KING MOMBO GIVES ME THE STICK “OMEMBA”—I LEAVE THE VILLAGE ON A
HUNTING TRIP—PARTING INJUNCTIONS—A HERD OF HIPPOPOTAMI.
Some days after the sorcery trial King Mombo sent for me.
When I arrived I saw that there were a great many people who had come
from many different villages. The king was seated, and bade me sit by
his side. He had an old silk hat on his head. His coat was split up the
back to let the air in. Then ensued a great silence; no one dared to
speak.
King Mombo rose. He held a stick in his hand, and said to me: “Oguizi,
the stick I hold in my hand is known all over my country as belonging to
me, and when I send word anywhere I send it with the messenger. This
stick is called ‘Omemba,’ the snake, for it is twisted, and the carved
head of a snake is at the top. Whoever carries ‘Omemba’ is my
representative, and my people have to listen to him. Take this stick,
and wherever you go carry it with you.”
Then he handed me “Omemba,” in the midst of great shouts of approbation
from his people and of the beating of the tomtoms.
“When you leave the country, return ‘Omemba’ to me,” added the king.
I thanked Mombo for his important gift, and the people dispersed.
A few days after I had received “Omemba,” I went to King Mombo, and said
to him, “I am going to leave you soon. I wish to go all alone in a small
canoe, so do not be astonished, if, when you awake some morning, you
find that I am gone, but I shall not fail, before I leave your country,
to bring back ‘Omemba’ to you, and say good-by.”
Then I prepared my outfit and packed the things I wanted, among them a
small round Waterbury clock, a powerful magnet, a music-box, and lots of
matches, for these things added much to my power. When the people heard
the clock and music-box, they thought they were spirits talking to me,
and were full of wonder, and often afraid of them.
I took some ammunition and fish hooks, for I had to depend on fishing
and hunting for my food. I had also some brass rods, and quite a number
of bright-colored beads to give away to those who were friendly to me,
for I should very soon have become a very poor oguizi if I had had
nothing to give them. I also took a frying-pan, some quinine, and salt.
Among my weapons I had a double-barrelled breech-loading rifle, which I
loved better than all my other rifles, for it was the most powerful
weapon I had. I could load it either with steel-pointed bullets, or with
explosive shells. I had named this rifle “Bulldog.” The only fault I
found with “Bulldog” was that it was too heavy to carry, for it weighed
sixteen pounds, on account of the thickness of the barrels and of its
large calibre. “Bulldog” was somewhat short. When I carried it I always
had a feeling that I was with my best friend, and one I could rely upon
in case of great danger. No matter how huge or fierce the animals I
encountered might be, I felt that “Bulldog” could kill them, for the
steel-pointed bullets were large and powerful, and I had found out that
they could pierce through four or five inches, and even more, of the
hardest wood. So I knew what “Bulldog” could do. This feeling gave me
confidence, and I aimed with greater steadiness, and I knew I had a shot
to spare in case of merely wounding an animal.
“Bulldog” was well known among my native hunters, who looked at it with
wonder and superstitious awe. They were always glad when ‘Bulldog’ was
going with us. They used to say, ‘Bulldog’ never misses, and always
brings death in its path. The elephants, hippopotami, and all the wild
beasts fall dead when hit by the bullets of ‘Bulldog.’ They knew
“Bulldog” among all my other rifles, and there was always great
rejoicing among my men when, before our departure, I said to one of
them, “Go and fetch ‘Bulldog,’ and carry it until we reach the
hunting-ground,” or when I carried it myself. “Bulldog” was so heavy
that by the end of the day my shoulders, especially my left one, felt
very sore. In the course of time my left shoulder became quite black
from the effects of carrying “Bulldog,” and other guns. A gun that is
quite light to carry the first hour becomes heavy enough by the end of
the day.
