Page:Travels in West Africa, Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons (IA travelsinwestafr00kingrich).pdf/344

CHAPTER XIV

 

BUSH TRADE AND FAN CUSTOMS

 

Wherein the Voyager, having fallen among the black traders, discourses on these men and their manner of life; and the difficulties and dangers attending the barter they carry on with the bush savages; and on some of the reasons that makes this barter so beloved and followed by both the black trader and the savage. To which is added an account of the manner of life of the Fan tribe; the strange form of coinage used by these people; their manner of hunting the elephant, working in iron; and such like things.

I spent a few, lazy, pleasant days at Agonjo, Mr. Glass doing all he could to make me comfortable, though he had a nasty touch of fever on him just then. His efforts were ably seconded by his good lady, an exceedingly comely Gaboon woman, with pretty manners, and an excellent gift in cookery. The third member of the staff was the store-keeper, a clever fellow I fancy a Loango from his clean-cut features and spare make, but his tribe I know not for a surety. What I do know is that he can sing "Partant pour la Syrie" with intense power and a penetrating pathos in the depths of the night. But I do not chronicle this as a discovery of my own; it was common knowledge to every sentient being within a radius of half a mile of the factory.

Mosquitoes here we met again: some one ought to go into the local distribution of mosquitoes in Congo Français instead of just saying hard things about them. I leave the work for a nobler soul than mine, and to assist him, note the fact that they are simply awful throughout all Kama country and Ouroungou. Up at Lembarene, which is above Kamna country, they are worse, and remain so until you get to Osamokita; there they cease