192 MATOLO. Chap. IX. 



whether I had any communication with it, and 

 worked themselves into such a state of fright that 

 when a little drum inside beat, they all took to their 

 heels and ran away as fiist as they could to the other end 

 of the village, Mayolo leading the van. I went after 

 them, and, tried to allay their fears, hut their belief 

 was not to be shaken that a devil was inside the bos. 

 They came back, but would not sit down, holding 

 themselves ready to run again, if anything startling- 

 occurred. They were completely mystified when they 

 heard the music still going on although I was walk- 

 ing about at a distance from the box, holding no com- 

 munication with it. I remained away from it a long 

 time walking about in the prairie, and the music was 

 still going on when I returned, to the great perplexity 

 of the simple villagers. I offered to open the box to 

 show them that there was no devil inside ; but as soon 

 as I touched the lid with that intention, they all 

 started for another run ; so I did not open it. 



I showed them an accordion ; and, being no player 

 myself, made simply a noise with it, which pleased 

 them amazingly. They were more pleased with it 

 than with the musical box, for there was no mystery 

 about the cause of the noise to alarm them. Then I 

 got out a galvanic battery, and experimented on such 

 of them as I could persuade to touch the handles. 

 When they felt the shock they cried out " Eninda ! " 

 this being the name of a species of electric fish found 

 in the neighbouring streams. They all cried, " Why 

 did you not show us these things before ?" Finally, 

 after showing them pictures and other objects — the 

 portraits of the Movers of the Address in the ' lUus- 



