Twostonehatchets,andtwospearshetookfromhiscanoe,andpresentedtothegovernor,whoinreturnforhiscourteousgenerosity,gavehimtwoofourhatchetsandsomebread,whichwasnewtohim,forheknewnotitsuse,butkeptlookingatit,untilColbeeshewedhimwhattodo,whenheeatitwithouthesitation.Wepursuedourcourse,andtoaccommodateus,ournewacquaintancepointedoutapathandwalkedattheheadofus.Acanoe,alsowithamanandaboyinit,keptgentlypaddlingupabreastofus.
Wehaltedforthenightatourusualhour,onthebankoftheriver.
Immediatelythatwehadstopped,ourfriendwhohadalreadytoldushisname
Gombeeree,introducedthemanandtheboyfromthecanoetous.TheformerwasnamedYellomundee,thelatterDeeimba.Theeasewithwhichthesepeoplebehavedamongstrangerswasasconspicuous,asunexpected.Theyseatedthemselvesatourfire,partookofourbiscuitandpork,drankfromourcanteens,andheardourgunsgoingoffaroundthemwithoutbetrayinganysymptomoffear,distrustorsurprise.Ontheoppositebankoftherivertheyhadlefttheirwivesandseveralchildren,withwhomtheyfrequentlydiscoursed;andweobservedthattheselastmanifestedneithersuspicionoruneasinessofourdesignstowardstheirfriends.
Havingrefreshedourselves,wefoundleisuretoenterintoconversationwiththem.Itcouldnotbeexpectedthattheyshoulddiffermateriallyfromthetribeswithwhomwewereacquainted.Thesamemannersandpursuits,thesameamusements,thesamelevityandfickleness,undoubtedlycharacterisedthem.Whatwewereabletolearnfromthemwasthattheydependbutlittleonfish,astheriveryieldsonlymullets,andthattheirprincipalsupportisderivedfromsmallanimalswhichtheykill,andsomerootsaspeciesofwildyamchieflywhichtheydigoutoftheearth.Ifwerightlyunderstoodthem,eachmanpossessestwowives.Whencecanarisethissuperabundanceoffemales?Neitherofthemenhadsufferedtheextractionofafronttooth.Wewereeagertoknowwhetherornotthiscustomobtainedamongthem.ButneitherColbeenorBoladereewouldputthequestionforus;