238 AFRICAN NATURE NOTES CHAP, xn 



a German sailor, whom Mr. Wissels had left in 

 charge, and whom I had expected to find there 

 had gone down to the Maputa river with carriers 

 to bring up some bags of maize, and was not 

 expected back till the following day. Thus, I 

 only found some Amatonga natives looking after 

 the store, who, although they were civil and 

 obliging enough after Longman had told them all 

 about me, were yet unable to give me the same 

 kind of welcome that one white man always extends 

 to another in the wilds of Africa. For instance, 

 had Mr. Wissels's friend been at home I should 

 have borrowed a shirt and trousers from him whilst 

 I dried my own ; but, in the nature of things, the 

 naked Amatonga were unable to oblige me in this 

 way ; however, they did the next best thing, and 

 built a big fire beneath a large thick-foliaged tree : 

 and by the help of this I managed to get myself 

 tolerably dry in the course of the afternoon. 



