The Shasta courier., 1866-04-14
Africa and its PeopIe--Du Chaillu Re-
lates his Travels.

This distinguished explorer addressed the
Royal Geographical Society recently in
London, when he related some of bis won.
derful stories of Africa. He SAID his object
in visiting that country again was to study
aboriginal nature, man in his customs. su
persttions, language and legends. lie had
little doubt that the Equatorial tribes, from
west to east, came from one parent stock,
and he founded this opinion partly on some
natives words of the east tribes, which he
found quoted in Capt. Burtun's book on
Grants journey. There was long, low
belt of country extending from west to east
always cloudy, although equatorial. and OF
a temperature very high, $50 at | p. M;
and the minimum in July being from 6O to
G4 deg. A striking circumstance was the
decrease of the population, not attributable
to the fire water of the white man, but quite
independent of the influence of the latter.
NJ du Chaillu left London for Africa on
the 5th of August, 1868, and reached Fer
nandez river on the 9th of October following.
Here he unfortunately lost his scientific in
struments, and nearly was lost himself. when
he found himself at the head waters OF the
Okanda river Although he had only five
men and five boys, he felt that among that
friendly and to him well-known tribe he
was quite safe. He was well received by
the King of Ashira, who made love to both
himself and his goods; and he was also beset
with offers of marriage from great many
ladies, whom he found, since his former
Journey, had taken to some small use OF raj
meut as increasing their personal attractions.
In one of his journeys from the neighbor-
hood he encountered some ten gorllas. who
exceedingly frightened the traveller, he
being without gun. His followers, how
ever, came up, and by shouts set the gorillas
to flight He therefore had to retract his
former opinion that the gorilla was not gre
rarious. He had also found that a gorilla
might be captured alive, as his negroes had
actually captured one, with Its young
With these exceptions he had nothing to re
tract about the gorilla that he had stated IN
his former book.
In the waterfalls little above Samba, on
the Fernandez riyer, he had never seen such
a terrible rush of water; IN fact, the natives
imagined that spirit abided in these waters
and caused the turmoil. Meantime, fierce
and deadly plague of small pox had ravaged
the Ashira county. and filled the whole
land with wailing and sorrow. NJ. du
Chaillu sent away his guide and followers,
with much of his property, to save them
Olners Oh tuem SuCcunDcu Tue hHo Oio-n
ba, his friend, also died, and he was ac
cused of killing him. He was then there
alone, and felt extremely miserable. and IN
continued fear. having to perform all the
most menial Offices for himself and his boys,
who were down. The people looked upon
kim as the cause Of the plague, and he de-
parted tor the Otando country. On the
Journey the supplies of food failed, and on
tne taird day they had only three monkeys
Tor eleven men, and they found them very
good. Laughter. The King of Otando
,eii Ill, but recovered. He was good fel
low, and had plenty of common sense. He
sen. slm NJ du Chaillu) plenty of food,
eo9Aed oy MS own % wives. He 1.-THE trayeler)
dld not much like this, not from fear of poi
son. but from what he knew of the cussom
called alombi.r This was the custom
They cut of great mans head, put it in
box with composition of chalk, and as
no head decomposed it mingled with the