THE RIVER THAT FLOWED NORTH, NORTH, NORTH 411 
u Now Frank, my son,” I said, “ sit down. I am 
about to liave a long and serious chat with you. Life 
and death — yours as well as mine, and those of all the 
Expedition — hang on the decision I make to-niglit.” 
And then I reminded him of his friends at home, and 
also of the dangers before him ; of the sorrow his death 
would cause, and also of the honours that would greet 
his success ; of the facility of returning to Zanzibar, and 
also of the perilous obstacles in the way of advance— 
thus carefully alternating the pro with the con., so as 
not to betray my own inclinations. I reminded him of 
the hideous scenes we had already been compelled to 
witness and to act in, pointing out that other wicked 
tribes, no doubt, lay before us ; but 
also recalling to his memory how 
treachery, cunning, and savage cour- 
age had been baulked by patience 
and promptitude ; and how we still 
possessed the power to punish those 
who threatened us or murdered our 
friends. And I ended with words 
something like these : — - 
“ There is no doubt some truth 
in what the Arabs say about the 
ferocity of these natives before us. 
Livingstone, after fifteen thousand fez of leopard skin. 
miles of travel, and a lifetime of 
experience among Africans, would not have yielded 
the brave struggle without strong reasons ; Cameron, 
with his forty-five Snider rifles, would never have 
turned away from such a brilliant field if he had 
not sincerely thought that they were insufficient to 
resist the persistent attacks of countless thousands of 
wdld men. But while we grant that there may be a 
modicum of truth in what the Arabs sav, it is in their 
ignorant superstitious nature to exaggerate what they 
have seen. A score of times have we proved them 
wrong. Yet their reports have already made a strong- 
impression on the minds of the Wangwana and Wan- 
yamwezi. They are already trembling with fear, because 
