much ground. From the Gani people we
had, without any visible change, mingled with the Madi people, who dress
in the same naked fashion as their neighbours, and use bows and arrows.
Their villages were all surrounded with bomas (fences), and the country
in its general aspect resembled that of Northern Unyamuezi. At one
place, the good-natured simple people, as soon as we reached their
village, spread a skin, deposited a stool upon it, and placed in front
two pots of pombe. At the village where we put up, however, the women
and children of the head man at first all ran away, and the head man
himself was very shy of us, thinking we were some unearthly creatures.
He became more reconciled to us, however, when he perceived we fed like
rational beings; and, calling his family in by midnight, presented
us with pombe, and made many apologies for having allowed us to dine
without a drop of his beer, for he was very glad to see us.

Chapter XX. Madi

Junction of the Two Hemispheres--The First Contact with Persons
Acquainted with European Habits--Interruptions and Plots--The Mysterious
Mahamed--Native Revelries--The Plundering and Tyranny of the Turks--The
Rascalities of the Ivory Trade--Feeling for the Nile--Taken to see a
Mark left by a European--Buffalo, Eland, and Rhinoceros Stalking--Meet
Baker--Petherick's Arrival at Gondokoro.

After receiving more pombe from the chief, and, strange to say, hot
water to wash with--for he did not know how else to show hospitality
better--we started again in the same straggling manner as yesterday. In
two hours we reached the palace of Piejoko, a chief of some pretensions,
and were summoned to stop and drink pombe. In my haste to meet
Petherick's expedition, I would listen to nothing, but pushed rapidly
on, despite all entreaties to stop, both from the chief and from my
porters, who, I saw clearly, wished to do me out of another day.

Half of my men, however, did stop there, but with the other half Grant
and I went on; and, as the sun was setting, we came in sight of what we
thought was Petherick's outpost, N. lat. 3 deg. 10' 33", and E. long. 21 deg.
50' 45". My men, as happy as we were ourselves, now begged I would allow
them to fire their guns, and prepare the Turks for our reception. Crack,
bang, went their carbines, and in another instant crack, bang, was heard
from the northerners' camp, when, like a swarms of bees, every height
and other conspicuous place was covered with men