,the simplest and cheapest method is to give a drink of water from the fetish bell to the suspected persons--the innocent are not hurt and the guilty one dies4 ,then there are the fetish saucepans of water used by the medicine men1 in which the witches and evil spirits are supposed to appear and those proved guilty of witchcraft are destroyed4 ,in each case the different spirits are called to the ordeal of the saucepan by the witch-doctor putting a leaf on the closed fist of his left hand and striking it with the palm of his right hand4 ,if the leaf bursts1 the spirits have heard and come at his bidding2 but if the leaf does not break after three smacks1 he desists1 as the spirits are recalcitrant4 ,when he wants a particular spirit he calls its name as he strikes the leaf4 ,when there is much sickness in a family the medicine man of the mat is sent for and he1 after studying the matter1 says3 8,there is a charm working against the family40 ,he erects his mat to form an enclosure and goes through a ceremony of much drumming and chanting1 and by and by digs a hole inside his mat and gets out the charm 7named ekundu71 which is a saucepan containing animal and fish bones and brass links4 ,the pot and contents are said to belong to the evil spirit of a deceased relative who desires to trouble the family4 ,the brass links1 one or more1 represent those members of the family who have been done to death by the evil spirit 7mweta7 since the decease of the wicked relative4 7,the medicine man knows how many have died in the family since the death of the said relative47 ,after removing the malignant charm from the ground1 the evil spirit of the departed one has no more power over the family4 ,sometimes this ceremony is performed in the open1 but it needs more cunning to deceive the spectators4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,a ,,bopoto ,,fetish ,,ensuring ,,good ,,health ,,to ,,twins ,when twins are born the placent are put into two old saucepans that are then raised on forked sticks and placed on either side of the road leading to the village4 ,this is a sign to passers-by that twins have been born1 and to destroy any evil influences entering the town that might harm the twins4 ,there are three charms that are regarded as being very acceptable and pleasing to the spirits of disease1 so much so1 that by a little persuasion the medicine man can coerce them to leave their patients and take up their residence in the charms provided for the purpose4 ,the medicine man procures a four-foot post1 removes its bark1 shapes it bluntly at one end1 and paints it yellow with spots of red and blue4 ,this charm 7etoli7 is erected near the house of the person who is suffering from either debility1 or rheumatism1 or lumbago1 or ague fever1 and the spirit of the complaint goes into the post1 and in order to keep it there1 i4e4 to avoid a relapse1 the man throws some food on the roof1 protecting the post from the weather1 for the spirit to eat1 and pours some sugar-cane wine over the post for the spirit to drink1 and occasionally a little camwood powder is rubbed on the post to keep the spirit in a good humour4 ,as these charm-sticks are the resting-places of spirits1 the nicer they are made the better satisfied will the spirits be to reside in them instead of troubling the patient4 ,besides the charm-post there are two charms made of saucepans for receiving the spirits of disease and holding them in pleasant captivity4 ,they are both decorated with spots of yellow1 blue1 and red4 ,one 7the eboko7 is simply filled with water from the bush1 and the other 7muntoka7 has a number of small sticks in it4 ,the former is used for retaining the spirit of a virulent form of sleeping-sickness1 and the latter for that of a milder type4 ,in both cases food1 drink1 and camwood are supplied to the spirits residing in them2 and small roofs of grass are built over them to protect them from the weather4 ,especially in the case of the coverings for the saucepan charms1 the protecting shelters look like miniature huts1 and a casual observer could easily believe that they have something to do with ancestral worship1 whereas they are simply the dwelling-places of disease-giving spirits1 and are charms to protect their owners from having serious relapses4 ,when a man is very unsuccessful in spearing fish1 although his opportunities have been good1 he thinks that this lack of success is due to a pregnant woman in his family who has not performed the rites called mumbamba1 in which small cuts are made on certain parts of the body and camwood powder and medicine are rubbed into them4 ,when this ceremony is observed his luck will change1 so he thinks4 ,if1 however1 he cannot discover such a woman in his family1 he believes that there is one who is hiding the fact1 and consequently the charm is against him4 ,this is often a way of covering one's ill-success4 ,murder is a very rare occurrence among the ,boloki1 i4e4 secret murder4 ,i never heard of a case during the fifteen years ,i was with them4 ,open fights and murder were not at all infrequent1 but ,i suppose that there must have been cases of secret murder1 or they would not have a ceremony 7called moselo7 for detecting the murderer4 ,this fetish ceremony is performed in two ways3 7a7 ,a relative takes the nail-parings and hair-cuttings of the murdered man to the witch-doctor1 who makes some medicine with them1 after which he says that the man was murdered by someone in the village4 ,a saucepan of water is taken and placed on the ground in the said village1 and each inhabitant holds his or her hand over it1 and the one whose shadow is seen at the bottom of the saucepan is the murderer4 7b7 ,the nail-parings and hair-cuttings of the murdered man are rolled in palm gossamer1 tied and laid on the ground1 as representing the unknown murderer1 in front of the witch-doctor1 who says3 8,if this man eats1 or drinks1 or walks in this country again1 let him be cursed by this ceremony40 ,then the witch-doctor brings his knife down and cuts the bundle 7moselo7 in half4 ,if shortly after this a person becomes suddenly ill of a serious complaint and dies1 he is regarded as guilty of the murder1 and his death is taken as a proof that the spell has worked4 ,when cassava roots are dug up from the farm they are put into a water-hole to soak for a few days until they become soft4 ,should a woman find that her roots are being stolen from the hole she takes a piece of gum copal1 and fixing it in the cleft of a split stick she puts it on the side of her cassava hole1 and at the same time calls down a curse on the thief4 ,should the thief be a man he will henceforth have no luck in fishing1 and should it be a woman she will have no more success in farming4 ,every canoe before being launched for the first time is struck on the stern by the maker or owner with his axe1 8to take away the weight40 ,it will then be light to paddle1 easy to beach or to launch1 for its dead weight has been removed by the blow with the axe4 ,there is no distinct word for evil eye1 but one person is able to bewitch 7loka7 the farm of another so that the produce1 maize1 cassava1 sugar-cane1 etc41 will not grow4 ,to counteract the effects of this bewitchment the owner of the farm calls a witch-doctor1 who knocks a stake into the farm1 and if a person is bewitching the farm the stake is supposed to enter that person1 and she or he will soon die unless they abandon their wicked designs4 ,when through this same form of witchcraft goats die off1 or will not breed1 the owner seeks someone who for a consideration will look after them1 and the owner will then pretend to sell them to him1 so that the one who is bewitching them will stop his evil practices1 as they now belong to someone else4 ,it often happens that the goats being removed to new pastures become more healthy and breed1 and this is sufficient proof that someone was formerly bewitching them4 ,if1 however1 the owner cannot find anyone whom he can trust to look after his goats he calls a medicine man1 who takes a young palm1 splits it into two equal parts1 and places one on each side of the road2 and then when the witch spirit comes that way and passes between the pieces of palm it will become sick and die4 ,the general belief is that only one in the family can bewitch a member of the family2 and who will go to the trouble of bewitching one of his own family unless he is to benefit by the death of the bewitched person8 ,and who benefits by the death of a father or a brother8 ,why1 the son or a brother4 ,consequently1 when father is very ill1 the son is regarded with suspicion1 and after trying all other means1 such as calling in the various medicine men to drive out the sickness1 the patient will1 as a last resort1 give his son the ordeal1 but not enough to kill him4 ,should he vomit it he is innocent1 that is proved beyond doubt and no harm is done2 but if he does not vomit the ordeal1 and becomes dazed and stupid--well1 he is simply the medium by which the occult powers are working on his relative1 and the ordeal will clear such dangerous powers out of his system1 and being no longer able to work through him as a medium the father or brother will recover4 ,the lad is tended until the effects of the ordeal drug have passed away1 then he is warned not to allow his body to be used again for such purposes and he is set free2 and he is looked upon by his playmates in the village with as much curiosity as a boy just out of hospital with a broken leg4 ,the boy's excuse is1 and it is readily accepted by all1 that he was full of witchcraft and did not know it4 ,i know a case of a cheeky urchin who received a box on the ears from his uncle1 and the youngster turned round and said3 8,i will bewitch you40 ,shortly afterwards the uncle fell sick1 and in spite of remedies and 8doctors0 he continued ill2 but at last he made the boy take the ordeal1 and not vomiting it he was considered guilty of bewitching his uncle4 ,the boy was well thrashed1 and his father had to pay #bjj brass rods to the medicine man for administering the ordeal4 ,this punishment was inflicted not because the ordeal proved that the lad was guilty1 but because of his insolent threat1 and to teach him to let other folk alone4 ,the uncle pulled up his houses and went to live at the other end of the town beyond the lad's influence4 ,this uncle soon after married another wife1 who had a young brother who was a scholar in my school4 ,one day the uncle came asking me for this lad that he might give him the ordeal4 ,i refused to hand him over for such a purpose1 and 8,besides10 ,i said1 8he does not belong to your family10 for ,i had not heard of the marriage4 8,yes1 he does10 the man replied2 8,i have married his sister1 and he is bewitching me through his sister1 who is now my wife4 ,my nephew1 who took the ordeal some time ago1 says that he has passed on the witchcraft to my young brother-in-law40 ,it thus appears that a mischievous boy can say that he has passed on his witchcraft to another lad and so bring trouble on that youngster4 ,this uncle was continually bothering me about these lads1 and at last1 to avoid further trouble1 ,i sent them1 with their full consent1 to work on one of our other stations many miles down-river1 and the uncle was much relieved4 ,the uncle in his new locality surrounded himself with many charms1 but he did not live many years4 ,he was not physically strong1 and every charm he possessed was to guard him from a complaint1 or to preserve him from witchcraft4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,death ,,and ,,burial ,three causes of death--,by act of ,god--,by another's witchcraft--,by one's own witchcraft--,an explosion--,decorating the corpse--fee to view the body--,smoking the body--,making coffins--,three kinds of graves--,killing slaves--,burying women alive--,signs of mourning--,the nether world--,suicides--,funeral dance for a man--,dance for a woman4 ,there are three causes of death well recognized among the ,boloki3 ,to die by an act of ,god2 to die by another's witchcraft2 and to die by one's own witchcraft4 ,on the ,lower ,congo the first and second causes of death are acknowledged1 but ,i never heard there of a person dying by his1 or her1 own witchcraft4 ,in cases of accidental death1 as caused by the swamping of a canoe in a storm1 they say that ,god has caused the death4 ,there is a certain amount of fatalism in this statement2 but other accidents in which they observe what they consider exceptional circumstances1 as the upsetting of a canoe by a hippopotamus or by a crocodile1 they place to the account of witchcraft4 ,thus a canoe swamped in a storm is 8an act of ,god10 but a canoe upset by a crocodile is 8an act of witchcraft10 as no crocodile will upset a canoe unless it is told to do so by a witch1 or unless a witch has gone into the creature and compels it to commit the outrage2 therefore it is necessary to discover the witch and punish the person who harbours such an evil spirit4 ,the word for sorrow is nkele1 which really means anger1 indignation1 and the idea is that they are 8angry0 that their relative has been done to death by the witch4 ,i tried very hard1 but ,i found no other word for grief1 sorrow1 etc41 at the death of anyone than this word nkele or anger--a very suggestive sidelight on the native view of death4 ,on the death of a sick man the body is opened1 and the arteries connected with the liver are examined by a witch-doctor1 and if they are full1 or only one is empty1 then the deceased was bewitched to death1 i4e4 he died by witchcraft 7awi moyengwa72 and consequently someone is accused1 and the ordeal is administered to one person after another until the guilty party is discovered1 i4e4 until someone succumbs to the ordeal1 and falls intoxicated by it to the ground4 ,there is another view of death held by the ,boloki folk1 and expressed in the phrase awi na likundu1 which means that the person died by his own witchcraft1 or he 7or she7 tried to kill someone else by witchcraft1 and the other person's protective charms1 etc41 were too strong1 and it has resulted in the bewitcher's own death4 ,the word likundu literally means smartness1 craftiness1 skill1 occult power1 being too clever4 ,the witch-doctor decides the matter1 for he holds a kind of post-mortem on the corpse1 and if the arteries near the liver are empty1 then the man died as a result of his own witchcraft4 ,if one artery only is empty1 that counts for nothing and is disregarded1 but if four or five are empty the witch-doctor says3 8,that10 pointing to one1 8is the secret power by which he so skilfully made canoes1 or worked at his smithing0 7according as the man was a canoe maker or blacksmith72 8that one is the power by which he was successful in fishing0 7or hunting1 and so on72 8and that other one is the power by which he bewitched people1 hence someone with stronger occult power has overcome and killed him1 or he has died by his own witchcraft40 ,if only one artery is empty1 that is allowable1 as a man must have skill to do ordinary things like other folk1 but if several are empty1 then he had more than his share of cleverness1 or occult power1 and no one pities him in his death4 ,the following is an illustration of the wide-reaching effects of witchcraft among the natives of ,africa3 ,some years ago the steamer ,matadi was lying off the ,english ,trading ,house at ,boma1 and one night the whole town was aroused by a terrific explosion4 ,it was found on investigation that the gunpowder on board the s4s4 ,matadi had exploded1 and two or three white people and forty 8,kroo boys0 7men engaged on the ,kroo coast to work the cargo7 were killed4 ,during the inquiry that followed it came out that the 8,kroo boys10 while searching the hold with a naked light1 had accidentally set fire to the powder4 ,many months afterwards we heard incidentally from other 8,kroo boys0 that a big witch palaver had been held in the ,kroo country and over fifty people had been done to death for bewitching the 8,kroo boys0 to death on the s4s4 ,matadi by causing the explosion of the gunpowder by their witchcraft4 ,the ,kroo coast is many hundreds of miles from the ,congo1 and the probability is that not one of those who died by the ordeal in the ,kroo country had ever been in ,congoland4 ,relatives attend the sick and nurse them faithfully2 and it is a sign of true friendship to visit a sick acquaintance1 or to send regularly and inquire after his health4 ,the women are so fond of attending the sick1 i4e4 sitting in the house1 suggesting charms1 remedies1 etc41 and giving advice1 that they often neglect their farm work and various duties4 ,when a man of any importance dies1 those who are expert in the art of decorating corpses attend and decorate the body with coloured pigments1 beads1 cowry shells1 and fine cloth2 and the artists charge two brass rods per person to view the body4 ,the family supply the cloths1 pigments--arnotta dye1 chalk1 red camwood powder1 blue and yellow earths1 beads1 shells1 bottles1 and looking-glasses4 ,the figure is often fixed in a sitting position with a bottle in one hand1 as though drinking1 and a looking-glass in the other1 as though he were admiring his decorations4 ,they aim at posing the figure in as natural a position as possible1 but the effect is ghastly on a civilized mind4 ,the artists give their time and skill to the family for a small fee1 and take as their perquisites the brass rods paid to view the picturesque 787 corpse4 ,the side of the house is removed ,illustration3 ,a ,,method ,,of ,,beheading ,,on ,,the ,,upper ,,congo ,this scene was arranged for the photo4 ,in the real thing a sapling is pulled over and the rope tied1 so that when the sapling is released it springs up and draws the neck of the victim taut4 to give more light on the body1 and the wall removed forms1 with several mats1 the screen enclosing the decorated corpse4 ,people come from miles around to view the sight1 and the more original the pose the richer the harvest of brass rods gathered by the lucky artists4 ,the pigments and barter goods on a decorated body cost approximately #ajjj brass rods1 or about #c1 a very large sum for these people1 but from their point of view it is worth the expenditure1 for by giving the deceased such a fine send-off to the nether regions they give no excuse to his spirit to trouble them later with diseases and misfortune4 ,as a rule the body is buried within three days after death1 and by that time it is very necessary4 ,when1 however1 for various reasons--as lack of means to provide a good funeral--it is not convenient to bury the deceased so soon1 they take out the entrails and bury them1 place the corpse on a frame1 light a fire under it1 and thoroughly smoke-dry it2 and in this way they are able to keep it for a more convenient time--this may be a matter of weeks1 and even months4 ,the dried body is tied in mats1 put in a roughly-made hut1 and a fire is occasionally made under it4 ,another mode is as follows3 ,the body is tied in mats and buried in an ordinary but shallow grave1 a big fire is made on the top of the grave to dry up the moisture in the body1 and to preserve it4 ,at a more suitable time a coffin is made and the corpse buried properly2 this is called likaku4 ,coffins are often made out of old canoes by men who go about the district for that purpose4 ,considering the material and tools they are well made1 the various pieces fitting closely together4 ,these native 8undertakers10 on arriving at the place where their services are required1 put up a fence of mats so as to make a private workshop4 ,they charge so much for the job and are kept in food and drink1 and any dogs1 goats1 etc41 that push open the mats and enter the workshop are liable to confiscation if their inquisitiveness causes them to persist in entering after they have been driven away twice4 ,the coffins are sometimes lined and covered with cheap cloth1 but more often they are stained with arnotta dye and ornamented with yellow and blue pigments4 ,all the materials are supplied by the family4 ,clumsily-made native nails1 or wooden pins1 are used1 unless they can procure nails from the nearest white man4 ,sometimes the parts are laced together4 ,poorer folk are rubbed with oil1 and red camwood powder1 bound round with cloth1 and tied up in a mat2 and those who are very poor are simply tied in their sleeping-mats2 a corpse is rarely thrown into the river or bush4 ,when the time for burial arrives the coffin is carried round the town on exhibition1 then the corpse is placed in it1 and men convey it to the place of interment1 followed by relatives1 male and female--not wives--friends and townsfolk generally2 the wives remain behind to continue the mourning4 ,a person often dies away from his house1 and sometimes away from his town4 ,the body is brought home and buried--if a free man or woman--in his or her house2 but a slave is buried on the edge of the bush1 or in any convenient place4 ,illustration3 ,,grave ,,for ,a ,,wealthy ,,man ,the graves are of three kinds3 7#a7 ,when the grave is dug deep enough a cutting is made at the side in which to lay the corpse so that the earth does not press on the body1 thus3 7#b7 ,a notch is cut in the earth along the two sides about two feet from the bottom of the grave1 and planks or sticks are laid across after the body is put in position1 and the earth is thrown on the sticks4 7,a and ,b are notches or ledges to take planks or sticks47 ,by this means also the earth is kept from contact with the coffin4 7#c7 ,an ordinary straight-sided hole1 and the earth put on the body4 #a and #b are for important men--those whose families can afford to pay for a coffin1 and they do not want it spoiled at once by having the clay--generally very wet--thrown on it2 and ,no4 #c is for the common people4 ,illustration3 ,,grave ,,for ,a ,,wealthy ,,man ,there is no special time for burying1 and no particular position for the grave and corpse4 ,i have known them to bury their dead at different times1 in the morning1 afternoon1 and evening4 ,mostly bodies are buried in one or other of the houses 7or very near to them7 belonging to the deceased1 consequently the position of the grave depends on whether the house runs east and west1 or north and south1 or whether the row of houses owned by the deceased is parallel or at right angles to the river4 ,in the old days it was the custom to kill two slaves and put one under the head as a pillow and one under the feet of the corpse4 ,in every family of importance there was a slave wife who went by the name of mwila ndako1 and it indicated that she was to be buried alive with her dead husband4 ,if1 however1 this wife had a child before her husband died1 then another woman took her place--a young woman was generally selected for this doubtful honour4 ,the number of wives buried in the grave was in proportion to the man's wealth and importance1 but he always made certain of one--the mwila ndako4 ,we were able eventually to persuade them to abandon this custom1 but it was not until we had gained their confidence and good-will by long residence among them4 ,a man while mourning for a relative or a wife wears rags1 or an old string fish-net1 and allows his body to go unrubbed with oil and camwood powder4 ,utter disregard of one's personal appearance is a sign of great grief for the departed4 ,at times men wear women's dresses instead of their own in token of their sorrow1 and they shave off only half the hair of the head1 or tie the hair up in little bunches or knots and shave the hair off the spaces between the knots2 and some rub their bodies with clay4 ,the modes are many and various1 according to the nearness or remoteness of the relationship4 ,in some cases they exhibit real sorrow1 but in the majority of cases there is more noise and show than true grief4 ,rarely does a man give way to crying2 and if his dearest friend dies 7not his relative7 he exhibits no sign of mourning1 not because he does not feel sorry1 but because he does not desire to attract attention to himself as a person who mourns for one who is not his relative4 ,it would be most unusual1 and besides1 if he has signs of mourning about him1 the folk will be constantly stopping him and inquiring of him which of his family is dead4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,kirkland ,,head-,,man ,,and ,,his ,,wife ,this man was1 to some extent1 responsible for the transport of ,state goods and messages between ,nouvelles ,anvers on the ,congo and ,bosisera on the ,lake4 ,the woman has the spiral rings on her legs1 and her feet are greatly swollen by reason of the heavy rings4 ,during the first few hours after a woman's death nearly all her female relatives and neighbours cry as though their hearts are broken2 but the next day they commence dancing1 and continue to do so at short intervals for five or six days4 ,the husband hires a professional dancer to act as master of the ceremonies4 ,upon the death of a man his widows cry and drink water mixed with clay1 either dress themselves in a few leaves or strip themselves absolutely nude and rub dirt on the body 7sometimes only half the body is covered with clay and the other half left its natural colour1 giving a very grotesque appearance to the mourner71 then taking something belonging to their late husband they parade the town in pretended search for him4 ,after the funeral they sit in their houses1 or inside a rough grass screen1 for five or six days1 until the sister of the deceased man gives them permission to leave their houses1 and then for about six weeks or two months they walk only in the 8bush10 and if they hear anyone coming they hide1 and during this time they may not walk about the town4 ,then for another three months they wear long1 untidy-looking grass cloths4 ,if their late husband was a great hunter1 then the widows will not eat meat during the period of mourning2 but should they during this period 8live well10 the deceased man's sister or daughter will upbraid them for not mourning properly1 and the folk in the town will regard them as callous1 hard-hearted women1 and the public opinion of the district will condemn them4 ,the new widows are not supposed to go to the farms or engage in any of their former occupations1 and as their visits to the farms are very irregular their supply of food is meagre1 so they are said 8to fast0 during the period of mourning4 ,at the end of the mourning and fasting they wash1 don their better dresses1 and are distributed among the heirs of their deceased husband1 i4e4 among his sons4 ,at the funeral of a man there is more or less firing of guns1 according to the importance of the deceased4 ,this they say is to ensure for him a good entrance into the nether world1 a place situated somewhere below4 ,the departed spirits in the nether world1 hearing the firing1 gather about the entrance to welcome the new arrival4 ,some say that the spirit of the deceased 8hovers near the entrance0 7others say 8near to the body107 while they decorate the body1 dig the grave1 kill the slaves1 prepare the wife who is to accompany him2 then comes the firing1 the entrance to the nether world1 and the welcome4 ,if the deceased was a great fighter the family arranges a sham fight in his honour1 and these sham fights occasionally take place for two or three years4 ,the names of the dead are freely mentioned for a few weeks after death1 and such names are even passed on to children if there is any likeness of the child to the deceased2 and some natives have a misty idea of the possibility of the rebirth of the deceased in the child who bears the likeness4 ,if a slave commits suicide his master will throw his body into the river2 but a free man who commits suicide is buried in a shallow grave with little or no ceremony1 because he has died by his own hand4 ,suicide1 however1 is extremely rare among the ,boloki4 ,women are buried with the same ceremony as a man1 and in accordance with their position in the town4 ,there are two dances that should be mentioned in connection with their funeral rites3 ,the first is named ebala4 ,directly a man of any position dies the family orders sugar-cane wine1 which takes a few days to prepare in any large quantity4 ,as soon as the wine is ready a large hardwood drum is beaten1 and the men and women dance for three days and nights1 or as long as the wine lasts4 ,lines are formed and a man leaves the line and advances1 and a woman leaves the line opposite and advances to within a yard of the man1 there they wriggle1 shuffle their feet1 shake their bodies for a few moments1 and return to their places1 and another couple advance1 and thus all down the line over and over again4 ,it is a regular wake1 accompanied by much drunkenness and immorality--the former openly1 the latter under cover4 ,the second dance is muntembe1 from ntembe stems of cassava plants4 ,when a woman dies who is held in much honour by the other women in the town as a good farmer1 one who has taught them much and frequently about farming1 and under whose leadership they have been successful in their operations1 the other women will1 a few days after such a one's death1 form a procession1 decorate themselves with leaves1 twigs1 and creepers1 and dance and chant her praises through the town4 ,at the close of the dance they go in a body to the farm of the deceased woman and hoe and plant a large patch of cassava for the use of her family4 ,the family supplies the dancers with sugar-cane wine for this festivity4 ,in #ahij ,i saw in ,bonjoko--a town just below ,monsembe--the entrance1 #f feet by #h feet1 to a house paved with skulls2 and it was customary not only to use skulls in this way1 but also to put the skulls of enemies at the base of palm trees and to use them as foot-stools4 ,the desire was1 by these indignities1 to insult the fallen enemy and to maintain some hold on the spirits of those slain in war that they might attend their conqueror in the spirit-land4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,native ,,diseases ,,and ,,their ,,treatment ,white and black magic--,albinos--,causes of disease--,those easy to diagnose--,non-professional healers--,discovering a troublesome spirit--,various remedies--,cupping--,the clyster--,ligatures for snake-bites--,snake-men--,rubbing things out of a patient--,ignorance of physiology--,white man's difficulty--,dangers of buffalo-hunting--,ravages of crocodiles--,escaping crocodiles4 ,the medicine man's white magic1 i4e4 those means employed for curing the people of their mental and bodily ailments1 may1 to us1 seem foolish and inadequate1 but there is nothing to condemn in its practice except that it often deceives the people4 ,whether the medicine man deceives himself--believes in himself or not--is another matter4 ,undoubtedly1 through generations of inherited knowledge concerning herbs1 etc41 they possess some remedies that do their patients good2 and there are many faith cures--the results of an implicit belief in the medicine man and the means he uses4 ,i have noticed that the ,congo medicine man cures just that class of ailments that the different branches of 8faith healers0 cure in ,europe and ,america4 ,the ,congo system of white magic is founded on quackery1 but like quackery in other parts of the world the remedy sometimes meets the disease1 and such successes are remembered and talked about1 while the many failures are forgotten4 ,black magic1 i4e4 those means employed for inflicting pain1 misfortune1 and death on an enemy1 is to be found in all parts of the ,congo4 ,although black magic is so widely practised1 yet it is condemned by the natives in as strong language as that used by the white man4 ,every native condemns it in everybody else1 and excuses it in himself4 ,those who practise it must do so in secret1 or the hatred of the village and the district will fall upon them4 ,in the ,appendix will be found a fairly complete list#db of the diseases from which the people suffer4 ,in addition to the complaints there mentioned1 the natives suffer from stomachache1 toothache1 soreness of gums1 sympathetic buboes1 ulcers caused by jiggers 7chigoes71 etc41 the children from wind1 teething1 convulsions1 etc4 ,footnote #db3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #e1 page #cde4 ,there are rare cases of albinos 7yeme71 and they are regarded with respect1 and although they marry1 yet there are many women who1 through fear1 refuse to have them4 ,the skin is a dirty white with a distinct tint of pink in it4 ,the hair is curly and very light1 with a glint of red1 and the eyes are red and intolerant of light4 ,albinos are somewhat repulsive looking1 and one is glad to turn the eyes quickly in another direction4 ,those ,i have seen were