A West African Episode. 381 



to me absurd ; the chief could gain nothing by my 

 death. The dash I had promised him he could only 

 get in Bonga ; and would certainly lose it in the event 

 of my death. Moreover, should anything sinister 

 happen to me, he would never be able to show his 

 face on the coast, and would lose his trade entirely ; 

 and would probably be killed by his subjects. 



We started very early, and the chief had more men 

 with him than I approved of, but he said they would 

 leave him when we commenced our beat or hunt, and 

 go on to his village, which was only a short way 

 beyond the forest inhabited by the apes. Blue Euin 

 was now in a greater funk than ever. The main body 

 of the natives, who travelled by a beaten path, we left, 

 and went to the northward, over detestable ground. 

 Here, I certainly saw indications of petroleum, or 

 some allied mineral oils. Iron, stone, and copper I 

 also saw. At 11 a.m. we halted for breakfast. 



The chief and I were seated under a tree, Blue Euin 

 had gone to a stream close by for a can of water ; 

 my guns were resting against a log close by. While 

 amicably conversing, I was seized suddenly, and before 

 I could offer any resistance, my arms were tied behind 

 me ; as soon as I was helpless my quondam friend gave 

 vent to his mirth, laughed and mocked at me saying, 

 " White man beat me I make chop of he." " But," 

 said I, in as mild a tone as I could assume, for I was 

 boiling over with rage, " I have never struck you in my 

 life or done you any injury, on the contrary, I have given 

 you many things and promised you a good dash on our 

 return to Bonga." But the brute only jeered at me ; 

 I am sure he was more than half drunk, for he kept 

 repeating the same thing, viz., that " White man beat 



