hole journey to the ocean would be
easy and quick. This happened in front of the tent and in the presence
of the crowd, so old M'Rua, seeing a jumping Mzimu, began at once to
leap as high as he could with his crooked shanks in the conviction that
through that act he gave proof of his piety. In emulation of their
superior "the ministers" started to leap, and after them the warriors,
and later the women and children; in a word, the whole village for some
time was jumping as if all had lost their wits.

This example given by the divinity amused Stas so much that he lay down
and roared with laughter. Nevertheless, during the night-time he
rendered to the pious king and his subjects a real and enduring
service, for when the elephants made depredations upon their banana
field he drove towards them on the King and shot a few rockets among
the herd. The panic caused by the "fiery snakes" surpassed even his
expectation. The huge beasts, seized by a frenzy of terror, filled the
jungle with a roar and the noise of hoofs, and, escaping blindly,
tumbled down and trampled upon one another. The mighty King chased
after his flying companions with extraordinary alacrity, not sparing
blows of his trunk and tusks. After such a night one could be certain
that not an elephant would appear in the banana and doom-palm
plantations belonging to the village of old M'Rua.

In the village great joy also reigned, and the negroes passed the whole
night in dancing and drinking beer of millet and palm wine. Kali
learned from them, however, many important things; it appeared that
some of them had heard of some great water lying east and surrounded by
mountains. For Stas this was proof that the lake, of which no mention
was made in the geography which he had studied, actually existed; also,
that going in the direction which they had selected, they would finally
encounter the Wahima people. Inferring from the fact that Mea's and
Kali's speech differed very little from M'Rua's speech, he came to the
conclusion that the name of "Wahima" was in all probability the
designation of a locality, and that the peoples living on the shores of
"Bassa-Narok" belonged to the great Shilluk tribe, which begins on the
Nile and extends, it is not known how far, to the east.

XVIII

The population of the whole village escorted afar the "Good Mzimu" and
took leave of her with tears, begging vehemently that she would deign
to come sometime to M'Rua, and to remember h