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[Illustration: "_I saw peeping through the leaves a black fierce face
looking at us._"]
In African Forest
and Jungle
By
Paul Du Chaillu
_Author of_
"King Mombo," "The World of the Great Forest," "The Viking Age,"
"The Land of the Long Night," "Ivar the Viking," "The Land of the
Midnight Sun," "Explorations in Equatorial Africa," "Stories
of the Gorilla Country," "Wild Life under the Equator,"
"Lost in the Jungle," "My Apingi Kingdom,"
"The Country of the Dwarfs," etc., etc.
_Illustrated by Victor Perard_
New York,
Charles Scribner's Sons
1903
_Copyright, 1903_
BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
_Published September, 1903_
UNIVERSITY PRESS, JOHN WILSON
AND SON · CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.
Contents
CHAPTER I
PAGE
A canoe-voyage to the country of Rotembo the Chief--A toilet of
ceremony--Rotembo's grotesque costume--A formal
reception--Speeches of Rotembo and myself--A dance in my
honor--My presents to the chief--We become good friends 1
CHAPTER II
I propose to go into the forest to hunt--Rotembo promises me
three gifts--Rogala, the famous hunter, the first of
them--Description of Rogala--Andekko, the dog, the second
gift--Ndova, the monkey, the third--How Ndova was captured and
reared--I give Rotembo some of my hair 8
CHAPTER III
Preparations for departure--Off for forest and jungle--A herd of
elephants--We camp for the night--Ndova calls monkeys of his
tribe within range--We kill two of them--Feeding on roast
monkey--A deserted house--A story of witchcraft 21
CHAPTER IV
The home of Rogala--His hunting-trophies--A weird spot--Aspect
of the surrounding forest--Shinshooko and Alapai--Leopards in
the neighborhood 30
CHAPTER V
We build a leopard trap--A night on the watch--The beast appears
at last--Caught in the trap and soon despatched--Her mate killed
the following night--Excitement of Andekko and Ndova 36
CHAPTER VI
My hunters and I become great friends--Andekko and Ndova grow
fond of me--We take Ndova into the forest--He calls monkeys to
us again--Andekko's prowess as a hunter--A female gorilla and
her baby--We kill the mamma and Andekko kills the baby 41
CHAPTER VII
Fight between monkey tribes, nkagos and mondis--My gun puts both
sides to flight--A visit from the bashikouay ants--Everything
flies before them--We drive them off with firebrands and boiling
water 49
CHAPTER VIII
Rogala's wife's parrot--I use it as a decoy--Parrots prove tough
eating--The ngozos grow wary--Shinshooko discovers elephants in
the neighborhood--We go after them and kill two 54
CHAPTER IX
We build a fortified camp in the depths of the forest--Structure
of the camp--Laying in stores of provisions--Koola nuts--Source
of my influence over the natives 62
CHAPTER X
I take a swim in a crystal pool--Driven out by a huge snake--I
kill the snake--Camp-fire talk--How to hunt--Importance of
silence and noiseless movements 68
CHAPTER XI
Another excursion--Footprints of gorillas (nginas)--Listening to
the monsters' roaring--Two of them calling to each other--They
gradually draw near to each other and to us--They meet and we
sleep in the forest--Sudden appearance of the male
ngina--Killing of the ngina and his mate 72
CHAPTER XII
Ndova as a test of poisonous fruits and berries--He discovers a
beehive--A feast of honey--Andekko's usefulness in
hunting--Koola nuts--We kill two wild boars--Capture of a baby
"man of the woods" 80
CHAPTER XIII
Ndova's thoughtfulness--His winning and sportive ways--He feels
lonely and calls for other monkeys to come to him--A troop of
eleven appear--I frighten them away 91
CHAPTER XIV
Uneasiness of Rogala--He fears the new moon may see and bewitch
him--He builds a small house and hides in it--He has an attack
of fever, which he ascribes to witchcraft 96
CHAPTER XV
Rogala leaves the camp--Non-appearance of Shinshooko and
Alapai--What happened to Rogala on his journey--He returns after
