f the country around. Senhor Silva had no objection to
fixing our abode there, though he would have preferred moving on, in the
hope before long of reaching Portuguese territory. Chickango, however,
assured us that the country to the south was more difficult to pass over
than that we had traversed, and that without men to carry our provisions
and goods we could not perform the journey. The matter was settled by
our bearers refusing to proceed further. Senhor Silva asked Chickango
whether he intended to return with his people or to remain with us. He
hesitated; then he seized Senhor Silva's hands, and gave rapid utterance
to an harangue.

"He say we good people, he stop. He my broder now. Hurrah!" exclaimed
Timbo.

Although Chickango had resolved to remain with us, he could only induce
his countrymen to delay their departure for a few days, in order to
assist us in putting up our huts. They at once set to work to construct
our usual shelter for the night, which would serve until we could erect
a more permanent abode. We fixed upon a spot considerably raised above
the head waters of the stream, which would defend us on one side from
wild beasts, while the ground sloping downwards on the other would
enable us to fortify it against either human beings, or lions or
leopards. Those creatures will, without difficulty, leap over the
highest fences; and if erected on level ground, no ordinary means are
capable of keeping them out. I should observe that there are no tigers
in Africa; their absence, however, as Leo remarked, being more agreeable
than their company. Stanley and Senhor Silva had been very successful
in their hunt, and had brought back a good supply of birds and young
deer, besides three or four smaller animals.

By Chickango's advice, we built our huts in the fashion of his people--
that is to say, facing each other, so as to form a street, with their
backs to the outside of our little fortress. As the river side was
altogether enclosed, one strong door at the other end was sufficient for
all the houses. For the sake of air, however, we built our huts
separate from each other, and we thus had windows on all sides. The
poles were of bamboo, and the walls strong pieces of bark, secured by
ropes composed of creepers. The framework roofing was also formed of
bamboos, with thick palm-leaves at the top, kept down by ropes. At the
inner end was a shed for cooking; and our street was sufficiently wide
to