268 THE MARCH THROUGH APONO-LAND. Chap. XHL 



marched have been covered with fragments of fer- 

 ruginous sandstone, the corners and edges of which 

 hurt the feet of my men very much. We passed 

 over a hill of considerable elevation, but, my aneroids 

 being packed away, I did not stop to unload and 

 take the altitude. Eastward, it sloped down rapidly 

 until we reached a fine valley, with miles of plantations 

 of ground-nuts. Finally, we came to Yengue, an 

 Ishogo village, almost as large as Igoumbie, situated 

 on the banks of a river called Ogoulou, one of the 

 affluents of the Ngouyai. 



Before entering the village, we stopped until all 

 the porters were collected together. Then Kombila 

 and I took the lead, followed by my Commi men, 

 after whom came the Apono porters. We marched 

 through the street of the village — the villagers look- 

 ing at us, open-mouthed — until we reached the large 

 ouandja, which was almost at the farthest extremity 

 of the village; Kombila all the time exclaiming to 

 the alarmed villagers, " Do not be afraid ; we have 

 come to see you as friends ! " 



Kombila then went and spoke to some of the 

 elders, who came to me, and presented fowls and 

 plantains — the presence of my Apono guides, whom 

 they knew to be on good terms with me, re-assured 

 them : and, after a short delay, they allotted a house 

 to me and my Commi boys ; while my Aponos went 

 to lodge with their friends. 



