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AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
This was altogether a remarkable scene ; our exploring 
boat, with its lug-sail set, dragging about thirty canoes, 
whose crews were all intoxicated, and whose good-nature 
was so excessive as to cause them to supply our boat’s 
crew with copious quantities of their wine, until all 
were in an uncommonly joyous mood. It would be well 
worth describing in detail, but I am compelled to be 
brief. After sailing in company a few miles, we finally 
freed ourselves from our hospitable entertainers, and 
steering across the channel to the island opposite Ney- 
gano, coasted along its well-wooded shores. Perceiving 
a deep bay farther west, we entered it, and near the 
extreme eastern end of Uvuma anchored about 150 
yards off the village of Mombiti. 
Had we been better acquainted with the character 
of the Wavuma, we probably should have been less 
inclined to visit their shores ; but, ignorant of their fero- 
city, and zealous to perform our duties, we persevered 
in attempting to open intercourse with this tribe. We 
were, however, prudent enough not to rush into danger 
by taking it for granted that most savages were a guile- 
less, amiable set, who would never dream of injuring or 
molesting strangers — and this circumspection most 
likely saved our lives. 
After a few minutes’ distant conversation, the Wavuma 
approached us, and we were enabled to purchase fuel for 
cooking, making a liberal payment. We hoped they 
would be induced to sell us food also, not that we were 
really in need of it, but because it furnished us with 
another motive for continuing our intercourse, and 
enlarged our opportunities for studying their nature 
and habits, and obtaining names for the localities around. 
We had numerous visitors, who appeared to be fine, 
manly, well-made fellows, but nothing would induce 
them to bring the smallest quantity of food for sale. 
We therefore resignedly forbore from troubling them, 
but inspected them with as much interest as they in- 
spected us. They were evidently people with abundant 
self-confidence, from the cool complacency with which 
they regarded us. Their canoes were beautiful specimens, 
