it, so that should any wild beast approach unseen, it could not
force an entrance, which Senhor Silva told us had sometimes occurred.
The moon rose in an unclouded sky, and cast a mild light over the scene.
In the distance were the lofty mountains, on either side the dark
woods, and far away to the west was the ocean we had left behind. It
was a beautiful scene, such as I had not expected to witness in that
region, and we were all more than ever thankful that we had escaped from
the slaver. Still, I could not banish from my mind the spectacle I had
witnessed on board, and my thoughts went back to the unhappy beings
crowded on the slave-deck of that fearful craft. I was reminded that we
were in Africa by the cries which proceeded ever and anon from the
surrounding forest. Now there was a loud roar, with a suppressed
muttering, which it would be hard to describe, and which I afterwards
learned to distinguish as the voice of the monarch of the woods; not
that he often ventures here, for his rule is disputed by the tremendous
gorilla, the creature who had only a short time before been discovered
in this region. We were, however, we concluded, on the most southern
verge of his territory, and we therefore scarcely expected to encounter
one. We kept our fires blazing through the night, and thus avoided any
attacks from lions or panthers, or any other wild beasts.

The morning broke brightly, though we could see the mist hanging over
the far distant coast. Birds flew about among the trees and across the
prairie in all directions, uttering their varied notes; and the monkeys
came forth, skipping from bough to bough, muttering and shrieking at us
as on the previous evening, as if they had not as yet satisfied their
curiosity. While Kate, assisted by Timbo and Jack, prepared breakfast,
I accompanied Stanley and David, with the two boys, to shoot some birds
for our next meal. I had heard so much of serpents and wild beasts,
that I expected every instant to see a snake wriggling its way through
the grass, and about to fasten its fangs in our legs, or to twine its
fearful coils round our bodies. I could not help also looking anxiously
at every bush, expecting to have a lion or a panther spring out on us,
David acknowledged that he had a similar feeling. Stanley, however,
laughed at our apprehensions, assuring us that snakes were not nearly so
common as were supposed, or how could the almost naked blacks make their
way throu