474 BAYETE VILLAGE DECEIVED BY LECHOLETEBE. 



At length, and after about twelve days' voyaging, we 

 reached a large village where the great chief of the Bayeye 

 resided. This was a charming spot, and one to which the 

 most skillful artist would have had some difficulty in doing 

 justice. Located on a small island about two hundred feet 

 long by one hundred in breadth, the village consisted of 

 somewhat more than a hundred houses, standing in the midst 

 of a beautiful group of elegant fan-palms, and some gigantic 

 wild fruit-trees. At the foot of the werft, in a semicircle, 

 the clear, transparent Teoge wound its meandering course. 

 On every side, as far as the eye could reach, lay stretched a 

 sea of fresh water, in many places concealed from sight by a 

 covering of reeds and rushes of every shade and hue, while 

 numerous islands, spread over its surface, and adorned with 

 rich vegetation, gave to the whole an indescribably beautiful 

 appearance. This was particularly the case at sunrise and 

 sunset, when the luxuriant vegetation received additional 

 charms by the brilliant but softened rays of a tropical sun. 



I had been given to understand by Lecholetebe that the 

 chief at whose w'erft I had now arrived was to have pro- 

 vided me with other men and other boats. To save time, as 

 also in accordance with the men's own wishes, I sent my 

 principal guide and others to inform the chieftain of my com- 

 ing, requesting him to get every thing ready ; but, on reach- 

 ing the place the following day, I found, to my utter aston- 

 ishment, that he, with all his people, had set out that very 

 morning to hunt the sea-cow ; and no one could, or rather 

 would, inform me when the great man was likely to return. 



It now occurred to me that I was deceived, and my sus- 

 picions at once fell upon Lecholetebe. Still, hoping I might 

 be mistaken, I waited patiently for several days, but to no 

 purpose. In the mean time, the women of the village had 

 secretly informed Timbo, who, as usual, was a great favorite 

 with the sex, that their husbands would to a certainty not 

 return for a month, and that even then I could not expect 



