432 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



November, Coming toward us I saw a couple of hammocks with awn- 

 1876. ings, followed by three men carrying baskets; and on meeting 

 this party, a jolly-looking little Frenchman jumped out, seized 

 the baskets, and instantly opened a bottle to drink " to the hon- 

 or of the first European who had ever succeeded in crossing 

 tropical Africa from east to west." 



For this hearty welcome I found I was indebted to M. Cau- 

 choix, an old officer of the French navy, who had settled as 

 a mei'chant at Benguela. Hearing of my approach between ten 

 and eleven o'clock the night before, he had immediately started 

 off to meet me. 



His other baskets were- also full of provisions, which he dis- 

 tributed to my men, throwing loaves of bread at the hungry 

 mortals ; after which we moved on, and in a few minutes ar- 

 rived at a house which he owned in Katombela. 



I need not say how greatly I have been grieved at receiving 

 the sad intelligence of the death of this kind-hearted French- 

 man while on his passage home to Europe. He had intended 

 to visit England, and I had been looking forward to the pleas- 

 ure of renewing the acquaintance of one who had so readily 

 shown me the greatest kindness and attention when I was sore- 

 ly in need of succor. 



iUnnktiM-^^^^liX 





80ENB ON KOAl). 



