CHAPTER SIX.
DESCRIBES SEVERAL NEW AND SURPRISING INCIDENTS, WHICH MUST BE READ TO BEFULLY APPRECIATED.
To travel with one's mouth and eyes opened to nearly their utmost widthin a state of surprised stupefaction, may be unavoidable, but it cannotbe said to be either becoming or convenient. Attention in such a caseis apt to be diverted from the business in hand, and flies have atendency to immolate themselves in the throat.
Nevertheless, inconvenient though the condition was, our friend DiscoLillihammer was so afflicted with astonishment at what he heard and sawin this new land, that he was constantly engaged in swallowing flies andrunning his canoe among shallows and rushes, insomuch that he at lastresigned the steering-oar until familiarity with present circumstancesshould tone him down to a safe condition of equanimity.
And no wonder that Disco was surprised; no wonder that his friend HaroldSeadrift shared in his astonishment and delight, for they were at once,and for the first time in their lives, plunged into the very heart ofjungle life in equatorial Africa! Those who have never wandered farfrom the comparatively tame regions of our temperate zone, can form buta faint conception of what it is to ramble in the tropics, and thereforecan scarcely be expected to sympathise fully with the mental conditionof our heroes as they ascended the Zambesi. Everything was sothoroughly strange; sights and sounds so vastly different from what theyhad been accustomed to see and hear, that it seemed as though they hadlanded on another planet. Trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, beasts,insects, and reptiles, all were unfamiliar, except indeed, one or two ofthe more conspicuous trees and animals, which had been so imprinted ontheir minds by means of nursery picture-books that, on first beholdingthem, Disco unconsciously paid these books the compliment of saying thatthe animals "wos uncommon like the picturs."
Disco's mental condition may be said, for the first two or three days,to have been one of gentle ever-flowing surprise, studded thickly withlittle bursts of keen astonishment.
The first part of the river ran between mangrove jungle, in regard towhich he remarked that "them there trees had legs like crabs," in whichobservation he was not far wrong, for, when the tide was out, the rootsof the mangroves rose high out of the mud, forming supports, as it were,for the trees to stand on.
But it was the luxuriance of the vegetation that made the most powerfulimpression on the travellers. It seemed as if the various groups andfamilies of the vegetable kingdom had been warmed by the sun into astate of unwonted affection, for everything appeared to entertain thedesire to twine round and embrace everything else. One magnificentscrew-palm in particular was so overwhelmed by affectionate parasitesthat his natural shape was almost entirely concealed. Others of thetrees were decked with orchilla weed. There were ferns so gigantic asto be almost worthy of being styled trees, and palm-bushes so sprawlingas to suggest the idea of huge vegetable spiders. Bright yellow fruitgleamed among the graceful green leaves of the mangroves; wilddate-palms gave variety to the scene, if that had been needed, which itwas not, and masses of umbrageous plants with large yellow flowers grewalong the banks, while, down among the underwood, giant roots rose infantastic convolutions above ground, as if the earth were already toofull, and there wasn't room for the whole of them. There was anantediluvian magnificence, a prehistoric snakiness, a sort of primevalrunning-to-seedness, which filled Harold and Disco with feelings of awe,and induced a strange, almost unnatural tendency to regard Adam and Eveas their contemporaries.
Animal life was not wanting in this paradise. Frequently did our seamangive vent to "Hallo!" "There they go!" "Look out for the little 'unwi' the long tail!" and similar expressions, referring of course to hisfavourite monkeys, which ever and anon peered out upon the strangerswith looks of intensity, for whatever their expression might be--sadness, grief, interrogation, wrath, surprise--it was always in thesuperlative degree. There were birds also, innumerable. One, styledthe "king-hunter," sang wild exultant airs, as if it found king-huntingto be an extremely exhilarating occupation, though what sort of kings ithunted we cannot tell. Perhaps it was the king of beasts, perhaps thekingfisher, a bright specimen of which was frequently seen to dart outfrom the banks, but we profess ignorance on this point. There werefish-hawks also, magnificent fellows, which sat in regal dignity on thetops of the mangrove trees, and the glossy ibis, with others of thefeathered tribe too numerous to mention.
