STANLEY'S JOURNEY THROUGH AFRICA 351 



painted faces dashed' out at them, shooting their spears and shouting 

 "Meat! Meat! Ah! Ha! We shall have plenty of meat!" But they 

 were to be defrauded of the expected feast, for the well-aimed rifles of 

 the Wangwana soon struck terror into their midst, and compelled 

 them to seek the cover of the shore, and their meat in more legitimate 

 quarters. 



Again and again, as the expedition floated down the river, some 

 twenty or thirty canoes would shoot out from the shore, despite the 

 long-drawn cries of **Sennenneh — Sen-nen-neh" (Peace, peace), 

 which the interpreter of the party would raise; the cannibals ignored 

 everything but the advent of so much food to their market ! "We shall 

 eat meat to-day. Oho! We shall eat meat." 



The 6th of January, 1877, found the little band of daring spirits 

 at the first cataract of the Stanley Falls. From this point for about 

 sixty miles the great volume of the Livingstone rushes through nar- 

 rowed and lofty banks, in a series of rapids interspersed with steep 

 falls. Nearly the whole of the distance is impracticable for boats, and 

 Stanley had to force his way along the bank, through jungle and 

 forest and over cliffs and rocks, blazing a path through dense wood, 

 and clambering over rugged and precipitous banks. The v/hole of the 

 distance he was exposed to the murderous attacks of cannibal sa /ages 

 who, while the boat and canoes were transported, the necessary roads 

 cut, and the camps made, never relaxed their efforts to exterminate 

 the party. By the 28th of the month the seventh cataract was cleared, 

 and once more the expedition was enabled to resume its voyage down 

 stream. 



The river, broadening out, now flowed on in a distinct westerly 

 course, and this, coupled with the temporary cessation of hostilities, 

 raised the wearied spirits and put strength into the weakened bodies 

 of the party in a wonderful degree. For not long, however, were they 

 to have peace, and in a few days they were passing through a running 

 fire from either bank. Day after day, as they dropped down stream, 

 new tribes appeared, but ever in the old garb of enemies. Gradually 

 the river widened to about 4,000 yards, islands became more numer- 

 ous, and the banks rose on either hand high and steep. But an eternal 

 forest dwelt on the islands, the banks, and the interior, and the only 



