450 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
negotiate a peaceful passage before risking another 
tight. The latitude of this island was south 0° 52' 0". 
Katembo, our interpreter, and his friend were des- 
patched in a canoe manned by eight men, halfway to 
the shore, to speak fair and sweet words of peace to the 
Amu Nyam. No verbal answer was given to them, but 
they had to retreat in a desperate hurry before a rapidly 
advancing crowd of canoes. The Amu Nyams had 
evidently not had time to be undeceived by their 
friends above, for they came up with a dauntless 
bearing, as though accustomed to victory. Yet we 
held out copper armlets and long strings of shells to 
them, vociferously shouting out “ Sen-nen-neh,” with 
appropriate and plausible gestures. They laughed at 
us ; and one fellow, who had a mighty door-like shield 
painted black with soot, using his long spear as an 
index finger, asked us — if Katembo spoke correctly — if 
we thought we could disappoint them of so much meat 
by the presents of a few shells and a little copper. 
Our canoes were lying broadside along the reedy 
island, and as soon as the first spears were thrown, the 
Wangwana received orders to reply to them with brass 
slugs, which created such a panic that a couple of shots 
from each man sufficed to drive them back in confusion. 
After a while they recovered, and from a distance began 
to fiy their poisoned arrows ; 1 >ut the Sniders responded 
to them so effectually that they finally desisted, and we 
were again free from our meat-loving antagonists. 
About 2 p.m. we dropped down river again a few 
miles, and at 4.30 p.m. halted to camp at an old clearing 
on the right bank. Had we dared, we might have 
continued our journey by night, but prudence forbade 
the attempt, as cataracts might have been more disas- 
trous than cannibals. 
Near sunset we were once more alarmed by finding- 
arrows dropping into the camp. Of course there was a 
general rush to the guns ; but, upon noting the direc- 
tion whence the arrows came, I ordered the people 
simply to go on about their duties as though nothing- 
had occurred, while I sent twenty men in two canoes 
