Thanks to David's skill, and the preservation of the medicine-chest,
under God's providence, I gradually recovered my strength. Several days
passed, however, after the one I have mentioned when I returned to
consciousness, before I could converse, or David would allow me to
listen to a narrative of the events which had occurred since I was taken
ill. My friends were employed in building huts and a stockade on a high
hill which they had selected as a location to remain at till means of
proceeding to the south could be procured. It was some hundred miles to
the north of Walfish Bay, the nearest point where Europeans were
located.
The first day I could sit up (I remember it well), Kate was by my side.
A fresh breeze blew in at the open door of our hut, cooling my fevered
brow. How beautiful all nature looked. We could gaze over a wide
expanse of country, with blue hills on the left, and thick forests
gradually breaking into scattered clumps of trees, and an open prairie
reaching to the horizon towards the south. Below us I saw an extensive
lake with a river flowing into it.
"There," said Kate, "is the stream down which we came to this spot. How
thankful I was when we reached it, for David said he had no hope of your
recovery till we could find a resting-place, with pure air and a more
bracing climate than we were passing through. It was dreadful to have
you exposed so long to the damp night air, and the miasmas which arose
from the river; but we are in safety now, and I try to forget all the
dangers and anxiety we endured. It may be many weeks or months before
we can again set out; but by that time, David says he hopes you will be
thoroughly restored to health, and we shall be able to journey on with
light hearts, and, I hope, find friends to welcome us at the end."
"Oh, yes, dear Andrew," exclaimed Bella. "You have no idea how
frightened we often were; for we thought if the savages had stopped us
or taken us away from you, that you would certainly have died.
Sometimes we thought you were dead, you were so quiet and pale; but when
you are well again, we shall not mind anything."
"Hush, hush!" said Kate, "we must not talk to Andrew of what has passed.
All is well now. Stanley is delighted with the place. There is an
extraordinary abundance of game of all sorts, as he calls the wild
animals which rove over those plains. Sometimes we can see from here
herds of buffaloes, and cameleopards, zebras, and all sorts of deer and
quaggas; and there are savage animals too--lions, rhinoceroses, and
leopards, and elephants; indeed, he will not allow the boys to go far by
themselves lest they should be attacked."
"No, indeed," said Bella; "for though Stanley does not always tell us
his adventures, I suspect he has some narrow escapes. In the river and
lake, too, there is an immense number of hippopotami and crocodiles.
The boys went down to bathe soon after we arrived, and had a fright,
which will prevent them ever doing it again. They were both in the
water when a huge crocodile darted across towards them, and they had
just time to scramble out and run away, leaving their clothes behind
them, when Jack and Timbo, who were fortunately near, rushed down and
drove the creature off."
"It was indeed a mercy they were not seized," said Kate. "But we must
not talk more to you now, Andrew. Stanley says he could not have wished
to go to a finer spot, and it is only necessary to be cautious to avoid
danger from any of them."
"Ah, here come the boys, and they have got a beautiful little animal
between them. What can it be?" exclaimed Bella. "See, it has got small
horns, and looks a graceful creature."
"It must be an antelope of some sort," said Kate; "but they will tell
us."
The boys, who were coming up the hill, soon reached the hut. "We have
got a koodoo! It is for you, Bella," they exclaimed in the same breath.
"Chickango and Igubo caught it this morning, and have given it to us;
but we are to take great care of it. See, it is already almost tame,
but if we were to let it go it would soon be off." Kate made a sign to
them. They both stopped and looked eagerly at me.
"O Andrew, how glad I am to see you sit up," cried Natty, on discovering
that I knew them. "We were very unhappy about you; but now you will
soon be yourself again, and till you are well enough to go about, our
koodoo will give you plenty of employment, for Chickango says he
requires careful nursing, just like one baby. We are to feed him with
milk, and in a little time he will become as tame as Chico, though he
will not play so many funny tricks, perhaps."
