San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-30
SEEN ON THE CONGO.
FACTS LEARNED BY SOME OF THE
LATEST TRAVELLERS.

Eagerness of the Natives to Learn the Re-
suits of Explorations-The Human Sac
rificiaI Offerings of the Africans-ways
in Which Women Have the Best OF 1t.
The ten or twelve explorers who have done
most to prove that the Congo basin, until re-
/ FLYER system in the world, have Of course dis
covered many things of Surprising interest 70
the student Of geography and it's kindred
sciences. 1t is intended here to speak, not Of
the great discoveries of sensational import
ance. but of interesting facts which have at
tracted less attention.
About 40 miles above the mouth of the
river the Congo widens into an almost sea
like expanse, and for more than hundred
miles up stream it is from five to twenty
miles in width. 1t is a curious fact that,
though many of the Congo tribes travel far
from home, the natives along one bank Of the
widened stream had hardly particle of in
formation about the dweibers on the other
shore when the whites first met them. The
great river was abarrier that news rarely
crossed, separating the tribes almost as COM
Hletely as though an ocean stretched between
them. Here hundreds of lovely islands SO
impede the view that travellers skirtinS one
bank cannot see the other for more than one
hundred miles. OF course the river is very
shallow except in the channels, which are not
yet well known, and steamers often run
aground 1t has occurred that steamers have
passed in broad daylight without knowing of
each others proximity
A FREQUENT SAD SIGHT
Many natives are eager to learn the results
OF exploring expeditions. When the more
Intelligent chiefs understand that the whites
are spying out the land, they are anxious to
learn whether the new facts can be utilized
to their own advantage. Thus when Gren-
fell returned to the Congo from his 26O mile
trip up the Lulongo, the big Chief Ibengo
and his head men Were as inqaisitive as an
American interviewer. Theyewished to know
how far the Lulongo could be assembled in
canoes, whether the natives were numerous
and friendly, whether they had ivory and
slaves to sell, and so on. Here, as in other
parts of the Congo basin, the discoveries of
the whites have largely stimulated the inland
trade of the natives. They now send canoe
trading parties far up tributaries where they
did not venture before the whites pioneered
the way.
Native geographical information has been
rarely serviceable 30 the whites CoQuilhat
says that before native answers a geo.
graphical question he makes up his mind
what answer is desired or expected and re-
plies accordingly. Won Francois found on
some OF the southern tributaries that inform
alton given in one village was contradicted
in the next.
One of the saddest sights seen anywhere is
a common spectacle on some OF thu large
tributaries. The Bangala and a few other
large tribes along the Congo have q great de-
mand for slaves to be killed as sacrifices upon
the death of important persons or to be used
to furnish forth their cannibal feasts Unless
they are at war the supply of slaves often
runs short, and they send expeditions up the
Lulongo, the Tchuapa and other rivera to
buy victims for their ceremonies. Another
reason why they seek the Slave markets along
the Congo tributaries is that, as a rule, the
further they go from the main river the
cheaper they can buy slaves. So it is no u1..
common sight for explorers, ascending tn.
tributaries, to meet professions Of Congo
canoes laden with slaves, usually male adults
gong to their own funerals, and often bound
hand aud foot
They understand full well the cruel fate
from which there is no escape The richer
or more important the family which has LOST
one of its members, the moro numerous must
I've the victims who fouowthim to the grave.
This Is one of Africa's great crueIties which
the Congo state government is supervising
wherever its authority is sufficiently estab-
hshed to combat the ancient evil.
The chief reason why natives on the tribu-
taries are wilder and more distrustful than
on the Congo itSaIf is beeapss Congo pilaSSI ~