us but fifteen minutes, it was a work of f0Ur
days, viz. from the 13th to the 16th inclusive
to lower the canoes by cables. Experience of
the vast force of the flood, and the brittleness
of the rattan cables, had compelled us to fasten
eight cables to each canoe, and to detail fiVe
men to each cable for the passage of the rapids.
et, with all our precautions, almost each hour
was marked with its special accident to man or
canoe. One canoe, with a man named Nubi in
it, was torn from the hands of forty men, swept
down two miles, and sunk in the great whirlpool.
Nubi clung to his vessel, until taken down
a second time, when he and the canoe were
ejected fifty yards apart, but being an expert
swimmer he regained it in the Nkenke basin,
and astride of its keel was circling round with
the strong ebb-tide, when he was saved by the
daw u - f Uledl and hiS younS brother Shumari.
While returning to my labours along the boul-
dery heap which lined the narrow terrace opposite
the islets, I observed another canoe,
wluch contained the chief Wadi Rehani and two
o my boat-bearers, Chiwonda and Muscati,
drifting down helplessly near the verge of some
s ck water. The three men were confused, and
benumbed with terror at the roar and hissing
of the rapids. Being comparatively close to them,
on the edge of a high crag, I suddenly shot out
my voice with the full power of my lungs, in
r A p r i l 18 , 1 8 7 7 - ] t h i e v e s am o n g s t US. 89
[ M s u m b u la . J
sharp, quick accents of command to paddle
ashore, and the effect was wonderful. It awoke
them like soldiers to the call of duty, and after
five minutes’ energetic use of their paddles they
I were saved. I have often been struck at the
power of a quick, decisive tone. It appears to
have an electric effect, riding rough-shod over
all fears, indecision, and tremor, and, just as in
this instance, I had frequently up-river, when the
people were inclined to get panic-stricken, or to
despair, restored them to a sense of duty by
affecting the sharp-cutting, steel-like, arid imperious
tone of voice, which seemed to be as much
of a compelling power as powder to a bullet.
But it should be remembered that a too frequent
use of it spoils its effect.
On the 18th we descended from Nkenke Bay
to a lengthy indentation behind two islands
above Msumbula. In shooting the rapids one
canoe was wrecked, but fortunately a large canoe
which had been lost up river was recovered by
paying a small present to the amiable Bateke
fishermen. At this camp we discovered that
our people were robbing me in the most shameless
manner, and I was indebted for this discovery
to Frank, whose duty as camp-keeper
and leader of the land party gave him opportunities
for detecting the rapid diminution of our
stores. A search was instituted without warning,
and a hundredweight or two of purloined