Chap. VIII. UNSELFISH ACT OF THE ASHIRA. 153 



an almost morbid vividness. I could tell every dish, 

 and recalled the pleasant savour of many good 

 things which I felt there was no hope of my ever 

 enjoying again. 



Towards evening things began to mend. The 

 Ashira returned from their chase successful, having 

 killed two monkeys. How strange are the contra- 

 dictions in the African character ! These men who 

 had so remorselessly plundered me, and with whom 

 my relations had been for a long time none of the 

 pleasantest, came forward with great disinterested- 

 ness and gave the whole of the meat up to me. I 

 refused however to take it, and told them that as it 

 was of their own procuring they were to divide it 

 amongst themselves. They insisted, however, iipon 

 giving me the lion's share, which I 'did not a second 

 time refuse. I divided it into equal portions between 

 my Commi men and myself, and a most hearty and 

 refreshing meal we made off our monkey. 



On the following day, hour after hour passed and 

 no arrival from Otando. The Ashira men began to 

 feel uneasy. They thought something was in pre- 

 paration against them ; that Mayolo was mustering 

 a force to come and punish them for their treachery 

 to the white man, and for their imprisonment of an 

 Otando subject. I had great difficulty, as the day 

 wore on, to prevent them from leaving me ; they tried 

 at first to get their pay from me, but, on my refusal, 

 threatened to run off without it. It was only by 

 holding up before them the certainty of Queugueza 

 making war on the Ashira if they forsook me en- 

 tirely, that I finally prevailed on them to remain. 



