662 INSANITY AND DISAPPEARANCE OF MONAHIN. 



and that he had absolute power over the country in front, and 

 if he prevented us from proceeding, no one would say any thing 

 to him. His little boy Boromo having come to the encamp- 

 ment to look at us, I gave him a knife, and he went off and 

 brought a pint of honey for me. The father came soon after- 

 ward, and I offered him a shirt. He remarked to his council- 

 ors, "It is evident that this man has nothing, for, if he had, 

 his people would be buying provisions, but we don't see them 

 going about for that purpose." His council did not agree in 

 this. They evidently believed that we had goods, but kept them 

 hid, and we felt it rather hard to be suspected of falsehood. It 

 was probably at their suggestion that in the evening a war- 

 dance was got up about a hundred yards from our encampment, 

 as if to put us in fear and force us to bring forth presents. Some 

 of Monina's young men had guns, but most were armed with 

 large bows, arrows, and spears. They beat their drums furi- 

 ously, and occasionally fired off a gun. As this sort of dance 

 is never got up unless there is an intention to attack, my men 

 expected an assault. We sat and looked at them for some time, 

 and then, as it became dark, lay down, all ready to give them a 

 warm reception. But an hour or two after dark the dance 

 ceased, and, as we then saw no one approaching us, we went to 

 sleep. During the night, one of my head men, Monahin, was 

 seen to get up, look toward the village, and say to one who was 

 half awake, "Don't you hear what these people are saying? 

 Go and listen." He then walked off in the opposite direction, 

 and never returned. We had no guard set, but every one lay 

 with his spear in his hand. The man to whom he spoke appears 

 to have been in a dreamy condition, for it did not strike him 

 that he ought to give the alarm. Next morning I found to my 

 sorrow that Monahin was gone, and not a trace of him could be 

 discovered. He had an attack of pleuritis some weeks before, 

 and had recovered, but latterly complained a little of his head. 

 I observed him in good spirits on the way hither, and in cross- 

 ing some of the streams, as I was careful not to wet my feet, he 

 aided me, and several times joked at my becoming so light. In 

 the evening he sat beside my tent until it was dark, and did not 

 manifest any great alarm. It was probably either a sudden fit 

 of insanity, or, having gone a little way out from the camp, he 



