ed our way through solemn shady aisles of
forest giants, whose upper parts gleamed far above the dense undergrowth
in white pillars against the grey-blue sky. Sometimes we strode down a
picturesque sunny glade, and at others struggled through deep dark
crypts of massive bamboo clumps. Here the noisome smell of decaying
vegetation nauseated us, for the air in those forest depths is deadly.
Beautiful scarlet wax-flowers would gleam high among the dark-green
foliage of the giant cotton-tree, whose stem would be covered with
orchids and ferns and dense wreaths of creeper, while many other
beautiful blossoms flourished and faded unseen. In that dark dismal place
there was an absence of animal life. Sometimes, however, by day we would
hear the tuneful wail of the finger-glass bird or an occasional robin
would chirrup, while at night great frogs croaked gloomily and the sloth
would shriek at our approach.

It was truly a toilsome, dispiriting march, as in single file we pushed
our way forward into the interior, and I confess I soon began to tire of
the monotony of the terrible gloom. But to all my questions Omar would
reply:

"Patience. In Africa we have violent contrasts always. To-day we are
toiling onward through a region of eternal night, but when we have
traversed the barrier that shuts out our country from the influence of
yours--then you shall see. What you shall witness will amaze you."

CHAPTER V.

THE GIANT'S FINGER.

FOR quite three weeks we pushed forward through the interminable forest
until one day we came to a small village beyond which lay a great broad
river glistening in the noon-day sun. It was the mighty Comoe. We had
entered the kingdom of Anno. In the village I saw traces of human
sacrifices, and Omar, in reply to a question, told me that although these
happy-looking natives were very skilful weavers and dyers who did a
brisk trade in _fu_, a bark cloth of excellent quality--which I found
afterwards they manufactured from the bark of a tree apparently of the
same species as the much-talked-of _rokko_ of Uganda--they nevertheless
at the death of a chief sacrificed some of his slaves to "water the
grave," while the memory of the departed was also honoured with gross
orgies which lasted till everything eatable or drinkable in the village
was consumed.

We only remained there a few hours, then embarked in three large canoes
that were moored to the bank awaiting us. The chief of the village came