al Africa, and, having gathered only a few vague ideas
from books, he went forth with all the pleasurable excitement and
expectation that we may suppose peculiar to discoverers.

Disco Lillihammer having only consumed his first pipe of tobacco, and
holding it to be a duty which he owed to himself to consume two before
breakfast, remained at the camp-fire to smoke and chaff Antonio, whose
good-nature was only equalled by his activity.

"Wot have 'ee got there?" inquired Disco, as Antonio poured a quantity
of seed into a large pot.

"Dis? vy, hims be mapira," replied the interpreter, with a benignant
smile. "Hims de cheef food ob dis konterie."

It must be remarked here that Antonio's English, having been acquired
from all sorts of persons, in nearly every tropical part of the globe,
was somewhat of a jumble, being a compound of the broken English spoken
by individuals among the Germans, French, Portuguese, Arabs, and
Negroes, with whom he had at various times associated, modified by his
own ignorance, and seasoned with a dash of his own inventive fancy.

"Is it good?" asked Disco.

"Goot!" exclaimed Antonio. Being unable to find words to express
himself, the enthusiastic cook placed his hand on the region which was
destined ere long to become a receptacle for the mapira, and rolled his
eyes upwards in rapture. "Hah! oo sall see behind long."

"Before long, you mean," observed the seaman.

"Dat all same ting, s'long's you onerstand him," replied Antonio
complacently.--"Bring vatter now, Jumbo. Put him in careful. Not spill
on de fire--zo--goot."

Jumbo filled up the kettle carefully, and a broad grin overspread his
black visage, partly because he was easily tickled into a condition of
risibility by the cool off-hand remarks of Disco Lillihammer, and partly
because, having acquired his own small smattering of English from Dr
Livingstone, he was intelligent enough to perceive that in regard to
Antonio's language there was something peculiar.

"Now, go fitch noder kittle--queek."

"_Yis_, sar--zo--goot," replied Jumbo, mimicking the interpreter, and
going off with a vociferous laugh at his little joke, in which he was
joined by his sable clansmen, Masiko and Zombo.

"Hims got 'nuff of impoodidence," said the interpreter, as he bustled
about his avocations.

"He's not the only one that's got more than enough impoodidence," said
Disco, pushing a fine straw down the stem of his "cutty," to make it
draw bett