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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ied to the Bantu tribes of the Congo, leav-ing aside for the moment the ingenuity and decora-tive faculty displayed by the latter race in ironwork.The Congo natives of all tribes are naturally eloquentand ready speakers. They are also adepts in theuse of metaphor. They reason clearly, and areready debaters. The sonorous effect of their speechis greatly aided by the soft inflections and the moisteuphony of their language. Among many of the Upper Congo tribes it is acommon practice at a public meeting for the speaker 1 The most complete information hitherto published upon this subject,as well as upon Congo matters in general, is contained in Sir Harry John-stons valuable work, George Grenfell and the Congo (Hutchinson& Co). Mr. George Babington Michell, at present H. M. Consul atParis, with upwards of nineteen years experience in Northern andCentral Africa, has studied and compiled several native vocabularies,which should prove of the utmost value to the student of Africanlanguages.
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LANGUAGE 267 to hold in his left hand a number of small sticks,generally of split cane, each piece of wood represent-ing a pre-considered point of liis argument. Thesepoints are subsequently enumerated and emphasisedby the speaker selecting and placing one of thesesticks upon the ground in front of him. It is customary for a Congo native in making animportant speech upon personal matters, to com-mence by referring to incidents which happened inhis earliest recollection, and in this manner to referto every favourable incident in his career, paying noregard as to their applicability. When speaking in his defence, upon being chargedwith committing a breach of the native laws, a Congonative will systematically refer to the good actionsof his past life, and the evil actions in the lives ofhis accusers; in this manner he will seek to prejudicethe judicial authorities in his favour. As a slight illustration of the difficulties of the lan-guage, I recollect my endeavours to learn the nativewo

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