The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in central Africa . fortably, the natives watching us all round. Sent men to seeif the way was clear. August 8lh.—They would come to no parley. They knew theiradvantage, and the wrongs they had suffered from Bin Juma andMohamads men when they threw down the ivory in the passing along the narrow path, with a wall of dense vegetationtouching each hand, we came to a point where an ambush hadbeen placed, and trees cut down to obstruct us while they spearedus; but for some reason it was abandoned. Nothing could bedetected; but by stooping down to th
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in central Africa . fortably, the natives watching us all round. Sent men to seeif the way was clear. August 8lh.—They would come to no parley. They knew theiradvantage, and the wrongs they had suffered from Bin Juma andMohamads men when they threw down the ivory in the passing along the narrow path, with a wall of dense vegetationtouching each hand, we came to a point where an ambush hadbeen placed, and trees cut down to obstruct us while they spearedus; but for some reason it was abandoned. Nothing could bedetected; but by stooping down to the earth and peering up to-ward the sun, a dark shade could sometimes be seen: this wasan infuriated savage, and a slight rustle in the dense vegetationmeant a spear. A large spear from my right lunged past, andalmost grazed my back, and stuck firmly into the soil. The twomen from whom it came appeared in an opening in the forestonly ten yards oif, and bolted, one looking back over his shoul-der as he ran. As they are expert with the spear, I do not know. NARROW ESCAPES. 393 how it missed, except that he was too sure of his aim, and thegood hand of God was upon me. I was behind the main body, and all were allowed to pass tillI, the leader, who was believed to be Mohamad Bogharib, orKolokolo himself, came up to the point where they lay. A redjacket they had formerly seen me wearing was proof to themthat I was the same that sent Bin Juma to kill five of their men,capture eleven women and children, and twenty-five goats. An-other spear was thrown at me by an unseen assailant, and it miss-ed me by about a foot in front. Guns were fired into the densemass of forest, but with no effect, for nothing could be seen; butwe heard the men jeering and denouncing us close by : two ofour party were slain. Coming to a part of the forest cleared for cultivation, I noticeda gigantic tree, made still taller by growing on an ant-hill twentyfeet high ; it had fire applied near its roots: I heard a
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