A Company Of Merchants Travelling Through The Country Has Always A Drummer In Their Pay, Who Walks At The Head Of The Party, And Performs On His Instrument Continually, Be The Journey Ever So Long, For The Purpose Of Animating The Slaves To Quicken Their Steps.

Their route lay through a vast and lonely forest, infested by a band of robbers and in which there is not a single human habitation.

John Lander went unarmed before the fatakie, and travelled alone, whilst Richard remained behind to defend the carriers, in case of necessity. He had already ridden some distance in advance of them, when about twenty very suspicious-looking fellows, armed with lances, bows, and arrows, suddenly made their appearance from behind the trees, where they had concealed themselves, and stood in the middle of the path, before the men with the luggage, who were so terrified that they were prepared to drop their burdens and run away. His gun being loaded, Richard Lander levelled it at them, and had nearly discharged it at their leader, which intimidated them all so much, that they retreated again into the heart of the forest. When the people of Yarriba observe any one approaching them on the road, whose appearance inspires them with apprehension as to the honesty of their intentions, they fling off their loads without waiting the result of the meeting, and take to their heels without venturing to look behind them. The robbers, therefore, when they saw the fatakie, no doubt expected to obtain an easy booty, not anticipating to find a white man amongst them, nor thinking that their carriers would have made a stand.

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