four days with a powerful mondah which he buries before the camp 103
CHAPTER XVI
We discover a pair of nshiego-nkengos--Description of
them--Capture of a young one--He makes friends with Ndova and
Andekko--His speedy death 112
CHAPTER XVII
My reckoning lost--Rogala and I go to an island where I can see
the heavens--We reach it by a raft and build a house--Turtle's
eggs in profusion 119
CHAPTER XVIII
Appearance of the southern heavens at night--Homesickness--I
take several observations--Astonishment of Rogala--Find that I
am ninety miles south of the equator 125
CHAPTER XIX
We cross the river and hide our axes--Ndova's fright at a
python--Andekko finds a leopard's lair--We capture two leopard
cubs--A visit from savages--They are frightened by my Waterbury
clock 131
CHAPTER XX
Leave the island for our camp--Monkeys among the trees--Find
everything untouched--I get lost following nginas--Am lucky
enough to find koola nuts--Camp under the koola tree--Another
night in the forest 139
CHAPTER XXI
Plantain peelings to eat--Human footprints lead me to a
village--The villagers evidently warlike--Admitted within the
gate--Awe of the people at sight of the Oguizi 145
CHAPTER XXII
Alarm of my hunters at my absence--Rogala sets out to search for
me--His superstitious terrors--Consults his ogana, or
idol--Finds my traces at last and follows me to the village 150
CHAPTER XXIII
Witchcraft proceedings of the Bakalais--Two of the class
"bewitched"--A negro albino--The idol Makambo--Her dread
appearance--Return to camp--Monkeys overrun the camp--I drive
them off--Escape of Ndova--His unexpected return 154
CHAPTER XXIV
We come to the end of our provisions--Antelope skin boiled
furnishes us a repast--Ndova decoys monkeys and we soon get food
enough--Alapai finds fruits and nuts also 160
CHAPTER XXV
I find strange footprints on the banks of a rivulet--Rogala and
I set off in pursuit--We find a man under a koola tree--Surprise
and capture him--Terror of our captive--We take him to camp and
discover he is a cannibal 164
CHAPTER XXVI
Ndova falls sick--Stung by a scorpion or bitten by a
centipede--Refuses to eat--Grows weaker in spite of all our care
and nursing--One morning I find him dead--We make a coffin for
him and bury him in the forest 173
CHAPTER XXVII
I go hunting in the forest with Andekko--Disappearance of the
dog--Sounds of a fierce conflict--I find Andekko fighting with a
mandrill--He kills his enemy, but dies of his wounds--Buried in
the forest 178
CHAPTER XXVIII
Our provisions fail--Attacked again by bashikouays--Release of
Akenda-Mbani from his fetters--He proves a good
trapper--"Gouamba"--My waking visions--Another hunting
expedition--We kill two monkeys, then starve again 181
CHAPTER XXIX
Decide to break up our camp and return--Arrival at Rogala's
home--I make myself a pair of skin trousers--Departure for
Rotembo's village--Our grand reception and succeeding
festivities--Rotembo's promise--Farewell 189
List of Illustrations
"I saw peeping through the leaves a black fierce face
looking at us" _Frontispiece_
The meeting with Rotembo _Facing page_ 4
Rogala and Andekko " " 12
Ndova's mother tries to carry him away into the forest " " 18
"We raised our guns and aimed at the two biggest
white-nosed ones and fired" " " 26
"She looked at me in fear and trembling, and she and
the children ran to hide" " " 32
"The leopard was slowly crawling near" " " 38
"We fired and brought him down" " " 44
"Boiling water and hot ashes were thrown upon the ants
and we put brands across their path" " " 52
"Suddenly the bull made for the river" " " 58
"Gun in hand, I watched for him to swim to the surface
of the water" " " 70
"He put his nose close to her face and moaned
pitifully" " " 88
"Soon I saw their heads peeping over the palisades" " " 94
Rogala and his idol " " 98
"The two nshiego-nkengos had their backs turned towards
us, and were eating pineapples" " " 114
"When the raft was ready Rogala, Ndova, and Andekko
crossed to the island" " " 122
