Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/584

 expert hunters, but their religious observances are still occasionally associated with cannibalistic practices.

Till recent years the Ba-Songe maintained no direct relations of any sort either with Europeans, or even with the Negro traders of the western Portuguese possessions. The Arab caravans had penetrated from the east no farther than the

territory of the Kalebwe tribe on the left bank of the Lo Mami. Hence when Wissmann and Pogge traversed this region in the year 1881 the people threw themselves at their feet as if they were gods or demons. In the white strangers caravan everything was new for the Ba-Songe, who had never seen a pack-ox, firearms, or the thousand curious objects brought from unknown lands to be bartered for ivory and provisions. The white men were well received in the