After a brief pause Fred continued to read from the book which lay before him:
"When, on the 5th of November, 1876, we had left Nyangwé behind us, and had attended an elevated grassy10 ridge11, we saw before us a black, curving wall of forest, which, beginning from the river bank, extended southeast, until hills and distance made it indistinct.
NEAR NYANGWé.
"I turned round to look at Nyangwé, which we were leaving. How lovable[Pg 222] and cheerful it appeared as it crowned the shoulder of one of those lengthy12 grassy undulations overlooking the gray-brown Livingstone! How bright and warm appeared the plain border of the river as the sun shone over its wind-fanned waves of grass! Even the hill-cones of Uzura and western Manyema ranked in line between the forest and the grassy plain, which were now purpling and becoming like cloud-forms, seemed to me to have a more friendly and brighter appearance than the cold blackness of the dense forest which rose before us to the north!
"What a forbidding aspect had the Dark Unknown which confronted us! I could not comprehend in the least what lay before us. Even the few names which I had heard from the Arabs conveyed no definite impression to my understanding. What were Tata, Meginna, Uregga, Usongora Meno, and such uncouth13 names to me? They conveyed no idea, and signified no object; they were barren names of either countries, villages, or peoples, involved in darkness, savagery14, ignorance, and fable15.
"Yet it is our destiny to move on, whatever direction it may be that that narrow winding16 path, running among tall grasses and down into gullies and across small streams, takes us, until we penetrate17 that cold, dark, still horizon before us, and emerge whithersoever the narrow path will permit us—a distance of two hundred and forty hours' travel.
"The object of the desperate journey is to flash a torch of light across the western half of the Dark Continent. For from Nyangwé east, along the fourth parallel of south latitude18, are some eight hundred and thirty geographical19 miles, discovered, explored, and surveyed; but westward21 to the Atlantic Ocean, along the same latitude, are nine hundred and fifty-six miles—over nine hundred geographical miles of which are absolutely unknown. Instead, however, of striking direct west, we are about to travel north on the eastern side of the river, to prevent it bending easterly to Muta Nzege, or Nilewards, unknown to us, and to ascertain22, if the river really runs westward, what affluents23 flow to it from the east; and to deduce from their size and volume some idea of the extent of country which they drain, and the locality of their sources.
OPEN COUNTRY BEFORE REACHING THE FOREST.
"A thousand things may transpire25 to prevent the accomplishment26 of our purpose: hunger, disease, and savage hostility27 may crush us; perhaps, after all, the difficulties may daunt28 us, but our hopes run high, and our purpose is lofty; then, in the name of God let us set on, and as he pleases, so let him rule our destinies!
"After journeying a distance of nine miles and a half northeast, over a rolling plain covered with grass, we arrived at the villages of Nakasimbi; Tippu-Tib, with seven hundred people—men, women and children—occupying two villages, while our expedition occupied another, overlooking a depression drained by a sluggish29 affluent24 of the Kunda River.
"Tippu-Tib is accompanied by about a dozen Arabs, young or middle-aged30, who have followed him in the hope of being rewarded by him or myself at the end of a prosperous journey.
"One of them is called Sheik Abdallah, alias31 Muini Kibwana—a name adopted solely32 for Manyema. He is very ignorant, can neither read nor write, but has a vast regard for those who have mastered the secrets of literature, like Tippu-Tib. He is armed with a flint-lock Brummagem musket33, for which he has[Pg 223]
[Pg 224] considerable affection, because—according to him—it has saved his life many a time. 'It never lies.'
TIPPU-TIB'S BODY SERVANTS.
"The next is Muini Ibrahim, a Mrima (coast) man, of Arab descent, though ruder and unpolished. Americans would have very little to do with him, because the negroid evidences are so great that he would be classed as a full-blooded negro. Yet he speaks Arabic well, and is a fervid35 Muslim, but withal as superstitious36 as any primitive37 African. He affects to be religious, and consequently is not blood-thirsty, having some regard for the lives of human beings, and for this receiving due praise from me. He is also armed with a flint-lock musket. Sheik Abdallah and he are bosom38 friends, and each possesses from thirty to forty slaves, likewise armed with flint-locks.
"Tippu-Tib's Arab dependants, who dip their hands in the same porridge and meat-dish with the independent Sheik Abdallah and Muini Ibrahim, consist of Muini Jumah (Master Friday), a nervous, tall young man; Chéché (Weasel), a short, light-complexioned young man of twenty-five years of age; Bwana Abed bin39 Jumah, the author of the dwarf40 story, who has consented to act as our guide;[Pg 225] Muini Hamadi, a half-caste man of sturdy form and resolute41 appearance; and six or seven others of no special individuality or importance, except as so many dependants of Tippu-Tib.
"The seven hundred people who follow our expedition at present consist of two parties: one party composed of three hundred men, women, and children, and commanded by Bwana Shokka (master of the axe), the confidential42 man of Tippu-Tib's staff, of great strength, tall and gaunt of person, and a renowned43 traveller; a man of great tact44, and worth a fortune to his master, as he is exceedingly cool, speaks slowly, and by some rare gift conciliates the savages45 (when not actually attacked on the road) and makes them friends. In a few days he is to part from us, striking northeasterly for some dozen marches, the utmost reach of Arab intercourse46.