Large animals also were there in abundance, though not so frequentlyseen as those which have been already mentioned. Disco occasionallymade known the fact that such, or something unusual, had transpired, bythe sudden and violent exclamation of "What's that?" in a voice so loudthat "that," whatever it might be, sometimes bolted or took to flightbefore any one else caught sight of it.
"Hallo!" he exclaimed, on one such occasion, as the canoes turned a bendof the river.
"What now?" demanded Harold, looking at his companion to observe thedirection of his eyes.
"I'm a Dutchman," exclaimed Disco in a hoarse whisper that might havebeen heard half a mile off, "if it's not a zebra!"
"So it is; my rifle--look sharp!" said Harold eagerly.
The weapon was handed to him, but before it could be brought to bear,the beautiful striped creature had tossed its head, snorted, whisked itstail, kicked up its heels, and dashed into the jungle.
"Give way, lads; let's after him," shouted Disco, turning the canoe'sbow to shore.
"Hold on," cried Harold; "you might as well go after a needle in ahaystack, or a locomotive."
"So I might," admitted Disco, with a mortified air, resuming his course;"but it ain't in reason to expect a feller to keep quiet w'en he seesone o' the very picturs of his child'ood, so to speak, come alive an'kick up its heels like that."
Buffaloes were also seen in the grassy glades, but it proved difficultto come within range of them; also wart-hogs, and three different kindsof antelope.
Of these last Harold shot several, and they were found to be excellentfood.
Human beings were also observed, but those first encountered fled at thesight of the white men, as if they had met with their worst foes; andsuch was in very truth the case,--if we may regard the Portuguesehalf-castes of that coast as white men,--for these negroes were runawayslaves, who stood the chance of being shot, or drowned, or whipped todeath, if recaptured.
Other animals they saw--some queer, some terrible, nearly all strange--and last, though not least, the hippopotamus.
When Disco first saw this ungainly monster he was bereft of speech forsome minutes. The usual "Hallo!" stuck in his throat and well-nighchoked him. He could only gasp, and point.
"Ay, there goes a hippopotamus," said Harold, with the easy nonchalanceof a man who had been to the Zoological Gardens, and knew all about it.Nevertheless it was quite plain that Harold was much excited, for healmost dropped his oar overboard in making a hasty grasp at his rifle.Before he could fire, the creature gaped wide, as if in laughter, anddived.
"Unfortunate!" said Harold, in a philosophically careless tone; "nevermind, we shall see lots more of them."
"Ugliness embodied!" said Disco, heaving a deep sigh.
"But him's goot for eat," said Antonio, smacking his lips.
"Is he?" demanded Disco of Jumbo, whose enjoyment of the sailor'sexpressive looks was so great, that, whenever the latter opened hislips, the former looked back over his shoulder with a broad grin ofexpectation.
"Ho yis; de hiputmus am fust-rate grub for dis yer boy," replied thenegro, rolling his red tongue inside his mouth suggestively.
"He never eats man, does he?" inquired Disco.
"Nevair," replied Antonio.
"He looks as if he might," returned the seaman; "anyhow, he's got amouth big enough to do it. You're quite sure he don't, I 'spose?"
"Kite sure an' sartin; but me hab seen him tak mans," said Antonio.
"Tak mans, wot d'ee mean by that?"
"Tak him," repeated Antonio. "Go at him's canoe or boat--bump withhim's head--dash in de timbers--
capsize, so's man hab to swim shore--allas got clear ob de crokidils."
While Disco was meditating on this unpleasant trait of character in thehippopotamus, the specimen which they had just seen, or some othermember of his family, having compassion, no doubt, on the seaman'signorance, proceeded to illustrate its method of attack then and thereby rising suddenly under the canoe with such force, that its head andshoulders shot high out of the water, into which it fell with a heavysplash. Harold's rifle being ready, he fired just as it wasdisappearing.
