A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free StateDorman, Marcus R. P.
History
A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State
Dorman, Marcus R. P.
Congo (Democratic Republic) -- Description and travel
Next day we reach the Catholic Mission of Sainte Famille also on French
territory. The Fathers have laid out a large plantation and farm;
horses, cattle, sheep, goats and poultry all doing well. Indeed modern
American ploughs and carts give the farm quite a home-like appearance.
Maize, oranges, bananas, pineapples and many vegetables are here in
abundance. Sleeping Sickness is not known, which immunity is attributed
by the priests to the fact that the natives have plenty of fresh meat
and eat little kwanga. Apparently the disease is due to a bacillus. It
is however, at least possible that the new diet of the civilised native
may be a predisposing factor. The savage is naturally carnivorous and
before the advent of the white man, had little to eat but animal flesh.
Now his chief article of diet in the western parts of the Congo is
kwanga, which consists chiefly of starch, and he has only a little meat
and fish. Along the Congo where the native is civilised, there is much
sleeping sickness, but along the Ubangi where he is more savage, there
is practically none. The Fathers give us some spirits distilled from the
papye and pineapple which are very good and beer made from maize which
is not. They then show us round the grounds and before we leave load us
with eggs and fresh vegetables which are very acceptable. At sunset we
tie up to the bank and make a camp. It is wonderful how quickly the
grass is cut down, the tents erected, fires lighted and dinner cooked,
for when the native knows he has to perform a certain definite task, he
works hard, so that he can eat his dinner and get to sleep as soon as
possible. Chikaia apparently has a fine sense of satire or humour. A
table was broken and when I asked how it was done, Chikaia instead of
answering "it has been done a long time" as an European servant would,
went one better and said "it has always been like that." "I suppose it
was made so," I replied. "Yes, Sir" was the answer and there was no more
to be said.
The banks of the river are here lined with villages and each time we
stop crowds run to see the steamer, while the Chief comes on board,
shakes hands solemnly and presents eggs, chicken or a goat. In return we
hand back a good value in cloth, beads or salt. Mitakos are not seen
here at all, for beads are used instead. The natives always seemed
grateful and satisfied with their presents, which was rarely the case on
the Congo where the people generally grumble even when they receive many
times the value of the article they sell. We camp at the village of Dru,
where we find it very difficult to pitch tents owing to the rocky nature
of the soil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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