A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State by Marcus Dorman

M >> Marcus Dorman >> A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original illustrations.
See 15240-h.htm or 15240-h.zip:
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/2/4/15240/15240-h/15240-h.htm)
or
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/2/4/15240/15240-h.zip)

A JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN THE CONGO FREE STATE

by

MARCUS R. P. DORMAN, M.A.

Author of _A History of the British Empire in the Nineteenth
Century. The Mind of the Nation_, A Study of Political Thought in
the Nineteenth Century; _Ignorance_, a Study of the Causes and
Effects of Popular Thought; and _From Matter to Mind_.

Originally published in 1905 by J. Lebegue and Co., Brussels and
Kegan Paul, Trench, Truebner & Co., Ltd., London

Dedicated by Permission to
His Majesty Leopold II,
King of Belgium and Sovereign of the Congo Free State.

PREFACE.

This journal is practically my Diary reproduced with the minimum of
editing in order that the impressions gained on the spot should be
described without modification. It was never intended for publication,
and was written only as an aid to memory. Consequently it is little more
than a collection of rough notes.

Having left England with a prejudice against the Government of the Congo
Free State and returned with a very strong feeling in its favour, I feel
however that it is my duty to publish an account of what I did see for
the benefit of those whose opinions are not already formed beyond
recall.

As in all controversies where feelings subordinate reason and people
judge more by their emotions than by evidence, many are too quick to-day
to attribute interested motives to those whose opinions are not similar
to their own. Since a great number of people in the Congo and at home
are curious to know whether I was sent out by the Congo Government, the
British Government or the _Times_, I will state here once for all that I
went to the Congo entirely to please myself and with the hope of
shooting big game. In order indeed to satisfy curiosity, I will go
further and state that not only was I not paid for telling the truth,
but that the trip cost me a great deal of money.

It is however delightful to remember that wherever I went I was treated
with the greatest kindness and courtesy by all whether they approved of
the system of the Congo Government or not and it gives me great pleasure
to thank here the State officials, Missionaries of all denominations and
Traders of various nationalities for their hospitality, friendship and
valuable assistance.

M.R.P.D.

London 1905.

[Illustration: MAP--ITINERARY OF MARCUS R.P. DORMAN IN
THE CONGO FREE STATE]

[Illustration: THE STEAMER _FLORIDA_.]

CHAPTER I.

London to Banana.

There was no time to spare. The ship sailed from Southampton in forty
eight hours and I had only just arranged to accompany Lord Mountmorres
on a tour in the Congo Free Stale. He was going out for the purpose of
discovering the true condition of affairs in that country and of writing
articles thereupon for the _Globe_ but incidentally hoped to have some
big game shooting. After one has read much about a country it is always
interesting to visit it and as the prospect of good sport was added in
this case, I at once decided to brave the cannibals, wild beasts,
and--most dangerous of all--the climate, and to seize the opportunity to
visit the Congo.

It was necessary to purchase a complete camp outfit, suitable clothes
and much food-stuff and to arrange certain affairs at home. The first
part was however rendered easy for it was only necessary to duplicate
the order already given by Lord Mountmorres, and with a rapidity which
could not be equalled anywhere else, the Army and Navy Stores and
Messrs. Silvers packed and despatched tent, furniture and cases in a few
hours.

