CHAPTER XLII.

When we reached the environs of the palace, and before going to see Munza, we turned to look at the scene of the great fire of the previous evening.

Where once had stood the dwellings of the royal wives, the harem of Munza, now ashes alone were to be seen. All the huts had vanished without leaving a trace behind, and the splendid trees which lately overshadowed them were reduced to powder. A few gigantic trunks only, spared, though scorched, by the flames, stretched out their sturdy, leafless branches to the sky.

The red clay was overspread by a thick carpet of white cinders, like a clearing covered with snow.

The clouds of smoke, which the wind had not been strong enough to disperse, wreathed themselves in every direction and spread like a mist over the landscape, looking more desolate still by contrast with the surrounding country, resplendent with verdure and light.

Was the mad passion of the African king for Madame de Guéran destined to lead to further destruction? Had Munza, through fear of being ridiculous, sworn to be an object of terror?

We found the King in his armoury, distributing arms to a number of soldiers drawn up in the gardens, and giving orders to his officers. He came towards us as soon as he saw us, and charged Nassar to unfold to us his plans. He intended to march, at the full of the moon, in the direction of the district governed by his brother, Degberra, in order to gain information about the white man, who, subsequently to Schweinfurth, had passed through the country, and on this information would depend his future movements.

He also asked us whether the plan was in accordance with our wishes, to which we replied that it was an excellent one, and that we could wish for no better. At the same time, we could not help admiring the determined character of the man, the energy he displayed when any necessity for it arose, and the promptness with which he laid his plans—all rare qualities in a negro.

In fact, the more we study the Monbuttoo people, the more they seem to differ from the negro race. They are a tribe apart, thrown away in Central Africa, and we can well understand the regret expressed by Schweinfurth at not having been able to push his explorations farther into this region.

In the territory comprised between two degrees of latitude we are sure to meet with strange customs and curious phenomena on the part of the Monbuttoos. Their country is, in some sort, the border-land of eccentricity.

In reply to Munza's enquiry as to what assistance we could render him in case he should have to fight against powerful tribes, de Morin thought it prudent to say, for all of us, that we should take up arms only if we were attacked personally.

"It is a question," he continued, "of a journey and a peaceful expedition rather than of a war, and you will be pleasing our sister if you fall in with our ideas."

"I would willingly do so," replied Munza, "if I could. But I have frequently waged war against my neighbours, and as soon as they see me advancing with my army, the weak will take to flight after burning their crops, so as to starve me, and the strong will attack me—I must defend myself, and you must help me."

"If you are attacked," said de Morin, "without provocation, we shall consider ourselves as attacked also, and we shall have no hesitation in joining our forces to yours."

"You have in your possession," said the King, "plenty of arms like those you have shown me, those pieces of wood and iron which make thunder, have you not?"

"Yes," answered de Morin, "all my soldiers are so armed."

"You have some to spare, also. Will you lend them to my troops and teach them how to use them? We should be invincible then."

"No," said our friend, boldly; "I will not do that."

"Why?" asked the King, quickly.

"I believe in your good faith; I am sure of you, but I have not the same confidence in your warriors. If you were to die I should find myself at their mercy, and, as they are far more numerous than we are, I wish to retain over them the advantage which my arms give me. Would you like the Sultana—when you were no longer at hand to protect her—to be at the mercy of your troops."

This last argument touched Munza, who appeared to be lost in thought, and said not a word. But de Morin, who, by his firm, frank manner, his judicious concessions and adroit flattery, was beginning to have as much influence over the King as he had over our escort, thought it wise to add—

"To show you that I do not put you in the same category with your officers, nor with your soldiers, and that I have thorough confidence in you, I concede to you what I have thought it right to refuse to others. I will give you the best rifle I have, and, meanwhile, allow me to present you with a weapon equally formidable. I have no need to be armed whilst in your palace, and under your protection."

So saying, he drew his revolver from his belt and handed it to the King.

Munza could not conceal his delight. He seized the pistol, turned it over and over again; his hands trembled, his eyes glistened, and the powerful African monarch was a child again; the negro reappeared and asserted his rights.

De Morin took advantage of this unguarded moment to broach, in a very summary manner, a delicate subject. He told the King that the Monbuttoos were reported in the north to eat the enemies they killed in battle, and he added that he wished to spare his sister a sight so odious and repugnant to all white people.

