from him,
learning, among other things, that I was not the first white man who had
been permitted to enter the Bandokolo country, one other having arrived
when Pousa was quite a young man, and died somewhat mysteriously soon
afterward. I was also given to understand that the Bandokolo generally
strongly objected to strangers visiting them, and were indeed in the
habit of resorting to the most drastic measures for preventing such
visits, or, at all events, for preventing the departure of unwelcome
visitors from their country alive. As for Bimbane, what little I could
induce him to say about her only went to confirm the astounding account
of her that Siluce had given; and I confess that once or twice during
the progress of that conversation I very seriously asked myself whether,
after all, it would not be wiser on my part to turn back there and then,
instead of pushing on any farther into so extraordinary a country, and
placing myself in the power of so extraordinary a woman. But I do not
like to be beaten, and could not bring myself to abandon my purpose
ignominiously after having come so far; therefore about two o'clock in
the afternoon I gave the order to inspan, and we resumed our journey.

Still closely following the course of the river across the open plain,
Pousa and I rode side by side at the head of the cavalcade, with the
wagon bringing up the rear; and I soon found that, apart from anything
relating to Queen Bimbane, my companion was quite willing to be
communicative, telling me many things of an exceedingly interesting
nature with regard to his extraordinary country. I was naturally
anxious to know whether gold and "shining stones" were as plentiful as I
had been led to believe, and I was gratified to learn that they were,
gold indeed being so abundant that it was used for every purpose where
metal was needed, the Bandokolo having learned to harden and temper it
in such a manner that it afforded a very fair substitute for steel, in
proof of which he showed me his sword. I took the weapon in my hands,
examined it, and found that it was made entirely of hardened gold, and
that it had been treated in such a manner as not only to possess a
certain elasticity but also to be capable of receiving a fairly sharp
edge. The scales of their armour, I was told, were also treated in the
same way, and were so hard that it was impossible to pierce them either
with sword or spear. Then I exhibited my hunting knife, whi