1884.
March 31.
Manyanga.
(Copy.)
E x p é d it io n I n te rn a t io n a l e d u H aut -Congo.
S o u t h M a n y a n g a S t a t i o n , March 31sf, 1884.
We, the chiefs Dongosi and Kuimru of Yoonda, sole masters of the
district of that name, having applied to Henry M. Stanley, Chief of the
Expédition Internationale du Congo, to enter into that confederacy of
native chiefs now established between Stanley Pool and South Manyanga,
and all the responsibilities and privileges undertaken or enjoyed by the
members of that confederacy being explained to us, we hereby enter into
an agreement with the said Henry M. Stanley, and' bind- ourselves, our
heirs and successors, to observe the following articles :—
I.—We shall keep all roads passing through our district free of duty, tax
or impost to all strangers, white or black, who shall have the
recommendation or good-will of the Association Internationale
Africaine.
II.—We surrender all right to collect taxes or imposts to the agents of
the said Association.
III.—We agree to recognize the sovereignty of the said Association, and
adopt the flag of the Association, blue, with a golden star, as a sign
thereof.
IY.—We shall refer to the said Association all matters relating to the
government, all questions affecting the peace of the country, all
troubles between ourselves and neighbours, or between ourselves
and strangers of any colour or nationality, to the arbitration and
decision of the Agent of the Association Internationale Africaine.
Y.—We declare that we have not made any agreement, oral or written,
with any person that would render this agreement null and void in
any particular.
YT.—We declare that from henceforth we and our successors and subjects
shall abide by the decision of the Chief-Agent of the Association
Internationale Africaine in all matters affecting our welfare, our
possessions, or our relations to our neighbours, or strangers of any
colour, and that we shall not act contrary to the spirit of- this
agreement in any particular, on pain of forfeiting all subsidies,
gifts, or presents made to us by the agents of the Association. In
witness whereof we have sent our confidential servants as our
proxies to sign this agreement, having understood its contents and
given Our consent verbally in presénce of our people to do and act
precisely as the chiefs of Ngombi, Luteté, and Makitu have already
done.
Witnesses— .. Mdombasi Luboki, his X mark,
Dualda. ' Proxy for the chief Dongosi.
Lofunsu li Mbulu, his X mark,
Proxy for the chief Kuturu.
From Mbimbi we descended slowly threading bur 1884.
way through luxuriant grass until, passing the hill-
cone of Kizalu, we crossed the stream to which the
natives have no other name to give but the “ Stream,”
or “ Njali,” from whence we follow a lengthy spur,
on which the villages of Mani, Ngoma, Kimbenza,
and Mpika, at respectable distances apart, are found
secluded amid their own particular banana groves
and palms. Banza Mbuba comes next; on a commanding
height overlooking a wilderness of hills,
between which, however, there runs a narrow neck,
or saddle of a ridge. JSTzungi, a village of carriers,
lies to the left. Fat black pigs roam about freely
amid the abundant ground-nut fields, and Uzungi’s
position, if anything, is on a breezier hill than that of
Mbuba.
Several lucent streams are passed before we come to
Kimpemba, which we find we have viewed several times
when on the north bank in our camp at Mpakambendi.
It is close to the verge of the Congo canon, and a
certain grand picturesqueness of view is obtainable.
From this spot we soon strike in an oblique direction
from the river, into. the plain of the Mulwassi River,
and up over much reddish land to the more p r om is in g
uplands of Ngombe, of Lutete.
I cannot help smiling when I remember Lutete’s
bold remark when he first saw one of our agents in
1882. ■ For the pleasure of decapitating the pale-faced
man, he. was willing to make conditions. Swaggering
under a load of palm wine, he affected a loud voice, and