Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-13

| tile natives, and then went to a cln1.
fDrtable little cave pear the village OF
Ksjuri at the southeas. .ern extremity of
Bumbireh island. He expected 10 get
provisions there. Bu. we were disSp-
pointed TO hear the lsrse number Of peo.
pie on the pla'esu above The village
shouting their war cry.
TO EAT OR DIE.
Still we pressed nearer the beach;
hunger gave US much c)Dfi jenee, and a
rich tribute, We were cure, would pscify
the most beliigerent chief. Perceiving
that we persisted in spproschir g their
! shore, the people rushed down the slope
Of the plateau toward uS. Prudence
whispered to me to at least get ready our
guns, which / accordingly did, and then
rowed slowly toward the beach, certain
that, If hos,il ties began, indications Cf
such would appear in time to enable US
to withdraw from the shore.
AsAvAGE RUsE.
We halted at q distance Of twenty
| yaIds from shore, and l observed that
| the wild behavior of the natives
changed, SIS they approached nearer, to
sffability and friendiness. We ex-
changed the usual friendly greetings,
and were invited to come ashore in such
| tones as dissipsted the less suspicion
| f1om our minds. No sooner, however,
had the keel Ct the boat grounded, than
| the apparently friendly natives rushed
in a body, and sejz I'd the brat, ard
drag ged her hiRh and dry on land, with
sll on to9rd. The reader may imagine
the number of natives required to per-
| form this fest, when | state that the
boat, baggage and crew wei ghed nearly
four thousand pounds.
A TERRIBLE MOMENT.
Twice 1 raised my revolver to kill and
Re killed, but the crew restrained me,
saying IL WAS premature TO fight, g
these people were friends, and all
would be right Accordiu gly 1 sat
down in the Stern sheets and waited pa
tjently for the decisive moment. The
| savages fast increased in numbers, and
the hubbub grew greater. Violent lam
Cuage and more violent action we re-
| celved without comme It or word on our
part. Spears were held in their hands
| as ii on the lauoch, arrows were drawn
to the head aud pointed st each of US
with frep1ied look and eyes almost
bursting cut Of their sockets.
THE BLACK FURIEs.
The apparently friendly savages
seemed to be now pers )uihed furies.
Throughout all the scenes of civilized
and savage life which have witnessed,
never saw mad rage or wild fury
painted so truly before on human fea-
tures. 1t lei them tn the verge of in
sanity, even. They struck the ground
AID ths boat, stamped, foamed at the
mouth, CRASHED their teeth, slashed the
air with lEeir spears, but they shed no
blood. The chief Shekka prevented this,
reseTving that pleasure, presume, for a
more oppoTtuIe time, when new ex-
cltement would be required.
EFFORTS FOR PEACE
Our interpreters, in the meantime,
were by no means id Q; they employed
to the utmCss whatever giftg of persua-
SION nature had endowed them with and
fear created in them, without, however,
exhibiting aDy strVility CT meanness.
| Indeed, | was stuck to admiration by
| the manly way in which they stated our
| objects and purposes in travelling on the
| NiyanZs, and by the compOsure Of their
bearing. The savFgss themselves OBJ
served this, and commented on it with
| iurpTise. The calm behavior of the crew
and interpreters acted ss o sedaive on
| the turbulence and ranting violence OF
the savRges, though it broke out now
and then, sputtering fitfully with the
| widest Of gestures aud most murderous
| demonstrations.
THREE MORTAL HOURS.
For three hours 1 sat in the stern
sheets OF the boat observing all the pre-
imlnaTies Of tragedy which l felt sure
was sb ut to be enacted, silent, except
now and then com mmunicatiDg a sugges-
ton to the Interpreters, and seemingly
! an unconc' rned spectator. But [ was
u It idle. l wished to impose on the
savages by my behavior. was busily
| planning q resistance and an escape. As
we were in their power, it only remained
for us to be quiet until they proceeded to
acts of violence, and in the meantime
| endesvoT to purchase peace, or at least
| postpone the strife.
sHEKKA's TREACHERY.
Conformably with these ideas, the in
| terpreters were instructed to offer cloths
and beads to the chief SheBka, who ap-
| peared to have despotic authority over
ali, judging from the reveTential and
ready obedience paid to his commands.
| Shekks demanded four cloths and ten
necklaces Of large beads SIS his price for
p rmittiag us to depart Ia peace. They
were paid to him. Having secuied
them, he ordered his people to seize our
cars, which was done before We under.
stood what they were about. This was
the second time that Shekka had acted
| cunni1gly and trescherously, and loud
jeering laugh from his people showed
him how much they apTr .ciated his wit.
A PROSPECTIVE HONEY FEAST.
After seizing the oors, Snekka and his
FncnD,1n Z ClnrpIu n fhair will IN cof
| their noon meal, aud to discuss what
other measures should be adopted to-
ward the strangers. A woman came
near Us. and told u3 to eat honey with
Shekka, as it was the only way to save
cur liv 8, for Shekka ard his people bad
| determined to kill US aud take every
thing we had. The cOKswaiD of the boat
was cent to prOffer terms OF brotherhood
10 Shekka. Ths coxswain was told 10
be at ease, no harm was intended us,
and on the next day Shekka promised
he and his people should eat honey and
make lasting and sure brotherhood be-
tween III.
NOT OVER TRUsTFUL.
The coxswsin returned to us with tri-
Umphant looks, and he speedily COM
municsted bis own assurance to the
crew. But / checked this over conf
dence and tIust'ulness in such cunning
and trescherous people, and told them
to trust in nothing save our own wit,
and 10y no means to leave the neighb0r-
hood OF the boat, for their next at would
be 10 seiz9 the guns in the same manner
as tLey seized the cars. Immediately
the crew saw the truth OF this suggeg.
tioD, and had no reason to complain
that they paid no heed to my words.
iGOING To CUT YOUR THRoATs."
At three O'Clock in the afternoon the
natives began to assemble on the ridge
of low hill about hundred yards from
the boat, and presently drums were
heard beating the call to war, until with.
in half an hour about five hundred war
riors had gathered around Shekke, who
was sitting down addressing his people.
When he had done about fifty rushed
down and took our drum, and kindly
told US to get our guos ready for fight,
as they were coming presently to "cut
our throats ~
A RUSH FOR LIFE.
As soon as saw the savages had ar
rived in the presence Of Shekka with
our drum, l shouted to my men to push