New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-13
INTERESTING EXPLORATIONS And DIS
c0YERIES IN AFRICA.
,o.sfrbe NY. Tribune.


b, the lsgoons or creeks which communists from
the Nazareth River TO the Fernand-Va IN orde'
TO ascertain if these two rivers we're connec'o'
a the natives had told me. found the mou'" u
the Nazareth River Low and oVerfi1"ed' ineie
xYe,e M villages except those sit1ited near 'Oe
.o.-.bo,s sopositetbe islands During the whole
of INV ;ourpey through this lsbyrntb OF creeks ana
,,ooon. did not find a single village; the banks
hsino very low and all overlooked, the spectacle
was one Of utter desolatIOn. found no maogrove
trees the banks being almost everywhere oordered
with pain trees In some places, in the midst oil
the,e lagoons, we could hear the breakers of the
,ea: IN other places we were too far from the
shore 70 hear them. found branch OF the Oso-
bal River flowing into these creeks, and another
one from the sane river. when Is no other than
the NeIas River. The Og0baI a0d the Nazareth
Rivers are formed in the interior by the RIVER
Rembo. Anengs, the last one being formed by the
RembO NgOuyai and the Rembo-Ok1nda RIVERS.
Finally, / went through bia0ch oil the Np0ulOI-
mai River, which ia a branch OF the Ogobal idll1g
into the Fernand-Vaz River. SO the river OF this
portion of the interior three main branches
the Nazareth the Mexias and the OgobaI Rivers,
the lsst one being one Of the feeders OF the Fer
pand-Vaz River. AS soon as l had ascertained
these facts came 10 the conclusion that the lnte
much larger than it was supposed, and resolved
70 explore them immediately. l was two days
and Two nights crossing the creeks between the
Nazareth and the Fernsnd. Vsz. Unfortunately the
natives along the Ogobai made a compact long ago
with the Cape Lopez people never To let any white
man go up the rivers and, knowing that several OF
nv personal friends had failed in that undertaking.
resolved to ascend the Fernand-Vaz River to the
Town of GOumbee, whose chief is the most lDtlu
entail mau Of the Gamma country, aud who is a
friend of mine, and who has the command OF the
rive-, s.a - a., am n mn; Gar people to guide me
into re interior; then to proceed lnia.., -n'A
I should meet the great rlyer. GOumOee VII
LACE is 80 miles up the Fernand'Vaz River;
its chief, King QueDgueza. belongs 10 the AoOuya
family OF the Comm or Gamma tribe, ana
ia the Oldest king Of the river. Through his
influence and with bis people he helped ne to pur
sue MY Journey. From GOumbee | assembled the
RembO- OveDgs 20 miles until / reached the OiOu
bou River, which falls into the RemooOvenga,
ascebd.d the 0oubou about 10 miles, then left the
river for an inland journey through the Bikalai
tribe, the bushmen OF Western Equatorial Africa.
/ reached the pIalTes of the INTERIOR where the
Asbra tribe IL situated, after journey of 2lO miles
4 his new sight was most magnificent. l could see
in the vast landscape spread before me, pralres,
hills, dsles mountains, forests, streams and beau
titul lakes In a north invest direction are the
mountains known to this people by the name OF
Il
lance their blue outlines and the fantastic forms of
their peaks of which were lost IN the clouds.
Opposite 10 the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i could see
the beautiful Andele and OoubOu Orefe Noun
tains, whose dark green foliage was quite in Goa
trast with the yellow grass of the prarles gently
slopiDg 10 the feet Of these mountains. The River
OiOubOu takes its source in the Oioubou Mountains,
from which it takes its name There, it Is beautl-
full clear rivulet. From the mountains the sight is
of the most beautiful have ever seen IN Africa
The prairies may be fifty miles in length and from
ten TO fifteen miles in width, and amoog them are
from $50 200 villsees. In the lakes are tishes
called by the natives Nozi and R0ua. Many are
caught, especially in the dry season. All the tribes
I had seen before during my travels In Africa were
dependent on white men for their clothing, or II
not were almost in state of nudity, wearing SKINS
or a kind of bark But the Ashlra people are quite
different. They are generous, hospltable, aud IN
some measure devoted to agriculture. Food Is
plentiful, and while s0journed among them re-
ceiyed, by way Of presents, many goats, lows ana
punches of plantalns. OF course, two or three
days aiterward most of them expect something IN
return from you, the white mea being to them the
RECONCILIATION of wealth The Ashira people
cultivate plantan, mAnOc, sweet potato ground
nuts, two kinds of gnOmes, sugar-cane aud, to
some extent, cotton for their own use in making
bags. They cultivate tobacco in large quantity,
and carry on large trade with the other tribes of
the interior in this last article They make their
own cloth, called Ndengui. 1t is made with the
leaves Of kind of palm tree which have never
seen before. Some of their Ndengui are very soft,
and are made of different patterns. They have
beautiful black dye, with which they sometimes
dye their cloth. They make also very beautiful
caps. They work to some extent in iron.
The Ashra people are the most interesting people
l have vet seen in Africa. | have never seen vii.
lagos kept in so good order. The walls of their
houses are made With the bark of trees, and their
roofs are covered with leaves, generally of the
palm. The Ashira people are also the blacklist
people have seen in Western Eqaatorisl Africa;
they not very tall, but generally well pro-
pOrtioned. The women are the hsndsomest among
the black tribes have visited Most of them have
given up the custom of filing their teeth sharp, and
only sharpen them little IN the middle. IL was
with great trouble that l could persuade this
people that could not accept any of their siserA
daughters or wives; that il not the fashiOa OF
the white man. Unlike many other tribes they do
not marry their daughters aud do not put them ato
the hands of their husbands until they have at
tanned the age of wOmanhood. Unmarried girls
are not allowed to wear any thing; so girl or 8
woman that bss never been married is easy to be
recognized. young man can make his PROPOSE
ton 10 the parents, who then let him know tie
amount of goods or slaves must to give before
possessing the bride. The girl has nothing to do
in the choice of her husband; she is bought, aad
considered almost as slave when married. She
has to provide food for her husband, who in return
10 obliged TO present to her from time To time brass
rods which she wears either round her neck, or in
the form of bracelets and ankets and beads.
When he is a rich man, he hss sometimes to give
her or two iaIhoms of cloth. The women are
very fond of brass ornaments. Rich men wear
two large rings on each of their ankles. lntOxi-
eating drinks are also much liked by the
Ashirs people. They make two kinds; one