Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-10-13
A Little Congo Hero.

A Little Congo Hero.
On the Congo, ntar the equator, ave ihu
Ba Ngala, with whom the explorer, Stanley,
had his hsrdeat balta when he hoatod do"n
the great river. Thcy are The most power
ful and intelligent OF the Upper Uengo nae
tives, and since Capt. Coqulhat, four yoars
ago, established station in their country
they have become gooi friends of The whiles.
a while ago, an exciting event occurred III
one OF thoir many villages and Essnlaka,
the chief, went to Cspt. CoGullhat TO tell him
about it.
"You know the big island near my town u
he said. "Well, yesterday, soon after the
sun came up, one of my women aud eur llt.
The boy is some dozens Of moous old.
Capt. Coquilhat says about 12 years old. |
He says that while his mother was padding
she saw something in the waller, and leaned
ever to look Rt it. Then he saw n crocodile
seize his mother and drag ber cut Of tho
canoe. Then the crocodile and The woman
sank out OF sight.
THE paddle was lying in The canoe. The
boy picked il up to paddle back 10 The
village Then he thought, 'Oh, if I could
onlg scare the crocodile ami get Iny
mother back = He could tell by The NOV
ing water where the cfocodie vas. He
was swimming int under the surface to
ward tEar islsn f. Then tbs boy followed
the crocodil2ulust as fast as be could
paddle. Veg soon the crocodile reached
the island and went out on land. He laid
the womau's body on the ground. Then he
went back into the river aud swan away.
You know. why he did this. He wanted his
mate and started out to find ner.
"Tben the little boy padded fast to whore
his mother was lying He jumped out Of
the boat and ran to her. There was q big
wound in her breast. Her eyes were shut
He felt sure she was dead He is strong,
but he could not lift her He dragged her
body to the canoe. He knew the crocodile
might come back at any moment and kill
him, too. He used all his strength. Little
By little he got his mothers body into the
canoe Then be pushed away from the
shore and started home.
1--WE had not seen the boy and his mother
at all. Suddenly we heard shouting on the
river, and we saw the boy padding as hard
as he could. Every two or three strokes he
would look, behind him. Then we saw
crocodile swimming fast toward the canoe.
If he reached it you know what be would
do. IIe would upset it with q blow, and
both the boy and his mother would be
lost Eight or nine of us jumped into
canoes and started for the boy. The croc.
odile had nearly overtaken the canoe.
but we reached it in time. We scared the
crocodile away, and brought the canoe to
the shore The boy stepped out on the
ground and fell down, he was so fright
ened and tired. We carried him into
one of my huts, and took his mothers
body in there, too. We thought she was
dead.
''But after little while she opened her
eyes. She could whisper only two or three
words. She asked for the boy. We laid
him beside her on her arm. She stroked
him two or three times with her hand, But
she was hurt so badly. Then she shut her
eyes and did not open them nor speak
again. Oh! how the little boy cried. But
he had saved bis mothers body from the
crocodile"
AS Essalaka told this story the tears
coursed down his cheeks. II have seen in
this savage tribe" writes Capt Coquihat,
"men and their wives who really love each
other, and veritable honeymoons among
young couples. The child feels for his faith
er the fear and respect which his authority
inspires, but he truly loves his mother, and
has tender interest in her oven after he
becomes man."