New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-13
GABOoN RIVER, March 3, 1859.

make a little proht.
GABOoN RIVER, March 3, 1859.
In my last letter | mentioned the Nkoumou-
Nabouaee mountains, the outlines Of which could
Just see from the Ashra country. When inqur'
ed among the Asbira people what kind OF a country
there was beyond these mountains, they answered
me that Samba and NagOshi were az their base.
After inquiries ascertaired that Ssmba was q
rapid which could be ascended by canoes, and Ma
-oshi tremendous fall which, no doubt, stops the
noviostion OF the river. In their supersttiOus fears
they told NE that an Ocouc0n, or spirit, d"eus III
The Nkoumou-Nabouslee mountains. which, partly
an account of these fears and PsrtV On account Of
their hight, they have never crossed. No doubt
the river crosses the range OF these mountains,
which produce the fail So | could not directly
cross these mountains, which were 10 a north vest
erD direction In order to see the falls. From the
Asbira country Travelled 4 hundTed miles through
the thickest part of the forest until reached the
Reubo-Apngi River The rivers here IN the Interior
OF Africa take the pane of the tribes which border
upon tbem sO after ascending the River RemD0.
Apngi until you find the Aponon tribe, 1t Is called
Rembo-Aponon River. And so as you descend the
river YOU leave the Apngl and reach the Kamba
people: then the Evya, tnen the Osouoga, then the
Ayih; from the Av you reach the Bik1al tribes;
from the Bakaai You reach the Auenga tribe.
Above the ApeDga tribe The river IS called kemb0-
Ngouyai. / was obliged to leave these different
tribes, as would have been prevented from gong
up tie river BY the Ogobai.peOple. So the RembO-
Anenga River after having been formed by the
Rembo. Okanda and Rembo.Ngouyai Rivers divides
itself into two branches, the Nazareth and Ogobai
Rivers the latter one forming the Mexl4s and part
of the FeruaDd- VSZ-the agoons and creeks being
formed by these two rivers. Twas quite astonished
IaY, Amin non 1.4an MI hrna
stream: | should think the Iyer was four or tive
bnndr, d yards wide at least; it was three to four
fathoms deep.
When left the Asbira country took with me
three sOns of King OleDda, who is the Oldest aud
most venerated OF all the Asblra chiefs.
Let me give you some account OF my
Journey from the Ashlra to the Apingi country. As
wrote you. we travelled all the way in an eastern
direction, as we had hardly left the Ashira prairies
when we were obliged al the risk OF our lives, to
cross a deep and Iapid river called Oyien. AS the
Ashra people have no canoes, we had to cross the
river on suspended sticks, almost as monkey
would do in gong from one tree TO another. In the
afternoon we began TO enter very mountainous
region, and had to ascend very high mountain
called Ocoucau, and toward evening We encamped
near beautiful stream. Tue secOa1 day we tray
eltd through very hlly coultry and met the
Ovendii River, which il here tOamng torrent.
Along our route we could hear and see this river
two or three hundred feet below US. Ihe OuSnl
and OveDdj rivers unite, according to what The IA
tlyes have told NE, before falling in the Remb).
Kamba River. The third day we travelled all day
through pouring rain; we crossed few small
meadows, IN one of which were scattered few
Bakaai villages. The soil of these meadows was
rather sandy. On the fourth day, We Travelled
through very woody but not very hly country, and
finally reached the banks Of the Renb0'Api0gi,
after travelling hundred miles. The lsst day, We
l. 1 IL. .. ~ ..ft
the astOnshment of these people, when reached
their plantations on the ri ,ht side of the river We
crossed II in small canoes, and padded toward the
village of King RemsBdu who Is the oldest and
most iniluenlial Apngi King and To whom | was
recommended by his trend, King Oienda. Iney
called me by all sOIts U names, and almost looked
upon me as god. As sOOl as the news reached
the Apingi towns that a white man had come
among them, sill the chiefs gathered together in
order to ask of me 10 give tnem presents. re-
fused to give anything. l had gwen handsome
present to King Remandjl before. Another time,
these poor ignorant people came and sad kindly To
Inc that l Was white man, and that they thought
il was not hight for me no, 10 give them beads.
guns powder, brass rods, and many other things,
as | could make these things without much
trouble. 1t wss with great difficulty that | could
make them understand that i could not make
goods, aud that 1 hsd taken but few with me
to buy food for my people aud my sell In fact they
said that l was making all sorts of goods IN the
night, and hiding them in the forest before day.
lgst. The Ashra and Apngi people are quite
ankle in appearance, The former being very black,
aud the lstier beng rsther red. The contrast /,
very great between these TIVE tribes, and SHOWS
plainly that they belong 10 two distinct families of
the negro race Their language is also different
Like the AshrsS, tie \ ping people make their own
coih-rather surprising them in the beauly of their
patterns, and the softness of their NdtuguI. They
are also very fond Of beads, and copper and brass
ornaments. They ME their teeth sharp, AID tne
women are almost dshgurtd by their taIOOing.
Guns are getting very scarce, and powder scarcvr
yet; plates, jugs, glasses aud iron pots are almost
unknown; but brass ke ties aud Neptun,s ki1i
Of large copper dish, are commonly seen. | saw
but one man wearing cloth. The Apinsi We're
most nstonishec when they saw me eating their
country food, and st first said that | was No.
white man; they had head that white men ate
people. fear tn II was with but poor success
that | tiled TO persuade them that white men did
not eat people. Superstition is very prevalent;
the Apngi country Is called by the surrounding
tribes the land of witches. The killing and selling
Of their fellow -cOuntryuen is q common thug.
There is considerable trade between the Apinsi
and the down-Tiyer people, aud with the Ashira
trIbe. The APngi people give ivory, slaves and
country cloth; the Asnlras give them In return toe
white mans goods ard tobacco. The towns of the
ApiDgi people are generally small, and so are their
houses which are built of the bark of frees-the
roof being msde Of kind of large leaves. IN
Ike the other tribes Of the iaterior l had seen
before, they are not nomadic. The death of q
chief is not sufficient cause for abandoning their
towns. Many Of them remain many years 3! the