DEPARTURE FROM THE SLAVES’ PLANTATIONS—ARRIVAL AT KING MOMBO’S—A WARM
GREETING FROM THE OLD KING—HIS SACRED PROMISE NEVER TO PART WITH
HIS SLAVES—FAREWELL TO HIM AND HIS PEOPLE.
The evening of our arrival, all my hunters and their wives, and all the
slaves on the plantations came to spend the evening with me. Regundo,
Oshoria, Ngola, Ogoola, and Quabi stood beside me. Before us on the
ground were the four tusks of the elephants we had killed, and their two
tails.
There was great excitement among the people; they had remarked this time
also that after my departure the clock had stopped; and were persuaded
more than ever that the noise of its tick was made by spirits inside;
that these had left to follow me, but that now I had returned they also
had come back to dwell therein again. The same had happened before, when
I had gone with my hunters to shoot nginas. No one during my absence had
dared to come near the clock. They were even afraid to go under the
veranda of the house. All my goods I found where I had left them.
In the midst of deep silence my hunters recounted all that had taken
place since we had left the plantation. They omitted nothing, and the
dear slaves thought they were the greatest men that had ever existed,
for they had travelled with the Oguizi. It was very late when they all
bade me good-night and left. After they were gone, and I had retired, I
heard the voice of Regundo thanking the spirits of his forefathers that
every one had come back safely; and he told them also how happy he was
to see the Oguizi once more.
After a few days’ hunting and shooting in the neighborhood of the
plantation, seeing only birds and animals that I found before, I
considered it time to leave the place, and one day I said to Regundo and
to my faithful hunters that I must return to King Mombo.
I began to pack the birds and animals I had stuffed, also the
butterflies and insects I had collected. The news spread fast among the
people that I was getting ready to go away. Preparations were
immediately made for my departure. A great quantity of food was prepared
for King Mombo.
That evening, every man, woman, and child had gathered round my little
house. Regundo, Oshoria, Ngola, Ogoola, and Quabi were seated as close
to me as they could get. All were silent, and sadness was on their
faces. They knew that the Oguizi was going away, and that they would
never see him again. They loved me and I loved them in return. We love
those who love us; and if one has friends, he is sure to be friendly
himself. Above all, we love those who are kind to us.
I broke the painful silence, and said aloud: “Regundo and Oshoria,
Ngola, Quabi, Ogoola, and you men, women, and children that are round me
to-night, you have all been kind to me. I love you all.”
At these words they all shouted with one voice: “Oguizi, we love you! We
love you!”
Then came again another pause, and I said: “We have all had a good time
together. You have taken great care of me. I have been very happy when
with you. The best you had you have given to me. No man has trapped or
killed game that he has not brought to me first. I would have a bad
heart if I did not love you, but the Oguizi must soon leave you, for he
must go and see other countries. I will tell Mombo how good you have
been to me, and that you are all my friends, and I will make him promise
me, and take as his witnesses the spirits of his ancestors, that he will
let you die on his plantations, and never sell you, or give you away as
payment for wives, for indemnity, or in exchange for canoes or anything
else.” They listened to my words in breathless silence, and then with
one voice cried, “Thank you, Oguizi. You are a good Oguizi.”
After they had become quiet again, I continued: “To-morrow I shall leave
you and go back to King Mombo,” at which my hunters, Regundo, and others
shouted; “We are going with you.”
“After I have left you,” I continued, “I want you to remember the
Oguizi, for I shall never forget you, and when I go back to the country
of the Oguizis I will tell them what friends we were, how we hunted
together, and how we spent many evenings round the bright fires.”
When I spoke these words one could have heard a leaf fall on the ground.
Then an old slave got up and said: “Oguizi, stay with us a little
longer.” And my hunters, looking tenderly at me added: “We will go again
with you into the great forest and hunt elephants and nginas, and other
wild beasts.” But I replied: “I have to go far, far away towards the
country where the sun rises, before I return to the land of the Oguizis,
who are waiting for me to hear the news about what I have seen in the
great forest.”
Then another slave arose and said: “Oguizi, give to each of us some of
your hair; we will keep it to remember you by, and show it to strangers
to prove that you have been amongst us. Otherwise they will not believe
us; but when they see the hair they will know that they have never seen
the like.”
