The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-27
SOME NEW FOUND PEOPLES.
A Tribe of Long Haired Blacks.

A Tribe of Long Haired Blacks.
Lieut. Lienart, who accompanied Capt.
Van Gele in his recent journey which
solved the greatest remaining problem of
African geography. has returned to Brus-
sells, bringing full details of the trip by
steamer for ninety-nine days on the Mo-
bangi river. The expedition proved that
the Mobangi is identical with the Welle-
Makua river, and is, therefore, the greatest
northern tributary of the Congo 1t set
tied the question of the destination of the
Welle-Makua, which for years was believed
by many geegraphers to flow into Lake
Tchad. The explorers found one of the
most fertile and populous regions of Central
Africa, and they met some remarkable
tribes, whose peculiarities distinguish them
from any other peoples yet discovered in
the dark continent. LIE Movement Geo =
graphique prints the report of Capt. Van
Gele and interesting details added by
Lieut. Lienart.
GA Oct. 81 last the expedition, COM
posed of four white men and fifty
native boatmen and soldiers. left Equator
Station, on the Congo, and started up the
Mobangi ON the little steamer En- Avant,
the first vessel launched on the Upper
Congo. The steamer had in tow a native
war canoe with a capacity of 100 men, on
which part of the expedition was quartered.
About $50 miles up the river they reached
the Congo rapids, the furthest point at
tanned by Grenfell, and there their explora-
lions began. In the next thirty miles they
passed a series of five rapids, at two of
which they were compelled to take the ma
chinery out of their vessel, unship the pad
die wheels, and drag her with great diff
Guilty on rollers over land. Three weeks
were required to pass these rapids, above
which the broad, majestic river did not
offer a single noteworthy obstruction in
the remaining 200 miles of the ascent.
The country, writes Capt. Van Gele, is
very beautiful. The river which for long
stretches is over a mile in width, with an
average depth of 20 feet, is bordered by
high hills, on whose gentle slopes are hun
dreds of huts which in the distance have
the appearance of chalets. Here and there
are seen in the branches of lofty cotton
wood trees buildings made Of branches and
grass which are used merely as posts of OBJ
servation, and which doubtless gave rise
to the romantic rumors Grenfell brought
home of aerial dwellings on the upper Mo
bangi The first new tribe the explorers
discovered were the Bakombe, who are
said to extend over large region between
the Mobangi and the Congo.
The Bakombe are remarkable among all
the black races of Africa for their unusual
growth of hair, which many of them ar
range in the form Of large chignons Others
wear their hair down their backs in many
long thin braids, which are frequently
fastened together Capt. Van Gele makes
the surprising statement that he saw some
persons with hair nearly feet long. Lieut..
Lienart says he saw some women who
tied their long braids around their arms,
and that this remarkable custom did not
seem to Inconvenience them at all as they
engaged in their usual occupations. No
such abundant head coverings have been
found among any other tribes i'll Africa.
For about 140 miles, midway between 4
and s. north latitude and north of the big
bend of the Congo, the river flows almost
due west, and new tribes are met along the
banks. Capt. Van Gele calls this stretch
of the Mobangi valley the most fertile and
populous part Of Africa he has visited. II
have not seen elsewhere" he writes, ''such
an affiuence of provisions. Everywhere
are endless supplies of bananas, maize flour,
sorgham, sweet potatoes, arachldes, vans,
beans, sugar cane, sesamum, tobacco, honey,
sheep, goats and fowls. My men had poul-
try in the pot every day. Our boat was
sometimes loaded down with presents of
food, and throughout the journey did not
touch one of the sacks of rice had taken
with me from the equator"
Here the river is at its widest, and it is
thickly dotted with islands, all inhabited
and under cultivation. Conical huts, like
those among some tribes on the Upper
Welle- Makua, begin to appear by thou
sands. They are grouped in villages, some
times forming wide streets that are very
neatly kept and again built in large circles
in the center Of which is high mound of
earth from which their speakers address
the popular assemblages The largest of
these tribes is the BanZy, who as workers
in iron are equaled by few African tribes
their iron products are noteworthy for
their great variety and superior workman
ship, They make lance and arrow heads,
harpoons, axes, hoes, spades, knives brace
lets, chains, pipe bowls, beads, little bells,
and many other articles. They are also
skillful workers in ivory, and everywhere
the explorers saw artistically turned ivory
bracelets and pins foot long. The Banzy
is the only tribe found in Central Africa
whose women deface the upper lip by the
insertion of the pelele, practice that is
very common among the tribes east and
south of Nyassa.
These large tribes for about $50 miles
along the river were very friendly, though
thew had never seen white men before
lney WoIo lil6hOChON hOlOAOA " WIG
steamer nor by the shots that were often
fired at the ducks and other game in the
stream. Often fleets of thirty or forty
canoes would paddle out to the steamer
Offering food for sale. At the town of the
head chief of the Banzy tribe another rapid
barred the way, and it was necessary to
tow the steamer up stream by means of a
stout cable. The natives gathered by thou
sands to watch the operation. They
pointed out spots where dangerous rocks
furked under the surface. They hauled in
their fish nets that were in the way, and
laid hold of the cable with right good will,
while the fetch men on the bank made
favorable invocations. When the En- Avant
was safely past the rapids the natives
raised enthusiastic cheers, and many of
them shook hands with the Europeans, and
felicitated them upon their success.
The most striking contrasts are found
among African tribes who live almost side
by side. A year before Wissman was
fighting his way through the savage Bate
tela tribe south Of the Congo, who, he says,
are as suspicious as wild beasts, and he
can compare them with nothing except
savage dogs Van Gele too, had reached
the end Of his peaceful advance, and he
was now destined to make his way for
seventy miles further up the Mobangi, con-
stantly menaced and at last attacked by
fleets of war canoes. The Monbongo and
Yakoma thought the expedition were
So1danese slave hunters, who 1t appears,
have reached that country from the east on