The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-09-04
THE ORDER OF THE TALL HAT.
An African Potentate Whose Authority
Depends on Possessing . High Tile.

An African POtentate Whose Authority
Depends on Possessing q High Tile.
/ was most heartily welcomed, when
at last arrived at my destination, by
my old friend Lieutenant Liebrechts, d.
Belgian artillery officer, who was in
command of Bolobo Station. l was
right glad again to shake hands with
Liebrcchts; we were very old friends,
having occupied the same quarters to-
gether at Leopoldyille in 1883. What
a change in this Station at Bolobo since
/ first saw it in 1888! There had been
much trouble between whites and ma
tives then, and the Station-houses had
been burned to the ground; even now
the grounds were encircled by high
stout palisade. Nice, well-kept houses
and stores had been built. There
were also focks of goats and sheep,
good poultry-yards full of fowls and
ducks, and immense plantations Of
sweet potatoes, maize, and peanuts,
and gardens of vegetables. What was
more important still, the relations
with the formerly unfriendly and hos
tile natives were now of a most salts
factory nature in every way.
The villagers of all the surrounding
country were constantly visiting the
Station and exchanging presents.
Markets had been re-established for
the sale of food, pottery, and native
produce. and long-standing feuds be-
tween the different tribes were AMIGA
bly, settled by the happy intervention
OF Liebrechts. 1t is such as he who are
required to gain the confidence of the
African savage, men with keen sense
of justice, and the will to enforce it.
My life at Bolobo was happy one.
Liebrechts and | spent our time in Wis
ting the different chiefs, superintend-
ing Station matters and making little
excursions into the interior in search
OF guinea-fowl, partridges ducks, OF
the more formidable buffalo of the
plain.
Formerly, Ibaka was the most pow
erful chief of Bolobo district. His
name was mentioned by the natives of
the surrounding villages with a great
deal OF reverential awe But his vii
lage had become disunited; each of his
sons was at enmity with him, and
Manga, Gatula, Lingenji, Nkoe, Ngai
Utsaka, the chiefs of the neighboring
territory, being keen traders, had o.
tanned numbers of fighting men, and
lbaka's word, which at one time COM
manded instant obedience, was now
but little regarded. His title of chief
OF Bolobo was of small value; he had
lost all influence. During my stay at
Bolobo many time he applied to us
Tor assistance against his neighbors,
and on several occasions he arrived at
our gate in full flight, chased bv his
own sons, armed with heavy sticks,
who sought by this method of per-
suasion, to make their father agree to
an immediate and complete division of
the little wealth he still possessed, or
to gain his consent to any other ex-
tortionate demand that might have
suggested itself to their inventive
minds.
Poor old Ibaba was well-meaning
fellow, and very fayorably disposed to-
ward the white men,, He was, indeed.
anxious to be on a friendly footing
with his white neighbors, but the other
villagers were jealous of him, and
talked him into tri1ing but irritating
acts OF arrogance against the Station,
which resulted, few months before
my arrival, in a little war between
lbaka and Liebrecht who was in COM
mand of the Station. AS a punish
ishment for his aggressiveness, Ibaka's
town was burned to the ground.
There is an institution among these
people which cannot be more correct
~ described than by terming it the
Order of the Tall Hat" There is in
each district chief who has proved by
warlike success that he, of all the
Chiefs is the most powerful. A pub
lie acknowledgment is made of this
fact, and the elected individual is car
ried around on mems shoulders through
the different villages, the bearer pro-
claiming to all that he is the Mokunie
Monene Chg Chief, and that in fu-
ture all tribal disputes are to be sub
mitted to his Judgment Upon his
return to the village, amidst dancing
and singing and general feasting and
Joy, the Fetishman, or charm doctor,
places on the chiefs head tall hat
resembling the stovepipe" of civilized
countries, but which is built with
brim at the crown, and not at the
base. This hat is hereafter worn on
all great occasions, and the wearer
retains it until his death, when new
candidate is elected. In times gone by
1baka had received the honors of cleo
ton to this proud order, but unfor-
tunately, during the trouble with
Liebrechts the towering emblem of Pc
culiar distinction was burned. A sym
pathizlng white man, travelling through
the country. heard of the old chiefs
hatless condition, and presented him
with red opera-hat Of exaggerated
construction, which had probably in
years past formed prominent feature
in a pantomime or burlesque, or had
been used with great effect by some
comic singer or wandering minstrel.
The possession of this truly wonder
full creation of the theatrical cos
tuner made Ibaka a proud and happy
man. His delight in his new deeora-
ton would have been unalloyed were
it not for haunting fear that some
one might steal it. He kept it when
not in use, in our Station house, and
called for it only on state occasions
and big public drinking bouts. l i'm
sisted on his continual care of this
valuable acquisition, and would place
it on the side Of his head for him. and
impress upon him the nacess;tv of