A VISIT TO KING SHIMBOUVENEGANI--HIS ROYAL COSTUME--HUNTING
CROCODILES--HOW THEY SEIZE THEIR PREY--THE NKAGO--THE OGATA.
I resolved to embark again on the waters of the Anengue Lake and make a
little journey of exploration. Damagondai went in the canoe with me. He
was to take me to another king, a friend of his.
We reached the residence of King Shimbouvenegani, a king with a long
name and a small village. We had to paddle through very shallow water
before reaching this place.
When we arrived, the king with the long name was not at his village.
We were told he was at his _olako_--a place temporarily erected in the
woods when villagers go out to hunt, or fish, or pursue agriculture.
They had chosen a charming spot in the woods, just upon the shores of
the lake, which here had abrupt banks. Their mosquito-nets were hung
up under the trees; every family had a fire built, and from the pots
came a fragrant smell of plantain and fish cooking. The savour was very
pleasant to me, for I was hungry.
Presently, Shimbouvenegani came up. He was rejoiced to see me, and
thanked his friend Damagondai for bringing his white man to visit him.
The appearance of Shimbouvenegani was comical. He was between sixty and
seventy years of age, and was quite lean. His only garment was a very
dirty swallow-tailed coat, which certainly must have belonged to the
time of my grandfather. The buttons were all gone. On his head he wore
a broad beaver hat, which dated nearly as far back as the coat itself.
The fur was entirely worn off, and the hat had a very seedy appearance.
But the king seemed very proud when he made his appearance. He thought
his costume was just the thing, and he looked loftily around, as if to
say, "Am I not a fine-looking fellow?" And truly, though his dress did
not amount to much according to our notions, I doubt not it had cost
him several slaves.
He asked me how I liked his costume, at the same time taking one of the
smaller tails in his hand and shaking it.
Presently, some large pots of palm-wine were brought, with which all
hands proceeded to celebrate my arrival. Damagondai and Shimbouvenegani
soon got drunk, and swore to each other eternal friendship, and
Shimbouvenegani promised to give one of his daughters in marriage to
Damagondai.
Meantime, Damagondai had presented me to his eldest son, Okabi, who
resided in the village of Shimbouvenegani. Okabi arranged a nice little
place for me, with branches of trees, and made a kind of bed for me. He
then gave me his two wives to take care of me, and to cook for me.
I had a very agreeable time in hunting while I was with
Shimbouvenegani. It was during my stay there that I discovered the
_nshiego mbouvé_, of which I will speak by-and-by.
We also had a great crocodile hunt, which pleased the people very
much, as they are extravagantly fond of the meat. Now and then during
my travels, for lack of something better, I have been obliged to eat
crocodiles. I have tried it in all sorts of ways--steaks, stews,
boiled, and broth; but I must say I was never fond of it.
They killed more or fewer crocodiles every day at this village; but the
negroes were so lazy that they were glad to have me go and save them
the trouble. Moreover, the crocodile has not much meat on him; so that,
though some were killed every day, the village was never sufficiently
supplied.
We went in canoes. These canoes on the Anengue are of very singular
construction. They are quite flat-bottomed, and of very light draught;
many of them are about fifty feet long, with a breadth of not more
than two feet, and a depth of ten to twelve inches. They are made of
a single tree. They are ticklish craft. The oarsmen stand up and use
paddles seven feet long, with which they can propel one of these canoes
at a very good rate. They are, of course, easily capsized, the gunwale
being but a very few inches above the water; but they do not often tip
over. What surprised me most was the way in which the negro paddlers
stood up at their work all day without tiring.
The negroes on the Anengue hunt the crocodile both with guns and with a
kind of harpoon. The vulnerable part of the animal is near the joints
of his forelegs; and there they endeavour to wound it. Though so many
are killed they do not decrease in numbers, nor, strange to say, do
they seem to grow more wary. They were to be seen everywhere during the
dry season; when the rainy season comes they disappear.
As we started out, we saw them swimming in all directions, and lying on
the mud banks sunning themselves. They took no notice of our canoe at
all. As we were to shoot them we were obliged to look for our prizes
on the shore, for if killed in the water they sink and are lost.
Presently we saw one immense fellow extended on the bank among some
reeds. We approached cautiously. I took good aim and knocked him over.
He struggled hard to get to the water, but his strength gave out ere he
could reach it, and to our great joy he expired. We could not think of
taking his body into our canoe, for he was nearly twenty feet long.
We killed another which measured eighteen feet. I never saw more
savage-looking jaws; they were armed with most formidable rows of teeth
and looked as though a man would scarcely be a mouthful for them.
We had brought another canoe along, and capsizing this upon the shore,
we rolled the dead monsters into it and paddled off for the village.
Then we returned to the olako.
During the heat of the day these animals retire to the reeds, where
they lie sheltered. In the morning, and late in the afternoon, they
come forth to seek their prey. They swim very silently, and scarcely
make even a ripple on the water, though they move along quite rapidly.
The motion of their paws in swimming is like those of a dog, over and
over. They can remain quite still on the top of the water, where they
may be seen watching for prey with their dull wicked-looking eyes. When
they are swimming the head is the only part of the body visible; and
when they are still, it looks exactly like an old piece of wood which
has remained long in the water, and is tossing to and fro. They sleep
among the reeds. Their eggs they lay in the sand on the island, and
cover them over with a layer of sand. It is the great abundance of fish
in the lake which makes them multiply so fast as they do. The negroes
seemed rather indifferent to their presence.
On my journey back to Damagondai's I saw an example of the manner
in which the crocodile seizes upon his prey. As we were paddling
along I perceived in the distance ahead a beautiful gazelle, looking
meditatively into the waters of the lagoon, of which from time to time
it took a drink. I stood up to get a shot, and we approached with
the utmost silence; but just as I raised my gun to fire a crocodile
leaped out of the water, and, like a flash, dived back again, with the
struggling animal in its powerful jaws. So quickly did the beast take
its prey that, though I fired at him, I was too late. I did not think
my bullet hit him.
After hunting on the water, I thought I would have a few rambles in the
forest near the olako. I killed a beautiful monkey, which the natives
call nkago, whose head is crowned with a cap of bright red, or rather
brown, hair. The nkagos are very numerous in these woods.
While walking in the forest I found, near the water, the hole or
burrow of an ogata. This is a species of cayman, which lives near the
pools, and makes a long hole in the ground, with two entrances. In
this hole it sleeps and watches for its prey. The ogata is very unlike
the crocodile in its habits. It is a night-roving animal, and solitary
in its ways. It scrapes out its hole with its paws with considerable
labour. It lives near a pool, for the double reason, I imagine, that
it may bathe, and because thither come gazelles and other animals,
for whom it lies in wait. The negroes told me that they rush out with
great speed upon any wandering animal, and drag it into the hole to eat
it. When the negroes discover one of these holes they come with their
guns, which are generally loaded with iron spikes, and watch at one
end, while a fire is built at the other entrance. When it becomes too
hot the ogata rushes out, and is shot. I killed one which proved to be
seven feet in length. It had great strength in its jaws, and its teeth
were very formidable. Like the crocodile, its upper jaw is articulated,
and is raised when the mouth is opened.
Sometimes fire is put at both ends of the hole, and the animal is
smoked to death. At other times a trap is made at the end where there
is no fire, and when the ogata rushes out it is ensnared.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: THE NSHIEGO MBOUVÉ.]