Every Thing Was Gone
Except My Instruments, Which Could Be Of No Use To Them Whatever.
One Of Them Begged
Some meat, and, when it was refused,
said to my men, "You may as well give it, for we shall
Take all
after we have killed you to-morrow." The more humbly we spoke,
the more insolent the Bashinje became, till at last we were all feeling
savage and sulky, but continued to speak as civilly as we could.
They are fond of argument, and when I denied their right to demand tribute
from a white man, who did not trade in slaves, an old white-headed negro
put rather a posing question: "You know that God has placed chiefs among us
whom we ought to support. How is it that you, who have a book that tells you
about him, do not come forward at once to pay this chief tribute
like every one else?" I replied by asking, "How could I know
that this was a chief, who had allowed me to remain a day and a half near him
without giving me any thing to eat?" This, which to the uninitiated
may seem sophistry, was to the Central Africans quite a rational question,
for he at once admitted that food ought to have been sent,
and added that probably his chief was only making it ready for me,
and that it would come soon.
After being wearied by talking all day to different parties sent by Sansawe,
we were honored by a visit from himself:
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