The reason was that there lived in Boma a British coloured subject named Shanu, who was at the pains to attend the court day by day in order to preserve some record of the procedure. This he dispatched to Europe. The sequel is interesting. The man's trade, which was a very large one, was boycotted, he lost his all, brooded over his misfortunes, and finally took his own life -- another martyr in the cause of the Congo.

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1. It was proved in 1906 with regard to one of the Belgian papers that the Free State had paid to it 9,000 francs, at the rate of 500 francs a month. One of the principal shareholders of this paper, Commandant Lemaire, having learned the fact on his return from the Congo, insisted on the return of this money to the Free State, and, the State refusing it, had it distributed among nine charities.

2. A representative specially sent to the Congo by the Italian government.

VI

Voices from the Darkness

I will now return to the witnesses of the shocking treatment of the natives. Rev. Joseph Clark was an American missionary living at Ikoko in the Crown Domain, which was King Leopold's own special private preserve. These letters cover the space between 1893 and 1899.

This is Ikoko as he found it in 1893:

"Irebo contains say 2,000 people. Ikoko has at least 4,000, and there are other towns within easy reach, several as large as Irebo, and two probably as large as Ikoko The people are fine-looking, bold and active."

In 1903 there were 600 people surviving.

In 1894 Ikoko in the Crown Domain began to feel the effects of King Leopold's system. On May 30th of that year Mr. Clark writes:

"Owing to trouble with the State the Irebo people fled and left their homes. Yesterday the State soldiers shot a sick man who had not attempted to run away, and others have been killed by the State (native) soldiers, who, in the absence of a white man, do as they please."

In November, 1894:

"At Ikoko quite a number of people have been killed by the soldiers, and most of the others are living in the bush."

In the same month he complained officially to Commissaire Fievez:

"If you do not come soon and stop the present trouble the towns will be empty.... I entreat you to help us to have peace on the Lake.... It seems so hard to see the dead bodies in the creek and on the beach, and to know why they are killed.... People living in the bush like wild beasts without shelter or proper food; and afraid to make fires. Many died in this way. One woman ran away with three children -- they all died in the forest, and the woman herself came back a wreck and died before long -- ruined by exposure and starvation. We knew her well. My hope was to get the facts put before King Leopold, as I was sure he knew nothing of the awful conditions of the collection of the so-called 'rubber tax.'"

On November 28th he writes:

"The State soldiers brought in seven hands, and reported having shot the people in the act of running away to the French side.... We found all that the soldiers had reported was untrue, and that the statements made by the natives to me were true. We saw only six bodies; a seventh had evidently fallen into the water, and we learned in a day or two that an eighth body had floated into the landing-place above us -- a woman that had either been thrown or had fallen into the water after being shot."

On December 5th he says: "A year ago we passed or visited between here and Ikoko the following villages:

Probable population.

Lobwaka 250 Boboko 250 Bosungu 100 Kenzie 150 Bokaka 200 Mosenge 150 Ituta 80 Ngero 2,000

Total 3,180

"A week ago I went up, and only at Ngero were there any people: there we found ten. Ikoko did not contain over twelve people other than those employed by Frank. Beyond Ikoko the case is the same."

April 12th, 1895, he writes:

"I am sorry that rubber palavers continue. Every week we hear of some fighting, and there are frequent 'rows,' even in our village, with the armed and unruly soldiers.... During the past twelve months it has cost more lives than native wars and superstition would have sacrificed in three to five years. The people make this comparison among themselves.... It seems incredible and awful to think of these savage men armed with rifles and let loose to hunt and kill people, because they do not get rubber to sell at a mere nothing to the State, and it is blood-curdling to see them returning with hands of the slain and to find the hands of young children, amongst bigger ones, evidencing their 'bravery.'"

The following was written on May 3rd, 1895:

"The war is on account of rubber. The State demands that the natives shall make rubber and sell same to its agents at a very low price.