The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-08-01

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Below Kaimba Island and its
neighbor the Livingstone assumes
breadth of 1,So0 yards. The banks are
very populous; the villages on the leit
bank comprise the District OF Luayala-
We thought for some time we should De
permitted to pass by quietly, but soon
the great wooden drums, followed out
of huge trees, Numbered the signal
along the river that there were stran-
gers. In order to lessen all chances OF
a rupture between us we sheered on 70
the middle of the river, and lay quietly
on our paddles. But from both banks
at once, in fierce concert, the natives,
with their heads gayly feathered, and
armed with broad, black WOO den shields
and long spears. dashed out toward us
Tippu-Tib, before our departure, had
hired to me two young men of Ukuska-
cannibals-as interpreters. These we're
now instructed to cry out the word
Sennennehl" {" Peacel'O and say
that we were friends.
But they would not reply to our
greeting, and, in a bold, peremptory
manner, told us to return.
90 But we are doing no harm, friends;
It is the river that takes us down, and
| the river will not stop or go back
- This is our river"
"Good. Tell it to take us back, ana
/ we will go"
eff you do not go back we VIII night
you"
"No, don't; we are friends p"
"We don't want you for our friends
we will eat you"
But we persisted in talking to them,
and, as their curiosity was so great, they
persisted in listening, and the conse-
quence was that the current conveyed US
to the right bank, and in such near
neighborhood to another district that
our discourteous escort had to think OF
themselves, and began to skarry hastily
up the river, leaving US unattacSed-
The villages on the right bank also
maintained tremendous drumming and
blowing of war horns, and their wild
men hurried up with menace towards US,
urging their sharp proved canoes so
swiftly that they seemed to skim over
the water like flying fish. Unlike the
Luavala villagers, they did not wait to
be addressed, but as soon as they came
within fifty or sixty yards they shot out
their spears, crying out: ''Meat! meat!
Ali ahi We shall have plenty of meati
Bo-bo -bo-bo, Bo-bo-bo-bO-O-O!"
Undoubtedly those must be relatives
of the terrible ssBo-bo- bo's" above, we
thought, as with one mind we rose to
reply to this rabid man-eating tribe.
Anger we had none for them. 1t seemed
to me so absurd to be angry with people
who looked upon one only as an epicure
would regard fat eapon. Sometimes
also faint suspicion came to my mind
that this was all but part of hideous
dream. Why was il that | should be
haunted with the idea that they were
human beings who regarded me and my
friends in the light of meate Meat WeP
Heavens! what an atrociOus ideal
''Meat All we shall have meat to-
day. Meat meat meat!
There was a fat wretch in a canoe,
whom l allowed to crawl within spear
throw of me, who, while he swayed the
spear with vigor far from assuring to
one who stood within reach of it, leered
with such clever hideousness of feature
that felt, if only within arms length
of him, could have bestowed upon him
a hearty thump on the back, and cried
out applaudingly, 'tBravO, old bOyI
You do it capitallyl"
Yet not being able to reach him, 1
was rapidly being fascinated by him.
The rapid movements of the swaying
spear, the steady, wide-mouthed grin,
the big, square teeth, the head poised
on one side with the confident pose of a
spear-thrower, short brow, square face,
hair short and thick-shall 1 ever for
get him? 1t appeared to me as if the
spear partook of the same cruel, mex
orable look as the grinning savage
Finally, saw him draw his right arm
back, and his body incline backward,
with still the same grin on his face, and
felt myself begin to count one, two,
three, fOur-and whizz The spear
flew over my back, and Missed as it
pierced the water. The spell was bro
ken.
1t was only five minutes work clear
ing the river. We picked up several
shields, and 1 ordered that all shields
should be hencefarth religiously pre-
served, for the idea had entered my
head that they would answer capitally
as bulwarks for our canoes.-St dnI0y's
''Ddrk Continent