The Eastern Congo 



As the Irumu district had been a game reserve for ten 

 years past and had recently been thrown open again for 

 elephant shooting, some very big tusks were being obtained 

 by Dutch and native elephant hunters, and specimens 

 weighing over one hundred pounds were frequently being 

 brought in for sale. Intriguing for ivory was going on from 

 Irumu to Mbeni and back again. Old tusks that had been 

 buried for years were being dug up. The word had gone 

 forth into the forest that ivory was worth a fabulous price 

 and all the forest tribes were placing their great harpoon 

 elephant spears in all the most likely places they could 

 think of, in the hope of winning a fortune. Later on, as 

 we made our way down the Ituri Valley, we continually 

 met ivory — ivory being carried in big lots and in little lots — 

 great single " forest " tusks, black and shining, worth one 

 hundred and twenty pounds or more, perhaps owned by 

 a pygmy, who passed staggering under the weight of his 

 possession, or long thin cow tusks tied into loads of three 

 or four pieces — all were going to feed the ivory market. 

 Yes, the elephant folk were having a harassing time of 

 it, through the whim, possibly, of a few Americans who 

 had an idea of cornering ivory away on the other side of the 

 world. The boom broke several traders in the Congo and 

 crippled many more, for the price dropped as suddenly as 

 it rose. 



Irumu, which stands at the junction of the Ituri with 

 the Shari River, is an uninteresting and rambling kind of 

 a place, made worse, at the time of our visit, by the smoke 

 of bush fires which constantly enveloped it. The place 

 has a neglected appearance, due to some extent to the in- 

 decision of the Government over the question of its abandon- 



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