228 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



that most of the women of the Daitcho, upon seeing 

 the first rocket discharged, had clutched their children 

 to their breasts and fled into the forest. We then 

 expressed anger at their stupidity, and explained to 

 them at great length that the magic we had per- 

 formed the night before would in no way prove harm- 

 ful to the Daitcho. 



At this Bykender seemed much relieved, and talked 

 eagerly with his companions. Soon after, they left 

 our camp, and trade resumed much more briskly than 

 before. The news of our performance soon spread 

 beyond the regions of the Daitcho. After a few days 

 several of the leaders of the Embe paid us a visit, osten- 

 sibly for the purpose of craving our aid in a war with 

 some of the neighbouring tribes, but we discovered that 

 their real purpose was to secure some charm from us, 

 by which each of them could increase his individual 

 power among his people. We hailed the visit of these 

 Embe leaders with delight, and retained four of them 

 as hostages, sending back the other three who composed 

 the party to inform their people of our intention to 

 visit them in the near future ; when we hoped they 

 would promptly open up a large trade with us in 

 donkeys. 



On the day following the departure of these emis- 

 saries I sent George with forty-five men to the Embe 

 country. He took with him Motio as interpreter, and 

 the few donkeys purchased from the Daitcho which 

 were still alive. After an absence of a few days, 

 George sent us word that the trade in donkeys was 

 getting on much better in the Embe country than at 

 Daitcho; but that they were still coming but slowly. 



