CHAPTER IX
WE BUILD A FORTIFIED CAMP IN THE DEPTHS OF THE FOREST—STRUCTURE OF THE CAMP—LAYING IN STORES OF PROVISIONS—KOOLA NUTS—SOURCE OF MY INFLUENCE OVER THE NATIVES
One evening as Rogala, Shinshooko, Alapai, and I were seated around a blazing fire, we talked about gorillas, elephants, and other big game, and determined to go and build an "olako" camp in the deep and gloomy recesses of the forest, taking with us Andekko and Ndova.
The following day the women put a large quantity of cassava roots or manioc in the stream running near Rogala's house; these were to remain in the water three days, after which they were to be cut, pounded, cooked, and made into cakes.
I was short of soap; so my hunters collected a quantity of palm nuts, the kind from which palm oil is made. These nuts we boiled until the pulp became quite soft. Then the women pounded the nuts in wooden mortars, and the pulp furnished the oil. I then gathered all the ashes from the fires, boiled these for a long time, then leaving the ashes at the bottom of the vessel, took the water and boiled it with a certain amount of palm oil. By this process I made soft soap.
I had to wash my own clothes, for not only did the people not know how, but in one sense did not know what clean linen was. They could not tell whether my clothes were soiled or not. I did not wonder, seeing the way they made their toilet. After taking a bath, they rubbed their bodies with oil mixed with clay, or with oil mixed with the powder of odoriferous woods. This was what they called making themselves clean.
The wives of the men and the children were to go with us to help carry the food to our camp; and when the day of our departure arrived, three canoes were loaded with food, bunches of plantain, and our outfit.
We had four axes with us, queer-looking ones, several machetes, two sharpening stones, and ammunition; above all, my "precious box" with its invaluable instruments.
Our party divided and went in different canoes.
After ascending the river for a few hours, we stopped by a path which had led formerly to the village of Rotembo's slaves. There we camped, landing our outfit. A few miles further navigation stopped. We lighted many fires, and the men collected branches of trees for me to sleep upon.