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43 chapters
PREFACE
PREFACE
A brass rod is the money of by far the larger number of the people on the Lower and Upper Congo. In thickness it is not quite so stout as an ordinary slate pencil, and varies now in length, according to the tribe using it, from five inches long on the Lower Congo to an indefinite length among the more distant tribes of Congo’s hinterland. Originally the brass wire was employed on the Congo for purposes of ornamentation, either of the person in the form of necklets, armlets, and anklets, or of ar
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Chapter I En Route to Congo
Chapter I En Route to Congo
I am packed in a box--Sent to Congoland--My journey on the ocean steamer--Curious names of the Kroo boys--Landed at Banana--Thrown on the deck of a river steamer. I am much older than you think, for it is more than twenty-five years ago since I was born in a great factory in one of your English towns. The years that have passed since my birthday have been filled with joy and sorrow, rest and toil; but in looking back over them I think they have contained more sorrow and toil than rest and joy. W
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Chapter II My Journey up the Congo
Chapter II My Journey up the Congo
When my senses returned I found my box was piled on deck with many other boxes like it, and thus I had a fine view. The sun was rising, flooding the river with its brightness, lighting up the distant hills and throwing into sombre shadow the mangrove trees that lined the banks. There was much hustling and shouting on board as the ropes were cast loose; and I soon began to feel the throb of the engines, and hear the rush of the water as the small steamer pushed its way against the strong current
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Chapter III My Overland Journey Begins
Chapter III My Overland Journey Begins
The white man’s fetish--I am exchanged with others for rubber and ivory--My new companions express freely their opinions about the white men--Why the white men are on the Congo--Native suspicions and prejudices. The morning after the steamer arrived all the goods were taken ashore, put into a huge store, and arranged in their places. Just opposite the store door was a large image, gaudily coloured and grotesquely ugly. It was a fetish [6] that the white man had bought of a native “medicine man,”
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Chapter IV We reach the Town of my Owner
Chapter IV We reach the Town of my Owner
Crossing the Mpalabala hills--The head man knocks his toes--It is an evil omen--He visits the “medicine man”--Finds his brother dying--Last hours of the dying chief. The next morning was dull and damp--a weeping morning, and every one shivered with the cold as they hastily picked up their loads and prepared for the steep ascent that would take them over a spur of the Mpalabala mountains. The road was a narrow track, steep and stony; huge boulders were often in the path, and had to be climbed ove
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Chapter V A Funeral Orgy
Chapter V A Funeral Orgy
Satu becomes chief--Preparations for the funeral feast--My box is opened--I become a neck ornament--Bakula, my new owner, is smart, but superstitious--The mourners assemble and present their gifts--The toilet before eating--Drunkenness and quarrelling--Corpse is carried to the grave--A white man wants to steal the ivory trumpets--He is shaved and sent about his business. As the deceased chief was a very great man it was necessary to postpone his burial for a month or two until fitting arrangemen
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Chapter VI Our Town Life
Chapter VI Our Town Life
Streets are irregular--Houses small and draughty--Their reception, dining, and drawing rooms are in the open air--Their many charms and fetishes--Routine of the day--Bakula tells a story: “How the Sparrow set the Elephant and the Crocodile to pull against each other”--Tumbu, a slave, relates the tale of “The Four Fools”--And Bakula tells: “How the Squirrel won a Verdict for the Gazelle.” As soon as the funeral festivities were over, our many visitors returned to their towns and villages, and I s
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Chapter VII The Search for the Witch
Chapter VII The Search for the Witch
People believe their chief died by witchcraft--They send for the witch-finder--His arrival and antics--The ceremony of discovering the witch--Satu’s brother, Mavakala, is accused--Why was Mavakala accused?--He takes the ordeal--Proves his innocence--Other tests are forced on him--He is done to death. During the illness of the deceased chief there was a widespread feeling in the town that some one was bewitching him, and that therefore the “medicine men” were unable to cure him. At last one of th
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Chapter VIII Visitors Arrive
Chapter VIII Visitors Arrive
The dulness and pettiness of native life--Arrival of two visitors--Bakula questions them about the white man--They relate the little they know about him--Old Plaited-Beard stirs the people up against the white man--They exchange their views about him--They agree to oppose him--The white man is seen approaching--He is driven from the town and has to sleep in the bush. The excitement of the funeral festivities, and of the hunt for and murder of the witch had passed away, leaving a deadly dulness o
