nce--that is, so far as
we know at present."

"How true," remarked Stephen; "how strangely and profoundly true!"

Oh! I could have boxed his ears.

We went into the courtyard again, whither Komba was summoned with his
attendants. This time they came bearing gifts, or having them borne
for them. These consisted, I remember, of two fine tusks of ivory which
suggested to me that their country could not be entirely surrounded by
water, since elephants would scarcely live upon an island; gold dust
in a gourd and copper bracelets, which showed that it was mineralized;
white native linen, very well woven, and some really beautiful decorated
pots, indicating that the people had artistic tastes. Where did they
get them from, I wonder, and what was the origin of their race? I cannot
answer the question, for I never found out with any certainty. Nor do I
think they knew themselves.

The _indaba_ was resumed. Bausi announced that we three white men with
a servant apiece (I stipulated for this) would visit Pongo-land as his
envoys, taking no firearms with us, there to discuss terms of peace
between the two peoples, and especially the questions of trade and
intermarriage. Komba was very insistent that this should be included;
at the time I wondered why. He, Komba, on behalf of the Motombo and the
Kalubi, the spiritual and temporal rulers of his land, guaranteed
us safe conduct on the understanding that we attempted no insult or
violence to the gods, a stipulation from which there was no escape,
though I liked it little. He swore also that we should be delivered safe
and sound in the Mazitu country within six days of our having left its
shores.

Bausi said that it was good, adding that he would send five hundred
armed men to escort us to the place where we were to embark, and to
receive us on our return; also that if any hurt came to us he would wage
war upon the Pongo people for ever until he found means to destroy them.

So we parted, it being agreed that we were to start upon our journey on
the following morning.

CHAPTER XIII

RICA TOWN

As a matter of fact we did not leave Beza Town till twenty-four hours
later than had been arranged, since it took some time for old Babemba,
who was to be in charge of it, to collect and provision our escort of
five hundred men.

Here, I may mention, that when we got back to our huts we found the two
Mazitu bearers, Tom and Jerry, eating a hearty me