for blood, or that it involved an interchange of
gifts, of which they must needs reap the most
benefit. After an incision was made in each arm
both brothers bent their heads, and the aborigine
was observed to suck with the greatest fervour,
whether for love of blood or excess of friendship
it would be difficult to say. Having discovered
our liberality, they became arrant
beggars, and difficult to satisfy. Copper was
despised, but brass wire was gold— anything
became purchasable with it except canoes.
The most curious objects we discovered at
Rubunga were four ancient Portuguese muskets,
at the sight of which the people of the Expedition
raised a glad shout. These appeared to
them certain signs that we had not lost the
road, that the great river did really reach the
sea, and that their master was not deluding them
when he told them that some day they would
see the sea.
In reply to our questions as to where they
had obtained them, they said from men in canoes
from Bankaro, Bangaro, Mangara, or, as the
word finally settled down, from Mangala, who
came once a year to buy ivory. These traders
were black men, and they had never heard of
white men or of Arabs. One or two of their
people had visited Mangala, and from these
great travellers I obtained the following list
of places— which geographers will do well to
study—which they had heard of as being down
river.
Iringi Mpungu (river entering
Mpakiwana. from left bank)‘
Ukaturaka. Mangala.
Marunja. Ibeko.i
Ikonogo. Iregweh.
Bubeka. Bateke.
Imeme. Ikumu-
Ikandawanda. Irebu.
The nations reported to be below Rubunga
were Bakongo, Mberri, Wakomera, Wyyaka,
Baurengeri, Mangala.
On the morning of the xoth February natives
from down river appeared to escort us, and our
friends of Rubunga also despatched a canoe and
five men to introduce' us to Urangi. In about
two hours we arrived at the very populous
settlement of Urangi, consisting .of several villages
almost, joining one another. In order that there
should be no possible chance of a rupture, we
prepared to camp on a very long wooded island,
on a beautiful green thoroughly shaded by
forest patriarchs. Our appearance was the signal
for a great number of the elegant canoes of this
region to approach us. These ranged in length
from 15 to 45 feet, and were manned by from
one person to twenty men* according to their
size. Beautifully carved and perfectly shaped,