that was bearing towards the island with miniature
sails set.
B y sunset th e y were answering their safe
arrival close to us with cheer after cheer , and
soon had landed amid hearty greetings.
But Manwa Sera, to cap the d a y ’s dismal and
tragic record, had to report the loss o f two
men, who were drowned b y the collapse o f one
o f the rotten canoes, which added another cause
for grief. T h e riding asses also were in a
pitiable condition, for the poor things being
obliged to be bound in the small caiioes were
terribly chafed even to the quick, and could
scarcely stand. T h e rest o f the force were in
g o od condition, and no property had been lost
or other accident occurred.
T hat evening, while the sorrowing Wazongora
made the camp doleful with their loud mournful
cries for the dead chief, Frank and all the Wa-
ngwana chiefs were summoned to my tent to discuss
our future. I only wished to hear their views, to
discover their sentiments, not to disclose my own.
T h e unanimous opinion o f the p a rty was that we
were bound to fight. A ll I could say on the other
side availed nothing to shake the decision they
had arrived at. Then th ey were dismissed with
a. promise that I should impart my resolution
in the morning. I also enjoined on Frank to
double the guard over the captives, lest they
might be injured during the night.
|AUMlhyiga875'] SERIOUS CONSIDERATIONS.
Alone with myself, I began to discuss seriously
the strict line o f duty. If it were a military
Expedition that I commanded, duty would have
pointed out the obvious course to follow; but
though the Expedition was governed for its
own well-being after military principles, it was
an expedition organized so le ly for the purposes
of exploration, with a view to search out new
avenues o f commerce to the mutual advantage
of civilization and such strange lands as we
found suitable for commercial and missionary
enterprise. But whatever its character, its members
possessed the privilege o f self-defence, and might
justly adopt any measures, after due deliberation,
for self-protection. T he principles o f right and
justice every educated Christian professes to
understand, and may be credited with a desire
to observe, but in addition to these, it was
desirable in a person in my position— knowing
how frequently it is necessary to exercise them
in barbarous lands— to remember charity and
forbearance, in order to ensure the objects in
view, and to create good impressions for the
benefit o f those who might succeed the pioneer.
Thirteen days had elapsed since our arrival
at Mahyiga, and the thirteenth day was signalized
by this b lo od y attack upon people entrapped
to their death maliciously, and evidently b y a
preconcerted arrangement between Antari’s elders
and the chiefs at Bumbireh. Sabadu said also