tsss. panic, which causes the two chiefs Myombi and Stingo
e«i«Kv Maji to he nishing about cvying' out “ IVaco, 0 people I
Sell your produce in security, those whites arc our
brothers by every bond that can bind us.” Withal,
however, these hearty efforts to impress their people
with confidence the slightest rush of steam, a movomci.it
of a white man, the impatient, lifting of a helmet off
the brow, the scratching of a heated head would send
hundreds promiscuously flying like a herd of frightened
buffalo. Sacred water was sprinkled along the shore,
and over the trees, and towards the boats; the long
hand-bell of Sungo Maji was vigorously beaten, and old
men came and muttered their incantations, hut yet
there was a dread of the “ Ibanza.” The stifled screams
of women testified to a presentiment that he was
present, the uneasy restless rolling eyes of the men
searched for the first symptoms that he was advancing
the cries of “ Be firm, 0 men of Bumba, there is
not hi no- to fear! ” reiterated over and over, by the
chiefs, who were ringing their hells like anxious town-
eriers, denoted vivid expectancy, and finally the
” Ibanza ” emerged into view !
One of my cabin-boys, enjoying all this extraordinary
fright visible in the actions and faces of the natives,
while I was engaged talking with the engineer, had
gone into the cabin, shutting the door after «him.
Presently the door was violently hurst open, and the
splendid form of a royal Bengal tiger crawled out!
A lpng thrilling shriek rang out, and all at once the
hundreds that stood on the shore, casting one hurried