have food to-morrow. I told them they should have it, that
from the first village we saw we should go and demand it
“ February 8.—Thank God! An anxious day has terminated j
with tranquillity to long-disturbed minds. We are camped !
on a small jungle-covered islet in north latitude 1° 40' 44 " i
by observation, and east longitude 21° 4' by acct. Opposite
at 500 yards’ distance, on the left bank, is the village of
Rubunga, in Nganza. On the right bank, at 1700 yards’
distance from us, is the large town of Gunji.
“ Our course yesterday was, west by south, and to-day !
west-south-west. We embarked at 7 A.M., and rowed past a >
very long wooded island, which lay on our left. At 8 A.M, ?
we began to observe on the right bank a long hilly ridge, ?
with cultivated slopes, and a depse population, which we‘
later learned was called Upoto -—; or Mbapoto, as one man
called it. I solemnly addressed my people, and, while telling
them to prepare every weapon, gun, spear, axe, and knife, j
reminded them that it was an awful thing to commence j
hostilities, whether for food or anything else. They groaned I
in spirit, and asked me what they should do when their bowels
yearned for something to satisfy its cravings; and
though there was an abundance of copper, brass, iron, shells,
beads, and cloth, nobody would sell even a small piece of
cassava to them, or even look at them without manifesting
a thirst for their blood.
“ I had prepared the brightest and most showy wares close
by me, and resolved to be as cunning and patient as a serpent
in this intercourse. At 11 A.M. we sighted the village
of Rubunga, and, giving instructions to Frank not to approach
nearer to me than a quarter of a mile with the canoes,
we rowed steadily down until within a few hundred yards,
of it, when we lay-to .on our oars. Presently three canoes
advanced to meet us without the usual savage demonstrations.
Not even a drum was beaten, a horn blown, or a cry uttered.
This was promising. We tried the words ‘Sen-nen-neh!’
‘Cha-re-reh!’ in soft, mild, melodious strains. They ran away.
Things a p p e a re d gloomy a gain . However, p a tien c e !
“We had reserved one banana and a piece of cassava.
Tffe had our mouths and our stomachs with us. An appropriate
gesture with the banana to the mouth, and a gentle
fondling with a puckered stomach, would, we thought, be a
.manner of expressing extreme want, eloquent enough to penetrate
the armoured body of a crocodile. We came opposite
the Village at 30 yards’ distance, and dropped our stone anchor,
and I stood up with my ragged old helmet pushed back
far, that they might scrutinise my face, and the lines of suasion
be properly seen. With the banana in one hand, and
a gleaming armlet of copper and beads of various colours in
the other, I began the pantomime. I once knew an idiot in
Brusa, Asia Minor, who entreated me for a para in much the
same dumb strain that I implored the assembled hundreds of
Rubunga to relax that sullen sternness, that uncompromising
aspect, that savage front, and yield to the captivating influence
of fair and honest barter. I clashed the copper bracelets
together, lovingly handled the bright gold-brown of the shining
armlet, exposed with all my best grace of manner long necklaces
of bright and clean Cypraa moneta, and allured their
attention with beads of the brightest colours. Nor were the
polished folds of yellow brass wire omitted; and again the
banana was lifted to my open mouth. Then what suspense,
what patience, what a saint-like air of resignation! Ah, yes!
but I think I may be pardoned for all that degrading pantomime.
I had a number of hungry, half wild children; and
through a cannibal world we had ploughed to reach these
unsophisticated children of nature.
“We waited, and at length an old chief came down the
high bank to the lower landing near some rocks. Other elders
of the people in head-dresses of leopard and Civet skin joined
him soon, and then all sat down. The old chief nodded with
his head. We raised our anchor, and with two strokes of
the oars had run our boat ashore, and, snatching a string or