Whether he hit or not is uncertain, but next moment the enraged animalrose again under Disco's canoe, which it nearly lifted out of the waterin its efforts to seize it in its mouth. Fortunately the canoe was tooflat for its jaws to grip; the monster's blunt teeth were felt, as wellas heard, to grind across the planks; and Disco being in the stern,which was raised highest, was almost thrown overboard by the jerk.
Rising about two yards off, the hippopotamus looked savagely at thecanoe, and was about to dive again when Harold gave it a second shot.The large gun being fortunately ready, had been handed to him by one ofthe Makololo men. The heavy ball took effect behind the eye, and killedthe animal almost instantaneously. The hippopotamus usually sinks whenshot dead, but in this case they were so near that, before it had timeto sink, Zombo, assisted by his friend Jumbo, made a line fast to it,and it was finally dragged to the shore. The landing, however, was muchretarded by the crocodiles, which now showed themselves for the firsttime, and kept tugging and worrying the carcase much as a puppy tugs andworries a ladies' muff; affording Disco and his friend strong reason tocongratulate themselves that the canoe had not been overturned.
The afternoon was pretty well advanced when the landing was accomplishedon a small sandy island, and as the spot was suitable for encamping,they determined to remain there for the night, and feast.
There are many points of resemblance between savage and civilisedfestivities. Whether the performers be the black sons of Africa, or thewhite fathers of Europe, there is the same powerful tendency to eat toomuch, and the same display of good-fellowship; for it is an indisputablefact that feeding man is amiable, unless, indeed, he be dyspeptic.There are also, however, various points of difference. The savage,owing to the amount of fresh air and exercise which he is compelled totake, usually eats with greater appetite, and knows nothing of equinedreams or sleepless nights. On the whole, we incline to the beliefthat, despite his lack of refinement and ceremony, the savage has thebest of it in this matter.
Disco Lillihammer's visage, during the progress of that feast, formed astudy worthy of a physiognomist. Every new achievement, whethertrifling or important, performed by the Makololo triad, Jumbo, Zombo,and Masiko--every fresh hippopotamus steak skewered and set up to roastby the half-caste brothers Jose and Oliveira--every lick bestowed ontheir greasy fingers by the Somali negroes Nakoda and Conda, and everysigh of intense satisfaction heaved by the so-called "freemen" ofQuillimane, Songolo and Mabruki, was watched, commented on, and, if wemay say so, reflected in the animated countenance of the stout seaman,with such variety of expression, and such an interesting compound ofgrin and wrinkle, that poor Jumbo, who gazed at him over hippopotamusribs and steaks, and tried hard not to laugh, was at last compelled toturn away his eyes, in order that his mouth might have fair-play.
But wonderful, sumptuous, and every way satisfactory though that feastwas, it bore no comparison whatever to another feast carried on at thesame time by another party, about fifty yards off, where the carcase ofthe hippopotamus had been left half in and half out of the water--for,of course, being fully more than a ton in weight, only a small portionof the creature was appropriated by the canoe-men. The negroes paid noattention whatever to this other festive party; but in a short timeDisco turned his head to one side, and said--"Wy, wot's that splashin' Ihears goin' on over there?"
"I suspect it must be some beast or other that has got hold of thecarcase," replied Harold, who was himself busy with a portion of thesame.
"Yis, dat am krokidils got 'im," said Antonio, with his mouth full--veryfull.
"You don't say so?" said Disco, washing down the steak with a brimmingcup of tea.
No one appeared to think it worth while to asseverate the fact, for itwas self-evident. Several crocodiles were supping, and in doing so theytore away at the carcase with such violence, and lashed the water sofrequently with their powerful tails, as to render it clear that theirfeast necessitated laborious effort, and seemed less a recreation than aduty. Moreover, they sat at their meat like insatiable gourmands, solong into the night that supper became transmuted into breakfast, andHarold's rest was greatly disturbed thereby. He was too sleepy andlazy, however, to rise and drive them away.