"When I was ready to take observations, I seated myself
cross-legged before the artificial horizon" " " 128
"Rogala came out of the den holding two little live
leopards by the neck" " " 136
"Clearly this village belonged to a warlike tribe,
whose people were always fighting" " " 146
"When I saw him, I came towards him, and in an instant
we were in each other's arms" " " 152
"Suddenly Rogala uttered a terrific war-cry and ran
towards the man" " " 168
"He ate with us, and consequently had the same food" " " 174
"Andekko had pinned the mandrill down and they were
fighting savagely" " " 180
"At the end of the day I had made a pair of skin
trousers" " " 190
IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE
CHAPTER I
A CANOE-VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF ROTEMBO THE CHIEF--A TOILET OF
CEREMONY--ROTEMBO's GROTESQUE COSTUME--A FORMAL RECEPTION--SPEECHES OF
ROTEMBO AND MYSELF--A DANCE IN MY HONOR--MY PRESENTS TO THE CHIEF--WE
BECOME GOOD FRIENDS
THE canoe that took me from King Mombo to Rotembo the Chief was a
dug-out made of a huge tree, and was of great length. On its prow was
carved the head of a growling leopard. It was paddled by forty men.
Rikimongani, the nephew of King Mombo, steered, and had the stick
Omemba (the snake) with him to show that he carried the message of his
uncle King Mombo to Rotembo the Chief.
Near the prow were two men who beat two tomtoms furiously almost all
the time, which was to show that they were on an important mission.
The sun was very hot, and the heat was intense. The black oily skins of
the men shone as if they had been eelskins. The river banks were lined
with mangrove trees, supported on their tall roots, and as the tide was
low, we could see multitudes of oysters growing round them.
We passed at last the region of the mangrove trees, which only grow
where the tide is felt and where the banks of the rivers are flat. Then
the banks of the Ogobai river became hilly and clad with the trees of
the forest to their very top. Here and there a flock of gray parrots
with red tails were feeding on fruits, or a troop of monkeys was seen.
The following day, as we were approaching the village of Rotembo the
Chief, we landed, and the men made their toilet so as to appear at
their best when they arrived at the village of Rotembo.
Rikimongani put a shirt on, and a high silk hat--this was the costume
he wore on state occasions. He was the best dressed man of the company.
Then we re-embarked, and as we paddled the men began to sing, and to
beat the tomtoms furiously. Soon the village of Rotembo came in sight.
Then the men sang louder than before, and their song was--
"We come with the great Oguizi,
The great friend of King Mombo,
To Rotembo the great Chief;"
and they repeated these words over and over. They began to fire guns,
thus showing that they were on a great mission and that it was an
occasion worth wasting powder for.
As we came opposite the village of Rotembo, we suddenly turned towards
the land, with the head of our canoe facing the village. Rikimongani
stood up now so that the people on shore could recognize him. We landed
in the midst of singing, tomtom-beating, and gun-firing.
As my paddlers jumped out of the canoe, they shouted to the great
number of people that had come to look at us: "We are men! We are men!
We have come with the great Oguizi." Then all became silent, and we
passed through the people walking until we came to a large structure
with a roof supported by pillars. There we waited for Rotembo the Wise,
surrounded by hundreds of villagers.
Soon we heard the noise of the kendo, a rude iron bell, the emblem
of chiefs. Rotembo was coming. As he rang it, he invoked the spirits
of his ancestors to be with him, and soon I saw his tall erect form
walking towards us.
He kept beating the kendo, and at last came under the great shed and
walked towards the stool that was next to mine, then looked at me
without saying a word and seated himself.