JUMAH.
"The four hundred who are to accompany us for a distance of sixty camps consist of about two hundred and fifty men—Arabs, half-castes, Wangwana, one hundred Wanyamwezi, Ruga-Ruga—mostly armed with spears and bows and arrows; others possess flint-locks. One hundred men consist of Barua, Manyema, Bakusu, Ba-Samha, and Utotera slaves; most of these slaves are armed with flint-locks, the others with formidable spears and shields. There are also about fifty youths, ranging from ten to eighteen years of age, being trained by Tippu-Tib as gun-bearers, house-servants, scouts47, cooks, carpenters, house-builders, blacksmiths, and leaders of trading parties. Meanwhile such young fellows are useful to him; they are more trustworthy than adults, because they look up to him as their father; and know that if they left him they would inevitably48 be captured by a less humane49 man. The remainder of this motley force consists of women, the wives of Tippu-Tib and his followers50.
"Two hundred and ten out of the four hundred I have pledged to support until they shall return to Nyangwé, at the same rate of ration8 currency that may be distributed to the members of our expedition.
"On the 6th of November we drew nearer to the dreaded52 black and chill forest called Mitamba, and at last, bidding farewell to sunshine and brightness, entered it.
"We had made one mistake—we had not been up early enough. Tippu-Tib's heterogeneous53 column of all ages was ahead of us, and its want of order and compactness became a source of trouble to us in the rear.
"We, accustomed to rapid marching, had to stand in our places minutes at a time waiting patiently for an advance of a few yards, after which would come another halt, and another short advance, to be again halted. And all this time the[Pg 226] trees kept shedding their dew upon us, like rain, in great round drops. Every leaf seemed weeping. Down the boles and branches, creepers and vegetable cords, the moisture trickled54 and fell on us. Overhead the wide-spreading branches, in many interlaced strata55, each branch heavy with broad, thick leaves, absolutely shut out the daylight. We knew not whether it was a sunshiny day or a dull, foggy, gloomy day; for we marched in a feeble, solemn twilight56, such as you may experience in temperate57 climes an hour after sunset. The path soon became a stiff, clayey paste, and at every step we splashed water over the legs of those in front and on either side of us.
"To our right and left, to the height of about twenty feet, towered the undergrowth, the lower world of vegetation. The soil on which this thrives is a dark-brown vegetable humus, the débris of ages of rotting leaves and fallen branches, a very forcing-bed of vegetable life, which, constantly fed with moisture, illustrates58 in an astonishing degree the prolific59 power of the warm, moist shades of the tropics.
"The stiff clay lying under this mould, being impervious60, retains the moisture which constantly supplies the millions of tiny roots of herb, plant, and bush. The innumerable varieties of plants which spring up with such marvellous rapidity, if exposed to the gale61, would soon be laid prostrate62. But what rude blast can visit these imprisoned63 shades? The tempest might roar without the leafy world, but in its deep bosom there is absolute stillness. One has but to tug64 at a sapling to know that the loose mould has no retentive65 power, and that the sapling's roots have not penetrated66 the clays. Even the giants of the forest have not penetrated very deeply, as one may see by the half-exposed roots; they appear to retain their upright positions more by breadth of base than by their grasp of earth.
"Every few minutes we found ourselves descending67 into ditches, with streams trending towards the Kunda River, discharged out of leafy depths of date-palms, Amoma, Carpodin?, and Phrynia. Climbing out from these streams, up their steep banks, our faces were brushed by the broad leaves of the Amomum, or the wild banana, ficus of various kinds, and climbing, crawling, obstructing68 lengths of wild vines.
THE EDGE OF THE FOREST.
"Naturally our temper was not improved by this new travelling. The dew dropped and pattered on us incessantly69 until about 10 a.m. Our clothes were heavily saturated70 with it. My white sun-helmet and puggaree appeared to be weighted with lead. Being too heavy, and having no use for it in the cool, dank shades, I handed it to my gun-bearer, for my clothes, gaiters, and boots, which creaked loudly with the water that had penetrated them, were sufficient weight for me to move with. Added to this vexation was the perspiration71 which exuded72 from every pore, for the atmosphere was stifling73. The steam from the hot earth could be seen ascending74 upward and settling like a gray cloud above our heads. In the early morning it had been so dense that we could scarcely distinguish the various trees by their leafage.
"At 3 p.m. we had reached Mpotira, in the district of Uzimba, Manyema, twenty-one miles and a half from the Arab depot75 on the Lualaba.
"The poor boatmen did not arrive until evening, for the boat sections—dreadful burdens—had to be driven like blunted ploughs through the depths of foliage76.[Pg 227]
WATER-BOTTLES.
"The nature of the next two days' experiences through the forest may be gathered by reading the following portions of entries in my journal:
"'November 8.—N. one half W., nine miles to district of Karindi, or Kionga, Uregga.
