D

I had studied the new dialect of the Bakuba and had made every
preparation for our expedition into the "Forbidden Land" of King
Lukenga. I had met their people, a far interior tribe, and was
interested in their apparent superiority in physique, manners, dress and
dialect. I asked to be allowed to accompany them to their country and
king, but they said it was impossible, their king would never allow a
foreigner to come into the interior. Nevertheless I determined to seek
them out and after some weeks had elapsed, I called our station natives
together and laid plainly before them the perils of the journey. I told
them, from the information which I had, that the trails which had been
made by elephant, buffalo, antelope and Bakuba natives were many and
they led over long, hot, sandy plains through deep dark forests, across
streams without bridges, and through swamps infested with wild animals
and poisonous serpents. And above all, the king had sent word throughout
the land that we could not enter his country. Not a man's muscle moved,
and there was not a dissenting voice.

I had picked up the Bakuba dialect from some of the king's traders and
tax collectors who journeyed our way. I received from them much
information of the general direction leading north toward the capital,
the names of large towns on the way, of the market towns, the
approximate distances apart, the streams to be crossed, and their names;
of the leopard, buffalo and elephant zones, and the names of some of the
chiefs of the market towns, etc.

Two days later, when all was in readiness, tents loaded, cooking
utensils, a bag of money (cowrie shells), some salt, etc., we left
Luebo, led by the Master's hand.

The trail lay northeast by north with a gradual ascent. The country was
well wooded and watered. No stones could be seen anywhere, and the soil
was sandy. There were many extensive plains with magnificent palm trees,
hundreds and thousands of them ranging from a foot high, which the
elephants fed upon, to those fifty and sixty feet high. The forest
everywhere was ever green. Trees blossomed and bloomed, sending out upon
the gentle breeze their fragrance, so acceptable to the traveler.
Festoons of moss and running vines made the forest look like a
beautifully painted theatre or an enormous swinging garden.

In the meantime word had come to the king of Lukenga of our presence
and, as we neared his kingdom, we were met by a party of fighting men.