Identifier: voicefromcongoco00ward (find matches)
Title: A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919
Subjects: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919 Africa, Central -- Description and travel Africa, Central -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : Charles Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries

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r tiny grasshuts, yawning and stretching themselves after theirnights deep slumber. The morning mists soon dis-appear and the village gradually becomes animated.Children, light-hearted and joyous, commence togambol in every direction; some with their mimicbows and arrows shoot at the prowling pariah dogs. When the sun is well above the horizon, rising ina cloudless sky and shedding a genial warmth uponthe earth, all Nature wears a joyful aspect. Num-bers of chirping tiny birds, whose resplendentplumage glistens in the bright sunshine, suddenlyappear from the dark gloomy forest and flit aroundthe bushes in the village clearing. Large zephyr-winged butterflies and others all gorgeous and ra-diant with brilliant colour soar gracefully abovethe refuse-heaps. The village scene is in strikingcontrast to these fairy-like surroundings; for thegrass conical-shaped huts are still sodden with heavynight dew, the narrow paths are littered with deadleaves and rubbish, and the native home accords r
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A Congo groupFrom a bronze group by the Author VILLAGE SCENES 3 well with the careless unrestrained nature of its in-habitants. The morning meal, consisting of a few ears ofmaize and half-smoked fish, is soon over. Thenfollows the departure of nearly all the women; theyvanish into their forest plantations in quest of foodand firewood. The men gradually assemble togetherin front of the chiefs hut to hear the public discus-sions of the day. These palaver meetings are dear to all CentralAfricans. They take keen delight in oratory, whichmay in fact be said to constitute one of their im-portant arts. They talk fluently and employ manymetaphorical and flowery expressions. Possessing anatural gift of rude eloquence, it is greatly enhancedin effect by the soft inflections and the harmoniouseuphony of their language; they reason well and dis-play great aptitude for debate. The case before the court to-day relates to thedeath of a young slave girl. She was recently seizedby a crocodile, while b

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