They Returned To Atada, Leaving The Whole Party, Including
Ibrahim, Exceedingly Disconcerted, Having Nothing To Eat, An Impassable
River Before Us, And Five Days' March Of Uninhabited Wilderness In Our
Rear.
The whole day passed in shouting and gesticulating our peaceful
intentions to the crowd assembled on the heights on the opposite side of
the river; but the boat did not return until long after the time
appointed.
Even then the natives would only approach sufficiently near
to be heard, but nothing would induce them to land. They explained that
there was a division of opinion among the people on the other side: some
were in favor of receiving us, but the greater number were of opinion
that we intended hostilities; therefore we must wait until orders could
be sent from the king.
To assure the people of our peaceful intentions, I begged them to take
Mrs. Baker and myself alone, and to leave the armed party on this side
of the river until a reply should be received from Kamrasi. At this
suggestion the boat immediately returned to the other side.
The day passed away, and as the sun set we perceived the canoe again
paddling across the river. This time it approached directly, and the
same people landed that had received the necklaces in the morning. They
said that they had held a conference with the headman, and that they had
agreed to receive my wife and myself, but no other person. I replied
that my servants must accompany us, as we were quite as great personages
as Kamrasi, and could not possibly travel without attendants.
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