Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-12
FRIGHTENING A CHrEF.
Explorer stanley's Method OF Terror
izing "a Savage Despot


izing "a savage Despot.
Among the stories which Stanley tells
in "The Congo" is this: son one occa-
sion he was satisfied that the chief whom
he had Just met intended treachery,
and as the African came daily to the camp
with constantly increasing bodies Of
armed men, he resolved TO teach him
lesson. When he thought the native plot
was ripe for execution, he concealed all
the forces of the expedition about the
camp and awaited an expected visit The
chief came, accompanied by his usual
train, ard all seated themselves for pa
LAYER. The subject OF this was the design
Of Stanley to pass through his country,
while he was equally determined that the
whites should not. The meeting was
stormy, but wound up with no open out
break, but evidently 10 the great dissatis-
faction of the chief, when passing out OF
the tent, he spied the gong which was
used In the camp for giving signals, as is
drum among soldiers. The chief in
quired what 1t was, ana was told that it
was a war fetish. He insisted that it
should be struck, but was told that II
that were done armed men would arise
from every quarter. He still insisted.
"With all my force | struck the gong;
the loud, bell-like tone sounding in the ST.
lence caused by the hushed attention of
all upon the scene was startling in the eX-
IRENE, but as the rapid strokes were APP
piled vigorously the continued sound
seemed to them like thunder. They had
not recovered from the first shock OF as
constituent when the forms Of men were
seen bounding over the gunwale OF the
boat, right over their heads, and warwhOop
ing in their ears. From my tent, and
from the gorge behind them stream of
frantic inturietes emerged as though
from the earth. The store tent was viO-
lently agitated aud finally collapsed, and
yelling crowd OF demoniac madmen
sprang out one after the other, every one
apparently madden than his neighbors.
The listless, sleepy-eyed stragglers burst
out into a perfect frenzy of action. From
under the mats in the huts there streamed
into view such a frantic mob of armed
men that to the panic-stTicken natives the
| sky and the earth seemed TO be contrib
uting 10 the constantly increasing num-
bers of death-dealing warriors. Every
native present, wOuld-be friend and would
be foe, lost his senses completely; the
seated warriors forgot their guns and fled
before this strange deluge and awful
scene. The ammunition bearers threw
| their gourds away; some were broken
and the powder and slugs scattered on
!
Ing paralyzed with fear, and with his facul-
ties benumbed, / seized him by the arm and
said softly to him: BE not afraid; re-
member Bula Matari is your brother.
Stand behind me; will protect you The
| ZanZlbaris were now yelling crowd in
! front of me, calling out tauntiugly and
menaclngly: 'Ha. ha, Ngalyema. You
came to fight Bula Matari. Where are
your warriors, NgalyemaY There could
nn I.o haf fuf of
less, blood-thirsty fury than that which
was shown by these amateur black actors
In the suddenly imprOvised scene. Their
| assumed frenzy was the next thing to re-
atty. Had | not been In the secret |
should also have been duped; while the
valOr with which l defended my poor
| brother, who, with his two hands. grasped
me round the waist, danced from side to
| side to avoid furious strokes from the Wild
eyed men, while young EDjeli chung to
| his father and followed his movements,
reminded me of the long-forgotten play of
observation-disclosures. But the camp was
| emptied of our visitors, much of the am
munition was strewn on the ground, the
| guns were lying about and the play was
we'll acted. Attention! fall IMP called
| out the Captains, and the well-trained fell
! lows fell into line at shoulder arms with
all the precision of well-trsined veterans.
/ Then, as Ngalyema allowed his hands to
fall in mute surprise at this sudden trans
! formation, took hold of his hands and
! said: "Well, what do you think of the
white mans fetish?' 'Ah, / was not
| afraid, was n" See, all my people have
run away. All, such braves. But, tell
me, Bula Matari, where did all these peo-
| pie come from? sAh, that is the bad fe-
| tish l told you OF. Do you want to see
| any more? Come, | will strike the fetish
again, and the next scene will be still
more wonderful 'Whatv he screamed.
| NO, no, don't touchit Verify, that must
be bad fetish, he said grayely, as he
looked at the round, innocent face of the
gong.'"