, 1888-06-09
A NEW FOUND PEOPLE.
a Tribe OF Long Haired Blacks In Africa.
Interesting Diseoveries.

"a W ASbhE EhAlrcu BLACKS In Africa
Interesting Discoveries.
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 great
est northern tributary of the Congo.
On Oct. 81 last the expedition, com
posed of four white men and ffty-seyen
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 ma
live war canoe with a capacity of 100
men, on which a part OF the expedition
was quartered- About 450 miles up the
river they reached the Congo rapids,
the furthest point attained by Gren-
fell, and there their explorations
began. In the next thirty miles they
passed a series of five rapids, at two Of
which they were compelled to take the
machinery out Of their vessel, unship the
paddle wheels and drag her up with
great difficulty 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 200 remaining 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
twenty feet, is bordered by high hills, on
whose gentle slopes are hundreds of huts,
which. in the distance, nave the appear
ance Of chalets. Here and there are
seen in the branches of lofty cottonwood
trees buildings made of branches and
grass, which are used merely as posts of
observation, and which doubtless gave
rise to the romantic rumors Grenfell
brought home OF aerial dwellings on the
Upper Mobangi. The first new tribe the
explorers discovered were the Bakombe,
who are said to extend over a large re-
gion between the Mobangi and the
Congo.
The Bakombe are remarkable among
all the black races of Africa for their un-
usual growth of hair, which many of
them arrange in the form of largo CHG
mons. Others wear their hair down their
backs in many long, thin braids, which
are frequently fastened together. Capt.
Van Gele makes the surprising statement
hat he saw some persons with hair
nearly five feet long. Lieut.. Lienart
says he saw some women who tied their
long braids around their arms, and that
this remarkable custom did not incon-
venience them at all as they engaged in
their usual occupations. No such abund-
ant head coverings have been found
among any other tribes in Africa.
For about 14O miles, midway between
a degs. and o dogs. 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 Cello calls this stretch of the Mo
bangi valley the most fertile and popu-
lous part of Africa he has visited. 81
have not seen elsewhere" he writes,
''such an %affluence of provisions. Every
where are endless supplies OF bananas,
maize flour, sorghum, sweet potatoes,
.arachides, yams, beans, sugar cane,
sesamum, tobacco, honey, sheep, goats
fowls My men had poultry In the
pot every day. Our boat was sometimes
loaded down with presents Of food, and
throughout the journey 1 did not touch
one Of the sacks of rice that 1 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,
those among some tribes of the Upper
Wella-Makau, begin to appear by thou
sands They are grouped in villages,
sometimes forming wide streets that are
very neatly kept, and again built In large
circles In the center of which Is q high
mound of earth from which their speak
ers address the popular assemblages. Tbs
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 workmanship. They make lance
and arrow heads, harpoons, axes, hoes,
spades, knives, bracelets, chains, pipe
bowls, beads, little bells and many other
articles. They are also slSillful workers
in ivory, and everywhere the explorers
saw artistically turned ivory bracelets
and pins a foot long. The Banzy Is the
only tribe found in Central Africa whose
women deface their upper lip by the in
sertion OF the pelele, a practice that is
very common among the tribes east and
south of Nyassa-
These large tribes for about 100 miles
along the river were very friendly,
though they had never seen white men
before. They were frightened neither
by the 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 In the Banzy
tribe another rapid barred the way, and
1t was necessary to tow the steamer up
stream by means Of a stout cable. The
natives gathered by thousands to
watch the operation. They pointed out
spots where dangerous rocks lurked I'M
der 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
invocations. When the En-
Avant was safely past the rapids the ma
tves raised enthusiastic cheers, and many
OF them shook hands with the Europeans,
and felicitated them upon their success.