ained; for while we saw around us much that was beautiful,
innocent, and lovely, we also witnessed the conflicts of many wild
creatures, and sometimes came across evidences of the savage and cruel
dispositions of the human beings by whom the country was peopled. We
always, however, carefully avoided native villages, being anxious not to
be interrupted on our forced march. Neither did we turn aside to hunt,
although we were much tempted so to do, but contented ourselves with
killing such animals as we required for our daily subsistence; and of
these we shot as many as we required without having to turn aside from
our straight course.

Thus we went on day after day, and slept under the shade of the trees or
under the wide canopy of heaven night after night, until we arrived one
day at a beautiful valley, bordered by a plain, and traversed by a
river, where Peterkin met with a sad accident, and our onward progress
was for a short period arrested.

It happened thus:--The region through which we chanced to be passing was
peopled by so many natives that we had the utmost difficulty in avoiding
them, and more than once were compelled to halt during the daytime in
some sequestered dell, and resume our journey during the night.

One day--it was, if I remember rightly, about two o'clock in the
afternoon--we came suddenly in sight of a native village on the banks of
the river whose course we were at that time following, and made a wide
detour in order to avoid it. We had passed it several miles, and were
gradually bending into our course again, when we came unexpectedly upon
a band of natives who had been out hunting and were returning to their
village with the spoils of the chase on their shoulders. Both parties
at once came to an abrupt halt, and we stood for several minutes looking
at each other--the natives in speechless amazement, while we conversed
in whispers, uncertain what to do.

We knew that if we made friendly advances we should no doubt be
welcomed, but then we should certainly be compelled to go back with them
to their village and spend at least a day or two with them, as we could
not hope to give them a satisfactory reason for our going on at once.
We also knew that to go on in spite of them would produce a quarrel,
and, of course, a fight, which, as it would certainly result in
bloodshed, was by all means to be avoided for we could not bear to think
that a mere caprice of ours in visiting Africa should be th