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
We made a short march to the small village of Andiuba, and from thence
we reached in three hours the large settlement of Addiguhha. On the 4th
we reached Ngwetza in four-and-a-half hours, and formed camp outside of
the plantain-grove. We had passed through ten villages of the pigmies,
but without having seen one of them. The woods were dense, and the
undergrowth flourishing. Belts of sloughy mud, disparted by small
streams, divided one village from another. It was in just such a
locality our camp was pitched on the 4th of December. Presently into the
centre of the camp a full uddered goat, with two fine kids four months
old, walked, and after a short stare of undisguised surprise at the
family, we sprang upon them and secured the undoubted gift of the gods,
and sacrificed them. Half-an-hour later we were told that one of the
Uchu natives attached to Mr. Bonny had received an arrow in his body,
and that the dwarfs had attacked and killed a Manyuema boy. A party was
sent to convey the boy’s body into the woods, where it could be buried
by his friends, but in the morning the meat had been carried away.
The criers were instructed to proceed through the camp to prepare five
days’ provisions of food. Their cries were heard ringing from end to
end, and huge loads of material for the wooden grates were brought in,
and throughout the 5th the people devoted themselves to the preparation
of flour.
[Sidenote: 1888.
Dec. 5.
Ngwetza.]
The next day, as we marched southerly, it was observed that we were
following a gradual slope to the river Ihuru. We crossed six broad and
sluggish streams, with breadths of mud coloured red by iron; banked by
dense nurseries of Raphia Palm and rattan. About 3 P.M. the
advance-guard stumbled upon several families of dwarfs, and a capture
was made of an old woman, a girl, and a boy of eighteen, besides a stock
of bananas, and some fowls. The “old” lady was as strong as a horse
apparently, and to the manner of carrying a load of bananas she appeared
to be quite accustomed.
The family of little people intimated that they knew the forest well,
but they had a strong inclination for an E.N.E. course, which would have
taken us away from Fort Bodo. They were therefore sent to the rear, and
we swung along S., and by E., sometimes S.S.E., traversed six streams on
the 7th, and a similar number on the 8th.
Soon after the headquarters’ tent had been pitched, and the undergrowth
of leafy plants had been cleared somewhat, I observed a young fellow
stagger; and going up to him I questioned him as to the cause. I was
astonished to be told that it was from weakness, and want of food. Have
you eaten all your five days’ rations already? No, he had thrown it away
because the dwarf captives had said that in one day they would reach a
famous place for plantains, the “biggest in the world.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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