They brought us his head.

>From the diary of Louis Leclercq, another Force Publique officer: “21 June 1865… Arrived at Yambisi at 10:20 A.M. Village abandoned… We sent several groups of soldiers to scour the area; they came back several hours later with 11 heads [**of native Congolese villagers**] and 9 prisoners. A canoe sent out hunting in the evening also brought back several heads. 22 June 1865: They brought us three prisoners in the morning, three others towards evening, and three heads. A man from Baumaneh running through the forest shouting for his lost wife and child came too close to our camp and received a bullet from one of our sentries. They brought us his head. Never have I seen such an expression of despair, of fear… We burned the village.” ______________________________________ **Source:** Hochschild, Adam. “A Reckoning." *King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa*. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 228. Print. _____________________________________ **Further Reading:** [État indépendant du Congo (Independent State of the Congo) / Congo Free State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Free_State)