y and fraternal welcome, at once and before every thing else
providing as far as we could for their physical comfort, while
Armstrong, our warm-hearted Scotch surgeon, immediately took them in
hand with a good-will that promised wonders in the way of speedy
restoration to health and strength.

During all this while the three canoes had remained alongside; and by
and by, when I had once more time to think of other matters than those
more immediately concerning my guests, Lobo came to me and informed me
that the chiefs who had brought off the released white men were waiting
for the payment of the promised ransom. I thought this tolerably cool,
after the treacherous manner in which they had attacked us during the
preceding night; but I was too greatly rejoiced at the success of my
mission to be very severe or retributive in my behaviour just then. I
therefore paid the full amount agreed upon, but directed Lobo to say
that although I paid it I did not consider that Matadi was entitled to
claim a single article in view of his unprovoked attack upon the
schooner, and the miserable condition in which he had delivered up his
captives. But I paid it in order that he might practically learn that
an Englishman never breaks a promise that he has once made. And having
duly impressed this upon them, I gave them further to understand that,
should it ever happen that other white men fell into their hands, they
would be expected to treat them with the utmost kindness and
consideration, upon pain of condign punishment should they fail to do
so, and that upon delivering any such whites, safe and sound, to the
first warship that might happen to enter the river, they would be
handsomely rewarded.

This matter settled, our business with Matadi was at an end, and
although there happened to be not a breath of wind stirring, I
determined to make a start down the river at once, and get to sea as
soon as possible, in order that the rescued men might not be deprived,
for one moment longer than was absolutely necessary, of the restorative
effects of the pure salt breeze. We accordingly manned the capstan
forthwith, hove short, and then proceeded down-stream by the process of
navigation known as "dredging"; that is to say, we kept the schooner in
the proper channel by means of the anchor and the rudder combined,
allowing the anchor to just touch and drag along the ground when it
became necessary to sheer the ship away from a danger, and at oth