"'We have had a fearful time of it to-day in these woods, and Bwana Shokka, who has visited this region before, declares with superior pride that what we have experienced as yet is only a poor beginning to the weeks upon weeks which we shall have to endure. Such crawling, scrambling78, tearing through the damp, dank jungles, and such height and depth of woods!... Once we obtained a sidelong view, from a tree on the crown of a hill, over the wild woods on our left, which swept in irregular waves of branch and leaf down to the valley of the Lualaba. Across the Lualaba, on the western bank, we looked with wistful eyes on what appeared to be green, grassy plains. Ah! what a contrast to that which we had to endure! It was a wild and weird79 scene, this outlook we obtained of the top of the leafy world!... It was so dark sometimes in the woods that I could not see the words, recording80 notes of the track, which I pencilled in my note-book. At 3.30 p.m. we arrived in camp, quite worn out with the struggle through the intermeshed bush, and almost suffocated81 with the heavy atmosphere. Oh, for a breath of mountain air!
"'November 9, 1876.—N. one half W., ten and a half miles' march to Kiussi, Uregga.
STOOL OF UREGGA.
"'Another difficult day's work in the forest and jungle. Our expedition is no longer the compact column which was my pride. It is utterly82 demoralized. Every man scrambles83 as he best may through the woods; the path, being over a clayey soil, is so slippery that every muscle is employed to assist our progress. The toes grasp the path, the head bears the load, the hand clears the obstructing bush, the elbow puts aside the sapling. Yesterday the boatmen complained so much that I organized all the chiefs into a pioneer party, with axes, to clear the path. Of course we could not make a wide road. There were many prostrate[Pg 229] giants fallen across the path, each with a mountain of twigs85 and branches, compelling us to cut roads through the bush a long distance to get round them. My boat-bearers are utterly wearied out.'
UREGGA HOUSE.
SPOONS OF UREGGA.
"On the 10th we halted for a well-deserved rest. We were now in Uregga—the forest country. Fenced round by their seldom-penetrated woods, the Waregga have hitherto led lives as secluded86 as the troops of chimpanzees in their forest. Their villages consist of long rows of houses, all connected together in one block from fifty yards to three hundred yards in length. The doorways87 are square apertures89 in the walls, only two feet square, and cut at about eighteen inches above the ground. Within the long block is divided into several apartments for the respective families. Like the Manyema houses, the roofs glisten90 as though smeared91 with coal-tar. There are shelves for fuel, and netting for swinging their crockery; into the roof are thrust the various small knick-knacks which such families need—the pipe and bunch of tobacco-leaves, the stick of dried snails92, various mysterious compounds wrapped in leaves of plants, pounded herbs, and what not. Besides these we noted93, as household treasures, the skins of goats, mongoose or civet, weasel, wild cat, monkey, and leopard94, shells of land-snails, very large and prettily95 marked, and necklaces of the Achatina monetaria. There is also quite a store of powdered camwood, besides curiously96 carved bits of wood, supposed to be talismans97 against harm, and handsome spoons, while over the door are also horns of goats and small forest deer, and, occupying conspicuous98 places, the gaudy99 war head-dress of feathers of the gray-bodied and crimson-tailed parrots, the drum, and some heavy, broad-bladed spears with ironwood staffs.
UREGGA SPEAR.
CANE SETTEE.
"In the 'arts and sciences' of savage life, these exceedingly primitive Africans, buried though they have been from all intercourse with others, are superior in some points to many tribes more favorably situated100. For instance, until the day I arrived at Kiussi village, I had not observed a settee. Yet in the depths of this forest of Uregga every family possessed101 a neatly102 made water-cane settee, which would seat comfortably three persons.
[Pg 230]
BENCH.
"Another very useful article of furniture was the bench four or five feet long, cut out of a single log of the white soft wood of one of the Rubiace?, and significant as showing a more sociable103 spirit than that which seems to govern Eastern Africans, among whom the rule is, 'Every man to his own stool.'
BACK-REST.
"Another noteworthy piece of furniture is the fork of a tree, cut off where the branches begin to ramify. This, when trimmed and peeled, is placed in an inverted104 position. The branches, sometimes three, or even four, serve as legs of a singular back-rest.
AN AFRICAN FEZ OF LEOPARD-SKIN.
"All the adult males wear skull6-caps of goat or monkey-skin, except the chief and elders, whose heads were covered with the aristocratic leopard-skin, with the tail of the leopard hanging down the back like a tassel105.
"The women were weighted with massive and bright iron rings. One of them, who was probably a lady of importance, carried at least twelve pounds of iron and five pounds of copper106 rings on her arms and legs, besides a dozen necklaces of the indigenous107 Achatina monetaria.
"From Kiussi, through the same dense jungle and forest, with its oppressive atmosphere and its soul-wearying impediments, we made a journey of fourteen miles to Mirimo. It is a populous108 settlement, and its people are good-natured.
"For several days we struggled on through the terrible forest. The Wangwana began to murmur109 loudly, while the boatmen, though assisted by a dozen supernumeraries and preceded by a gang of pioneers, were becoming perfectly110 savage; but the poor fellows had certainly cause for discontent. I pitied them from my soul, yet I dared not show too great a solicitude111, lest they should have presumed upon it, and requested me either to return to Nyangwé or to burn my boat.
