From the Congo to the Niger and the Nile. An account of the German Central African expedition of 1910-1911

Front matter

3 .11. . .

PRINCETON, N. J.

Divisio7i

Preface

By Adolf Fkiedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg

The Central African Expedition of 1907 to 1908, when I travelled with a staff of scientific specialists through the unexplored country between Lake Victoria and Lake Kiwu, had valuable scientific results. Our experiences in the tropical forests on the banks of the Aruwimi and Congo Rivers impressed upon us the lamentable deficiency at the present day of botanical and zoological knowledge concerning the interior of Africa. In order to supplement this knowledge, by providing a picture of the aborigines, as well of the flora and fauna of the country north of these forests, for comparison with known facts in other parts, it seemed to us, after consulting many distinguished scientists, that a second expedition was eminently desirable.

The Zoological Institute of Berlin and the Botanical Museum of Dahlem-Berlin kindly permitted two of my former scientific colleagues, Dr Schubotz and Dr Mildbraed, to participate in the new expedition. This greatly facilitated our preparations, since these two gentlemen, in collaboration with my old and valued travelling companion, Captain von Wiese und Kaiserswaldau, had already drawn up a plan of our projected campaign.

A further favourable circumstance was that the other members of the party had all spent many years vi FROM THE CONGO TO THE NIGER

in Africa, either in a private or in an official capacity. The Government Physician, Dr Haberer, had been prosecuting researches for several years in the sleeping-sickness districts, so that I was glad to secure his valuable services. Dr Arnold Schultze, formerly an officer in the Cameroons constabulary, possessed an accurate knowledge of the African bush, and had already made a name for himself as an entomologist. Ernst M. Heims, the painter, had executed some black and white and water-colour drawings in the Cameroons in the year 1906. The list was completed by Sergeant-Major Roder of the Cameroons constabulary, and my valet Schmidt, to whom was entrusted the care of the baggage and collections, and the payment of the bearers, etc.

As is so often the case, some of the details of our itinerary had to be subsequently altered. We decided to proceed together as far as the Congo River. Drs Schultze and Mildbraed were then to set out by themselves on a geographical, botanical, and zoological expedition through the unexplored parts of South Cameroons. This, moreover, was the express desire of the Dahlem Botanical Museum authorities. It was settled that the main party should proceed up the Congo and Ubangi Rivers, and spend some time in the wholly unexplored country on the banks of the Ubangi, in the neighbourhood of Libenge. Thence we were to explore the basins of the Gribingi and Shari Rivers, and finally to push on to Lake Tchad, and spend several months in Bagirmi. Since the time of the earliest pioneers, only the most meagre details have come to light respecting the fauna, flora, and population, and the influence of Islam on the religion and life of the natives of these parts.

Dr. H. Schubotz.

Dr. ]. Mildbraed.

PREFACE

Vll

A journey from the Shari to the Nile, through Dar- Kuti, was also included in our programme. But it fell through owing to the political disturbances which culminated just at the time of our arrival. Herr von Wiese and Dr Schubotz, however, succeeded in reaching the Nile by taking a southerly route, and skirting the disaffected area.

But this is not the place for a further description of our travels. In the following chapters will be found an account of the pleasures and hardships of our journey, though many interesting details had to be suppressed owing to lack of space.

His Majesty the Emperor was graciously pleased to contribute a substantial sum of money towards the expenses of the expedition. This enabled us to enlarge our sphere of action, and to visit districts where we gained valuable information. We were also assisted by the German Colonial Society, and by many other generous friends.

On the 9th of July 1910, accompanied by Captain von Wiese, who had been helping me in our final preparations, I travelled to Hamburg, where I met the other members of the party, and enjoyed a farewell dinner in Dr Aufschlager’s hospitable house.

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg graced the occasion with his presence, as did Her Serene Highness Princess Henry of Reusz and her eldest son. Finally they accompanied us on board the mail steamer “ Eleonore Woermann,” where a number of Berlin and Hamburg friends and acquaintances had assembled on deck. The time passed in pleasant conversation until at high tide we were informed that the steamer was ready to start. The last visitors went ashore, thus severing viii FROM THE CONGO TO THE NIGER the final link that united us with Germany. And as we glided slowly through the splendid harbour of Hamburg, past all the huge wharfs and dockyards slumbering in the dim light of dawn, we shut our eyes to the past, and turned our attention to the uncertain future, with an earnest prayer for success.