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Chapter IX Some Customs, Games, and a Journey
Chapter IX Some Customs, Games, and a Journey
The luck-giver is called to bring prosperity on the town--His mode of procedure--Satu and some of his people go on a visit to a great chief--Good and bad omens--The game at “Antelope”--Bakula narrates a story: “How the Fox saved the Frog’s Life”--Another lad tells why inquiry should come before anger--The difficult road--Bakula and his friends dress themselves--Their mixed wardrobes. Satu, the chief, wished to have a healthy and prosperous town, and his people were one with him in this laudable
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Chapter X Our Reception and Entertainment
Chapter X Our Reception and Entertainment
The welcome of Tonzeka and his people--A case judged--We find the white man in Tonzeka’s town--Tonzeka defends the white man--He complains of the effect of the white man’s preaching--A drunken bout. The whole town turned out to welcome us with shouts, gun-firing, clapping of hands, trillings, and the slapping of their open mouths with the palms of their hands. The folk lined the paths leading to their chief’s house, and saluted and chaffed us good-humouredly as we threaded our way to it preceded
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Chapter XI Satu visits the White Man
Chapter XI Satu visits the White Man
Bakula goes to the white man to have his wound dressed--White man puts in a good word for the traders--Bakula is touched by the white man’s kindness--A native dance--An exhibition of native pride--A long talk with the white man--We gain many new ideas from our conversation--Bakula has another interview with the white man, and they become good friends. The next morning the sun rose with clear-eyed brightness, oblivious of all that had occurred during his absence through the night, for he and the
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Chapter XII Native Games and Pastimes
Chapter XII Native Games and Pastimes
Make-believe games--“Biti” and needle--Game with canna seeds--Hoop game--“Mbele,” or Knife game--The story of “The Four Wonders,” or a puzzle story--Conundrums--“The Adventures of the Twins.” After the first novelty of our visit had passed away the women and girls went daily, with dull regularity, to the farms; but only those men who were obliged went to the markets for trading purposes, or to the forests for building materials for their houses. The men and lads who were able postponed, out of r
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Chapter XIII Bakula accompanies an Embassy
Chapter XIII Bakula accompanies an Embassy
A title reverts to Satu--He sends Old Plaited-Beard to the King with a present--The embassy arrives at the King’s town--Has an audience in the King’s house--King promises to send a deputy to install Satu--King dines with the white man and sees a magic lantern--Bakula and the white man renew their acquaintance--He sleeps on the mission station and hears all about the King’s household. Just as Satu’s visit to Tonzeka was drawing to a close, his departure was hastened by the death of a chief who ha
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Chapter XIV Bakula stays with the White Man
Chapter XIV Bakula stays with the White Man
The working of a mission station--Buying food--The school--Bakula is afraid to enter the school--Repairing the station--Boys work in the gardens--A quarrel, and how it was settled--An evening’s chat with the white man--Rubbing evil spirits out of a man--Sunday service--Congregation--Sermon--Visit to a near town--Religious talk with the King--Boys pray for their white teacher--Witch-doctor’s trick exposed. Next morning, at sunrise, Bakula was aroused by the sonorous tones of a large bell, and run
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Chapter XV Satu receives a Title
Chapter XV Satu receives a Title
The King sends for medicine--He is told to apply to St. Catherine--The King’s promise--Bakula bids farewell to his white friend--King’s deputy goes with us to Satu’s town--Ceremony of conferring the title--Killing a leopard--Satu redeems his brother--Releases his niece from a hateful marriage--A story: "Appearances are sometimes Deceptive"--A chief asks for Satu’s niece in marriage--Marriage money is paid--The wedding--Satu gains a new slave. One day Bakula was chatting with the white man in his
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Chapter XVI Hunting and Bush-burning
Chapter XVI Hunting and Bush-burning
Manner of bush-burning--Witch-doctor makes a hunting-charm--Ceremony is carefully performed--Blazing bush and rushing animals--Satu arranges with another chief to burn the bush--Dimbula breaks the law and insults Satu--War is declared--Old Plaited-Beard being unsuccessful accuses Bakula of bewitching him--He tries to restore his luck. As the hunting season was drawing near, Satu and his people decided to engage a ngang’ a nkongo , or the “medicine man” of the hunting fetish, to make for them a p
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Chapter XVII Satu and his People go to War
Chapter XVII Satu and his People go to War
