CHAP. XI. RETURN TO THE "PIONEER." 313 



are seen the excited hunters dancing about with frantic 

 gesticulations, and hurling stick, spear, and arrow at their 

 burned out victims. Kites hover over the smoke, ready to 

 pounce on the mantis and locusts as they spring from the 

 fire. Small crows and hundreds of swallows are on eager 

 wing, darting into the smoke and out again, seizing 

 fugitive flies. Scores of insects, in their haste to escape 

 from the fire, jump into the river, and the active fish enjoy 

 a rare feast. 



We returned to the " Pioneer " on the 9th of October, 

 having been away one month. The ship's company had 

 used distilled water, a condenser having been sent out 

 from England ; and there had not been a single case of 

 sickness on board since we left, though there were so 

 many cases of fever the few days she lay in the same spot 

 last year. Our boat party drank the water of the river, 

 and the three white sailors, who had never been in an 

 African river before, had some slight attacks of fever. 



