The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-02
BUNooINa THE CHIEF.

dusky crowd followed and bore me company
everywhere | went.
BUNCOING THE CHIEF.
In support of the respect and homage
thus voluntarily extended TO me informed
the chief Ngop that in the white mans
land (Mputul no one but the biggest OF
chiefs we're permitted to wear such Ror-
gecus attire; with all the dignity and I'M
portance which could summon to my aid
l endeavored to convince him that the true
sign Of office of presidents aud crown
heads was such yellow and black tennis
coat. The chief of Lulungu responded TO
the honor of my visit by bringing 10 me
presents of goats, fowls, eggs, pineapples
and bananas and in return gave him some
cotton cloth, beads, brass wire and metal
trinkets. =
old, song the praises of the distinguished
visitor with the colored coat.
The natives il this part of the world are
exceedingly fond of bright-colored cloth,
but in those early days on the Congo ex-
ploration such fabric was scarce, aud these
people had TO be content with the color
without the texture; so they smeared their
bodies with "ngulR," a mixture of red
powder and oil. The daubing of this over
anything tends to beautify according TO
their idas OF decoration. With such no
tions of good form they had no hesitanoy
about jostliDg around me and smudging my
precious coat until its attractive stripes
threatened to become lost beneath the oily
"ngula.n
Iremained at Lulungu only one night;
the next moaning | steamed away up
stream my striped coat had proved brill
liant passport with the best society at Luz
lrugu, and had been the means OF estab-
fishing a fine friendship with the natives I;
my arrival In that gorgeous garment, !
have no doubt, Is still fresh In the minds of
the villagers, who, having no written Ian
guage, store in their memories such events,
and hand them down from generation TO
generation as tribal history.
felt very sorry that my stylish garment
was 80 besmeared, for dreaded the shrink
ing consequence Of washing it, however, /
handed It over to my native servant,
Ipambi, with instructions to scrub off the
pasty "ngula." When cleaned and dried IL
looked as good as new, except, as l had ex-
pected 1t was greatly diminished in size:
the sleeves now fitting my arm like a silken
cover on au umbrella, and reached just
below the elbows; the pockets had climbed
up near the collar, and the waist chung
tightly around my CHESTNUT it still had
it's attractive colors. | folded the precious
garment carefully and slowed it away, to
be produced again only when some even.
Of sufficient Importance should demand it.
AGAIN THE GARMENT TRIUMPHs.
Very soon after this had command of
an expedition up the Oubangi. a river peo-
pied by ca nibals, savage aud warlike. aud
during this journey | was stubbornly at
tackled. Monster war canoes. loaded to the
gunwale with stalwart warriors, shot out
from the river bank and wheeled around
my slow moving little stern W heller in
threatening force Spears were brand
ished aud bowstrlngs frightened, aud fight
seemed unavoidable. My crew crouched
low with loaded rifles. ready with a
deadly response to the challenging
spear fight. We were surrounded
by overwhelming numbers, pressing
uDpleasantly close on all sides Of us. De-
risive laughter and boastful threats Of eat
ing myself and crew answered all my ex-
pressions OF peace. held up cotton stuff.
aud beads, and metal ornaments, and prom
ised TO exchange those things for ivory and
provisions, aud told them with all the en-
phasis at my command that | sought peace
and not war, but that IL they commenced
the attack should fire on them
However, my demonstration thus far did
not impress them, and it suddenly occurred
to me to try my bright-oolored coat as an
introduction to their good graces. hastily
dived down into my trunk and snatched up
the garment. aId proceeded TO squeeze my
self into 1t. The effect was magical. A roar
of astonisb ment greeted my changed attire,
and the weapons, pointed IN anger a second
before, were lowered as tokens of peacs.
Ashore and afoat my dazzling garment won
the canuibal hearts. l vas invited forth with
into the beach to visit the chief. Ndisi This
old fellow was much affected by my coat,
though he at first rather deplored It's stinted
proportions, but | explained as we'll as
could that the texture out of which il was
made was Of too costly character to admit
OF any unnecessary material being en-
ployed. He was most anxious to possess
this garment, aud after a great deal OF bag
Cling sold il to him for tusk of ivory
and never prouder chief strutted about an
African village than did old Ndisi dressed in
the gaudy tennis coat.
Only few months previously the gar