230 In the Heart of Africa 



pygmy women and children who remained in the camp. We also 

 had an opportunity of adding to our piscatorial collection, as 

 the Ituri flowed direct through the settlements. We tried our 

 trusty dynamite method again, but we had to fire one or two 

 charges before we discovered a spot where the fish congregated. 

 Then, however, the result obtained passed all expectation, for 

 after having set aside in methylated spirit all the specimens 

 required for our collection, such a surplus remained that almost 

 every one of our carriers was able to enjoy a fish for his 

 supper. 



In the afternoon the prospectors, Messrs. Crawlay and Giliot, 

 arrived quite unexpectedly from Kilo with the intention of in- 

 vestigating the auriferous contents of the river-bed and its 

 vicinity. To accomplish this object they were forced to cut a 

 path for themselves through the jungle on both banks of the 

 river, as well as to dig up the soil and collect samples eve'ry 

 5 kilometres. They reckoned that the return march would take 

 them about three months. 



At nightfall the pygmies returned from the hunt. But, alas ! 

 with no result. So, although our hopes were dashed, we tried to 

 console ourselves by watching the dances of the natives before 

 their camp fire. 



Wiese, in particular, had an exceptional opportunity of study- 

 ing these. I had already settled to rest, and deep silence reigned 

 in camp, when he heard singing and the beating of drums in 

 the direction of the Wambutti huts. He went out in the moon- 

 light, followed the sound of voices, and came on the dwarfs, 

 male and female, standing in a circle. He thought him- 

 self in the land of legends. His tale next morning was as 

 follows : " Two men were squatting in the centre, with tam- 

 bourines, beating them in measure, while those standing sang 

 melodiously, sometimes in a slow and melancholy cadence, some- 

 times very quickly and gaily. First their little legs would start 

 dancing on the spot where they stood, then they would move 

 round in a circle to the left or to the right. I was much struck 

 with the motion of the upper part of their bodies. The little 



