Ayzingo Now Bears Due North - And Native
Mahogany Is Called "Okooma." Pass Village Called Welli On North
Bank.
It looks like some gipsy caravans stuck on poles.
I expect
that village has known what it means to be swamped by the rising
river; it looks as if it had, very hastily in the middle of some
night, taken to stilts, which I am sure, from their present rickety
condition, will not last through the next wet season, and then some
unfortunate spirit will get the blame of the collapse. I also learn
that it is the natal spot of my friend Kabinda, the carpenter at
Andande. Now if some of these good people I know would only go and
distinguish themselves, I might write a sort of county family
history of these parts; but they don't, and I fancy won't. For
example, the entrance - or should I say the exit? - of a broadish
little river is just away on the south bank. If you go up this
river - it runs S.E. - you get to a good-sized lake; in this lake
there is an island called Adole; then out of the other side of the
lake there is another river which falls into the Ogowe main stream -
but that is not the point of the story, which is that on that island
of Adole, Ngouta, the interpreter, first saw the light. Why he ever
did - there or anywhere - Heaven only knows! I know I shall never
want to write his biography.
On the western bank end of that river going to Adole, there is an
Igalwa town, notable for a large quantity of fine white ducks and a
clump of Indian bamboo. My informants say, "No white man ever live
for this place," so I suppose the ducks and bamboo have been
imported by some black trader whose natal spot this is. The name of
this village is Wanderegwoma. Stuck on sandbank - I flew out and
shoved behind, leaving Ngouta to do the balancing performances in
the stern. This O'Rembo Vongo divides up just below here, I am
told, when we have re-embarked, into three streams. One goes into
the main Ogowe opposite Ayshouka in Nkami country - Nkami country
commences at Ayshouka and goes to the sea - one into the Ngumbi, and
one into the Nunghi - all in the Ouroungou country. Ayzingo now lies
N.E. according to Gray Shirt's arm. On our river there is here
another broad low island with its gold-coloured banks shining out,
seemingly barring the entire channel, but there is really a canoe
channel along by both banks.
We turn at this point into a river on the north bank that runs north
and south - the current is running very swift to the north. We run
down into it, and then, it being more than time enough for chop, we
push the canoe on to a sandbank in our new river, which I am told is
the Karkola. I, after having had my tea, wander off, and find
behind our high sandbank, which like all the other sandbanks above
water now, is getting grown over with hippo grass - a fine light
green grass, the beloved food of both hippo and manatee - a forest,
and entering this I notice a succession of strange mounds or heaps,
made up of branches, twigs, and leaves, and dead flowers.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 123 of 371
Words from 64234 to 64796
of 194943
