If The Dialects Of Extreme Points Are Compared,
As That Of The Caffres And The Tribes Near The Equator,
It
Is more difficult to recognize the fact, which is really the case,
that all the dialects belong to but two
Families of languages.
Examination of the roots of the words of the dialects, arranged in
geographical order, shows that they merge into each other, and there is
not nearly so much difference between the extremes of east and west
as between those of north and south, the dialect spoken at Tete
resembling closely that in Angola.
Having, on the afore-mentioned date, reached the village of Njambi,
one of the chiefs of the Chiboque, we intended to pass a quiet Sunday;
and our provisions being quite spent, I ordered a tired riding-ox
to be slaughtered. As we wished to be on good terms with all,
we sent the hump and ribs to Njambi, with the explanation that this
was the customary tribute to chiefs in the part from which we had come,
and that we always honored men in his position. He returned thanks,
and promised to send food. Next morning he sent an impudent message,
with a very small present of meal; scorning the meat he had accepted,
he demanded either a man, an ox, a gun, powder, cloth, or a shell;
and in the event of refusal to comply with his demand,
he intimated his intention to prevent our further progress. We replied,
we should have thought ourselves fools if we had scorned his small present,
and demanded other food instead; and even supposing we had possessed
the articles named, no black man ought to impose a tribute on a party
that did not trade in slaves. The servants who brought the message said that,
when sent to the Mambari, they had always got a quantity of cloth from them
for their master, and now expected the same, or something else
as an equivalent, from me.
We heard some of the Chiboque remark, "They have only five guns;"
and about midday, Njambi collected all his people, and surrounded
our encampment. Their object was evidently to plunder us of every thing.
My men seized their javelins, and stood on the defensive,
while the young Chiboque had drawn their swords and brandished them
with great fury. Some even pointed their guns at me, and nodded
to each other, as much as to say, "This is the way we shall do with him."
I sat on my camp-stool, with my double-barreled gun across my knees,
and invited the chief to be seated also. When he and his counselors
had sat down on the ground in front of me, I asked what crime we had committed
that he had come armed in that way. He replied that one of my men, Pitsane,
while sitting at the fire that morning, had, in spitting,
allowed a small quantity of the saliva to fall on the leg of one of his men,
and this "guilt" he wanted to be settled by the fine of a man, ox, or gun.
Pitsane admitted the fact of a little saliva having fallen on the Chiboque,
and in proof of its being a pure accident, mentioned that he had given the man
a piece of meat, by way of making friends, just before it happened,
and wiped it off with his hand as soon as it fell. In reference to a man
being given, I declared that we were all ready to die rather than give up
one of our number to be a slave; that my men might as well give me
as I give one of them, for we were all free men. "Then you can give the gun
with which the ox was shot." As we heard some of his people
remarking even now that we had only "five guns", we declined,
on the ground that, as they were intent on plundering us,
giving a gun would be helping them to do so.
This they denied, saying they wanted the customary tribute only.
I asked what right they had to demand payment for leave to tread
on the ground of God, our common Father. If we trod on their gardens,
we would pay, but not for marching on land which was still God's,
and not theirs. They did not attempt to controvert this,
because it is in accordance with their own ideas, but reverted again
to the pretended crime of the saliva.
My men now entreated me to give something; and after asking the chief
if he really thought the affair of the spitting a matter of guilt,
and receiving an answer in the affirmative, I gave him one of my shirts.
The young Chiboque were dissatisfied, and began shouting
and brandishing their swords for a greater fine.
As Pitsane felt that he had been the cause of this disagreeable affair,
he asked me to add something else. I gave a bunch of beads,
but the counselors objected this time, so I added a large handkerchief.
The more I yielded, the more unreasonable their demands became,
and at every fresh demand a shout was raised by the armed party,
and a rush made around us with brandishing of arms. One young man
made a charge at my head from behind, but I quickly brought round
the muzzle of my gun to his mouth, and he retreated. I pointed him out
to the chief, and he ordered him to retire a little. I felt anxious
to avoid the effusion of blood; and though sure of being able,
with my Makololo, who had been drilled by Sebituane, to drive off
twice the number of our assailants, though now a large body,
and well armed with spears, swords, arrows, and guns, I strove to avoid
actual collision. My men were quite unprepared for this exhibition,
but behaved with admirable coolness. The chief and counselors,
by accepting my invitation to be seated, had placed themselves in a trap,
for my men very quietly surrounded them, and made them feel
that there was no chance of escaping their spears.
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