own boat, and conveyed them across to the
island.
The news then spread quickly along the
whole length of the island that we were friends,
and as we resumed our journey, crowds from
the shore cried out to us, “Mwende Kivuke-
vuke.” (“ Go in peace!”)
The crest of the island was about eighty feet
above the river, and was a marvel of vegetation,
chiefly of plantain and banana plantations. On
our left, rose the other bank with similar wooded
heights, dipping occasionally into small creeks
and again rising into ridges, with slopes, though
steep, clothed with a perfect tangle of shrubs
and plants.
After a descent of ten miles by this channel,
we found the river increased in width to 2000
yards. While rowing down, close to the left
bank, we were suddenly surprised by hearing
a cry from one o fth e guards of the hospital-
canoes, and, turning round, saw an arrow fixed
in his chest. The next instant, looking towards
the bank, we saw the forms of many men in the
jungle, and several arrows flew past my head
in extremely unpleasant proximity.
We sheered off instantly, and, pulling hard
down stream, came near the landing-place of an
untenanted market-green. Here we drew inshore,
and, sending out ten scouts to lie in wait
in the jungle, I mustered all the healthy men,
about thirty in number, and proceeded to construct,
a fence of brushwood, inspired to unwonted
activity by a knowledge of our lonely, defenceless
state.
Presently a shriek of agony from another of
my then rang out through the jungle, followed
immediately by the sharp crack of the scouts’
Sniders, which again was responded to by an
infernal din of war-horns and yells, while arrows
flew past us from all directions. Twenty more
men were at once sent into the jungle to assist
the scouts, while, with might and main, we laboured
to surround our intended camp with tall
and dense hedges of brushwood, with sheltered
nooks for riflemen.
After an hour’s labour the camp was deemed
sufficiently tenable, and the recall was sounded.
The scouts retreated on the run, shouting as
they approached, “ Prepare! prepare! they are
coming! ”
About fifty yards of ground outside our camp
had been cleared, which, upon the retreat of the
scouts who had been keeping them in cheek,
was soon filled by hundreds of savages, who
pressed upon us from all sides but the river,
in the full expectation that we were flying in
fear. But they were mistaken, for we were at
bay, and desperate in our resolve not to die
without fighting; Accordingly, at such close
quarters the contest soon became terrific. Again