As there are many and varied discomforts which cannot be avoided when
travelling in the Congo, or any other tropical and half-civilised
country, it is just as well not to add to their number by omitting to
benefit by the experience of others. A few hints may therefore be
inserted here without apology for the benefit of other travellers. The
first articles to be considered are a tent, bed, and mosquito-net. Now
when the usual oblong tent with a penthouse roof is pitched and the bed
made, surmounted by the mosquito-net, the only place in which there is
room for it, is in the middle of the tent between the two poles. The
result is that as the roof slopes, it is absolutely impossible to stand
upright on either side and much space is therefore wasted. It would be
better to arrange for the bed to stand close to one side of the tent and
for the net to be attached to the sloping roof leaving the middle and
the other side free for table and chair. Circles of hooks for clothes
should be attached to the poles and large pockets in the walls of the
tent itself are useful. It is needless to specify particulars about
furniture, and I will only say that the folding or concertina pattern
bed, bath, washhandstand and table proved very comfortable and
withstood the great strain of being packed and unpacked nearly every day
for six months without breaking down. A strong, long lounge chair is
absolutely necessary. In climates where there is much glare, everything
should be made of green canvas. The well-known Lord's patent petrol lamp
is certainly the best and although it necessitates carrying a good
supply of oil, is cleaner and more convenient than candles. There is not
space here to give a list of all the necessities for travelling and
camping in the forests of Africa and it is enough to say that one has to
carry a complete house, furniture, kitchen utensils and much food. Wheat
and milk cows do not exist in the forest and very little grows which is
edible. It is therefore necessary to carry sufficient flour, butter,
lard, condiments, tinned meats, vegetables and fruits in order to cook,
and to make a variety from the antelopes, fish, game, goats and chickens
which are procurable on the spot. Water bottles and filters are very
necessary, but for Africa the best change at home--those which have
porcelain cores--are of no use for the water is very muddy, and the
minute pores at once become blocked. The charcoal filters, although
bulky to carry, are therefore the best for the forest. The question of
alcohol must be left to the individual himself, but it must be
remembered that there are only a very few places where it can be
purchased in the Congo and that the State officials are only permitted
to have a limited amount for themselves. Undoubtedly the best wine for
the climate is good claret or burgundy, and the healthiest spirit,
whisky. It is however, well to have some medical comforts in the shape
of champagne and brandy to take after attacks of fever. Excellent
native coffee can be purchased; tea and sugar must be carried. Drugs,
especially iron, quinine, arsenic and phenacetin are essential as also
splints, bandages and dressings in case of accidents.

Now it must be remembered that the climate is hot and humid. Metals rust
at once, leather and cloth become mouldy, food stuffs will keep one or
two days only after the tins are opened, and cigars, tobacco and
cigarettes become damp and ferment. In packing therefore, all the food,
cigars, cigarettes and tobacco should be soldered airtight and in tins
so arranged that when once opened, it is possible _to shut_ them again.
A tin of sardines or condensed milk once opened cannot be carried in a
case liable to be upside down at any moment. There are however, some
bottles with screw tops and india-rubber rings in which Messrs. Crosse
and Blackwell send out jam. These are airtight and so very useful for
when they are empty they can be cleaned and used for milk, sardines, or
anything else again and again. Messrs. Huntley and Palmer pack biscuits
in their usual tins but with an inner lid soldered, and these are also
very convenient. Above all things, remember curry powder, pickles,
chutney and Worcester sauce, for even goat's flesh can be rendered
pleasant if it tastes of something else. All this may sound trivial, but
it is really very important, for the appetite is easily lost in the
Congo and if the strength is not maintained by plenty of food, sickness
is certain to follow. Leather cases for rifles and guns are not good as
they deteriorate. The best case I have ever seen was made for me by a
ship's boatswain. It was of strong sail canvas made to fit the rifle
and covered outside with ordinary ship's paint; the inside speedily
became lined with oil and the whole formed an excellent guard against
the damp. It is however, necessary to have firearms cleaned and oiled
nearly every day whether used or not.

Clothes of cloth are not necessary. Drill, khaki and flannel are
sufficient with light helmets and plenty of strong boots. It must be
remembered that everything has to be carried by porters. Clothes,
blankets, etc. should be packed in tin boxes with rubber edges so that
when shut they are airtight; tents pack in bales and every article of
furniture should fold up. The whole equipment must be arranged so that
each load is about 50 or 60 lbs and is conveniently shaped for carrying
on the head or shoulder. We were careful to choose the lightest
articles, whenever consistent with strength, and thus our baggage when
completed weighed only a little more than two tons.

All was ready when we left Waterloo at 10.25 a.m. on Friday June 24th
1904 accompanied by Sir Alfred Jones and Sir Ralph Moor who saw us off
at Southampton. The latter has had much experience of Africa and told
some blood-curdling stories of the manners of the natives. Adulterers
used to be punished in a most barbarous way. A youth who had erred with
one of the numerous wives of a Chief, was nailed by the ears to a tree
in the forest and left to starve. Women also were treated with equal
severity and all manner of mutilations were practised. Such atrocities
have of course been suppressed by the Congo Free State.

