the gold in one hand while he sends the slaves over the side with the other. While the trade was brisk they had no occasion to quarrel. As the profits become more precarious each will try to cut the other's throat.

Now there are not many barracoons north of the equator, and the chief trade centres about the mouth of the Congo. The lawful trade has taken the place of the slave traffic to the northward; and if the French government will only abolish the system of "apprenticeship," lawful trade will soon make its way to the

south.

When the schooner sailed I visited the king, and was announced to his majesty by the great mafouga. On my way to the king's house I passed three little houses, in which I was then told were deposited five idols, who, I knew, were considered the most powerful on all the coast from Banoko to Mayombai. They are thought to be the great protectors of all the Oroungou tribes, and are themselves placed near the king's house, who delights to do them honor, and whom they protect from all evil.

The five idols are deposited in three houses. Pangeo, a male idol, is married to Aleka, and the two stand together in one house. Pangeo is the special protector of the king and his people, and watches over them by night, keeping off every evil.

Makambi, a second male idol, is married to Abiala, and they have a second house to themselves. Poor Makambi is a powerless god, his wife having usurped the power. She holds a pistol in her hand, with which it is supposed she can kill any one she pleases: for which reason the natives fear her greatly. She protects them from various evils; and when they are sick they implore her to make them well, and bring her presents of food to propitiate her.

Last comes a bachelor-god, Numba, who is the Oroungou Neptune and Mercury in one, keeping off the evils which are to come from beyond sea and ruling the wave. He has the third house all to himself.

These idols are all large, and very rudely carved and ornamented. The people seem to place great value upon them. I offered $20 for one, but was told I could not buy it for 100 slaves even, which is as much as to say that it was not to be bought.

181

START FOR THE INTERIOR.

CHAPTER XII.

Set out for the Interior.-Prairies.-Odd Mistake.-Hippopotami.-Ngola.-Negro Theology.-Hunts.-Torture of a Woman.-Rum.-The Shekiani.-Appearance, Manners, and Customs.-Polygamy.—Marriage.—Superstitions.—Bos brachicheros.-Camp in the Woods.-African Humor.-Solid Comfort.-Hunting with a Leopard.-Great Jollification.-Superstition about the Leopard.-Elephantshooting. Meeting a Boa.-Stalking the wild Bull.-Return to Sangatanga.-I am accused of Sorcery.-Idols.-Bango's Treasures.-Burial-ground of the Barracoons. Disgusting Sights.-Status of Slaves in Africa.-Oroungou Cemetery. -An African Watering-place.-Fetich Point.

WHEN I asked the king for permission to go into the interior on a hunt, he immediately gave me twenty-five men along, to carry my luggage and help me in hunting. Of these three were his majesty's own slaves, and reputed the greatest hunters in the country. They were the providers of the royal table, and passed their lives in the hunt and in the bush. They killed elephants on his account, bringing him home the ivory.

I desired to penetrate into the hitherto unexplored interior of this latitude till we should meet the Nazareth River, which I was told we should do at the distance of about one hundred miles to the east. For their services I agreed to give the men twenty fathoms of cotton cloth each, if they behaved themselves faithfully toward me. They seemed very willing to go, and satisfied with the bargain.

In two days I was fully prepared for a start. As we were to meet elephants, leopards, buffaloes, and the gorilla, I provided myself with a good supply of bullets. I was told that game was very plentiful in all the region I was now to visit, people being scarce, and the country more favorable than in those regions north of the Gaboon which I had just explored; and this report I found

correct.

The night before we were to start I slept in a dirty room at the king's house, at his majesty's request, who apparently thought he was doing me a great grace. Finally, on the morning of the 23d, we got under weigh. I had slept scarcely at all during the night

A SINGULAR MISTAKE.

185 on account of the assaults and gambols of a prodigious number of rats, who seemed anxious to dispute possession with me of my room, so that I astonished my men by getting them up at an unusually early hour. At half-past five we were already on the march, myself ahead, with Aboko, my head man, and Niamkala, the next best, at my side, and four other hunters, and twentythree young men, as bearers and assistants, following us.

The way led through some beautiful prairies, each surrounded by dark forests, and seeming like natural gardens planted in the wilderness. It does not need much time to get into the "backwoods" here. By three o'clock Aboko announced to me that we were now where any moment we might come upon elephants or buffalo; and in a short time, sure enough, we saw a bull standing deer-like upon the edge of the wood, watching us. He stood for some minutes, safe out of range, and then turned into the wood, evidently not liking our appearance. We ran around to intercept its track, and I waited at one pass in the wood for Aboko and two others to get clear around and drive the bull toward me. Suddenly I saw something approaching me out of the deep gloom of the forest, but, looking closely, took it to be one of my men. It came toward me, and I walked unsuspiciously forward to a clear space. Here the thing caught sight of me, and, with a shrill scream, ran back into the woods. Then first I knew that in the dark (for in these forests daylight is almost shut out) I had mistaken a chimpanzee for a man. I was vexed; for the beast was but about thirty yards off when it ran, and I could have shot it easily. Presently my men returned, and had a hearty laugh at me for my mistake, which they did not take unkindly, seeing no resemblance, but imputing the mistake to my ignorance, and in part, I afterward found, to lack of courage on my part. Of their mistake in this last regard I fortunately had a chance to convince them afterward.

