o66 
AFEICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
lives which had been sacrificed through so unexpected 
an assault. The Portuguese flag was rent by the many 
assegais which had pierced through it, and besprinkled 
with the blood of many a brave man ; but the stains it 
bore only served to bring out in stronger relief its 
immaculate purity, and again, far from the country to 
which it belonged, and in unknown lands, it had com¬ 
manded respect, as it has always hitherto done and will 
continue to do till the end. I laid down my soldier’s 
arms, to take up the instruments of the peaceful surgeon ; 
and the remainder of the night was spent in dressing 
the hurts of the wounded and sustaining the courage of 
the sound, whilst I set a careful watch to guard against 
another surprise, notwithstanding the fresh protests just 
received from Lobossi. 
At break of day, I went to seek the King, and spoke 
to him in bitter terms of the events of the preceding 
night. Before his people, there assembled, I held him 
responsible for what had occurred, and said aloud that 
they who had to bemoan the loss of parents and 
kindred should attribute the blame to him, and him 
only. I further said that I should proceed upon my 
journey without loss of time, and announced my inten¬ 
tion of pitching my camp among the mountains, where 
I could with greater advantage resist any fresh attack. 
He used every effort to worm out of me the sorcery I 
had employed the night before, which had caused the 
assailants to take such hasty flight. For to sorcery alone 
he and his people attributed the terrible effects caused by 
the explosive balls, accidentally employed by Augusto. 
Notwithstanding the great desire I entertained to 
quit the plain and to take to the mountains, I was 
unable to carry it out until nine that morning, owing to 
the condition of my wounded men ; and on the 7th 
and 8th of September we had to put up with hunger, 
as no one would sell us food, and the King asserted 
he had none to give us. The lakes fortunately had 
abundance of fish, and we managed to knock down a 
few wild and very skinny ducks. Machauana, how¬ 
ever, sent me some milk, and continued to display the 
