Congo life and folklore

A brass rod is the money of by far the larger number of the people on the Lower and Upper Congo. In thickness it is not quite so stout as an ordinary slate pencil, and varies no...

_The white man’s fetish--I am exchanged with others for rubber 12 and ivory--My new companions express freely their opinions about the white men--Why the white men are on the Co...

_Satu becomes chief--Preparations for the funeral feast--My box 24 is opened--I become a neck ornament--Bakula, my new owner, is smart, but superstitious--The mourners assemble...

_Streets are irregular--Houses small and draughty--Their 34 reception, dining, and drawing rooms are in the open air--Their many charms and fetishes--Routine of the day--Bakula...

_People believe their chief died by witchcraft--They send for 49 the witch-finder--His arrival and antics--The ceremony of discovering the witch--Satu’s brother, Mavakala, is ac...

_The dulness and pettiness of native life--Arrival of two 58 visitors--Bakula questions them about the white man--They relate the little they know about him--Old Plaited-Beard s...

_The Luck-giver is called to bring prosperity on the town--His 69 mode of procedure--Satu and some of his people go on a visit to a great chief--Good and bad omens--The game at...

_The welcome of Tonzeka and his people--A case judged--We find 89 the white man in Tonzeka’s town--Tonzeka defends the white man--He complains of the effect of the white man’s p...

_Bakula goes to the white man to have his wound dressed--White 100 man puts in a good word for the traders--Bakula is touched by the white man’s kindness--A native dance--An exh...

_A title reverts to Satu--He sends Old Plaited-Beard to the King 131 with a present--The embassy arrives at the King’s town--Has an audience in the King’s house--King promises t...

_The working of a Mission Station--Buying food--The 148 school--Bakula is afraid to enter the school--Repairing the station--Boys work in the gardens--A quarrel, and how it was...

_The King sends for medicine--He is told to apply to St. 167 Catherine--The King’s promise--Bakula bids farewell to his white friend--King’s deputy goes with us to Satu’s town--...

_Manner of bush-burning--Witch-doctor makes a hunting 194 charm--Ceremony is carefully performed--Blazing bush and rushing animals--Satu arranges with another chief to burn the...

_Satu as the insulted party makes the first move--He sends an 212 embassy to Dimbula--He asks for an apology or offers a bullet--The apology is refused, but the bullet is accept...

_The making and enforcing of laws--Fines imposed--Division of 223 fines--Congo week of four days probably named after their markets--Raids and robberies--Preparing a caravan for...

_Old Plaited-Beard charges Bakula with stealing--The accusation 240 is denied--Bakula declares his disbelief in charms and witch-doctors--Satu saves him from immediate death--Th...

_After much nursing Bakula recovers--He becomes a school-boy--He 252 struggles with the alphabet--He learns to understand pictures--Routine life--Bakula itinerates with his whit...

_The conservatism of the Congo people--Bakula and his scholars 267 build a school-house--A missionary visits his town--He encourages Bakula in his work--A “luck fowl” dies--Its...

_Failure of various remedies--Witch-doctor engaged--Diagnosing a 274 case--Different “medicine men” are called in--Bakula denounces their trickery--Suspicion of witchcraft falls...

_Mikula while digging the foundations for a brick house 294 discovers me--The town is changed--There is daily worship--Observance of the sabbath--Sunday service--Collections for...

_A Christian wedding--Grateful offerings--Christianity a great 307 boon to the women--Reunion--Various meetings--Lady missionaries conduct services--Auction sale of the gifts--C...

_Months glide quickly by while working hard--Deacon’s 326 meeting--Church-meeting--The kind of candidates who were rejected--Baptismal service--The great meeting of the Church--...

CHAP. VI.— _How the Sparrow set the Elephant and the Crocodile to pull against each other (p. 39); The Four Fools: a puzzle story (p. 43); How the Squirrel won a Verdict for the...

I am much older than you think, for it is more than twenty-five years ago since I was born in a great factory in one of your English towns. The years that have passed since my b...

