ON THE CONGO RIVER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18032, 4 September 1920, Page 8

ON THE CONGO RIVER

SCENES FROM TROPICAL AFRICA. LECTURE BY MR D. IC. MACDONALD. * c Tho anthropology lecture delivered in ' the Museum class room last night was \ given by Mi' D. IC Macdonald, who was J a ship's captain in the Congo River basin 1 for 12 or 14 years recently. Mr Mac- j donald brought with him, and displayed in j the room, a varied and most valuable col- ' lcction of curios typical of all sorts of ; native customs, art, and industry. In opening, Mr Macdonald explained that ' the whole of Central Africa is a high • plateau sloping to the south and the east. . Anything south of 10 degrees of the equator was considered "quite all right" by Euro- 1 peans, for there it was high and healthy. ' But nearer the Equator it was very dif- 1 ferent. The mouth of the Congo, six ■ degrees south, was about nine miles across, and it t.hrew its waters out as far as 300 1 miles to the northward in the ocean. The Congo was navigable for steamers of 7000 1 tens as far as Mntadi, where the cataract region began. Boma, the capital, was about 60 miles from the mouth, but Leopoldville and other inland centres were of much more importance. At tho spot called "the Devil's Cauldron " the current ran at times 10 miles an hour, and the lead had been let down SCOft without touching bottom. The natives in the coast, area did not compare at all favourably with those inland. Two hundred miles of railway connected Matadi with Leopoldville at tho upper end of the cataract region. Beyond this there wore no less than 11,000 miles of navigable water for steamers on the Congo. The main stream itself from Leopoldville ran on for IOCO miles to the Stanley .Falls, and beyond that- again there was another navigable stretch. On these rivers it was always necessary to sail by chart, as it was impossible for any man to remember all the islands in the stream. As a general rule the less current the more dangerous a river was to sail in. , When a man got to know the natives he could not help liking them. They were most faithful, and the more one appreciated the natives the more he hated the Belgian traders for the way they treated them. Tho natives had a very fine character, Jinrl many of them were really clever. Nothing had been, done to develop the country. Its natural products had been despoiled at high speed, and it would take the country a long time to recover from its treatment by the traders. He showed a typical rubber basket with lumps of rubber and a piece of rubber vine. The natives were wonderful blacksmiths, and the iron they made was of the highest quality. Those of good family never allowed their finger nails or toe nails to grow, and they carefully pulled out their e-elashes. With the advance of civilisation they were leaving their elaborate hairdressing customs, going in for short hair and adopting hats. The natives were very musical, and danced at night to the sound of thendrums. If there was a moon they would dance all night, and naturally would not be much use for work next morning. If a man was really just .with the natives they never bore ill-will, nor had he ever had to use the "hippo" hide, as was so commonly done on the Congo steamers. A specimen of this brutal whip ho showed. On his steamer he had 70' of a crew from various tribes, and some of them were really wild savages, and to begin with force had sometimes to be used. But once they got to know him there was no trouble. Leopoldville was upon Stanley Pool, which was about 20 miles long and 16 acres. There was a large island in the centre, and the pool was shallow and full of strong currents. If a steamer went over the rapids just below Leopoldville, which were three miles aoross, no trace of it was found again. He told several thrilling experiences illustrating the difficulties and dangers of navigation in the Congo. Mr Macdonald then threw on the screen and described a most interesting series of photographs taken on the Congo. The fuel he used on tTie steamer was all wood, and he required to have 40 men cutting wood alone to keep the boilers going. The pictures illustrated native houses and villages, boat landings, native canoes, oil palms, cotton trees, bananas, cocoanuts, mangoes, plantains, and other characteristic products. He showed a solid brass neck ring, weighing 141b. worn by a favourite wife, and said he had seen them weighing up to 281b and permanently fastened cvi. A number of pictures illustrated tho extraordinary types of hairdressing affected by many of tho natives. Even more extraordinary were tho decorative markings traced in patterns of huge weals and soars over the face and other parts of the body. Next wero shown some excellent views of leopards, croco- . diles, and other game found in the country. , Mr Macdonald held the close attention of , his audience for nearly two hours, .and after , he had been accorded a hearty vote of r thanks on Mr H. D. Skinner's motion, there ; was an immediate demand that he should I continue his talk another evening. To this , Mr Macdonald was persuaded to agree..