I Made Off Towards Them In The Canoe, Thinking - As I Still
Do - They Were Some Brand New Kind Of Luminous Insect.
When I got on
to their beach one of them went off into the bushes and the other
away over the water.
I followed in the canoe, for the water here is
very deep, and, when I almost thought I had got it, it went down
into the water and I could see it glowing as it sunk until it
vanished in the depths. I made my way back hastily, fearing my
absence with the canoe might give rise, if discovered, to trouble,
and by 3.30 I was back in the hut safe, but not so comfortable as I
had been on the lake. A little before five my men are stirring and
I get my tea. I do not state my escapade to them, but ask what
those lights were. "Akom," said the Fan, and pointing to the shore
of the lake where I had been during the night they said, "they came
there, it was an 'Aku'" - or devil bush. More than ever did I regret
not having secured one of those sort of two phenomena. What a joy a
real devil, appropriately put up in raw alcohol, would have been to
my scientific friends!
Wednesday, July 24th. - We get away about 5.30, the Fans coming in a
separate canoe. We call at the next island to M'fetta to buy some
more aguma. The inhabitants are very much interested in my
appearance, running along the stony beach as we paddle away, and
standing at the end of it until we are out of sight among the many
islands at the N.E. end of Lake Ncovi.
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