ANOTHER EXPEDITION TO LAKE ANENGUE--DIFFICULT PASSAGE UP THE
RIVER--THE CROCODILES--KING DAMAGONDAI AND HIS TROUBLES--I BUY AN
MBUITI, OR IDOL.
One fine morning there was a great bustle on the banks of the river
at Washington, where two canoes were loading. I was about to start on
another expedition. I called King Ranpano and his people together and
gave them charge of my property; I declared that if anything was stolen
during my absence I should surely punish the thief.
They all protested that I need not even lock the doors of my house; and
I believed them. The Biagano people loved me, and did not steal from me.
Then I counted my ten goats in their presence, and said that I wanted
no leopard stories told me when I came back. At this they shouted and
laughed. They declared that neither they nor the leopards should touch
my goats.
I counted the fowls, and told them I wanted no snake stories about
them. Another hearty laugh, and they all shouted that no snakes should
gobble up my fowls. These matters having been satisfactorily arranged,
I started with my canoes and a well-armed crew.
I was bound again for Lake Anengue, where I had been a few months
before. It was now the dry season. We had armed ourselves well, for
fear we might be interrupted, as some people came up this way to make
plantations during the dry season and might dispute our advance; I
determined to let no man bar the road to me.
The dry season was at its height, and I found the Npoulounay shallower
than before. There was about fifteen feet less depth of water in the
Ogobai during the dry season than there was in the rainy season. At
this time the river was covered with muddy or sandy islands, many of
which were left dry. The muddy islands were covered with reeds, among
which sported the flamingo, a bird not seen here in the rainy season.
We pulled hard all day, and we slept the first night on a sandy island
of the Ogobai river, under our mosquito-nets, of which I had laid in
a store. These nets, which the natives also use, are made of grass
cloth, which comes from the far interior, and does very well out doors,
where it keeps out the dew as well as the mosquitoes, and protects the
sleeper against the cold winds which prevail.
The next morning, when I awoke, I saw, for the first time, a fog in
this part of Africa; it was very thick, but the sun drove it off. I
sent out my fishing-net, and in a few minutes the men caught fish
enough for supper and breakfast.
After our breakfast of fish and plantain, we paddled on up the stream.
Though we had seen a few villages, we had not met a single canoe on the
water, and nothing human, except a corpse that came down the river and
ran against our canoe. It was probably the body of some poor wretch
who had been drowned on account of witchcraft. The hands and feet were
tied, so that when they threw him into the water he could not swim.
Finally we entered the Anengue; but this river we found was entirely
changed since May. Then it was a deep, swift stream. Now its surface
was dotted with numberless black mud islands, on which swarmed
incredible numbers of crocodiles. We actually saw many hundreds of
these disgusting monsters, sunning themselves on the black mud, and
slipping off into the water to feed. I never saw such a horrible
sight. Many were at least twenty feet long; and when they opened their
frightful mouths they seemed capable of swallowing our little canoes
without trouble. I wondered what would become of us all if, perchance,
our canoe should capsize.
I determined to have a shot at these crocodiles, which seemed no wise
frightened at our approach. Making my men paddle the boat quite near to
them, I singled out the biggest and lodged a ball in his body, aiming
at the joints of his fore legs, where the thick armour is defective.
He tumbled over, and, after struggling in the water for a moment, sank
into the mud. His companions turned their hideous snaky eyes down at
him, in momentary surprise, but did not know what to make of it, and
dropped back to their sluggish comfort. I shot another, but he sank
also, and as my men did not like to venture into the black mud after
them, we got neither.
As we ascended the stream, it branched off in several places, and
became gradually narrower. Crocodiles were seen everywhere. At length
we found ourselves pushing laboriously along through a deep crooked
ditch, not more than two yards wide, and overhung with tall reeds, on
which a great number of birds balanced themselves, as though enjoying
our dilemma. We found this time, to my surprise, a tremendous current
running. In May, the water of the lake had overflowed its shores, and
its regular outlets had therefore no great pressure upon them. Now,
this outlet was choked with water, which rushed through at such a rate
that at some of the turns in the crooked channel we were actually swept
back several times before we could make our way ahead. At one point,
where the true outlets joined, we could not pass till I made the men
smoke their _condouquai_, a long reed pipe, which seems to give them
new vigour; I also gave them a sup of my brandy. This done, they gave
a great shout and pushed through, and in an hour after we emerged into
the lake, but not without tremendous exertions.