"Even Tippu-Tib, whom I anxiously watched, as on him I staked all my hopes and prospects112, murmured. The evil atmosphere created sickness in the Arab escort, but all my people maintained their health, if not their temper. The constant slush and reek113 which the heavy dews caused in the forest had worn my shoes out, and half of the march on the fifteenth of November I travelled with naked feet. I had then to draw out of my store my last pair of shoes. Frank was already using his last pair. Yet we were still in the very centre of the continent. What should we do when all were gone? was a question which we asked of each other often.
"The faces of the people, Arabs, Wangwana, Wanyamwezi, and the escort, were quite a study at the camp. All their courage was oozing114 out, as day by day[Pg 231] we plodded115 through the doleful, dreary116 forest. We saw a python ten feet long, a green viper117, and a monstrous118 puff-adder on this march, besides scores of monkeys, of the white-necked or glossy-black species, as also the small gray, and the large howling baboons119. We heard also the 'soko,' or chimpanzee, and saw one 'nest' belonging to it in the fork of a tall bombax. A lemur was also observed; its loud, harsh cries made each night hideous120.
PRICKLES OF THE ACACIA PLANT.
"The path presented myriapedes, black and brown, six inches in length; while beetles121 were innumerable, and armies of the deep-brown 'hot-water' ants compelled us to be cautious how we stepped.
AN AFRICAN ANT.
"The difficulties of such travel as we had now commenced may be imagined when a short march of six miles and a half occupied the twenty-four men who were carrying the boat-sections an entire day, and so fatigued122 them that we had to halt a day to recruit their exhausted123 strength.
"The terrible undergrowth that here engrossed124 all the space under the shade of the pillared bombax and mastlike mvulé was a miracle of vegetation. It consisted of ferns, spear-grass, water-cane, and orchidaceous plants, mixed with wild vines, cable thicknesses of the Ficus elastica, and a sprinkling of mimosas, acacias, tamarinds; llianes, palms of various species, wild date, Raphia vinifera, the elais, the fan, rattans, and a hundred other varieties, all struggling for every inch of space, and swarming125 upward with a luxuriance and density126 that only this extraordinary hothouse atmosphere could nourish. We had certainly seen forests before, but this scene was an epoch127 in our lives ever to be remembered for its bitterness; the gloom enhanced the dismal128 misery129 of our life; the slopping moisture, the unhealthy reeking130 atmosphere, and the monotony of the scenes; nothing but the eternal interlaced branches, the tall aspiring131 stems, rising from a tangle132 through which we had to burrow133 and crawl like wild animals, on hands and feet.
"One morning, when we were encamped at a village called Wane-Kirumbu, Tippu-Tib[Pg 232] and the Arabs came to my hut. After a long preamble134, wherein he described the hardships of the march, Tippu-Tib concluded by saying that he had come to announce his wish that our contract should be dissolved!
"In a moment it flashed on my mind that a crisis had arrived. Was the expedition to end here? I urged with all my powers the necessity for keeping engagements so deliberately137 entered into.
"For two hours I plied138 him with arguments, and at last, when I was nearly exhausted, Tippu-Tib consented to accompany me twenty marches farther, beginning from the camp we were then in. It was a fortunate thing indeed for me that he agreed to this, as his return so close to Nyangwé in the present dispirited condition of my people's minds would have undoubtedly139 insured the destruction of all my hopes.
"The natives of Uregga are not liberally disposed. Wane-Kirumbu's chief was the first who consented to exchange gifts with me. He presented me with a chicken and some bananas, and I reciprocated140 the gift with five cowries, which he accepted without a murmur. On witnessing this pleasing and most uncommon141 trait of moderation, I presented him with ten more, which appeared to him so bounteous142 that he left my presence quite affected143, indeed almost overcome by his emotions of gratitude144.
"The men of these forest communities of Uregga, upon the decease of their wives, put on symbols of mourning, namely, a thick daub of charcoal145 paste over the face, which they retain for five 'years'—two and a half European years. Widows also mourn for their husbands a like period, with the same disfigurement[Pg 233] of features, but with the addition of bands of sere146 leaf of the banana round the forehead.
A FORGE AND SMITHY AT WANE-KIRUMBU, UREGGA.
At Wane-Kirumbu we found a large native forge and smithy, where there were about a dozen smiths busily at work. The iron ore is very pure. Here were the broad-bladed spears of southern Uregga, and the equally broad knives of all sizes, from the small waist-knife, an inch and a half in length, to the heavy Roman swordlike cleaver147. The bellows148 for the smelting-furnace are four in number, double-handled, and manned by four men, who, by a quick up-and-down motion, supply a powerful blast, the noise of which is heard nearly half a mile from the scent34. The furnace consists of tamped149 clay, raised into a mound150 about four feet high. A hollow is then excavated151 in it, two feet in diameter and two feet deep. From the middle of the slope four apertures are excavated into the base of the furnace, into which are fitted funnel-shaped earthenware152 pipes to convey the blasts to the fire. At the base of the mound a wide aperture88 for the hearth153 is excavated, penetrating154 below the furnace. The hearth receives the dross155 and slag156.
