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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

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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.

I lay

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. 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 fellows 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

go farther, volunteered to hurry on to his father's town and bring assistance. How far it was we knew not; but he went off."

We waited an hour, but no help arrived. Then I sent out two of my men to meet the party and hurry them on. Two hours more passed, and I had begun to despair of help, when loud shouts ringing through the woods gave us notice of the approach of our friends; and presently rushed in among us King Mbene himself, his face radiant with smiles, and shouting a welcome to me. He was followed by a large party of men and women, who took up my boxes and other things; Mbene took one of my guns, and thus relieved, we hurried on to the town or encampment of my royal friend, which proved to be about six miles off.

The people had been here so little time that they had not had time to cut a road to the river, so that the few miles we traversed from the river-side were of the roughest. Happily, elephants are plenty hereabouts, and when we could we walked in their huge tracks the rushing of a herd effecting quite a clearing in the woods, though every thing grows up again with marvelous rapidity.

I thought to come to a town. My astonishment was great when I found, instead of the usual plantations of plantain-trees which surround the collection of huts which make up an African village, an immense mass of timber thrown down helter-skelter, as though a hurricane had passed through this part of the forest. It appeared that Mbene's people had their village at some distance off, but came here to make new plantations, and this was their way of making a clearing. It is the usual way among these tribes. The men go into the forest and choose a site for the plantation; then cut down the trees in any way, just as luck or fancy may direct; let every thing lie till the dry season has sufficiently seasoned the great trees, when they set fire to the whole mass, burn it up, and on its site the women now plant their manioc, maize, and plantains.

It was only with the greatest difficulty, and with many tears from thorns and trips from interposing boughs, that I got through this barrier, than which they could not have made a better wall of defense for their village. For once get an enemy entangled in such a piece of ground, and they could pepper him at their convenience, without fear of retaliation.

At last, when my patience was entirely gone, and my few

clothes were literally hanging in ribbons about me, we arrived at the camp. Here we were received in grand African style. Guns. were fired, the people shouted and danced, every body was as jolly as though every body's brother had just come back rich, and I was immediately installed under a shed, whither the king graciously followed me with a present very welcome indeed—of a goat and some bunches of plantains.

The plantain is the bread of all these tribes. Lucky would they be if they always had such bread to eat. It will be seen farther on how frequently their thriftless habits leave them without even the easily cultivated plantain, and force them to eke out a wretched subsistence of the wild roots which are found in the forests.

I had seen Mbene before, and several of his people recognized me, having seen me when, some years ago, I attempted an exploration of this region in company with the Rev. Mr. Mackey. These good fellows now manifested extraordinary joy, and welcomed me to their town with all sorts of dances and songs, and offers of services.

Mbene's village or encampment is situated at the foot of the first granite range of the Sierra del Crystal. The forest-clad hillsides were visible in the distance, and were to me a delightful spectacle, for I saw that I was now approaching the goal of my desires. The people had not as yet built themselves houses, but were living in camp, under rude sheds composed of leaves spread thickly over four forked sticks planted in the ground. Here each head of a family gathered his wives, children, and slaves about him, and rested in safety and peace. One of the best constructed of these sheds-one whose sticks stood upright, and whose leafy roof was water-tight-was given me, and here I presently fell soundly asleep, after first placing my two chests near my head.

On rising the next morning, I found that we were really not more than ten or fifteen miles from the hills. Yesterday evening we could see two ranges; the lower and nearer 500 or 600 feet high, and the farther and higher from two to three thousand feet high. It is among these hills that the Fans-the cannibal tribe -live, and the gorilla has here also his home.

Mbene excused himself for what he thought a shabby reception of me. He said that his people had but just come here; that the