men1 well-developed and healthy looking1 except that the skin had a pimply rash on it1 which may have been due to the strong rays of the sun on a delicate skin4 ,they suffer considerably from the direct rays of the sun on their skin1 probably as much as a white man would suffer who had to go about in tropical ,africa in a nude condition4 ,among the people there are cases of auburn hair1 but the eyes are not different from those of other people4 ,with the exception of supernumerary toes and fingers1 the deformities ,i have seen have been due to disease4 ,people with a sore on the under part of the heel often walk on the toes1 or side of the foot1 so long that at last they are unable to walk properly4 ,the ,boloki attribute diseases to several causes1 such as broken taboos1 curses1 witchcraft1 to disembodied spirits 7mingoli71 to the spirits of disease 7mte71 i4e4 those spirits that give individual complaints1 to those spirits 7mieta7 that give family complaints or epidemics1 and to the spirit 7ejo7 of wealth1 which inflicts severe diseases1 and when the sufferer dies he 7or she7 is regarded as taken by this spirit1 or1 as sacrificed to the spirit of wealth4 ,the general name for medicine is mono1 and it may mean a daub of simple pigment on the affected part1 a poultice of leaves1 or a complicated concoction that has taken a long time to prepare and some thought to arrange4 ,it will be seen from a study of their diseases that they fall into two classes3 7#a7 ,those of which the symptoms are observable and easily diagnosed1 as diarrha1 insanity1 etc42 and 7#b7 ,those of which the symptoms are difficult to diagnose1 as great debility1 sleeping-sickness1 etc4 ,the former are regarded as simple sicknesses1 called bokono2 but the latter are put to the credit of the various spirits1 or to the malignant influence of witchcraft4 ,when the sickness is simple 7bokono71 herbs are employed1 medicines prepared1 and taboos imposed on the patient2 when1 however1 the illness is caused by one or other of the spirits1 then a medicine man whose work it is to deal with that particular spirit is called4 ,the functions of the various witch-doctors have already been described1 and also of the spirits that either send or impart diseases4 ,some sicknesses are especially regarded as the result of breaking a covenant and falling under the curse that follows1 as dysentery2 or as the result of a broken treaty1 as wounds and death in a fight2 or as the consequences of a wife's unfaithfulness while the husband is away at a fight1 as severe wounds4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 the ,author ,,method ,,of ,,securing ,a ,,prisoner ,the taller lad tried to escape from his master1 but was captured and handcuffed4 ,the smaller lad1 whose loyalty was undoubted1 was a slave of the same master4 ,for several weeks they were fastened to each other4 ,during my residence among the ,boloki1 although many folk submitted to the ordeal for various reasons1 and among others for bewitching people1 yet ,i heard of only one or two taking it for bewitching a person to death4 ,the verdict generally given by the witch-doctor is3 ,he died by his own witchcraft while trying to bewitch someone else4 ,and many a time ,i have heard the friends of the deceased protest against this charge--for they considered it an insult to the memory of their departed friend--and insist that he died 8by an act of ,god40 ,illustration3 ,a ,,boloki ,,woman ,,dressing ,,her ,,husband',s ,,hair ,it it one of the duties of a wife to comb out and plait her husband's hair4 ,sometimes she shaves the head1 forming crescents1 squares1 diamonds1 etc41 according to the pattern in fashion at the time4 ,in simple complaints medicines are prepared from herbs for inward and outward applications1 fomentations are applied1 and massage is employed1 and in many cases charms and amulets are supplied to the patient4 ,in the more serious kinds of illness1 as smallpox1 dropsy1 etc41 a person who has recovered from the sickness very often sets up as a healer of the same--for who knows better how to cure an illness than he 7or she7 who has had it8 ,these healers of specific diseases are not witch-doctors1 nor are they1 by the natives1 respected as such2 and if they fail to cure1 the patient is removed to a medicine man as the last resort4 ,the fees of the former are as moderate as a quack doctor's compared with the fees of a professional man4 ,of these healers there is a large number1 and it is impossible to give an outline of their practices1 for each follows his 7or her7 own method1 and tries to keep that method a secret2 and even when fomentations or herb decoctions are used1 the ingredients are known only to the compounder4 ,simple massage is a favourite operation1 and seems to be much enjoyed by the patients2 and its curative qualities are not placed to the credit of friction1 warmth1 or magnetism1 but to the fetish power of the rubber4 ,as stated above1 most of the diseases in the list are regarded as bokono simple sickness1 illness1 complaint2 and it is only when they do not yield to ordinary1 simple treatment that they are viewed more seriously as the result of witchcraft1 or possession by one or other of the spirits1 e4g4 an ulcer shows itself1 and is treated with fomentations1 etc41 but it happens that the ulcer spreads and drains the strength of the patient2 a medicine man is called in1 and the cause sought for either in witchcraft1 the breaking of a taboo1 the operation of a curse1 or in the malignant action of a spirit4 ,the complaints called debility1 sleeping-sickness1 very bad rheumatism1 ague fever1 or boils1 are supposed to originate in one of these ways1 and it is the object of the medicine man to discover in which way1 in order to use the right means4 ,the witch-doctor beats his drum near the patient1 talks excitedly1 chants various phrases1 the sense of which the people often do not understand1 but the lilt of the metre1 together with the rhythm of the drum1 causes the patient to sway to and fro and has an hypnotic effect on him4 ,when he is worked up to the right pitch the medicine man asks him3 8,have you eaten anything80 i4e4 ,have you broken a taboo8 ,the patient takes no notice4 8,have you done anything80 i4e4 ,have you broken a covenant and so come under a curse8 is the next question1 but the man takes no notice4 8,are you bewitched80 or1 8,are you bewitching anybody80 ,to these questions no answer is given4 8,have you a spirit 7bwete780 ,the patient jerks and twitches his body1 beats his arms1 and sways more vigorously1 and thus it is known that the sufferer is possessed by a certain kind of spirit4 ,the next thing is to discover whether the spirit is that of debility1 sleeping-sickness1 etc41 and that point being decided by the jerking of the patient's body as the questions are put to him1 the medicine man proceeds to make the necessary charms and put the man under the proper taboos4 ,the whole of this ceremony of diagnosing a patient's case is called mobalu4 ,there are modifications of this ceremony in which only rattles are used1 and not drums1 and many women sing and shake rattles round the patient1 who lies in the middle of the ring1 well anointed with oil2 or there may be only a few present1 and the drum is beaten and the patient taken inside a mat enclosure with the medicine man1 but the principle is the same4 ,the following are some of the remedies employed3 ,kuta is to heal quickly the cuts of a badly wounded man by placing him on a shelf and lighting a fire under him1 so that the smoke enters the wounds4 ,ngele are leaves for drawing boils and abscesses to a head4 ,moteba leaves are boiled and rubbed on a person suffering from sleeping-sickness4 ,longele a brass rod2 some medicine is tied to a brass rod1 and it is then worn to strengthen the arm or the leg--some wear it for rheumatism4 ,makulu matuki leaves are good for sores and wounds1 and the juice of the leaves is dropped into sore eyes to heal them2 and some eat the leaves to induce pregnancy4 ,makalala are small sticks of powerful 8medicine0 for soothing the violently mad4 ,there is a word1 yengola1 which means to kill or drown a person who is too ill to recover4 ,cupping 7nyunya7 is often practised4 ,sometimes it is simple bleeding by snicking the part affected1 and at other times it is cupping proper with horn and suction4 ,the part to be benefited is cut with a knife1 and the large bottom end of a horn1 which has a hole at the small upper end1 is put over the cuts4 ,the operator puts a pill of clay or soft wax into his mouth1 sucks at the hole1 and with his tongue puts the wax pellet over it4 ,this he repeats until the air in the horn is exhausted1 and then the blood will run freely from the cuts4 ,the clyster 7called njango7 is used for relieving pains in the stomach4 ,a calabash is filled with water in which some herbs have been boiled4 ,the patient lies on his stomach and a reed is inserted1 and the liquid in the calabash is poured into the reed2 but sometimes they use a calabash with a very long neck1 and this is inserted1 and the liquid allowed to gravitate into the bowels4 ,ligatures are tied--one above and the other below the wound--for a snake-bite1 some bitter plant 7bololo7 is given to the bitten person to chew4 ,a medicine man also 8scrapes the wound to remove the teeth left by the snake40 ,there are persons1 and even families1 who handle snakes with impunity1 and these are supposed to possess snake medicine4 ,such a person is called if the patient is suffering severely from a snake's bite1 and on his arrival he and the bitten person clasp each other's right wrist1 and the snake-man will beat the other's arm to drive the poison 7ngenge7 from him into himself4 ,i have never heard of a death from a snake-bite1 but ,i have seen nervous people very much scared after being bitten by a snake4 ,there is another mode of curing a sick person called bowa4 ,the patient lies on his back and the medicine man1 taking a saucepan of boiling water1 kneels by the side of his patient4 ,he shakes some leaves over him1 dips his hand into the water1 rubs the stomach of the sick one1 and in a short time shows a palm nut1 as having come from the patient4 ,this performance is repeated again and again1 and each time a palm nut1 or a stone1 or a piece of iron is shown as coming from the patient1 and is taken as evidence that the sickness is being expelled4 ,natives endure the heat much better than the cold4 ,the palm-oil and red camwood powder used so freely as a cosmetic protect their bodies from the direct rays of the sun1 and are also1 ,i believe1 a protection from the cold air and light showers of rain2 but a really cold1 sunless day seems to crumple them up1 and they lose all energy4 ,blood-poisoning is very rare1 and wounds from knives and spears heal rapidly4 ,the natives are practically ignorant of physiology1 and their firm belief for generations that diseases are