500 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



hand of the old chief pressed it for joy. These people were 

 friendly and hospitable, and gladly received beads in exchange 

 for such food as fresh and dried fish, snails, oysters, mussels, 

 dried dog-meat, live dogs and goats, bananas, plantains, cassava 

 tuber*, flour, and bread of the consistence of sailor's " duff," 

 and other articles. The knives of these people were singular 

 specimens of the African smith s art, being of a waving sickle- 

 shaped pattern, while the principal men carried brass-handled 

 weapons, eighteen inches long, double-edged, and rather wide- 

 pointed, with two blood-channels along the centre of the broad 

 blade, while near the hilt the blade-shaft was pierced by two 

 quarter-circular holes, and the top of the shaft was ornamented 

 with the fur of the otter. 



To add to the atrocious bad taste of these aborigines, their 

 necklaces consisted of human, gorilla, and crocodile teeth, in 

 such quantity in many cases that little or nothing could be seen 

 of the neck. A few possessed polished boars' tusks, with the 

 points made to meet from each side of the neck, imparting to 

 the wearers a frightfully hideous appearance. 



The most curious objects discovered at Rubunga were four 

 ancien*^ Portuguese muskets, at the sight of which the people of 

 the expedition raised a glad shout. These appeared to them cer- 

 tain signs that they had not lost the road, that the great river 

 did really reach the sea, and that their master was not deluding 

 them when he told them that some day they would see the ocean. 

 But after leaving this village, in nearly all their subsequent com- 

 bats with the savages, muskets were used against them, often 

 with deadly effect. On the 14th of February they were attacked 

 by a fleet of sixty canoes, filled with desperate savages, many of 

 whom were armed with guns. They approached at a furious 

 pace shouting their war-cry of " Yaha-ha-ha ! Ya Bangala ! " 

 "YaBangala! Yaha-ha-ha!" and a desperate fight took place. 

 One young chief in particular fought with extraordinary bravery. 

 He wore a head-dress of white goat-skin, and a shore mantle of 

 the same material, and wreaths of thick brass wire on his neck, 

 arms, and legs, sufficient, indeed, to have protected those parts 