Next morning the travellers started early, being anxious to pass, asquietly as possible, a small Portuguese town, near to which it was saida party of runaway slaves and rebels against the Government were engagedin making depredations.
When grey dawn was beginning to rise above the tree-tops, they lefttheir encampment in profound silence, and rowed up stream as swiftly aspossible. They had not advanced far, when, on turning a point coveredwith tall reeds, Zombo, who was bowman in the leading canoe, suddenlymade a sign to the men to cease rowing.
"What's the matter?" whispered Harold.
The negro pointed through the reeds, and whispered the single word"Canoe."
By this time the other canoe had ranged up alongside, and after a briefconsultation between Harold and Disco, it was decided that they shouldpush gently into the reeds, and wait till the strange canoe should pass;but a few seconds sufficed to show that the two men who paddled it didnot intend to pass down the river, for they pushed straight out towardsthe deepest part of the stream. They were, however, carried down soswiftly by the current that they were brought quite near to the point ofrushes where our travellers lay concealed--so near that their voicescould be distinctly heard. They talked in Portuguese.
Antonio muttered a few words, and Harold observed that there was a gooddeal of excitement in the looks of his men.
"What's the matter?" he asked anxiously.
Antonio shook his head. "Dat nigger goin' to be drownded," he said;"bad nigger--obstropolous nigger, suppose."
"Wot!" exclaimed Disco in a whisper, "goin' to be drownded! wot d'eemean?"
Antonio proceeded to explain that it was a custom amongst the Portugueseslave-owners there, when they found any of their slaves intractable orrefractory, to hire some individuals who, for a small sum, would bindand carry off the incorrigible for the purpose of making away with him.One method of effecting this was to tie him in a sack and throw him intothe river, the crocodiles making quite sure that the unfortunate beingshould never again be seen, either alive or dead. But before Antoniohad finished his brief explanation he was interrupted by an exclamationfrom the horrified Englishmen, as they beheld the two men in the canoeraise something between them which for a moment appeared to struggleviolently.
"Shove off! give way!" shouted Harold and Disco in the same breath, eachthrusting with his paddle so vigorously that the two canoes shot outlike arrows into the stream.
At the same instant there was a heavy plunge in the water beside thestrange canoe, and the victim sank. Next moment one end of the sackrose to the surface. Both Harold and Disco made straight towards it,but it sank again, and the two murderers paddled to the shore, on whichthey drew up their canoe, intending to take to the bush, if necessary,for safety.
Once again the sack rose not more than three yards from Disco's canoe.The bold seaman knew that if it disappeared a third time there would belittle chance of its rising again. He was prompt in action, and daringto recklessness. In one moment he had leaped overboard, dived, caughtthe sack in his powerful grasp, and bore it to the surface. The canoehad been steered for him. The instant he appeared, strong and readyhands laid hold of him and his burden, and dragged them both inboard.
"Cut the lashin's and give him air," cried Disco, endeavouring to
findhis clasp-knife; but one of the men quickly obeyed the order, and openedthe sack.
A groan of horror and pity burst from the seaman when he beheld thealmost insensible form of a powerful negro, whose back was laceratedwith innumerable ragged cuts, and covered with clotted blood.
"Where are the--"
He stopped short on looking round, and, observing that the two men werestanding on the shore, seized a double-barrelled gun. The stream hadcarried the canoe a considerable distance below the spot where themurder had been attempted, but they were still within range. Without amoment's hesitation Disco took deliberate aim at them and fired.
Fortunately for him and his party Disco was a bad shot--nevertheless thebullet struck so close to the feet of the two men that it drove the sandand pebbles into their faces. They turned at once and fled, but beforethey reached the cover of the bushes the second barrel was fired, andthe bullet whistled close enough over their heads greatly to acceleratetheir flight.
The negroes opened their great round eyes, and appeared awe-struck atthis prompt display of a thirst for vengeance on the part of one who hadhitherto shown no other disposition than hilarity, fun, and good-humour.
