--Who did it?

--The soldiers who came from Bofiji.

--Why did they come?

--Because the natives had not collected rubber.

--Where did this take place?

--In the country behind Bikoro and the mother was killed at the same
time as she was carrying away her infant.

Neither the date nor the age of the boy is known, but he appears to be
12 or 13 years of age and his name is Imputela. Although therefore, no
proof can be adduced, for the child of course remembers nothing and only
knows what he has been told, there is a possibility that a native
soldier may have cut off his hand. On the other hand, it may have been
injured or cut by a native chief. I mention this case at length, because
it was the only one I ever found in a tour of several thousand miles in
the interior of the Congo State, although everyone knew I was very
anxious to see such cases. On our way back we call at Inkaka another
fishing village. Behind it a few of the Batoir tribe had temporarily
settled. They are very savage and uncivilised and lead a wandering life,
hunting game. Sometimes they act as professional hunters and are
employed by villagers to find them food. One young fellow was armed
with a bow and wooden arrows poisoned at the tip and carefully wrapped
in a leaf. The poison is simply the decomposing matter of dead men or
animals. As long as this is wet, it is most deadly but loses its
strength when dried. For this reason only is the tip wrapped in a leaf.