children were playing about close to the anvil
while he was at work, and it happened that a
piece of glowing hot iron to be welded to an
axe flew off on being struck and seared a child’s
breast, whereupon the father got into a fearful
rage and beat the war-drum, which soon mustered
scores of his countrymen prepared for battle,
but as yet quite ignorant of the cause. Kacheche,
however, was a man of tact, and, knowing himself
innocent , folded his hands, and appealed to
the good-sense of the people. But the angered
father averred that the axe was fetish, and that
as Kacheche had brought the fetished instrument
he was guilty of malevolence, for only the
property of an evilly disposed person could have
wrought such hurt to an innocent child. While
the argument was at its height the chief of
Nzabi happily appeared on his way home from
Mowa market, and through his influence the
affair was compromised by Kacheche promising
to pay fifteen cowries extra to the blacksmith.
Hearty laughing, a convivial drink all round of
palm-wine, hand-shakes, and many terrible stories
of fetish wonders dispelled the little black cloud.
On the 22nd May the magnificent teak canoe
Livingstone, perfectly complete, was launched
with the aid of one hundred happy and good-
humoured natives, into the Nzabi Creek, in presence
of the Nzabi chief and his three wives.
In order to prove its capacity we embarked
rjlay 2 2, 1877-1 RAIN-GAUGE READINGS. X13
I Nzabi Creek. J
forty-six people, which only brought its gunwales
within six inches of the water. Its measurements
were 54 feet in length, 2 feet 4 inches
deep, and 3 feet 2 inches wide. With the completion
of this third canoe, our flotilla now consisted
of twelve large canoes and one boat, the
whole being of sufficient capacity to transport
the Expedition should we ever be fortunate
enough in arriving at that “ Tuckey’s Cataract”
of which I was in search.
The rainy days of this season, which began at
the change of the fifth moon, were as follows:—
i877.Feb. 24 Short shower. I1877.April 19 Rain during night.
yy 27 yy -■ - yy 20 III yy yy
yy 28 - yy ' yy 21 yy yy »
March 2 yy yy 2 3 yy yy w
yy 5 Severe 25 Severe,, „
7 yy 26 yy yy yy
, 8 6 hours. yy 27 yy yy , M
yy- 9 4 » yy 28 • }y yy »
April May 1
From 2 to 6
3
m „ morning.
„ all day.
hours’ showers 4 6 hours.
§0
>y
5
6
7
during the early
morning.
yyt
io
IS
5 ' 1 ’y.Sf;
Noon.
yy
V
/
11 >. y 16 Afternoon.
12 . ' yy 17 ■yy ,
■ yy 13 Long showers yy 19 Night.
14 from the aftern
20 yy
yy 15 noon into the yy 21 4hours,forenoon.
yy 16 night.
yy ' 17
yy 18 ■
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. VOL . IV.