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.
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