These words were greeted with a great shout of approbation. I began to
pull my hair out one hair at a time; I gave to each man one hair. My
hair had grown very long and hung on my shoulders. I could not have
given a greater present to these people. No brass kettle even had the
same value in their eyes. To Regundo, Oshoria, Ogoola, Ngola, and Quabi,
who had been my constant companions, I gave three hairs each.
After this, I distributed among the women all the beads I had. To
Regundo’s wife and to each of the wives of my hunters I gave a small
looking-glass. Then they all went to their quarters, saying: “Good
night, good Oguizi.”
Early the next morning every one was on the river bank to bid good-by to
me, the women bringing presents of mats and food. Regundo, Oshoria,
Ngola, Quabi, and Ogoola were in my canoe, with the elephant-tusks and
tails. After I was in the canoe I stood up and held “Omemba” in my right
hand, so that all the people could see the stick of King Mombo.
I gave the order for departure and immediately my hunters fired their
guns, while ashore other men fired also, and others beat the tomtoms.
The noise was deafening as gun after gun was fired.
[Illustration: “_I stood up and held ‘Omemba’ in my right hand_”]
The last words I heard after the guns ceased firing and the tomtoms were
still, were: “Good-by, Oguizi, come back to us.” Three canoes loaded
with bunches of plantains, manioc, and all kinds of food for King Mombo
followed us. The little American flag which I always carried with me
floated proudly on the breeze at the stern of my canoe, and displayed
its stars and stripes. Wherever I went I took the precious flag with me.
My hunters were in a high glee, for they knew that the heart of King
Mombo their master would be glad when he saw the big elephant-tusks, and
Oshoria said: “I think King Mombo will be able to buy six slaves with
the goods he will get for the four tusks, and marry several women also.”
Ngola suggested that possibly Mombo might barter the tusks for guns, so
that he could arm his people and be more powerful in case of war.
Then came a pause and all shouted: “We are men, we are men; the great
Oguizi is our friend.” They fired their guns and the tomtoms beat louder
than ever. The paddling was renewed with more vigor than before. At last
King Mombo’s village came in sight. The men sang louder than ever as we
neared the place. The tomtoms beat. Regundo and Oshoria stood up and
began to gesticulate in the wildest possible manner. My other hunters
followed their example and all sang: “We come back with the Oguizi.
Great, indeed, is King Mombo,” and repeated the same thing over and over
again.
The men paddled with such force that two-thirds of our canoe was out of
the water when we landed, the men shouting again as they stepped ashore:
“We are men, we are men.”
I landed, holding “Omemba” in my right hand.
King Mombo was on the shore to receive me, beating his kendo and calling
on the spirits of his ancestors to come and see the sight. Mombo wore a
waistcoat and a coat, but had no shirt or trousers. We embraced each
other amid the shouts of his people, who had also come to welcome me
back. Many tomtoms were beating violently in the village, and guns were
fired to celebrate my return. The people were wild with excitement.
King Mombo led me to the big building where the people were accustomed
to meet, and bade me take a seat by his side. We were surrounded by a
great crowd. Then Regundo, Oshoria, Ngola, Ogoola, and Quabi came
forward with the four elephant-tusks and laid them on the ground at the
feet of King Mombo, whose face beamed with pleasure at the sight. “The
two big tusks,” said Oshoria, “are from an elephant the Oguizi and I
killed. The two others are from another elephant which Ngola, Ogoola,
and Quabi killed. Here are the tails, they are not yet quite dried.”
Other slaves followed and laid before the king two boars, an antelope,
two gazelles, three monkeys, and a quantity of dried fish. The sight
delighted the old king, who was fond of good living, and disliked
“gouamba.”
“I can see that you love me, and that you do not forget me, my slaves,”
said he, pointing to the pile of food.
Then ensued a great stillness. King Mombo rose and shouted: “Look at me,
my people! Look at Mombo, your chief! Look at the Oguizi! Never did an
Oguizi visit our forefathers.” To which the people shouted in return:
“Great indeed is King Mombo.”
Then Regundo recounted in a loud voice, so that everybody could hear,
how I arrived at the plantation, how I showed him King Mombo’s stick and
all that had happened during the time I was with them. The King
congratulated Oshoria, Ogoola, Ngola, and Quabi on their success in
hunting elephants. Turning to Regundo, he said: “You, my old and
faithful slave, I love you and I trust you. I am glad you came with the
Oguizi. In your days you were a great elephant hunter also. You and I
have grown old together.”