The little koodoo, when brought up to Kate and Bella, allowed itself to
be stroked, and put out its tongue and licked their hands, though I saw
from its startled eye and the tremor in its slender legs that it was as
yet far from happy in its captivity. In a short time David came in, and
after he had congratulated me on my improved looks, examined the little
animal.
"Yes, indeed, it is a pretty creature," he observed; "but the full-grown
one is still more beautiful. I saw several two mornings ago, which had
taken shelter during the night in a thick wood which clothes the side of
the hill at a short distance from this, and as they did not perceive me,
I was able to observe them at leisure. The female is without horns, but
the male has magnificent spiral ones upwards of three feet in length,
which rise erect from his exquisitely-formed head, and give him an air
of nobility and independence. The animal is about four feet high at the
shoulder, and the general colour is a reddish grey, marked with white
bars over the neck and croop. When walking slowly its action is very
graceful. While watching the beautiful creatures I caught sight of a
leopard lurking in the neighbourhood. I fired just in time to save the
life of one towards which he was stealing. I missed the leopard, for I
was at a considerable distance; but the report frightened the koodoos,
and away they went, leaping over bushes, stones, and all impediments at
a rapid rate, while the savage beast stole off, vowing vengeance,
probably, against me for having disappointed him of his morning meal.
The koodoo lives chiefly on buds and leaves and the young shoots of
trees and bushes, and it is said that he is capable of going a long time
without water. He is of a very timid disposition, but I am told,
however, that when hotly pressed or wounded, he will sometimes face
about and attack his pursuer. But we must now see about getting food
for our young captive. We were, fortunately, on our way here, able to
purchase half-a-dozen goats from some natives who had brought them from
the south, and we must devote the milk of one of them to him."
"But how can you make him drink it?" asked Bella.
"Just as we give it to babies," said David, laughing. "I will make a
sucking-bottle for him. It can very easily be done. See! that small
gourd hanging up will answer the purpose. I will fasten a piece of
linen and a small quill in the mouth, and we will try the little
creature."
"I will go and milk the goat," cried Leo, rushing out. "You come and
help me, Natty, though."
Meantime David prepared the bottle, and in a few minutes Leo returned
with a calabash full of milk.
"It is lucky I went," said Natty, "for the goat had refused to be milked
at this hour, and had knocked Leo over."
"Yes, and she would have knocked you over, too, if I had not held her
legs," said Leo. "However, we managed it."
"Why, how did you do that?" asked David.
"Oh, we tied her hind-legs to a post on one side and her fore-legs to
another, and I held the head while Natty milked," said Leo. "Poor
goat!" observed Kate. "I suspect she will not allow you to play that
trick again."
The bottle was filled, and no sooner was it put to the little koodoo's
lips than the creature began pulling away in a very satisfactory manner,
every now and then giving a butt at it as it might have done when
obtaining milk from its mother. It satisfied us, however, that there
would be but little difficulty in bringing up the creature. Chico had
eagerly watched the operation from his corner in the hut, though he did
not approach the new comer. As soon as the deer had done with the
bottle, David hung it up, when the monkey, fancying himself unobserved,
instantly made for it, and, greatly to our amusement, applied it to his
own lips, and began sucking away till he had drained it dry. He then
quietly attempted to hang it up again, though in this he failed, and the
bottle fell to the ground.
"We cannot afford to give you milk. Master Chico," said David; "but I
will soon cure you of that trick." Saying this, he went to his
medicine-chest, which stood near, and having filled the bottle with
water, put in a little powder, which he shook up. He then returned the
bottle to its usual place.
"Now, take care, Master Chico, what you are about," he observed. "You
are not to touch that bottle, recollect."
Chico looked at the bottle with longing eyes for an instant, then turned
away, as if it was a matter of perfect indifference to him. In a short
time he came down, and began to examine the little stranger, who seemed,
however, in no way pleased with his presence.
