href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@49591@[email protected]#hide" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">"She looked at me in fear and trembling, and she and the children ran to hide"

" " 32 "The leopard was slowly crawling near" " " 38 "We fired and brought him down" " " 44 "Boiling water and hot ashes were thrown upon the ants and we put brands across their path" " " 52 "Suddenly the bull made for the river" " " 58 "Gun in hand, I watched for him to swim to the surface of the water" " " 70 "He put his nose close to her face and moaned pitifully" " " 88 "Soon I saw their heads peeping over the palisades" " " 94 Rogala and his idol " " 98 "The two nshiego-nkengos had their backs turned towards us, and were eating pineapples" " " 114 "When the raft was ready Rogala, Ndova, and Andekko crossed to the island" " " 122 "When I was ready to take observations, I seated myself cross-legged before the artificial horizon" " " 128 "Rogala came out of the den holding two little live leopards by the neck" " " 136 "Clearly this village belonged to a warlike tribe, whose people were always fighting" " " 146 "When I saw him, I came towards him, and in an instant we were in each other's arms" " " 152 "Suddenly Rogala uttered a terrific war-cry and ran towards the man" " " 168 "He ate with us, and consequently had the same food" " " 174 "Andekko had pinned the mandrill down and they were fighting savagely" " " 180 "At the end of the day I had made a pair of skin trousers" " " 190

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IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE

CHAPTER I

A CANOE-VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF ROTEMBO THE CHIEF—A TOILET OF CEREMONY—ROTEMBO's GROTESQUE COSTUME—A FORMAL RECEPTION—SPEECHES OF ROTEMBO AND MYSELF—A DANCE IN MY HONOR—MY PRESENTS TO THE CHIEF—WE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS

The canoe that took me from King Mombo to Rotembo the Chief was a dug-out made of a huge tree, and was of great length. On its prow was carved the head of a growling leopard. It was paddled by forty men. Rikimongani, the nephew of King Mombo, steered, and had the stick Omemba (the snake) with him to show that he carried the message of his uncle King Mombo to Rotembo the Chief.

Near the prow were two men who beat two tomtoms furiously almost all the time, which was to show that they were on an important mission.

The sun was very hot, and the heat was intense. The black oily skins of the men shone as if they had been eelskins. The river banks were lined with mangrove trees, supported on their tall roots, and as the tide was low, we could see multitudes of oysters growing round them.

We passed at last the region of the mangrove trees, which only grow where the tide is felt and where the banks of the rivers are flat. Then the banks of the Ogobai river became hilly and clad with the trees of the forest to their very top. Here and there a flock of gray parrots with red tails were feeding on fruits, or a troop of monkeys was seen.

The following day, as we were approaching the village of Rotembo the Chief, we landed, and the men made their toilet so as to appear at their best when they arrived at the village of Rotembo.

Rikimongani put a shirt on, and a high silk hat—this was the costume he wore on state occasions. He was the best dressed man of the company.

Then we re-embarked, and as we paddled the men began to sing, and to beat