Professor Haberer.

Ernst M. Heims, artist.

Schmidt.

Contents

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PREFACE ....... V

By Adolf Fbiedbich^ Duke of Mecklf.nbueg

Chapter I

Two years had elapsed since Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenberg returned with his fellow- explorers to Hamburg, in the s.s. “ Eleonore Woermann,” on the conclusion of his first Central-African expedition. On the evening of the 9th of July 1910, the Duke and his companions started on board the same steamer on the second Central-African expedition, which had been set on foot for the purpose of carrying out further scientific research in this dark corner of the world.

The following morning this trim little vessel weighed anchor, and started on her voyage. From Hamburg to Dover we were accompanied by Herr F. F. Eiffe, one of the leading spirits in organizing this expedition. The Baroness von Suszkind, too, gave us the pleasure of her society as far as the Cameroons, being anxious, as a member of the Committee of the Colonial Women’s Association, to learn from personal experience something of German colonial life.

The voyage through the Bay of Biscay to Las Palmas, Teneriffe, and along the West Coast of Africa as far as Togo was so uneventful that further details would be superfluous, and may be taken for granted by the reader, his interest being centred in our African travels.

The mail steamers go from Togo via Lagos, direct to Victoria in the Cameroons, but the “ Eleonore Woermann ” took an unusual course to the Spanish island of Fernando Po, in order to enable Herr Krull, the representative of the Harnburg firm of Nelson & Moritz, to land there. As we approached this island, the largest of volcanic origin in the Bight of Biafra, we were deeply impressed by the grandeur of the mountain summit protruding through the fog, 9350 ft. in height. We were glad to spend at least a few hours in the capital, Santa Isabella, and its outskirts, and thus gather a hasty impression of the island’s tropical vegetation.

The following morning we steamed into the bay of Victoria, the most northerly harbour of the German Cameroons. Owing to the dense fog and pouring rain, we were unable to see the Great Cameroon Mountain, 13,350 ft. liigh, which on a clear day is visible from a great distance. At Victoria we were most kindly received by the civil and military authorities. Councillor Steinhausen and Major Puder. After enjoying for a short time the hospitality of the District Magistrate Kirchhoff, we travelled on the miniature railway belonging to the West- African Colonial Company as far as Soppo, where a detachment of Constabulary is stationed, and thence to Buea the seat of the Government. The following account of our stay in the Cameroons is taken from the Duke’s diary

“ At Soppo a company of Constabulary was drawn up on parade commanded by Captain Rammstedt, and impressed me most favourably. We also had the pleasure of greeting the wife and two daughters of Major Puder, who have braved the climate for more than a year — for no other word correctly describes residence in the high-lying stations of Soppo and Buea during the rainy season. The latter has been sensibly beautified and enlarged during the last two years. From Buea in the early morning the outline of the Great Cameroon Mountains against the sky can usually be distinguished, but from Soppo this is very seldom the case. It rains there almost continuously for weeks and months at a time, and the place is permanently wrapped in fog.”

After a few rainy days, we moved from Government House at Buea into the interesting Duala district, and every day, weather permitting, we made excursions on horseback in all directions.

We observed on all sides a very satisfactory advance in commercial and domestic life. Long, well-kept roads facilitate communication up-country, so that the valuable native handicraft can be brought to the Duala market.

On the Northern Railway, which extends for seventy miles, the crowded trains testified to its popularity. We congratulated the Government architect, Reichow, and the chief engineer, Meine, on the progress of the works, for considerable natural difficulties have necessitated deep cuttings and circuitous routes involving arduous labour. On the Midland Railway we saw the splendid structure of the iron bridge which is being erected over the Dibambu River. It is 1050 ft. long, and will be one of the finest bridges in Africa.

A negro theatrical company supplied the artistic element, and during our visit a meeting was held on the newly made race-course. This was the second since the course was made, and comprised an obstacle and two flat races which were a great success.

