Mokulu,
canoes. We think they must be the Bahunga, or some
people from the far east, or perhaps they came from
the north. Some of our people managed to get a sight
of them, and say they were dressed like your people.
But you came with Yumbila from below, and Yumbila
says he never heard of such people.”
By dint of patient questioning, we learned also that
they heard that there were people wearing cloth north
of the Basoko, from whom they sometimes, in the way
of trade with neighbouring tribes, obtained a few ol
their beads and copper armlets, but they had not seen
any of them.
Of such a tribe as the Bahunga I had never heard in
1877, and my impression was that these midnight
marauders were Soudan slave-traders, who had probably
descended the great affluent.
This opinion induced me to attempt obtaining some
information respecting this river. But even its name
they were either unable or unwilling to impart to me,
and when they asked me if I intended to follow up the
river, and learned that such was my intention, the
intelligence nearly became the cause of a rupture in
our newly-made friendship. This manifest reluctance
to any disclosures respecting the upper course of the
river only aroused my curiosity, which was further
increased when I learned that they had no objection
to our ascent of the Congo.
Provisions were exceedingly abundant and were
cheaper than at Iboko. White beads and cowries
seemed to be the popular currency here until our cloth
was exhibited, when, to possess a penny handkerchief
became the object of general ambition.
Their paddles, knives, and spears, exhibit remarkable
skill in workmanship. On a paddle blade may be
seen an infinite number of carvings rudely resembling
lizards, crocodiles, canoes, fish, buffalo, &c. Their
knives are broad swords in size and breadth, and as
finely polished as a new razor; while their spears
A TYPE OF THE BASOKO.
are as sharp and bright as though they had just left
a Sheffield shop.
Almost every man possessed some kind of headdress,
either knit out of palm fibre material, or made of the
skin of a monkey, or an antelope. A capacious knit
haversack was a universal appendage to the shoulder.
Physically they are a splendid people for muscular
development, though there are some ill-featured, dark
in colour, and puny of form among them. During the
few days of our mutual intercourse, they gave us a high
idea of their qualities—industry after their own style
1883.
Nov. 16.
Mokula.