The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-26
HIRING cAnnrERs ON THE congo
White Recruiting Agents Sent through the
Villages to Enlist Porters.

White Recruiting Agents Sent through the
villages to Enlist Porters.
New York Sun.
In the course of a year many thousands
of loads of supplies or merchandise are car
ried on the backs of men along the 235
miles of Congo cataracts. The demand for
carriers is at all times greater tnsn the
supply, n there Is always q considerable
quantity of goods at Matadi awaiting
transportation. The Congo State, the COM
merclal companies and the missionary So
~cieties all have their managers of trans
portation and recruiting agents. who go
through the country securing forces OF car
riers. Without a good transport service 10
would not be possible for Europeans even
TO live along the upper Congo.
Lukungu. a large native TO " n i'm the cata-
ract regions, Is the great recruiting centrl
on the south bank of the Congo. Here the
white agents engage their capitas. or
chiefs OF Caravans. Co whom they dis
tribute rations for the stipulated number
of men and give a couple of cotton hand
kerchiefs for each porter as advance pay
meDt. Some days or weeks after the bar
gain is made with the chief, be appears
with his Iuen at Matadi with q paper given
him by the agent. certifying that he has
been engaged TO furnish q certain nnmbef
of men for a trip to Stanley Pool. The
goods awaiting transportation are then
gwen to his party. Very often the caravan
Is not accompanied by a single white man,
and il is noteworthy that within the past
1Our years, QuIlUH WHICH QuDuTcQs Oh LuOu>
sands of loads have been carried on the backs
of men TO and from Stanley Pool. not q
single article intrusted to these black cara
vans has disappeared. The natives faith
fully deliver, either at Matadl or az
Leopoldville the packages copided to
them. This is eloquent testimony to the
fact that these blacks are not destitute of
honesty.
1t often happens that Tho chief is not
able TO supply at once the number of men
he had stipulated to furnish. He may have
agreed to appear with sixty carriers. while.
in fact. he presents himself with only
twenty. He is. therefore. indebted to the
recruiting agent for forty payments of re-
fully iulfls the conditions of his contract.
and ii all the men he has agreed to su3ply
do not appear on the day when tho cara
van 10 to start, he furnishes them later. He
keeps a sort of RAINING account with the
recruiting agent. and ft often happens that
one of these agents will have four thou.
sand or five thousand loads of goods on the
road at once.
When the chief and his men transport
their loads to the stipulated place. they get
o receipt for the goods and then return to
Lukungu, where they are paid. The natives
have learned to have confidence in their
white employers, and. knowing that they
will be fairly remunersted for their work.
Toe of the whites. The cost of t~ransporta-
ton between Mstsdi and Stanley Pool 10
about 10 cents O pound. OF course this 10 .
very heavy tax upon the whites. and they
are all eager for the day to come when the
railroad will be completed and their goods
can be transported for at least o~no-Quarteg
OF the present cost.