AN ALARM. 279 



glided cautiously by the vessel, and about an 

 hour afterwards a noise was heard, apparently 

 about a mile below our anchorage, like the beat 

 of a drum, and singing. The crew were imme- 

 diately summoned on deck, and mustered at the 

 guns ; when, soon after, we perceived two canoes 

 cross the river, and disappear under the grass on 

 the high banks. They then passed the vessel ; 

 and I watched them proceeding up a creek about 

 sixteen hundred yards from us, which leads to 

 the king's houses at Iddah. They afterwards re- 

 turned to a sandbank above the vessel, and their 

 movements gave us considerable uneasiness : the 

 late reports of the intentions of Gabbreducco, 

 and the uncertain nature of these people, led 

 us to expect nothing more or less than an attack 

 at a time when they might suppose we were least 

 prepared for them. I afterwards learnt that the 

 canoes contained some of the king's eunuchs, who 

 were engaged at the time in making Ju-ju. This 

 I have no doubt they did with the idea of pre- 

 venting the vessel from passing that part of the 

 river, which is very shallow, and where, owing 

 to an abrupt turn of the land, the current is very 

 strong. These poor creatures believe that an 

 evil spirit (Doboh) exists in this place, where we 



