River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-02-05
ADVENTURES IN AFRICA.
Festive MOnarellS of the Dark Continent.
London TelecraDh

London Telegraph.
Count de Semelle, who has Just re-
turned to Europe from long and
eventful journey IN the interior of Afri-
ca, underwent, according to his own ar
count, some uncomm0nly disagreeable
experiences during his soiourn on the
banks of the Niger. Among other
startling episodes narrated in his ae-
count of his wanderings is that of his
entertainment by the il onarch of the
Midgi country, against whom ne had
been warned by that soverelgn's neigh
bors. BY no means expectant OF cor
dial welcome, but resolved to visit Mad
GLAND at any risk, the count crossed
the frontiers Of that state, and demand
ed an audience Of its king. This re-
quest was granted and he was ushered
into the presence of his majesty, who,
before returning his courteous saluta-
tions, or, indeed, taking any notice OF
him, caused one hundred fullgrown
men, collected at court for that pur-
pose, to be decapitated, and then con-
descended to investigate their remains
with his own royal hands and eyes, in
order to discover whether or not, on
the Whole, the omeas deducible from
them were suspicious to his reception
of the intrusive stranger. Fortunately
for De Semele. most of the bodily evi-
dence thus collected proved favorable
to him; whereupon the careful mon
arch greeted him with genial cordially,
anA made him present OF twenty
administering angels" on the spot. The
bo&ies of The colored gentlemen which
haa been consulted with respect TO the
counts admission to court were cut up
into small portions, ana distributed
among the inhabitants of the capital for
culinary purposes. De Semelle, who
had the honor of supping with the king
the same evening, was called upon to
partake of the mornings sacrifice. This
summons was addressed to him in 50
emphatic a manner that he did not
think fit to decline the horrible invita-
ton.
A less CHASTITY entertainment awaited
him in the empire of Lokogda, although
his reception there by the supreme 10
cal authorities was also of somewhat
startling character. When introduced
to the presence of the sultan he politely
offered to the latter certain presents of
gay cotton goods he had brought with
him for that purpose, whereupon his
majesty fell into violent passion. and
roared OUT "I'm great sultan, not
dog | don't want your paltry pres
ents Bnt give me brandy or rum, or
-" The rest of the imperial re-
marks were couched in terms too vigor-
Gus fer reproduction here. Count de
Seine'le thought his last hour was come;
but. sammoning up courage, he charged
his interpreter to tell the irate sultan
that he ISemelle was a Frenchman,
whQ feared neither poison nor fire; and
| whist was more, that during all his trav-
els he had never before come across so
unratigated a rufiian as the imperial
ruler Of Lokogda. This bold utterance
EXERCISED a tranquiliz!ng effect upon
the sultan's outraged feelings, and his
majesty subsequently, deigned to accept
a flask of Hollands from his audaciou5
visitor-and to empty it at draught.
Shortly after be had swallowed this po-
tent potion he subsidized into condi-
tioit Of quiet ecstacy, in which the count
left aim. 1t appears that the joyial
sulan's steadfast addiction 10 strong
liqla0r has considerably weakened his
prestige with his own subjects, who gov
ern5he country by sort of parliament,
oves which he nominally presides. But
his tnajesty's irrepressible conviviality
hasAjnfected the legislature, which-so
Colsnt de Semelle states-transacts
putslc business from misty morn to
deTy eve over the flowing bowl.