The eve of my departure I called Ogandaga, the head wife of King Mombo,
and pointing out a box to her, I said: “Here is a box which is very
precious, and I want you to take care of it. No man or woman must open
it—neither King Mombo, nor yourself—for misfortune will befall whoever
opens it. This precious box was of tin, waterproof, and contained the
scientific instruments and books necessary to find my latitude and
longitude, also the days of the week, of the month, the exact time in
Greenwich or Washington, and wherever I was. In that box were also four
watches, which had been made especially for use in astronomical
observations. Ogandaga said that she would take great care of the
precious box, and then, pointing out to her all the boxes containing my
goods, I said: “These are also under your care.” I gave her a beautiful
necklace of large beads, for which she thanked me, and went away, and
soon after returned with a slave to take the precious box to her house.”
[Illustration: “_Then he handed me ‘Omemba’_”]
Then I called King Mombo, and said to him: “All my things that you see
here I leave in care of Ogandaga.” “They are safe,” he replied.
That evening the king walked from one end of the village to the other,
and shouted, so that everybody could hear: “The Oguizi will soon leave
us for a while. I and Ogandaga will take care of his things during his
absence. Let no one ever dare to touch them, and if any one tries to
take any of them, he will have his head cut off.”
The people answered: “He is our Oguizi. His things are safe, and would
be even if we were not threatened with having our heads cut off.”
Towards four o’clock in the morning, by moonlight, and when every one
was asleep, I carried my outfit to a small canoe made of the trunk of a
tree, and departed, paddling along the shore of the river. Just at
daylight I heard the grunt of the hippopotami. These animals are called
river horses, because their heads in a certain profile look very much
like that of a horse.
At the sight of my canoe they gave a peculiar grunt and disappeared
under the water and reappeared somewhere else, and did this several
times. At times they rose so near me that I was afraid they would rise
right under my canoe and overturn it. Then they might come and attack me
in the water, which certainly would have been the end of me. Further on
I met several other herds, but kept quite out of their way.
Leaving the hippopotami behind me I continued my way, when suddenly I
thought I heard the sound of paddles and of human voices. I pulled my
canoe as fast as I could among the thick reeds which lined the banks of
the river, and was soon out of sight. I was hardly there when I thought
of crocodiles. It was just the spot for them, for the river was here
sluggish and with muddy banks. I felt very uncomfortable, for my canoe
was not so very much above water and I might be attacked by a crocodile,
hiding among the reeds. They are very voracious when hungry.
[Illustration: _“The voices came nearer and I saw a large canoe”_]
The voices came nearer and I saw a large canoe through a small opening.
I counted twenty paddlers and saw three captives fettered with chains
round their necks. They were evidently slaves that came from some tribes
further up the river. I waited a while and when I thought the canoe was
out of sight I left my hiding-place.
I paddled close to the shore, often under the overhanging branches of
the trees. I began to notice that a large eagle was following me,
soaring above my head. Not knowing exactly what the eagle intended to
do, and becoming suspicious that the big bird of prey might perhaps
pounce upon me and tear my eyes out, I stopped, put my shot-gun to my
shoulder and, as the great bird soared over my head, I fired. The eagle
uttered a scream, then plunged downward and fell into the water near me.
I took his talons as a trophy.
Ere long it became so hot that I filled my panama hat with green leaves
and dipped it now and then into the water to keep my head cool. Further
along the heat became so great that I hauled my canoe ashore to rest in
the shade of the forest. I found a rivulet of clear water close by, and
there I lighted a fire and roasted two plantains and a part of a monkey
King Mombo had given me. Then I lay under a tree and soon after fell
asleep with “Bulldog” in my arms. When I awoke I looked at my watch—it
was three o’clock. Soon after, I was paddling again. I was so interested
in looking round that the time passed quickly. The height of the sun
warned me that in about one hour more it would be sunset, and dark
shortly afterwards, for under or near the equator the days and the
nights are about equal, and it is nearly twelve hours between sunrise
and sunset.
A short time after I saw a few plantain trees on the shore of a small
creek. I paddled in their direction, when, a little further on, hundreds
of plantain trees came in sight—then I saw a path through them, and
hauling my canoe by its side, I landed, taking “Omemba” and “Bulldog”
with me.