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THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS.
THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS.
BY PAUL DU CHAILLU, AUTHOR OF "Adventures and Explorations in Equatorial Africa," "A Journey to Ashango Land," "Stories of the Gorilla Country," "Wild Life under the Equator," "My Apingi Kingdom." NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1872. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by Harper & Brothers , In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. TO FLETCHER HARPER, Esq. Dear Sir :—I dedicate this volume to yo
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THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS. CHAPTER I.
THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS. CHAPTER I.
HOW PAUL SET OUT FOR THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS, AND WHAT HE TOOK WITH HIM. I n the month of July, 1863, if you had been in London, you might have seen in St. Catharine's Dock a schooner called the Mentor, a little vessel of less than one hundred tons' measurement, and if you had gone on board you would have encountered your old friend Paul Du Chaillu busily superintending the taking of the cargo, and getting all things in readiness for the voyage upon which he is now going to take you. Captain V
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE AFRICAN COAST.—MEETING WITH OLD FRIENDS.—CHANGES IN FOUR YEARS.—THE CAPTAIN'S MISGIVINGS. O n the 5th of August we sailed from London. I will not weary you with a narrative of the voyage. The days passed pleasantly on board the Mentor. By the end of the month of August we were not far from the Tropic of Cancer. September glided away calmly, and on the 7th of October Captain Vardon said that the following day we should come in sight of land. Accordingly, the next morning I heard from the m
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
LANDING GOODS.—AMONG THE BREAKERS.—KING RANPANO.—LOSS OF INSTRUMENTS.—KING QUENGUEZA.—A PALAVER.—CHANGING NAMES. T he next morning, at daybreak, three canoes came alongside to take off the cargo. The men brought the news that King Ranpano had arrived, and was on the beach. My most precious things were lowered into the canoes, and when every thing was ready, the captain concluded to go ashore with me. The captain and I got into the canoe containing all my scientific instruments, medicines, some o
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
HONEST AFRICANS.—DISTRIBUTING PRESENTS.—QUENGUEZA'S DIPLOMACY.—ANOTHER PALAVER.—A NEW SETTLEMENT.—RABOLO'S MONDA.—RANPANO'S SUPERSTITION. T he day after the arrival of Quengueza, word was sent to me by the canoe-men on the shore that the surf was quiet, and that canoes could go to sea and return in perfect safety. During the day seven large canoes were carried over the narrow tongue of land to the beach, and twenty-one remained on the river-side to take to my new settlement the goods that would
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.—MR. AND MRS. THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.—THOMAS IN LONDON.—LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.—DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.—A TORNADO.—NENGUÉ SHIKA.—TRACES OF GORILLAS.—NENGUÉ NCOMA.—KING OLENGA-YOMBI.—THE IPI. T he day of departure of the Mentor had come. My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me. I was to be left all alone in that wild country, when but a few months before I had been in the big city of London. How lonely I should feel! My old life was
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
HUNTING FOR THE IPI.—CAMPING OUT IN THE WOODS.—CAPTURE OF AN IPI.—DESCRIPTION OF THE ANIMAL.—A NEW SPECIES OF ANT-EATER. W e left the plantation at daybreak. Mayombo, the head slave, was the leader, and some of his children were with us. We all had guns; the boys carried, besides, two axes. In a little while we were in the forest. It was an awful day's hunt, and the first time since my return that I had to rough it in such a manner. We wandered over hills and dales, through the woods and the str
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
LIFE AT NKONGON-BOUMBA.—GORILLAS AND PLANTAINS.—ODANGA SCARED BY A GORILLA.—A CAPTIVE GORILLA.—SUPERSTITIONS RESPECTING THE LEOPARD. T he dry season had now fairly begun. We were in the month of June, and the nights and evenings were quite pleasant. The days were generally cloudy, and it was a good time of the year for hunting, as most of the bog-land was drying fast. Nkongon-Boumba was situated in a charming spot on the summit of a gentle hill, at the foot of which ran a little stream of clear
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