due to witchcraft and evil spirits has kept them from making any progress in the study of that science4 ,i remember many years ago a man coming to me complaining of an acute pain in his side1 which he regarded as the presence of an evil spirit in him4 ,after due consideration ,i thought it was probably due to a touch of pleurisy1 and administered a flying blister 7a lotion applied with a feather7 to the place1 and told him to go to bed4 ,early next morning the man came hurrying to me1 and pointing to the blister that had come up in the night1 he said3 8,white man1 look where the evil spirit has come out40 ,he thought that as all pain had gone1 and there was a blister over the place where it had been1 the evil spirit had come out there1 and the blister was the result of its exit4 ,one of the greatest difficulties we encounter on the ,congo is that of diagnosing a disease4 ,the natives have never been in the habit of describing their symptoms1 consequently when we commence medical work in any new district we are at a great disadvantage1 and it takes long training before the people will clearly state the nature of their pains1 or anything that will really help us to diagnose their complaints4 ,while in the language we find the names of a large number of diseases1 yet it is very poor in words describing symptoms1 and this paucity of symptom-words arises from the fact that for centuries the witch-doctors1 in their own interests1 have fostered the belief that complaints are caused by evil spirits which they alone can drive out of them4 ,not only is there this lack of words describing symptoms1 but there is a reticence on the part of the patient to explain his pain1 etc41 as he thinks that the 8doctor0 who has any pretension to healing a person should certainly be able to discover what is wrong4 ,their witch-doctors do not closely question their patients1 but at once proceed to the cure2 why1 therefore1 should the white man make so many inquiries8 ,on the ,lower ,congo we have a large number of gun accidents4 ,the cheap1 common guns1 the barrels of which are usually made out of old gas-pipes1 frequently explode and do much damage to the firer4 ,occasionally during the hunting season one hunter mistakes the rustling in the grass made by another hunter as the movements of an animal1 and fires in the direction of the noise1 only to find1 when too late1 that he has wounded a fellow-hunter4 ,very often when crawling through the grass after game the hammer of the gun catches in the grass1 and in pulling it free the gun goes off1 and the man behind receives the full charge into his body1 and the lifeless corpse is carried back to the town2 or1 if severely wounded and not dead1 the man is brought to us for treatment4 ,both on the ,lower ,congo and the ,upper there are serious accidents from buffalo-hunting--more to be dreaded than leopard-hunting4 ,one case brought to us on the ,upper ,congo was that of a man who had fired at a buffalo which took refuge in a clump of trees4 ,he thought1 after waiting a time1 that he had killed it1 but on venturing to investigate too closely the infuriated1 wounded animal came out at him and tossed and tumbled him about in its rage as a cat does a mouse4 ,it was at last frightened away by the hunter's companions1 and when they brought him to us it took me nearly an hour and a half to sew him up and bandage his many wounds--he querulous and abusive all the time1 complaining that ,i was giving him more pain than the buffalo did4 ,he1 however1 made a good recovery and was duly grateful4 ,on the ,upper ,congo the crocodiles inflict the greatest damage on the natives4 ,here is a canoe with a few folk paddling quietly along1 when a crocodile shoots up by its side so suddenly that the occupants are startled1 and leaning too much to one side to get as far as possible from the ravenous jaws1 they upset the canoe1 the brute takes one and goes off4 ,there is much wailing1 a charge of witchcraft1 and perhaps another death is the result4 ,a considerable amount of fishing is done by the women in the shallow waters1 and while they are thus busily occupied the crocodile has its opportunity4 ,i have often met women who have asked me for medicine for wounds on their legs1 and on looking at them ,i frequently found that the wounds were teeth marks4 ,on inquiring how they came by them1 their answers1 generally given nonchalantly1 were always the same3 8,a crocodile caught me by the leg while ,i was fishing40 8,how did you escape from the creature80 would be my next question4 8,oh1 ,i rammed my thumbs into its eyes10 was the invariable reply1 8and it let me go1 and ,i was able to escape40 ,and suiting the action to her words the woman would turn round and show me how it was done4 ,it needed great presence of mind1 and undoubtedly those who did not possess it were carried off2 and those also who were caught in such a way that it was impossible for them to turn1 were dragged under water1 drowned1 and eaten at leisure4 ,illustration3 ,photo by3 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,dodds ,,the ,,author ,,doctoring ,a ,,crocodile-,,bitten ,,hand ,the native was working at a log in the river running by his village when a crocodile came up by the side of the log and caught his hand4 ,one morning a woman left ,monsembe in a small canoe to fish on the shallow bank of a neighbouring island4 ,as she had not returned by sunset about twenty men came to borrow our large canoe that they might go in search of her4 ,about #i p4m4 they returned1 and by their shouts in the distance we learned that they had found the missing woman4 ,on landing her we discovered that she was severely wounded with crocodile bites--the worst case ,i had ever seen4 ,we set to work to clean the wounds1 and sewing up some we bandaged her and left her as comfortable as we could for the night4 ,we afterwards heard the story of her adventures4 ,it appears that while fishing she saw a crocodile coming for her1 so she ran for a tree1 and as she climbed the brute raised itself and snapped at her1 tearing her fingers1 her thighs1 and legs1 but not getting a sufficient grip of her to pull her down4 ,there she sat1 wounded1 bleeding1 and faint with hunger and loss of blood1 through the long day1 with the crocodile lying in wait at the foot of the tree4 ,occasionally she cried out1 but there was no one near enough to hear her shouts4 ,she at last heard the paddles of the canoe and the calls of the men1 and1 responding to them1 she guided them to the tree where she was sitting4 ,as the men neared the tree they heard the splashing of the water as the brute made off in the darkness4 ,she fully recovered1 and after a time seemed none the worse for her painful experience4 ,at ,boma ,i saw the skin of a crocodile that measured #be feet long4 ,the trader who killed it showed me twenty-two brass armlets and anklets1 weighing #aa lbs41 that had been taken from its stomach1 a proof that in the course of its life it had killed and eaten several people4 ,but there are times when the laugh is on the other side4 ,a colleague of mine fired from a steamer at a crocodile that apparently was asleep on the sandy bank of the river4 ,the bullet struck the head1 and as the beast did not move everybody thought it was killed4 ,some of the steamer's crew jumped into the water1 swam ashore1 and just as they caught hold of the tail to turn the creature over preparatory to cutting it up1 the crocodile regained consciousness 7for it had only been stunned by the bullet grazing the top of the head7 and started for the river4 ,such a tug-of-war was never witnessed before--there was the crocodile struggling to gain the water and some men hauling it back by the tail1 while others1 quickly procuring some chunks of wood1 were beating the reptile's back to break it4 ,the men won the contest1 and that night feasted on their enemy the crocodile4 ,at all our stations we have good dispensaries1 and at some1 well-equipped hospitals2 and we do our best to alleviate suffering and save life4 ,as non-medical missionaries we can always comfort ourselves with the thought that what we do medically for the natives is far better than they can do for themselves1 or have done for them by their medicine men4 ,we are glad1 however1 to say that we have now three fully qualified doctors in our ,mission1 whose up-to-date scientific knowledge1 joined to their kindly sympathy with the natives1 is doing much to relieve pain and save life4 ,our only regret is that we have not a doctor on every station4#dc ,footnote #dc3 ,see ,appendix1 ,note #f1 page #cdf1 for statistics of white people's health4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,appendix ,,note #a4--,,on ,,yeasts ,,or ,,ferments ,bread-making ,on the ,lower ,congo1 where palm-wine was easily procurable1 ,i have often made bread by using one tumbler of palm-wine to one of lukewarm water1 with some sugar to counteract the sourness or acidity of the wine1 and salt to taste4 ,this was mixed with flour into a dough about #h a4m41 divided into two lumps1 put into two well-floured or greased tins1 and placed out in the sun to rise1 with a cloth over them to keep away dust and dirt4 ,about #aa or #ab o'clock the loaves would have risen well1 and were ready for baking4 ,if palm-wine can be bought regularly1 then it can be used for every batch of bread2 but if the supply is doubtful1 or very irregular1 then a knob of the dough--about the size of an egg--should be taken from the dough before it is divided into loaves1 put into a mug1 covered and placed on one side4 ,this lump of dough will rise1 and in two or three days1 when the next batch of bread is required1 it can be thoroughly mixed with a pint of warm water1 a tablespoonful of sugar1 some salt 7and1 if you have it1 a pinch of bicarbonate of soda71 and the process is completed1 and with this yeast you can make the bread as though using fresh palm-wine4 ,at ,monsembe1 however1 there was no palm-wine1 but plenty of sugar-cane wine1 so we used that with very good results4 ,sugar-cane wine should be strained through a fine cloth before using1 otherwise the fibres left in the wine will irritate the stomach and give rise to serious consequences4 ,the following1 however1 is the most satisfactory leaven that has yet been discovered on the ,congo1 where it is becoming a general favourite1 and is fast ousting palm-wine as a leaven3 ,take a pint bottle and put into it two tablespoonfuls of flour1 one tablespoonful of castor sugar 7or its equivalent in lump sugar71 a teaspoonful of salt1 nearly fill the bottle with warm water1 thoroughly shake until well mixed1 lightly cork1 and stand it in a warm corner of the house4 ,occasionally stir the mixture1 and on the fourth or fifth day it will sing with fermentation4 ,i found the following the best method for making bread with this leaven3 ,when the contents of the bottle were singing with fermentation ,i took the bottle