Wild life under the equator

by Paul B. Du Chaillu

THE TRIAL OF PENDÉ.

ACCUSATION OF PENDÉ.

“Bakalai, people among us have been dying. Where is Aqualai? he is gone. Where is Anguilai? he is gone. Where are Djali and Ratenou, our great hunters? they are gone. Where is Olenda? Where are the people of our once large clan? They have all gone, to come no more to us. How is this? For they were well before death got hold of them, and they could not have died unless people had bewitched them. Where are our women who once danced and sang for us, who went on our plantations, who gave us food, who went fishing and gave us fish, and who bore children to us? They, too, have gone. The forest is full of dead men’s bones. How could this be, unless we have sorcerers among us?”

The whole crowd of the two camps shouted with one accord, “How could men die unless they are bewitched?” The dread of death was on the face of all; their eyes became wild, and they sought revenge, for none of them wanted to die. “There would be no death without aniemba,” they all shouted; “without aniemba there would be no sickness.” A little more, and the frenzied crowd of the two camps would have rushed forward and cut poor Pendé to pieces. The speaker who was speaking was considered one of their most powerful orators. He went on to say that he had had a dream—many others had the same dream—it was that Pendé had gone into the woods and stolen men’s bones. Yes, he was sure of it, for his dreams could not lie. They all shouted on the accuser’s side, “Our dreams can not lie! They must be true. It must be so. Pendé has gone into the forest, and stolen men’s bones to make a monda fetich to kill us, and to prevent trade from coming to us.” Then a dead silence followed. Pendé came forward, and in a loud voice said, “No, I have never done such a thing—I am not a wizard. I will drink the mboundou if I am accused of being one.” He was sure he was not one—he would not die, and he would make them give him plenty of slaves for having insulted him. He had never taken in his hands any human bones. There were wizards, but he was not one of them. He wanted them to live long—he wanted them to kill plenty of elephants, to marry plenty of wives, to have plenty of children, and a great number of slaves; he was not jealous of them. Their dreams were false. He could never wish such evil things upon them. On the contrary, somebody was jealous of him, and wanted the people to kill him, so that they might divide his wives and slaves, and take his spear and his gun.

Pendé’s speech produced a good effect, especially as he was backed by a strong force. All the time he addressed himself to King Quengueza, who was seated, sedate and stately, and at whose side stood his (organa) idol. I was listening in wonder, astonished at this strange spectacle. Quengueza got up, and in a short time the palaver was over, and, in order to have peace, Pendé had to give away three slaves to the three chief accusers. But Pendé was suspected of being a wizard, and when once the suspicion of being such an awful evil being takes possession of the people, it never wears out of their minds. So, a short time after, poor Pendé was again accused of witchcraft—of having bewitched a man who had died. Obindji himself got afraid of his brother, and Pendé was killed, and his body was thrown in the river, after having been cut into more than a hundred pieces.

CHAPTER XXII.
GORILLA HUNTING.—PREPARATIONS.—WE KILL A MALE GORILLA.—BRINGING HIM TO CAMP.

We are merry. Our camp has been built; we are in a country where elephants, gorillas, leopards, and wild boars are abundant. There are also antelopes and gazelles, and other wild animals.

We are seated round the fire and talking of to-morrow, for we are going hunting.

We are far away from any village of the Ashankolo Mountains, and are near the Ovenga River. Our little canoe that took us there we have hidden in the forest. We are not very far from the land called Kanga Niaré.