ABSTRACT
Dec. 23rd. We made a short march today & camped on the bank of the main stream of the Ituri. We found the canoe we had crossed the river in on our way to the Lake had been removed by the natives. Stanley sent parties of men up & down the river to search for canoes, but the natives had taken them all away hoping to stop our crossing. Rashid brought word that there was a bridge over the river a little way down but that the natives had cut it in two that morning. A good number of natives came down to a low hill above the river & Stanley offered them a cow & calf & said he would march through their settlement without molesting them in any way if they would lend us a canoe. They said they did'nt want us or our cow & shouted & jeered at us so Stanley fired a shot & dispersed them & promised to punish them for their stupidity when we did get across.
