* * * * * * * * * *

Singing was not the only means I possessed of diverting the royal Mehevi
and his easy-going subjects. Nothing afforded them more pleasure than to
see me go through the attitudes of a pugilistic encounter. As not one of
the natives had soul enough in him to stand up like a man, and allow me to
hammer away at him, for my own personal gratification and that of the
king, I was necessitated to fight with an imaginary enemy, whom I
invariably made to knock under to my superior prowess. Sometimes, when
this sorely battered shadow retreated precipitately towards a group of the
savages, and, following him up, I rushed among them, dealing my blows
right and left, they would disperse in all directions, much to the
enjoyment of Mehevi, the chiefs, and themselves.

The noble art of self-defence appeared to be regarded by them as the
peculiar gift of the white man; and I make little doubt but that they
supposed armies of Europeans were drawn up provided with nothing else but
bony fists and stout hearts, with which they set to in column, and
pummelled one another at the word of command.

* * * * * * * * * *

One day, in company with Kory-Kory, I had repaired to the stream for the
purpose of bathing, when I observed a woman sitting upon a rock in the
midst of the current, and watching with the liveliest interest the gambols
of something, which at first I took to be an uncommonly large species of
frog that was sporting in the water near her. Attracted by the novelty of
the sight, I waded towards the spot where she sat, and could hardly credit
the evidence of my senses when I beheld a little infant, the period of
whose birth could not have extended back many days, paddling about as if
it had just risen to the surface, after being hatched into existence at
the bottom. Occasionally the delighted parent reached out her hand towards
it, when the little thing, uttering a faint cry, and striking out its tiny
limbs, would sidle for the rock, and the next moment be clasped to its
mother's bosom. This was repeated again and again, the baby remaining in
the stream about a minute at a time. Once or twice it made wry faces at
swallowing a mouthful of water, and choked and spluttered as if on the
point of strangling. At such times, however, the mother snatched it up,
and by a process scarcely to be mentioned obliged it to eject the fluid.
For several weeks afterward I observed the woman bringing her