Satu as the insulted party makes the first move--He sends an embassy to Dimbula--He asks for an apology or offers a bullet--The apology is refused, but the bullet is accepted--The witch-doctor makes a new charm--Mode of fighting--The ridge-pole of chief’s house is captured--Dimbula sues for peace with a white goat--Pays homage to Satu--Blood brotherhood is made. The hunting season had ended, and Dimbula had neither come to pay homage to Satu, nor sent an apology for the insults he had heaped on
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Chapter XVIII Governing, Marketing, and Trading Customs
Chapter XVIII Governing, Marketing, and Trading Customs
The making and enforcing of laws--Fines imposed--Division of fines--Congo week of four days probably named after their markets--Raids and robberies--Preparing a caravan for the road--Rules of the road--Arriving at a trading-station--Mode of trading--Goods given and received. From this time Satu could not engage in trading expeditions, but devoted himself to governing the country by helping to make new laws or administering old ones. As a noble of exalted rank he presided over the chiefs of his d
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Chapter XIX An Accusation and the Ordeal
Chapter XIX An Accusation and the Ordeal
Old Plaited-Beard charges Bakula with stealing--The accusation is denied--Bakula declares his disbelief in charms and witch-doctors--Satu saves him from immediate death--The missing cloth is found in Bakula’s house--Tumbu exposes the accuser’s trickery--He is ridiculed--Bakula submits to the ordeal of the boiling oil--His arm is badly scalded--During the night Bakula escapes to the mission station. A few days after the return of the trading caravan, the whole town was startled to hear that some
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Chapter XX Bakula at School
Chapter XX Bakula at School
After much nursing Bakula recovers--He becomes a school-boy--He struggles with the alphabet--He learns to understand pictures--Routine life--Bakula itinerates with his white man--He does not relish sleeping in the wet bush--He is convicted of sin--He inquires the way of salvation--The lads play a trick on a witch-doctor--Bakula is received into the Church--He returns to his town. After a long, weary walk Bakula reached his uncle’s town, and, staying only to tell him the news, and show him his sc
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Chapter XXI Bakula’s Work checked
Chapter XXI Bakula’s Work checked
The conservatism of the Congo people--Bakula and his scholars build a school-house--A missionary visits his town--He encourages Bakula in his work--A “luck fowl” dies--Its death is put to the credit of the missionary’s visit and teaching--The school-house is pulled down--Satu is afraid to interfere--Native way of punishing an unpopular chief. Bakula had not been back many days before he asked Satu for permission to open a school for the boys in the town. The chief gave his consent, but was very
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Chapter XXII Bakula Falsely Accused and Murdered
Chapter XXII Bakula Falsely Accused and Murdered
Failure of various remedies--Witch-doctor engaged--Diagnosing a case--Different “medicine men” are called in--Bakula denounces their trickery--Suspicion of witchcraft falls on Bakula--Native attempts to rid themselves of death, sickness, etc.--Preparing a corpse for the grave--Bakula is accused of bewitching his mother to death--He is guarded by Old Plaited-Beard through the night--He is taken to the hill-top.--He falls and is done to death--Tumbu buries the mangled body of his friend. A few wee
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Chapter XXIII I Find many Changes
Chapter XXIII I Find many Changes
Mikula while digging the foundations for a brick house discovers me--The town is changed--There is daily worship--Observance of the sabbath--Sunday service--Collections for support of teachers--Christian funeral--Visit to the mission station--Teaching teachers--Martyrs for the cause. [Fifteen years are supposed to have elapsed between the concealment and the unearthing of the Brass Rod. The preceding part of this narrative unfolds the prejudices, superstitions and evil practices rife on the Cong
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Chapter XXIV A Marriage and a Harvest Festival
Chapter XXIV A Marriage and a Harvest Festival
A Christian wedding--Grateful offerings--Christianity a great boon to the women--Reunion--Various meetings--Lady missionaries conduct services--Auction sale of the gifts--Changed lives--Mikula instructs a stranger in the way of salvation--Rules for candidates and for Church fellowship. A few days after Mikula’s return he was married to the young woman for whom he had built the brick house. In honour of the occasion the church was prettily decorated with flowers, long streamers of vine-like branc
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Chapter XXV Mikula at the Christmas Festival
Chapter XXV Mikula at the Christmas Festival
Months glide quickly by while working hard--Deacon’s meeting--Church-meeting--The kind of candidates who were rejected--Baptismal service--The great meeting of the Church--Election of deacons--The balance sheet--A deficit--Native Christians wipe out the debt--Local missionary meeting--The great communion service. How quickly the months glided by! Mikula, my owner, was a busy man of affairs. As deacon and teacher he voluntarily gave many days every month to his arduous duties--visiting lukewarm m
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NOTES TO PART I
NOTES TO PART I
