128 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



The buffalo was found dead from exhaustion, its shoulder 

 having been broken, and was secured, while poor Sali was 

 buried according to the usages of his countrymen. The boats 

 were then got underway again . 



MEETING WITH A STRANGE PEOPLE. 



ON the 13th of January the expedition stopped near a village 

 on the right bank of the river. The natives came down to the 

 boats, they were something superlative in the way of savages ; 

 the men as naked as they came into the world ; their bodies 

 rubbed with ashes, and their hair stained red by a plaster 

 of ashes and cow's urine. Baker says these fellows were the 

 most unearthly-looking devils he ever saw there was no other 

 expression for them. The unmarried women were also entirely 

 naked ; the married had a fringe made of grass around their 

 loins. The men wore heavy coils of beads about their necks, 

 two heavy bracelets of ivory on the upper portion of the arms, 

 copper rings upon the wrists, and a horrible kind of bracelet of 

 massive iron armed with spikes about an inch in length, like 

 leopard's claws, which they used for a similar purpose. The 

 chief of the Nuehr village, Joctian, with his wife and daughter, 

 paid a visit to the boats, and asked for all they saw in the shape 

 of beads and bracelets, but declined a knife as useless* They 

 went away delighted with their presents. The women were very 

 ugly. The men were tall and powerful, armed with lances. 

 They carried pipes that contained nearly a quarter of a pound of 

 tobacco, in which they smoked simple charcoal should the loved 

 tobacco fail. The carbonic acid gas of the charcoal produces a 

 slight feeling of intoxication, which is the effect desired. Baker 

 took the chief's portrait ; of course he was delighted. In reply 

 to a question as to the use of the spiked iron bracelet, he 

 exhibited his wife's arms and back covered with jagged scars. 

 Charming people, these poor blacks ! He was quite proud of 

 having clawed his wife like a wild beast. 



NOVEL CONTEST WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



ON the 15th of January, while the men ashore were drawing 



