IN THE CONGO

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 301, 14 September 1921, Page 9

IN THE CONGO

BRITISH OFFICER’S ADVENTURES MANY STRANGE TRIBES MET After stirring adventures in the almost unknown territories of the Belgian Congo known locally as La Region Mysterifuse, Captain J. E. T. Philippo, M.C., a young political officer, arrived in London recently, bringing with him two, young African chiefs. Captain Philipposls expedition, in the interests of science was from Eastern to Western Equatorial Africa. Parts of this wild and desolate area have never before been vistied by a white man. Captain Philipps found a wide tract of land devastated by cannibals. He described some of his adventures to a "Daily Mail" reporter, laying particular stress on his affection for tho two chiefs whom ho had brought with him to London. One is named Philippo Lwangoga and is chief over some 15,000 people in tho Tanganyika region; the other, called Benedikto Daki, is chief of 8500 people near the Congo frontier. Benedikto saved Captain Philippa’s life in the German East African campaign. The chiefs were lent to him by the Colonial Government for his expedition, and proved good and faithful friends and also excellent peacemakers among the savage tribes encountered. “My caravan party," said Captain Philipps, "numbered 50. We were trekking across Africa for. nearly seven months. In tho mysterious region we came across many strange tribes, both hostile and friendly. In the march between Lake Kivu and the Lualaba River, the dwellers in the dark villages of the equatorial forest, hearing the news by drum, came out in large numbers to see us pass. By one of the tribes I was nicknamed ’the tall one who laughs.’ “In one part of the area in the direction of Wardi we came across a large tract of land which had all the signs of bring at one time densely populated. It had been ruthlessly laid waste and we came' across piles of skulls picked clean, which was sure evidence of a cannibal raid. ■> . ... . “Later, when I was lying very ill m a mud hut iff the great forest, our caravan was visited by bhang-maddentfd savages (maddened by a drug made from hemp). Their teeth are sharpened for cannibalistic purposes. Only the fearlessness and devotion of the two chiefs enabled an escape to be made at night by breaking- through the cordon they had drawn/around us. “In the mountains we came across a new type of gorilla different in many particulars from all the known species and probably more nearly akin to man. “This type rarely comes to a lower altitude than 8000 feet. It will attack a man on sight. It had with it an infant gorilla and its mother. I shot the male and the female and tried to bring back the infant, kilt it died. "I forwarded the skeleton of the male to the British Museum. Another discovery we made was of a now species of otter, also a pigmy elephant only Bft. 2in. "At Luganzu we saw the footmarks in the rocks of what the natives believe to be the first man on earth. He is believed to have descended from the heavens and first set foot on earth at this epot. 1 The chiefs were greatly interested in London life. Visiting the Zoological Gardens, they asked at once for the lion and the elephant, agents of dread and damage in their own country. When the keeper invited them inside, they replied: '"Perhaps you think we are ignorant. But we know them, and should very much like to see you do it." They were frankly astonished when the keeper'fed the’ elephants by hand, and then were willing to approach a little nearer. bear was unfamiliar to them.