CHAP. XV.] 
WELL PREPARED. 
42 7 
voured to persuade him that they would be perfectly 
safe if under our protection, but his only reply was to 
order his son to drive them off immediately. 
That day, Kalloe and all the natives quitted the vil¬ 
lage and fled to an island for security, leaving us masters 
of the position. I served out a quantity of ammunition 
to the Turks, and we were perfectly prepared. The 
drums of the M ; wa were heard in all directions both 
day and night, but we were perfectly comfortable, as 
the granaries were well filled, and innumerable fowls 
stored both this and the closely adjoining deserted 
villages. 
On the following day M’Gambi appeared with a 
message from Kamrasi, begging us to come and form a 
camp on the bank of the river opposite to his island to 
protect him from the Mhvas, who would assuredly 
return and attack him in canoes. I told him plainly 
that I should not interfere to assist him, as he had left 
me on the road at Deang; that Richarn had been 
killed by his people, and that one of my guns was still 
in their possession, added to which I had been obliged 
to forsake all my baggage, owing to the desertion of the 
porters;—for all these errors I should hold Kamrasi 
responsible. He replied that he did not think Richarn 
was killed, but that he had shot the chief of a village 
dead, having got into some quarrel with the natives. 
The conversation ended by my adhering to my intention 
of remaining independent at Foweera. M’Gambi said 
they were very miserable on the island, that no one 
could rest day or night for the mosquitoes, and that 
they were suffering from famine ;—he had several men 
with him who at once set to work to thrash out corn 
from the well-filled granaries of the village, and they 
departed heavily laden. 
During the day a few natives of the district found 
their way into the village for a similar purpose. I 
had previously heard that the inhabitants of Foweera 
were disaffected, and that many were in correspondence 
with the enemy. I accordingly instructed Bacheeta to 
