In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Emin Pasha, 1840-1892
On the 17th we proceeded a short distance to encamp opposite Ugarrowwa's
station.
In the afternoon I was rowed across in my boat to the Arab settlement,
and was hospitably received. I found the station to be a large
settlement, jealously fenced round with tall palisades and short planks
lashed across as screens against chance arrows. In the centre, facing the
river, was the house of the chief, commodious, lofty, and comfortable,
the walls of which were pierced for musketry. It resembled a fort with
its lofty and frowning walls of baked clay. On passing through a passage
which separated Ugarrowwa's private apartments from the public rooms, I
had a view of a great court 60 feet square, surrounded by buildings and
filled with servants. It suggested something baronial in its busy aspect,
the abundant service, the great difference of the domestics, amplitude of
space, and plenty. The place was certainly impregnable against attack,
and, if at all spiritedly defended, a full battalion would have been
necessary to have captured this outpost of a slave trader.
I was informed that the river for many days' march appeared to flow from
the eastward; that the Ihuru, a considerable distance up, flowed from the
northward and joined the Ituri, and that, besides the Lenda, there was
another affluent called the Ibina, which entered from the south.
Somewhere higher up also,--vaguely given as ten days' by others twenty
days' march,--another Arab was settled who was called Kilonga-Longa,
though his real name was also Uledi.
At this settlement I saw the first specimen of the tribe of dwarfs who
were said to be thickly scattered north of the Ituri, from the Ngaiyu
eastward. She measured thirty-three inches in height, and was a perfectly
formed young woman of about seventeen, of a glistening and smooth
sleekness of body. Her figure was that of a miniature coloured lady, not
wanting in a certain grace, and her face was very prepossessing. Her
complexion was that of a quadroon, or of the colour of yellow ivory. Her
eyes were magnificent, but absurdly large for such a small
creature--almost as large as that of a young gazelle; full, protruding,
and extremely lustrous. Absolutely nude, the little demoiselle was quite
possessed, as though she were accustomed to be admired, and really
enjoyed inspection. She had been discovered near the sources of the
Ngaiyu.
Ugarrowwa, having shown me all his treasures, including the splendid
store of ivory he had succeeded in collecting, accompanied me to the
boat, and sent away with me large trays of exquisitely cooked rice, and
an immense bowl full of curried fowl, a dish that I am not fond of, but
which inspired gratitude in my camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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