These social gatherings, usually held on Sunday afternoons, are well attended, and are eminently desirable.

in that they encourage the people to be sociable in a harmless manner ; they are, moreover, welcomed as a pleasant recreation by those who are engaged in hard work throughout the week.

The day began with a native rowing-boat regatta, six long fantastically-painted canoes facing the starter. Many of them were manned by fifty or more rowers, and were consequently barely two fingers’ breadth above the level of the water, which had to be continually baled out. The occasional capsizing of a boat merely increased the merriment.

Our staff of cooks, “ boys,” and assistants, engaged at Togo for the whole journey, was supplemented at Duala, so that each member of the expedition had at his disposal one cook and two “ boys,” without counting the five natives who were to learn how to stuff birds and prepare skins. We also obtained twenty black soldiers from the Imperial Constabulary ; these were for the most part natives of Jaunde, and with a few exceptions turned out well. Sergeant-Major R5der of the Constabulary also joined the expedition at Duala, as accountant and head of the commissariat.

On the 10th of August, we embarked in the little Government steamer “ Soden,” which was to take us as far as the mouth of the Cameroon River, where the cargo-steamer “ Edea ” was waiting to convey us to Roma on the Congo. As we steamed past the German gunboat “ Eber ” in Duala harbour, her crew manned the deck, and by order of her commander. Captain Lustig, gave three cheers for the Duke. It was our bluejackets’ hearty good-bye to the expedition !

There being no regular service between Duala and Boma, the Hamburg-American Line kindly placed at our disposal the “ Edea,” a 3500 ton cargo-steamer.

Our reception, accommodation, and food on board this vessel were excellent, and her good captain, Herr Frank, vied with his officers in making the voyage as pleasant as possible.

Fortune favoured us in letting us land at St. Thomas, an island which although visited by comparatively few travellers, is by no means devoid of interest. It is not generally known that this Portuguese island holds the third rank, immediately after Brazil and Ecuador, in the exportation of cocoa. St. Thomas offers, moreover, a fruitful field for the collector, especially as regards entomology and botany. A two days’ tour into the interior fully confirmed all that we had been led to expect. Prince’s Island and Annobon are of equal interest. Consequently the Duke decided to include these islands as well as Fernando Po in the itinerary of the expedition, and to send thither Dr Schultze and Dr Mildbraed at the conclusion of their travels in the South Cameroons. An account of their experiences and observations will be found in Volume II.

The “ Edea ” having cargo for Spanish Guinea, we steamed from St. Thomas to Bata, the capital of this Spanish colony, and observed how little the Spaniards have exploited it. They seem to use it mainly as a source for obtaining labourers for the Fernando Po plantations, and the methods employed in their capture must be described as a modern slave-trade. The sub-governor of Bata receives no official salary, but is paid 70 pesetas, i.e. about 50s., for every workman he supplies. No comment is needed. We visited Benito, at the mouth of the river of the same name, and then spent a day on the island of Elobey at the mouth of the Muni River. The chief trade of tliis Spanish colony is in the hands of the Hamburg firm of Woermann, and the English firms of John Holt and Hatton & Cookson. Spanish firms have hitherto placed little value on the resources of the country.

Our next stopping-place was Libreville, the capital of French Gaboon, with which we had become acquainted on a previous visit two years ago.

French Equatorial Africa consists of three colonies : Gaboon, Mid-Congo, with its capital Brazzaville, and Ubangi-Shari-Tchad, with its capital Bangi. The “ Military Territory of the Tchad,” with its capital Fort Lamy, forms part of the last-named colony. The Governor- General resides at Brazzaville.

On the morning of the 23rd of August we reached Banana, at the mouth of the Congo, and a pilot brought us to Boma, the capital of the Congo State. A hearty welcome was here extended to the Duke, the Governor- General Fuchs, whose acquaintance we had made on a previous occasion, meeting us on the quay with his officers and staff. At six o’clock the following morning we continued our voyage as far as Matadi, which, owing to the strong adverse current, we did not reach until the afternoon was well advanced.

