406 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



them in 1905 in the Indian Colonial Exhibition at the Crys- 

 tal Palace, London. They are now owned by Mr. H. J. 

 Heinz of Pittsburg, Pa. 



The elephants of Bamba, a province of Congo, were re- 

 puted to attain a very great size, so that, in the words of 

 John Ogilby: "Some of their teeth weigh'd about two hun- 

 dredweight: in Congoish Language such a tooth they call 

 'Mene-Manzo.'" This writer says that many tusks, 

 *'scurfed or hollow," were found in the wilderness, having 

 become so by exposure to rain and wind, and he also states 

 that such a great abundance of ivory had been brought from 

 this region since the early part of the century, that when he 

 wrote, in 1670, the supply had begun to diminish, as the na- 

 tives were obliged to go farther into the interior of the coun- 

 try to secure the material.* This may seem strange in view 

 of the enormous quantity of ivory brought from the Congo 

 region later, and down to our day, but three hundred years 

 ago only a small part of this immense country was in any 

 way accessible to travellers. 



The Nyami, or chief ruler of the Bushongo in the Congo 

 region, always establishes his permanent abode in a place 

 chosen, at his accession, as the royal capital. On very rare 

 occasions, however, he travels through the territory occupied 

 by the tribes which acknowledge his authority. On such 

 occasions, it is, and has been, customary to set up a fine 

 elephant's tusk that serves as the back of the royal seat, on 

 his arrival at any considerable settlement where he is to 

 break his journey. When this tusk has been so honoured, 

 it is left in its place after the Nyami's departure, and becomes 

 a memento of the royal favour. The most celebrated of 

 these Bushango chiefs was Shamba Balongongo, who 

 reigned about 1600 A. D. A Belgian scientific expedition 

 was recently permitted to take away an exceptionally fine, 



*John Ogilby, "Africa," London, 1670, p. 529. 



