72 . START FOB THE INTEEIOR. Chap. IV. 



The best of them were my boy Macon dai, now 

 grown a stalwart young man and completely devoted 

 to me, and my hunter Igala, a good and faithful 

 friend. Macondai will be recollected by some of the 

 readers of my former book, as having accompanied 

 me on almost all my wanderings in this region. 

 I had brought him, as a present, a double-barrelled 

 gun from England, and he soon became a good 

 shot. He was more attached to me than any of 

 the others, and I could more safely trust him, as he 

 was free from the superstitions and vain fears of his 

 countrymen and cared nothing for fetiches. He was 

 brave and honest, and helped me to guard my property 

 in our long marches in the interior. Igala I considered 

 my right-hand man. He was a negro of tall figure and 

 noble bearing, cool and clear-headed in an emergency, 

 brave as a lion, but with me docile and submissive. 

 In our most troublesome marches he used to lead the 

 van, whilst I brought up the rear to see that the porters 

 did not run away with their loads. I could always 

 rely upon him ; and, with twenty such as he, there 

 would be little difficulty in crossing Africa. He was 

 also my taxidermist, for I had taught him to skin and 

 preserve animals. His reputation was great amongst 

 the Commi as a hunter, and he used to make quite a 

 trade by selling fetiches to the credulous people who 

 wished to possess his skill and good luck in this 

 respect. Igaln, however, had a weakness ; he was too 

 amorous, and his intrigues with the wives of chiefs 

 gave me no end of trouble. Another good man was 

 Rebouka, a big strapping negro, whose chief faults 

 were bragging and a voracious appetite. Then there 



