Chap. XXX. INSANITY AND DISAPPEARANCE OF MONAHIN. 619 



and that lie 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 

 encampment 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 

 afterwards, and I offered him a shirt. He remarked to his 

 councillors, " It is evident, that this man has nothing, for, if 

 he had, Ins 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 furiously, and occasionally fired oif 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 towards 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 Ins 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 liim 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 crossing 

 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 