"Close by stood piled up mat-sacks of charcoal, with a couple of boys ready to supply the fuel, and about two yards off was a smaller smithy, where the iron was shaped into hammers, axes, war-hatchets, spears, knives, swords, wire, iron balls with spikes158, leglets, armlets, iron beads159, etc. The art of the blacksmith is of a high standard in these forests, considering the loneliness of the inhabitants. The people have much traditional lore20, and it appears from the immunity160 which they have enjoyed in these dismal retreats that from one generation to another something has been communicated and learned, showing that even the jungle man is a progressive and improvable animal.
[Pg 234]
"On the 17th of November we crossed several lofty, hilly ridges161, and after a march of eleven miles northwesterly through the dank, dripping forests, arrived at Kampunzu, in the district of Uvinza, where dwell the true aborigines of the forest country.
"Kampunzu village is about five hundred yards in length, formed of one street thirty feet wide, flanked on each side by a straight, symmetrical, and low block of houses, gable-roofed. Several small villages in the neighborhood are of the same pattern.
"The most singular feature of Kampunzu village were two rows of skulls ten feet apart, running along the entire length of the village, imbedded about two inches deep in the ground, the 'cerebral162 hemispheres' uppermost, bleached163, and glistening164 white from weather. The skulls were one hundred and eighty-six in number in this one village. To me they appeared to be human, though many had an extraordinary projection165 of the posterior lobes166, others of the parietal bones, and the frontal bones were unusually low and retreating; yet the sutures and the general aspect of the greatest number of them were so similar to what I believed to be human that it was almost with an indifferent air that I asked my chiefs and Arabs what these skulls were. They replied, 'sokos'—chimpanzees(?).
"'Sokos from the forest?'
"'Certainly,' they all replied.
"'Bring the chief of Kampunzu to me immediately,' I said, much interested now because of the wonderful reports of them that Livingstone had given me, as also the natives of Manyema.
"The chief of Kampunzu—a tall, strongly-built man of about thirty-five years of age—appeared, and I asked,
"He replied, 'Nyama' (meat).
"'Nyama! Nyama of what?'
"'Nyama of the forest.'
"'Of the forest! What kind of thing is this Nyama of the forest?'
"'It is about the size of this boy,' pointing to Mabruki, my gun-bearer, who was four feet ten inches in height. 'He walks like a man, and goes about with a stick, with which he beats the trees in the forest, and makes hideous noises. The Nyama eat our bananas, and we hunt them, kill them, and eat them.
"'Are they good eating?' I asked.
"He laughed, and replied that they were very good.
"'Would you eat one if you had one now?'
"'Indeed I would. Shall a man refuse meat?'
"'Well, look here. I have one hundred cowries here. Take your men and catch one, and bring him to me, alive or dead. I only want his skin and head. You may have the meat.'
"Kampunzu's chief, before he set out with his men, brought me a portion of the skin of one, which probably covered the back. The fur was dark gray, an inch long, with the points inclined to white; a line of darker hair marked the spine168. This, he assured me, was a portion of the skin of a 'soko.' He also showed me a cap made out of it, which I purchased.
[Pg 235]
A YOUNG "SOKO" SITTING FOR HIS PORTRAIT.
[Pg 236]
"The chief returned about evening unsuccessful from the search. He wished us to remain two or three days, that he might set traps for the 'sokos,' as they would be sure to visit the bananas at night. Not being able to wait so many days, I obtained for a few cowries the skull of a male and another of a female.
"These two skulls were safely brought to England and shown to Professor Huxley, who passed judgment169 upon them as follows:
"'Of the two skulls submitted to me for examination, the one is that of a man probably somewhat under thirty years of age, and the other that of a woman over fifty. Nothing in these skulls justifies171 the supposition that their original possessors differed in any sensible degree from the ordinary African negro.'
"Professor Huxley thus startles me with the proof that Kampunzu's people were cannibals, for at least one half the number of skulls seen by me bore the mark of a hatchet157, which had been driven into the head while the victims were alive.
"In this village were also observed those carved benches cut out of the Rubiace? already mentioned, backgammon trays, and stools carved in the most admirable manner, all being decorated around the edges of the seats with brass172 tacks173 and 'soko' teeth.
BACKGAMMON TRAY.
"The women of Uregga wear only aprons174, of bark or grass-cloth, fastened by cords of palm fibre. The men wear skins of civet, or monkey, in front and rear, the tails downward. It may have been from a hasty glance of a rapidly disappearing form of one of these people in the wild woods that native travellers in the lake regions felt persuaded that they had seen 'men with tails.'
"On the 19th a march of five miles through the forest west from Kampunzu brought us to the Lualaba, in south latitude 3° 35', just forty-one geographical miles north of the Arab depot Nyangwé. An afternoon observation for longitude175 showed east longitude 25° 49'. The name Lualaba terminates here. I mean to speak of it henceforth as The Livingstone.
"The Livingstone was twelve hundred yards wide from bank to bank opposite the landing-place of Kampunzu. As there were no people dwelling176 within a mile of the right bank, we prepared to encamp. My tent was pitched about thirty feet from the river, on a grassy spot; Tippu-Tib and his Arabs were in the bushes; while the five hundred and fifty people of whom the expedition consisted began[Pg 237] to prepare a site for their huts, by enlarging the open space around the landing place.
