The New York herald., 1877-11-14

pOrtant tributaries. BESIDES, IL spread over
such an enormously wide bed, with some
times dozen channels, that though / fre-
quently passed what appeared to me to be
new rivers. preferred to construct my
chart free from hypothetical streams. An
almost certain guide to me as / journeyed
down river along one of the many broad
channels in distinguishing the main from
the islands was that the former was in
habited, the islands below the Aruwimi
very rarely.
UNwELcoME WHITE STRANGERS.
When forced by famine to risk an encoun-
ter with the ferocious savages made for the
right bank, and opportunities were then
given me to explore. But the interests OF
humanity and the interests of geography
were ever at variance in this region. The
natives had never heard of white men, they
had never seen strangers boldly penetrating
their region, neither could they possibly
understand what advantage white men or
black men could gain by attempting to be-
gin an acquaintance. 1t is the custom for
no tribe to penetrate below or above the dis
trict of any other tribe. Trade has hitherto
been conducted from hand to hand, tribe to
tribe, country to country; and, as the bal
ance of power is pretty fairly maintained,
only three tribes have as yet been able to
overcome opposition. These are the Wa
runga, Wa-Mangala and the Wyzanzi.
THE IKELEMBA.
After our battle with Mangala we showed
preference for the left bank and soon after
discovered the greatest afiuent of the
Congo, the Ikelemba, which take to be the
Kas-sye, the last syllable pronounced like
s'eye, '.bye," &c. 1t is nearly as important
rs the main river ITSELF The peculiar color
of its water, which is like that of tea, does
not commingle with the silvery water of the
Congo until after distance of 130 miles
below the confluence of the two great
which gives it's light brown color to the
Lower Congo
A little after passing longitude IS deg.
east we come to the river called by Euro
peans, on their vague charts of the Congo
region, the ''Kwango," a deep stream, about
five hundred yards wide entering the Congo
through lines Of hills which, receding from
the neighborhood, assume the altitude Of
mountains. This Kwango is known to the
natives as Ibari Nkutu, or the River of
Nkutu. A little west of longitude II deg
east the great river, which spreads itself out
into enormous breadths, slowly contracts,
becomes interrupted by lines Of rocky relics
of hill points, rocky islands or bars Of lava
rock, and thunders down steep after steep
along distance Of nearly one hundred and
eighty miles to the majestic and calm Lower
Congo.
THE REGION OF cATARAcTs
In these $50 miles it has fall of 5S5 feet,
according to boiling point. The cataracts
and rapids along this entire distance may
be passed overland by months easy
march along either the south side or the
north side. We encountered no difficulty
with the peoples of this region. Once the
.cataracts are passed the explorer may push
his way to Koruru or Monbuttu, sincerely
believe, or to the southern ridge Of the
Great Basin; and if he can find cause to
quarrel with the lower tribes he must be
charged with having sought it. If we take
into consideration the fact that each days
march introduces one to fresh chiefs and
clans, and that cordial reception will be
given to him by ALL we are compelled to
respect these very various people still more
for their amiability and gentle manners
with strangers.
HOW TO SETTLE WITH THE BAsUNDIs.
The Basundis, perhaps. may give trouble
to the traveller, but, being well supplied
with cloth and rum and using tact and
great patience, the traveller just starting
from the West Coast has better chance OF
.ingratiating himself with them than /, who
had exhausted my cloth and beads and all
means to win particular favor. What we
possessed were simply few cloths and
beads to purchase food from the natives on
the south side. As travellers bound for the
Great Basin must in future start from the
West Coast, and may very probably take the
Congo route-as they ought to do, for we