The outside rind is pared off by a
lance-head used with two hands, like a cooper's drawing-knife. The bark
is then laid upon a beam of wood on the ground, on which it is hammered
with a mallet grooved in fine cuts, so that the repeated blows stamp the
bark with lines somewhat resembling corduroy. This hammering expands the
bark, which is repeatedly turned and hammered again, until at length it
is beaten into a cloth of rather fine texture. The action of the air
colours the material, which, although white when first stripped from the
tree, quickly assumes a delicate shade of brown, as a slice of an apple
oxydizes upon exposure in our own climate.
The finest cloths are ornamented with patterns in black. These are
simply produced by drawing the design with water from iron springs,
which combining with the tannin of the bark immediately stains it.
The sheets of bark-cloth are frequently dyed this colour by immersing
them for a short time in springs of the same water.
The finest cloths are produced in Uganda, and all that are used for
royal wear are brought from that country in exchange for ivory.
My new men, the late slave-hunters, who I hoped were "wicked men that
had turned away from their wickedness," had succeeded in purchasing a
quantity of new cloths ready for the day of annexation.
That night, at about nine o'clock, just before we were going to bed, we
had remarked an extraordinary stillness in the town of Masindi. There
was not a whisper to be heard throughout the capital, where generally
the night was passed in the uproar of drunken singing and blowing of
horns.
Suddenly this extraordinary silence was broken by the deep notes of a
nogara or drum. This sounded for a second or two, and ceased. Again all
was still as death.
A sudden burst of hellish noise, such as I have never heard before or
since, now startled every soldier to his feet, and without orders, every
man armed and fell into position!
Colonel Abd-el-Kader, with his sword belted on and a rifle in his hand,
came to me for orders on the instant. The ever-ready Monsoor was armed
and by my side.
In the mean time the din of very many thousands continued, yelling and
shrieking as though maniacs; I should imagine that at least a thousand
drums were beating, innumerable horns were blowing, with whistles,
fifes, and every instrument that would add to the horrible uproar.
At the same time not a human being was visible.
Mohammed, the dragoman, appeared, together with Umbogo. In reply to my
question as to the cause of such a sudden irruption of noise, Umbogo
laughed, and said it was "TO MAKE ME AFRAID, and to exhibit the great
numbers of people that were collected at Masindi."
This was all.