We now lay on our paddles and gazed about us. On one side the lake is
bounded by hills which come close down to the shore; on the other side
the hills recede, and between them and the water lies a dreary extent
of low marsh, covered with reeds. Several towns were in sight, all
located on the summits of hills.
The lake, alas! had changed with the season too. It was still a
beautiful sheet of water; but all over its placid face the dry season
had brought out an eruption of those black mud islands which we had
noticed before, and on these reposed, I fear to say what number of
crocodiles. Wherever the eye was turned these disgusting creatures,
with their dull leering eyes and huge savage jaws, appeared in
prodigious numbers. The water was alive with fish, on which I suppose
the crocodiles had fat living; but pelicans and herons, ducks and other
water-birds, also abounded, drawn hither by the abundance of their prey.
Paddling carefully past great numbers of crocodiles, into whose ready
jaws I was by no means anxious to fall, and past several villages,
whose people looked at us with mute amazement, we reached at last the
town of Damagondai. A great crowd was assembled to receive us, headed
by the king himself, who stood on the shore. Quarters were provided for
me by his majesty, who, a short time after my arrival, presented me
with a goat. He was dressed in the usual middle-cloth of the natives,
and a tarnished scarlet soldier's coat, but was innocent of trousers.
His welcome, however, was not the less hearty because the pantaloons
were absent.
His town, which contains about fifty huts, lies on some high ground,
at a little distance from the water. I distributed presents among the
grey-beards, and beads among the women, and thus put them all in good
humour.
Damagondai, the king, then insisted that I must get married to at least
two or three women. He was amazed when I declined this flattering
proposal, and insisted upon it that my bachelor life must be very
lonely and disagreeable.
The king was a tall, rather slim negro, over six feet high, and
well-shaped. In war, or in the chase, he had the usual amount of
courage, but at home he was exceedingly superstitious. As night came
on he seemed to get a dread of death; and at last began to groan that
some of the people wanted to bewitch him, in order to get his property
and his authority. Finally he would get excited, and begin to curse
all witches and sorcerers. He would say that no one should have his
wives and slaves; and that the people who wanted to kill him had better
beware; the _mboundou_ was ready.
Certainly poor Damagondai must have slept on the wrong side, as I told
him afterwards, for the old fellow began to lecture his wives, telling
them to love him and feed him well, for he had given a great deal of
goods and slaves to their parents for them, and they were a constant
expense to him. To all this the poor women listened with respect.
Damagondai and I were very good friends. I really don't know why, but,
wherever I went, these negroes seem to take a liking to me.
In the village of Damagondai there was an _mbuiti_, "an idol,"
representing a female figure, with copper eyes, and a tongue made of a
sharp sword-shaped piece of iron. This explained her chief attribute;
she cuts to pieces those with whom she is displeased. She was dressed
in the Shekiani cloth, covering her from the neck down. She is said
to speak, to walk, to foretell events, and to take vengeance on her
enemies. Her house is the most prominent one in the whole village.
She comes to people by night and tells them in their sleep what is
going to happen. In this way, they asserted, my coming had been
foretold. They worship her by dancing around her and singing her
praises, and their requests. Sometimes a single woman or man comes
alone to prefer a request; and one evening I saw the whole village
engaged in this rite, all dancing and singing around her. They offer
her sugar-cane and other food, which they believe she eats. I tried to
buy this goddess, but, ugly as she was, Damagondai said that no amount
of money would purchase her. He insinuated, however, in a very slight
way, that for a proper price I might obtain the mbuiti of the slaves.
Then a great council took place with the grey-beards of the village.
The slaves were on the plantations. They agreed to tell them on their
return that they had seen their mbuiti walk off in the woods, and that
she had not returned. I could hear them laugh over what they thought to
be their clever plot.
I paid them a good price for it. I packed the mbuiti up, and took her
off with me, and her portrait, an exact likeness, taken in New York
from the idol itself, is found in my book called "Equatorial Africa."
I have often thought since how much I should have enjoyed seeing the
return of the slaves to the village. I should like to know if they
really believed that their mbuiti had left them; if so, there must have
been great wailing and mourning for fear that the wrath of the mbuiti
would come upon them.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: A CROCODILE HUNT.]