were being made for celebrating the coronation of
King Edward VII and I, as one of His Majesty's colonial officers, of
course felt interested in the proceedings and it seemed to me a right
thing that a representation of my friends the savages, who were under my
administration, should accompany me to town for the occasion. I had
therefore been round to as many as I could to tell them to be ready to
follow me whenever I gave them notice.

Towards evening I was going quietly along, rather tired with my long
march, and listening to the pretty good-night songs of the birds, when I
was suddenly hit in the abdomen by a poisoned arrow, shot by an unknown
hand. Aware of the terrible power of the forest venoms I gave myself up
for lost and so without doubt I should have been if fortune had not sent
me assistance. I was energetically squeezing the wound when one of my
faithful Sakais came up. Upon hearing what had happened, he exclaimed:

"This is the work of a _Mai-Gop_, because one of our darts would have
passed right through you, and besides none of us would harm you because
you are good to us".

The kind fellow sucked out my wound and knew by its reddish-black colour
that the poison used was a mixture of _legop_ and _ipok_ juices, most
deadly in its effect.

Hurrying me towards the village, in a few instants he had prepared an
antidote by mixing a pinch of lime and powdered charcoal together and
then wetting it with the urine of his little boy.

He washed the wound carefully with this strange lotion, making it
penetrate well in, and recommended me not to touch it.

I let him do as he would, as there was no better remedy to my knowledge,
although I had little or no faith in the mixture.

I suffered a great deal for some days, but at last the wound (which had
all the requisites for a fatal one) healed. Was this fact due to the
merits of lime, charcoal, or urine?

Let the disciples of Esculapius decide!

It got to be known not long after that I had been made the victim of one
of those ill-disposed individuals who come into the world with
criminality written on their brow.

But for one who has the compensation of devotion and affection from the
humble and good, is not the hatred of malefactors a thing to be proud
of?

* * * * *

So in the year 1901, I was invited by the British Resident (in my
quality of Superintendent of the Sakais) to take part in the festivities
in honour of King Ed