Having reached Southampton, we went on board the S.S. _Leopoldville_, a
ship of about 5,000 tons burden, very clean and well-found. She belongs
to the _Compagnie maritime belge_ which runs a ship every third week
from Antwerp and Southampton to Boma and Matadi. We sailed about 2 p.m.
and a savoury smell from the galley reminded us that it was about seven
hours since we had breakfasted.

Some of the passengers were English military officers and miners bound
for the Gold Coast, but most were evidently officials of the Congo Free
State. The conversation soon turned upon the agitation in Europe against
the Congo Government, and it was extraordinary with what sorrowful
indignation the various charges were refuted. This impressed me greatly
at the time for it was in marked contrast with the indifference shown by
an average Englishmen when his country and methods are abused by
foreigners. Probably the explanation is, that we are so used to
unmerited abuse, that we regard it as part of the normal order of
things. The Congo State on the other hand, has only recently become
sufficiently prosperous to attract attention.

One of the passengers dressed as a Catholic Priest, proved a veritable
mine of information. This was Mgr. Derikx, Prefet Apostolique of Uele in
the Upper Congo. He had had five years' experience of the country and
was well versed in all its institutions and ways. Another was a young
military officer, M. Arnold, already of the rank of Commandant, for he
had shown distinguished service in the field--or rather the forest--and
also as an administrator at a State Post. There were also many other
officials, soldiers, lawyers and commercial agents on board.

I determined therefore, to read the various books and reports written
against the Congo--whether the writers had ever been in the country or
not--then to question the officials who had worked there, and finally to
see the actual condition of affairs for myself.

We tumbled about in The Bay of Biscay a little and the motion did not
much aid the digestion of the contents of histories and blue and white
books. A welcome break was therefore made when we reached Teneriffe on
June 29th. It is early afternoon and the view of Santa Crus from the sea
is very beautiful. In the foreground is ultra-marine coloured water; on
shore, bright yellow houses with red roofs dotted among palms and other
foliage of vivid green, and behind all, frowns the great grey mountain
12,000 feet high. The hills stretching up from the sea are in many cases
terraced for gardens and vineyards and a new hotel stands out
prominently on one side. It is a glorious picture, but if the eye is
delighted as the boat approaches the shore, the nose is offended
immediately on landing. Streets, houses and people near the harbour are
dirty and odoriferous and as the shops are all shut for a saint's day,
the town looks dismal in spite of the bright sun.

After changing some money at the shop of a jew who gave us the wrong
amount and looked injured when we insisted upon the right, we took an
open carriage and drove to the Cathedral. The building is not imposing
from the outside, but is highly gilded within where is the famous Holy
Cross which gives the town its name. There are also many wax figures
representing saints, mostly dressed in the costume of the seventeenth
century and enclosed in glass cases. The boy who acted as our guide
having discovered our nationality, pointed out with great glee _English
organ_, _English clock_. and finally with satirical humour--probably
unconscious--_English flags_. These flags are those lost by Nelson at
the siege of Santa Crus where he lost his arm and a good story is told
about them. An ambitious British middy stole them from the Cathedral and
was very disappointed, when instead of being at once promoted, he was
forced to apologize and restore them.

We next drive up a broad, fairly well kept, boulevard to the Bull Ring
situated in an open space behind the town. A woman conducts us into the
ring and shows us the stables in which the infuriated beasts are kept
before they are asked to shed their blood for the idle amusement of the
spectators. On the walls are many names which look like British, and the
guide is quite astonished when we refuse to add ours to their number.

Commandant Arnold here takes on board six camels, for it is hoped these
ships of the desert will also sail equally well in the forest. The
experiment is at any rate not expensive, for they only cost L16 each and
will carry several hundred pounds weight of baggage.