"While my breakfast (for noon) was cooking, and my tent was being drawn177 taut178 and made trim, a mat was spread on a bit of short grass, soft as an English lawn, a few yards from the water. Some sedgy reeds obstructed179 my view, and as I wished while resting to watch the river gliding180 by, I had them all cropped off short.
"Frank and the Wangwana chiefs were putting the boat-sections together in the rear of the camp; I was busy thinking, planning a score of things—what time it would be best to cross the river, how we should commence our acquaintance with the warlike tribes on the left bank, what our future would be, how I should succeed in conveying our large force across, and, in the event of a determined181 resistance, what we should do, etc.
"Gentle as a summer's dream, the brown wave of the great Livingstone flowed by, broad and deep. On the opposing bank loomed182 darkly against the sky another forest, similar to the one which had harrowed our souls. I obtained from my seat a magnificent view of the river, flanked by black forests, gliding along, with a serene183 grandeur184 and an unspeakable majesty185 of silence about it that caused my heart to yearn186 towards it.
"Downward it flows to the unknown! to night-black clouds of mystery and fable, mayhap past the lands of the anthropoids, the pigmies, and the blanket-eared men of whom the gentle pagan king of Karagwé spoke187, by leagues upon leagues of unexplored lands, populous with scores of tribes, of whom not a whisper has reached the people of other continents; perhaps that fabulous188 being, the dread51 Macoco, of whom Bartolomeo Diaz, Cada Mosto, and Dapper have written, is still represented by one who inherits his ancient kingdom and power, and surrounded by barbarous pomp. Something strange must surely lie in the vast space occupied by total blankness on our maps between Nyangwé and "Tuckey's Farthest!"
"'I seek a road to connect these two points. We have labored189 through the terrible forest, and manfully struggled through the gloom. My people's hearts have become faint. I seek a road. Why, here lies a broad watery190 avenue cleaving191 the Unknown to some sea, like a path of light! Here are woods all around, sufficient for a thousand fleets of canoes. Why not build them?'
"I sprang up; told the drummer to call to muster192. The people responded wearily to the call. Frank and the chiefs appeared. The Arabs and their escort came also, until a dense mass of expectant faces surrounded me. I turned to them and said,
IN FULL STYLE.
"Arabs! sons of Unyamwezi! children of Zanzibar! listen to words. We have seen the Mitamba of Uregga. We have tasted its bitterness, and have groaned193 in spirit. We seek a road. We seek something by which we may travel. I seek a path that shall take me to the sea. I have found it.'
[Pg 238]
"'Yes! El hamd ul Illah. I have found it. Regard this mighty195 river. From the beginning it has flowed on thus, as you see it flow to-day. It has flowed on in silence and darkness. Whither? To the salt sea, as all rivers go! By that salt sea, on which the great ships come and go, live my friends and your friends. Do they not?
"Cries of 'Yes! yes!'
"'Yet, my people, though this river is so great, so wide and deep, no man has ever penetrated the distance lying between this spot on which we stand and our white friends who live by the salt sea. Why? Because it was left for us to do.'
"'Ah, no! no! no!' and desponding shakes of the head.
"'Yes,' I continued, raising my voice; 'I tell you, my friends, it has been left from the beginning of time until to-day for us to do. It is our work, and no other. It is the voice of Fate! The One God has written that this year the river shall be known throughout its length! We will have no more Mitambas; we will have no more panting and groaning196 by the wayside; we will have no more hideous darkness; we will take to the river, and keep to the river. To-day I shall launch my boat on that stream, and it shall never leave it until I finish my work. I swear it.
"'Now, you Wangwana! You who have followed me through Turu, and sailed around the great lakes with me; you, who have followed me, like children following their father, through Unyoro, and down to Ujiji, and as far as this wild, wild land, will you leave me here? Shall I and my white brother go alone? Will you go back and tell my friends that you left me in this wild spot, and cast me adrift to die? Or will you, to whom I have been so kind, whom I love as I would love my children, will you bind197 me, and take me back by force? Speak, Arabs? Where are my young men, with hearts of lions? Speak, Wangwana, and show me those who dare follow me?'
"Uledi, the coxswain, leaped upward, and then sprang towards me, and kneeling grasped my knees, and said, 'Look on me, my master! I am one! I will follow you to death!' 'And I,' Kachéché cried; 'and I, and I, and I,' shouted the boat's crew.
"'It is well. I knew I had friends. You, then, who have cast your lot with me stand on one side, and let me count you.'
"There were thirty-eight! Ninety-five stood still, and said nothing.
"'I have enough. Even with you, my friends, I shall reach the sea. But there is plenty of time. We have not yet made our canoes. We have not yet parted with the Arabs. We have yet a long distance to travel with Tippu-Tib. We may meet with good people, from whom we may buy canoes. And by the time we part I am sure that the ninety-five men now fearing to go with us will not leave their brothers, and their master and his white brother, to go down the river without them. Meantime I give you many thanks, and shall not forget your names.'
