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THE GREAT WAR CANOE ON THE CONGO.

" Tlieru am enormous trow on the Llviugstone ltira, tuura wpecially under tin- squalor, ami out of tutto trvu the. natives out witli infinite lulionr and puliouco, their war and troll* eanoet. I'lio war cunoes am generally niutlo of ilic teak wood, and they vary in om from 50ft long to DOft, rarvad out of u nugla trw. I he bourn ii in propwttuu :

urns oi 50ft loug would have from 2ft j ii» beam to 35ft; that of DOft would bo ' Utween -*ft * and ML As may no imagined, "U» of the Utter size would | carry a very large fort* of WUrloft, It was at the "junction of the Aruwiuii and the Livingstone as we WOT gliding down the river, that we WAN struck with « view of an extraordinary reception pro> jmred for us. It was evident since the early morning when we left our islmid I rump, tluvt toe ilay would be fruitful of incidents. The great drums of the tribes along tho banks h:ul been busy jill night with the noisy summons to war, and every now and then the night winds bore to our eor» a faint sound of the wild people exciting themselves to desperate deeds for the morrow. We bad Buorccly left our camp before we saw unusual activity Oil the opposite side of the river, and frequently we could see hurrying form through tho glades of the forest on our right. Small canoes, with only two men ID each, dodged in and out of each creed, or paddied desperately towards us, and amused themselves with swaying lances at us, and only desisted from throwing when I ordered one of mv swiftest canoes to affect fury and to uh'argO on them. Perceiving that we did not mean to follow them, but merely frightened them, they glided down river in a parole! course, and railed at us in tho most abusive manner, which, being uninterrupted, culminated near villages in drawing fifty or sixty other canoes whoso crows emboldened by our forbearance, succeeded ill wounding two of our men before we woke up to tho fact that presumption had passed its hounds. Twice mi this day before noou we had two separate conflicts, but in the afternoon the country was getting more populous, and it became, every two miles or so, a series of .skirmishes, until, coming within view ef tho Arn■wimi, instinct told us that our fate was .dubious when we caught sight of the ■war canoes, (i:i in number, bearing down upon us for our apparently sudden and inevitable destruction. The people, as I looked at them, were in a tine humour for running unresistingly away ; and two double canoes were seen to paddle desperately from the line, straight down live]-. These, after Dome difficulty, were brought back, anil told to anchor. I formed the sixteen canoes in two separate divisions with sufficient room for the Lady Alice to choose her position, as the fight varied; and Frank, in charge of the Ocean, was ito the right Hank, with a number <>E good guns and marksmen to assist him. 11l live minutes we were ready. The war canoes were a beautiful sight as they .came riding furiously, as it were, on the faee of the river, especially the foremost one -a monster from the unknown wilds, with a mauo which floated from the bow us her urgent head cut the air. It never swerved to the ri«ht or the left, but advanced with a wild grace and action perfectly superb. On a platform were eight or 10 spcarsmen dressed ill their finest -feathers so abundant that they made a formidable show of numbers, an array of shields quite imposing, above which gleamed the blades of bright, sharp spear.s. When about .">0 yard from us, the monster swerved a little to the left, and allowed us a glimple of her length, her lieautiful linos, the magnificent paddles, the confident warriors, who numbered about 120. But wo had no time to adinore —she was close on us. Two or three spears hustled through ; others were on the launch, while her savage mates wereclose by, advancing at an irresistible speed. The word was given to fire, every man for himself. Within smin the canoes and their warrior crews retired up stream, pursued by our now excited people.'"—Stanley's African Adventures.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/STSSG18790726.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 95, 26 July 1879, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
728

THE GREAT WAR CANOE ON THE CONGO. Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 95, 26 July 1879, Page 2

THE GREAT WAR CANOE ON THE CONGO. Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 95, 26 July 1879, Page 2

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