AREIVAL AT NEANGAEA. 
2G5 
emerged in tlie vicinity of two or three partially barricaded 
hamlets. The inhabitants sallied out to see us pass_, and^ spoken 
to by our guide whilst pointing to us^ their curiosity led several 
to follow and gratify it. Altering our course from east to souths 
to avoid a thick wood that had been traversed by our men in the 
morning, we proceeded through stunted copse_, whence a pretty 
undulating,, and for the most part wooded^ country,, backed in 
the far distance by several, groups of naked hills,, opened out 
before us. More villages were passed,, some of which we tra- 
versed^ and elicited from the inhabitants the same curiosity as 
before. These villages appertain to Neangara; and shortly after- 
wards, at the foot of a slight descent, the village of Neangara 
himself was proudly pointed out to us by his son, our temporary 
guide. 
In our imaginations we had long familiarized ourselves, with the 
man and the territory subject to him, it being within the precints 
of several districts connected by traffic with our station, now but 
eight days^ journey distant. The ill-fated Mussaad — a most active 
and upright servant, whose untimely death would now more par- 
ticularly be felt, and whom I have to thank for greatly extending 
my commerce on the most desirable footing in these parts — 
explored this and the other districts westwards. Half an hour^s 
ride brought us to the long-talked-of village, where Neangara on 
its outskirts waited to receive and conduet us to his huts. He 
spoke, in addition to his own language, the Barri dialect ; and the 
Barri lad, and the negr esses whom we had rescued from slavery 
— the latter, the now apparently happy wives of the men in our 
service — were with us, so there was no lack of interpreters. Our 
tent, taken on yesterday afternoon, stood near the chiefs dwelling 
on a neatly eleared open space ; and the little flag on its summit 