Harold was greatly relieved to observe Disco's failure, for, if he hadhit either of the fugitives, the consequences might have been verydisastrous to their expedition.
On being partially revived and questioned, it turned out that the poorfellow had been whipped almost to death for refusing to be theexecutioner in whipping his own mother. This was a refinement incruelty on the part of these professedly Christian Portuguese, which ourtravellers afterwards learned was by no means uncommon.
We are told by those who know that region well, and whose veracity isunquestionable, that the Portuguese on the east coast of Africa live inconstant dread of their slaves rising against them. No wonder,considering the fiendish cruelties to which they subject them! In orderto keep them in subjection they underfeed them, and if any of themventure to steal cocoa-nuts from the trees the owners thereof are atliberty to shoot them and throw them into the sea. Slaves being cheapthere, and plentiful, are easily replaced, hence a cruel owner neverhesitates. If a slave is refractory, and flogging only makes him worse,his master bids the overseer flog him until "he will require no more."Still further to keep them in subjection, the Portuguese then endeavourto eradicate from them all sympathy with each other, and all naturalaffection, by the following means. If a woman requires to be flogged,her brother or son is selected to do it. Fathers are made to flog theirdaughters, husbands their wives, and, if two young negroes of differentsexes are observed to show any symptoms of growing attachment for eachother, these two are chosen for each other's executioners. [See_Travels in Eastern Africa_, by Lyons McLeod, Esquire, FRGS, and lateHer Britannic Majesty's Consul at Mozambique, volume one pages 274 to277, and volume two page 27.]
The poor wretch whom we have just described as having been saved fromdeath, to which he had been doomed for refusing to become theexecutioner of his own mother, was placed as tenderly and comfortably ascircumstances would admit of in the bottom of the canoe, and then ourtravellers pushed on with all haste--anxious to pass the town before thetwo fugitives could give the alarm.
They were successful in this, probably because the two men may have hidthemselves for some time in the jungle, under the impression that theexasperated Englishmen might be searching for them on shore.
Giving themselves time only to take a hurried meal in the middle of theday, our travellers rowed continuously till sunset when, deeming itprobable that pursuit, if undertaken at all, must have been abandoned,they put ashore on the right bank of the river and encamped.
When the sufferer had been made as comfortable as circumstances wouldallow--for he was much weakened by loss of blood as well as agonisedwith pain--and after he had been refreshed with food and some warm tea,Harold questioned him, through the interpreter, as to his previoushistory.
At first the man was brusque in his manner, and inclined to be sulky,for a long course of cruelty had filled him with an intense hatred ofwhite men. Indeed, an embittered and desperate spirit had begun toinduce callous indifference to all men, whether white or black. Butkind treatment, to which he was evidently unaccustomed, and generousdiet, which was obviously new to him, had a softening influence, andwhen Harold poured a small glass of rum into his tea, and Antonio addeda lump of sugar, and Disco pressed him tenderly to drink it off--whichhe did--the effect was very decided; the settled scowl on his facebecame unsettled, and gradually melting away, was replaced by a milderand more manly look. By degrees he became communicative, and, bit bybit, his story was drawn from him. It was brief, but very sorrowful.
