Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-15
ON The CONGO.
Queer People and Beautiful
Vegetation.
Cor. New Yors Herald.

Vegetation.
Cor. New York Herald.
On the morning succeeding the
storm described in my last, rain
clouds still sullied the sky, but the sun
soon overmastered them and the day
became fine and hot. Toward noon
the men asked to stop little while at
a large village on the south bank to
buy provisions. | gave them a quar-
ter Of an hour to effect their purchases
and disembarked myself, to 20 and
visit some travelling Bayansi who were
enosmped on the shore. They we're
the same party that had visited Msuata
few days ago to trade, and when ]
landed they rushed forward with loud
cries Of recognition. Indeed, their
greeting was quite affectionate. They
patted my back, shook hands with me
vigorously and led me to look at their
encampment, These people certainly
understand how to journey comforts
ably according to the best of their
means. A number of little-What
shall call them?-tents, novels, huts
we're constructed out Of mating, i'm
penetrable to the rain, and in shape
something like a small circle. The
ground underneath this shelter
was also neatly covered with mating,
and inside the hut was the owners
fetish or little house idol, his pipe,
his head rest or pillow, his gun-if he
had one-and various little odds and
ends, all neatly done up in skins OF
animals or native cloth. [ bought a
head rest Of one man for tattered old
shawl which | had meditated tossing
into the Congo as worthless Just be-
fore. The people here were handing
round salt to one another in a large
leaf. They eat it alone and with ex
trsOrdinary gdstO. One OF these Bay.
ansi men that | had previously met at
Msuata became SO affsctionate after |
had given him few pinches of table
salt-to them an indescribable deli
cacy-that he implored me TO become
his blood brother" | half laugh,
ingly consented, and he took his knife
and, with the point OF it. gently
scratched my skin Con my fore ARM
as if he were going to vaccinate me
When few drops Of blood had APP
peared on the sacrificed flesh be greed,
lily sucked them, and then repeating
the same process on his own arm, in-
vited me to apply my lips to the
wound. | made q show of doing SO,
and the ceremony was then concluded
by our exchanging presents and mu
sual protestations Of eternal friends
ship. | have never seen this blood
brother Of mine from that day when
! left him smiling at me as our canoes
glided off from the shore, and | CON
tess | should be curious to know
whether he would remember should
we ever meet again. k
Shortly after we had Quilted this
place and rounded little promontory,
We came very abruptly on a group Of
hippopotami summing themselves on a
sandbank. Three OF them deliberately
gave chase to us, In the first canoe,
but we merrily outdistanced them.
Then they turned about, and, seeing
the baggage canoe coming on behind
swan toward it. For a moment | was
anxious tor my luggage, but the men
put out into the opan, and the hippos,
finding stern chase beyond their
powers or inslinations, desisted, and
returned TO sun themselves. Hippo
potami are so bold and undisturbed on
the Congo that they are q real course
OF danger to the canoes. One never
knows whether 10 shoot or not. Ifyou
hit and do not kill outright, they will
certainly make for you with a ven.
geance; but, at the same time, il you
do not shoot, they may come and
wreck you out Of play. We rowed
long and far to-day. The weather was
80 fine, the water so smooth, and the
scenery SO lovely that as lay back ON
my grass cushion in the prov of the
canoe, and watched the groups of Bo-
Iassus palms and the hanging woods
deploy before me, a beautiful If some
what monotonous panorama, the dis
quietudes and risks OF canoe travelling
seemed very trifing, and the pleasure
great. | was also able to observe no
less than three separate storms, north,
east and south, going on at once, and
70 watch their great curtains Of rain
deluging the sky and literally stream
Jog themselves out, becoming st last
thin veil through which the distant
landscapes might be observed asa
picture that is seen through a veil of
doubled gauze. We fortunately es
capped without a Wetiing, which was
exceptionally lucky. We stopped 10.
wards 5 o'clock on a strip OF sandy
beach, surrounded by high grass and
stunted trees, with the fine hills on'the
opposite shore rising above the water.
thickly wooded. as on the borders Of
some Scotch lake. The river Darrows
strangely here, and seems shat IL with
hills. ttI NtEI
Our journey the next morning was
comparatively uneventful. The flies
we're peculiarly annoying, especially :
large brown one that gives a very
cruel bite They seem TO increase 10
numbers as We approach the Pool [
stopped for short time TO draw some
white lilies that grew BY the borders
OF the river 10 great numbers. and
were noticeable 81 this season of the
year, with their tall clusters Of deli
cate white flowers. We rode into the
Pool towards the afternoon, and / was
more struck with lis imposing aspect
than on FIRST viewing II. can quite
imagine that Stanley, on descending
tho Congo in 1877, must have thought
himself entering here on some great
lake or inland sea, as he saw the clear
horizon OF water expanding before
him, The vegetation that clothes the
precipitous shores on the south side
Of Stanley Pool. near the entrance
from the upper river. Is one OF
the most magnificent spectacle thpt
tho Congo offers. Rising nearly per
pendicularly from the water, the for.
eat climbs the hillsides higher than
The eye can reach without e single
break IN It's luxuFiance. The variety
Of oOlors. too, at this season, when
most Of the trees arc in blossom, is
particularly striking. One tree top
will be covered with scarlet flowers
loattered with = liberal hand. smother
has pendulous flowers Of pinky white
hanging gracefully by their long
stalks amid the somber masses Of foil
lgo, while Grant creopors in exuber.
M oro,vlh tFafl tboir vaIlow hioaao,na