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
EARLY the next morning I was up, and followed the path until I came
to another which crossed it. This one was well trodden, showing that
it was quite frequented. The question again arose, which side must I
take. I concluded to take again the right. Soon after, I discovered
some plantain peelings and the remains of a fire. I was delighted at
the discovery, and stopped and roasted the peelings, which were better
than nothing. I did not like them, but I was very thankful that I had
found them. Further on I came to a place where the ground was soft, and
saw before me four well-marked human footprints. Two were much larger
than the others, and were evidently the marks of a full-grown man; the
others looked as if they were those of a woman.
I continued until I came to a place where these two people had rested.
I was overjoyed at this discovery, for I knew that they were going to
some village or plantation. Soon after I heard voices. I stopped,
and left the path and hid in the jungle behind a tree, watching for
people to pass. I waited and waited; no one passed. So I left my
hiding-place and returned to the path. A little further on I heard
more voices; then I left the path again, but I walked parallel with it
and was exceedingly careful, looking around everywhere constantly. I
had learned from the natives to walk parallel with a path and at some
distance from it in case one does not wish to meet people.
After a while I heard voices again, and this time many people were
talking together. Evidently I was near an encampment or a village.
A village at last came in sight. The houses had no back doors, and
numerous dead branches of trees were scattered round, so that it was
impossible for any one to come near without making a noise and so being
discovered. Apparently the people were holding a meeting, for now
and then I could hear a number of voices say, "Yo, Yo," in token of
approval of what the speaker was saying.
I went carefully round and saw that each end of the street was closed
by a fence made of strong poles varying in height from twelve to
fifteen feet and even more. At the top of many of the poles were
skulls of wild beasts. Clearly this village belonged to a warlike
tribe, whose people were always fighting. In the middle of the fence
was the gate, on each side of which stood two big idols of human size
and representing two women. How ugly they were! Each had a tongue of
iron coming out of the mouth about six inches long, sharp as a razor;
their eyes were of iron, they wore big ear-rings of copper of the
circumference of an ordinary plate; both wore head-dresses of brilliant
feathers. Their bodies were painted of different colors. One held a
stick in her hand, which she was brandishing; the other a snake, which
she was swinging. At their feet were bones of different animals, talons
and heads of eagles, heads of snakes, and many other things.
[Illustration: "_Clearly this village belonged to a warlike tribe,
whose people were always fighting_."]
There was a great noise inside. Soon I heard the tomtoms beat. They
sounded to me very warlike. As it was getting late, I decided not to
enter the village until the following morning, and retired noiselessly
into the forest at quite a distance from the village, and after
lighting my fires I went to sleep, wondering what sort of people I was
to encounter the following day.
At daylight I was up, but waited until the day was more advanced
before going to the village. I kept pondering whether the natives
would receive me well, run away, or show fight. At last I left my
hiding-place, and a short time afterwards I stood before the village
gate and between the two idols. I could hear numerous voices in the
distance, sometimes shouts, and the beating of the tomtoms. I judged
that the people belonged to the Bakalai tribe.
Then hearing the voices of two women inside close to me, I said to
them: "Please open the gate to the Oguizi, who is your friend."
When they heard me, they ran away; but soon three men came up and
talking through the palisades, asked who I was, for they could not see
my face.
I replied: "I am the Oguizi; I come to see you."
When they opened the gate, I found myself in presence of three
fierce-looking fellows, armed with barbed spears, bows, and poisoned
arrows. They were tall and young and looked like warriors. Closing the
gate behind me, they looked at me with signs of awe, and one of them
said: "Are you the Oguizi who has come to see the people of the forest?"
I answered, "I am."
It was fortunate that I could talk the Bakalai language. The three men
told me to follow them. As soon as the villagers got a glimpse of me
there was a great commotion; the meeting was suspended, the tomtoms
beat with greater fury than before, and soon I found myself surrounded
by savage men.
The people formed a great circle, and danced round me, singing, at
the same time taking most beseeching postures and making invocations
to me, asking me to do them no harm. They acted as if I were an idol.
When they stopped, I learned that the name of the chief was Penday. I
asked to see him. Some of the men went after him, but came back without
him. He sent the following message to me: How could he dare to come
before the great Oguizi, whom his forefathers had never seen? He would
surely drop dead at the sight. He knew that I was coming, because for
several nights a gentle wind hovered over the house where he slept and
murmured, "The great Oguizi is coming! the great Oguizi is coming!" But
he sent word that in three days he would come before me.
Soon after bunches of plantain, two chickens, some eggs, and a dead
monkey were laid at my feet, which showed that I was welcomed, and then
a hut was given to me that I could occupy by myself.