When we reached the environs of the palace, and before going to see
Munza, we turned to look at the scene of the great fire of the
previous evening.
Where once had stood the dwellings of the royal wives, the harem of
Munza, now ashes alone were to be seen. All the huts had vanished
without leaving a trace behind, and the splendid trees which lately
overshadowed them were reduced to powder. A few gigantic trunks only,
spared, though scorched, by the flames, stretched out their sturdy,
leafless branches to the sky.
The red clay was overspread by a thick carpet of white cinders, like
a clearing covered with snow.
The clouds of smoke, which the wind had not been strong enough to
disperse, wreathed themselves in every direction and spread like a
mist over the landscape, looking more desolate still by contrast with
the surrounding country, resplendent with verdure and light.
Was the mad passion of the African king for Madame de Guéran destined
to lead to further destruction? Had Munza, through fear of being
ridiculous, sworn to be an object of terror?
We found the King in his armoury, distributing arms to a number of
soldiers drawn up in the gardens, and giving orders to his officers.
He came towards us as soon as he saw us, and charged Nassar to unfold
to us his plans. He intended to march, at the full of the moon, in
the direction of the district governed by his brother, Degberra, in
order to gain information about the white man, who, subsequently to
Schweinfurth, had passed through the country, and on this information
would depend his future movements.
He also asked us whether the plan was in accordance with our wishes,
to which we replied that it was an excellent one, and that we could
wish for no better. At the same time, we could not help admiring the
determined character of the man, the energy he displayed when any
necessity for it arose, and the promptness with which he laid his
plans—all rare qualities in a negro.
In fact, the more we study the Monbuttoo people, the more they seem
to differ from the negro race. They are a tribe apart, thrown away in
Central Africa, and we can well understand the regret expressed by
Schweinfurth at not having been able to push his explorations farther
into this region.
In the territory comprised between two degrees of latitude we are
sure to meet with strange customs and curious phenomena on the part
of the Monbuttoos. Their country is, in some sort, the border-land of
eccentricity.
In reply to Munza's enquiry as to what assistance we could render him
in case he should have to fight against powerful tribes, de Morin
thought it prudent to say, for all of us, that we should take up arms
only if we were attacked personally.
"It is a question," he continued, "of a journey and a peaceful
expedition rather than of a war, and you will be pleasing our sister
if you fall in with our ideas."
"I would willingly do so," replied Munza, "if I could. But I have
frequently waged war against my neighbours, and as soon as they see
me advancing with my army, the weak will take to flight after burning
their crops, so as to starve me, and the strong will attack me—I must
defend myself, and you must help me."
"If you are attacked," said de Morin, "without provocation, we shall
consider ourselves as attacked also, and we shall have no hesitation
in joining our forces to yours."
"You have in your possession," said the King, "plenty of arms like
those you have shown me, those pieces of wood and iron which make
thunder, have you not?"
"Yes," answered de Morin, "all my soldiers are so armed."
"You have some to spare, also. Will you lend them to my troops and
teach them how to use them? We should be invincible then."
"No," said our friend, boldly; "I will not do that."
"Why?" asked the King, quickly.
"I believe in your good faith; I am sure of you, but I have not the
same confidence in your warriors. If you were to die I should find
myself at their mercy, and, as they are far more numerous than we
are, I wish to retain over them the advantage which my arms give me.
Would you like the Sultana—when you were no longer at hand to protect
her—to be at the mercy of your troops."
This last argument touched Munza, who appeared to be lost in thought,
and said not a word. But de Morin, who, by his firm, frank manner,
his judicious concessions and adroit flattery, was beginning to have
as much influence over the King as he had over our escort, thought it
wise to add—
"To show you that I do not put you in the same category with your
officers, nor with your soldiers, and that I have thorough confidence
in you, I concede to you what I have thought it right to refuse to
others. I will give you the best rifle I have, and, meanwhile, allow
me to present you with a weapon equally formidable. I have no need to
be armed whilst in your palace, and under your protection."
So saying, he drew his revolver from his belt and handed it to the
King.
Munza could not conceal his delight. He seized the pistol, turned it
over and over again; his hands trembled, his eyes glistened, and the
powerful African monarch was a child again; the negro reappeared and
asserted his rights.
De Morin took advantage of this unguarded moment to broach, in a very
summary manner, a delicate subject. He told the King that the
Monbuttoos were reported in the north to eat the enemies they killed
in battle, and he added that he wished to spare his sister a sight so
odious and repugnant to all white people.
