216 
TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 
spiral form. My poor wife^ exceedingly weak^ followed me on her 
horse Lnxor/^ at times entreating for a halt_, on two occasions 
granted, though she was obliged to remain in the saddle, as there 
was no dry land. At last reached a desirable spot, and on a mound 
richly covered with beautiful grass, of which our horses quickly 
availed themselves, we rested beneath the shade of a superb heglig, 
a tree resembling the olive, and bearing an edible fruit; but, in 
size, the tree we compared to our beech. 
At this place our men, who had been sent on to the E.hol from 
the east bank of Haugau on the 9th inst., joined us on their return ; 
they were coming to our assistance, and rejoiced greatly that we 
had crossed the lagoon in safety. Our party thus reinforced, we 
resumed the march, still through water and occasional patches of 
dry ground. As we approached and were about to pass a large 
kraal filled with cattle, hundreds of negroes, lances in hand, ran 
from thence towards us, shouting and gesticulating violently. I, 
with my wife, one attendant, and guide Atchwack, a chief of the 
Atwat who had accompanied our men from the Rhol, were far in 
advance of our party. Not comprehending this unusual demon- 
stration on the part of the negroes, and quick from recent events 
to suspect a treacherous attack, I determined to confront the 
rushing throng. Bidding my wife, in case of necessity, to make 
use of the revolver pistol at her side ; myself well armed — a pair 
of five-barrelled revolver pistols at the waist, a double-barrel rifle 
slung to the saddle, and a five-barrel revolver rifle in hand, quite 
ready for action — it did not escape me how intently Atchwack 
scrutinized my countenance. We diverged from the narrow path 
which led through the forest, and, making a bold front, rode 
towards the negroes. Atchwack ran rapidly in advance of us, and 
the ferocious cries of the savage horde as he halloaed to them 
