came down river, and cautiously made its way
towards the boat. Shumari, the young brother
of Uledi, who was on guard, waited until it was
well within shore, and then suddenly seized the
canoe-man, calling for assistance on the ever-ready
boat’s crew. The native was secured, and carried
in before me; and when lights were brought we
saw he was an old man bent almost double with
age. His face was one of the most vicious my
memory can recall. I presented him with about
a dozen cowries, which he snatched from me as
a surly dog might bite at a piece of meat from
a stranger’s hand. He was a true savage, hardened
by wildness , and too old to learn. We put
Him back into his canoe, and set him adrift to
find his way home.
An hour later, another stranger was found in
the camp. He was also caught and brought to
me. He was a lad of sixteen or seventeen years
of age, a facsimile in miniature of the older
savage. I smiled kindly, and conversed softly.
I presented him with a string of bright red beads,
and filled one of his hands with shells, and then
I had him asked some questions. He replied to
five, when he said he was tired, and would
answer no more. We set a guard over him for
the night, and in the morning permitted him to
depart. I confessed my impotence to charm the
savage soul.
As we were about to leave camp, three canoes
fNov. 29, 1876.-1 MUSIC HATH CHARMS.
L Mburri. J
advanced towards us from the Ukassa side of
the river. Through our interpreters we spoke
to them mildly, requested to know What offence
we had committed, or whom we had harmed to
inspire them with such mortal hatred of strangers.
WouM they not make a bond of friendship With
us? We had beads, cloth, brass, copper, iron,
with which to buy food, goats, bananas, corn.
They listened attentively, and nodded their
heads in approval. They asked if we would
beat our drum for their amusement. Kadu, one
of Mtesa’s pages, who Was an expert at the art,
was caUed and commanded to entertain them
after the best Kiganda fashion. Kadu seized
his drum-sticks and drum, and after a few
preliminary taps dashed out a volume of sound
that must have been listened to with unbounded
admiration by many hundreds of savages crouching
in the woods.
“ Ah,” said the poor naked, mop-headed Wretches,
“ it is delightful,” and they clapped their
hands g l e e f u l l y — and paddled away rapidly down
river, steering for the right bank.
On the 30th the journey was resumed. The
river ran with sharp bends, with many dangerous
whirls, and broad patches of foam on its face,
and was narrow, not aboVe eight hundred yards
in width, for a distance of three miles and a
half, when it suddenly widened to 1700 yards.
Two fine wooded islands stood in mid-stream.