STILL RUNNING THE GAUNTLET ON THE RIVER. 479 
rendered, while shouts of applause from both parties 
rent the air. 
It could not be expected, of course, that they should 
feel at once like old friends after the fury of the early 
morning, but sunset found some dozens of men in our 
camp without arms in their hands, responding as well 
as they were able to our numerous queries about the 
geography of the country. Our people also traversed 
the southern end of the island with perfect confidence, 
and neither side had cause to regret having become 
friends. 
Human skulls ornamented the village streets of the 
island, while a great many thigh-bones and ribs and 
vertebrae lay piled at a garbage corner, bleached wit- 
nesses of their hide- 
ous carnivorous tastes. 
Like the Wnregga, the 
Asama wore caps of 
lemur, monkey, otter, 
goat, red buffalo and 
antelope skin, with long 
strips of fur or the 
tails dropped behind. 
Palms, bananas, cas- 
sava, red pepper, maize, double iron bells used in urangi. 
and sugar-cane flour- 
ished ; their houses were large, though not so neat as 
those at Yinya-Njara. Fish-nets and baskets lay 
scattered around in abundance, while great bundles of 
iron and wooden spears proved that the Asamas were 
as warlike as they were industrious. 
The islanders were not ungrateful, for they supplied 
us, by order of the chief, with sufficient bananas to 
settle our canoes deeply in the water, which proved 
that, provided one were well able to defend oneself, and 
were his superior in force, even a cannibal could show 
that he was possessed of human qualities. 
On the 19th we resumed our voyage, gliding down 
the stream that flowed between Asama Island and the 
left bank. The river’s course had continued a (magnetic) 