"The assembly broke up, and each man proceeded about his special duties. Tippu-Tib, Sheik Abdallah, and Muini Ibrahim sat on the mat, and commenced to try to persuade me not to be so rash, and to abandon all idea of descending the river. In my turn I requested them not to speak like children, and, however they might think, not to disclose their fears to the Wangwana; but rather to encourage[Pg 239]
[Pg 240] them to do their duty, and share the dangers with me, because the responsibility was all my own, and the greatest share of danger would be mine; and that I would be in front to direct and guide, and save, and for my own sake as well as for their sake would be prudent199.
"In reply, they spoke of cataracts200 and cannibals and warlike tribes. They depreciated201 the spirit of the Wangwana, and declaimed against men who were once slaves; refused to concede one virtue202 to them, either of fidelity203, courage, or gratitude, and predicted that the end would be death to all.
WANGWANA WOMEN.
"'Speak no more, Tippu-Tib. You who have travelled all your life among slaves have not yet learned that there lies something good in the heart of every man that God made. Men were not made all bad, as you say. For God is good, and he made all men. I have studied my people; I know them and their ways. It will be my task to draw the good out of them while they are with me; and the only way to do it is to be good to them, for good produces good. As you value my friendship, and hope to receive money from me, be silent. Speak not a word of fear to my people, and when we part I shall make known my name to you. To you, and to all who are my friends, I shall be "the white man with the open hand." But if not, then I shall be "Kipara-moto."'
"While I had been speaking, a small canoe with two men was seen advancing from the opposite bank. One of the interpreters was called, and told to speak to them quietly, and to ask them to bring canoes to take us across.
"We had a long parley204, but it resulted in nothing. The natives refused to ferry us over the river at any price, and on the way back they set up a war-cry which resounded205 through the forest, and was repeated from many points. Meantime my people were putting the Lady Alice in readiness, and by the time I had[Pg 241] finished my breakfast the Lady Alice was in the river, and a loud shout of applause greeted her appearance on the water.
"The boat's crew, with Uledi as coxswain, and Tippu-Tib, Sheik Abdallah, Muini Ibrahim, Bwana Abed (the guide), Muni Jumah, and two interpreters and myself as passengers, entered the boat. We were rowed up the river for half an hour, and then struck across to a small island in mid-stream. With the aid of a glass I examined the shores, which from our camp appeared to be dense forest. We saw that there were about thirty canoes tied to the bank, and among the trees I detected several houses. The bank was crowded with human beings, who were observing our movements.
"We re-entered our boat and pulled straight across to the left bank, then floated down slowly with the current, meantime instructing the interpreters as to what they should say to the Wenya.
"When we came opposite, an interpreter requested them to take a look at the white man who had come to visit their country, who wished to make friends with them, who would give them abundance of shells, and allow none of his men to appropriate a single banana, or do violence to a single soul; not a leaf would be taken, nor a twig84 burned, without being paid for.
"The natives, gazing curiously at me, promised, after a consultation206, that if we made blood-brotherhood207 with them there should be no trouble, and that for this purpose the white chief, accompanied by ten men, should proceed early next morning to the island, where he would be met by the chief of the Wenya and his ten men; and that, after the ceremony, all the canoes should cross and assist to carry our people to their country.
"After thanking them, we returned to camp, highly elated with our success. At 4 a.m., however, the boat secretly conveyed twenty men with Kachéché, who had orders to hide in the brushwood, and, returning to camp at 7 a.m., conveyed Frank and ten men, who were to perform the ceremony of brotherhood, to the island. On its return I entered the boat, and was rowed a short way up stream along the right bank, so that, in case of treachery, I might be able to reach the island within four minutes to lend assistance.
[Pg 242]
SOME OF THE PEOPLE ON SHORE.
"About 9 a.m. six canoes full of men were seen to paddle to the island. We saw them arrive before it, and finally draw near. Earnestly and anxiously I gazed through my glass at every movement. Other canoes were seen advancing to the island. A few seconds after the latest arrivals had appeared on the scene, I saw great animation208, and almost at once those curious cries came pealing209 up the river. There were animated210 shouts, and a swaying of bodies, and, unable to wait longer, we dashed towards the island, and the natives on seeing us approach paddled quickly to their landing-place.
"'Well, Frank, what was the matter?' I asked.
"'I never saw such wretches211 in my life, sir. When that last batch212 of canoes came, their behavior, which was decent before, changed. They surrounded us. Half of them remained in the canoes; those on land began to abuse us violently, handling their spears, and acting213 so furiously that if we had not risen with our guns ready they would have speared us as we were sitting down waiting to begin the ceremony. But Kachéché, seeing their wild behavior and menacing gestures, advanced quietly from the brushwood with his men, on seeing which they ran to their canoes, where they held their spears ready to launch when you came.'
"'Well, no harm has been done yet,' I replied; 'so rest where you are, while I take Kachéché and his men across to their side, where a camp will be formed; because, if we delay to-day crossing, we shall have half of the people starving by to-morrow morning.'
