270 JOURNEY THROUGn ISHOGO-LAND. Chap. XIV 



ordinary dwellings filled me with curiosity, for it 

 was really a village of this curious pcojjle. I rushed 

 forward, hoping to find some at least of their tenants 

 inside, but they had fled on our approach into the 

 neighbouring jungle. The huts were of a low oval 

 shape, like a gipsey tent ; the highest part — that 

 nearest the entrance — was about lour feet from the 

 ground ; the greatest breadth was about four feet also. 

 On each side were three or four sticks for the man 

 and woman to sleep upon. The huts were made of 

 flexible branches of trees, arched over and fixed 

 into the ground at each end, the longest branches 

 being in the middle, and the others successively 

 shorter, the whole being covered with large leaves. 

 When I entered the huts, I found in each the remains 

 of a fire in the middle of the floor. 



It was a sore disappointment for me to miss this 

 opportunity of seeing and examining these people. 

 We scoured the neighbourhood for some distance, but 

 could find no traces of them. A few days after- 

 wards, at Niembouai, as will presently be seen, I was 

 more fortunate. 



As usual, the king was not in the village. 

 But one of the elders took great care of me ; so 

 after a while I called him into my house, and 

 made Konibila tell him that I had not come to do 

 them harm, but good. Then I put on his head a 

 bright shining red cap, and round his neck a string 

 of very showy beads. As he came out of my hut, 

 the shouts of the people were deafening. I then 

 distributed a few beads among the women. My 

 Aponos did the same, and to-night the ice is partly 