"Oh, we will soon make you good friends," said Natty. "I hope we shall
have a happy family before long. Do you know, Andrew, we have already
got several creatures, and have managed to tame many of them, so that
they feed on the hill-side in view of the hut, and come back at night
regularly, for fear of wild beasts."
"Now, boys," said David, "we have talked with Andrew long enough, and I
think we must leave him to Kate's care again. Your chattering is too
exciting, and he has not got strong yet."
"Oh, but we will be very quiet, and merely listen to him, if he is
inclined to talk," said Leo.
"That is the very thing I do not wish him to do," observed David.
"I feel quite strong," I said. "Pray do not send the boys away unless
they wish to go."
However, the doctor was inexorable. While we were speaking, Chico had
stolen back to his corner. Presently I saw Leo eyeing him, and hiding
his face for fear of laughing.
Chico by degrees made his way up to the bottle, and slily unhooking it,
put the spout to his lips and began tugging away with might and main.
Presently casting it from him, with a loud chattering he rushed back to
his corner spluttering and spitting vehemently. Leo now gave way to his
laughter, in which all the party joined. Even Kate could not resist
laughing, nor could I, though my merriment was somewhat faint, I
suspect. Chico looked indignantly at us, as if he did not at all like
being made fun of.
"I told you," said David, holding up his finger, "if you would drink
from that bottle you would repent it."
He now took the bottle, and offered the contents to Leo and Natty, which
they naturally refusing, he emptied it, and washed it out thoroughly.
"It is quite clean now for Master Koodoo," he observed.
"Now, boys, take off your new pet, and try how quickly, by gentle
treatment, you can tame it."
"I must ask Chickango and Igubo to get me one," exclaimed Bella. "I
should like to have a beautiful creature like that for a pet, and I am
sure I could soon make it love me."
"That must depend on whether one happens to jump into a pit," said Leo.
"That was the way this one was caught. The mother managed to scramble
out, but was shot while attempting to help her young one."
"Yes, and it seemed very cruel to kill the creature at such a moment. I
should not like to have done it," observed Natty.
"That I am sure of," whispered Bella. "Natty would never wish to hurt
any creature."
The boys now led off the little koodoo. Stanley soon afterwards
arrived, followed by Jack, with some beautiful birds and several
rock-rabbits which they had shot. They congratulated me warmly on being
so much better. I caught sight also of Timbo, Igubo, and his two sons.
"What has become of Chickango?" I asked, afraid, from not seeing him,
that some accident had happened.
"The faithful fellow has gone to Walfish Bay with Senhor Silva," said
Stanley. "We attempted in vain to find a native who would carry our
message, and at last our Portuguese friend, though knowing the fearful
risks he will run, undertook the journey, when Chickango insisted on
accompanying him."
"Well, Mr Crawford, I am main glad you are getting well again,"
exclaimed Jack, when the rest of the party had retired. "I would have
given my right hand for your sake, and often when I thought you were
going to slip your cable, I was ready to burst out a-crying; but, as
Timbo says, God is very merciful, and now I hope you will come round
pretty quickly, since you have weathered the worst point, where, so to
speak, there were most rocks and shallows, and are now in smooth water."
I saw Timbo watching at a distance, and as soon as Jack had gone, he too
came up.
"Oh, Massa Crawford, it do my heart good to see your eye bright again,
and colour come back to de cheek. Me now no fear. You soon all right.
I pray God night and day dat you get well, dat I do, and I go on praying
still, for God hear de prayer of de black fellow, just as he hear de
white man. Oh, Massa Crawford, it a great t'ing to be able to pray. If
I no do dat I t'ink my heart sink down to the bottom of de river where
de crocodiles crawl about; but when I pray it rise up just like a bird
wid de big wings, and fly up, up, up into de blue sky."
I thanked Timbo warmly for his regard, but still more for the prayers he
had offered up; and I felt as sure as he did that they had not been
disregarded. My father's exhortation, I am glad to say, often came back
to my mind. It was very delightful lying there in the shade, with the
beautiful landscape and its countless numbers of inhabitants, and
listening to Kate reading the Bible, in which we often came to passages,
some peculiarly applicable to our position--so it appeared to me--others
describing the wonders of God's works which we saw displayed before us,
and his love and mercy to man.
