120 To Sdnga-T&nga and Back . 
village women would not, or rather could not, give 
us “chop.” This was a settler to my Mpongwe 
friends. Nimrod, however, declared that some 
bushmen had lately seen several gorillas in the 
direction of Sanga-Tanga, two marches down coast 
from Mbdta, and about half-way to Cape Lopez. 
I did not believe a word of his intelligence ; the 
direction is south-west instead of south-east, to¬ 
wards the sea instead of into the forest. But it 
was evidently hopeless to seek for the “ ole man ” 
in these parts, and I had long been anxious to see 
Sanga-Tanga; we therefore agreed newt. con. to 
set out before dawn on the next day. 
But the next day dawned, and the sun rose 
high, and the world was well heated and aired 
before the bushmen condescended to appear. 
After a two hours’ battle with the sand-flies we 
set off at 7.35 a. m., Forteune, Hotaloya, and 
Kangd at the head of the musketeers, one of them 
also carrying an axe; sixteen guns form a strong 
party for these regions. The viol (nchambf) was 
not allowed to hang mute in Mbata s halls , this 
instrument or the drum must never be neglected 
in African travel; its melody at the halt and the 
camp-fire are to the negro what private theatricals 
are to the European sailor half fossilized in the 
frozen seas. Our specimen was strung with thin 
cords made from the fibre of a lliana; I was shown 
this growth, which looked much like a convolvulus. 
