( 139 ) 



CHAPTEK VIIL 



FROM OLENDA TO MAYOLO. 



Departure from Ashira-land — Passage of the Ovigui — Slave Village of 

 King Olenda — A Slave Chief — DiflBculties with the Porters — More 

 Eohberies — Illness of Macondai — Leave him behind — The Otando Range 

 of Hills — Picturesque Cascade in the Forest — Cross the Louveudji — 

 More difficulties with the Porters — Hunger in the Forest — Men sent to 

 Mayolo for Relief — A Night in the Forest — Myth of Atungulu Shimba 

 — Koola Nut-trees — Search for Food — Meet with a Gorilla — A Hungry 

 Night — Unselfish act of the Ashira — Help arrives from Mayolo — Mpegui 

 Nuts — Arrival in Otando-land. 



March 16^/i. At length, after many months of weary 

 delay, the hour arrived for our departure from the 

 Ashira settlement. I had suffered in this unfortunate 

 place more than words can describe ; racked with 

 anxiety on account of the fearful epidemic which had 

 dogged my footsteps, and which the credulous natives 

 accused me of introducing amongst them, tortured 

 with the threatened failure of all my schemes, robbed 

 and cheated by the head men and their subjects. 

 My party of ten men had become reduced to seven. 

 Retonda was dead ; Igala (Quengueza's slave) was 

 left behind, although much better ; and Rogueri, the 

 slave given to me by Makaga Nchango, had run 

 away. But as he was an inveterate thief, I did not 

 regret his loss. Yet I should have been happy, if 

 I could have felt that the dreaded plague was left 

 behind us, for we were now again en route towards 



