The sun., 1908-03-22

clded TO camp for the night behind rather
than 10 risk going further In the fog.
SO We watched until tho fires burned low.
and we wentto sleep. Some one said he
heard the report Of a gun. but this was not
confirmed. We we're only few miles above
the Sulua junction, and Il was also barely
possible that the second canoe had passed
down the other bank Of the river In the
darkness and gone on ahead fus,
When the morning came there was still
no sign Of the other canoe, though We
waited and watched the river eagerly,
We concluded that the others must have
passed In the fog and gone on down river.
so we broke camp and padded for Bena
Luidi. as the old abandoned trading post
opposite the mouth Of the Lulua is called.
There the crew Tegaled themselves on
pineapples and pawpaws, but saw still
no signs Of the othsr canoe.
We crossed the river 10 Bena Makima,
where Monsieur HormeE welcomed US.
but had heard nothing about our comrades,
| then decided to get fresh paddlers and 90
back up river to seek the missing canoe,
II was on this occasion that Wembo who
become so identified with me in my later
adventures, volunteered 10 take the rear
paddle and get fresh crew,
So We went back up the Kasai fighting
the current. and taking whole day to do
what few hours had been SUFFICIENT for
In coming down. We we're obliged to camp
for the night before reaching the place
where we had last seen the rear canoe.
Never in my life Of strange adventures
in a wild land have endured such twenty
four hours az those during which we strained
every nerve on our search. had learned
at Bena Makima what bloodthirsty lot
Of savages these Baschilele Of the Kasai
forests were
They had long since thrown on the
authority Of Eukengu and lived like a veri-
table horde Of river pirates. their hands
against every man. They occupied the
west bank OF tho Kasai for 200 miles, living
in little scattered villages In the forests.
Their savage characteristics appeared In
this custom, for tho Africans almost uni
versally prefer 10 locate their towns on
the grassy plains behind the river forests
in the open country.
But the Baschilele chose the denSest
parts Of the woods and made little olearings,
where they lived principally by hunting
and fishing. They had no central tribal
organization. and the forest homes were
chosen az we'll to hide in as for any other
reason. They used arrows tipped with
the famous Lulenga poison, obtained from
L.. - vuh oh
to have obtained from the Batua pygmies.
some Of whose rude settlements we're on
the other side of the Kasai.
They obtainad iror arrow points knives
nd spear heads from I Q Bampeud to the
south exchange for ivo y, as elephants
abound in the Baschilele country. They
were al o yer expert canoemen, and one
Of their reasons for so steadiastly opposing
the ngres5 Of the white man into the upper
Kasa was that they might rem unmo-
leste in their favorite fishing grounds
below Wissmann Falls.
The anxiety fe I was the keener because
Of the very sincere attachment with which
had come 10 regard my little band Of fol-
lowers. What the history Of African eX-
ploration would be without the stanch
adherence to the white man Of the friendly
blacks il is hard TO calcu ate. Witness the
way in which Livingstone crossed Africa
twice with no aid save that OF his native
companions and no financial resources save
the ivory generously given him by Sekeletu
Even after the great explorer died they
carried his body all tn way overland,
more than 1900 miles, from Lake Benig-
weolo o Zanzibar; and it is thanks to them
that his remains now repose in Westminster
Abbey.
The cheerful alacrity with which my
Bantu friends had accompanied me in all
sorts Of adventures and into many dan
gerous locality had endeared them 10 me
by the strongest ties. the rear canoe
was Baum, son and heir OF Chief Dumba,
O had ONE to me with his son from the
Baschilange country 10 place the. boy with
me in order that, as he said, might
learn about the whit, man nd return TO
instruct his people,
umu had be ONE my huntsman and
camp cook, and after the days sport was
over he would bring his long gourd pipe
to my camp fir and ask me T. ell him about
tn wonderful country Of the white men
be ond tn great water, where houses were
taller than trees an elephants were made
10 work and men talked 10 each other over
an iro wire several days march apart.
There was Kelala, a tall, handsome young
Muluba OF bright copper color and really
auuiline features, who was the leader OF
the fireside choir, and the headman among
the hammock bearers, alert, witty In the
African way, always cheerful and smiling,
the life OF the caravan and the adored Of
the young women. Once when | was
wounded he had carried me across the
hills and plains, wading the creeks and
hurrying me to camp. He too was one Of
the camp fire circle who gathered 20 hear
our talks on white mans land.
In one way OF another each OF the missing
crew had done something to distinguish
himself in my eyes, and TO merit being
chosen from among the others had lib
Grated from their former slavery as my
comrades upon the march. They had
become expert collectors In natural his
tory. had taught them to know the
orchids Of the forest and the lilies Of the
plains, and they had brought me many a
new and rare form Of plant or flower.
beast or insect.
They entered into the spirit Of my re-
searches, learned TO preserve specimens.
took a pride in new discoveries and made
long tours In the woods and swamps to
find some new object to attract the white
mania nttnntinn Thav famnhf me the lore