In a few days I had so much recovered that my friends insisted on
carrying me down to take an excursion on the lake. The day was cool,
for a fresh breeze played over the water. Leo and Natty begged to have
the pleasure of paddling me.
"And we will go too, shall we not?" cried Bella to her sister. I was
glad to find that Kate consented.
"And I must go to look after you," said David, "and Timbo will stay at
home to take care of the house."
"Very well, if I go as captain," said Jack; "but I cannot let you go and
run your noses into the mouth of a hippopotamus or alligator, either of
which, I have a notion, you would be likely to do."
Stanley and the two black boys had gone off in the _Giraffe_, as he
wished to shoot. I wished to walk down, but found, on attempting it,
that I could not; indeed, I had become so thin that I was no great
weight for my friends to carry. As soon as we had taken our places in
the canoe, we shoved off. I was able to sit up and enjoy the scenery.
To the west rose the lofty hills on the side of which our village was
placed, for so I think I must call it, while on the left were woods with
fine trees, and here and there a break through which the broad prairie
could be seen extending as far as the eye could reach towards the south.
We got glimpses of numerous animals moving in and about the woods, and
some scampering over the plain. It was already late in the day when we
embarked. As the weather was fine and the lake perfectly calm, we
paddled down the centre to enjoy the greater purity of the air, away
from the banks. The trip was so enjoyable that we were tempted to go
further, perhaps, than was prudent. At length, unwillingly, David
begged Jack to turn the canoe's head homewards. As we were paddling
along, we caught sight of Stanley's canoe entering a creek out of the
lake.
"Oh, see, see!" cried Bella, "what thousands of animals! I never saw so
many collected together."
Such indeed was the case. On the point nearest the lake some twenty or
more huge buffaloes were standing drinking at the stream. Further on a
whole herd of quaggas had come down, while through the woods could be
seen the graceful horns of a troop of koodoos and other deer, though it
was difficult to distinguish them among the trees. But we were more
immediately interested with the numerous birds we were passing. It
would be difficult to describe them all; but David, who was a good
ornithologist, told us their names. Amongst them was one which seemed
to run about on the surface employed in catching insects. It had long
thin legs, and extremely long toes, which enabled it to stand on the
floating lotus leaves and other aquatic plants invisible to our eyes. A
lotus leaf, not six inches in diameter, was sufficient to support its
spread-out toes, just as snow-shoes enable a heavy man to get over the
soft snow. It was the _Parra Africana_. Then there were numbers of the
pretty little wader, which looked exactly as if it was standing on
stilts, from the length of its legs, while its bill appeared to be bent
upwards, instead of downwards, as Leo declared it ought to be. David
called it an _avocet_. "See," said David, "the use of its bill!" It
was wading in a shallow; and the form of its beak enabled it to dig up
insects out of the soft sand far more easily than if it had been
straight. We saw vast numbers of the large black goose walking about
slowly and feeding. It had a strong black spur on the shoulder, with
which it can defend its young. David told us that it forms its nests in
ant-hills, and, of course, eats up the inhabitants. Among the several
varieties of geese was the Egyptian or _Chenalopex Aegyptiaca_. It flew
along over the surface, but appeared unable to rise. It would have been
impossible to count the ducks which sat on the banks. Stanley fired
among them, and almost filled his canoe with a few shots, as he
afterwards told us. He had killed in one shot nearly twenty ducks and a
couple of geese. But they were only some of the smaller birds. Further
up were spoonbills with nearly white plumage; a tribe of stately
flamingoes, such as I have before described; numbers of the
_demoiselle_--an extremely graceful and elegant--looking bird--and a
light blue crane, and another crane with light blue and white neck. We
must have counted fifty or more specimens of the _Ibis religiosa_, and
vast flocks of the large white pelican, which came following each other
in a long-extended line, rising and falling as they flew. David cried
out that they looked as if they were all fastened together like a thick
rope made to move like a serpent. There were also innumerable plovers,
snipes, curlews, herons, and other smaller birds. A number of those
strange birds, the scissor-bills, were flying about near a sandbank on
one side. They had snow-white breasts, black coats, and red beaks. We
observed the hollows in which their nests were placed in the sandbanks,
for they made no attempt to conceal them. "What brave little chaps they
are!" exclaimed Leo. "See!" Some crows had approached as he spoke,
when the scissor-bills flew after them and drove them off. As we drew
near, however, the crows took to flight, when the little scissor-bills
hung down one of their wings, and limped off, pretending to be lame.
