Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-07-20
0Nortester 7ailp Spp.
Correspondence of the New York Tribune
INTERESTING EXPLORATIONS AND DIS
C0VERIES IN AFRICA.


gosh were at their base. After inquiries l as
certalned that Samba was rapid which coulC
De assembled by canoes, and NagoShi a tremen
dous fall, which, no doubt, stops the nayiga
ton Of the river. In their superstitious fear:
they told me that an Ocoucou, or spirit dwell.
IN the Nkoumou-Naboualee mountains, which
partly on account of these fears and partly or
account of their hight they have never cross
ed. No doubt the river crosses the rance NJ
these mountains, which produce the fall Sc
l could not directly cross these mountains
which were in northwestern direction. in or
der to see the falls. From the Ashira country
l Travelled hundred miles through the thick
est part OF the forest, until | reached the Rem
bo-Apingi river. The rivers here in the inte
rior of Africa take the name of the tribes
which border upon them so, after ascending
the river Rembo-Apingi 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
Eviya, then the Osounga, then the Ayili from
the Avili you reach the Bakalai tribes from
the Bakalai you reach the Anenga tribe
Above the Anenga tribe the river is called
Rembo- Ngouyai. | was obliged to leave these
different tribes, as | would have been prevent
ed from going up the river by the Ogobai peo-
pie. SO the Rembo-Anenga river, after having
been formed by the Rembo-0 kanda and Rem.
bo-Ngouyai rivers, divides itself into two
branches, the Nazareth and 0gobai rivers the
latter one forming the Mexias and part Of the
Fernand- Vaz-the lagoons and creeks being
formed by these two rivers. | was quite aston
lshed at seeing the Rembo-Apingi such deep
and broad stream; | should think the river
was four or five hundred yards wide at least !:
1t was three to four fathoms deep.
When left the Ashira country took with
me three sons of King Olenda, who is The old
est and most venerated of all the Ashira chiefs
Let me give you some account of my Jour
ney from the Ashira to the Apingi country.
AS wrote you, we Travelled all the way in an
easterly direction, as we had hardly left the
Ashira prairies when we were Obliged at the
risk of our lives, to cross deep and rapid riy
er called Ovigni. AS the AShira people have
no canoes, we had to cross the river on sus
pended sticks, almost as a monkey would do
In gong from one tree to another. In the af-
ternoon we began to enter very mountainous
. region, and to ascend very high mountain
Ocoucau, and toward evening we encamped
near beautiful stream. The second day we
Travelled through very billy country and met
the Ovendji River which is here foaminp
torrent Along our route we could hear and
see this river two hundred yards below us.
The Ovigni and Ovendjo rives unite accord
ing to what the natives have told me, before
falling into Rembo Kamba River The third
day we Travelled all day through pouring
rain; we crossed few small meadows, in one
OF which were scattered a few Bakalai villages
The soil of these meadows was rather sandy.
On the fourth day we travelled through very
woody but not very billy country, and finally
reached the Rembo-Apingi, after travelling a
hundred miles. The last day, we had hardly
anything to eat. l cannot express to you the
establishment of these people, when l reached
their plantations on the right side Of the river
. We crossed it on small canoes, and padded
toward the village of King pe,aomeiJl, wlro 80
the oldest and most infental Apingi king, and
to whom | was recommended by his friend,
King Olenda. They called me by all sorts of
names, and almost looked upon me as a god
AS soon as the news reached the Apingi towns
that a white man had come among them, all
the chiefs gathered together in order to ask of
me to give them presents. l refused to give
anything. ! had given handsome present to
King Remandji before. Another time, these
poor ignorant people came aud said kindly to
me that ] was a white man, and they thought
it was not right for me not to give them beads,
guns, powder, brass rods, and many other
things as | could make these things without
much trouble. 1t was with great difficulty that
/ could make them understand that could not
make goods and that had taken but few
with me to buy food for my people and my
self In fact, they said that was making all
sorts of goods in the night, and hiding them
in the forest before daylight. The Ashira and
Apingi people are quite unlike in appearance,
the former being very black and the latter be-
ing rather red. The contrast is very great in
these two tribes and shows plainly that they
belong to two distinct families Of the negro
race. ITheir language is also different Like
the Ashiras, the Apingi people make their
own cloth-rather surprising them in the
beauty of their patterns, and the softness OF
their Ndengui. They are also very fond Of
beads, and copper and brass ornaments. They
file their teeth, and the women are almost dis
figured by their tattooing. Guns are getting
very scarce, and powder scarcer yet; plates,
Jugs, glasses and iron pots are almost m
known; but brass kettles and Neptunes, a
kind of large copper dish, are commonly seen.
saw but one man wearing cloth. The Apin-
gi were most astonished when they saw me
eating their country food, and at first said that
was not a white man; they had heard that
white men ate people Superstition is very
prevalent; the Apngi country is called by
the surrounding country the land of witches.
The killing and selling of their fellow coun-
trymen is common thing. There is consid-
cradle trade between the Apingi and the down.
river people, and with the Ashira tribe. The
Apingi people give ivory, slaves and country
cloth the Ashras give them in return the
white mans goods and tobacco The towns
of the Apingi people are generally small, and
so are their houses, which are built of the bark
of trees-the roof being made of a kind of
large leaves. Unlike the other tribes of the
interior had seen before, they are not noma-
die. The death of chief is not sufficient
cause for abandoning their towns. Many OF
them remain many years at the same place.
They plant about their houses a tree the fruit
of which is called ashafoe, and of which they
are very fond.
While was there, man died in a neigh
boring town, and, according to the Apingi Gus
tom, the corpse cannot be buried before eight
or ten days, when it is in perfect state OF
putrcfaction. Then one man carries the body
to the bush, where it is laid down on the sur
face of the ground, and around it is placed
some of the dead mans property.
The Apingi people are very fond OF palm
wine, and as the palm tree is very abundant III
their forests, they can get any quantity OF 1t
They often get drunk on it; almost every
day you see people drunk. During my stay
among the Apingi people found them KIND
hearted toward me, and | have nothing t
complain Of When went up the river to SCI
their villages was everywhere well received
have regretted very much being unable t.
explore the upper part of the river, which
must extend very much further into the inter
ior The Aponon the Isogo, and the Asian
te tribes live on its banks. But the Apingi ca
noes being very small, | could not use then
with safety in ascending the river, and shou
have been obliged to leave part of my peopl
behind me. was also too poor TO have a di
canoe built. SO / concluded travel in an east
ern direction, and to collect what i could in oil
iects of natural history. went as far rs til
confines of the Isogo tribe, when / perceive