“After I have left you,” I continued, “I want you to remember the Oguizi, for I shall never forget you, and when I go back to the country of the Oguizis I will tell them what friends we were, how we hunted together, and how we spent many evenings round the bright fires.”
When I spoke these words one could have heard a leaf fall on the ground. Then an old slave got up and said: “Oguizi, stay with us a little longer.” And my hunters, looking tenderly at me added: “We will go again with you into the great forest and hunt elephants and nginas, and other wild beasts.” But I replied: “I have to go far, far away towards the country where the sun rises, before I return to the land of the Oguizis, who are waiting for me to hear the news about what I have seen in the great forest.”
Then another slave arose and said: “Oguizi, give to each of us some of your hair; we will keep it to remember you by, and show it to strangers to prove that you have been amongst us. Otherwise they will not believe us; but when they see the hair they will know that they have never seen the like.”
These words were greeted with a great shout of approbation. I began to pull my hair out one hair at a time; I gave to each man one hair. My hair had grown very long and hung on my shoulders. I could not have given a greater present to these people. No brass kettle even had the same value in their eyes. To Regundo, Oshoria, Ogoola, Ngola, and Quabi, who had been my constant companions, I gave three hairs each.
After this, I distributed among the women all the beads I had. To Regundo’s wife and to each of the wives of my hunters I gave a small looking-glass. Then they all went to their quarters, saying: “Good night, good Oguizi.”
Early the next morning every one was on the river bank to bid good-by to me, the women bringing presents of mats and food. Regundo, Oshoria, Ngola, Quabi, and Ogoola were in my canoe, with the elephant-tusks and tails. After I was in the canoe I stood up and held “Omemba” in my right hand, so that all the people could see the stick of King Mombo.
I gave the order for departure and immediately my hunters fired their guns, while ashore other men fired also, and others beat the tomtoms. The noise was deafening as gun after gun was fired.
“I stood up and held ‘Omemba’ in my right hand”
The last words I heard after the guns ceased firing and the tomtoms were still, were: “Good-by, Oguizi, come back to us.” Three canoes loaded with bunches of plantains, manioc, and all kinds of food for King Mombo followed us. The little American flag which I always carried with me floated proudly on the breeze at the stern of my canoe, and displayed its stars and stripes. Wherever I went I took the precious flag with me.