narmed, and with no means of obtaining food, to make
my way down more than two hundred miles of river, flowing through a
country every inhabitant of which would undoubtedly be an enemy, whose
delight it would be to hunt me to death? I told myself that if I could
obtain a small, light, handy canoe and weapons, even though they should
but consist of a bow and arrows, the situation would not be altogether
hopeless--for I possessed a very fair share of pluck and resource; but I
felt that before I could effect my escape from my watchful custodians,
and obtain these necessities, I might find myself in so dire a strait as
to render them and all else valueless to me. Yet I would not suffer
myself to feel discouraged, for I recognised that to abandon hope was to
virtually surrender myself tamely to the worst that fate might have in
store for me, and this was by no means my disposition; I therefore
continued to keep my eyes wide open for an opportunity.

But, watch as I might, the opportunity never presented itself, nor,
thanks to the watchfulness of my companions, could I make one; so the
time dragged on until, after a river voyage of more than three weeks, we
one evening, about two hours before sunset, entered a creek important
enough to suggest the idea that it might possibly be a small tributary
of the main river. After paddling up it for a distance of about two
miles we suddenly hove in sight of a native town of considerable size
built upon the north bank of the creek, upon an area of ground that had
been completely cleared of all undergrowth, but was well shaded by the
larger trees which had been allowed to stand. That the town was of some
importance, as well as of considerable size, I surmised from the fact
that, with a few exceptions, the habitations, instead of being of the
usual circular, bee-hive shape common to most native African towns, were
of comparatively spacious dimensions and substantial construction, being
for the most part quadrangular in plan, with thick walls built of
substantial wattles, interwoven about stout poles sunk well into the
ground and solidly plastered with clay which, having dried and hardened
in the sun, had become quite weather-tight, protected as they were from
the tropical rains by a thick thatch of palm leaves, with which also
their steep sloping roofs were covered. The average size of these huts
was about twenty feet long by twelve feet wide and eight feet high to
the eaves; but there