524 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



kind of preservative properties which the natives declared would 

 keep the meat fresh for many months. 



A CURIOUS SUPERSTITION. 



DURING a visit to the village of King Alapay, Du Chaillu wit- 

 nessed the performance of a curious superstitious rite. On the 

 first night when the new moon is visible all is kept silent in the 

 village ; nobody speaks but in an undertone ; and in the course 

 of the evening King Alapay came out of his house and danced 

 along the street, his face and body painted in black, red, and 

 white, and spotted all over with spots the size of a peach. In the 

 dim moonlight he had a frightful appearance, which made one 

 shudder at first. Du Chaillu asked him why he painted thus, but 

 he only answered by pointing to the moon, without speaking a 

 word. 



Soon after leaving King Alapay's village, Du Chaillu and his 

 men had to cross a swamp that lay in their course. It was about 

 a mile in width, but near the center there was a deep place 

 covered with a thick growth of mangrove, whose roots interlaced 

 and formed a sort of bridge, over which the men hopped and 

 jumped liked so many monkeys. Suddenly, one of them flopped 

 down into the mud, crying out ** Omemba !" (snake !) The poor 

 fellow had put his hand on an enormous black snake, and feel- 

 ing its cold, slimy scales, let go his hold and fell through. All 

 hands immediately began to run faster than before, and to shout 

 and make all kinds of noises to frighten the serpent. But the 

 poor reptile also took fright, and began to crawl away among 

 the branches as fast as he could. Unfortunately, his fright led 

 him directly toward the party ; and a general panic now ensued, 

 everybody running as fast as he could to get out of the way of 

 danger. Du Chaillu shot the serpent, and they were soon out of 

 the swamp and in a place of safety. 



FIGHT BETWEEN A LEOPARD AND A BUFFALO. 



WHILE hunting, one day, Du Chaillu fired at a wild buffalo, 

 but the bullet struck a vine and glanced from its course, wound* 

 ing the beast in the neck. It was a large, fierce bull, and 