In Boma we noticed several alterations and improvements. The sleeping sickness, which still ravages a great part of the interior of Africa, has necessitated the extension of the splendid hospital, and the large palace of the Governor is soon to be replaced by a new building in the modern European style. Everyone sings the praises of King Albert of Belgium, who has not only generously renounced his very considerable private revenues from the Congo, but has himself contributed large sums of money towards the introduction of

*

1. Village on the Ubangi, south of Libenge.

2. Flooded area on the Ubangi near Duma.

3. Camp on the road from Fort Possel to Fort Crampel.

4. The Governor’s house at Bangi.

5. Rapids near Bangi.

modern appliances, and towards combatting the sleeping sickness.

It will be time enough to discuss the promised Congo reforms together with their influence on international trade, which is so closely bound up in them, when they have become an accomplished fact — and this is still a long way off.

Now, at any rate, contrary to the assertions of biassed newspapers, the natives enjoy considerate treatment, not only here, but in many other parts of the West Coast, a treatment regarded with grave anxiety by such as really understand negro psychology. The manner in which justice is administered in some of the chief West African towns, in many cases positively favouring the negroes to an incredible degree, seriously resembles an unaccountable panic. Such obvious anxiety not to offend so-called “influential” individuals must in the long run have injurious results. For natives are quick to recognize timidity, and to take advantage of it. I could mention several examples bearing out this statement only too well. Every traveller should consider it his duty to call attention to the need of just but stern government.

Boma, unlike Duala, was enjoying the dry season. Not a drop of rain having fallen since May, the inhabitants were anxiously awaiting the first tornado, which inaugurates the rainy season about the middle of September. At Matadi, we found a temperature of 70 degrees F. quite chilly !

The railway company supplied us with a special train at Matadi, and in company with the German consul Tecklenburg, we travelled via Thysville to Kinshassa, close to Leopoldsville, the railway terminus.

Visitors to the charming town of Leopoldsville must be puzzled to understand why it was chosen as an important commercial centre. The powerful Congo rapids commence scarcely 550 yards south of the town, so that steamers run the risk of being sucked into the whirlpool. This fact necessitated the construction of the Matadi railway.

A proposal to remove the town further north, near the favourable anchorage of Kinshassa, miscarried on account of the founder’s obstinacy, and it would now be impossible owing to the many new institutions, dockyards, locomotive work-shops, etc.

At Kinshassa we met Dr Haberer, the physician who had come from Molundu in the South Cameroons to join our expedition. The paddle-steamer “ Valerie ” was waiting to convey us to Bangi, at the bend of the Ubangi River.

On the 30th of August, Dr Schultze and Dr Mildbraed took leave of us and set out on their special itinerary down the river Ssanga to Molundu, and through the South Cameroons. At the close of this very important botanical, zoological, and ethnographical expedition, before returning home, they intended to visit the islands of Annobon, St. Thomas, and Fernando Po, whose scientific resources had never been explored.

The main expedition at first intended to proceed up the Congo and Ubangi Rivers as far as Fort de Possel, and thence northwards through the river-basins of the Gribingi and Shari to Lake Tchad. Later, after returning from Lake Tchad and investigating Bagirmi, we were to march eastwards in two columns to the Nile, the one travelling north via Dar-Kuti and Hof rat - en-Nahas to Fashoda, and the other taking a more southerly direction along the Ubangi and Mbomu Rivers, through Bahr-el-Ghazal, towards Meshra-el-

Rek. The following chapters will indicate the alterations we were compelled to make in the course of our journey.

On the morning of the 31st of August the “ Valerie ” was ready to start. The party was composed of seven Europeans and fifty-six blacks, with about twelve tons of baggage. A short pause at Brazzaville for the signing of the custom-house papers proved disastrous, for on re-starting, a steam-pipe burst, and necessitated a delay of four hours. But at last we were able to steam up-stream towards our destination, leaving behind us the large cities of modern Africa. The Duke in his diary describes as follows the voyage up the Congo and Ubangi Rivers, and our stay in the Libenge district : —

“ The scenery on the banks of the Ubangi strongly resembles that of the Middle and Upper Congo, from its narrower part near Leopoldville. The virgin forest reaches down to the water’s edge, being interrupted at intervals by grass patches. The eye, glad to escape the green monotony of the wooded banks, roams over these patches, seeking to discover some sign of life, some specimen of big game. The spoor of hippopotami and elephants, and the signs that numerous buffaloes have congregated at night on the clearances near the bank, or on some solitary island in mid-stream, confirm the statements of the natives as to the abundance of these wild beasts. Otherwise, all animal life seems extinct ; only one or two solitary crocodiles sun themselves with wide-open jaws on the few uncovered sand-banks, whilst here and there a hippopotamus, on the approach of the steamer, glides into the turbid brownish, or even at times inky-black water.

