So soon as the Resolute had arrived the English consul came on board, to offer his assistance to the doctor whose intentions the European journals had some time before announced. But up to that time the consul had enrolled himself among the skeptics.
"I confess I did doubt you," said he, extending his hand to Doctor Ferguson, "but I doubt no longer."
He placed his house at the disposal of the doctor, of Kennedy, and, naturally, of Joe also. While enjoying these attentions the doctor saw several letters which the consul had received from Captain Speke. The captain and his companions had undergone terrible sufferings from hunger and bad weather before reaching the territory of Ugogo. They only advanced with extreme difficulty, and gave up all hope of forwarding intelligence quickly.
"Those are some of the perils and privations which we shall avoid," said the doctor.
The baggage of the three travelers was sent up to the consul's house. They made preparations to land the balloon upon the beach at Zanzibar; they had there fixed upon a convenient spot close to the signal station, near to an enormous building which sheltered them from the east wind. This immense tower, like a tun standing on end, and compared to which the great tun of Heidelberg is but a small barrel, was used as a fort, and upon the platforms Beloutchis, armed with lances, kept watch—a lazy, noisy garrison.
But when the balloon was about to be landed, the consul was warned that the population of the island would oppose the disembarkation by force. This was only their blind fanatical passions showing themselves. The news of the arrival of a Christian, who was about to rise up into the air, was received with much irritation. The blacks, more excited than the Arabs, saw in this project intentions hostile to their religion, for they imagined the white men were about to go up to the sun and moon. As the sun and moon are both worshiped by the African tribes, these people determined to oppose this sacrilegious expedition. The consul being acquainted with these intentions of the negroes, conferred respecting them with the doctor and Captain Penney. The latter had no desire to yield to menace, but his friend caused him to regard it in a different light.
