DOWN THE CONGO TO THE ATLANTIC. 
435 
“ Embark, my friends ! Let us at once away ! and a 
happy voyage to us.” 
The drum and trumpet proclaimed to Tippu-Tib’s 
expectant ears that we were ascending the river. In 
half an hour we were pulling across to the left bank, 
and when we reached it a mile above Vinya-Njara we 
rested on our oars. The strong brown current soon bore 
us down within hearing of a deep and melodious diapa- 
son of musical voices chanting the farewell song. How 
beautiful it sounded to us as we approached them ! The 
dense jungle and forests seemed to be penetrated with 
TOWARDS THE UNKNOWN. 
the vocal notes, and the river to bear them tenderly 
towards us. Louder the sad notes swelled on our ears, 
full of a pathetic and mournful meaning. With bated 
breath we listened to the rich music which spoke to us 
unmistakably of parting, of sundered friendship, a long, 
perhaps an eternal, farewell. We came in view of them, 
as ranged along the bank in picturesque costume the 
sons of Unyamwezi sang their last song. We waved 
our hands to them. Our hearts were so full of grief that 
we could not speak. Steadily the brown Hood bore us 
by, and fainter and fainter came the notes down the 
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