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8 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
CHAPTER II. ELECTION OF A KING IN THE
KONGO
My Residence in West Africa. -journey to Lubu.-The numbu- tree. -Meeting with
Maniluemba.-His fetishes. -Return journey. -Election of Maluango.
IT is now necessary for me to say something about myself, which may serve as an
excuse for my venturing to write at all on the rather complicated problems which in the
following chapters I shall endeavour to elucidate.
I commenced studying the natives' habits and custom in the year 1879, and, after some
eleven or twelve years, had progressed so far as to perceive, first, that there was still
much to learn, and, secondly, that I should only be able to learn that if I could confine my
studies to a definite section of the Bantu people and become very intimate with them.
Thus far I had picked up scraps of information about the people in the Kongo and south
of it; for the future it seemed as if the rest of my life were to be spent in Luango among
the Bavili people. I restarted my studies then about the year 1892, and in the year 1897,
by the help of the Folklore Society, published Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort. Then I
was fortunate enough to meet with some very intelligent natives who were willing to
help me in these studies on the Bavili, among whom was Maniluemba, the King-elect of
Luango, and the following pages are the result.
At the time of his election I was in Luango; and to see him I had to proceed to
Ndembuano.
Turning my back on the sea I first made my way to Lubu, or Mamboma's town. Here on
a hill facing the Roman Catholic Sisters' Mission, stand two mighty baobab trees
(nkondo). When the people of Buali (Maluango's capital) have brought the coffin
containing the body of the defunct Maluango to XIENJI the people of Lubu throw shells
at them and chase them away. Then taking charge of the body, they and Mamboma bury
it near to the above two trees.
As we passed through the village of Zulu, we cast a last look at the sea and the pretty
Bay of Luango, with its lighthouse at Point Indienne. Just beyond the point, on the way
to Black Point, one can see the wood that contains the sacred grove of Nymina; and
nearer to Luango may be noticed the tall mangrove trees that mark the grove sacred to
Lungululubu. We next crossed the Xibanda valley, and came to a place where once a
town stood, called Ximpuku. Looking north from this place we noted upon the crest of
the opposite hill the grove sacred to Mpuku Nyambi, while to the south, and not far from
our standpoint, a minor grove, spoken of as the offspring of Mpuku Nyambi, topped the
hill. This grove is called Xilu Xinkukuba, and is near the linguister Juan's town. Then 14
or 15 miles south, behind Black Point, near to the River Ximani and the town of NVUxi,
stands the grove of Xivuma, and as many miles north, at Xissanga upon the sea coast, is
situated the grove sacred to the double personages Nxiluka and Xikanga; while far away
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