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occupied the three sides of one not very large tent. Hannington, who found adventures in all places, beguiled the time in the intervals of fever with yachting recollections or reminiscences of cliff-climbing in Devonshire. We soon had a visit from the chief, a man of gigantic stature, partly sprung from the Bahuma race; but his good traits were sadly spoilt by cowardice, suspicion, and conceit; and no ancient Highland crone could be more superstitious than this representative of African royalty.

We had not been long, however, with Roma before we discovered that he had simply brought us into a trap. He made some paltry excuse for refusing us canoes, and extorted a large present; and to comply with his demands we had to encroach grievously upon our rapidly diminishing store of cloth. After much diplomatic intercourse the chief allowed Hannington to leave for Kageye, on the other side of Smith's Sound. We decided before he left that if he were successful in procuring canoes, he should send them for us, and that to induce Roma to let us go quickly, we would give him some of the small breech-loading guns which our porters were carrying. There are possibly some who may blame missionaries for giving a heathen chief firearms under any circumstances; but they belong to that select class who are given to fault-finding. But in our favour it should be remembered that we were short of cloth with which to buy even necessary food, and that as we had but little ammunition to give

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