The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-05

Carl Stecklemann, agent OF a Liverpool
| house in the West African trade. The let
ter came from his headquarters at May
umba, small port in the French Con-
go. not far above the north of that river.
1t told of remarkable find Steckel-
mann made while away in the interior
to The far northwest with white COM
rade named Townsend and party of ma
tive porters.
The party was purchasing ivory and
I rubber in the country OF the Ashango ma
tives southeast of the coast region Of
Gaboon. Steckelmann wrote that he 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; scien-
tifc instruments and some other objects
showed that the property had belonged
to no ordinary trader.
Mr.. Steckelmann wondered why the ma
tives in the neighborhood had not appro-
priated the goods. particularly as 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 had a fight with a party led by
little white man, and had defeated the
strangers, who threw down their loads
and ran through the jungle and were
never seen again. The natives thought
the abandoned goods would greatly en-
rich them, but q 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, so 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 if any OF the
goods were touched. Year after year had
passed and the places where they had
crumbld in the places where they had
fallen.
Not so much as a bead was ever ap-
propriated by the natives. They made
new path a 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 1t.
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 a box
containing one Of these musical instru-
ments it is probable that the music began
to play. and the ill-omened circumstance
prevented the people from profiting by the
plumber at their hands.
Mr.. Steckelmanr wrote that he had
brought back TO the coast g number OF
the interesting relics. One of them was
a box containing large magnet for polar
izing the compasses. Another package
contained a number of English and
French scientific periodicals which had
paper were still legble.
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 Jaul B. Du
Chaillus 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 Challie was
the man.
Mr.. Du Chaillu was in New York at the
time the letter was received, and a re-
porter 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 twentysix years be-
fore He took from a shelp one OF his
books. showed on map the place where
the goods were abandoned and turned TO
the pages which resulted in a flight OF
his porters.
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 a wsrlike attitude.
None OF the men IN his party understood
their language. and though his people
knew the reason for this change Of atti-
tude ne did not learn what the trouble
was until after his porters had fed panic
stricken and he was obliged 70 follow.
leaving his basgage on the ground. The
fact was that the porters had interfered
with the native women. and the warriors
....-.oa ,hai- rorz,,~f took The Warmth
and by their vastly superior numbers soon
compelled the expedition 70 leave the
country at the TOP OF their speed
Mr.. Steckelmann added IN his letter that
he intended 10 bring TO America. which
he was soon TO revisit. the relies he had
found II was only little later, however.
that he was drowned while passing in
surf boat between the shore At Mayun5a
and a steamer Very likely the relics %
the Du Chailu expedition are still at that
little port
Nearly eight years ago az dinner given
TO the delegates OF THE sixth international
Geographical Congress st Greenwich the
man TO whom steckelrnaan wrote heard
Paul n, Chaillu-s short speech IN that
DISTINGUISHED gathering He sid he
thanked God th.; re had lived 70 see the
cav when the facts he had told about TIE
Cblongo dwarfs and the gorilla % West
Africa were accepted oy an the world as
unvarnishea truth. though 1or many years
his veracity had been questioned and TIRE
truth he had revealed throush hard work
aud peril had been dsscrediiet BY large
rart OF the learned world. he had bad
| the satisfaction OF being undiezted dur