The two spent several weeks together before reaching the Batwa village. The villagers had developed distrust for the "muzungu" ("white man") due to the abuses of King Leopold's forces. Verner was unable to recruit any villagers to join him for travel to the United States until Benga said that the "muzungu" had saved his life, and spoke of the bond that had grown between them and his own curiosity about the world Verner came from. Four Batwa, all male, ultimately decided to accompany them. Verner also recruited other Africans who were not pygmies: five men from the Bakuba, including the son of King Ndombe, ruler of the Bakuba; and other related peoples – "".