BAMBARRE. 591 



associated in the minds of traders with all that is dreadful and 

 perilous. 



The forests had supplied abundance of meat all the way, and 

 Mohamad generously divided, as of old, with his companion. The 

 warlike natives all along betrayed by their curiosity their igno- 

 rance of such strangers as they saw traversing their fields and 

 valleys. The paths along which they walked had the appearance 

 of having been used for ages, and many of the gigantic trees 

 rivalled in magnitude those monsters of the west which the 

 doctor had declared, years before, that he would put against a 

 dozen floods. The Arabs had shown themselves expert hunters, 

 and over and over they provided for the doctor the choicest parts 

 of the lordly elephants which seemed waiting on every side the 

 hunter's aim. It is hardly possible for one inexperienced in 

 African travel to realize the wildness and the hardship, the 

 charm and weariness of such a journey. From the 3d of August 

 to the 21st of September they had travelled only about one hun- 

 dred and forty miles. But the doctor's strength had increased 

 as he advanced, and he found himself much more vigorous when 

 he arrived at Bambarre than he had been for a long time. 



They were now quite in the heart of Manyuema, among a 

 people farther removed from civilization than any he had visited, 

 compared with whom indeed all the tribes which he had visited 

 formerly might be called civilized — thorough savages, on whom 

 not one ray or remote reflection of Christianity had ever fallen 

 — a people of whom strange stories had been told, whose name 

 inspired the more ignorant invaders with terror. 



The great chief, Moenekuss, whom they had expected to find 

 at Bambarre, had been called away by the messenger who accepts 

 no denial, and his two sons were found in his place. These 

 men were named Moenembagg and Moenemgoi ; they exercised 

 a joint authority. The elder was the wiser and the chief 

 spokesman in important matters, but Moeyemgoi seemed to be 

 the chief centre of authority. The power which had distin- 

 guished Moenekuss far and near seemed not to have descended 

 to his sons, but they imitated him as nearly as they could in his 

 deportment toward strangers. 



It was quite manifest that these brothers looked on the party 

 with considerable suspicion, and to assure them, Mohamad re- 



