The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-09
Adventures In Africa.

Count de Semelle, who has just return
ed to Europe after long and eventful
journey in the interior of Africa, under
went, according to his own account, some
uncommonly disagreeable experiences
during his sojourn on the banks of the
Niger. Among other startling episodes
narrated in his account of his wanderings
is that of his entertainment by the mon
arch of the Midgi country, against whom
he had been warned by that sovereign's
neighbors. By no means expectant of a
cordial welcome, but resolved to visit
Midgiland at any risk, the Count crossed
the frontiers of that State, and demanded
an audience of the king. This request
was granted, and be was ushered into
the presence of his Majesty, who, before
returning his courteous salutations, or,
indeed, taking any notice of him, caused
one hundred full grown men, collected at
court for the purpose, to be decapitated,
and then condescended to investigate
their remains with his own royal hands
and eyes, in order to discover whether or
not, on the whole, the omens deducible
from them wer6lAuspicious to his recep-
tion of the intrusive stranger. Forum
ateiy for De Semelle, most of the bodily
evidence thus collected proved favorable
to him; whereupon the careful monarch
greeted him with genial cordiality, and
made him present of twenty minister
ing angels" on the spot. The bodies of
the colored gentlemen which had been
consulted with reference to the Counts
admission to court, were cut up into
small portions and distributed among the
inhabitants of the capital for culinary
purposes. De Semello, who had the
honor of supping with the king the same
al 10 koIx <>f
the mornings sacrifice. The summons
was addressed to him in so emphatic a
manner that he did not think fit to de-
cline the horrible invitation.
A CHASTITY entertainment awaited him
in the Empire of Lokogda, although his
| reception there by the supreme local au-
thorities was also of a somewhat startling
| character. When introduced to the
| paesence of the Sultan he politely offered
to the latter certain presents of gay cot
ton goods he had brought with him for
purpose, whereupon his majesty fell into
violent passion, and roared out: ''I am
| great Sultan, not dog L don't want
your paltry present! But give me BRAN
| DIV or rum, or-r' The rest of the i'm
perial remarks were couched in terms too
| vigorous for reproduction here. Count
| de Semelle thought his last hour was
come; but, summoning up courage, he
charged his interpreter to tell the irate
Sultan that he (Semelle) was French
man, who feared neither poison nor fire;
and, what was more, that, during all his
travels, he had never before come across
so unmitigated ruffian as the imperial
ruler of Lokogda. This bold utterance
exercised tranquilizing effect upon the
Sultan's outraged feelings, and his mai
esty subsequently deigned to accept a
flask OF Hollands from his audacious vis-
itor and to empty it at a draught!
Shortly after he had swallowed his po-
tent potion he subsided into a condition
of quiet ecstacy, in which the Count left
him. 1t appears that the jovial Sultan's
steadfast addition to strong liquor has
considerably weakened his prestige with
his own subjects, who govern the coun-
try by sort of parliament, over which
he nominally presides. But his majesty's
irrepressible conviviality has infected
the legislature, which-so Count de Sc
melle states-transacts public business
from misty morn to dewy eve over the
flowing bowl