Oshoria next arose and told of our hunting, and how one day I
disappeared in the forest and they did not see me for three days, during
which they all believed I had changed my form. In the evening there was
a great war dance, for which the men put on their war paint. Several
times they formed a ring round me, dancing and bending low their bodies
and singing: “You are a great Oguizi! You are a good Oguizi! You are the
friend of King Mombo. King Mombo is a great king above all other kings.”
Two days after my reception found me again under the big roof seated by
the side of King Mombo with a great crowd of people round us.
I rose from my seat and said: “King Mombo, soon I am going to leave your
country. I return to you ‘Omemba.’ It has been of great service to me. I
thank you for it. King, you have been good and kind to me. I love you.
You have given me food when I was hungry, water when I was thirsty, a
house to rest and sleep in. All your people have been kind and good to
me.”
Then I called Regundo, Oshoria, Ngola, Ogoola, and Quabi, and bade them
stand by my side. I bade the other slaves that had come with me come
near me.
A deep silence followed, and in a loud voice, so that all the people
could hear, I said: “King Mombo, the Oguizi wants you to make him a
solemn promise, and to call on the spirits of your forefathers whom you
venerate and worship, to be witnesses of your promise. Promise me, King
Mombo, that no matter what happens, you will never sell Regundo,
Oshoria, Ogoola, Ngola, Quabi, or their wives, or any of the other
slaves living on the plantations where I have been. Promise me that you
will let them die where they have their home. These men and women were
born free as you were and were sold into slavery, by their parents,
relations, or by the people of their tribe for one reason or another.”
Then I stopped. The tomtoms began to beat furiously, the drummers
singing war-songs at the same time. Then came a great silence, in the
midst of which King Mombo rose, and spoke in a loud voice as follows:
“Oguizi, I promise that I will never sell Regundo, Oshoria, Ogoola,
Ngola, or Quabi, or their wives,—that I will never sell the slaves that
are your friends and are living to-day on the plantations where you have
been.”
After these words he paused, then he called upon the spirits of his
ancestors to witness the promise he had just made to me. He called first
on the spirit of Olenda, then on that of Ratenoo, then upon the spirit
of Ronpano twice, of Sholomba three times, of Adooma four times. These
had been great men and had accomplished valiant deeds in their day,
which had been repeated to the people generation after generation. The
spirits upon which he called several times had died long ago, and
Adooma, upon whom he had called four times, was the father of the clan
and had died long, long ago. In the great forest each tribe is divided
into a number of clans, each clan having its chief.
After King Mombo had sat down a great shout arose, and Regundo, and my
hunters, Oshoria, Ogoola, Ngola, and Quabi fell at my feet and clasped
them, and looked me in the face without saying a word. But their eyes
spoke and told me of their gratitude. Then they prostrated themselves
before King Mombo, and said to him: “Master, we love you, and we are
your faithful slaves,” and took hold of his feet.
I thanked King Mombo for his promise, and when I embraced him a great
shout rose among his people. Then the tomtoms beat violently and we all
separated.
[Illustration: “_My hunters ... fell at my feet and clasped them_”]
The following evening, when it was quite dark, Regundo, Oshoria, Ogoola,
Ngola, and Quabi came into my hut, as I had told them to do. All the
people were asleep and no one had seen them come in. I gave them powder
and presents for them and their wives. They implored me to tell to no
one that I had given them presents, saying people might become jealous
and bewitch them.
A few days afterwards, Regundo, my hunters, and all the people who had
come with me returned to King Mombo’s plantation. I accompanied them to
their canoe and bade them a friendly farewell.
After they had gone I made preparations for my departure. King Mombo was
to give me canoes and men to take me to Rotembo, a great chief living
far up the Ogobai river. When I had bid farewell to King Mombo, he and
his people followed me to the bank of the river. Before I embarked in my
canoe, Mombo took hold of both my hands. His mouth was filled with the
ochre upon which the skull of his ancestor rested, and he blew it over
my hands, invoking at the same time his ancestors’ spirits.
Soon after I was out of sight.
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.