“ The Ubangi, like all the large tributaries of the Congo, is enormously broad. In many places it spreads out into wide basins, so that we appeared to be steaming through a chain of lakes. The ‘ Valerie,’ like all the steamers here, employed wood as fuel, and once or twice a day the supply was replenished at the ‘ postes a bois,’ many of which have a black manager to look after the cutting and storing of the wood.

“ Six days after leaving Kinshassa, the ‘ Valerie,’ before reaching the mouth of the Ubangi, steamed a short distance up the Ssanga, in order to traverse the Dizenge Canal, north of Makala, and then back to the Congo, after spending the night in the canal. This slight detour was of special medical interest, since the narrow waterway was swarming with tsetse flies {Glossina palpalis). These flies, which transmit sleeping sickness, were caught every day on the steamer in large quantities. Their blood was at once microscopically examined, but not in one single case was a trypanosoma identified. And yet the inhabitants were many of them infected, and in a surprizing number of cases enlarged glands might be observed.

“ On the 13th of September, we at length came to an end of this hot voyage, the thermometer every day registering 99° F. in the shade. (Ulus. 1.)

“ The same afternoon we reached Libenge on the Belgian bank, two days’ journey from Bangi. Here Dr Haberer, Dr Schubotz, Schmidt, and I left the ‘Valerie,’ in order to work for three weeks in the forest and neighbouring plains. In spite of the friendly assistance of Commandant van der Cruyssen, we found great difficulty in obtaining bearers. With much trouble we managed to obtain fifty men, of whom twenty ran away again during the night, thus needlessly delaying our start. This small number of carriers being naturally insufficient for our baggage, we sent the rest of it on by

View of the rapids and our lodging at Bangi.

Ngamas. 8. Mandja maidens in Sainali festal dress.

water to Duma-rive under the charge of Doctors Schubotz and Schmidt. Here it was easier to find bearers for the short one and a half hour’s march to Duma, which was to be our head- quarters.

“ Haberer and I followed two days later on foot to Duma, accompanied by the Belgian lieutenant, Debugre. The first day we encountered no difficulties to speak of, but the next day we found large tracts of the forest under water, the rainy season being not yet at an end. (Ulus. 2.) For many miles we had to wade, often up to our hips in water, and though temporary bridges made of tree-trunks had been erected over the impassable places, the raging stream of the rivers in flood overflowed even these to a depth of a couple of feet. In time the swimming powers of my Airedale terrier gave out and I was obliged to drag him along by the collar. Weary, but with baggage intact, we reached Duma in the afternoon of September 15th. This town lies outside the woods, but within the forest limits the sleeping sickness was very prevalent. Whole villages had died out or been abandoned. On all sides we met people suffering from this disease, and from many of them we obtained blood specimens for examination.

“ The population consists of all kinds of mixed tribes, of which the Mono and Bundu, the Banza, Buaka, Ngombe, Sanga, and Babanga are the most noteworthy. Each possesses its own language and habits, one language being often confined to one village, so that it is very difficult to make oneself understood. In the neighbourhood of Duma, Sango is the language spoken, and the station soldiers learn it. And yet barely an hour’s journey further on, it is hard to find anyone who understands Sango. Bangala, or Mangala, as the better variety is called, which is the means of intercourse throughout the Congo, and on the banks of the Ubangi, ceases entirely here. An exhaustive ethnological study of the miscellaneous population would require many months. Education is very backward, and it is therefore difficult to collect interesting data.

“ The districts south of the Ubangi are for the most part untrodden by Europeans, and no one ventures far inland. Further east the tribes have not yet been subdued, and are hostile to Europeans. The weakness of the companies makes it impossible to obtain a militar}'- escort, and, moreover, most expeditions come to grief in the matter of obtaining bearers. Even a Belgian officer who recently passed through here, for days sought in vain to obtain natives who would carry his baggage, for according to the new regulations, no compulsion may be used ; and since the work of carrying is unpopular, it is disdained even at a high price. The bearers will carry only for a few hours, often only from one village to the next, so that a daily change is necessary, and continual palaver is the order of the day.

