The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
FOUND DU CAAILIU'S GOODS,
4 REMARKABLE SEQUEL no 4
DISASTER ~ AFRICA.

| "
! Trader.-Nhy the Natives DID No
steal Them-Du Cbaiiiu's vindicetion
| Eleven years ago this month a mem
Der OF THE Sun STAFF received letter from
,, Carl Steckelmann. agent Of a Liverpoo
house In the West African trade. The lettel
came from his headquarters at Mayumba. Q
small port In the French Congo, not far above
the mouth Of that river. 1t told Of re-
markable find which Steckelmann had made
while away In the interior far to the north
east with O white comrade named Town
| send and party of native porters.
The party was purchasing ivory and
rubber In the country OF tho Ashango ma
tives southeast OF the coast region OF
Gaboon, Mr.. Steckelmann wrote that hc
had found the supplies and equipment
which some explorer must have lost many
years before,
He found boxes and sacks containing
the goods half hidden in the jungle along
side narrow native path. The boxes and
bags had rotted and fallen to pieces, beads
and other articles were half hidden and half
revealed in the moist soil; scientific in
struments and some other objects showed
that the property had belonged TO no or
binary trader.
Mr.. Steckelmann wondered why the
natives in the neighborhood had not APP
prcpriated the goods, particularly az many
Of them were common trade articles with
which explorers pay their way through
Africa and which are greatly desired by
the blacks. He questioned the natives
about the matter and from some Of the
older men he obtained some interesting
information.
They told him that many years before
they had fight with party led by little
white man, and hid defeated the strangers,
who threw down their loads and ran through
the jungle and were never seen again,
The natives thought that the abandoned
goods would greatly enrich them, but
strange thing happened.
When they picked up one of the boxes
it began to talk. They were frightened
nearly to death. dropped the box but still
it kept making sounds, 60 the fetch doc
tors were called into conference.
They decided that all the property OF the
white man was fetch and that the entire
people would perish II any of the goods
were touched. Year after year had passed
and the boxes and sacks had crumb!ed
in the places where they had fallen.
Not so much as a bead was ever appro-
priated by the natives. They made new
path few feet from the white mans
property and there it lay in the dirt and
grass, the memorial of the victory they had
won; but they thought it carried a curse
with il.
Mr. Steckelmann said that the mystery
of the talking box appeared to admit OF an
easy explanation. The metal works OF
several music boxes were found and the
explorer doubtless intended to present
these attractive playthings to native chiefs,
When the natives lifted box containing
one OF these musical instruments it is
probable that the music began to play and
the ill-omened circumstance prevented
the people from protiting by the plumber
at their hands.
Mr. Steckelmann wrote that he had
brought back to the coast a number Of the
interesting relics. One of them was a
box containing a large magnet for polar
ising the compasses. Another package
contained a number OF English and French
scientific periodicals which had been so
we'll covered that parts Of the papers we're
still legible.
Steckelmann's purpose in writing was to
ask If the name of the explorer who lost
the property could be ascertained, The
tracer had no maps or books that would
shed any light on the question.
He had a vague idea that Paul B.
.Du Chailiu's routes in West Africa might
have covered this region, but he was not
certain about it. He knew OF no explorer
who had been there unless Du Chaiuu was
the man.
Mr. Du Chaillu was in New York at the
time the letter was received and reporter
informed HIM of the interesting find in the
Ashango country. He at once said that
the property referred to was large part
Of his equipment which he had lost in that
region twenty-six years before, He took
from a shelf one OF his books. showed on
nap the place where the goods were
abandoned and turned to the pages which
contained a description Of the fight which
resulted in flight OF his porter.
The explorer said he did not blame the
natives, but his own porters were at fault.
The natives had met him as friends but
suddenly assumed warlike attitude.
None of the men in his party understood
their language and though his people
knew the reason for this change of attitude
he did not learn what the trouble was until
after his porters had fed panic stricken
and he was obliged to follow, leaving his
baggage on the ground. The fact was that
the porters had interfcred with the native
women, and the warriors resented their
conduct, took the warpath and by their
vastly superior numbers soon compelled
the expedition to leave the country at the
I op Of their speed,
Mr. Steckemann added in his letter that
he intended TO bring to America, which
he was soon to revisit, the relics he had
found. 1t was only little later. however.
that he was drowned while passing in
surf boat between the shore at Mayumba
and steamer. Very likely the relics of
the Du Chaillu expedition are still AT that
little port.
Nearly eight years ago at dinner given
TO the delegates Of the Sixth International
Congress at Greenwich. the
man to whom Steckelmann wrote heard
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