HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



Before deigning to recognize either of us white men 

 he addressed a few short and sharp words to our boys, 

 who referred him to us. Through the mouth of Savar- 

 kaki, one of our personal boys, we explained to the chief, 

 for such he was, that we wanted to camp close to his 

 village, and required food, for which we should pay him 

 in cloth or other goods that he fancied. After some 

 hesitation the fellow eventually thawed and agreed to 

 have chickens and matamma brought to us. 



Some excitement was caused in our camp that after- 

 noon by several of the villagers quarrelling among them- 

 selves, attacking each other fiercely with the flat of their 

 spears which they brought down on each other with 

 great force. Blows rained down on shoulders and across 

 heads and many ugly wounds were caused by the keen 

 edges of the spears. One fellow had a gaping wound 

 in his left shoulder and lost an enormous amount of 

 blood, so that he had to be carried to his quarters. 



The quiver for the arrows, carried by most of these 

 people, is made of antelope skin, and is worn hanging 

 down the back from a cord around the neck, so that in 

 many instances it received the full weight of the blow. 



I found out that several of our carriers were actually 

 buying bundles of sticks to make their fires with ! This 

 was not only the height of laziness, but their stores of 

 cloth and other goods provided for barter and for food 

 did not allow of luxuries such as firewood ; and there was 

 plenty of timber close at hand, but they were too lazy 

 to go and cut it down ! Several boys had lately come 

 to us complaining that they had not enough to eat. 

 This explained it, and we decided that the next offender 

 should receive punishment. 



We took the greatest care to have the camp well 

 guarded at night, as there was every likelihood of an 

 attack. All night long whistles and cries not unlike 

 the Australian Co-ee, resounded all around us. On 



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