around us determination was not unmixed with fear ; for
perhaps they could read upon the buffalo-shields of my
warlike followers the appalling signs of death and captivity
written with the fresh blood of their wives and children.
As a terrifying emblem of war it is the shield, always
carried by the Angoni, or Landin, that strikes horror to the
hearts of these usually timid dwellers in the valleys of lake
and river.
Unmistakable signs of fear clouded the face of Mara,
who was in a perverse mood, and kept repeating the words,
“ These people are enemies.”
There could be no doubt that my Angoni men felt very
uncomfortable, and Mara informed me that they had declared
they would not stay here, although it was my intention
to breakfast at the place, if anything could be
bought. Four old men came to the front of the threatening
assemblage and, accompanied by Mara, I immediately
advanced to meet them. They enquired why I came bringing
Angoni to their town. I explained that our mission
was to buy food, and that the Angoni belonged to me.
“ I am a brother of the white men, I said, pointing in
the direction of Livingstonia.
A dubious pause followed this declaration. There were
no signs of a tangible response in the shape of materials for
the sustenance of life ; while it was clear that our indignant
and hostile-looking besiegers, who formed a bristling circle
around us, had not the remotest intention of quitting.
Very aggravating moments followed owing to the fear of
the Angoni, who, determined not to sit, clustered clannishly
together, clinging to their shields, and displaying with
dismal choruses the consciousness of guilt.
*t Mara,” I kept on repeating, “ tell them to sit down.” As
to the effect of my words, I might as well have spoken to a
stone, and I felt that from our appearance the people had
good reason to be dubious. Conciliation was our only
chance, and just as this occurred to my mind another happy
thought arose. I determined to be lavishly liberal, for
suddenly I remembered that in my small bag was stored
two forgotten fathoms of a very pretty striped cloth, similar
to that which had thawed more than one hard black heart,
—and of which John, on leaving me, had had some for his
“ leetle wife.”
Giving way, perhaps, to a little superstition, no doubt
owing to constant contact with witchcraft, I inwardly
thought that this was lucky cloth. Without losing a
moment I ripped open the old sack, which was smothered
in bark lashings that would have almost defied a dexterous
tar to disentangle.
A moment later and the heart-healing cloth was the property
of our fearful besiegers. Then their suspicions were
lulled, and their hostility softened. The hoary-headed old
fossils said we were free to pass, and we had besides a good
excuse for an abrupt leaving. The men, I said, were hungry,
and we would have to go on quickly in the direction of
plenty.
No opposition was offered to our departure, so that we
moved deliberately away into the welcome shelter of the
jungle.
In the course of our advance we passed a number of men
busily engaged in making canoes from the trunks of some
very large trees which had been felled.
Frequently we lost our way amidst the masses of netted
vegetation; particularly in the palm-forest, where the illusory
windings of numerous little trails leading to detached
villages decoyed us more than once into belts of almost
impenetrable jungle, to emerge upon expanses of high green
N 2