The Harvard African Expedition, Book 2: September 26, 1926
Creator
Loring WhitmanDate
09/26/26Transcription
Sun Sept 26th. We made the customary early start sending off all loads by 10 minutes of 6 altho we kept 3 loads – a table – the cook box and the box for dishes as we were not thru eating. Dr. Shattuck and Hal went off first while Dr. Strong and I soon followed. As we left the town I bought a couple of hair pins which are made here form an imported aluminum alloy which the French evidently use as a trade metal. We soon caught up with Hal and Dr. George and set out a head following the porters who happened to be moving quite fast who were waiting for us at the river – the Yah – which we must cross on rafts as we did the St Johns. In fact altho but a tributary it is almost as big in this place and is quite an obstacle. There were also again 3 rafts and the same rope to pull us across. Then off again. The porters set off at a good swift pace so that we were staid behind them with no trouble at all. In fact in the next 3 hrs we (the porters and I gained 15 min. on the others. At Yepo – the second town – they said there were two ways and which did we want to take – One was shorter but the trail was bad. We told them to go the “Best” way. So off they went. At one place we passed the thigh bone of an elephant evidently long deceased. It is a big bone. At 1000 we stopped at Gotrenh where we had a half hour palaver about the boys not carrying any further etc. Of course the porters had nothing to do with this- it was only the chief of the town. The upshot of it all was we went on with the same carriers. Another thing we discovered was that we were not on the road to Bloh – our nights destination and when the boys spoke of 2 ways they meant to tappi town – our ultimate stop. However we could reach tappi town this way all right. So we pushed on into a sun now getting hot. Later as we were going along we passed a long runway of rattan thru which the trail ran. We discovered it was a leopard trap for the leopards walk the trails at night. The walls were solid except at the business region where there is a sort of open log cage with a deadfall. <Drawing of the leopard trap>
At the next village Hal asked after leopard skins and bought a beauty for 10 shillings. And then at 200 we got to Ziche (german pronunciation) our stopping place for the night, and it was a welcome stop, too. Our house is still in the process of being built and not even the roof is finished. But eventually it ought to be a very presentable dwelling with 4 big rooms and a front an back porch – a covered passage to the kitchen and a two room kitchen.
Leave Que Congo 635 Arr. Ziche 200
5 ESE to
<=====
[20 Yah R.]
10 ESE
15 SSE
30 SW
10 SSW To Betang
5 ESE
10 E
10 SE
5 SSE to Yeepo
10 S
10 SW
15 SSW
10 WSW
10 SW
10 W
10 SSW
10 SW
5 W to
[35 Gotrenh]
15 E
15 ESE
15 S
10 SW
5 rest
10 SW
25 SSW.
15 SSE to
[25 voi or Foyeh]
15 WSW
5 WNW
10 W
20 SW
10 SSW
5 SW
Distance 18 miles – 12 m. Crowfly.
After getting washed up and dressed in dry clothes we chatted with a very agreeable Road Commissioner who was in charge of building. He asked Dr. Shattuck for some medicine for his stomach and when asked if he drank admitted that his indigestion might be due to chronic alcoholism. But despite some what mild flavor of spirits he was very pleasant and to all intents and purposes sober. He asked to look at most of our supplies but aside from 32 shells did not appear to be as avaricious as most of our Liberian hosts. He looked over our guns, our clothes etc but did not ask for a couple nor did he ever try to satisfy his thirst. After supper he returned and we conversed for a couple of hours. Our talk was first of the customary order; How far to Tappi town? – How far was Tappi from the French border? – How long would it take to go from Tappi to the coast? Etc. Then we branched over to animals. This was started by his selling us a cat skin which he had mounted in his own way. He had skinned it and (not too well) and sewed it up subsequently filling it with leaves and thatch thru the mouth. Altho some of the hair had fallen out – particularly around the ears, it was fairly complete and is the only native skin we have seen with the head and feet left on. Usually they consider these as useless appendages.
Our host also had a bongo skin hide and an otter skin which he showed us. We talked about such animals as elk, baboon, reindeer, red deer etc for in this country they have applied American or other names for their local animals. Of course some are obvious such as Bush cow for buffalo, but Reindeer is a bit far fetched considering that the animal was long tapering horns. He also said that there was a lion present in the country which needless to say interested us. But as he went along we doubted the shape of the lion altho there was undoubtedly some reason fort the report.
Apparently there is a completely local lion society operating here which sets itself above the more widespread leopard societies. This fact is shown by the leopards teeth around his den – for he eats them. Then too he always roars just before a great man (Paramount chief or local chief ) dies but never at any other time. He is taboo in the country and no one may touch him in any way. His den – which our somewhat alcoholic friend has never seen but has been told about – is the central hole position in a series of dense the pythons living in one etc. This last bit of information seemed to be an uplifting bit of imagination. The lions track was like a childs foot but warped sideways.
Our informant also said that the govt instructed all their officials to keep clear of the Devil bush. He also said that the masons sign admitted one of their ceremonies. But we decided it were best to go to bed as we had a hard day coming.