When my senses returned I found my box was piled on deck with many other boxes like it, and thus I had a fine view. The sun was rising, flooding the river with its brightness, l...

The white man’s fetish--I am exchanged with others for rubber and ivory--My new companions express freely their opinions about the white men--Why the white men are on the Congo-...

The next morning was dull and damp--a weeping morning, and every one shivered with the cold as they hastily picked up their loads and prepared for the steep ascent that would ta...

Satu becomes chief--Preparations for the funeral feast--My box is opened--I become a neck ornament--Bakula, my new owner, is smart, but superstitious--The mourners assemble and...

Streets are irregular--Houses small and draughty--Their reception, dining, and drawing rooms are in the open air--Their many charms and fetishes--Routine of the day--Bakula tell...

People believe their chief died by witchcraft--They send for the witch-finder--His arrival and antics--The ceremony of discovering the witch--Satu’s brother, Mavakala, is accuse...

The dulness and pettiness of native life--Arrival of two visitors--Bakula questions them about the white man--They relate the little they know about him--Old Plaited-Beard stirs...

The luck-giver is called to bring prosperity on the town--His mode of procedure--Satu and some of his people go on a visit to a great chief--Good and bad omens--The game at “Ant...

The welcome of Tonzeka and his people--A case judged--We find the white man in Tonzeka’s town--Tonzeka defends the white man--He complains of the effect of the white man’s preac...

Bakula goes to the white man to have his wound dressed--White man puts in a good word for the traders--Bakula is touched by the white man’s kindness--A native dance--An exhibiti...

After the first novelty of our visit had passed away the women and girls went daily, with dull regularity, to the farms; but only those men who were obliged went to the markets...

A title reverts to Satu--He sends Old Plaited-Beard to the King with a present--The embassy arrives at the King’s town--Has an audience in the King’s house--King promises to sen...

The working of a mission station--Buying food--The school--Bakula is afraid to enter the school--Repairing the station--Boys work in the gardens--A quarrel, and how it was settl...

The King sends for medicine--He is told to apply to St. Catherine--The King’s promise--Bakula bids farewell to his white friend--King’s deputy goes with us to Satu’s town--Cerem...

Manner of bush-burning--Witch-doctor makes a hunting-charm--Ceremony is carefully performed--Blazing bush and rushing animals--Satu arranges with another chief to burn the bush-...

Satu as the insulted party makes the first move--He sends an embassy to Dimbula--He asks for an apology or offers a bullet--The apology is refused, but the bullet is accepted--T...

The making and enforcing of laws--Fines imposed--Division of fines--Congo week of four days probably named after their markets--Raids and robberies--Preparing a caravan for the...

Old Plaited-Beard charges Bakula with stealing--The accusation is denied--Bakula declares his disbelief in charms and witch-doctors--Satu saves him from immediate death--The mis...

After much nursing Bakula recovers--He becomes a school-boy--He struggles with the alphabet--He learns to understand pictures--Routine life--Bakula itinerates with his white man...

The conservatism of the Congo people--Bakula and his scholars build a school-house--A missionary visits his town--He encourages Bakula in his work--A “luck fowl” dies--Its death...

Failure of various remedies--Witch-doctor engaged--Diagnosing a case--Different “medicine men” are called in--Bakula denounces their trickery--Suspicion of witchcraft falls on B...

Mikula while digging the foundations for a brick house discovers me--The town is changed--There is daily worship--Observance of the sabbath--Sunday service--Collections for supp...

A Christian wedding--Grateful offerings--Christianity a great boon to the women--Reunion--Various meetings--Lady missionaries conduct services--Auction sale of the gifts--Change...

Months glide quickly by while working hard--Deacon’s meeting--Church-meeting--The kind of candidates who were rejected--Baptismal service--The great meeting of the Church--Elect...

Attached to the letter were the names of the head Portuguese Roman Catholic priest, a Portuguese trader, and a French trader, as witnesses to the King’s mark. Shortly after read...

For many years I have been collecting folklore stories such as are told round the fires of the Congo villages--stories that have been handed down from generation to generation;...