The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-15


day, a man called Akenda Mbani ('neyer goes
twice to the same placeD came, and nc sala
to Redjioua, come to marry ArOnqo, your
daughter; 1 come, because Will agree
Akenda Mbani married Arondo. Akenda
Mbanl was great hunter, and, after ne
had married Arondo, he went hunting, ana
killed two wild boars. On mis- return he sald;
I have killed two boars and bring you one,
Redjioua SAID, Go and fetch the other
Akenda Moani said, My father gave me a
ncOni Ga law that must never 60 twice TO the
same place. Another day he went hunting
again, and killed two antelopes; on his return,
he said to Kedjioua, Father, | have killed two
kambi (antelopes); l bring you one' The
king answered, please, my son-inaw, go and
fetch The other He answered, You know 1
cannot go twice to the same place.
Another time he went hunting again, and
killed two 0Ongos "a kind OF antelope). Then
Redloua, who saw that all the other animals
were being lost, said please, my son-in-laW,
show the people the place whore the other
bongo ls.' Akenda Miami replied, IF do SO, l
am afraid shall uie.
''ln the evening of the same day a canoe
from the Orouugou country came with goods,
and remained on the river side. Akenda
Mbani SAID to his wife Atondo, Let us go and
meet the Oroungous.' They saw them, and
then took a box full of goods, aud then went
back TO their own house. The people of the
village traded with the OroungOus, and when
the Uromgous wanted to go oack, tney came
to Akenda Mbanl, and he trusted them ten
and many punches of plantains, mats, and
fowls; then the Oroungous lett. Months went
on; but, one day, Arondo said to her husband,
we have never opened the box that came with
the Oroungous. Let us see what there IS in it,
They opened 1t, and saw cloth; then ArOndo
said, Husband, cut me two tathoms OF it, for
like It, Then they lett the room; then Arondo
seated herself on the bed, and Akenda Mbanl
on a stool, when sGodenly Arondo SAID, 'Hus-
band, / begin to have q headache.' Akenda
Mbani said, All, ah, Arondo, do you want me
to dieY and he looked Arondo steadily in the
tace. He tied bandage around her head, and
did the same to his own. Arondo began to cry
as her headache became woIse; and when the
people of the village heard her cry, they came
all around her. Rediioua came, and said, DO
not cry, my daughters; you will not die Then
Arondo sand, Father, why do you say shall
not ole TOR, ii you lear death, you may be sure
it Will come, She had hardly said these words
than she expired. Then all the people mourned,
and Redjioua SAID, Now my daughter is dead,
Akenda Mbani must die also.'
"The place where people are buried is called
Djimai; the villagers vent there and dug place
tor the two corpses, which were buried to-
| gether. Redjoua had slave buried with
| Aronoo, besides tusk OF an elephant rings,
| mats, plates, and the bed on which Akenda
| Mbani ana Arondo slept; the Cutlass, the hunt
| ing-bag, and the spear of Akenda Mbani we're
| also buried. The people then said Let us
| cover the things with sand, and make a little
mound When Agambouai (the uth-piece,
| the speaker of the village) heard OF this. he
| said 10 Redjioua, There are leopards here.
| Then Redjioua said, DO not have a mound over
| my child's burial-place, for fear that the
leopards might come and scratch the ground,
ana eat the corpse of my child Then the
people said, Let us then dig deeper hole;
and they took away Arondo and Akenda Mbanl,
| and placed both on stools, and then dug and
dug, and put back the things that were to be
burned with Arondo, and then laid her in heI
! place. Then they came 70 Akenda Mbani, who
then awoke and said, Il never go twice to the
same place; you put me in the tomb, and you
| took ME away from it, though all of you knew
| that | never go to the same place again.
When Redjioua heard OF this he became very
angry, and said, You knew that Akenda
| Mbanl never goes twice to the same place;
the people to catch Agamboua, and cut his
| head OFT.
.'MoRAL.-F Formerly it was the custom with
married people that when the woman died the
| man should die also, and Uice UerSG. But since
the time of Akenda Mbani, the custom is altered
! and the husband or the wife no longer die with
| their partners"
From M. Du Chailu's chapter entitled ''Phy-
sical Geography and Climate y we extract a lew
particulars OF much interest and considerable
| novelty
Equatorial Africa from the western coast a.
far as have been, is covered with an almos
| impenetrabe jungle. This jungle begins where
the sea ceases to beat its continual waves, anC
how much further this woody belt eXtends, fur
ther explorations alone will be able to show
From my iurthest point II extended eastward a
far as my eyes could reach; may, however, say
that, near the banks OF a large river runnlnl
IRON a northeast direction towards the south
west, prairie lands were to be seen, according
to the accounts the Ashangos had received,
''Thls gigantic forest extends north anC
south Of the Equator, varying in breadth
Iom two TO three degrees on each side OF il
south Of the equator, II extended much furthe
southerlY than | nave been, and on the north j
reached further than travelled in my former
journey Now and then pralries looking hk(
islands, resembling so many gems, are found il
the mast OF this dark sea of everlasting foliage
and how grateful my eyes met them no one cal
conceive, unless he has lived in such solitude
Now and then pralI'ies are seen from the sea
shore; but they do not extend far inland, anC
are merely sandy patches LETT by the sea in the
! progress of time.
''ln this great woody wilderness man is scat
tered and divided into a great number o
! tribes. The forest, thinly inhabited by man,
was still more scantily inhabited by beasts
| There were no beasts OF bnroen-Lelther horse,
camel donkey, nor cattle Men and women
were the only carriers OF burden. Beasts OF
burden could not live, for the country was not
well adapted for them. The only truly domes-
| ticated ANIMALS were goats and tows-the goats
| increasing in number as advanced into the IN
| terror, and the fowls decreasing.
81 was struck by the absence Of those
| species Of animals always found in great
| number in almost every other part
of Africa. Neither HoLs, rhinoceroses,
zebras, eiraf1es, nor ostriches were found,
| and the great variety of Glands and
| gaZelles (although found almost everywhere
| else in Africa we're not to be seen there.
| Travellers in my locality would never dream
| that such vast herds OF game could be found on
| the same continent as those described by diff
| ferent travellers. Hence large carniVorous
| animals are scarce; leOpards and two or three
! species OF fhyenas and jackals, only being found.
| Little nocturnal animals are more common, but
they are very difficult to get at Reptiles
| abound in the forest There are great many
species OF snakes, the greater part of which are