From time to time the Congo Government has been charged with forcing the
natives to work against their will and with ill-treating them, and it
has also been alleged that the native soldiers committed many atrocities
during the wars against the revolting tribes. Many of these charges have
been collected and published in _Civilisation in Congoland_ written by
Mr. H.R. Fox-Bourne, the Secretary of the Aborigines Protection Society.
The author has not travelled in the country himself, but relies chiefly
upon the evidence of the late Mr. Edward Glave, at one time an official
of the Congo International Association, and of the late Mr. Sjoeblom who
was a Swedish Missionary in the Congo. The book is not cheerful reading,
for indeed it is chiefly a record of crimes which have been committed in
the past.

It has been frequently stated that acting under the orders, or at least
with the connivance of the agents of the Congo State and those of the
Commercial Companies in the country, the native police or sentries have
punished in a most barbarous manner all those natives who refused to
work. It is alleged indeed, that these sentries have actually cut off
the hands of those who did not collect the rubber or food-stuff demanded
by the agents. To even read of such sickening horrors is terrible, and I
was therefore much relieved to find that none of the State officials on
board had ever seen natives maimed in that or any other manner by the
soldiers of the State. There seems however, to be no doubt that the
native chiefs in the past mutilated both the living and dead as
punishment for crime. Mgr. Derikx told me that he had heard of a case
where a chief had ordered that the hand of his own son should be cut off
because he had committed adultery with one of his numerous wives.

We arrived at Dakar, the capital of the French colony of Senegambia, at
daylight on July 3rd. Navigation is not easy here, for a reef runs
parallel to the coast and the channel between, is neither broad nor
deep. The town is built on the shores of a bay and faces an island
strongly fortified. The whole colony is being rapidly developed; a
railway runs to St. Louis and roads are being constructed across the
desert towards Timbuctoo and the northern coasts. A flourishing
industry in palm oil is carried on and Dakar is also an important
military centre. Several of the officers however, were engaged in the
peaceful pursuit of fishing at the end of the breakwater when we
arrived.

At Dakar, Commandant and Madame Sillye come on board. The former has
served for ten years in the Congo and is now taking out ten horses
purchased in Senegambia, from which he hopes to breed. They are a fine
looking set, very quiet and well behaved, and take up their quarters
opposite the camels without creating any disturbance. We have now quite
a menagerie on board. Besides the camels and horses, there are pigeons
to be trained as carriers, guinea pigs with which the doctors
investigating the terrible disease the Sleeping Sickness, will
experiment and several dogs belonging to the passengers. Various kinds
of rubber and other living plants also occupy an appreciable part of the
promenade deck. Passengers and cargo indeed, are strong evidence of the
earnest way in which the Congo is being developed.

It is necessary now to turn from the actual visual facts and to study
the statements of others. While doing so however, we must bear in mind
the main outlines of the history of the Congo Free State. The opening up
of the Congo was entirely due to the initiative of King Leopold of
Belgium aided by the explorations of the late Sir H.M. Stanley. In 1878,
after Stanley's first descent of the Congo, a society of philanthropists
was formed called the _Comite d'etudes du Haut-Congo_ but this was
changed in 1882 to the _Association Internationale du Congo_. Stanley
and a French officer, M. de Brazza, then both worked up from the coast
at the same time and the former reached Lake Leopold on June 1st 1882,
while the latter concluded treaties with the Chiefs on the north bank of
the river and founded the French Congo.

The International Association of the Congo at once organised itself into
an Independent State and on April 22nd 1884 a Declaration was made by
the Government of the United States of America that it recognized the
flag of the International Association as that of a friendly Government.
At the end of 1884 and the beginning of 1885, Conventions were arranged
between the Governments of Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium,
Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Russia and Sweden and
Norway and the International Association of the Congo in which all those
countries recognised the flag of the International Association as that
of a friendly Government. It is therefore clear that the chief Powers of
the World regarded the Association as an Independent State and
negotiated with it as such.

At the same time the Powers of Europe were annexing various parts of
Africa, and with the idea of regulating in a spirit of mutual goodwill
the conditions most favourable for the development of civilisation and
commerce, a Conference was arranged at Berlin by Prince Bismarck. All
the Powers of Europe and the United States of America sent
plenipotentiaries who sat from November 15th 1884 to February 26th 1885
and agreed to the General Act of Berlin of the latter date. In this it
is decreed that all nations should enjoy complete liberty of commerce in
all the territories constituting the basin of the Congo and its
tributaries, and also in other parts of Central Africa mentioned, that
slavery should be abolished and that the Congo river should be open to
general navigation.