WOUNDED GORILLA AND HER YOUNG ONES.—TAKING THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS.—TOM AND MINNIE.—ARRIVAL OF MY VESSEL.—HURRA FOR BARING BROTHERS.—A SMOKING SHIP.—KING QUENGUEZA GOES ON BOARD.—PREPARATIONS FOR JOURNEY. A few days after my return home, one evening a strange sight presented itself in front of my house—a sight which I firmly believe had never before been witnessed since the world began. There was great commotion and tremendous excitement among the Commi people. There stood in front of my bamboo house
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
DOWN THE RIVER IN A CANOE.—A STRANGE PASSENGER.—TALK WITH A GORILLA.—LANDING THROUGH THE BREAKERS.—PREPARING TO CROSS THE CONTINENT.—THE DEPARTURE. O n the 18th of August, 1864, I sent back the vessel to England to the Messrs. Baring, and early that morning we left my settlement and sailed down the river in my largest canoe. We had a strange lot of passengers with us. The most remarkable of them was Master Tom Gorilla; not far from him, at the bottom of the canoe, alive and kicking, was a yellow
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
A ROYAL WELCOME.—DEPARTURE FROM GOUMBI.—THE STORY OF NCHANGA AND ENOMO.—ASCENDING THE OVENGA RIVER.—A HOSTILE BARRIER REMOVED.—THE ADVICE OF QUENGUEZA. A fter a few days we reached the kingdom of Quengueza, and I received a royal welcome from the sturdy old chief, for he loved me more than any body else. That evening we remained together all alone, and talked about my long journey. He said to me, "Chally, every body is afraid; none of my free men want to follow you. They think they will never co
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
BUSTLE IN THE CAMP.—A MAGIC HORN.—QUENGUEZA'S IDOL.—A LIVING SKELETON.—TERRIFIC THUNDER-STORM.—A GORILLA FAMILY.—STUPENDOUS CATARACT. T he next morning after this fine speech of Quengueza all was bustle in the camp, and every thing was now ready. Quengueza stood by my side, wearing a coat, and having a green cloth around his loins; from his shoulder hung his bag, in which there was a large supply of tobacco and his kendo; close by him stood a slave and one of his nephews, carrying his gun and th
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
THE DEATH OF REMANDJI.—A SINGULAR SUPERSTITION.—OUTBREAK OF THE PLAGUE.—A TOUCHING INCIDENT.—DYING OFF BY SCORES.—DEATH OF OLENDA. W hile on my way from the Falls of Samba-Nagoshi to Olenda a secret deputation had been sent to him from the Apingi country, where, as you are aware, I had been made king, and where the people were so superstitious about me. The King of Apingi had sent word that Olenda must endeavor to dissuade me from going into Apingi Land. It appears that, after I had left the Api
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
BURIAL OF OLENDA.—A DESOLATED VALLEY.—SUSPICIONS AROUSED.—ROBBERY.—PAUL IN PERPLEXING CIRCUMSTANCES.—FREEING A MAN FROM THE STOCKS.—RAVAGES OF THE PLAGUE. T he day of Olenda's burial had come, but there were hardly people enough left to bury him—such had been the devastations of the plague. Not far from the village stood in the prairie a little grove of trees, beneath whose shade the chiefs of the Ademba clan, to which Olenda belonged, were always buried; but it had been long since an interment
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
DEPARTURE FROM ASHIRA LAND.—A SILENT LEAVE-TAKING.—THIEVISH PORTERS.—A CUNNING OLD RASCAL.—MISFORTUNE ON MISFORTUNE.—WITHOUT FOOD IN THE FOREST.—A DESPERATE PLOT.—FEASTING ON MONKEY-MEAT.—OUT OF THE WOODS. T he threat of Quengueza had the desired effect. At last Ondonga succeeded in getting porters, who, with my own men, made the number of our company about thirty. No amount of pay could induce more to come. They were afraid of trouble. They could not tell what the trouble would be, but they had
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
IN THE OPEN COUNTRY AT LAST.—INTERVIEW WITH MAYOLO.—IGALA FALLS SICK.—A MUTINY.—THE OTANDO PRAIRIE ON FIRE.—RETURN OF MACONDAI AND IGALO.—THEIR ADVENTURES.—ALL TOGETHER AGAIN. A stretch of open undulating country was before me. Guns were fired by my men, and soon after I entered the first Otando village. It was the village of Mayolo, who was the only chief that was willing to receive me. We went right to the ouandja, and I seated myself in the centre of the building. Soon after, the beating of t
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
TERRIBLE STORMS OF THUNDER.—DAYS OF ANXIETY.—SHOOTING AN ANTELOPE.—BRIGHTER PROSPECTS.—MAYOLO HAS A HARD TIME WITH HIS DOCTORS.—BASKET-MAKING. H ow strange the Otando prairie looks since the fire has burnt the grass! Tens of thousands of gigantic mushroom-like ant-hills are seen every where. I had never met such a great number before. I have given you a picture of these queer ant-hills in my "Apingi Kingdom." We are in the season of tornadoes, of thunder and lightning. Hardly a day passes that s