in the evening 7about #e or #f o'clock71 and1 well stirring the fermenting mixture1 poured it into a wash-hand basin1 leaving at the bottom of the bottle some of the liquid--about two fingers deep4 ,into the basin was then put a half-pint of lukewarm water1 a small teaspoonful of salt1 and two lumps of sugar2 the cook boy thoroughly stirred into this mixture some flour to the consistency of a batter4 ,he generally beat the batter for ten or fifteen minutes--the more it is beaten the lighter will be the bread4 ,a towel was spread over the basin1 and it was put away in the cupboard4 ,i then took the bottle1 measured into it flour1 sugar1 salt1 and warm water as before1 shook it well1 and put it back in its place4 ,on account of having left in the bottle a little of the old leaven the new preparation would be ready in two days1 and it should be used then1 or not later than the third day4 ,a family of two or three persons will soon find how much bread they need for two days and can add more or less water to the leaven poured into the basin4 ,it will be found next morning that the batter or sponge put away in the cupboard has almost filled the basin with a fine dough4 ,to this sponge add flour1 well knead it into a medium stiff dough1 put in two tins1 place out in the sun 7or if a cloudy day stand near the kitchen fire71 drop a thin cloth over the tins to keep dust away1 and in three or four hours the dough will be well risen1 and then bake4 ,this always gave us splendidly light bread4 ,an occasional pinch of bicarbonate of soda dropped into the bottle will neutralize acidity4 ,a good1 neutral bread is a great boon1 and helps to keep one in good health4 ,,note #b4--,,on ,,boloki ,,verb ,the verb in the ,boloki language has the eight following forms3 ,active1 ,passive1 ,stative1 ,causative1 ,prepositional1 ,reciprocal1 ,reflexive1 and ,repetitive4 ,active kanga to tie4 ,passive kangama to be tied4 ,stative kangwa to be in a tied state4 ,causative kangija to cause to tie4 ,prepositional kangela to tie for or with4 ,reciprocal kangana to tie one another4 ,reflexive mikanga to tie oneself4 ,repetitive kangelela to tie again and again4 ,the moods of the verb are3 ,infinitive1 ,imperative1 ,indicative1 ,subjunctive1 and ,purportive4 ,infinitive mood is made by prefixing lo to the verb3 najingi lokanga ,i desire to tie4 ,the imperative is kanga1 and a more emphatic form kangaka tie4 ,the imperative hortative is formed by leme let1 followed by the present subjunctive1 as leme nakanga let me tie4 ,the indicative is nakanga ,i tie4 ,the subjunctive1 7te7 nakanga 7that7 ,i may tie4 ,the purportive1 naye nokakanga ,i am come to tie4 ,the tenses are as follows3 ,indicative pres4 nakanga ,i tie indefinitive ,indicative pres4 nakakanga ,i am tying4 indefinitive continuous ,indicative pres4 perfect nakangi ,i have tied4 ,indicative pres4 perfect nakakangi ,i have been continuous tying4 ,indicative past nakangiki ,i tied4 indefinite ,indicative past nakakangiki ,i was indefinite continuous tying4 ,indicative past perfect nakangaka ,i had tied4 ,indicative past perfect nakakangaka ,i had continuous been tying4 ,the past imperfect and progressive tenses made with the aid of the verb 8to be0 are as follows3 ,nabeki nakangi ,i tied in time near past4 ,nabeki nakakangi ,i was tying in time near past4 ,nabaka nakangi ,i tied in time far past4 ,nabaka nakakangi ,i was tying in time far past4 ,indicative future naakakangi ,i shall indefinite tie4 ,indicative future naakakanga ,i shall be indefinite continuous tying4 ,indicative future naakakangaka ,i shall perfect have been tying4 ,indicative future naikakanga ,i am just immediate about to tie4 ,narrative tense ekangele ,i tied4 ,narrative tense ekakangele ,i was continuous tying4 ,there are only three conjugations to be found1 and these are formed on the final vowel of the root3 ,,simple ,,verb4 ,,perfect4 ,,passive4 kanga kangaka kangama bete beteke beteme kolo koloko kolomo ,it will be interesting to the reader1 before closing this very short note on the verb1 for me to give an idea of the number of verbs that can be built up on a single verb by the aid of affixes which can all run through the various tenses already mentioned4 ,the seven given in the first paragraph of this note are not repeated here3 ,active transitive4 ,kanga to tie4 ,passive and prepositional4 ,kangemela to be tied for 7a purpose74 ,passive and causative4 ,kangimija to cause to be tied4 ,passive1 prepositional1 and causative4 ,kangemelija to cause to be tied for 7a purpose74 ,active1 reciprocal1 and prepositional4 ,kangenela to tie one another for 7a purpose74 ,active1 reciprocal1 prepositional1 and causative4 ,kangenelija to cause to tie one another for 7a purpose74 ,there are many other combinations in use1 but these twelve will give some idea of the possibilities of the verb and its prefixes and suffixes4 ,it will be noted that although the passive of kanga is kangama1 yet in the above examples the vowels sometimes become e and sometimes i1 this is because the vowel e in ela 7see first example1 the passive and prepositional form given in the preceding paragraph7 changes the final a of kangama into e as kangamela1 and has a retro-active force in turning the initial a of the passive suffix also into e2 kangama is really kangaama1 but as one a elides another it becomes kangama1 and kangemela is really kangamaela1 but a elides before e1 so it becomes kangamela1 and the e in the penultimate demands that the other a of the suffix should become e also1 hence we have kangemela4 ,the same euphonic law demands that kanga-ama-ija should become kangimija1 and kanga-ana-ela should become kangenela4 ,there is also an intensive form of the verb that is best expressed in ,english by a suitable adverb3 ,kata to hold2 katatala to hold tightly2 and this has a causative ,katitija to cause to hold tightly4 ,kana to push in2 kanalala to be pushed in too much1 kaninija to cause to go in too far4 ,ama to press2 amamala to be pressed too far3 amimija to cause to be pressed too much4 ,tamba to stand out2 tambambala to be standing out conspicuously1 and the causative tambimbija to cause to stand out well in sight4 ,in the above are very good examples of what ,i call1 for the lack of a better word1 the retro-active power of their euphonic laws for harmonizing the vowels4 ,by the aid of so plastic a verb we had no difficulty in expressing the finest shades of meaning in the ,new ,testament--a part of which is translated into the ,boloki language--and in translating other books for the benefit of the natives4 ,,note #c4--,,on ,,boloki ,,method ,,of ,,counting ,the numerals from #a to #e are declinable4 ,the letter in brackets is the particle that changes according to the class of the noun used1 e4g4 two persons would be batu 7ba7 bale persons two but two cloths would be bilamba 7bi7 bale cloths two4 ,the numerals are3 #a1 7y7 awi2 #b1 7i7 bale2 #c1 7i7 atu2 #d1 7i7 ne2 #e1 7i7 tanu2 #f1 motoba2 #g1 nsambu2 #h1 mwambi2 #i1 libwa2 #aj1 jumu or mokangu mwawi one tying2 #aa1 jumu na 7y7 awi2 #ab1 jumu na 7i7 bale2 #bj1 mikangu mibale2 #cj1 mikangu miatu2 #dj1 mikangu mine2 #ej1 mikangu mitanu2 #fj1 mikangu motoba2 #gj1 mikangu nsambu2 #hj1 mikangu mwambi2 #ij1 mikangu libwa2 #ajj1 nkama or munkama2 #bjj1 minkama mibale2 #ajjj1 nkutu yawi2 #bjjj1 nkutu ibale2 #aj1jjj1 mokoko2 #bj1jjj1 mikoko mibale4 ,the meaning of mikangu mibale 7#bj7 is1 two tyings4 #aj is often called mokangu mwawi one tying1 from kanga to tie4 ,it is the custom of the natives to roll their #ae-;inch brass rods 7the currency7 into a series of rings about #a inches in diameter1 and these they run one on another1 like split rings1 until there are ten linked together1 and they call that mokangu mwawi one tying #aj4 ,the ordinal numerals are3 ,motu wa bo ,the person who is first1 or the first person4 ,motu wa bane ,the person who is four1 or the fourth person4 ,motu wa motoba ,the person who is six1 or the sixth person4 ,motu wa libwa the person who is nine1 or the ninth person4 ,motu wa mikangu mibale na wawi twenty-first person4 ,to use a word of another class we will take elamba cloth4 ,elamba ya bo the cloth that is one1 or the first cloth4 ,elamba ya bine the cloth that is four or the fourth cloth4 ,elamba ya motoba the cloth that is six or the sixth cloth4 ,elamba ya mikangu miatu na bibale the cloth that is thirty and two1 or the #cbnd cloth4 ,the fingers are constantly used in counting4 ,if a man wants to say thirty-four he will say mikangu 7 tyings tens7 and hold up three fingers for those to whom he is speaking to say miatu 7 three71 na and1 hold up four fingers for them to say 7i7 ne 7 four74 ,the letter in brackets changes according to the class of the noun understood4 ,by this means they ensure their hearers following and understanding them1 and no one can afterwards plead that they did not hear the price properly1 as any discrepancy between the number mentioned by the hearers and the number of fingers held up would be corrected at the time4 ,the way in which the ,boloki folk use their fingers is somewhat irregular1 and for the sake of clearness ,i draw two hands and number the fingers #a to #aj--a to #e left hand1 and #f to #aj right hand4 #a and #aj are the thumbs4 ,the right hand is used more than the left4 ,one is expressed by doubling #f1 #g1 #h1 and putting #aj over them1 thus leaving #i1 the index finger1 standing alone4 ,two1 by doubling down #f and #g and putting #aj over them1 thus leaving #h and #i standing4 ,three1 by doubling down #i and putting #aj over it1 leaving #f1 #g1 and #h standing4 ,four1 by putting #aj at the bottom of the division between #g and #h1 that causes #f and #g to come forward a little1 so the hand is turned about that the two sets of two fingers may be clearly seen4 ,five1 the whole of the fingers of the right hand are left standing with the palm turned towards the person to whom you are speaking4 ,six1 by doubling down #b on the left hand and putting #a over it1 so leaving #c1 #d1 and #e standing1 and doubling down #i on the right hand and putting #aj over it1 so leaving #f1 #g1 and #h standing1 thus making two sets of three fingers4 ,illustration3 ,,left ,,hand - ,,right ,,hand ,seven1 the same as #d with the right hand and doubling down #b on the left hand and putting #a over it1 thus making a #d and a #c4 ,eight1 by working the right hand as under #d and putting #a at the bottom of the division between #c and #d1 and twisting the hands about so that the four sets of two fingers may be clearly seen4 ,nine1 by holding up the fingers of the right hand as under #e and putting #a at the division between #c and #d1 and twisting the left hand about to show the two sets of two fingers4 ,ten1 by holding all the fingers of the two hands with the palms towards the auditors1 and every folding down of the fingers and re-spreading of them means another #aj4 ,second way--by clapping the hands together1 and