Mpende's Counsellors Having,
However, Found Out That Dr. Livingstone Belonged To A Tribe Of Whom
They Had Heard That "They
Loved the black man and did not make
slaves," his conduct at once changed from enmity to kindness, and, as
The place was one well selected for defence, it was perhaps quite as
well for Mpende that he decided as he did. Three of his counsellors
now visited us, and we gave them a handsome present for their chief,
who came himself next morning and made us a present of a goat, a
basket of boiled maize, and another of vetches. A few miles above
this the headman, Chilondo of Nyamasusa, apologized for not formerly
lending us canoes. "He was absent, and his children were to blame
for not telling him when the Doctor passed; he did not refuse the
canoes." The sight of our men, now armed with muskets, had a great
effect. Without any bullying, firearms command respect, and lead men
to be reasonable who might otherwise feel disposed to be troublesome.
Nothing, however, our fracas with Mpende excepted, could be more
peaceful than our passage through this tract of country in 1856. We
then had nothing to excite the cupidity of the people, and the men
maintained themselves, either by selling elephant's meat, or by
exhibiting feats of foreign dancing. Most of the people were very
generous and friendly; but the Banyai, nearer to Tette than this,
stopped our march with a threatening war-dance. One of our party,
terrified at this, ran away, as we thought, insane, and could not,
after a painful search of three days, be found.
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