"After embarking214 Kachéché, we steered215 for a point in the woods above the native village, and, landing thirty men with axes, proceeded to form a small camp, which might serve as a nucleus216 until we should be enabled to transport the expedition. We then floated down river opposite the village, and, with the aid of an interpreter, explained to them that as we had already landed thirty men in their country, it would be far better that they should assist us in the ferriage, for which they might feel assured that they would be well paid. At the same time I tossed a small bag of beads to them. In a few minutes they consented, and six canoes, with two men in each, accompanied us to camp. The six canoes and the boat conveyed eighty people safely to the left bank; and then other canoes, animated by the good understanding that seemed to prevail between us, advanced to assist, and by night every soul associated with our expedition was rejoicing by genial217 camp-fires in the villages of the Wenya."
It was now time to adjourn218 the meeting of the Eider's Geographical Society. Fred briefly219 announced that the reading would be continued in the evening, and immediately the little party proceeded to a promenade220 on deck, where they discussed the narrative221 to which they had just listened, and wondered what happened next.
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1
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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dependants
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| 受赡养者，受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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4
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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7
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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13
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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14
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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15
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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16
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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17
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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18
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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20
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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21
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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22
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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23
affluents
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| n.富裕的，富足的( affluent的名词复数 ) | |
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affluent
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| adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的 | |
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25
transpire
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| v.(使)蒸发，(使)排出 ；泄露，公开 | |
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26
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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27
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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28
daunt
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| vt.使胆怯，使气馁 | |
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29
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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30
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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31
alias
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| n.化名；别名；adv.又名 | |
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32
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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fervid
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| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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40
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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41
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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42
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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43
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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44
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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45
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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46
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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47
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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48
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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49
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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50
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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51
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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52
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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53
heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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54
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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55
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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56
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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57
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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58
illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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59
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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60
impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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61
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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62
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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63
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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65
retentive
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| v.保留的，有记忆的；adv.有记性地，记性强地；n.保持力 | |
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66
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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67
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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68
obstructing
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| 阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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69
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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70
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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71
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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72
exuded
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| v.缓慢流出，渗出，分泌出( exude的过去式和过去分词 )；流露出对（某物）的神态或感情 | |
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73
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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74
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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75
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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76
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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77
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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78
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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79
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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80
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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81
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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82
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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83
scrambles
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| n.抢夺( scramble的名词复数 )v.快速爬行( scramble的第三人称单数 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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84
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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85
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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86
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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87
doorways
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| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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88
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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89
apertures
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| n.孔( aperture的名词复数 )；隙缝；（照相机的）光圈；孔径 | |
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glisten
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| vi.（光洁或湿润表面等）闪闪发光，闪闪发亮 | |
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91
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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snails
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| n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 ) | |
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93
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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94
leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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95
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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96
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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97
talismans
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| n.护身符( talisman的名词复数 )；驱邪物；有不可思议的力量之物；法宝 | |
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98
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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99
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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100
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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101
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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102
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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103
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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104
inverted
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| adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
tassel
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| n.流苏，穗；v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须 | |
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106
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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107
indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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108
populous
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| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
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109
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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110
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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111
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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112
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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113
reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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114
oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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115
plodded
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| v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作） | |
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116
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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117
viper
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| n.毒蛇；危险的人 | |
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118
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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119
baboons
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| n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 ) | |
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120
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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121
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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122
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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123
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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124
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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125
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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126
density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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127
epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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128
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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129
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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130
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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131
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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132
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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133
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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134
preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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135
storks
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| n.鹳( stork的名词复数 ) | |
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136
pelicans
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| n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 ) | |
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137
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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138
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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139
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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140
reciprocated
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| v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动 | |
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141
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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142
bounteous
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| adj.丰富的 | |
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143
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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144
gratitude
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|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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145
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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146
sere
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| adj.干枯的；n.演替系列 | |
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147
cleaver
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| n.切肉刀 | |
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148
bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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149
tamped
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| v.捣固( tamp的过去式和过去分词 )；填充；（用炮泥）封炮眼口；夯实 | |
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150
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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151
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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152
earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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153
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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154
penetrating
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|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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155
dross
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| n.渣滓；无用之物 | |
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156
slag
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| n.熔渣，铁屑，矿渣；v.使变成熔渣，变熔渣 | |
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157
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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158
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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159
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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160
immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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161
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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162
cerebral
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| adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的 | |
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163
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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164
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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165
projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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166
lobes
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| n.耳垂( lobe的名词复数 )；（器官的）叶；肺叶；脑叶 | |
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167
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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168
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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169
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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170
gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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171
justifies
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| 证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护） | |
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172
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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173
tacks
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| 大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法 | |
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174
aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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175
longitude
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| n.经线，经度 | |
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176
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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177
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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178
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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179
obstructed
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| 阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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180
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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181
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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182
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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183
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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184
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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185
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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186
yearn
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| v.想念；怀念；渴望 | |
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187
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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188
fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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189
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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190
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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191
cleaving
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| v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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192
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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193
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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194
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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195
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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196
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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197
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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198
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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199
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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200
cataracts
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| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
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201
depreciated
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| v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的过去式和过去分词 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视 | |
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202
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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203
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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204
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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205
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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206
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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207
brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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208
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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209
pealing
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
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210
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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211
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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212
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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213
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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214
embarking
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| 乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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215
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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216
nucleus
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| n.核，核心，原子核 | |
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217
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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218
adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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219
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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220
promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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221
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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