THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 235, 22 February 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT

i I \ WOMAN'S WONDERFUL JOURNEY. I ADVENTURES AMONG CANNIBALS. A very interesting account of a journey across Africa is told by Mrs. Roby in the Tatler. She writes:— "It was on January 24 last that I set out from Bonia, which lies almost on the west coast of the Belgian Congo, to accomplish my 3000-mile trek to Elizabethville, away in the south-east, just north of Rhodesia. I naturally expected adventures during the journey, since in many of the districts through which I was to pass no white woman had ever : before been seen, while I knew others were inhabited by cannibals. Nor were my expectations disappointed, for during the eight months of my journey adventures were showered upon me, from some of which I did not think to escape with my life. At a place called Atene, in the Bas Congo district, I was stopping for a fiesh supply of porters when a big chief of the Bap'enda tribe came in with his men laden with rubber to sell to the whites. This man was coughing badly; in fact, he was suffering from a severe attack of bronchitis, and going up to the Kasai Company's manager of the post he told him that his medicine was no good and would not cure a cat. Upon hearing this I asked the chief if he would try some of my remedies, to which he answered, 'Yes.'* So I made a couple of stiff mustard plasters and tied them on to his chest and back. He said they were fine, but 'sterik,' i.e., very strong; but as he was still coughing I gave him some powders to take when he got home, and off he went. Two days later he turned up again very much better, and, much to my surprise, asked me for a present. 'Whv a present?' I asked. 'Because I have taken the white woman's medicine,' he answered promptly. "At Madiha my appearance caused a good deal of excitement, and the chief, evident!v wishing to do me a special honor apd to ensure my having a good dinner, presented me with the tastiest offering he could think of. It took the shape "of a black man's leg. He was quite offended when I refused the proffered delicacy, and explained that the defunct gentleman to whom the limb belonged had been a particular friend of his own. so that the honor was even greater than I had at first imagined. Nevertheless, I firmly declined that gift. On the Kisale Lake, while travelling aboard a little iron boat. I noticed a great commotion in the water ahead, and after watching this for some time I saw a great silver fish leap high out of the water and then fall back, after which the commotion recommenced. Pr<» stntly the firsh again leapt up. and then I saw the snout of a crocodile rise to the surface of the water. For the second time the fish fell back, but very soon afterwards it came to the surface again and began floating down towards us. I called my boy and bade him pull the fish aboard, which lie did, and we then noticed that it had a great gash across the lower part of its back, which had apparently paralysed it, for the creature was still alive.

"A squad of naiivp cyclists is the latest addition to the troops in the Katanga district. There are a hundred of these men, and each soldier carries about 801b of food, ammunition and accoutrements. They learnt to vide and to repail their machines in one month, and they have alreadv been out on a four-months' tour through the country. They pedal with their bare feet, and when rough country is reached they shoulder their machines and march forward thus until level-going is reached once more.

'■' One of the most eerie incidents which \ was constantly happening, but to which J I never grew accustomed during my trek, was the absolutely dramatic way in which the natives would sometimes appear a* though from nowhere. The first time this happened I was cycling along a road with a vast expanse of high grass upon either side. The grass was over 7ft high in many places, while at other points it was comparatively low, formin" n sort of clearing beside the road. " Through a silence only broken bv the swishing of the grass in the wind I* pedalled slowly forward, apparently alone, but conscious in some uncanny sort of way that there were human beings within reach of me. although invisible. It is hard to describe the hatefulness of this feeling, which remained with me' for mile after mile, although T still lacked any real evidence as to the truth of my suspicions. Then all of a sudden, with a nerve-shattering suddenness and without a single sound, there leapt into sight all round me hundreds—literally hundreds—of black men, who until now had been concealed by the thick grass. T have been through all kinds cf adventures in Central Africa, but this sudden leaping into life from nowhere of silent natives remains for me one of the weirdest and most unpleasant experiences. One of my most terrifying adventures on this trip took place in a vast forest, where between the trees the high gross to which T have already referred grew as thick as wheat. I was marching with my carriers along a narrow path that led .through the forest. and presently determined to rest for a time, so giving orders for a halt. T moved from the path a little way and went and sat down against a tree trunk while my porters rested about ten yards away, but out of sight on account of the grass. While resting T fell asleep, and waking up some time later called out for my boys, but received no reply. "They must have gone on." T told myself. "I'll get back to the path and follow them." So I rose and began to walk over what I took to be the few yards that separated me from the path. I walked five —ten — fifteen yards, but still there was no path, and then the truth dawned upon me that. I must have walked in the wrong direction. T tried to get hack to the tree which I had just left, but in the midst of that giant grass all sense of direction left me. anil I wandered helplessly to and fro without ever reaching the tree which T had so recently left. I shouted as loudly as possible without avail, and then, to my disgust. T found that T had forgotten to bring out my whistle with me. T now found myself under a tree with branches coming down near the ground, so I climbed up as high : as possible and looked out to see vvhe- | tber I could obtain any clue as to my whereabouts. Nothing could T see except that hateful swaying grass on every side, with here and there the trees of (lie forest spring up out of it. Again and again T shouted, but never a reply reached me. and as i sat (here helpless and lost the horrible conviction seized me that my porters had deserted me and that here I should die. far from all human life in the grim recesses of a tropical forest. For what seemed a tremendous time T sat. perched high up in my tree, straining my eyes in all directions and shouting at intervals with all the strength of growing despair. And then at last, away on the left. T suddenly noticed that the grass was being swayed to and fro—by what? Some wild animal, most probably. But no: now a plash of red appeared between the grassheads, and T knew that T was saved. Tt was the red fez of my head man. and be was searching for me. Redoubling my shouts. T soon attracted his attention, and in a. few more minutes he was jriiding me back to the other porters. 'J lie men had remained in the same place

| all the time, and when I started for the path they had been but a few yards behind me. Hut I had quickly left them behind by walking into the forest instead of going in the direction of the path. Towards the end of nvy trek the dread blaekwater fever laid me low, and at one time I felt fairly certain that it was going to be my end. My temperature rose steadily, and looking at my diary I find the following entry, dated July 6, 101-2:—'Kyembe Mukula. Temp. 106.2. Think I shall peg out.' However, I managed to struggle hack to health, or at least to some semblance of health, and eventually reached Elizabcthville in safety."