every clap stands for #aj4 ,third1 and more frequent method--by holding out the fist of the right hand1 and every decided shake of the fist stands for ten4 ,eleven1 by shaking the right fist and holding up one finger as described under one4 ,twelve1 by shaking the right fist and holding up two fingers as described under two2 and so on4 ,the toes are very rarely used in counting4 ,i have only seen them used when counting #bj1jjj1 and then the man stretched down and put the fingers of both hands on the toes of both of his feet and said3 mikoko mibale #bj1jjj4 ,sometimes1 when trying to give me an idea of vast numbers1 they would say3 8,it will take all our fingers and toes to tell you10 i4e4 tens of thousands4 ,for addition and subtraction under #aj they use their fingers1 but for higher numbers they use palm nuts1 or anything suitable to hand4 ,this is not because they are incapable of adding and subtracting mentally1 but because they are so suspicious of each other that they want an ocular proof that the sum is right1 and that neither one is getting the better of the other4 ,those who know figures and can run through their arithmetical tables accept each other's sums1 but in transactions with the untaught they resort to the fingers and palm nuts for counting4 ,they always count by fives and tens1 e4g4 if a person wants to make up #bf brass rods he will take #c rods and then put #b with the #c and push that #e on one side1 he will make another #e in the same way1 and then put the two fives together1 making #aj1 and then make two more fives and put those together1 keeping1 however1 the tens separate1 then another #e is made by the #c and #b process1 and at last #a put down4 ,then the two tens are counted1 and the #e1 and lastly the #a4 ,,note #d4--,,on ,,boloki ,,relations ,,or ,,kinship ,the accompanying lists ,i received about the same time from two different young men of fair intelligence1 and after ,i had written the two lists down ,i called both the young men and read over to them their different names for the same relative4 ,they each argued that what they had given was the right one1 and the other was wrong4 ,i have found the same difficulty on the ,lower ,congo4 ,it is impossible to procure a list of any real value4 ,my colleagues find it much the same among other tribes4 ,the natives of ,monsembe are unanimous respecting the terms for mother nyongo2 father ango and tata 7ango is only used by a son to the one who begot him1 tata is used by a slave to his master1 by a son to his father1 and ,i have heard it used by a mother to her son4 ,it seems to be a term of respect in its wider use72 brother nkaja2 sister is also nkaja 7a sister calls her brother nkaja1 and a brother calls his sister nkaja2 but if a girl speaks of her younger sister1 or elder sister1 she uses the words mojimi for the younger one and motomolo for the elder only2 the boy uses the same words for younger or elder brother72 younger sister or younger brother1 nkaja mojimi2 elder sister or elder brother1 nkaja motomolo 7nkaja is never used in speaking of the same sex as the speaker1 i4e4 by a sister of a sister1 or a brother of a brother72 wife mwali2 husband moloi2 child mwana2 male child mwana lele1 i4e4 son2 female child mwana muntaka1 i4e4 daughter2 grandparent nkoko2 great grandparent nkokolele2 great great grandparent ndalola2 but a grandchild is nkoko1 and so with a great grandchild nkokolele1 and great great grandchild ndalola4 ,all agree in the above names for the relationships indicated1 but the farther you get away from those degrees of relationship the more confused the native becomes1 and the more contradictory will be his statements4 ,the terms of relationship are employed in addressing each other1 but personal names are also used without any hesitation4 ,the only exception is this3 ,when two persons of the same name speak to or of one another they never mention the name1 but say1 ndoi namesake4 ,the names of the dead are freely mentioned1 and even passed on to children4 ,no genealogies are kept1 and in two or three generations all ties of near relationship are lost2 and if1 here and there1 remembered1 are non-effective except where a man can get a drink of sugar-cane wine1 or a feed by recalling kinship4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,list ,,of ,,words ,,for ,,relatives ,,english ,,words ,,given ,,by ,,words ,,given ,,by ,,lutoba ,,intongi ,mother's brother mojika mojika and nso mama#dd ,mother's brother's son nso nyango#de ,no name1 but takes name of mojika on his father's death ,mother's brother's son's nso nyango ,called by personal son name until death of father and then mojika ,mother's brother's son's nkaja ,no distinctive name daughter ,mother's sister mama mama moti#df ,mother's sister's son or mojimi or ,no distinctive name daughter nkaja ,mother's sister's son's mojimi or ,no distinctive name son nkaja ,mother's sister's son's mojimi or ,no distinctive name daughter nkaja ,father's sister tamwalimoto tamwalimoto ,father's sister's son bola mwana wa tamwalimoto#dg ,father's sister's nkaja mwana wa tamwalimoto daughter ,father's sister's son's wa mwa ,no distinctive name son nyango#dh ,father's sister's son's nkaja ,no distinctive name daughter ,father's brother tata #dita mungwende1 or on his father's death he is called tata or tata elenge#ej ,father's brother's son mojimi ,no distinctive name ,father's brother's nkaja ,no distinctive name daughter ,father's brother's son's mojimi ,no distinctive name son ,father's brother's son's nkaja ,no distinctive name daughter ,brother's child mwana mwana ,brother's child's child mwana mwana ,grandfather1 grandmother1nkoko nkoko grandchild ,great grandfather1 great nkokolele nkokolele grandmother1 great grandchild ,great great grandfather1 ndalola ndalola great great grandmother1 great great grandchild ,footnote #dd3 nso mama and ,footnote #de3 nso nyango are practically the same1 as the second word in each phrase means mother1 and nso bowels2 and the idea is3 the one who comes from the same womb as my mother2 the word nso is only used of maternal relatives4 ,footnote #df3 mama moti the little mother4 ,footnote #dg3 mwana wa tamwalimoto child of tamwalimoto4 ,footnote #dh3 wa mwa nyango of or from the little mother2 mwa is the diminutive particle4 ,footnote #di3 ta mungwende one who stands in place of another4 ,footnote #ej3 tata elenge young or boy father4 ,mama is not an introduced word1 as we found it in full use on our arrival2 and although it was often used about one's own mother1 yet it had the same meaning1 as applied to a female relative1 mistress1 or mother1 that tata has to a male relative1 master or father4 ,by 8no distinctive name10 ,i mean no term indicative of relationship4 ,they were known by their personal name only4 ,,note #e4--,,on ,,native ,,diseases ,list of ,native ,diseases and their ,native ,names #a4 ,scrotal hernia1 liboke denotes an early stage1 and the word also means a parcel1 bundle2 benda is a later stage when the hernia is large2 and likuku the last stage when the hernia reaches the knees4 ,i have seen two or three examples of the last stage4 #b4 ,paralysis from sickness1 boboku4 ,i never saw a case of this4 #c4 ,smallpox1 kokotu4 ,we had an epidemic of this disease in #ahic4 ,some people died1 and others carry the marks to this day4 #d4 ,bad diarrha1 bolete1 is supposed to be the result of a curse4 #e4 ,bleeding at the nose from any cause1 bolongo4 #f4 ,insanity1 bomwa2 mild insanity in which there is extreme foolishness1 lemana4 #g4 ,madness of a violent character1 mokalala4 #h4 ,idiocy1 bowewe and ewelewete4 #i4 ,asthmatical wheezing1 yoko and likoko4 #aj4 ,cough1 ekoktu4 ,coughs and colds are very common4 #aa4 ,crack in skin1 etena4 ,this is common and very troublesome1 especially when on the sole of the foot1 as the hard skin takes months to heal4 #ab4 ,crippled limb1 etengumwi4 ,this is very rare and results from a wound received in a fight1 or from a burn1 or from walking on the toes1 heel1 or side of the foot when there is a crack in the sole4 #ac4 ,nervous condition1 jita-jita-jita1 i4e4 twitching4 #ad4 ,bad fever1 molungi juku-juku heat1 or fire plenty plenty4 ,fevers are common among the natives and yield to simple treatment4 ,the temperature often goes very high4 #ae4 ,great debility1 lela4 #af4 ,poor state of health1 indicated by frequent crops of boils breaking out on various parts of the body1 libembe4 #ag4 ,patches of pustular sores1 lifwanja4 #ah4 ,sore throat1 lilele4 #ai4 ,yaws1 lingala1 mostly used in the plural1 mangala4 #bj4 ,puffy condition of the body1 probably a form of dropsy1 lontutu4 #ba4 ,blindness1 lulanda2 not common4 #bb4 ,sleeping-sickness1 luwa1 yobi1 and makwata4 #bc4 ,form of non-infectious leprosy in which the skin becomes a sickly white1 indurated1 cracked1 and peeling4 ,it is found generally on the hand and the arm below the elbow1 munkana4 #bd4 ,very bad rheumatism1 yambaka4 ,persons suffering from this complaint must not burn the wood of a certain tree called lobaka1 or the pain will become more acute4 #be4 ,intestinal worms1 munsobi1 and munsembe4 #bf4 ,dysentery with much blood1 mwajakongo4 #bg4 ,ague fever1 nyankili4 #bh4 ,chest complaints of all kinds1 as pleurisy1 pneumonia1 etc41 are called ntulu chest2 to feel or suffer from such is oka ntulu hear1 i4e4 feel the chest4 ,it is also called mobanji side1 ribs4 #bi4 ,elephantiasis1 mungita2 not very common4 #cj4 ,abscesses and severe boils1 litunganaka4 #ca4 ,umbilical hernia1 muntolu2 very common4 #cb4 ,scabies1 mputu4 #cc4 ,fits and convulsions1 bonsinga4 #cd4 ,sciatica1 and extreme debility1 yombi4 #ce4 ,boil1 ndala2 very frequently found4 #cf4 ,mild form of rheumatism1 mokoko4 #cg4 ,cataract of the eye1 elalei and molondo2 common4 #ch4 ,blindness in one eye1 muntelele2 occasionally found4 #ci4 ,ganglion on back of hand and wrist1 etai4 #dj4 ,deafness1 lko2 very seldom noticed4 #da4 ,dumbness1 mbubu4 ,i never met with a case1 but the fact that a word is known for it shows that the complaint is occasionally to be found among the people4 #db4 ,venereal diseases1 lisabu4 ,,note #f4--,,on ,,health ,,of ,,white ,,men ,,on ,,the ,,congo ,perhaps the following statistics respecting the health of white people on the ,congo will interest the reader4 ,i have kept careful notes during the last thirty years1 and the figures may be accepted as accurate4 ,the figures refer only to ,missionaries of the ,baptist ,missionary ,society4 ,one hundred and ten men have joined the ,mission since its inception in #ahgh until ,december #cast1 #aiaa4 ,of these3 died #ch ,left for various reasons #h 7not through health7 ,left through personal #ae health ,left through wife's health #f ---- #fg ,still in active service4 #dc ---- ,total #aaj ,died during first year on #ac the ,congo ,died during second year on #c the ,congo ,died during third year on #g the ,congo ,died during fourth year on #c the ,congo ,died during