Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
In THE CONGO STATE.
A Boat Ride on African Greeks and
Rivers.
IN A STORM ON THE CONGO.
Picturesque Scenery Among the VII.
Iages-Interview with an African
Prince-The Beautiful sunsets Along
the Coast Of the Maitland.
Special Correspondence Of TIE EvxNMa stan.
tCopyrightl
MArAnr Starr On CnN00

SOUTHWESTERN AFRICA, May g.
| n T has been rule with the traveller and
| Afk explorer in the valley of the Congo Il
IS perform hasty journey by water frou
Banana to Matsdi, viewing the country
Hss~ from the deck of steamer. He has thu
entered the gateway of southwestern Africa
! and passed over the navigable waters OF the
Lower Congo river-Nearly ninety miles in ex
| tent--without visiting the back creeks. many
of which are larger than one-half Of al the
nsyigable rivers Of Europe and America.
| was determined to see the Congo and It'll
back creeks and fertile islands; and SO, after
making two steamer trips, went from Boms
to Banana, intending to ascend the river thence
to Bona and afterward to this place in a small
| boat with capacity for seven persons and food
| for five days. | started upon this trip on May
| l. My party consisted OF seven persons, an
| English trader. r. E. bennett, five Musseron-
| Cos and myself We started at GIG and pro-
ceeded due east from Banana. skirting the
island Immediately in front of that place and
| leaving the Belgian Catholic mission to our
left. nesting dreamily among the hills. with
out the first signs Of life. The first modest rays
Of sunlight were working their way through a
| beautiful curtain of light pearl-cOlored clouds.
| A cool breeze from the hills Of the mainland
| swept down upon us like q benediction
| from nature; and the boat song of our black
boys rang amid the almost impenetrable
| mangos and reverberated among the hills OF
the mainland. After an hour and half of
| steady pulling we passed over to the slack
water Of the mainland in search of fresh water
to use during our trip. Now and then we met
natives in canoes standing up and propelling il
by means OF hong paddles, the powerful mus
cles standing out at every exertlon Of their
splendid bodies. Then we gllded by few
native villages, whose friendly inhabitants
Grew near the shore to gaze at us and call out
Me bote," the native salutation. The main-
land was mountainous, fringed with slight
timber, with promise of fertility upon the
plateau, about 400 to 600 feet above.
A LABYRINTH OF CREEKS.
After securing water from the land Of Mr..
bennett we took our course to the southwest
and passed several groups Of wild ducks and
native pigeons, passing at least through about
five miles of spacious creeks, generously and
copiously fed by the mighty Congo, SO in
tlmately related, mingling and intermingling,
that it was quite difficult to tell which one
would bring us to the parent of these many
waters. Turning suddenly to the south we
came into creek whose banks were lined with
the most beautiful bamboo palm trees ever
saw. The trees stood in rows on either bank
so perfect that one could not help thinking
that they had been carefully trained through
many years. AS the breeze swept down this
aisle, SO much like an enchanted temple of
ancient Druids, the palms lazily but gracefully
famed themselves. Behind these bamboo
palms but few yards stood their graceful and
majestic relatives, the palm oil trees, lifting
their sword-like branches forty and fifty feet
in the golden sunlight. After a few miles of
this glorious vision we turned into another
creek, where a similar sight greeted our eyes,
with the exception that now we we're travelling
eastward and leaving the mainland to the left
Here we observed the massive and majestic
baobob tree-the elephant tree-and the cocoa
w hrs ahaax fro flx,.
heard parrots and other birds of the most gor-
geous plumage.
IN CONGO VILLAGE
At 2 o'clock we sighted the Congo, and one
hour later we halted at Malella in the territory
of the MusserongOs, where we took luncheon
These people are much like the North Ameri-
can Indians; it is impossible to approach their
villages unobserved. We were soon surrounded
by the natives, who watched our boys prepare
the repast. While at luncheon one of the
princes of Malella, having heard of our arrival,
called upon US. His royal highness approached
US carrying deep-crimson umbrella. He wore
European coschman's winter great coat had
handkerchief of variegated colors about his
loins, while his lower extremities we're naked
The Portuguese language was the court Ian
guage here, so We were interviewed in this
tongue. We had with US an interpreter, who
on our behalf put a few leading questions to
the prince. We explained that we were only
making trip through the country with
friendly intentions, sentiment which seemed
to meet with hearty response from his peo-
pie. His majesty took this occasion to
unbosom his complaints against the
Independent State of Congo. He said that
neither himself nor his people recognized the
authority OF the state; that the state had never
purchased their land and had not even
dashed" them box Of gin; that the princes
had been invited to Bona in Bula Matidi's
lme-Stanley-and flags were given them
with the statement that the BelgIans were now
the owners of the country. He said that his
people all understood Portuguese, but that the
Belgians came speaking a new tongue they
could not understand. l WAS very much
pleased with the looks and behavior of these
people and feel confident that with kind and
prudent treatment they could be made useful
members of society. was surprised and de-
lighted to learn that this prince was a temper
ance man and, after congratuIating him upon
his position on the traffic in ardent spirits I
offered him tea, which. after tasting, he asked
permission to share with his wife. The princess
tasted the tea. but expressed her opinion that
rum was superior article. This statement
was met by cold look from the Prince of
Malella and we felt it was q convenient mo-
ment to take our departure.
CHIMBAMBA AND KIMBAMBA
sea breeze usually springs up in the after
noon and sometimes blows the waters of the
Congo back with such violence as to prevent
the natives from crossing the river Waves
are created by this sea breeze 50 large Al to
suggest that one Is upon a large lake. Taking
advantage of the friendly wind we hauled mn
two sails and were soon sailing along at a swift
rate. At 4:l5 pm. we turned into a creek to
the northward, where We came upon several
villages of the Chimbamba people, the scene
OF the late war, in which the troops of the
Independent State Of Congo killed many peo-
pie and burned several villages. This country
of the Chimbamba is divided by the creek into
two distinct princedoms; the Chimbambas oc-
cupylng the right bank and calling their conn
try Chimbamba and the MusseronRos occunv.
ing the left bank of the creek and calling their
country kimbamba.
On account of frequent boundary line dis
putes the Prince of Chimbamba requested the
agent OF a Belgian commercial COMPANY To-
Gated in his district and having its headouar
tiers at Mataba to lease from him his lands. not
TO buy them. Having secured q lease of land
from the Chimbamba prince the agent of the
aforenamed company, Monsieur Proutch.
sought to secure the same privileges from the
FRINGE of the Musserongos, but was unsuccess-
iul The agent threatened to obtain the lands
by force, but the brave Musserongos were mt
easily frightened. At length NJ Proutch re-
sorted to a stratagem. The governor general
Camille Janssen Of the independent State of
Congo, was invited to visit the country in bis
dual capacity as official head of the state and
as inspector OF the Belgian Commercial Com
pany: Agent Proutch gave great feast tn
winch he invited the two native princes and
their people; but he took great care to intro
duce the Prince Of Chimbamba as the master
ana ruler OF ali the DeOnte and the cor~.--