562 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
serene and fresh, and I, seated at the door of my hut, 
was thinking of my country, my relatives and friends : 
I was musing also upon the future fate of my enterprise, 
so seriously threatened in the country where I was at 
present sojourning; but though sad thoughts would 
often chase the bright ones from my mind, I lost neither 
faith nor hope of bringing my undertaking to a success¬ 
ful issue. Still, the event of the night before was a 
black cloud which I essayed in vain to banish from my 
memory. My Quimbares, who had retired within their 
huts, were chatting round their fires, and I alone, of all 
my company, was in the open air. Suddenly my 
attention was caught by a number of bright lights 
flitting round the encampment. Unable as I was at 
the moment to explain the meaning of this strange 
spectacle, nevertheless my mind misgave me as to its 
object, and I jumped up and looked out from the cane¬ 
fencing which surrounded my dwelling. Directly I 
caught a fair view of the field, the whole was revealed 
to me, and an involuntary cry of horror escaped from 
my lips. Some hundreds of aborigines surrounded the 
encampment, and were throwing burning brands upon 
the huts, whose only covering was a loose thatch of dry 
grass. In a minute the flames, incited by a strong east 
wind, spread in every direction. The Quimbares, in 
alarm, rushed out from their burning huts, and ran 
hither and thither like madmen. Augusto and the 
Benguella men gathered quickly about me. In presence 
of such imminent peril, there fell upon me, which I have 
more than once experienced under similar circumstances, 
namely, the completest self-possession. My mind be¬ 
came cool and collected, and I felt only the determina¬ 
tion to resist and to come out victorious. I called 
aloud to my people, half-demented at finding them¬ 
selves begirt by a ring of fire, and succeeded in collect¬ 
ing them together in the space occupying the centre of 
the camp. Aided by Augusto and the Benguella men, 
I dashed into my hut, then in flames, and managed to 
get out in safety the trunks containing the instruments, 
my papers, the labour of so many months, and the 