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
DEPARTURE FROM THE OTANDO COUNTRY.—TALK WITH MAYOLO.—LIVING ON MONKEY-MEAT.—ASTRONOMICAL STUDIES.—LUNAR OBSERVATIONS.—INTENSE HEAT. T he day of my departure from the Otando country was approaching. Mayolo was getting better and better every day. So, two days after the ceremony I have described in the preceding chapter, I summoned Mayolo and his people, and received them in state. I was dressed for the occasion, as if ready to start, with my otaitai on my back. I was surrounded by my body-guard,
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
SAYING GOOD-BY.—A PANIC-STRICKEN VILLAGE.—PACIFYING THE PEOPLE'S FEARS.—A TIPSY SCENE.—MAJESTY ON A SPREE.—LUNCH BY A RIVER SIDE. O n the 30th of May, early in the morning, there was great excitement in Mayolo's village. That morning we were to leave for the Apono country. Mayolo himself was to take me there, and we were all getting ready, the men carefully arranging their otaitais. The horns were blown as the signal for our departure, and we took the path in single file, Igala leading, and Mayo
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CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
RUMORS OF WAR.—THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.—IMMINENT PERIL.—NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.—A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH. W ar began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba. We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men. On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos. The men were armed with spears
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CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XX.
A DEPUTATION FROM THE VILLAGE.—A PLAIN TALK WITH THEM.—A BEAUTIFUL AND PROSPEROUS TOWN.—CHEERFUL CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE.—MORE OBSERVATIONS. B efore daylight I arose, and again went out upon the prairie, but saw no one there from the Apono villages, and heard no war-drumming. After a while a deputation of three men came from the village to Nchiengain, and said, "Why have you brought this Oguizi to us? He will give us the eviva." "No," said Nchiengain; "months ago the eviva was in the country. I
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CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN THE VILLAGE.—A DESERTED TOWN.—THE INHABITANTS FRIGHTENED AWAY.—AFRAID OF THE EVIL EYE.—THE AUTHOR TAKEN FOR AN ASTROLOGER.—LOST AMONG THE PLANTATIONS. O n the morning of the 10th of June there was great excitement in the village of Mokaba. The Apono, headed by Kombila, were ready to take me to the Ishogo country. All the porters wore the red caps I had given them, and had put on their necklaces of beads. At a quarter past ten o'clock, just as we started, I ordered guns to be
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CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXII.
FIRST SIGHT OF A VILLAGE OF THE DWARFS.—A STRANGE AND INTERESTING SPECTACLE.—AN ABANDONED TOWN.—A REVERIE BESIDE A STREAM.—THE LEAF, THE BUTTERFLY, AND THE BIRD.—THE BLESSING OF WATER. E arly the next morning we started again on our journey through the great forest, passing many hills and several rivulets with queer names. Suddenly we came upon twelve strange little houses scattered at random, and I stopped and asked Kombila for what use those shelters were built. He answered, "Spirit, those are
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CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
GROTESQUE HEAD-DRESSES.—CURIOUS FASHIONS IN TEETH.—A VENERABLE GRANITE BOULDER.—INTERIOR OF A HUT.—A WARLIKE RACE OF SAVAGES.—GIVING THEM AN ELECTRIC SHOCK. H ow strange were those Ishogos! They were unlike all the other savages I met. What a queer way to arrange their hair! It requires from twenty-five to thirty years for an Ishogo woman to be able to build upon her head one of their grotesque head-dresses. The accompanying pictures will show you how they look. But you will ask how they can arr
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CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XXIV.
VISIT TO A VILLAGE OF THE DWARFS.—WALK THROUGH THE PRIMEVAL FOREST.—AN ANCIENT ACCOUNT OF THIS STRANGE RACE.—A GREAT ASHANGO DANCE.—A WATCH AND A TREMENDOUS SNEEZE.—FIRST VIEW OF THE DWARFS.—QUEER SPECIMENS OF HUMANITY. T he day after I had done before the Ashangos the wonderful things I have described to you, as I was seated under the veranda of the king with Mokounga and a few Ashango elders, I began to talk of the country, and I said to them, "People say that there are Dwarfs living in the fo
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CHAPTER XXV.
