Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-29

early overwhelmed by shower OF
spears from the banks, where we doubt
ed not the savage Lufembi must be
gathering for an assault on the steam
er. We endeavored to arrest the men
In their scramble, and were just mount
ing the scaling ladder when voices from
the darkness on top Of the bluffs and
ringing peal of laughter caused us to
pause. Then came the tones OF Bion-
clos voice relating the cause OF the
panic, and the shouts of laughter from
the men who q moment before had been
risking their lives in their wild leaps
to the bottom OF the river bank drowned
all our attempts Mt inquiry or reproof.
It appeared from Bionelo, who with
one or two more had not fed when the
first shot was fired, that on searching
for the cause Of the disturbance, he had
found our three goats tied up near one
Of the houses for the night after hav-
ing grazed during the afternoon, and 1t
was one OF these which had c0ughed in
its dreams, or while chewing the cud,
that had startled Elenge Mimic, that
brave ''young man" from his slumbers.
His first thought was Of the Lufembi
and the blood-curdling cough being re-
peated he had answered 1t with yell OF
fear and pulled the trigger Of his
Snider. Then followed the panic, the
hasty shots at an invisible foe and
the indescribably swift descent over the
face Of the cliff.
We could not refrain from joining In
the merriment and chatting the unfortu-
nate Elenge Mimic. The racking cough
of consumptive goat became quite a
popular complaint on board the Flor
ida for the remainder Of the evening.
Our next days run was o short one,
and we camped at two in the afternoon
alongside small opening in the forest
Of the north bank, where we found dead
wood for fuel, as we'll as numerous ele-
plant and buffalo tracks, but none of
them very recent ones. The river now
was only on an average one hundred
and fifty to two hundred and fifty yards
broad, and its general direction was al
ways the same, from the southeast.
Continuing our journey next morn
ing, we steamed on at q good speed
without seeing human habitation or
canoe until the afternoon, when we ar
rived of village situated on low-lying
swamp land at the waters edge, and
consisting Of few poor flshermen's
huts. 1t was on the right bank Of the
river and opposite the side on which the
Lufembi carried on their ravages.
The few fishermen about were aston
ished at our advent, but they speedily
gathered in fresh recruits from the
forest at the back and adjacent planta-
lions, and became sensible of the beau
ties OF few strings of white beads held
up artlessly before their longing eyes.
When to these were added handful Of
cowries and shining tin plate and
spoon the leader Of the assemblage Of
savages on shore could only find broken
tones in which to explain his apprecia-
ton of our kindness: and when, later
on, we asked him as to the country
lying ahead of us, he eagerly strove to
impart every thing he knew.
He was of the Balolo, the great race
of Iron-workers (Balolo signifying
Iron People"), who inhabit the coun-
try bordering on the three affiuents OF
the Congo-the Ronki, Ikelemba and
Lulungu-but whose true home is at the
head waters of this system OF kindred
rivers. The facial and bodily adorn-
ment of the Balolo differs entirely from
the modes Of cicatrization of the tribes
dwelling lower down, or along the banks
Of the Congo. The men we now en-
countered INDUCED their savage instinct
Of improving upon natures handiwork
by chiseling their features into hard
Jumps resembling Spanish nuts in size
and shape, which were impartially dis
tributed down the forehead to the bridge
of the nose, and on each cheek rs well
as on the chin.
The shoulders and hollow of the back
were alike covered with these protuber.
ant knots of hard skin and flesh. The
women, in addition to sporting all this
display, revealed in an extra batch or
two Of Jumps, scattered down the
thighs, which, If one may except mar.
row strip OF banana or planatain leaf,
fastened from thong Of fiber around
the waist, formed their sole indebt-
edness to art for any covering. The
men, on the contrary, wore a strangely
made little grass or palm-fiber cloth,
which terminated in a tail behind, to
which was attached piece of monkey
skin, or the fur Of some animal. They
carried spears and shields, the former
beautifully made Of iron, their hats
covered with shining bands Of copper
or brass, and the latter procured from
melting down the brRss-wire rods as
currency by Upper Congo tribes. The
younger boys paraded about with bows
and arrows to shoot small birds, or thin,
many-pronged spears, with which they |