86 
Seven Years in Central Africa. 
[Oct. 
fluttering in the breeze. The secret of this I soon discovered. 
My brave crew had overtaken the buffaloes, but after firing a few 
shots they were attacked by an infuriated old bull, who had 
compelled them all to climb the trees, and kept them prisoners 
there for some hours. We were thus obliged to sleep at this place 
that night, and to make the best of our disappointment. A few 
days later my men organized another hunt, with the help of a 
small company of natives we met at the Nyambe Falls. They 
succeeded in killing a large rhinoceros close by my camp. This 
gave us a supply of meat sufficient to last for many days, and we 
were enabled to push on without many delays. 
At one point I and my crew had a very narrow escape from 
total destruction. We were pulling along against a heavy stream 
close to a high precipitous bank of heavy soil, when suddenly the 
whole bank gave way, falling into the river just alongside of our 
boat, so that some of the men were thrown overboard, and the 
boat was filled with earth and water. We instantly began baling 
out, and she soon righted. Had we been a few feet nearer 
shore we should all have been buried alive. The water under us 
before the landslip was very deep, and flowed in a steady, even 
current. Immediately after the landslip it was but a few feet in 
depth, and the current was diverted to the middle of the river. 
A HEARTY WELCOME. 
October 22nd. — Arrived to-day at landing-place for Lealui, and 
sent word to the king. Next morning ten of the king's men 
came down with a horse. They shouted out] many a hearty 
welcome, jumping about, lifting up my bundles, and running 
here and there. Liwanika received me very kindly, and gave me 
a nice snug hut in the town, but said he was going to build me 
a large one outside the town, on a small mound or hill, a much 
better site than I had had before. After two days the king sent 
to me by his private servant eight children to be instructed (two 
being his own sons), ranging in age from eight to fifteen. 
Lealui, October 2,0th. — Besides teaching the boys the alphabet 
and numbers, I read a little from the New Testament, and try to 
explain it to them. We get on famously. How different every 
thing is this year from last ! My health could not be better ; 
the people, small and great, are kind and thoughtful, and do 
