130 A PLACE OF SKULLS. 



prepared. While engaged with that important meal, 

 a hippopotamus came close to us and had a good look 

 at the boat, but as he was in deep water I left him 

 alone. The repast being over, I again took a stroll 

 with Moloka along the shore. A fine sandy beach 

 ran down to the mouth of the river Lintipe. Forest 

 land, with much thick underwood, covered the coun- 

 try to within a hundred yards of the shore. 



This place was simply covered with human skulls 

 and bones, bleached and white. I fear the poor Man- 

 ganja suffered here. It was curious to see Moloka 

 studying the different skulls. He would not touch them, 

 but often he might be heard remarking, " This head 

 Manganja," or ''This head Ajawah," or ''That head 

 woman." Thouo^h I could discern but little difference 

 myself, he seemed quite familiar with the shape of the 

 different skulls. The general appearance of the place 

 showed that there had once been a village here, but 

 there was nothing left save the mud floor of one or two 

 huts. It was indeed a sad sight. 



I sat up late, hoping the hippopotamus would 

 come ashore to feed ; but I fancy the fires on shore 

 frightened the w^ary monster, for he moved slowly 

 away to the north. Shortly after we had started next 

 morning, a canoe came out of the Lintipe with three 

 men in it, and four more soon appeared, walking 

 close to them along the shore. As they were coming 

 our way, we kept in close to speak to them. See- 

 ing our movements, the three men in the canoe 

 beached their craft and stood with the others Avatching 

 us. We hove to within about fifty yards of them, 

 and asked them to come and talk to us, telling them 



