course, and everybody in the canoes was trusting
to my guidance.
A t ten miles north of the Equator, below the
straits, we crossed to the left bank, and occupied
the village of Utikera, the sole inhabitant
remaining being one very reserved old man.
Utikera is situated opposite the three rocky islands
of Mikuna. I suspect this settlement was
abandoned because of some war that had taken
place between them and some more powerful
tribes down river, for according to all appearance
the people must have left several days
previously. Indeed the old man as much as indicated
this, though we were not certain that we
understood him. The village was large, and constructed
after the pattern of those up-river already
described.
On the 24th we halted to repair the boat and
canoes, and the next day resumed our journey.
The course of the Livingstone from the Sixth
Cataract to the straits near Utikera had been
north-north-west; it now ran north-west by west,
with a breadth of 2000 yards. We preferred the
right bank again, and soon entered a deep
branch between a long and exceedingly picturesque
island and a low shore, edged with
mangrove brushwood. When about halfway, we
heard the hoarse rumble of rapids on the left
branch, but the right was undisturbed. The island
we discovered to be about ten miles in length,
r jan . 25. *8770 NEARING THE SEVENTH CATARACT. 2 2 1 [ W e n y a . J °
and soon after passing three small islands the
roar of the seventh and last cataract of the
Stanley Falls burst upon our ears with a tremendous
crash.
It was soon evident that the vicinity of the
last fall was as thickly peopled as any of the
Stanley series, for the sonorous boom of the
great war-drums was soon heard mustering every
stray and loitering fisherman from the creeks,
and every hunter from the woods that clothed
the banks, to the war. While I wondered at
the senseless hate and ferocity which appeared
to animate these primitive aborigines, we were
compelled to adopt speedy measures for defence
and security; for these people, if confident in
numbers, do not require much time to snatch
up their spears and shields and rush to the fight.
Accordingly, dropping down as near to the first
line of broken water as prudence would permit
me, we seized upon a position in the dense
forest, and, posting the riflemen in a crescent
iorrn in our front, busied ourselves as usual with
axes in heaping up a high and dense wall of
brushwood for our protection. By the time this
had been completed, the Wenya were on us
with a determined impetuosity that would have
been fatal to us had we been taken unprepared.
Again and again they tried to break through
the concealed musketeers, but they were utterly
unable to pierce within view of our camp. The
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. VOL. III. Y