Chap. XXXVII. INFESTED BOUNDARY-DISTRICT. 
531 
prey enjoying their liberty in noisy mirth. Then, 
when we reached the fields of corn within this rocky 
passage, w T hich on our outward journey we had seen 
under cultivation, we were prevented by armed men 
from passing through them, and were obliged to 
make a long circuit. A little further on, people 
came running after us, and attempted to take away 
by force two of the slaves whom some of our com- 
panions were leading along ; and when resisted, they 
raised a dismal cry for help, which was heard re- 
sounding to a great distance through the wild 
country. Serious quarrels seemed imminent ; but 
fortunately no one came to their assistance. 
About thirty travellers, all of them armed either 
with spears or with bows and arrows, had attached 
themselves to our troop. I got ready all my car- 
tridges ; and we were well on our guard. We had 
advanced about five miles from U'ba, and were in the 
middle of the forest, when a more serious alarm arose, 
several people being seen lurking among the trees, — 
an unmistakable proof that they meditated an attack, 
if we should exhibit any signs of weakness. We 
therefore rallied a moment, and formed in front, the 
most sturdy of our spearmen gathering round me, and 
begging me to take steady aim when they should point 
out to me the chief men. But the natives, belonging 
most probably to the tribe of the Baza, who always in- 
fest this road, seeing that we were prepared to receive 
them, did not dare to quit their ambush ; and having 
continued awhile along the path, we thought it wiser 
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