HAFFGO, KING OF THE MURHAPAS.
It was a memorable interview which the explorers held with Haffgo, king
of the mighty Murhapas.
Since Bippo and Pedros were servants, they were not admitted to an
audience with the potentate. Ziffak conducted the others into the hut
adjoining the palace. This was his own building, where his aged mother
had charge. She understood matters from her son, and the frightened
fellows were made to feel that they were safe for a time from the
annoyances and persecutions of the multitude.
The apartment was an oblong one, being at the front, and was
characteristically furnished. Instead of the smooth bare ground which
formed the floors of the other buildings, the palace was entirely
covered with the skins of wild animals, gaudily stained. The whole
looked like a gorgeous, oriental carpet, which was as soft as down to
the tread.
There were no chairs or benches for auditors, for no one presumed to
sit in the presence of majesty. The walls were hung with the same
species of ornamented furs, set off here and there by spears, bows and
arrows, arranged in fantastic fashion.
At the further end of the apartment, was a platform several feet high,
with a broad seat, covered with still more brilliant peltries, a
footstool, and on each side a vase of magnificent flowers. These vases
were of native manufacture, beautifully ornamented, while the flowers
were of a radiant loveliness, such as are seen nowhere outside of
tropical countries. Their delicious fragrance filled the apartment and
affected the strangers the moment the blanket was pulled aside by
Ziffak and they stepped within the royal reception room.
On each side was a broad open window, without glass, which admitted
enough sunlight to flood the place with illumination.
At the right of the dais or throne, the curtains were draped so as to
serve as a door for the king or any member of the royal household to
enter or withdraw.
On this barbaric throne sat the extraordinary personage known as King
Haffgo, ruler of the warlike Murhapas.
To say the least, his appearance was stunning, if not bewildering.
In the first place, it maybe doubted whether the intrinsic value of his
crown was not the equal of any that can be found to-day in the
monarchical countries of Europe, Asia or Africa. Its foundation seemed
to be a network of golden wire, in which were set scores upon scores of
diamonds, weighing from five to ten carats apiece, with a central sun
the equal of the great Pitt diamond. The coruscations from these
brilliants were overwhelming. As the king moved his head while
speaking, every hue of the rainbow flashed and scintillated, the rays
at times seeming to dart entirely across the room.
In addition, the neck of Haffgo was encircled by a double string of the
same dazzling jewels, of hardly less magnitude; while the wrist of the
right hand, which rested on a large javelin, was clasped by a golden
bracelet of what appeared to be living fire.
The king was dressed in a species of thin cloth, gathered by a girdle
at the waist. The crimson tint of this garment was relieved by figures
of the sun, moon and stars, of dragons, birds, beasts and reptiles in
gold. One of his feet was visible, disclosing a species of sandal such
as is seen among the natives of the East Indies.
Had King Haffgo been encountered anywhere else, he would have been set
down as a European with an unusually fair complexion. It bore no
liking to that of the African or native Murhapa. His skin had none of
that chalky, transparent appearance shown by the Albinos, but was
almost pinkish and ruddy.
His bushy hair was not white, but of a decided brown, his eyes hazel,
his nose Roman, with a strong chin and a keen expression, such as was
natural to a man who had reigned an absolute autocrat all his life.
He was about fifty years of age, but his face was wrinkled like a man
of threescore and more.
King Haffgo was seated on his throne when his visitors were ushered
into his presence, as though he expected and was waiting for them.
The white men were unacquainted with the etiquette prevailing in this
barbaric court, but there are certain ceremonies which are received as
expressive of courtesy and obeisance the world over.
Ziffak gave no instructions; but, placing himself at the side of
Professor Grimcke on the left, he surveyed his friends with much
curiosity, as if waiting to see how they would conduct themselves.
Grimcke, Long and Ashman removed their hats and bowed slowly, bending
their heads almost to their knees. Then, as they straightened up
again, the Professor, who took upon himself the duty of spokesman, said:
"We greet the great King Haffgo, and beg that he will accept the homage
of his brothers from their homes near the great water."
"Why do my brothers come from their homes to hunt out the king of the
Murhapas, when he has not asked them to come?"
These words were uttered almost exactly as given. The accent was thick
and somewhat broken, but they showed an astonishing command of the
English tongue, and proved that Waggaman and Burkhardt had found some
exceedingly apt pupils among this people.
It is not necessary to give the interview in detail. There was a
certain stateliness about the manner of the king which was remarkably
becoming. His guests had prepared themselves, when starting out on
their exploring enterprise, to make friends, by providing a large
supply of gaudy trinkets, such as is always pleasing to the average
savage; but, when they saw the wonderful crown and diamond ornaments of
this autocrat, they were ashamed to let the baubles in their possession
be seen.
They consisted mainly of children's toys; and, since they were entirely
different from anything in the country, Professor Grimcke finally made
bold to offer them, with another low obeisance, to his majesty. The
latter may have been delighted, but, if so, he did not allow it to
appear in his face or manner.
Fred Ashman handed him two brightly-polished knives, fashioned somewhat
after the familiar Bowie pattern, and, despite his reserve, it was easy
to see that they pleased him more than anything else.
Jared Long's present was a handsomely-carved meerschaum pipe. The king
was an inveterate smoker, and, even if he didn't do anything more than
nod his head when it was placed in his hand, he ought to have been very
grateful.
Despite the pains which our friends took to win the good will of King
Haffgo, it was apparent to all three that their visit was not welcome.
Waggaman and Burkhardt may not have whispered anything in his ear about
them, but the ruler was thoroughly filled with a distrust of all white
men, the only exceptions being the ones that were the cause of this
distrust.
Being a man of unquestioned native sagacity, it needed nothing more
from his first guests than their accounts of what the other race was
doing in the cities and towns along the sea coasts. Any people who
builded canoes large enough to cross the awful waste of waters in quest
of diamonds and gold, were sure to seize the chance to force their way
up the Xingu where much more boundless wealth awaited them.
The famous diamond mines of Brazil were not very far from this portion
of the Matto Grosso, and the pains which the emperors of Brazil had
taken to draw a part of their riches from the earth was all the proof
Haffgo could ask of the rapacity of the nations which called themselves
civilized.
Now, while this remarkable ruler could not always make certain that no
white men should enter his dominions, there remained a very good chance
of preventing such intruders from getting away again, carrying the
glowing accounts of what they had discovered. So long as he could
maintain this condition of affairs, so long was he safe; for if he
"absorbed" every foreigner ascending the Xingu, the supply could never
exceed the demand.
The King conversed with not only the Professor, but with Long and
Ashman in turn. They were as deferential as they knew how to be, but
all the same, their sagacity told them he bore them no good will, and
would have been much better pleased had the Aryks wiped them out before
they ascended the rapids.
At the conclusion of the interview, which lasted about half an hour,
the King Haffgo informed them they were at liberty to remain two days
in the village, during which they were not to pass outside its
boundaries. At the expiration of the period named, they would be
allowed to descend the Xingu to their homes, under their pledge to tell
no person what they had seen and learned about the Murhapas.