fifth year on #a the ,congo ,died during sixth year on #b the ,congo ,died during seventh year on #b the ,congo ,died during eighth year on #a the ,congo ,died during ninth year on #a the ,congo ,died during tenth year on #a the ,congo ,died during twelfth year on #a the ,congo ,died during sixteenth year #a on the ,congo ,died during twenty-sixth #b year on the ,congo ---- #ch ,of the above men1 died of hmaturic #i fever ,of the above men1 died of malarial #ai ,of the above men1 died of dysentery #b ,of the above men1 died of other #f diseases ,died in a ,london ,hospital from #a cancerous growth in the stomach ,died in ,england from embolism 7clot #a in the blood-vessels of the brain7 ---- ,total #ch ,during recent years we have found it advisable for men to remain out only for a first term of two years instead of three years1 and afterwards four years instead of five years as formerly4 ,during the same period #gi ladies have joined the ,mission4 ,of these3 ,died #ai ,left as widows #aa ,left for personal health #aa ,left for husband's health #d -- #de ,still in active service #cd -- ,total #gi ,died during the first year on the #e ,congo ,died during the second year on the #a ,congo ,died during the third year on the #b ,congo ,died during the fourth year on the #e ,congo ,died during the sixth year on the #a ,congo ,died during the eighth year on the #b ,congo ,died during the eleventh year on #a the ,congo ,died during the fourteenth year on #a the ,congo ,died during the twenty-sixth year #a on the ,congo -- #ai ,of the above ladies1 died of #e hmaturic fever ,of the above ladies1 died of #g malarial fever ,of the above ladies1 died of #c puerperal fever ,of the above ladies1 died of #a meningitis ,of the above ladies1 died of #a abscess on the liver ,died from typhoid fever at #a ,eastbourne ,died from some brain trouble in #a ,america -- #ai ,during the first years of our ,mission we lost the most of our men through bad houses1 poor food1 and ignorance of the proper treatment of fevers1 etc4 ,from #ahgh to #ahij we lost in twelve years #bj men by death2 but during the twenty years from #ahia to #aiaa we have lost #ah men1 although we have had in the field on active service twice1 and sometimes thrice1 as many men as in the earlier twelve years4 ,the first years cost us most dearly while we were buying our experience4 ,i might say that we are total abstainers1 but are willing to take alcohol medicinally2 and the smokers and non-smokers are about equally divided4 ,every man and woman must undergo a very strict and careful medical examination before being accepted by the ,committee of the ,society4 ,it will be seen that the first year of a man's life on the ,congo is the most crucial one1 and the next trying year is the third1 i4e4 at the beginning and end of a man's first term of service4 ,we have altered the first term to two years4 ,in the case of the ladies the first year and the fourth are the crucial ones4 ,the ladies' first term of service has always been two years1 then one year at home4 ,the figures point to the early months of the first and second terms as being most fatal4 ,it will be noticed that the ladies have stood the climate better than the men2 but they have never roughed it as the men1 nor do they ever have to expose themselves in doing the kind of work that necessarily falls to the men--looking after building1 transport1 etc4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,index ,accidents1 #cca1 #ccc ,adultery1 #abh1 #afa ,african ,international ,association1 #bj ,albinos1 #cbe ,ancestors1 #bfh ,arts and crafts1 #hc2 leather-work1 #hd2 string-making1 #he2 bark-cloth1 #hf2 pottery1 #hg2 metal-work1 #hi1 #ij2 salt-making1 #ia2 songs1 #ic2 carpentering1 #ie ,astronomy1 knowledge of1 #ada2 beliefs re sun1 moon1 and stars1 #adb ,bangala tribe1 the1 #ah1 #bg1 #afa2 language1 #dh2 station1 #dh2 district1 #afa ,bantu tribe1 the1 #aei1 #afj ,bark-cloth1 #hf ,barter1 system of1 #adc2 and currency1 #ci ,belgian mal-administration1 #bj2 atrocities1 #bd1 #be 8,bespoke0 money1 #abc ,blood-brotherhood1 #gb1 #gc1 #ajj1 #bbf ,blood-feuds1 #ii1 #aha ,bokomela tribe1 the1 #ca1 #cb ,bolobo1 #bjb ,bomuna tribe1 the1 #afa1 #afb1 #afc1 #bej ,bonjoko1 #ii 8,books10 superstitions concerning1 #dj1 #df1 #dg1 #gd ,boys1 training of1 #adc1 #ade ,brass rods1 #ci n4 ,bread-making1 #cce ,bride-price1 the1 #abc ,building1 methods of1 #fe ,bumba1 #cd1 #ce ,bungundu ,tribe1 the1 #bh1 #bi1 #cj ,burial alive1 #ajc1 #cbj1 #cai2 burial customs1 #ajd1 #aje ,bush-burning1 #bbi1 #bcj 8,bush-people10 the1 #ai ,cannibalism1 #ca1 #fi1 #gj1 #gh1 #ajd ,charms1 #ade1 #adf1 #adg1 #bcb1 #bee1 #bhj1 #bhg1 #cjb ,child-bearing1 beliefs concerning1 #abi1 #acj1 #aca ,children1 twins1 #acj1 #acb1 #acc1 #ada1 #bgc1 #bij ,circumcision1 #bih ,cloud-folk1 #bgd ,coffins1 #cag ,congo boy in ,england1 #gi ,congo ,free ,state1 the1 #bj ,congo1 reforms in the1 #be2 ,bolobo ,mission1 #bh2 ,basin1 #aei2 ,river1 #afa1 #bcf ,cookery1 difficulties of1 #dd2 native1 #aag ,corpses1 decoration of1 #caf2 smoking of1 #cag ,counting1 ,boloki method of1 #adb1 #cci-cdh ,court of justice1 #ahc ,crimes1 native1 #agi ,curiosity1 native1 #gd ,curses1 native1 #bii-cja ,customs1 #bf1 #ajb1 #ajc2 marriage1 #abb1 #aga1 #agi2 burial1 #cad ,crocodiles1 #ccb ,dancing1 #aai1 #abj1 #bbg1 #cba ,death1 three causes of1 #cad2 life after1 #cba ,diboko 7,nouvelles ,anvers71 #dh1 #afa1 #afc ,diseases1 #bfi1 #cbe1 #cdd1 #cde2 diagnosis of1 #ccj ,disembodied spirits1 #bej1 #bfc1 #bfg ,divorce1 #abh ,dogs1 hunting1 #bcc ,dreams1 #bfb ,drunkenness1 #aja ,eboko1 #aad1 #abf ,education1 #ge1 #adj1 #adc ,explosion1 an1 #caf ,families1 social status of1 #agj ,feasts1 #ajd ,fetishes1 #beb-bef2 fetish bell1 #bib1 #cjb ,fish collecting for the ,museum1 #bce2 traps1 #bcf-bdd ,floods1 #bca ,folk-lore1 #aig-bba ,food1 #aag1 #afj ,funeral ceremonies1 #cbb ,game1 #bcj1 #bca ,games1 #adi-aeh ,goats1 present of two1 #dd ,government1 democratic1 of ,boloki tribe1 #agb ,government1 ideal of ,european1 #bf2 native1 #afi ,graves1 #cah ,healers of special diseases1 #cbg ,hospitality1 #aag1 #acg ,hospitals1 #ccd ,houses1 native1 #dc ,human sacrifices1 #ig1 #bfc ,hunting1 #ade1 #bbi-bcd ,immorality1 #adg ,inheritance1 laws of1 #aaa1 #ahb ,insanity1 #agc1 #bia ,islands1 #afe ,jando1 #bgb ,judge1 the chief1 #agi ,justice1 native ideas of1 #ahb2 court of1 #ahc-ahf2 author as judge1 #aib2 typical cases1 #aic-aif ,kiteke tribe1 the1 #beg n4 ,labour1 #aad ,libinza ,lake1 #afa1 #afb1 #afc1 #afe ,land1 communal rights of1 #aji ,language1 8trade10 #dh2 ,bangala1 #dh1 #ej-ed1 #eg-fd1 #ccf1 #cci ,laws1 native1 #agj1 #agi ,leather-work1 #hd ,leopold ,,ii1 ,king of ,belgium1 #bj1 #be ,longa1 #ajg1 #bjb1 #bdi ,love philtres1 #bhf ,lower ,congo1 the men of1 #afj1 #afb1 #bcj1 #bdf1 #bea1 #bed1 #beg1 #bfg1 #bgf1 #bcj1 #cad1 #cce ,lupus in the ,congo1 #gc n4 ,makwata and his talking spear1 #bgh ,manga1 #ajj1 #aja ,mangumbe1 #bfd ,massage1 #cbg ,mata1 #abb1 #agj1 #aga2 ,bwiki1 #afc1 #afi ,matadi1 #ai ,mayeya's long dive1 #bgg ,meat1 mode of preserving1 #bcb ,medicine men1 and witch-doctors and magic1 #ie1 #ig1 #ajb1 #ajc1 #bcb1 #bea1 #beh ,medicine1 native1 #cbg1 #bgf1 #bhj1 #bhd1 #bic1 #caa1 #cbd ,metal-work1 #hi1 #ij ,migration of native tribes1 #afb ,milk-brotherhood1 #acb ,mission on the ,congo1 #acg ,mokwete1 story of1 #aah ,monanga1 #agj ,monogamy1 #ach1 #aci ,monoka mwa ,nkoi1 #aff ,monsembe ,district1 the1 #cd1 #cf1 #aei1 #afc1 #bca ,monsters1 mythical1 #bgc ,mourning1 signs of1 #cbj1 #cba ,moon1 beliefs concerning1 #adb1 #bdh ,mother-in-law1 the1 #acc1 #acd ,mungala ,creek1 the1 #afc1 #afd2 river1 #afd ,munyata1 murder of1 #afd ,murder1 punishment for1 #aha2 detection of murderer1 #caj ,musuku1 #bb ,natives1 characteristics of1 #ag1 #bc1 #bd1 #be1 #aag1 #agd1 #agf1 #agg ,nether world1 the1 #cba ,nouvelles ,anvers ,station1 #dh1 #afa1 #afc ,nursing the sick1 #caf ,nzambi1 #bdg ,omens1 #aca1 #bbf1 #bbg1 #bcc1 #bfb ,ordeals1 poison1 #ahb1 #ahe-ahi2 various1 #aij1 #aia ,palavers1 #aia ,peace1 the steamer1 #bg ,pictures1 learning to read1 #agc ,pioneers1 early ,christian1 #bb n4 ,polygamy1 #abe1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #aci ,portuguese ,roman ,catholic ,mission1 #bd n4 ,pottery1 #hg ,purification1 rite of1 #ajb ,raiding expeditions1 #aff ,railways1 the narrow-gauge1 #ai ,rain-doctors1 #if1 #bhj ,religious beliefs1 #bdf1 #bdi1 #bej1 #bea1 #beb1 #bed1 #bee1 #beg1 #beh1 #bfc ,reincarnation1 belief in1 #acj1 #aih ,river rights1 #aaj ,rivers3 ,congo1 #afa1 #bcg2 ,mobangi1 #afa2 ,welle1 #afa2 ,nrgiri1 #afe2 ,mungala1 #afd ,san ,salvador1 #ag1 #bb1 #beh ,salt-making1 #ia ,salutations1 #ajg ,skulls1 use of1 #cbc ,slaves1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #aac1 #abe1 #agj ,sleeping-sickness1 treatment1 #bhi ,smallpox1 native cure for1 #bhh ,smith1 a native1 #ij ,snake omen1 the1 #aca1 #bbf ,songs1 native1 #ib1 #ic1 #abj ,spirits3 belief in1 #ih1 #bej1 #bfa2 disembodied1 #bfc2 fear of1 #bff2 deception of1 #bfg2 effect of1 #bfh2 of disease1 #bfi1 #cbe2 transference into criminals1 #bga1 #bhb2 of wealth1 #bga2 of the bush1 #bgd2 transference into spears1 #bgd2 in trees1 #bge2 of the saucepan1 #bhf2 possession1 #cbh ,sport1 native1 #add1 #bci ,stanley ,pool1 #ai ,string-making1 #he ,suicide1 #cbb ,superstitions1 #dj1 #df1 #aca1 #afg1 #agf1 #aig1 #bbg1 #bcb1 #bdh1 #cbc ,swimming1 #add ,taboos1 #hd1 #aad1 #bid2 permanent1 #aif2 temporary1 #big2 removal of1 #bih1 #cbf ,tattooing1 #adj1 #ada1 #afg ,teeth1 chiselling of1 #ada ,theft1 #adg1 #age1 #ahj2 detection of thief1 #caj ,time1 system of reckoning1 #adb ,trade and currency1 #aad1 #aae1 #adc ,trade routes1 #ba1 #bb ,trading factories1 #bb ,transmigration1 #aig ,traps1 game1 #ade1 #bcc1 #bcd1 #bcf ,tribal marks1 #afg ,totems1 #aca1 #acb1 #adg1 #bid ,twins1 treatment of1 #acj 8,undertakers10 native1 #cag ,upper ,congo1 #ag1 #di1 #abi1 #bcj1 #bcg1 #bdf1 #bhj1 #ccb ,villages1 #aae ,virgins1 #acf ,vocabulary1 collecting a1 #ej-ed1 #eg-fa ,war1 tribal1 #fh1 #aaf2 the family fight1 #bbb2 the town fight1 #bbd ,weapons1 #bbg1 #bbh ,wine3 sugar-cane1 #ajj1 #bed1 #cbb1 #cce2 palm1 #cce ,women3 native treatment of1 #gg1 #gh1 #ie2 widows1 #aaa1 #aag2 family life1 #aai2 marriage1 #abb-abf2 divorce1 #abh2 quarrels about1 #bbf2 disposal of widows1 #aaa1 #cba2 mourning of widows1 #cba2 rights of wives1 #abe2 loan of wives1 #abe2 self-defence of wives1 #abf2 exchange of wives1 #abh1 #bfd2 inherited wives1 #ahb2 white1 #cdg ,workmen1 native1 #ha1 #hb ,zanzibaris1 the1 #bj1 #ba ,,william ,,brendon ,,and ,,son1 ,,ltd4 ,,printers1 ,,plymouth ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,,map ,,for 8,,among ,,congo ,,cannibals40 ,,sheley1 ,,service ,,co41 ,,limited1 #ch ,,great ,,russell ,,street4 ,,london4 7,click on map for larger version47 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that3 was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics72 was in bold by is enclosed by 8equal0 signs 7bold74