When It Was Returned,
The Owner Would Not Receive It Back Unless Accompanied With A Fine.
The Lad Offered Beads,
But these were refused with scorn.
A shell hanging round his neck, similar to that which Shinte had given me,
Was the object demanded, and the victim of the trick, as we all knew it to be,
was obliged to part with his costly ornament. I could not save him
from the loss, as all had been forewarned; and it is the universal custom
among the Makololo and many other tribes to show whatever they may find
to the chief person of their company, and make a sort of offer of it to him.
This lad ought to have done so to me; the rest of the party
always observed this custom. I felt annoyed at the imposition,
but the order we invariably followed in crossing a river forced me to submit.
The head of the party remained to be ferried over last;
so, if I had not come to terms, I would have been, as I always was in crossing
rivers which we could not swim, completely in the power of the enemy.
It was but rarely we could get a head man so witless as to cross a river
with us, and remain on the opposite bank in a convenient position
to be seized as a hostage in case of my being caught.
This trick is but one of a number equally dishonorable which are practiced
by tribes that lie adjacent to the more civilized settlements.
The Balonda farther east told us, by way of warning, that many parties
of the more central tribes had at various periods set out, in order
to trade with the white men themselves, instead of through the Mambari,
but had always been obliged to return without reaching their destination,
in consequence of so many pretexts being invented by the tribes
encountered in the way for fining them of their ivory.
This ford was in 11d 15' 47" S. latitude, but the weather
was so excessively cloudy we got no observation for longitude.
We were now in want of food, for, to the great surprise of my companions,
the people of Kangenke gave nothing except by way of sale, and charged
the most exorbitant prices for the little meal and manioc they brought.
The only article of barter my men had was a little fat saved from the ox
we slaughtered at Katema's, so I was obliged to give them
a portion of the stock of beads. One day (29th) of westing
brought us from the Kasai to near the village of Katende,
and we saw that we were in a land where no hope could be entertained
of getting supplies of animal food, for one of our guides
caught a light-blue colored mole and two mice for his supper.
The care with which he wrapped them up in a leaf and slung them on his spear
told that we could not hope to enjoy any larger game. We saw no evidence
of any animals besides; and, on coming to the villages beyond this,
we often saw boys and girls engaged in digging up these tiny quadrupeds.
Katende sent for me on the day following our arrival,
and, being quite willing to visit him, I walked, for this purpose,
about three miles from our encampment. When we approached the village
we were desired to enter a hut, and, as it was raining at the time, we did so.
After a long time spent in giving and receiving messages from the great man,
we were told that he wanted either a man, a tusk, beads, copper rings,
or a shell, as payment for leave to pass through his country.
No one, we were assured, was allowed that liberty, or even to behold him,
without something of the sort being presented. Having humbly
explained our circumstances, and that he could not expect to
"catch a humble cow by the horns" - a proverb similar to ours that
"you can't draw milk out of a stone" - we were told to go home,
and he would speak again to us next day. I could not avoid a hearty laugh
at the cool impudence of the savage, and made the best of my way home
in the still pouring rain. My men were rather nettled
at this want of hospitality, but, after talking over the matter
with one of Katende's servants, he proposed that some small article
should be given, and an attempt made to please Katende.
I turned out my shirts, and selected the worst one as a sop for him,
and invited Katende to come and choose any thing else I had,
but added that, when I should reach my own chief naked,
and was asked what I had done with my clothes, I should be obliged to confess
that I had left them with Katende. The shirt was dispatched to him,
and some of my people went along with the servant; they soon returned,
saying that the shirt had been accepted, and guides and food too
would be sent to us next day. The chief had, moreover, expressed a hope
to see me on my return. He is reported to be very corpulent.
The traders who have come here seem to have been very timid,
yielding to every demand made on the most frivolous pretenses.
One of my men, seeing another much like an acquaintance at home,
addressed him by the name of the latter in sport, telling him,
at the same time, why he did so; this was pronounced to be a grave offense,
and a large fine demanded; when the case came before me I could see no harm
in what had been done, and told my people not to answer the young fellow.
The latter felt himself disarmed, for it is chiefly in a brawl
they have power; then words are spoken in anger which rouse the passions
of the complainant's friends.
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