added that, if the white men would not go with them, his
own people would carry on the war, even if they had to fight with empty
hands.

This was so far good, but our friends were utterly at their wits' end
regarding arms for their new allies, who clearly did not understand the
use of guns, whilst the few spears and axes saved from the slavers
deceased in the fight of the previous day, would not equip one-fourth of
their number.

On being asked, however, what weapons they would prefer to use, the men
replied proudly that they were called "Atagbondo" or "the People of the
Stick," in consequence of their habit of fighting only with long-handled
clubs, which they could cut for themselves as soon as forest land,
similar to their own, was reached by the party.

These clubs, it appeared, formed their sole weapon of offence, but they
also used--as our friends found at a later date--an instrument of a most
peculiar nature, and of which their white leaders could not at first
comprehend the utility.

The instrument referred to, was a neatly-fashioned piece of extremely
hard wood, from a yard to a yard and a half in length, thick in the
centre, where it contained a cavity to protect the hand, and tapering to
both of its slender-looking extremities. At its widest part it was but
some few inches broad, was fitted with a thong in which to slip the
hand, and generally gave one the idea of a modified quarter-staff with
an elongated bulb in the middle. The instrument was called a "quayre;"
and when this people went into battle the warriors tapped the quayre
against the shaft of the club and produced a rattling volume of sound,
which could be heard a mile away, and was supposed to strike terror into
the heart of the foe; whilst the quayre itself, which they handled in a
most expert fashion, was used not only to ward off blows struck at the
persons of the men with native axes, clubs, or similar weapons, but even
in parrying spear-thrusts--a difficult operation, which they performed,
however, with no little dexterity, whilst the quayre was at the same
time less than one-third of the weight of a very ordinary fighting
shield.

On being informed that the white men were about to hold a council of
war, and would like them to be represented, the chief of the Atagbondo
stepped forward. Probably forty years of age, this man was a
magnificent specimen of his race, who are all very much above the
average height of Englishmen. He stood, p