This trick did not, however, save the life of one of them, at which
David fired for the sake of examining it. On getting the bird into the
canoe, we found the lower mandible almost as thin as a carving-knife.
The bird places it on the surface of the water as it skims along, and
scoops up any minute insects which it meets with in its course. Its
wings being very long, and kept above the level of its body, it can
continue thus flying on for a considerable time, till it has supplied
itself with an ample meal.
"By feeding at night, it probably escapes being snapped up by some
hungry crocodile, which it would be if it fed thus close to the water in
the day-time," observed David. "The scissor-bill has great affection
for its young, as indeed have most water-birds."
On another bank we saw a number of pretty little bee-eaters congregated
together. The bank was perforated with hundreds of holes conducting to
their nests. As we passed by they flew out in clouds, darting about our
heads. Then there were speckled kingfishers, and also beautiful little
blue and orange kingfishers, which we saw dash down like shots into the
water searching for their prey. There were sand-martins something like
those seen in England; and from the trees also, as we passed under the
banks, rose flocks of green pigeons. I must, however, bring my account
of the feathered tribes we encountered in our trip to an end. Stanley's
gun soon created dismay and astonishment among them, and often the air,
as he fired, seemed literally filled with birds. The zebras and quaggas
started off and took shelter in the woods; but the buffaloes more firmly
stood their ground, eyeing us with astonishment, and evidently not
understanding the effect which a bullet would produce should it hit one
of them. Suddenly too, from out of the water rose several huge heads of
hippopotami, which made Bella cry out with dismay, for though we were by
this time well accustomed to them, she had never got over her alarm at
seeing the monsters.
"Oh, let us paddle away from those dreadful creatures!" she exclaimed.
"I am sure they are going to swim after us. See, see! Oh, how horrible
if they should seize Stanley's boat! They are between him and us. He
will never be able to come back."
"Do not be afraid, Miss Bella," said Jack. "The captain will give a
good account of them. A bullet would soon send any one of them to the
bottom."
Jack, however, shouted out to Stanley, and pointed to the hippopotami.
He had by this time got his canoe so full of birds that he could
scarcely carry more, and he now came paddling after us, utterly
regardless of the monsters. As he passed by, though they gazed at him
with their savage eyes, and mouths half open, they did not attempt to
approach; and the blacks continued to shout and shriek to keep them at a
respectful distance. Stanley, having put specimens of the birds he had
shot into our canoe till we could scarcely receive more, went back to
knock over, as he said, a further supply, while we paddled homewards.
David had now plenty of occupation in examining our prizes, while the
boys paddled slowly onwards, assisted by Jack, who not only paddled, but
steered also. We found Timbo waiting for us at the landing-place with
the litter to carry me. He had a gun over his shoulder, and appeared to
be keeping a bright look-out on every side, shouting every now and then
at the top of his voice.
"What is it, Timbo?" asked David.
"Me see big lion!" he answered. "He mean mischief. Just now roar and
roar again. He would like carry off Massa Andrew, but we no let him."
"Oh, never fear," cried Jack. "We will keep the biggest lion at bay if
he should come near us, and will give him a shot which will make him
wish he had kept away."