1 Being only eleven inches long (page 1 ).--Over a very large part of the Congo soft brass wire of 34 gauge is now, and has been for many years, the currency and the standard of value among the natives. This wire was probably, in the first instance, introduced and used for ornamental purposes, as binding round spears and knives, or beaten out into ribbons of brass for decorating the hafts of their best spears and paddles. At first the wire was bought in long lengths of so many fathoms, according
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INTRODUCTION TO THE FOLKLORE TALES
INTRODUCTION TO THE FOLKLORE TALES
For many years I have been collecting folklore stories such as are told round the fires of the Congo villages--stories that have been handed down from generation to generation; and are so well known that sentences from them are often quoted, and have thus become the proverbs with which the natives so freely interlard their talk. To have printed all the stories collected would have meant a bulky volume; but these selected for publication are typical of those that remain, although every story has
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I How the Fowl evaded his Debt
I How the Fowl evaded his Debt
Once upon a time a cock Fowl and a Leopard began a friendship, and not very long afterwards the Leopard lent some money to the Fowl. It was arranged that on a certain day the Leopard should receive the money at the Fowl’s residence. On the morning of the appointed day the Fowl ground up some red peppers, and mixed them with water so that it looked like blood, and when he heard that the Leopard was on the way to his house he went into his courtyard and said to his slaves: “When the Leopard arrive
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II Why the Small-ant was the Winner
II Why the Small-ant was the Winner
One day a fierce Driver-ant [70] and a Small-ant had a long discussion as to which of them was the stronger. The Driver-ant boasted of his size, the strength of his mandibles, and the fierceness of his bite. “Yes, all that may be true,” quietly answered the Small-ant, “and yet with all your size and strong jaws you cannot do what I can do.” “What is that?” sneeringly asked the Driver-ant. “You cannot cut a piece of skin off the back of that man’s hand, and drop it down here,” replied the Small-a
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III How the Animals imitated the Gazelle and brought Trouble upon Themselves
III How the Animals imitated the Gazelle and brought Trouble upon Themselves
Once upon a time a Leopard gave birth to seven cubs, and she asked the Jackal to act as nurse for her while she was away hunting. Shortly after the departure of the Leopard the Gazelle arrived, and said to the Jackal: “Let us eat one of the cubs and then you will have six left.” “What shall I do when the Leopard returns?” asked the Jackal. “Oh! I will help you,” quickly promised the Gazelle. Thereupon the Jackal gave up a cub, and then another, and another, until at last all the cubs were eaten.
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IV Why the Fowls never shut their Doors
IV Why the Fowls never shut their Doors
There lived once a chief who owned a large number of Fowls. On arising early one morning he found that the door of their house had been left open all night. He thereupon woke up the Head Cock and asked why he had not shut the door. The Cock replied: “We did not go to sleep very early last night, as we quarrelled over who should shut the door. I told one to do it, and he told another, and at last we became so angry with each other that no one would shut the door, so we went to sleep leaving it op
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V Why the Dog and the Palm-rat hate each other
V Why the Dog and the Palm-rat hate each other
One day the Dog, the Palm-rat, the Hawk, and the Eagle arranged to take a journey together, but before starting they agreed not to thwart each other in any matter. They had not gone very far when the Eagle saw a bunch of unripe palm-nuts, and said: “When these palm-nuts are ripe, and I have eaten them, then we will proceed on our way.” They waited many days until the palm-nuts ripened and were eaten by the Eagle, then they started again, and by and by the Hawk espied the bush (a great space cove
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VI The Leopard boils his Mother’s Teeth
VI The Leopard boils his Mother’s Teeth
One day the Gazelle bought some maize at the market, and while he was boiling them at home, the Leopard paid him a visit, and asked him: “Friend Gazelle, what are you boiling in the saucepan?” The Gazelle replied: “I am boiling my mother’s teeth.” “Indeed!” exclaimed the Leopard, “let me taste them.” So the Gazelle gave him some of the cooked maize, and the Leopard ate them, and thought them so good that he went home and pulled out all his mother’s teeth, and put them to boil in a saucepan. The
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VII How the Ants saved the Partridge’s Eggs
VII How the Ants saved the Partridge’s Eggs
Once upon a time a Partridge having laid her eggs, was driven from them by a Python, who took possession of them by coiling herself round and round the eggs. The Partridge, seeing she had been deprived of her eggs, began to call for help. A Buffalo, hearing her, came and asked what was the matter. The Partridge said: “The Python has rolled herself round my eggs, and I want a wise body to save them for me.” “Don’t worry,” said the Buffalo, “I will go and stamp on her.” “Not you,” cried the Partri
