blight and a curse in its path.  The first question put to us at the lake crossing-places, was, “Have you come to buy slaves?” On hearing that we were English, and never purchased slaves, the questioners put on a supercilious air, and sometimes refused to sell us food.  This want of respect to us may have been owing to the impressions conveyed to them by the Arabs, whose dhows have sometimes been taken by English cruisers when engaged in lawful trade.  Much foreign cloth, beads, and brass-wire were worn by these ferrymen—­and some had muskets.

By Chitanda, near one of the slave crossing-places, we were robbed for the first time in Africa, and learned by experience that these people, like more civilized nations, have expert thieves among them.  It might be only a coincidence; but we never suffered from impudence, loss of property, or were endangered, unless among people familiar with slaving.  We had such a general sense of security, that never, save when we suspected treachery, did we set a watch at night.  Our native companions had, on this occasion, been carousing on beer, and had removed to a distance of some thirty yards, that we might not overhear their free and easy after-dinner remarks, and two of us had a slight touch of fever; between three and four o’clock in the morning some thieves came, while we slept ingloriously—­rifles and revolvers all ready,—­and relieved us of most of our goods.  The boat’s sail, under which we slept, was open all around, so the feat was easy.

Awaking as honest men do, at the usual hour, the loss of one was announced by “My bag is gone—­with all my clothes; and my boots too!” “And mine!” responded a second.  “And mine also!” chimed in the third, “with the bag of beads, and the rice!” “Is the cloth taken?” was the eager inquiry, as that would have been equivalent to all our money.  It had been used for a pillow that night, and thus saved.  The rogues left on the beach, close to our beds, the Aneroid Barometer and a pair of boots, thinking possibly that they might be of use to us, or, at least, that they could be of none to them.  They shoved back some dried plants and fishes into one bag, but carried off many other specimens we had collected; some of our notes also, and nearly all our clothing.

We could not suspect the people of the village near which we lay.  We had probably been followed for days by the thieves watching for an opportunity.  And our suspicions fell on some persons who had come from the East Coast; but having no evidence, and expecting to hear if our goods were exposed for sale in the vicinity, we made no fuss about it, and began to make new clothing.  That our rifles and revolvers were left untouched was greatly to our advantage:  yet we felt it was most humiliating for armed men to have been so thoroughly fleeced by a few black rascals.