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 1st of December we retraced our steps down the spur, and then
struck along a track running easterly. In a short time we ascended
another spur leading up to a terrace below Pisgah peak, where we obtained
the highest reading of the aneroid that we had yet reached. We then
followed a path leading from the terrace down another spur to the average
level. A number of well-defined and trodden roads were crossed, but our
path seemed to increase in importance until, at 11.15 A.M., we entered
the large village of Iyugu, which, of course, was quite deserted, so
quickly do the natives of the forest seem to be apprised of new arrivals.
The street of this village was forty feet wide.
We observed a considerable dryness in the woods between Pisgah base and
Iyugu, which was a great change from that excessive humidity felt and
seen between Indenduru and Ibwiri. The fallen forest leaves had a
slightly crispy look about them and crackled under our feet, and the
track, though still in primeval shade, had somewhat of the dusty
appearance of a village street.
[Illustration: A VILLAGE AT THE BASE OF PISGAH.]
Alter the noon halt we made a two hours' march to a small village
consisting of three conical huts, near which we camped. Though we had
travelled over ten miles we might have been hundreds of miles yet from
the open country for all we could gather from our surroundings. For they
were, as usual, of tall dense woods, of true tropic character, dark,
sombrous and high, bound one to the other with creepers and vines, and a
thick undergrowth throve under the shades. We, however, picked up a
strange arrow in one of the huts, which differed greatly from any we had
as yet seen. It was twenty-eight inches in length, and its point was
spear-shaped,and three inches long. Its shaft was a light reed cane,
beautifully and finely notched for decoration, a thin triangular-shaped
piece of kid leather directed the arrow, instead of a leaf or a piece of
black cloth as hitherto. A quiver full of forest-tribe arrows was also
found, and they were twenty inches long, and each arrowhead differed from
the other, though each was murderously sharp and barbed.
[Illustration: CHIEF OF THE IYUGU.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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