Sharp County record., 1878-08-23
Fresh Meats in Africa.


nelghbor the Livingstone assumes a
breadth of 800 yards. The banks are
very populouS; the villages on the left
Dank comprise the District of Luavala.
We thought for some time we should be
permitted to pass by quietly, but soon
the great wooden drums, followed out
OF huge trees, thundered the signal
along the river that there were stran-
gers. In order to lessen all chances of
a rupture between us we sheered of to
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 wooden shields
and long spears, dashed out toward us.
Iippu-Iib, before our departure, had
hlred to me two young men of Ukuska-
cannibalS-aS interpreters. These were
now instructed to cry out the word
"Sennenneh!" wPeace!n) and say
that we were friends.
But they would not reply to our
greeting, and, in a bold, peremptory
manner, told us to return.
"But we are doing no harm, friends.
1t is the river that takes us down, and
the river will not stop or 90 backs
"ThiS is our river"
"Good. Tell it to take us back, and
we will 60"
If you do not 60 back we will fight
you"
"No, don't; we are friends"
"We don't want you for our friends;
we will eat you.n
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 skurry hastily
up the river, leaving us unattached.
The villages on the right bank also
maintained a 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
All! ah! We shall have plenty of meat!
BO-bO-bo-bO, -bO-bO-b -bo-O-o!"
Undoubtedly those must be relatives
of the terrible "Bo-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 capOn, Sometimes
also faint suspicion came to my mind
that this was all but part of hideous
dream. Why was it that l should be
haunted with the idea that they were
human beings who regarded me and my
friends in the light of meatP Meat We?
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 | 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
hearty thump on the back, and cried
out applaudingIy, "Bravo, old boy!
You do it capitally!"
Yet not being able to reach him, |
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
spear-t -thrower, short brow, square face,
hair short and thick-shall [ 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 hissed 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 Il ordered that all shields
should be vhenceforth religiously pre-
served, for the idea had entered my
head that they would answer capitally
as bulwarks for our canoes s.-StGnJey'S
"DGrE Continent" t."