Munza, feeling, perhaps, that he himself was personally guilty of
this charge, replied, with some confusion, that it was difficult to
expect a sudden transformation in the customs of his subjects, but
that he would take good care that the Sultana should be spared any
shock to her feelings.
Driven into a corner by de Morin, he confessed that a Monbuttoo
soldier did not think himself invulnerable until he had eaten the
flesh of one of his foes.
This confession did not surprise us in the least, for Baker states
that the soldiers of his personal escort, the Forty Thieves, as he
calls them, tried soldiers, brave and semi-civilized, practised the
same custom as the Monbuttoos. We could, therefore, neither be
astonished nor complain, if in these regions, more barbarous than
those bordering on the Nile, we should be called upon to witness
scenes of a similar description.
On the contrary, we ought to congratulate ourselves on the
precautions taken by Munza to avoid our prejudices being shocked. His
soldiers will continue to eat their enemies—that gratification cannot
be withheld from them—but they will eat them with closed doors, like
discreet and delicate-minded people, who respect the opinions of
their neighbours.
Travellers, as a rule, have not been so fortunate. General Baker,
whom I have just mentioned, says that he attempted one day to make a
negro chief understand the immorality of the slave trade, and that,
just as he fondly hoped that he had convinced him, the chief said,
abruptly—
"Have you any children?"
"Alas! no," replied Baker. "I have lost them all."
"Well," said the chief, "I have a son, my only child; he is very
small and very thin, but with you he will grow fat if you only look
at him. You will be able to feed him up to any extent. He is always
hungry, eating day and night without ever being satisfied. You can do
anything you like with him, provided you fill his stomach. You cannot
think what a dear good child he is. Well! I will sell him to you for
a molote" (a kind of African shovel).
As regards cannibalism, we have been far more successful. Munza is
not convinced, but he does not appear as insensible to our arguments
as was the negro chief to those of Baker.
After some further conversation, the King proposed to hold a review
of a part of his army. We gladly fell in with the idea, as much from
a motive of curiosity, as to ascertain how far we could rely on his
troops; and, more important still, to find out whether we could fight
them with any chance of success, when the time should come for Munza
to express a wish to bring us back to his dominions.
About two thousand men were drawn up on a large parade ground
adjoining the palace. The rokko tunics, which I have already
described, were their only uniform, their legs, arms, and breasts,
daubed with red, black and blue war-paint, being uncovered. The
officers were distinguished from the soldiers merely by the plumes of
various colours which ornamented their cylindrical head-dresses. They
were armed to the teeth; in their girdles were swords with bent
blades, axes, knives, and daggers with small grooves to allow the
blood to run off; in their right hands a lance or a bow and arrows,
and in their left a primitive shield made of wood, about four feet
long, and carried by means of a copper handle. This body went though
a series of manoeuvres, and surprised us by their strict discipline
and the precision of their movements.
"We should have to keep these men at a distance with our rifles,"
said de Morin to me, in an undertone. "Their swords, axes and daggers
are formidable weapons, and would be very dangerous at close
quarters. But their arrows, though, as you see, they carry for about
three hundred paces, are so light and describe so extensive a curve,
that they would only hit the mark by accident."
The review was brought to a close by a charge of the whole line; all
the soldiers, after having withdrawn for about a hundred yards, came
on towards us, some brandishing their axes, others with lance in
rest, whilst the remainder drew their bows to their full stretch and
aimed their arrows at us. The whole force yelled horribly, put on
their fiercest expression, ground their teeth, and appeared both
ready and willing to eat us. Without any feeling of cowardice, or
being over-timid, we might very easily have believed that these men
were bent on our destruction. However, none of us quailed, for, even
if we had not known that the whole affair was merely a review, our
European pride would have prevented our showing, in the sight of
these savages, the slightest symptom of fear.
The King had stationed himself at some distance from us, with the
undoubted object of increasing our fears and letting us think that he
had let his army loose upon us. He scanned us closely, and must have
been quite satisfied with our bearing. If his idea was to put us to
the test, he could now rest assured that his new allies were not
easily to be frightened.
Just as the warriors were close upon us, he threw himself in front of
us, and at once every bow, arrow and lance was lowered; the troops
halted as if they were so many automatons, saluted the King, and,
wheeling about, retired to their original position.
July 6, 1873.—The army is at this moment moving off. The people have
collected from all quarters to see it pass, and applaud. The women
are crying, the drums and trumpets are dinning away in their most
ear-splitting fashion, and the soldiers of our escort are firing a
_feu de joie_. We get on our horses, and give the word to our caravan
to follow the army.
We are at last fairly bound for the unknown!
END OF VOL. II.