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VIII The Leopard sticks to the Nkondi (Wooden Image)
VIII The Leopard sticks to the Nkondi (Wooden Image)
In the long ago both the Leopard and the Gazelle made new maize farms. When the ground was ready for planting, the Gazelle put some maize in a saucepan to boil, and hid the rest of his maize in another place. While the pot was on the fire the Leopard arrived, and asked: “Friend Gazelle, what are you boiling?” “Some maize,” said the Gazelle, “and when it is cooked I am going to plant maize in my farm.” The Leopard exclaimed, “Indeed! do you plant boiled maize?” “Yes,” answered the Gazelle. “I boi
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IX How the Mouse won his Wife
IX How the Mouse won his Wife
On one occasion a daughter was born to a lonely pair, and the father said: “Any one who wants to marry my daughter must first cut down the mahogany tree standing in my garden.” Years passed, and when the father was dying he sent and told his wife that only he who felled the mahogany tree could marry his daughter. By and by an Elephant arrived, and, sitting down in the town, asked the girl for a drink of water. She poured some water into a calabash and gave it to him, and he then asked her: “Are
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X The Gazelle outwits the Leopard
X The Gazelle outwits the Leopard
Once upon a time a Leopard and a Gazelle lived together with their wives and families in the same town. One day the Leopard said: “Friend Gazelle, let us go and buy some drums in the Zombo country.” “All right,” replied the Gazelle; “but “but where is the money?” “I have the money by me,” answered the Leopard. They started, and when they had walked a little way the Leopard growled out: “Wait here. I must return to the town, as I have forgotten something.” The Leopard returned to the town and wen
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XI The Gazelle punishes the Palm-rat for breaking his promise
XI The Gazelle punishes the Palm-rat for breaking his promise
One day a Gazelle, being very hungry, went in search of food, and saw a fine bunch of palm-nuts hanging from a palm-tree; but having only hoofs he could not climb the tree. He therefore went in search of his friend the Palm-rat, and said to him: “I know where there is a fine bunch of palm-nuts, and if you will promise to give me some I will show you where it is.” The Palm-rat readily promised to share the nuts. So together they went to the forest, and the Gazelle pointed out the nuts to his frie
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XII How the Crow cheated the Dove and got into Difficulty through it
XII How the Crow cheated the Dove and got into Difficulty through it
A long time ago the Crow and the Dove arranged to go hunting together. They took with them their guns, charms, dogs, and chief huntsman. The dogs entered the bush and started an animal which the Dove fired at and killed. Then up ran the Crow shouting: “It is mine, it is mine.” “No,” said the Dove; “I killed it.” “It is mine,” asserted the Crow, and although they tried to argue with him, he would not listen, but only shouted more loudly: “It is mine.” At last the Dove gave way, and thus it was ev
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XXIX The Leopard tries to steal the Gazelle’s Wife
XXIX The Leopard tries to steal the Gazelle’s Wife
The Leopard had many wives, but his friend the Gazelle had only one, and the Leopard desired to procure that one, and very often said to himself: “I must kill the Gazelle and take his wife for myself.” So he sent a messenger to call the Gazelle, but he was too wise to go, and sent an excuse, saying: “You tell the Leopard that I am going to market, and cannot visit him now.” In a very short time another messenger arrived and said: “Go to the Leopard, for he is dead.” “Oh! oh! that is very strange
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XXX The Gazelle kills the Flies and Mosquitoes, and outwits the Leopard
XXX The Gazelle kills the Flies and Mosquitoes, and outwits the Leopard
The Leopard, once upon a time, went cutting the palm-tree for wine, and started a palm-wine booth in a place infested with mosquitoes and biting flies of various kinds; and he made a law that any one who brushed the flies and mosquitoes off their bodies while in his booth should at once be killed. The Antelope called at the booth one day and asked for a drink of palm-wine; but no sooner had he begun to drink it than the mosquitoes and flies so swarmed round him and irritated him with their bites
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XXXI The Leopard is Badly Tricked by the Gazelle, Rat and Frog
XXXI The Leopard is Badly Tricked by the Gazelle, Rat and Frog
The Leopard owned a fine plum-tree, [76] and the Gazelle, while out walking one day, discovered it, and, noticing the fruit was ripe, he threw up a rope which caught on one of the main branches, and was soon among the plums. He put some in a bag, and as he turned to descend he saw a Squirrel and her nest on one of the forks of the tree. The Squirrel observed the Gazelle, and as she was the Leopard’s watchman she told the Leopard all about the theft. As the Gazelle was returning home he saw a Pal
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