72 START FOR THE INTERIOR. Chap. IV. 



The best of them were my boy Macondai, now 

 grown a stalwart young man and completely devoted 

 to me, and my hunter Igala, a good and faithful 

 friend. Macondai will be recollected by some of the 

 readers of my former book, as having accompanied 

 me on almost all my wanderings in this region. 

 I had brought him, as a present, a double-barrelled 

 gun from England, and he soon became a good 

 shot. He was more attached to me than any of 

 the others, and I could more safely trust him, as he 

 was free from the superstitions and vain fears of his 

 countrymen and cared nothing for fetiches. He was 

 l^rave and honest, and helped me to guard my property 

 in our long marches in the interior. Igala I considered 

 my right-hand man. He was a negro of tall figure and 

 noble bearing, cool and clear-headed in an emergency, 

 brave as a lion, but with me docile and submissive. 

 In our most troublesome marches he used to lead the 

 van, whilst I brought up the rear to see that the porters 

 did not run away with their loads. I could always 

 rely upon him ; and, with twenty such as he, there 

 would be little difficulty in crossing Africa. He was 

 also my taxidermist, for I had taught him to skin and 

 preserve animals. His reputation was great amongst 

 the Commi as a hunter, and he used to make quite a 

 trade by selling fetiches to the credulous people who 

 wished to possess his skill and good luck in this 

 respect. Igala, however, had a weakness ; he was too 

 amorous, and his intrigues with the wives of chiefs 

 gave me no end of trouble. Another good man was 

 Bebouka, a big strapping negro, whose chief faults 

 were bragging and a voracious appetite. Then there 