“ The economic development of the Congo is seriously endangered by the new regulations regarding the treatment of the natives, and the profits from india-rubber have sensibly diminished. Since the Government no longer buys india-rubber from the natives, the large collecting stations have become useless. Libenge, for example, formerly one of the chief centres of the india-rubber trade on the Upper Ubangi, now no longer exports it. The only way in which the Government can obtain india-rubber is by means of plantations. Even here difficulties arise, for the race of labourers is dying out, weeds over-run the plantations, and the few available men can only clear and tap a small proportion of the trees. If, therefore, the regulations forbidding the employment of force are to be strictly enforced, the Government will be obliged to abandon the india-rubber plantations laid out at such great expense.

‘‘The neighbourhood of Duma up to the edge of the forest is moderately well stocked with wild animals, the commonest being the water-buck and the woodbuck. I also managed to kill two of the rare grass antelopes. A leopard was trapped, which two nights previously had entered Dr Schubotz’ tent and worried his dog. We heard a few solitary hyenas, but did not succeed in catching one. Buffaloes and elephants are also to be found ; the former display the small horns of the West African variety, whilst the latter grow such remarkably poor ivory that they are not worth shooting. Gorillas inhabit the west bank of the Ubangi, south of Libenge, and chimpanzees the forest east of that station, but they are not easy to find. The large striped antelope is said to exist near Libenge, though not in large numbers. The okapi is entirely wanting in this neighbourhood, but is found further north. It is specially plentiful in the forests south of Yakoma, near Likati.

“The bird tribe is well represented in the pasture lands. In the forest they are much rarer ; we found, however, some typical specimens of the great West African Hylea, and I am sure our collection will contain many new songsters. The hope or rather certainty of bringing unknown specimens to the Hamburg and Frankfort museums encouraged us in our work.”

The Duke, Professor Haberer, Dr Schubotz, and Schmidt remained behind in the Libenge district, whilst I accompanied the painter Heims and Sergeant- Major Roder in the river-steamer “ Valerie ” to Bangi. A most unfortunate accident occurred during the voyage. Captain Charles Gaudin was anxious to accomplish the journey from Libenge to Bangi in the day, boasting that he would reach Bangi before midnight, although river-steamers are strictly forbidden to travel by night in the neighbourhood of the rapids. After dining with the Captain, we had retired to our cabins for the night, when we were awakened by loud screams, and the stopping of the engines. We soon learned the melancholy reason : Captain Gaudin had fallen overboard !

MTien we emerged from our cabins, the steamer was hove to in pitch darkness in mid-stream, and our only boat, manned by four rowers, had already pushed off in search of the Captain. The only way in which we could help was by holding lamps over the side, so that the Captain might know in wliich direction to swim. Meanwhile the black steersman entirely lost his head, and the steamer was soon driven on to the right bank, where she struck Avith a crash. The current was particularly strong just there.

In about an hour the boat came back in despair. In spite of the darkness, we ascertained that a village of Buakas, called Yakoli, lay wrapped in slumber close at hand. We landed, and fetching the people from their huts, we got them to man every available native boat, and resume the search, whilst we lighted bonfires all along the bank. So we watched and waited all through the long night, listening intently and hoping against hope for news of the Captain, but in vain. When the boats returned at dawn empty-handed, we felt sure that he was no longer living.

10. Mandja huts,

11. Old Mandja woman.

12. Mandja mother and children.

The accident occurred in the following manner : Captain Gaudin went down to the engine-room and angrily told the engineer that the ship was not steaming fast enough. Dazed by the heat of the stoke-hold, in passing the boiler as he returned on deck, he must have stumbled and fallen overboard. This is all the more probable because just here there was no balustrade, and the deck level was only about four inches above the water-line. Probably Gaudin then fell underneath the vessel, her draught being only about twenty inches, and was knocked on the head by the paddle-wheel, stunned, and carried away by the force of the current. The breadth of the river being here nearly a mile and a half, it would not be an easy matter even for a strong man to swim ashore.