THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 495 



Standing up in his boat, Stanley surveyed his people. How 

 few they appeared to dare the region of fable and darkness ! 

 They were nearly all sobbing. They were leaning forward, 

 bowed, as it seemed, with grief and heavy hearts. He spoke to 

 them words of encouragement ; told them of their past brave 

 deeds, and exhorted them to be men. But it was with wan smiles 

 that they responded to his words, and feebly they paddled down 

 the dark-brown current. Poor fellows ! Many of them were 

 indeed going into the land of the Unknown. 



CANNIBALS AGAIN. 



THE river soon assumed a breadth of 1,800 yards, and the 

 banks were thickly populated. Directly the great war-drums, 

 hollowed out of huge trees, thundered the signal along the shores, 

 and they could see the savage cannibals rushing to arms and 

 leaping and gesticulating in their frenzied war-dances. Presently 

 a canoe dashed out from the shore, filled with warriors armed 

 with broad black wooden shields and long spears. As they 

 approached, Stanley's interpreter cried out, " Sennenneh !'' 

 (peace !), but they paid no attention to the peaceful overture. 

 Dashing up near Stanley's boat, they ordered him, in peremptory 

 tones, to go back with them. 



" It is the river that takes us down," said he ; " the river will 

 not stop and go back." 



" If you don't go back we will fight you," they exclaimed. 



" No ; let us be friends." 



" We don't want you for friends ; we will eat you." 



But as they talked and gazed at the wonderful white man, the 

 current carried them far beyond their village, seeing which, they 

 nervously turned and paddled' back. 



At the next village, as soon as the boats approached within 

 fifty yards of the bank, the savages threw their spears, and cried 

 out, "Meat! meat! Ah! ha! We shall have plenty of meat! 

 Bo-bo-bo-bo, Bo-bo-bo-bo-o- !" 



" For these people," says Stanley, "we had no anger. It 

 seemed so absurd to be angry with people who looked upon one 

 only as an epicure would regard a fat ox, Sometimes a^sp U 