"The lion is not likely to come near us when he sees so many people,"
said David; "but we will be on our guard against his approach."
I was immediately lifted on to the palanquin, and Jack and Timbo carried
me up towards the house. All hands loaded themselves at the same time
with birds, and Kate and Bella fastened as many at their backs as they
could carry. Even then they were obliged to leave many behind for a
second trip. David and Leo walked by the side of Bella, while Natty led
the way. We had got halfway up the hill, when, from a thicket at some
distance, a loud roar proceeded, and we saw the head of an enormous lion
appearing from among the bushes.
"Roar away, old fellow," cried Jack. "It will be the worse for you if
you come here."
"Shall I fire? I might kill him," said David.
"No, massa, no," answered Timbo. "If you hit him he come on in great
rage. He now only angry because he dare not come near. Each time he
roar we roar back, and dat keep him away;" and Timbo setting the
example, the whole party set up a loud shout, with the exception of
Kate. Little Bella, however, made her shrill voice distinctly heard.
For my own part, I could not have attempted to shout. It showed me how
prostrate I had been, for even now I had difficulty in slightly raising
my voice.
Our shouting brought Chico to the door. As soon as he saw us he came
hopping down the hill; but the next time the lion roared he gave a
spring backwards, and turning round, rushed back into the hut.
"We must go down and warn the captain," said Jack; "for if he does not
know that the lion is in the neighbourhood, the beast may surprise him;
and, at all events, he will want assistance in bringing up the birds."
"We will go, then," said Leo and Natty; and they set off together.
David, in the meantime, secured our cattle-pen, which probably had
attracted the lion to the spot. At each side of the entrance a circular
hut had been built, answering the purpose of the gateway towers of a
castle. Igubo and his two boys occupied one of them, and Jack and Timbo
the other. They were built of reeds closely bound together, and the
doors were of the same material. These were strong enough to resist the
attack of any wild beast, and were always kept closely shut at night. I
felt somewhat tired after my day's excursion; but some supper my kind
cousins soon prepared restored my strength. They had got ready a more
substantial meal for Stanley and his attendants, who now arrived.
"What do you think, Mr David?" I heard Jack exclaim. "If a big
alligator has not got into the canoe and eaten up all the birds while we
were away! It is fortunate we brought up as many as we did. However,
the captain has got enough and to spare."
"We will be even wid him," said Timbo. "Igubo say he kill alligator.
If he find him he get dem all back to-night."
"Tell him he had better not make the attempt," said Jack, "or maybe the
lion will pick him up on his way to the river. We must give a good
account of the brute to-morrow, or he will be doing us mischief."
There was ample work that evening in plucking the birds and in salting
down the larger number. I should have mentioned that a salt spring had
been found on the side of the mountain; without it, indeed, I doubt if
we should have been able to remain at the place, for we had already
finished our supply of that necessary article.
There was no necessity to warn the rest to secure their doors at night.
One man, it was agreed, should keep watch, as it was very likely the
lion would attempt to get into the cattle-pen. As I lay asleep in my
hut the roar of the lion entered into my dreams. Sometimes I thought he
was flying at Kate, and I was in vain endeavouring to defend her. Once
he had carried off Natty; and I saw Leo, his namesake, seated on his
back and digging a spear into him. At last I started up, and was sure
the sounds I heard were real, and no mere fancies of the brain. The
whole of the inmates of our camp were on foot, and I heard them calling
to each other. Presently there was a shot, followed by another
tremendous roar.
"Can you see him?" I heard Stanley cry out.
"No, sir; he has made off," answered Jack.
"I thought I hit him," exclaimed Stanley.
"T'ink not," said Timbo. "He no like sound of gun."
After a time they all went back to the huts. I think I said I slept in
David's, for he acted as my nurse throughout my illness, and no one
could have been more gentle and kind. Next morning Stanley and the boys
hurried out to see if there were any marks of blood; but none were
discovered, and it was therefore plain that the lion could not have been
hit.
