372 JOURNEY TO THE COAST. Chap. XIX. 



we were Lronght to a stand by the loud jabbering of 

 what we thought was a multitude of people. Ma- 

 gouga was puzzled, for he knew there was no village 

 near ; we listened, and found the sounds proceeded 

 from the dense woods in the valley beneath us. 

 Through breaks in the foliage we presently saw the 

 dusky forms of a number of chimpanzees, moving 

 about, swaying the branches, and making the most 

 ludicrous noises. On observing them attentively we 

 found there were two groups, one of them stationed 

 at some distance from the other, and the two appeared 

 to be holding a conversation together, or hurling 

 shouts of defiance backwards and forwards. There 

 must have been thirty or forty of them together 

 in the trees below us. I never before observed so 

 many anthropoid apes together. 



It was fortunate that we had Magouga with us, for 

 the villagers of Mongon were thrown into great con- 

 sternation at our unexpected arrival, and some of them 

 were beginning to run away as we entered the village. 

 I made the old man march at the head of our party, 

 for I did not know what might happen. He shouted 

 to the people to allay their fears, saying, '^I am 

 Magouga, do not be afraid, the Oguizi's people are 

 going back." AYe made halt at the ouandja and were 

 soon after surrounded by the people, all asking with 

 looks of astonishment, " Wliat does this mean ? Why 

 have you returned?" It appeared that news had 

 arrived here that Magouga had been killed at Mo- 

 bana, and his people had mourned for him. 



Magouga was equal to the occasion. He made a 

 long speech, narrating all the events in which he had 



