The World and Its People Part 51

In the darker recesses of the forest, outlines of human faces cut in the bark of trees were seen. The outlines of these bearded heads bore a close resemblance to those found on Egyptian monuments. At frequent intervals cuts were made on the trees along the path, and offerings of small pieces of ma.s.sive roots or ears of maize placed on the branches attracted the attention.

Every few miles were found heaps of sticks to which each pa.s.ser-by contributed. Again, a few sticks were placed in the path, and each traveler turned from his course to one side as though fearing to commit a sacrilege.

Poor and ignorant as these savages were, their fears seemed intensified by the gloom of the forest recesses, and they appeared to be ever striving to propitiate by their offerings some higher order of being, who might hold sway there.

Many of the tribes were found to have a strong belief in the power of charms for good or evil. This belief seemed productive of honest and gentle dealing among the natives; while the fear that even the weak and helpless might work injury to those stronger than themselves, through their knowledge of the nature of these charms, often held in check those who might otherwise have been despotic in their dealings.

At one of the villages a man showed the grave of his child, and with much display of feeling told how she had been burned to death in her hut. He had come to the place with all his family, and had built huts around it, in order to weep for her. His fear was that if her grave should be left unguarded, witches might come and bewitch the remaining relatives by placing medicines on the grave.

The people of the Barotse tribe have a very decided belief in the continued existence of the spirits of the departed. Livingstone mentions that one of his men suffering from a headache said sadly and thoughtfully, "My father is scolding me because I do not give him any of the food I eat." Upon being asked where his father was, he answered, "Among the Barimo."

Along the banks of the Quilo the country, when visited by Livingstone, was occupied by natives who had once been sold as slaves and afterwards freed. Though far from their old homes, they seemed contented and happy.

This section of country was full of villages. Food was abundant, and little labor was necessary to cultivate the soil. The ground was so rich that it was not necessary to fertilize it. Whenever a garden became too poor to produce good crops of maize and millet, the owner of it immediately broke ground a little farther into the forest, applying fire to the roots of the larger trees to kill them, and cutting down the smaller ones. This done, his new rich garden was ready for planting.

Such a garden usually presented the appearance of a large number of tall dead trees stripped of their bark, with maize growing between them. The deserted gardens often continued to produce manioc for many years after their owners had sought new spots for their crops of maize and millet.

The character and temperament of the owners of the various gardens in the villages could be easily detected. Sometimes whole villages were the picture of neatness. Others seemed enveloped in a perfect wilderness of weeds growing to such a height that even when sitting on the back of an ox in the midst of a village one could see only the tops of the huts. If a stranger should enter one of these villages at midday the owners would come forth in an indolent fashion, sometimes pipe in hand, or leisurely puffing away in dreamy indifference.

In some of the villages weeds were not allowed to grow, and cotton, tobacco, and various plants used as food were planted around the huts.

Fowls were kept in cages, and the gardens were pleasant pictures of grain and pulse in different stages of growth.

Every village swarmed with children, who turned out in crowds, and ran along with strange cries and antics, to see the white man pa.s.s.

CHAPTER LXXIII.

MORE VIEWS FROM LIVINGSTONE.

Situated a few miles from the edge of a steep descent, Livingstone found a West African village provided with travelers' houses, on the principle of the inns of the East. These were built of twigs and plaster and had benches made of rods, on which the wayfarer could make his bed; a few chairs, a table, and a large jar of water completed the furnishings.

A little farther on lay a village of the Basongo, a tribe subject to the Portuguese, and as the route of Livingstone's expedition lay through a fine, fertile, well-peopled country, luxuriant fields of wheat were seen growing without irrigation. Gradually the country became more open, but remained still abundantly fertile, with a heavy crop of gra.s.s growing to a height of two or three feet. The whole section was well wooded and watered.

The landscape was dotted with Basongo villages, while frequently a square house built of twigs and plaster, belonging to some native Portuguese, stood beside them and was used for purposes of trade.

The different sleeping places on the pathway were from eight to ten miles apart, and were marked by a cl.u.s.ter of sheds made of sticks and gra.s.s.

There was a constant stream of people going and returning to and from the coast. Goods were carried upon the head, or upon one shoulder, in a kind of basket fastened to the ends of two poles between five and six feet long.

When the basket was placed upon the head, the poles projected forward horizontally; and if the carrier wished to rest himself, he planted these poles on the ground, and rested his burden against a tree. In this way he was not obliged to lift it from the ground to the level of his head, when he wished to take up his load again. Frequently with the poles planted in the ground a carrier could be seen holding his burden until he had recovered his breath, thus avoiding the exertion of lowering and lifting his load.

Upon the arrival of strangers at any of the sleeping stations, women were seen emerging from the villages bearing baskets filled with manioc meal, roots, groundnuts, yams, bird's eye pepper, and garlic, which they offered for sale. Calico was usually taken in exchange for these goods.

In Angola the markets, or sleeping places, were well supplied with provisions by the native women. These women congregated in great numbers, each spinning cotton with a spindle and distaff, which were precisely like those in use among the ancient Egyptians.

It was not uncommon to see one of them pa.s.sing through the fields with a jar on her head, a child on her back, and a hoe over her shoulder, while her fingers were busily employed in spinning. The cotton was brought to market and commanded a penny a pound.