My companions had not been idle, I found, for they had cultivated a
considerable piece of ground, and enclosed it, on one side of the
cattle-pen. People in England have little notion how rapidly fruits
come to perfection in the Tropics, where the account of Jonah's gourd is
completely realised. Thus, in time, we had all sorts of vegetables,
which contributed greatly to keep my companions in health, and to
restore my strength. Stanley's gun also supplied us amply with animal
food of the greatest variety, so that we were never on short allowance.
Igubo and his sons were expert fishermen, and caught as many fish as we
required. There were often more than we could eat fresh; the remainder
were sun or smoke-dried, and, hung up, kept for a considerable time.
The fishermen had to be careful not to fall into the jaws of crocodiles,
who were constantly on the watch; and thus they often had to beat a
rapid retreat to escape from the monsters.
Up to the time I am speaking of we had received no visits from the
inhabitants, but Stanley, in his more extensive shooting excursions, had
fallen in with a few, though the nearest village was about four miles
off. It was situated in a valley to the north of us. The people
appeared peaceably disposed. They seldom or never ventured far from
their homes, having the means of supporting life and abundance of game
round them. They also cultivated the soil sufficiently to obtain enough
vegetables for their wants. Stanley had won their friendship by making
them presents of birds and some animals, and in return they begged him
to accept a supply of manioc, which Mango and Paulo brought to us. They
look upon it as their staff of life, and as it is produced with very
little labour, it well suits their habits. Stanley described the
plantation which surrounded the village. The plants, he told me, grow
to the height of six feet, and the leaves are often cooked as a
vegetable; indeed, every part is useful. The roots are about four
inches in diameter and eighteen long. To cultivate it the earth is
formed into beds about three feet broad and one in height, and into
these pieces of the stalk are placed about four feet apart. In about
eight months, or sometimes rather more, the roots are fit to eat. There
are two sorts, I ought to say. One is sweet and wholesome, and fit to
eat when dried, and can at once be beaten into flour for making bread or
cakes; the other is bitter, and contains poison, but is more quickly fit
for food than the sweet sort. To get rid of the poison it is placed for
four days in water, when it becomes partly decomposed. It is then taken
out, stripped of the skin, and exposed to the sun. When thus dried it
is easily pounded into a fine white meal. It is then prepared for food
as ordinary porridge is made, by having boiling water poured upon it by
one person, while another stirs it round till it is thoroughly mixed.
Our black companions were very fond of it; but while we could obtain
more substantial food, few of our party would condescend to eat it,
except now and then as a change. The poison is of so volatile a nature
that it is quickly got rid of by heat. Timbo made the meal into thin
cakes, which, when baked on an iron plate, were pronounced very good.
David told us that it was called cassava, as well as manioc, and that
its scientific name was _Jatropha manihot_. After a few trials he
contrived to manufacture a kind of starch, which I had often seen in
England under the name of tapioca. He was delighted when he succeeded
in producing it, and Kate at once made some very nice puddings from it,
by mixing it with honey to give it flavour.
We obtained also from the village some yam roots, which had greatly the
taste of potatoes, though of a closer texture. They also were placed in
the sun to dry before being cooked, and we found by putting them in dry
sand that they would keep well for a considerable time. The yam is the
root of a climbing plant which David called the _Dioscoreo-sativa_. It
had tender stems, eighteen to twenty feet in length, and sharp-pointed
leaves on long foot stalks. From the base of the roots are spikes of
small flowers. The roots are black and palmated, and about a foot in
breadth. Within they are white, but externally of a very dark brown
colour. Besides this another sort was brought to us a little time
afterwards, called the _Dioscoreo-alata_, very much larger than the
former. Some, indeed, were fully three feet long, and weighed nearly
thirty pounds.
"How it would delight an Irishman's heart to see a potato as big as this
root!" exclaimed Leo. "It would be a hard matter, however, to find a
pot big enough to boil it in, or to steam it afterwards, to make it
mealy."