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
THE Bakalais, like all the people of the great forest, were very
superstitious, and believed in witchcraft. I found that the people
had moved only a few months before, and that they had abandoned their
former village on this account. Two men had been "bewitched," and had
died within a day of each other, and this was the cause of the people
moving away. When I arrived, they were holding a great council to find
out who the sorcerers and witches were, and whether they lived in their
village or in some others.
At sunset the children ceased to play, and the village became quiet.
There arose in the air one of those mournful, heart-piercing chants,--a
long, sustained wail of anguish and sorrow. Tears rolled down the
cheeks of the women. "We shall never see Anguilsi any more, we shall
never see Obindji any more," they sang over and over. These were the
names of the two men who had died. They sang for about half an hour.
After a while I saw the people leading about through the dim light what
I thought to be a naked white man. I could not believe my eyes, but as
he came near me I kept cool and did not show my astonishment. When he
came in front of me I recognized the man to be a negro albino, for his
features, though his skin was white, were those of a negro. His hair
was woolly, his eyes pinkish.
Later in the evening, an idol, called Makambo, was brought out into
the street, to remain there all night. It represented a woman, and was
of the size of life. She had cloven feet; her eyes and tongue were of
copper; she wore bracelets around her arms and rings of copper around
her ankles. She had around her neck a necklace of leopard's claws, and
as a pendant wore the canine of a leopard also. The skin of a snake was
wound around her legs.
That night nobody came out in the street, and nobody talked in the
village, for fear of displeasing Makambo. The people expected her to
talk to them that night and to give some advice. The medicine man or
the chief of the village interprets to the people what the idol says.
Makambo was very much venerated, and during the night food was put
before her. In the morning the people said that Makambo had nodded her
head and smiled, showing that she was pleased with the offering of
game she had received. But we did not wait to learn the result of the
witchcraft proceedings, and leaving the Bakalai we found our way back
to our camp.
* * * * *
"I am going into the forest," I said to Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai
one morning soon after our return, "to look for new species of birds.
Perhaps I shall find some that I have never seen before. I do not
intend to go far away."
My hunters replied: "We three are going to look at all the traps we
have made to see if they are in order and if game has been trapped. We
are going to take Andekko and leave Ndova in the camp."
So we all ascended the ladder and wished each other good luck. Nothing
strange happened to me. I shot no birds, for I had killed before this
specimens of all the species I saw that day, and had stuffed them.
As I approached the camp on my way back, I heard a great uproar among
what I thought was a large troop of monkeys, to judge by the noise.
They were jabbering away at a great rate, and seemed to be in a great
state of excitement. But to my astonishment I discovered that they
were in our camp. What were they doing there? They were evidently after
Ndova. They had come to pay him a visit. He had manifestly called them.
I walked carefully, and after ascending the ladder I raised my head
above the fence.
The most extraordinary sight was before me. The monkeys had taken
possession of our camp. They were everywhere, and wandering around in
every direction. They all belonged to the ndova species. I counted
seventeen of them. They had clearly arrived just a little before me.
A number surrounded Ndova's cage. Some were on the sides, some on the
top. They were talking to Ndova, who answered them. They were trying
to break the cage. The most eager amongst them was the leader of the
troop, a very big fellow.
It was a sight indeed! I was very glad we had made Ndova's house so
strong. The leader wanted badly to reach Ndova. He would bite the
creepers that tied the poles together, then stop and talk to Ndova,
then go to work again.
Unfortunately I could not see what Ndova was doing inside; was he also
trying to break his cage and go to the monkeys? I watched silently;
but I began to fear that the cage would gradually be broken by the
big monkey. So I gave a heavy cough. At this all the monkeys looked
around. The big male, their leader, gave a peculiar cry of alarm. In
an instant they were all over the fence and among the trees. Soon
after I heard them utter loud calls, which Ndova answered. Then all
became silent, and after a while I heard the branch of a tree near the
palisade bend under the weight of a monkey that had come back. I looked
up and saw a very big monkey. He was the leader, and easily recognized
by his large size, for he was much bigger than all the others. He began
to talk to our monkey, who answered him; then he jumped down upon
another branch, and I saw him scale the palisade and get on the top of
Ndova's house, and just as he was beginning to try to break into it, I
gave a great shout, and the big fellow, in three bounds, fled outside
the camp. A short time afterwards he came back again, this time very
slyly, and I saw him only when he came over the palisade. I fired a
gun. He uttered a shrill cry of fright, fled once more, and never came
back.
When my hunters returned, I told them what had happened. After I had
finished, Rogala said: "The leader of the troop wanted Ndova to go away
with him."
The following day I took Ndova with me into the forest and loosed him.
He followed me closely, but I was suddenly startled by his calling
monkeys. He was answered at once by the big voice of one of his
species. Then I saw Ndova go from tree to tree in the direction of the
troop of the ndovas as fast as he could. I shouted, "Ndova, Ndova,"
but he did not heed my voice and disappeared amongst the trees. I
went after him, and after a while I heard a strange racket among the
monkeys. They were evidently welcoming Ndova, and were expressing their
feelings by different sounds or words of their own.
I gave up Ndova, and was returning to the camp with a sad heart, when
all at once I heard a rustling of branches over my head and then a
chuckle. It was Ndova. I called him, and soon after he was on my
shoulders grinning. I said: "Ndova, you won't catch me again letting
you entirely free in the forest. After this you will be tied to a cord
when you go out with me." But I had no cord with me then, so I had to
leave him to himself. He did not run away, however, and we reached the
camp together.
When the men returned in the evening I told them how afraid I had been
that we had lost Ndova.
"Yes," they said; "hereafter he must be tied and always led by a rope."