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THE NEW AFRICA 
most necessary to impress Indala and his people with a sense of 
our security. They also spread a tale of a mysterious power we 
derived from the stars, probably brought about by Hammar’s 
taking observations with the sextant at night; a tale not wasted 
on the superstitious fears of the Mombokooshus, and probably 
strengthened by the display of utter indifference we assumed to 
all Indala’s maltreatment. We also kept up the spirits of our 
boys by the humorous way in which we laughed and talked 
about the danger the poor natives were in if they only were 
foolish enough to attack us. This simulated security exercised 
a strong check upon the impudence of the Mombokooshus, who 
only came near us when their king, who bore the reputation of 
being a great magician, was present, and departed as soon as he 
left. They all seemed to fear us but the friendly Mashubia 
women, who secretly brought us corn at night in exchange for 
beads, under promise that we would not betray them to the 
Mombokooshus, who now had decided to let us have no food 
whatever, and who would probably kill them for infringing the 
order given by the king. 
How these plucky old dames managed to escape the obser¬ 
vation of their masters on the island at night, and, with heroic 
temerity, ferried themselves across the rapid stream in their 
cockle-shell canoes was a wonder to us, as much as it is still a 
wonder, whether they were actuated by humane reasons, or were 
influenced only by an avaricious desire for the much valued 
beads to take the fearful risk of being discovered. 
However, they were cautious never to approach our fire so 
that they might not be seen, but hid some fifty yards away from 
camp amongst the bushes, where they gave a little chirping 
signal our boys understood; and then one of them, taking a 
string of beads placed, handy for the purpose, would go out, 
concealing an empty bag under his blanket, and effect the 
exchange unobserved behind the convenient bushes, where he 
left the bag, now containing the corn, until the safety of the 
good dames was assured. The corn was then fetched in and 
cooked inside the skerm, in a position excluding a view of the pots 
