t
does not reflect particular credit on so-called civilization. Before the
white man came to Africa chastity was held in deepest reverence. The
usual punishment for infidelity was death. Some of the early white men
were more or less promiscuous and set a bad moral example with regard to
the women. The native believed that in this respect "the white man can
do no wrong" and the inevitable laxity resulted. When a woman deserts
her husband now all she gets is a sound beating. If a man elopes with
the wife of a friend, he is haled before a magistrate and fined.

[Illustration: THE HEART OF THE EQUATORIAL FOREST]

III

On the Congo I got my first glimpse of the native fashion in mourning.
It is a survival of the biblical "sackcloth and ashes." As soon as a
death occurs all the members of the family smear their faces and bodies
with ashes or dirt. Even the babies show these rude symbols of woe. It
gives the person thus adorned a weird and ghastly appearance. When ashes
and dust are not available for this purpose, a substitute is found in
filthy mud. The mourner is not permitted to wash throughout the entire
period of grief, which ranges from thirty to ninety days.

Like the Southern Negro in America these African natives are not only
born actors but have a keen sense of humour. They are quick to imitate
the white man. If a Georgia darkey, for example, wants to abuse a member
of his own race he delights to call him "a fool nigger." It is the last
word in reproach. In the Congo when a native desires to express contempt
for his fellow, he refers to him as a _basingi_, which means bush-man.
It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Up the Kasai I heard a story that admirably illustrates the native
humour. A Belgian official much inclined to corpulency came out to take
charge of a post. After the usual fashion, he received a native name the
moment he arrived. It is not surprising that he became known as _Mafutta
Mingi_. As soon as he learned what it meant he became indignant. Like
most fat men he could not persuade himself that he was fat. He demanded
that he be given another title, whereupon the local chief solemnly
dubbed him _Kiboko_. The official was immediately appeased. He noticed
that a broad smile invariably illumined the countenance of the person
who addressed him in this way. On investigation he discovered that the
word meant hippopotamus.

The Congo native delights in argument. Here you get another para