the captain is in a hurry. The coast is sickly. The weather is hot. He fears his crew may fall sick or die, and he be left with a broken voyage. Every day is therefore precious to him; but to the black fellows all days are alike. They have no storage, no interest account, no fever to fear, and, accordingly, they can tire the captain out. This they do. In fact often, if they have an obstinate customer to deal with, they even combine and send all the trade a day's journey up river, and thus produce a fair show of commercial scarcity. At last, when high prices have been established, when the inroads of fever on his crew or the advance of the season have made the poor captain desperately willing to pay any thing, the ivory comes aboard, and the cunning black fellows chuckle.

Even then, however, there are tedious hours of chaffering. A negro has perhaps only one tooth to sell, and he is willing-as he must live on this sale for a long period of idleness-to give much time to its proper disposal. He makes up his mind beforehand how much more he will ask than he will eventually take. He brings his tooth alongside; spends the afternoon in bargaining, and probably takes it back ashore at dusk, to try again the next day; till at last, when he sees he can not possibly get more, he strikes the trade. I have known several days to be spent in the selling of a single tooth or a single cask of palm-oil.

Of course the captain protests that he is not in a hurry—that he can wait that they shan't tire him out. But the negroes know better; they know the fatal advantage their climate gives them.

When it is supposed that a captain or trader will return to the coast no more after his present voyage, then he is properly victimized, as then the native has no fear of future vengeance before him; and I have known many individuals who, by the system of "trust," were all but ruined-getting scarce any return at all.

It is much to be wished that white traders would combine to put down at least this abuse. But until the spread of commerce shall break down the scoundrelly system of middle-men in this land, there will be no really prosperous trade there. And this will not happen till the merchants themselves visit the headquarters whence the produce is brought, and until the rude tribes shall be somewhat civilized by lengthened contact with the whites. At present things are in a state of utter disorganization, and the

MPONGWE COASTERS.

39 "trust" abuse seems a real necessity. For so hardly and often have the interior tribes been cheated of all returns for their wares, that now they have come to demand at least part payment in advance; and, of course, this advance is exacted of the white trader on the coast, to lure whom great rumors are spread through the tribes of teeth of a marvelous size lying ready for purchase, etc. Too often, when an advance has been made for a specific purchase, of a tooth, say, it is, after all, seized for some intermediate party's debt on its way down, and thus the poor trader is again victimized.

So eager are the Mpongwe for trade that they have even set up a regular coasting business. Every considerable negro trader owns several canoes; but his great ambition is to buy or build a larger vessel, in which he may sail along the coast, and, getting goods on trust from white merchants, make his regular voyage, or establish his little factory on some out-of-the-way point on the shore. The splendid harbor of the Gaboon has made them tolerably fearless in the water, and their rage for trade leads them to all manner of adventures.

Their coasting vessels are only large boats, but I have seen some of so considerable size as to hold conveniently eight to ten tons. To make one of these they cut down an immense tree, sharpen it at the ends, then burn out the interior, guiding the fire so as to burn the heart of the tree and leave them the shell they need. For this hull, which is then scraped smooth, and otherwise finished and strengthened, they next make masts and sails, the latter being of matting, and then they are ready for sea. These cockle-shells stand the wind and sea remarkably well, as is evident when the squally and blustery weather of this country is considered, and when we know that they make voyages from the Gaboon as far as Cape St. Catherine's south, and as far as Banoko and Cameroon north.

The start for one of these voyages is a great occasion. Guns are fired, and the people shout and wish a pleasant voyage; and the lucky vessel is received at her port of destination with similar ceremonies.

The great aim of a Mpongwe trader, however, is to get "trust" from a white man, with authority to go off up or down the coast and establish a factory. Then there is double rejoicing. But the poor white trader is generally sadly victimized; for his agent goes

40

MPONGWE FACTORIES.

to some spot where he thinks he can get ivory and other trade and settles down. Then, first, he mostly picks out the best and most valuable of the goods with which he has been intrusted, and secrets these for his own use. His next step is to buy himself some slaves and to marry several wives; all which being accomplished, it is at last time to think of the interests of his principal. Thus, after many months, perhaps he makes returns of his sales, or perhaps he fails altogether to make returns, if he thinks he can cheat so badly with impunity.

These fellows understand all the dialects spoken on the coast, as well as English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. On their voyages, as they go poorly provisioned, and depend more on luck than real skill, they often suffer extreme hardships, but they are seldom drowned.

The chief product of the Gaboon country is its ivory. This is said to be the finest on the western coast. It produces also barwood, a red dye-wood, from which is obtained a dark red dye, and ebony, the last taken from the great forests of this wood which abound near the head-waters of the Gaboon River. I have seen very large sticks brought thence, but the supply is not yet large. The bar-wood-tree is found in great plenty along the shores of the river and its numerous tributary creeks. It is also found on the Moondah and Danger rivers. Copal is another product of this country, but it is of inferior quality, and is not sought.

