an picture to yourselves their
amazement at being asked such a question, and finding themselves
actually confronted with such mysterious and terrible beings as spirits.
They sprang to their feet, as one man, recognising the futility of any
further attempt at concealment; and a chief named Lualamba came forward
and modestly acknowledged himself to be the leader of the band.
Forthwith he was invited to come up on deck and talk to us, a rope
ladder being lowered to the ground for his accommodation. He came, in
manifest fear and trembling, which feeling we quickly converted into one
of delight by investing him with a necklace of glass beads, and a mantle
consisting of a piece of flowered chintz.

"We then proceeded to question the fellow; and presently learned from
him that he was the emissary of a certain M'Bongwele--in whose territory
we now were--a king of fierce, cruel, and jealous disposition, as we
gathered, and so suspicious of strangers that he had issued a standing
order against the admission into his country of any such, under certain
gruesome pains and penalties. And it was by his orders that Lualamba
and his warriors had come out on the previous night for the purpose of
slaying the mysterious monster that had been seen flying so fearlessly
and impudently over his sacred territory.

"There is no doubt that Lualamba was, for a savage, an exceedingly
shrewd fellow; and it was not very long ere we detected in him an
evident desire to lure the four Spirits of the Winds into the presence--
and perchance the power--of his master, M'Bongwele, who, he informed us,
would be highly gratified by a visit from such celestial beings,
whatever might be his sentiments with regard to mere men. We were not
so easily to be had, however. In accents of grave reproof the professor
pointed out to Lualamba that it was inconsistent with our dignity to pay
a visit even to so great a potentate as M'Bongwele; that, on the
contrary, it was M'Bongwele's duty to show his appreciation of our
condescension in entering his country by paying _us_ a visit within the
next few hours, for the purpose of rendering homage to us. And,
finally, that Lualamba might be properly impressed with our powers, we
took him for a short excursion into the air, and then sent him back, a
humbled, frightened, and profoundly impressed savage, to make his report
to his master and urge upon him the very great desirability of paying a
duty-call upon us forthwith.