Frequently the cotton seeds, dropped accidentally around the market places, sprouted, and grew luxuriantly in various spots.

Along the roads natives were seen pa.s.sing with spindles full of cotton thread. These they were carrying to other parts to have woven into cloth. The women did the spinning and the men the weaving.

The loom was of very simple construction. It consisted of two beams placed one over the other, on which the web stood perpendicularly. The threads of the web were separated by means of a thin wooden lath, while the woof pa.s.sed through by means of the same spindle on which it had been wound in spinning. Each web was about five feet long, and fifteen or eighteen inches wide.

This mode of spinning and weaving in Angola and throughout South Central Africa was very similar to the same pursuits as practiced by the ancient Egyptians.

At the sleeping stations the native smiths carried on their trade, and various articles, as good table knives, and the like, made of country iron, were offered for sale.

Livingstone found the banks of the Lucalla very pretty, and well planted with orange trees, bananas, and the oil palm, and wrote: "Large plantations of maize, manioc, and tobacco are seen along both banks, which are enlivened by the frequent appearance of native houses imbosomed in dense shady groves, with little boys and girls playing about them.

"The banks are steep, the water having cut its bed in dark red, alluvial soil. Before every cottage a small stage is erected to which the inhabitants may descend to draw water without danger from the alligators. Some have a little palisade made in the water for safety from these reptiles, and others use the sh.e.l.l of the fruit of the baobab tree attached to a pole about ten feet long, with which, standing on the high bank, they may draw water without fear of accident."

The whole of the colored population of Angola was sunk in superst.i.tion.

When a death occurred, the people busied themselves in beating drums and firing guns. The funeral rites were half festive, half mourning. Nothing could have been more heartrending than the death wails.

When these natives turned their eyes to the future world, they had the most cheerless view of their own utter helplessness. They fancied themselves completely in the power of disembodied spirits, and the prospect of following them was looked upon as the worst of misfortunes.

Hence, they were found constantly deprecating the wrath of departed spirits, in the belief that if they could appease them, only one cause of death, witchcraft, could remain, and that they could avert by charms.

The pleasures of a mere animal existence were ever present in their minds as the highest good, and but for these innumerable invisible agents, they believed they might enjoy to the fullest extent the bounties of their luxuriant climate as much as would be possible for man to do.

Another curious custom prevailed among some of the tribes encountered by Livingstone. This ceremony was for the purpose of cementing friendship. The hands of the parties were joined, and incisions were made on the clasped hands, and on the right cheeks and foreheads. A small quant.i.ty of blood was taken from these points in both parties, put into pots of beer, and each then drank the other's blood; and they were supposed thus to become perpetual friends or relations.

During the drinking, some of the party beat the ground with clubs, and uttered sentences to ratify the treaty. The men belonging to each tribe then finished the beer. The princ.i.p.als in the performance were henceforth considered blood relations, and were bound to disclose to each other any impending evil.

Among the Batoka tribes the ancient custom of knocking out the upper front teeth of the young men and women prevailed. In the absence of the upper teeth the lower ones grew long and somewhat bent out, which caused the under lip to protrude in a most unsightly fashion. When asked as to the origin of this custom, the Batoka replied that their object was to look like oxen and that those who retained their incisors were thought to resemble zebras.

A person who possessed his front teeth was considered ugly; and when any of the Batoka borrowed Livingstone's mirror, the disparaging remark would be made of boys and girls who still retained their incisors, "Look at the great teeth!"

The manner of dressing the hair is a peculiar feature among the different African tribes. Livingstone describes one of the modes as follows:--"A circle of hair at the top of the head, eight inches or more in diameter, is woven into a cone eight or ten inches high, with an obtuse apex, bent, in some cases, a little forward, giving it somewhat the appearance of a helmet.

"Some have only a cone, four or five inches in diameter at the base. It is said that the hair of animals is added; but the sides of the cone are woven somewhat like basket work. The head man of this village, instead of having his brought to a point, had it prolonged into a wand, which extended a full yard from the crown of the head.

"The hair on the forehead, above the ears, and behind, is all shaven off, so the people appear somewhat as if a cap of liberty were perched upon the top of the head. After this weaving is performed, it is said to be painful, as the scalp is drawn tightly up; but they become used to it."

Many other curious customs prevail among the native tribes. Among the different Bechuana tribes it is the custom to select the name of some animal to distinguish one tribe from another. This would seem to indicate that in former times they were addicted to the worship of animals, like the old Egyptians. We find one tribe bearing a name signifying "they of the monkey;" another, "they of the alligator;" or, "they of the fish."

Each tribe holds the animal from which it derived its name in superst.i.tious fear; nor will a man eat the animal for which his tribe was named, and frequently uses a term signifying hate or dread in referring to it.

Each tribe has its favorite and characteristic dance, and many tribes adopt the custom of naming themselves from the national dance. Hence, it is no uncommon thing to hear the question, "What do you dance?" when the wish is to ascertain to what tribe a man belongs. This custom would seem to indicate that the national dance was a part of the ancient worship in certain sections of Africa.

CHAPTER LXXIV.

CURIOUS MODES.