The female carries her young
upon her back, its little round head first appearing above the surface
when she comes up to breathe.
By the order of the chief the party had been furnished with eight oxen
for riding, and seven intended for slaughter. Some of the troop
paddled the canoes, while others drove the cattle along the bank.
African etiquette requires that a company of travelers,
when they come in sight of a village, shall seat themselves under a tree,
and send forward a messenger to announce their arrival and state their object.
The chief then gives them a ceremonious reception, with abundance
of speech-making and drumming. It is no easy matter to get away
from these villages, for the chiefs esteem it an honor
to have strangers with them. These delays, and the frequent heavy rains,
greatly retarded the progress of the travelers.
They had traveled four months, and accomplished half of their journey
before encountering any show of hostility from the tribes
through which they passed. A chief, named Njambi, then demanded tribute
for passing through his country; when this was refused he said
that one of Livingstone's men had spit on the leg of one of his people,
and this crime must be paid for by a fine of a man, an ox, or a gun.
This reasonable demand was likewise refused, and the natives seemed
about to commence hostilities; but changed their minds upon witnessing
the determined attitude of the strangers.
