Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/281

 There are the wares exposed for sale without any kind of order, even in a charming disorder. Showy stuffs, colored glass beads, ivory rhinoceros' teeth, sharks' teeth, honey, tobacco, and cotton. There they carry on the most strange bargains, each object having just so much value as it excites desire.

Suddenly this hubbub and movement ceased, the noise immediately subsided. The " Victoria" had appeared in the sky, sailing along majestically and descending slowly without losing its vertical position. Men, women, children, slaves, merchants, Arabs, and negroes all disappeared and glided away into the "tembes" and beneath the huts.

"My dear Samuel," said Kennedy, "if we continue to produce such an effect as this we shall have some difficulty to establish commercial relations with these people."

"There is, nevertheless, one very simple mercantile transaction to be carried out," said Joe; "that is, to quietly descend and carry away the most valuable merchandise without troubling the merchants. We should then get rich."

"You see," said the doctor, "that the natives have only been terrified for the moment. They will not delay to return, impelled either by superstition or curiosity."

"You think so, sir?"

"We shall soon see, but it will be prudent to keep at a little distance. The 'Victoria' is neither an ironclad nor armored. There is no shelter from a bullet nor from an arrow."

"Do you then intend to enter into conference with these Africans, my dear Samuel?"

"Perhaps so—why not? There ought to be in Kazeh Arab merchants who are not ignorant men. I remember that Messrs. Burton and Speke were much pleased with the hospitality of this town. So we can try our luck."

The "Victoria" gradually approached the earth, and made fast one of the grapnels to the top of a tree near the market-place.

The entire population now turned out; heads were cautiously advanced. Many "Waganga," easily recognizable by their badges of shell-fish, advanced boldly. They were the sorcerers of the place. They carried at the waist small gourds rubbed over with grease, and many objects of magic use of a dirtiness, nevertheless, quite professional.