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.
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