564 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
disappeared. As the fires were going down, I perceived 
the danger to be most imminent. Our enemies were a 
hundred to our one. It was like a glimpse of the 
infernal regions, to behold those stalwart negroes, by 
the light of the lurid flames, darting hither and thither. 
Screaming in unearthly accents, and ever advancing 
nearer, beneath the cover of their shields, whilst they 
brandished in the air and then cast their murderous 
assegais. It was a fearful struggle, but wherein the 
breech-loading rifles, by their sustained fire, still kept 
at bay that horde of howling savages. Nevertheless, I 
revolved in my mind that the combat could not long 
continue thus, for our ammunition was rapidly dis¬ 
appearing. At the outset, I had but 4000 charges for 
the Snider rifles and 20,000 for the ordinary ; but it 
was not the latter which would save us, and directly 
our firing should slacken, through the falling off of our 
rapidly-charged breech-loaders, we should be over¬ 
whelmed by the bloodthirsty savages. Augusto, who 
fought like an enraged lion, came to me, with anguish 
depicted in his face, as he held up his rifle, which had 
just burst. I passed the word to my little nigger 
Pepeca to give him my elephant-rifle and cartridge-box. 
Thus armed, the brave fellow ran to the front, and 
discharged his piece point-blank against the enemy 
where their ranks were thickest. At the instant, the 
infernal shouts of the assailants changed their tone, and, 
amid screams of fright, they precipitately fled ! 
It was not till the following day that I learned, 
through King Lobossi, what had produced this sudden 
change in the aspect of affairs. It was solely due to 
the unexpected shots of Augusto. In the cartridge-box 
entrusted to him were some balls charged with nitro¬ 
glycerine ! The effect of these fearful missiles, which 
decapitated or otherwise tore in pieces all those subject 
to their explosion, had produced the timely panic among 
those ignorant savages, who fancied they saw in this 
novel assault an irresistible sorcery! Their unpre¬ 
meditated employment at such a critical time seemed 
almost providential. I saw at once that I was saved. 
