IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



ing turtle's eggs. Ndova was looking at me. All 

 the stars had disappeared, and the sun had risen to 

 give life and food to the sons of men, for without the 

 sun there would be no life, no vegetation upon the 

 earth. I spent the day quietly, waiting impatiently 

 for the night to take astronomical observations. 



After sunset I said to Rogala : " Bring me the 

 'precious box.'" After he had laid it at my feet I 

 opened it. 



Rogala stood up close to me, looking on with min- 

 gled feelings of curiosity and fear. First, I took from 

 the box two sextants — one was to determine the alti- 

 tude of the stars, planets, and moon ; the other the 

 distance between them from east to west, or vice versa. 

 Then I took out a trough, which I filled up with 

 quicksilver to be used as an artificial horizon, on 

 which the stars were to be reflected. 



From a little copper-screwed water-tight box I took 

 two watches out of four which all marked the seconds, 

 a bull's-eye lantern, and other objects that excited the 

 wonder of Rogala. Before taking the observations, I 

 thought I would have some fun with Rogala. I 

 placed my telescope in position for Jupiter and said 

 to him : " In the land of the Oguizi this star is called 

 Jupiter. Do you see little stars round it?" I meant 

 the satellites. 



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