Part 15 (1/2)

The natives say that in the beginning men and women did not die

That one day, _Nza Koe and a small one If they chose the ser one, they would for a tireater wealth, but they would afterwards die The men said they must consider the os say While they were discussing the ift, and _Nza Komba_ went back with the little one He has never been seen since, though they cried and cried for Hiive them the little one, and with it ireat mystery is set forth in this way:

God (_Kabezya-unpungu_) created the sun, moon, and stars, then the world, and later the plants and animals When all this was finished He placed a ht theave an axe and a knife to the ht him to cut wood, weave stuffs, ave a pickaxe and a knife He taught both of theround, make pottery, weave baskets, ns to them to-day

These first inhabitants of the earth lived happily for a long ti this, had given her the gift of rejuvenating herself, and the faculty, if she once succeeded, of preserving the gift for herself and for all mankind Unfortunately, she speedily lost the precious treasure and introduced death into the world

This is how theherself all withered, the wo maize for the manufacture of beer and shut herself into her hut, carefully closing the door There she began to tear off her old skin, throwing it on the fan The skin ca in its place The operation was nearing completion There remained the head and neck only when her companion came to the hut to fetch her fan and before the old woman could speak, pushed open the door The almost rejuvenated woman fell dead instantly

This is the reason we all die The two survivors gave birth to a nuhters, from whom all races have descended

Since that time God does not trouble about His creatures He is satisfied with visiting theround sinks He injures no one It is therefore superfluous to honour him, so the Balubas offer no worshi+p to Hiends of these peoples They represent a cole Book, Aesop's Fables, and Br'er Rabbit Nor do they fail to point a moral Naturally, the elephant is a conspicuous feature in most of them The tale of ”The Elephant and the Shreill illustrate Here it is:

[Illustration: NATIVES PILING WOOD]

[Illustration: A WOOD POST ON THE CONGO]

One day the elephant met the shrew mouse on his road ”Out of the way,” cried the latter ”I aer, and it is your place to look out,” replied the monster ”Curse you!” retorted the shrew s!” ”And may you meet your death when you walk in the road!” replied the other crushi+ng hie foot Both curses have been fulfilled

Froh the long grass, and the shrew-mouse meets her death when she crosses the road

The story of the elephant and the chaed the elephant to a race The latter accepted the challenge and athe night the cha the length of the track where the race was to be run When day came the elephant started The cha ”Are you not tired?” asked the monster of the first cha the saeave up the contest and confessed himself beaten

In the wilds, as in civilization, the relation between husband and wife, and more especially the downfall of the autocrat of the home, is a favorite subject for jest Fro story:

A , the other such a gossip that he was oftenimproved her, and finally he st the hyenas There she built herself a little hut into which a hyena came and boldly installed herself as mistress

The wife tried to protest but the hyena, not content with eating and drinking all that the as preparing, co One day the hyena had ordered the wo the wife had the sudden idea of seizing the young hyenas and throwing the water

She did this and then she ran tree in the home of her husband whom she found calmly seated at the entrance of the house, spear in hand She threw herself at the feet of her spouse, beseeching hi with rage her husband stretched it dead on the ground with a blow of his spear The lesson was not lost on the wife Froht of her husband

The Congo can ever reproduce its own version of the fable of ”The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” It is somewhat primitive but serves the same purpose As told to the naked piccaninnies by the flickering camp-fires it runs thus:

Four fools owned a chicken which laid blue glass beads instead of eggs A quarrel arose concerning the ownershi+p of the fowl The bird was subsequently killed and divided into four equal portions The spring of their good fortune dried up

To understand the significance of the story it must be understood that for many years beads have been one of the forms of currency in Central Africa Formerly they were as important a detail in the purchase of a wife as copper and calico The first piece of attire, if it nated by this name, that adorns the native baby after its entrance into the world is an anklet of blue beads Later a strand of beads is placed round its loins

When you have heard such stories as I have just related, you realize that despite his ignorance, appetite, and indolence, the Congo native has some desirable qualities He is shi+ftless but not without human instincts Nowhere are they better expressed than in his folklore

IV

Two stops on the Congo River deserve special attention In the Congo there began in 1911 an industry that will have an i on the economic development of the Colony It was the installation of the first plant of the Huileries du Congo Belge This Company, which is an offshoot of theneed of pal

Lord Leverhulme, as then Sir William Lever, obtained a concession for considerably o

He began to open up so-called areas and installthe kernels He now has eight areas, and two of theo River

For hundreds of years the natives have gathered the palm fruit and extracted the oil Under their method of manufacture the waste was enormous The blacks threay the kernel because they were unaware of the valuable substance inside Lord Leverhul and scientific basis and it has justified his confidence and expenditure