CHAPTER XXV.
MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE DWARFS.—A SURPRISE VISIT.—A GORGEOUS FEAST.—RIDICULOUS SHOW OF BABIES.—THE DWARF LANGUAGE.—A DWARF DANCE.—THE OLD FABLE OF THE CRANES AND THE PIGMIES. A fter several visits to the settlement of the Dwarfs we became friends, but it took time. My great friend among them was Misounda, an old woman, the first one I had seen, and whom I pulled out of her own house; but I had some trouble before I could tame friend Misounda. One day I thought I would surprise the Dwarfs, and co
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CHAPTER XXVI.
CHAPTER XXVI.
A MODERN TRAVELER'S ACCOUNT OF THE DWARFS AND THEIR HABITS.—WHERE AND HOW THEY BURY THEIR DEAD.—HUNTING FOR THE DWARFS.—HOW THEY MAKE THEIR HUTS. N ow that I have told you what Herodotus and Homer wrote about the Dwarfs, let us come to a more modern account of them. We read the following in Rev. Dr. Krapf's "Travels and Missionary Labors in East Africa:" "Noteworthy are the reports which in the year 1840 were communicated to me by a slave from Enarea, who, by order of the King of Shoa, was charg
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CHAPTER XXVII.
CHAPTER XXVII.
TRAVELING EASTWARD.—MEASURING HEIGHTS.—INSTRUMENTS USED.—REACH MOUAOU-KOMBO.—APPREHENSIONS OF THE PEOPLE.—PALAVER WITH THE CHIEF.—AN UNLUCKY SHOT.—HOSTILITIES COMMENCED. S everal days have passed away since I have left the Pigmies and the village of Niembouai, and I am traveling toward the rising sun. The country is getting more and more mountainous as we advance eastward, the forests are very thick, the jungle is very dense, and many of the trees are of immense size. An apparently perpetual mis
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
RETREAT FROM MOUAOU-KOMBO.—THE ATTACK.—PAUL IS WOUNDED.—A PANIC.—THE FIGHT RENEWED.—THE ENEMY RE-ENFORCED.—LYING IN AMBUSH.—THE ENEMY REPULSED.—A POISONED ARROW.—MOUITCHI SAFE.—DEATH OF THE DOGS. W e enter the great forest; we are going to leave the village of Mouaou-Kombo forever. We are on the path which we took on our way eastward. We are going back. The forest near the village is filled with savages waiting for us behind the trees. We can only go single file. I give command. Igala is to take
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CHAPTER XXIX.
CHAPTER XXIX.
TRAVELING WESTWARD.—A NIGHT IN THE FOREST.—PAUL'S SPEECH TO HIS MEN.—THEIR REPLY.—THE RETREAT RESUMED.—TAKING FOOD AND REST.—MEETING WITH FRIENDS. T his meeting with Mouitchi revived for a while my failing strength. I saw in his safety the decree of a kind Providence. My warriors were by me; though wounded, none of us had been killed. We continued our journey westward. The forest had resumed its accustomed stillness, undisturbed by the savage war-cries of the infuriated Ashangos. I felt so weak
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CHAPTER XXX.
CHAPTER XXX.
CONCLUSION.—RETURN TO THE COAST.—DESOLATION OF THE COUNTRY.—FATE OF OLD FRIENDS.—REACH THE SETTLEMENT.—DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND.—AU REVOIR. I need not recount to you our journey back, only that there was no more fighting, and that we returned by exactly the same road we had taken going eastward, reached the same villages, and were received every where with great kindness by the different tribes and their chiefs, who seemed all so glad to see us. Kombila, Nchiengain, Mayolo, begged me to come back a
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INTERESTING BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.
INTERESTING BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.
Harper & Brothers will send away any of the following works by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price . DU CHAILLU'S COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS. The Country of the Dwarfs. By Paul B. Du Chaillu . Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.75. DU CHAILLU'S APINGI KINGDOM. My Apingi Kingdom: with Life in the Great Sahara, and Sketches of the Chase of the Ostrich, Hyena, &c. By Paul B. Du Chaillu . Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.75. DU CHAILLU'S LOST IN THE JUNG
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