Early in the morning the people gathered together, with the fetich-man-the infernal rascal who was at the bottom of the murder-in their midst. His bloodshot eyes glared in savage excitement as he went around from man to man getting the votes to decide whether the old man should die.

In his hands he held a bundle of herbs, with which he sprinkled three times those to whom he spoke. Meantime a man was stationed on the top of a high tree, whence he shouted from time to time, in a loud voice, "Jocou! jocou !" at the same time shaking the tree strongly.

"Jocou" is devil among the Mbousha, and the business of this man was to keep away the evil spirit, and to give notice to the fetich-man of his approach.

At last the sad vote was taken. It was declared that the old man was a most malignant wizard; that he had already killed a number of people; that he was minded to kill many more, and that he must die. No one would tell me how he was to be killed, and they proposed to defer the execution till my departure, which I was, to tell the truth, rather glad of. The whole scene had considerably agitated me, and I was willing to be spared the end. Tired and sick at heart, I lay down on my bed about noon to rest and compose my spirits a little. After a while I saw a man pass my window, almost like a flash, and after him a horde of silent but infuriated men. They ran toward the river.

Then, in a little while, I heard a couple of sharp, piercing cries, as of a man in great agony, and then all was still as death.

I got up, guessing the rascals had killed the poor old man, and turning my steps toward the river, was met by the crowd returning, every man armed with axe, knife, cutlass, or spear, and these weapons and their own hands, and arms, and bodies, all sprinkled with the blood of their victim. In their phrensy they had tied the poor wizard to a log near the river bank, and then deliberately hacked him into many pieces. They finished by splitting open his skull and scattering the brains in the water. Then they returned, and to see their behavior, it would have seemed as though the country had just been delivered from a great curse.

By night the men-whose faces for two days had filled me with loathing and horror, so blood-thirsty and malignant were they— were again as mild as lambs, and as cheerful as though they had never heard of a witch tragedy.

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AFRICAN FONDNESS FOR FIRE.

These tribes suppose that no cruelty is too great to practice upon a wizard; and this kind of legalized murder, though it temporarily excites their passions, does not seem to afflict them with any remorseful feelings at all.

I was glad to take refuge in the woods during the heats of the day, my house, an eight by ten bamboo structure, low-roofed and close, being uncomfortably heated. Yet the natives pass their idle hours near a large fire, and this from a desire for warmth, though the thermometer stands at 88°. It is curious to see how the negro relishes a fire. I have nowhere found them assembled, even in the hottest days, but about a great blaze; and the first thing done, when a council or assemblage of any kind is to be held, is to build a fire that would seem to be sufficient to thaw out the north pole.

August 17th being Sunday, I spent the day in my hut reading the Bible, to the great surprise of two fellows who were "townkeepers," the rest of the village having gone out to the fields to labor. I tried to explain to them that this was a book given to us by the true God, and that there was but one God.

They gave me the answer I have heard so often on the coast, "Oh yes, that is true for you, but white man's God is not our God; we are made by a different God." And to this they stick pertinaciously.

The following day (18th) we were to start for the interior. Dayoko gave me two of his sons to be of my party—a piece of real good luck for me. Also he sent messages to all the neighboring tribes to command good treatment for me.

The men asked to be paid before we started—a dangerous practice, as they are like to run away. But as they were Dayoko's men, and he had treated me well, I thought best to agree. They are real extortioners. I had to pay for canoes, for mat sails, for paddles, for every least thing necessary for the outfit; and every fathom of cloth or string of beads that could be got from me on any pretext I was relieved of. I finally agreed to give to each man ten yards of cloth and a few leaves of tobacco. With this they were content. Then, to make them happier, I went to their wives, who had all been very kind to me, and gave each some tobacco to solace her in her husband's absence.

At last, and just before we were to start, when all was ready and the men were gathered, I had again to assure Dayoko that I

ON THE NTAMBOUNAY.

65

did not at all intend to trade, but only to hunt for the gorilla, and visit the mountains and their inhabitants. Happily, my person and pursuits are well known to all the tribes, who have given me the name of "Mona dee Chaillee," meaning "the child of Chaillee," remembering me as my father's son.

So at last we were off. My party consisted of two sons of Dayoko, myself, and several men to carry my chests and guns. Mbene, the Mbondemo chief, for whose place we are bound, is to take me into the heart of the Sierra del Crystal, and then "perhaps we shall cross over beyond," I note in my journal, for I desire and hope to reach the sources of the Congo by this route.

We started in canoes, and paddled up a creek which led into the Muni about ten miles above the Ndina's mouth. It was a most intricate piece of navigation, through mangrove swamps, which sometimes almost barred the way even to our little canoes; sometimes with the current against, and sometimes for us, and with so many turns and twists that I think I should have been puzzled to get back alone.

