Iguma had not been idle, and had collected a supply
of fruits and nuts, which, with the remainder of the plantain, gave us
an abundant meal. There was still some time before dark, which we
occupied in building a hut for the young lady, while we put up shelters
for ourselves, and collected a large supply of sticks, so that we could
have a blazing fire during the night. This was very necessary, as we
had seen traces of wild beasts, and we might have otherwise very likely
been visited by some of them. All of us required as much sleep as we
could get. As soon as supper was over, we set the watch and lay down
under our lean-to's, which were, should have said, at a sufficient
distance from the water to avoid the risk of any of us being carried off
by a hungry crocodile. I had been some hours asleep, forgetting
entirely where we were, when I was awakened by a tremendous crash of
thunder. Starting up, I heard crash succeeding crash, while vivid
flashes of lightning darted from the sky, and went playing round us like
fiery serpents. The wind at the same time began to blow with a fury we
had not encountered since we landed on the shores of Africa, but as it
was off the land we were partly sheltered by the forest, and it did not
send the waves up the bank. Our lean-to's were speedily blown down. In
a short time the rain came down in torrents, and had we not just before
made up the fire it would at once have been put out. Fortunately
Iguma's hut stood, and she invited us all in to take shelter beneath its
roof, which, being composed of several layers of large leaves, fastened
down by vines, sheltered us from the pitiless storm. There we all sat
for the remainder of the night, all huddled up like so many mummies, and
a curious picture we must have presented.

Towards morning the hurricane abated, Tom and Aboh rushing out managed
to scrape together the ashes of the fire which was not wholly
extinguished, and again made it up. Shortly afterwards dawn broke.
Uncomfortable as I was, I was actually dozing when I heard Tom cry out--

"The canoe, the canoe, where is she?"

We all of us jumped up and hurried to the beach, when what was our
dismay to find that the tree to which the canoe had been made fast had,
riven by the storm, fallen and crushed it to pieces. On examining it we
saw at once that to repair it would be hopeless, and we had now only to
make up our minds once more to continue our journey overland.

Fortunately