We shall have to refer to this Treaty later, but it is important to note
here that the United States of America and all the great Powers of
Europe had recognised the International Association as an Independent
State before it was signed. Furthermore, before this date, Conventions
had been signed with France and Portugal to arrange the frontiers
between the territories of those Powers and the International
Association. The General Act of Berlin had however nothing to do with
frontiers at all, but stated the general principles which it seemed were
best suited to the needs of the people and territories in Central
Africa, to which all the African Powers, and among them the
International Association, voluntarily agreed. It is therefore clear
that the clauses of the Act apply to all the Powers in the territories
defined, and that the Act itself was not concerned with founding or
regulating the system of Government of the International Association,
which six months later took the name of the _Etat Independant du Congo_
with His Majesty Ring Leopold II. as sovereign.

While engaged in studying these treaties, we arrived at Free Town,
Sierra Leone on July 5th. Here again the place forms a beautiful picture
from the sea. A reef runs far out and is marked by a lighthouse, while
the town itself, protected by a fort with grass ramparts, lies on the
south side of a kind of bay, which, however, has more the appearance of
the mouth of a large river. Palms and other tropical plants grow to the
water's edge and among them are yellow and red houses while higher up
the hills behind, are isolated bungalows and the barracks, at this time
occupied by the West African regiment. In the distance, bleak and bare
mountains passively regard the scene. On landing, one meets faces
showing every shade from ivory white to jet black and clothes of every
known colour. The roads are not paved in any way, as there are neither
horses nor wheeled vehicles here. Indeed, the houses are built in rows
facing each other, a gutter is cut in front and the space between forms
a street. The Custom House is an imposing structure near the beach and
the Cathedral is a handsome Gothic church, but as one end was covered
with scaffolding, it was not looking its best. A light railway runs up
the hill to the barracks of the native regiment and a special train was
arranged for the passengers of the _Leopoldville_.

Hotel accommodation in Sierra Leone is, like the demand for it, limited.
It is, however, possible to obtain a meal at the _Victoria_. Altogether
Free Town leaves the impression that it could be developed into a most
attractive watering place if it were nearer Europe and had a better
climate.

It is now getting rather hot and tropical, while the sea is as smooth as
a mirror and equally reflects the glare.

I continue to read up the Congo controversy. The report of Mr. Casement,
at one time British Consul at Boma, created quite a sensation when it
appeared. He stated that the Congo Free State had granted concessions to
Trading Companies, which is a fact, and that the agents of these
companies compelled the natives by force to collect rubber, which
however, he does not attempt to prove by his own experience, but relies
entirely upon reports of natives and hearsay evidence. He quoted one
case which illustrates the extreme difficulty of discovering the truth
from natives. He examined a boy named Epondo who stated that his left
hand had been cut off by a native sentry. Not knowing the native
dialect, Mr. Casement employed an interpreter, but he was convinced by
the manner and gestures of the villagers that the boy's story was true.
When the report appeared, the boy was again examined by some officials
of the State, when he at once contradicted the first statement and said
that his arm and hand had been severely bitten by a wild boar when he
was a child and that the hand afterwards fell off. Now one of these
tales is obviously false and there is evidence to show which, for the
scar of a clean cut wound is different from that following gangrene.
However, at this time I had not seen the boy, so of course could give no
opinion. This is the only case of reputed mutilation which could be
discovered for the benefit of Mr. Casement and was a very unfortunate
example of an atrocity, for in the first place it was the _left_ hand
that was missing and the soldiers were supposed always to cut off the
_right_, and in the second, there was great doubt whether it was the
result of an accident or not.

We were now coasting off Liberia and Captain Sparrow who was in command
of the _Leopoldville_ cheered us up with the statement that the charts
of this part had not been revised for eighty years, that there were many
rocks and that ships frequently went ashore here. Wreckers then went out
and looted everything on board. It is not therefore, a pleasant place in
which to make an enforced landing.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12