Ivory comes down the river from the interior by inland journeys in great quantities. Upward of 80,000 pounds are taken from the Gaboon River yearly when home prices are good; for the ruling prices here are so high that traders can not buy to advantage unless the home demand is very brisk. I suppose that the country from Banoko to Loango furnishes in brisk years at least 150,000 pounds of ivory.

But however important may be these commercial resources of the Gaboon country, I am convinced that the people will never prosper till they turn their attention more to agricultural operations, for elephants must finally disappear. This, indeed, is the great evil of all the nations of Western Africa. The men despise labor, and force their women and slaves to till the fields; and this tillage never assumes the important proportions it deserves, so that the supply of food is never abundant; and, as will be seen farther on, the tribes, almost without exception, live from hand to mouth, and, with a fertile soil, are half the time in a state of semi-starvation.

DECREASE OF THE MPONGWE.

41

CHAPTER III.

Some Causes of the Decrease of the Mpongwe.-Restrictions as to Intermarriage.— Last Days of King Glass.-Public Opinion on the Gaboon.-Mourning for a King. —“Making” a new King.-Character of the Mpongwe.-An African Gentleman. -Food.-Agriculture.

To return to the Mpongwe, who, as the leading tribe on the Gaboon, deserve a few words more. I have said before that this, in common with most of the tribes, is slowly decreasing in numbers. Polygamy and the numerous murders, or accusations for witchcraft, do more to cause this decrease than aught else visible, as will be shown in the course of this narrative; much more than fevers and irregular habits.

The coast tribe is much divided into classes, whose distinction. is kept up chiefly by the restraints in intermarriage. Of Mpongwe of pure blood there are at present not more than three hundred. Next to these in rank come the descendants of Mpongwe fathers by Mbinga, Shekiani, or Bakalai women; these amount to about 800. Next come the children of Mpongwe men by their slave women. These are called bambai; and, though they enjoy little less consideration than the purer blood, are not permitted to marry with that privileged class. These may number 1000. Then come the children of slaves, who form a great proportion of the population, numbering not less than 1000; and, finally, the lowest of all, the slaves, who number, I suppose, three or four thousand.

They live chiefly on the right side of the Gaboon River, having their villages, called Kringé, Qua-ben, Louis, or Dowé Glass, Prince Glass, and two more, on Point Olinda and Parrot Island. On the left side are the villages of Roi Dennis, otherwise called King William, King George, and King Lucan. These dignitaries are petty chiefs, who govern after a fashion, and with considerable limitations, the towns named after them. The whole tribe seems to be ruled by four of the principal kings; but when disputes arise, which is constantly, there must be a palaver in the village, in which the old men join and advise. King Qua-ben is held to

42

AN AFRICAN TYRANT.

be the father of the Agueguéza, to which family King Glass also belongs. The Point Olinda villages belong to the Ogongo family. King William (or Rompochembo) belongs to the Ashiga family, and is the most intelligent of all the kings.

While I was in the Gaboon old King Glass died. He had been long ailing, but stuck to life with a determined tenacity which almost bade fair to cheat death. He was a disagreeable old heathen, but in his last days became very devout-after his fashion. His idol was always freshly painted and brightly decorated; his fetich was the best cared for fetich in Africa; and every few days some great doctor was brought down from the interior, and paid a large fee for advising the old king. He was afraid of witchcraft-thought every body wanted to put him out of the way by bewitching him; and in this country your doctor does not try to cure your sickness; his business is to keep off the witches.

The tribe had got tired of their king. They thought, indeed, that he was himself a most potent and evil-disposed wizard, and, though the matter was not openly talked about, there were few natives who would pass his house after night, and none who would be tempted inside by any slighter provocation than an irresistible jug of rum. Indeed, if he had not belonged to one of the most noble families of the Mpongwe tribe, I think he would perhaps have been killed, so rife was suspicion against him.

When he got sick at last every body seemed very sorry; but several of my friends told me in confidence that the whole town hoped he would die; and die he did. I was awakened one morning early by the mournful cries and wails with which the African oftener assumes a sham sorrow than eases a real grief. All the town seemed lost in tears. It is a most singular thing to see the faculty the women of Africa have for pumping up tears on the slightest occasion, or for no occasion at all. There needs no grief or pain to draw the water. I have seen them shed tears copiously, and laughing all the while.

The mourning and wailing lasted six days. On the second the old king was secretly buried. The Mpongwe kings are always buried by a few of the most trustworthy men of the tribe in a spot which they only know of, and which is forever hidden from all others. This custom arises from a vain belief of the Mpongwe that, as they are the most able and intelligent people of Africa,