478 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
up in noise what we lacked in numbers, and having 
descended a mile, suddenly made for the island at a 
low landing-place, and while the savages were confused 
at this manoeuvre I detached twenty men and sent 
them up to meet Manwa Sera and his party, and in a 
short time they had captured two villages, with all the 
non-combatant inhabitants, besides a large herd of goats 
and sheep. When these were brought to the landing- 
place where the war-canoes were still engaged with us, 
they were shown to the warriors, and out of sheer 
surprise hostilities ceased, and the war-canoes retired to 
the left bank of the stream to consider what they should 
do. Meantime Katembo was industrious in making 
himself understood by the women, and we made great 
progress in calming their fears, but we did not quite 
succeed until I opened a bag of shells, and distributed a 
few to each person with appropriate soothing tones. 
The Asamas opposite, though still sullen in their canoes, 
were not disinterested spectators of what was trans- 
piring, and they were soon communicating with their 
relatives and children, asking what we were doing. 
While my people were busy surrounding the landing- 
place with a brushwood fence, the negotiations for peace 
and goodwill proceeded. At noon a canoe with two 
men cautiously approached us, and while it was still 
hesitating to comply with our request to come along- 
side, one of my boat-boys dexterously grasped it and 
brought it near, while the word “ Sennenneh ” was 
loudly repeated. Into this as a beginning we put six 
women, three children, and some goats, and shoved it 
off towards the cannibal warriors, who could scarcely 
believe their senses until the canoe was safe in their 
hands. Then it seemed as though their sullenness was 
conquered, for presently five men and a chief approached, 
who likewise, receiving presents of shells and a few 
pieces of cloth, entered zealously into the strangely 
formed compact of peace, and sealed it by permitting 
themselves to be inoculated with the blood of the 
Wangwana in small incisions made in the arms. Every 
captive, every goat and fowl was religiously sur- 