Rotembo was dressed with a waistcoat, a shirt, and an old silk hat,
which to judge by its shape and shabbiness must have been at least
twenty-five years old. He was covered with mondahs, or charms, that he
believed had the power of preventing any harm from coming to him.
Then Rikimongani, with Omemba, the stick of King Mombo, in his hand,
delivered the words of King Mombo to his uncle, saying:
"My uncle King Mombo, who loves you dearly, sends the Oguizi to you.
You must take care of him, give him food and water and all he asks of
you. Let him go into the forest and hunt, and give him the best hunters
that you have. Let him have his own way, and when he gets tired of the
country, give him people, as I have done, to take him where he wants to
go."
Upon this Rotembo got up and said: "It was kind of my kinsman King
Mombo to send to me the great Oguizi. I will do what King Mombo has
told me to do." Then addressing me, he said: "Oguizi, we have heard of
you. Your fame is great all over the land. You are known as the good
Oguizi. I want you to love me as you love King Mombo."
[Illustration: _The meeting with Rotembo._]
"Rotembo, great Chief," I replied, "I wish to go and live in the
forest. I desire to kill all the wild beasts I can and stuff them.
I want to kill three or four of every kind of all the birds of the
country and stuff them. I want to catch all the butterflies and insects
I can and keep them. I wish to take them to the land of the Oguizis,
and show there the creatures seen in the great forest where the black
man lives."
Rotembo's eyes seemed to become twice as large as they were before when
he heard me speak in this manner. He looked at me with wonder and awe.
I said to him: "I mean what I say, and when you see me return from the
forest you will find that I told you the truth and several canoes will
be required for the skins of the animals I shall collect."
"You shall go into the forest," said Rotembo, "and stay with my slaves
or people that are living there."
Then, in presence of all the people of his village, he presented me
with a goat, six chickens, and nine eggs, and a number of bunches of
plantain. Here an egg has the same value as a chicken, for, as the
people say, out of the egg comes the chicken. These presents showed
that I was welcomed.
Rotembo was the chief of one of the clans that composed his tribe,
and in case of war his people, scattered in a goodly number of small
villages, could muster many warriors.
Rotembo was tall, walked very erect, and had a commanding appearance.
His hair was white; several ugly scars told of his warlike character
and experiences in days gone by. When young he loved war, and the
people feared him. Now that he had become old he loved peace, and his
neighbors and people were happy on that account.
In the midst of vociferous cheers he put his kendo, the emblem of a
chieftain, upon my left shoulder; then said with a loud voice: "During
the time you stay with me you will be our chief; we will all obey you."
After these words the tomtoms beat furiously, and guns were fired.
The speech-making being over, my men went to our canoe and brought back
the goods I had with me. I had come to Rotembo rich, for I had brought
twenty brass kettles, one hundred copper rods, a goodly number of
bunches of beads, looking-glasses, fire steel and flints, files, and my
"precious box," which I valued more than everything else I possessed,
for in that box were the instruments and books which helped me to know
my latitude and longitude, and the days of the week and of the month
when I had forgotten them, which was not uncommon after attacks of
fever.
That evening we had a great dance, given in my honor. Rotembo himself
danced before me in a most eccentric manner, making great contortions.
His people applauded him vociferously. The women danced also.
The following evening, when every one was asleep, Rotembo came with
Oyaya, his head wife, to get the presents I had for him. He also, like
all the other chiefs to whom I made presents, implored me not to tell
anyone of the things I gave him.
After a few days' feasting, King Mombo's people returned to their
country. Rotembo and I became very great friends in a short time. He
came often to see me, for he was always delighted to hear my musical
box and Waterbury clock talk to me. He liked to see my matches start
fire suddenly, and he always wondered at my magnet. Once in a while I
would give him little presents which he put in the bag he carried on
his shoulder and which contained his small idol. No one ever thought
that in the bag were bunches of beads and various other trinkets.