His name, he said, was Chimbolo. He belonged to a tribe which lived farinland, beyond the Manganja country, which latter was a country ofhills. He was not a Manganja man, but he had married a Manganja woman.One night he, with his wife and mother, was paying a visit to thevillage of his wife's relations, when a band of slave-hunters suddenlyattacked the village. They were armed with guns, and at once began tomurder the old people and capture the young. Resistance was useless.His relatives were armed only with bows and spears. Being taken bysurprise, they all fled in terror, but were pursued and few escaped.His wife, he said--and a scowl of terrible ferocity crossed Chimbolo'sface as he said it--was about to become a mother at the time. He seizedher in his arms on the first alarm, and fled with her into the bush,where he concealed her, and then hurried back to aid his relations, butmet them--old and young, strong and feeble--flying for their lives. Itwas not possible to rally them; he therefore joined in the flight.While running, a bullet grazed his head and stunned him. Presently herecovered and rose, but in a few minutes was overtaken and captured. Aslave-stick was put on his neck, and, along with a number of Manganjamen, women, and children, he was driven down to the coast, and sold,with a number of other men and women, among whom was his own mother, toa Portuguese merchant on the coast, near the East Luavo mouth of theZambesi. There he was found to be of a rebellious spirit, and at laston positively refusing to lash his mother, his master ordered him to bewhipped to death, but, changing his mind before the order had been quitecarried out he ordered him to be bound hand and foot and taken away in asack. As to his wife, he had never heard of her since that night whichwas about two years past. He knew that she had not been found, becausehe had not seen her amongst the other captives. If they had found herthey would have been sure to carry her off, because--here Chimbolo'svisage again grew diabolical--she was young, he said, and beautiful.
When all this had been translated into bad English by Antonio, Haroldasked if Chimbolo thought it probable that his wife was still alive inthe Manganja highlands. To this the former said that he thought itlikely.
"W'y, then," said Disco, giving his right thigh a powerful slap, whichwas his favourite method of emphasising a remark, "wot d'ye say, sir, tolay our course for these same highlands, and try for to find out thispoor critter?"
"Just what was running in my own mind, Disco," said Harold, musing overhis supper. "It does not make much difference what part of this countrywe go to, being all new to us; and as Antonio tells me the Manganjahighlands are up the Shire river, which was explored by Dr Livingstonenot long ago, and is not distant many days' journey from this, I thinkwe can't do better than go there. We shall have a good as well as adefinite object in view."
"Wery good, sir; I'm agreeable," returned Disco, reaching forth hispewter plate; "another hunk o' that pottimus, Jumbo; it's better thansalt-junk any day; and I say, Jumbo, don't grin so much, else ye'llenlarge yer pretty little mouth, which 'ud be a pity."
"Yis, saar," replied Jumbo, becoming very grave all of a sudden, but onreceiving a nod and an expressive wink from the seaman, he explodedagain, and rolled backward on the grass, in the performance of which acthe capsized Zombo's can of tea, whereupon Zombo leaped upon him inwrath, and Masiko, as in duty bound, came to the rescue.
"Clap a stopper on yer noise, will 'ee
?" cried Disco sternly, "elseyou'll be bringin' all the wild beasts in these parts down on us to seewot it's all about."
"That reminds me," said Harold, when quiet was restored, "that we mustnow organise ourselves into something of a fighting band--a company, asit were, of soldiers,--and take our regular spell of watching by night,for, from all that I hear of the disturbed state of the country justnow, with these runaway slaves and rebels, it will be necessary to be onour guard. Of course," he added, smiling, "I suppose I must be captainof the company, and you, Disco, shall be lieutenant."
"Not at all," replied the seaman, shaking his head, and frowning atJumbo, whose brilliant teeth at once responded to the glance, "not atall, none of your sodgerin' for me. I never could abide the lobsters.Fust-mate, sir, that's wot _I_ am, if I'm to be expected to do mydooty."
"Well then, first-mate be it," rejoined Harold, "and Antonio shall beserjeant-major--"
"Bo's'n--bo's'n," suggested Disco; "keep up appearances wotiver ye do,an' don't let the memory of salt water go down."
"Very good," said Harold, laughing; "then you shall be boatswain,Antonio, as well as cook, and I will instruct you in the first part ofyour duty, which will be to keep watch for an hour while the rest of ussleep. My first-mate will teach you the whistling part of a boatswain'sduty, if that should be required--"
"Ah, and the roar," interrupted Disco, "a bo's'n would be nothin'without his roar--"
At that moment the woods around them were filled with a tremendous andvery unexpected roar, which caused the whole party to spring up, andinduced the new bo's'n to utter a yell of terror that would have donecredit to the whistle of the most violent bo's'n on the sea. Nextmoment the travellers were surrounded by a large and excited band ofarmed negroes.