Munza, feeling, perhaps, that he himself was personally guilty of this charge, replied, with some confusion, that it was difficult to expect a sudden transformation in the customs of his subjects, but that he would take good care that the Sultana should be spared any shock to her feelings.

Driven into a corner by de Morin, he confessed that a Monbuttoo soldier did not think himself invulnerable until he had eaten the flesh of one of his foes.

This confession did not surprise us in the least, for Baker states that the soldiers of his personal escort, the Forty Thieves, as he calls them, tried soldiers, brave and semi-civilized, practised the same custom as the Monbuttoos. We could, therefore, neither be astonished nor complain, if in these regions, more barbarous than those bordering on the Nile, we should be called upon to witness scenes of a similar description.

On the contrary, we ought to congratulate ourselves on the precautions taken by Munza to avoid our prejudices being shocked. His soldiers will continue to eat their enemies—that gratification cannot be withheld from them—but they will eat them with closed doors, like discreet and delicate-minded people, who respect the opinions of their neighbours.

Travellers, as a rule, have not been so fortunate. General Baker, whom I have just mentioned, says that he attempted one day to make a negro chief understand the immorality of the slave trade, and that, just as he fondly hoped that he had convinced him, the chief said, abruptly—

"Have you any children?"

"Alas! no," replied Baker. "I have lost them all."

"Well," said the chief, "I have a son, my only child; he is very small and very thin, but with you he will grow fat if you only look at him. You will be able to feed him up to any extent. He is always hungry, eating day and night without ever being satisfied. You can do anything you like with him, provided you fill his stomach. You cannot think what a dear good child he is. Well! I will sell him to you for a molote" (a kind of African shovel).

As regards cannibalism, we have been far more successful. Munza is not convinced, but he does not appear as insensible to our arguments as was the negro chief to those of Baker.

After some further conversation, the King proposed to hold a review of a part of his army. We gladly fell in with the idea, as much from a motive of curiosity, as to ascertain how far we could rely on his troops; and, more important still, to find out whether we could fight them with any chance of success, when the time should come for Munza to express a wish to bring us back to his dominions.

About two thousand men were drawn up on a large parade ground adjoining the palace. The rokko tunics, which I have already described, were their only uniform, their legs, arms, and breasts, daubed with red, black and blue war-paint, being uncovered. The officers were distinguished from the soldiers merely by the plumes of various colours which ornamented their cylindrical head-dresses. They were armed to the teeth; in their girdles were swords with bent blades, axes, knives, and daggers with small grooves to allow the blood to run off; in their right hands a lance or a bow and arrows, and in their left a primitive shield made of wood, about four feet long, and carried by means of a copper handle. This body went though a series of manoeuvres, and surprised us by their strict discipline and the precision of their movements.

"We should have to keep these men at a distance with our rifles," said de Morin to me, in an undertone. "Their swords, axes and daggers are formidable weapons, and would be very dangerous at close quarters. But their arrows, though, as you see, they carry for about three hundred paces, are so light and describe so extensive a curve, that they would only hit the mark by accident."

The review was brought to a close by a charge of the whole line; all the soldiers, after having withdrawn for about a hundred yards, came on towards us, some brandishing their axes, others with lance in rest, whilst the remainder drew their bows to their full stretch and aimed their arrows at us. The whole force yelled horribly, put on their fiercest expression, ground their teeth, and appeared both ready and willing to eat us. Without any feeling of cowardice, or being over-timid, we might very easily have believed that these men were bent on our destruction. However, none of us quailed, for, even if we had not known that the whole affair was merely a review, our European pride would have prevented our showing, in the sight of these savages, the slightest symptom of fear.

The King had stationed himself at some distance from us, with the undoubted object of increasing our fears and letting us think that he had let his army loose upon us. He scanned us closely, and must have been quite satisfied with our bearing. If his idea was to put us to the test, he could now rest assured that his new allies were not easily to be frightened.

Just as the warriors were close upon us, he threw himself in front of us, and at once every bow, arrow and lance was lowered; the troops halted as if they were so many automatons, saluted the King, and, wheeling about, retired to their original position.

July 6, 1873.—The army is at this moment moving off. The people have collected from all quarters to see it pass, and applaud. The women are crying, the drums and trumpets are dinning away in their most ear-splitting fashion, and the soldiers of our escort are firing a _feu de joie_. We get on our horses, and give the word to our caravan to follow the army.

We are at last fairly bound for the unknown!

END OF VOL. II.