disposed to come to terms, or to offer to effect a reconciliation,
the En Avcint and whale-boat descended the
river to reconnoitre, and to endeavour to parley with
some of our friends in the villages, hut a most murderous
fusilade greeted us as we came near Manga s
and Yambula’s villages. This roused our ire again,
and we replied at random into the hush, as no person
could be seen.
On the 3rd of September a few of our party occupied
an island running parallel with the hostile villages,
from which our sharpshooters replied briskly at every
locality whence the shots issued.
In the evening, Miyongo appeared and related the
effects of the firing. A woman, the mother of the
young rogue who had first fired at us from Manga s,
had lost her front teeth by a bullet. A man had his
love-knot of hair scraped clean away. Seventeen pots
full of native beer had been smashed ; some houses perforated,
and three or four bananas cut down. At
Itimba the firing from the En Avant had been more
effective, two men were killed and three wounded,
besides one goat and one chicken killed. The Wy-
yanzi are too fond of trade not to include everything
in their tale of losses. The smashing of a few more
pots of beer, by which their courage is inspired, would
produce a depression whence peaceful results might
be expected.
The following day, Ibaka introduced a peace deputation
from Itimba, which brought with it a few dozens of
brass rods, a goat, and some fowls. Surely a war was
not worth much at Bolobo when they estimated the
indemnity at such a trifle. However, we accepted it,
and old Upiti and his brother ambassadors were
delighted, and promised to be very good in future.
In the afternoon we proceeded again to the island
opposite Manga’s, and kept up a desultory firing at the
white cloudlets emitted from the black bush, and in the
evening Miyongo bore to me the bulletin of results.
The tale of losses included a chief wounded in the
leg while drinking beer in the woods with his brother
chiefs, one man wounded in both thighs, one in the
arms, a gun smashed by a bullet, a canoe damaged, and
a few more bananas levelled.
The wounding of a chief brought Manga to propose
terms of peace, but as this was a second offence I was
severe. They offered the same money paid by Itimba.
It was rejected with scorn, and they were told that, as
they considered it a pleasure to fight, and a hardship
: to pay for the privilege of firing at people, we must try
tour hands at it again next day, and every day until
f the big gun arrived from Stanley Pool, when they would
¡all be blown up to the sky. This awful threat. made
[them surrender the case to Ibaka’s hands, but with all
8 Ibaka’s real and earnest efforts it cost us nine days’
negotiations to induce them to pay the fine of 600
matako, value £15, as an indemnity.
On the 13th the peace was duly proclaimed through-
lout Bolobo, and the next day the Krupp, which had
•arrived during the last days of the peace negotiations,
pad to be fired into the Congo, which, opposite Bolobo,
1883.
Sept. 3
Bolobo