226 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



We carefully weighed this matter, and came to the 

 conclusion that what Bykender said was true enough ; 

 but as both Lieutenant von Hohnel and I had suffered 

 continually from fever, we felt unfit even for the short 

 journey up the mountains ; and we did not like to 

 separate our caravan into two parts. However, there 

 was no other course open to us. 



About this time, according to the Nautical Almanac, 

 an eclipse of the sun was to occur, which would be 

 visible in Africa. We looked upon this as a fitting 

 moment to prove our power as wizards. Accordingly, 

 for several days before the date assigned for the eclipse, 

 we took pains to inform Bykender and the other leaders 

 of the Daitcho that we would, for the purpose of con- 

 vincing them of our occult power, cause the sun to 

 be darkened for the greater portion of one day. With 

 these people seeing is believing ; so they listened with 

 polite indifference to our predictions. What was our 

 horror upon the day assigned, to find that our read- 

 ing of the Nautical Almanac had been all too care- 

 lessly done, and that the eclipse we had prophesied 

 with so much insistence was visible in all parts of 

 Africa but that small part in which we were encamped } 

 We did not make this discovery until a few hours before 

 the time set for the eclipse to occur. 



It would not do to appear as false prophets. So 

 we sent runners to all the leaders of the Daitcho, ex- 

 plaining to them that we considered the darkening of 

 the sun, and the consequent shortening of the day, too 

 serious a matter; that it would be such a proof of our 

 power as would probably frighten them; moreover, they 

 needed all the hours of daylight to work their planta- 