When, at last, we reached the Muni, the tide was setting down so strongly that we were two and a half hours paddling about four miles. After a stop at a little village situated two miles below the point where two rivers—the Noya and the Ntambounay -join and form the Muni, we began to ascend the Ntambounay. We had the tide with us; for though the water here is fresh, the influence of the tides is felt so far back as here, more especially in the dry season, when the stream is low and the current sluggish. For the first twenty miles we ascended the river in an E.S.E. direction. It continued wide, being at least 200 yards across, all the way, and its banks formed a most charming landscape. The course of the stream was dotted and interrupted by many small islands, whose shores were bordered with graceful palms. Evidently we had got out of the dull and dreary region of mangrove

swamps.

Toward night we reached a Shekiani village, where we had to stop all night. It was one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life. I never saw natives so excited as were these savages at the appearance of my chests and traveling-bag. Their cupidity was excited by what they thought must be fabulous riches in my possession, and I was told at once by a head-man that I could not pass to the interior without paying to this Shekiani town a

E

66

EXCITEMENT OF THE NEGROES.

tribute of six shirts, 100 fathoms cloth, three great-coats, and a great quantity of looking-glasses, files, and beads. This would have entirely ruined me, and of course I paid no attention to the demand.

As the excitement seemed to grow the longer I staid, I ordered my men to lie in my hut, thinking that the fear of killing members of a friendly tribe might deter them from firing in upon me during the night. I certainly expected to be robbed, and had only a hope that the affair would be no more serious. I lay quietly down, with my double-barreled gun by my side, ready for instant action, fully resolved to sell my life at as dear a rate as possible. Meantime Dayoko's sons went out to palaver with the chief.

I did not sleep a wink all night. All night the crowd surrounded my house, talking, shouting, singing, and in the greatest excitement. At last, about four o'clock, things became a little quieter, and toward daylight those who were not asleep were still.

As early as I could go out I called on the king, and told him that my chests contained only powder, shot, and other heavy things necessary for my journey; and also I gave his majesty a few fathoms of cloth, and distributed a few leaves of tobacco among his big-men; at which all were much satisfied. They asked for rum, but that I never give to these natives, and so refused, of course. Finally we left them, many of the people fol lowing us along the river, and wishing us good luck and speedy return. I was happy enough to get out of the scrape.

We left our large canoe at the Shekiani village, and passed up the Ntambounay into the Noonday River, making in this day, Tuesday, August 19th, a toilsome journey of twenty-nine miles, twelve of which were on the Noonday.

The Ntambounay was ascended in a direction S.E. by E. till its junction with the Noonday. Here it takes a turn N. by E., and, as we did not want to go this way, we turned into the Noonday, ascending this in a general direction to the S.E.

The landscape continued beautiful on the Ntambounay. The palms lining the river banks, and the numerous small islands which stud its smooth and glass-like bosom, the occasional deers which started away from the water-side as our canoe swept into sight, the shrill cries of various monkeys gazing at us in aston

AFRICAN RIVER TRAVEL.

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ishment and terror, the clear sky and the magnificent solitude of these forests which surrounded us, and through whose trees we saw only at considerable intervals the smoke curling up, which announced a village hid in the wilderness: all this was a constant delight to every sense.

As we were lazily sailing along, I espied two eagles sitting on some high trees about eighty yards off. Willing to give my fel lows a taste of my quality I called their attention to the birds, and then brought both down with my double-barrel. They could hardly believe their eyes for surprise, such shooting being almost miraculous to them. When they had got a little over their astonishment, I heard them say, "Ah! if he had fought those Shekiani fellows last night, how many he would have killed."

In the far distance the ranges of the Sierra del Crystal could be seen, the second and higher range rising above the first. The river we were ascending seemed to abound in fish, which jumped frequently out of the water in pursuit of their insect prey; and the bright-blue king-fishers shot across the water hither and thither, breaking the quiet with their shrill screams.

As we got higher up the Noonday the stream became narrow, and finally almost dwindled away. Part of its course lay through a tangled thicket or jungle of aloe-trees, whose sharp thorns tore our clothes, and wounded me so that I was covered with blood. We had here a fair sample of African "river" travel. The aloe jungle grew, in many places, right into the narrow stream, and so filled it up that, had I not seen it, I should never have believed that a canoe could pass through. In several places we had to get out and carry the canoe over fallen trees which entirely barred our progress, and all through it was a battle with the jungle, and a passage through a swamp rather than fair navigation. Yet this is the only highway of this country, and the natives bring all their ivory, ebony, and India-rubber to the coast over just such difficult roads as this; for even this is better than traveling through the almost impenetrable jungle on foot, in which case their poor women have to bear the heavy loads on their shoulders.

Dark came on before we had reached Mbene's town, which was the nearest settlement, and I had the ugly prospect before me of passing the night in this deadly swamp. Fortunately I had fallen in, at the Shekiani town, with a son of King Mbene; and this good fellow, now, seeing my men wearied out and unable to