The wives of the men and the children were to go with us to help carry the food to our camp; and when the day of our departure arrived, three canoes were loaded with food, bunches of plantain, and our outfit.
We had four axes with us, queer-looking ones, several machetes, two sharpening stones, and ammunition; above all, my "precious box" with its invaluable instruments.
Our party divided and went in different canoes.
After ascending the river for a few hours, we stopped by a path which had led formerly to the village of Rotembo's slaves. There we camped, landing our outfit. A few miles further navigation stopped. We lighted many fires, and the men collected branches of trees for me to sleep upon.
Early the next morning we got ready to start. We followed in single file the footpath--which was almost obliterated, for it was seldom used now except for hunting--and passed through former plantations of plantain and cassava, now covered with a dense impenetrable jungle, far worse than any part of the forest.
The walking was very tedious, for since the path had been used but seldom, numerous trees or their branches had fallen across it. We halted a little after midday to rest and to eat near a lonely crystal-like little rivulet from which we could get delicious water to drink. Then we continued our way until almost sunset.
Rogala, who was leading, suddenly stopped, and I followed his example. The rest of the party, who were behind, gradually came up with us one by one. Then the men said: "Here, Oguizi, we are to build our camp," pointing to a little spring bubbling out of the ground.
I said to myself: "We need not bother about water if we are besieged in our camp, for the spring will be within our enclosure."
We slept under the trees, and the next morning we were all at work getting material for our camp. The men went to cut poles; the women carried them to the camping-ground, or went after leaves to be twisted into ropes.
The cutting of long poles was the most laborious work, for a great many were required. The axes had to be sharpened many times. But after much hard toil we succeeded in making a fortified encampment forty feet square, with the spring in one of the corners.
After that we built separate shelters for every one of those who were to remain behind, to sleep under; then a little house made entirely of sticks close together for Ndova, in which we were to shut him when we went into the forest without him, so that he might be protected from snakes, or birds of prey, such as eagles, or carnivorous animals. Then we made two ladders with lianas. They were almost as flexible as if they had been ropes made of hemp. One was to hang inside and the other outside. I made two shelters to keep our powder in, for I did not want to have the whole of it in one place in case of fire. We cut all kinds of briars, thorn-bushes, big aloes, and small branches of trees, and put them outside the fence for quite a distance, so that if any one came through them, no matter how careful he might be, we should hear them.