Chap. XXII. 
A BLOW ON THE BBAED. 
445 
for eight days, tossing and groaning with violent pain in the head. 
This was the most severe attack I had endmed. It made me quite 
unfit to move, or even know what was passing outside my Httle 
tent. Senhor Pascoal, who had been detained by the severe rain 
at a better spot, at last came up, and, knowing that leeches abounded 
in the rivulets, procured a number, and applied some dozens to 
the nape of the neck and the loins. Tliis partially relieved the 
pain. He was then obhged to move forward, in order to purchase 
food for liis large party. After many days I began to recover, 
and wished to move on, but my men objected to the attempt on 
account of my weakness. When Senhor Pascoal had been some 
time at the village in front, as he had received instructions from 
his employer Captain Heves to aid me as much as possible, and 
being himself a kmdly-disposed person, he sent back two mes¬ 
sengers to invite me to come on, if practicable. 
It happened that the head-man of the village where I had lain 
twenty-two days, while bargainmg and quarrelling in my camp 
for a piece of meat, had been struck on the mouth by one of my 
men. My principal men paid five pieces of cloth and a gun as 
an atonement; but the more they yielded, the more exorbitant 
he became, and he sent word to all the surrounding villages to 
aid him in avenging the affront of a blow on the beard. As thek 
courage usually rises with success, I resolved to yield no more, and 
departed. In passing tlirough a forest in the comitry beyond, we 
were startled by a body of men rusliing after us. They began by 
knocking down the burdens of tlie liindermost of my men, and 
several shots were fibred, each party spreading out on both sides 
of the path. I fortunately had a six-barrelled revolver, wliich my 
friend Captain Hemy Need, of her Majesty’s brig “Linnet,” had 
considerately sent to Golungo Alto after my departure from Lo- 
anda. Taking tliis in my hand, and forgetting fever, I staggered 
quickly along the path with two or tlrree of my men, and fortu¬ 
nately encountered the chief. The sight of the six barrels gaping 
into his stomach, with my own ghastly visage looking daggers at 
his face, seemed to produce an instant revolution in his martial 
feehngs, for he cried out, “ Oh! I have only come to speak to 
you, and wish peace only.” Mashauana had hold of him by tlie 
hand, and found him shaking. We examined his gun, and found 
that it had been discharged. Both parties crowded up to their 
