A visit to Stanley's rear-guard at Major Barttelot's camp on the Aruhwimi with an account of the river-life on the Congo . n in the fray, thinking that ao-ood blow across the wrist would make both com-batants drop their weapons. However, before Icould get near enough to interfere, up rushed anative girl, who, seizing one of these doughtychampions in her arms, slung him across hershoulder, as if he had been a baby, and ran awaywith him. Though so ignominiously borne off,with his head and arms suspended in air, he stillbrandished his knife, and yelled Ba-Ngala curses athis adversary, who was so
A visit to Stanley's rear-guard at Major Barttelot's camp on the Aruhwimi with an account of the river-life on the Congo . n in the fray, thinking that ao-ood blow across the wrist would make both com-batants drop their weapons. However, before Icould get near enough to interfere, up rushed anative girl, who, seizing one of these doughtychampions in her arms, slung him across hershoulder, as if he had been a baby, and ran awaywith him. Though so ignominiously borne off,with his head and arms suspended in air, he stillbrandished his knife, and yelled Ba-Ngala curses athis adversary, who was so overcome by astonish-ment that he staggered backwards, and sat downin a massanga-i^ot, thus wasting the staple of theevenings entertainment, and being forced to runfor his life to escape the wrath of the disappointeddrinkers. It was a plucky feat for a Ba-Ngalawoman,—they usually run away as soon as theknives make their appearance. Had that duskyava^ avSpcov, old King Mata Bwyki, Lord of ManyGuns, been alive, he would have laid aboutamong these brawlers with his royal barge-pole,and quickly secured peace and 1. Execution Knife used by tiie Ba-Ngala. 2. Knife of the Langa-Langa. 3. n II Ubika. 4- u II Spear-head of the Lomami. 6, 7. Dagger and Sheath used bythe Natives of the Iron used as money at Stan-ley Falls. STEAMERS ON THE RIVER. 167 To return to tlie stcarting-point of this digres-sion. We had hardly been encamped an hour, andI was just going to sleep, when a large canoe camealongside. It had on board Lusengi, chief of Mobekawho was out among the islands of the Congo in searchof a large tree, of which to make a war-canoe. Hetold us that an expedition of eight steamers had,four days before, passed up to the Falls by way ofthe south bank. I have already mentioned thatthis part of the river is choked with islands ; andjust at the spot where we were anchored, there isone over fifty miles long, in the middle of thestream, so that boats may
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