The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-12
s1aNLEvs HARDEST BATTLE.
The Graphic Story Native Tells Of 40
Attack on the Explorer.


gtanlev had with the Congo natives dur
inc his first descent OF that river was
with the Ba-Ngala Everybody has read
his eraphic account of that combat, in
which sixty-four canoes loaded with tho
6ercest of Congo fighters were precipi-
,ated into the little band of travellers, and
had not spears been pitted against fire.
arms Stanley's party would never have
reached the sea. Awhile ago Muele, one
of the officers Of the chief Of the Ba-
Ngala. gave 10 Capt. Coquilhat the ma
tive version Of that memorable day. The
white men on the Congo bring home few
stories that surpass i'll interest those the
natives tell Of the time when the un-
known whites first came among them,
and Of the commotion these strangers,
with their wonderful trade goods and
their still more astonishing weapons,
EVERYWHERE produced.
1--WE had never seen a White man,
said Muele, whose tribe, thickly populat-
ing the rirer bank for many miles, num-
hers over 100, 900 people. I'VE had not
the slightest idea that such beings ex-
is,ed. One day, some dozen moons ago
liz was on Feb. IL, 1877, at the moment
when the sun stood right above our
heads. a fotilla Of canoes Of a form
we had never seen before, pre-
ceded by canoe Of extraor-
binary size, suddenly came into view.
In the swiftest part Of the current
they were quietly passing IN front OF our
villages. We were astonished to see that
the men. even to their heads, were COW
cred with white cloths, and we thought
Il yery singular, for the richest chiefs we
knew wore only o little rag made OF
banana fiber; and fact that was abso-
h.ely new 10 us, and that upset all our
notions Of humanity. was the sight OF
two white beings, yes, as white as our
pottery clay, who appeared TO command
the expedition They seemed to have
about the same form as other men, but
their hair. their eyes and their color were
very strange to as.
1--WE asked one another, Were not theoe
men ENJOYS from lbanza, the mysterious
spirit. and why did they so suddenly APP
pear upon our river? Their purpose could
only be bad, for suddenly they landed on
an Island opposite Us, instead Of coming
10 our shore, as all people did whose in
tentions were not hostile. At first, before
we were able 10 see them distinctly. we
thought they were an expedition from
our enemies Of Mobeka Our alarm
drums sounded, and we crowded TO our
canoes, all ready for fight. But the
clothing Of the warriors, the strange form
of their weapons, and the unheard OF
aspect Of the white men soon undeceiyed
ms. Still, we launched our canoes and
rapidly approached those Of the unknown
strangers.
"The older Of the two white men had
straight gray hair, and his eyes were the
color Of the water He stood upon his
canoe and held toward us "A red cloth and
some brass wire. We still approached
him. discussing cxcit,lly the meaning OF
his strange attitude, The other white
man frank Pocock, who was drowned a
few weeks later in the cararacts Of the
lower Congo aimed his weapon at US.
and the older man talked to him rapidly
in o language we could not understand.
Those Of our friends who were nearest
the strangers thought the actions Of the
white men boded Us no good, and 50 they
I Judged il best at once TO attack these
mysterious whites, who had come from
no one knew where.
Then the battle began, and twas the
most terrible We ever fought. Our spears
fen fast among the enemy and we killed
some II them. and their bodies lay hall
over the sides OF their canoes. But, on
what fetch gave their weapons such won
derful power Their bullets, made OF
heavy gray metal we had never sect
lefore. reached Us at enormous distances
Women and old men who were following
the combat from the shore were hit. The
walls Of our huts were perforated. Some
goats which were wandering far OH Il
the fields dropped dead Of their wounds
As for as who were on the water, oul
stout shields were pierced as though they
had been bananas. Many OF Us wcr'
killed aud wounded and others wer'
drowned. for the bullets knocke'
holes in some of our wooden canoes
which filed and sank. Still we KEEP
fighting desperately, and we followed tn
white beings some distance below our VII
lagos. Their band-inally escaped us am
raised loud cries of triumph as We ende'
the pursuit. We could not UNDERSTAND
what they said. "
Muele added that Mata Bulke, tn
chief Of the Ba-Ngala, exerted ever.
, sffort TO dissuade his ardent people iron
approaching the whites, who, he dc
ciared. could not be human beings. |
was this same chief who, three years az
. this month, wept as he babe farewell
Capt. Coquilhat the founder Of the Ia
Ngala station, who was about TO 20 bac
: to Europe. "I.eurn soon, he said, ''fc
= ! am old, and / wish TO see you agal
, before die" \ few days over a yea
, later Coquilhat was again among the b
, Ngala, who, with their powerful an
aged chief, are now among the mo:
r | faithful and useful friends Of the whitc