In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; 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
veal, and mutton diet ahead, garnished with a variety of edibles such as
the sweet potato and beans, and millet flour for porridge with milk, and
sesamum oil for cooking. Relief also from the constant suspicion,
provoked by an animal instinct, that a savage with a sheaf of poisoned
arrows is lurking within a few feet of one will be something to be
grateful for. The ceaseless anxiety, the tension of watchfulness, to
provide food, and guard the people from the dangers that meet their
frolics, will be relaxed; and I shall be glad to be able to think better
of the world and its inhabitants than the doubtful love I entertain for
mankind in the forest.”
[Sidenote: 1888. Oct. 27.
Lenda
River.]
We found our camp at Umeni on the 26th, but there were only two small
bunches of miniature plantains discovered here, and a raging tornado
roared like a legion of demons through the forest, and shook the ancient
tree giants to their base, while the dark Ituri was so beswept that it
became pallid under the whistling, screaming fury of the squalls.
On the next day we rowed up to below Big Cataract, unloaded the goods,
left the canoes in the bushes, shouldered our loads, and marched away
after half an hour’s halt only, for five miles inland. We had left the
Ituri navigation for the last time.
We entered the Avatiko plantations after three hours’ march on the 28th,
and just while the majority of the people was perilously near
starvation. They spread over the plantations with the eagerness of
famished wolves after prey. Here we stayed two days in foraging and
preparing a supply of food.
We had not been long at Avatiko before a couple of pigmies were brought
to me. What relation the pair were to one another is not known. The man
was young, probably twenty-one. Mr. Bonny conscientiously measured him,
and I recorded the notes.
Height, 4 ft.; round head, 20¼ in.; from chin to back top of head, 24¼
in.; round chest, 25½ in.; round abdomen, 27¾ in.; round hips, 22½ in.;
round wrist, 4¼ in.; round muscle of left arm, 7½ in.; round ankle, 7
in.; round calf of leg, 7¾ in.; length of index finger, 2 in.; length of
right hand, 4 in.; length of foot, 6¼ in.; length of leg, 22 in.; length
of back, 18½ in.; arm to tip of finger, 19¾ in.
This was the first full-grown man we had seen. His colour was coppery,
the fell over the body was almost furry, being nearly half an inch in
length. His head-dress was a bonnet of a priestly form, decorated with a
bunch of parrot feathers; it was either a gift or had been stolen. A
broad strip of bark cloth covered his nakedness. His hands were very
delicate, and attracted attention by their unwashed appearance. He had
evidently been employed in peeling plantains.
[Sidenote: 1888.
Oct. 28.
Avatiko.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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