STILL RUNNING TEE GAUNTLET ON TIIE RIVER. 477 
and tall spear-grass, which, covered what formerly must 
have been inhabited ground, also tormented us. The 
men, however, on approaching this ground, armed 
themselves with heavy sticks, and marched steadily in 
line, beat down the growth before them, thus forming a 
road thirty feet in width. By night we were only a 
few hundred yards from the creek. 
In order to prevent the cannibals of Asama Island 
and the Wane-Mukwa from being aware of our purpose, 
we returned to our camp opposite Ntunduru Island, and 
during the 16th and 17 th of January were employed in 
dragging our canoes to the end of the road, perfectly 
screened from observation by the tall wild grass and 
shrubs. Though fearfully tired 
after this steady strain on our 
energies, an hour before dawn 
we rose, and, arming ourselves 
with poles, crushed through the 
remaining 300 yards of grass 
by sunrise. 
The people of Asama Island 
soon roused one another with 
most heroic and stunning crashes 
on their huge drums, and 
launched their war-canoes, of 
which they had a great number, excellently built ; but 
as our existence depended upon our dash, twenty men 
only were reserved to guard the road, while Frank and 
Manwa Sera, with the assistance of every other healthy 
man, woman, and child, hauled the canoes to the 
landing-place. Though the Asamas made but little 
resistance to our embarking, they attacked us as soon 
as we began to move with a frenzy which, had it not 
been so perilous to our poor hunted selves, I might 
have heartily applauded. I had recourse to a little 
strategy. Manwa Sera was told to loiter behind with 
one-half of the canoes and land his party on the island 
above, while I made a bold push at the savages and 
landed below. We in the advance at once charged on 
the war-canoes, shouting and drumming, and making- 