Starting on again, we shortly killed a deer, which was taken along for supper. And now we seemed to be really in a game country. For the first time I enjoyed my prospects; for though we saw only single beasts—now a chimpanzee rushing into the woods at a great distance ahead, then a ngivo (a singular animal, of the size of a donkey, with shorter legs, no horns, and black, with a yellow spot on the back), and again a deer or two, flying quickly out of range-yet we saw also abundance of tracks, par

186

A CAMP IN THE PRAIRIE.

ticularly of the elephant; and, on the whole, I could see that we should have some famous hunts. But I felt that I should have brought my rifle, at least for this country, for the grass was so short that on the prairies it was impossible to approach an animal within the range of my double-barrel guns, which were better calculated for close quarters.

At six we camped in the midst of a prairie, my men collecting from the nearest forest an immense quantity of firewood, and building fires which must have been visible at a great distance. Our supper was of roast vension and plantains-good enough for such hungry fellows as we; and shortly after seven we all turned in; that is to say, we stretched ourselves with our feet to the fires, and wrapped up, I in my blankets, and the men in whatever they could get together of leaves and grass. No wonder the poor fellows love a fire. They are very lightly dressed, and the winds here, near the equator as it is, in the dry season are very bleak and cold when the sun is not up to warm them. I could not rest well for cold, though I had a thick blanket about me.

We had traveled about twenty-five miles-ten toward E.N.E. -through a really beautiful country, rolling and hilly, mostly prairie, as I have said, with a light sandy soil, and with forests looking rather like beautiful green islands in the midst of the clear spaces. The woods are the safe retreats of great herds of the wild buffalo (Bos brachicheros), of deer, and antelopes, who come into the great grass-fields by night to play and feed.

Withal the country was much.broken up, and the highest hills broke off in abrupt precipices, on which one would come suddenly, and look down sometimes a hundred feet and even more into little vales which led to other hills, and in whose quiet gloom we could sometimes distinguish animals walking or lying down. One gorge we had to cross on a huge tree; but this was a stream which flowed down toward the sea. We crossed three or four little streams, all clear and beautiful; but, unless the deeper dales have more water (as I imagine they have), the country is not well watered.

The night was clear and almost frosty, and I could not sleep, though I had placed my boxes to windward for shelter. So about two o'clock I roused every body up to move on, thinking it easier to keep warm in motion than while lying still. The men were very glad. Poor fellows! they had suffered more than I.

clear

Happily it was bright moonlight, and we could see our way ly across the prairie. A couple of hours' sharp walking brought us to a thick wood so situated as to shelter us from the wind. Here we quickly built a tremendous fire, and again stretched out for a short nap, which lasted till six, or sunrise, when the cry of the gray partridge (Francolinus squamatus) aroused us.

Sunrise found us under weigh again; and before us a fine stretch of prairie, on whose farther borders were quietly grazing several herds of buffalo, which quickly ran into the woods. While they remained they gave the wild a singularly civilized appearance. It looked like a great grazing farm in June, with cattle, and hay almost ready for harvest; a fine, quiet, old-country picture here in the wilds of Africa.

Toward nine o'clock we came to a large pool or lakelet, and here I saw for the first time a hippopotamus. A dozen of the vast unwieldly creatures were sporting and snorting in the water, now popping their huge unshapely heads out and then diving to the bottom. Aboko persuaded me not to kill any of them, as he justly remarked we could not have got them out of the water; and the proper way is to take them when they come on shore at night to feed.

Shortly after we came to an open space, and saw in the distance what I took at first to be a herd of buffalo, but which proved to be a caravan approaching us. When they saw us they prepared for trouble-for here there is no law, and every man's hand is against his brother. The greater number hid in the grass; and, after some reconnoitring, four fellows, well armed, came toward us to ask if it was peace or war. When they saw me they were at once filled with surprise, and, losing their fears in their amazement at seeing a white man far in the interior, began to shout out to their company to come and see the Otangani.

I was immediately surrounded by a curious crowd, most of whom had never seen a white man before, though it was evident they had had dealings with their black agents. They were bound south and east with tobacco, salt, and goods, and intended to bring back slaves and ivory. Of course, they were Shekianis, who are the prevailing people in the interior hereabouts.

We left them in the midst of their wonder, being anxious to get on to a village which we reached about the middle of the afternoon. This village, Ngola by name, was the residence of a