PitsaneadmittedthefactofalittlesalivahavingfallenontheChiboque,andinproofofitsbeingapureaccident,mentionedthathehadgiventhemanapieceofmeat,bywayofmakingfriends,justbeforeithappened,andwipeditoffwithhishandassoonasitfellInreferencetoamanbeinggiven,Ideclaredthatwewereallreadytodieratherthangiveuponeofournumbertobeaslave;thatmymenmightaswellgivemeasIgiveoneofthem,forwewereallfreemen“Thenyoucangivethegunwithwhichtheoxwasshot。”Asweheardsomeofhispeopleremarkingevennowthatwehadonly“fiveguns“,wedeclined,onthegroundthat,astheywereintentonplunderingus,givingagunwouldbehelpingthemtodoso。
Thistheydenied,sayingtheywantedthecustomarytributeonly。
IaskedwhatrighttheyhadtodemandpaymentforleavetotreadonthegroundofGod,ourcommonFatherIfwetrodontheirgardens,wewouldpay,butnotformarchingonlandwhichwasstillGod’s,andnottheirsTheydidnotattempttocontrovertthis,becauseitisinaccordancewiththeirownideas,butrevertedagaintothepretendedcrimeofthesaliva。
Mymennowentreatedmetogivesomething;andafteraskingthechiefifhereallythoughttheaffairofthespittingamatterofguilt,andreceivingananswerintheaffirmative,Igavehimoneofmyshirts。
TheyoungChiboqueweredissatisfied,andbeganshoutingandbrandishingtheirswordsforagreaterfine。
AsPitsanefeltthathehadbeenthecauseofthisdisagreeableaffair,heaskedmetoaddsomethingelseIgaveabunchofbeads,butthecounselorsobjectedthistime,soIaddedalargehandkerchief。
ThemoreIyielded,themoreunreasonabletheirdemandsbecame,andateveryfreshdemandashoutwasraisedbythearmedparty,andarushmadearounduswithbrandishingofarmsOneyoungmanmadeachargeatmyheadfrombehind,butIquicklybroughtroundthemuzzleofmyguntohismouth,andheretreatedIpointedhimouttothechief,andheorderedhimtoretirealittleIfeltanxioustoavoidtheeffusionofblood;andthoughsureofbeingable,withmyMakololo,whohadbeendrilledbySebituane,todriveofftwicethenumberofourassailants,thoughnowalargebody,andwellarmedwithspears,swords,arrows,andguns,IstrovetoavoidactualcollisionMymenwerequiteunpreparedforthisexhibition,butbehavedwithadmirablecoolnessThechiefandcounselors,byacceptingmyinvitationtobeseated,hadplacedthemselvesinatrap,formymenveryquietlysurroundedthem,andmadethemfeelthattherewasnochanceofescapingtheirspearsIthensaidthat,asonethingafteranotherhadfailedtosatisfythem,itwasevidentthatTHEYwantedtofight,whileWEonlywantedtopasspeaceablythroughthecountry;thattheymustbeginfirst,andbeartheguiltbeforeGod:wewouldnotfighttilltheyhadstruckthefirstblow。
IthensatsilentforsometimeItwasrathertryingforme,becauseIknewthattheChiboquewouldaimatthewhitemanfirst;
butIwascarefulnottoappearflurried,and,havingfourbarrelsreadyforinstantaction,lookedquietlyatthesavagescenearound。
TheChiboquecountenance,bynomeanshandsome,isnotimprovedbythepracticewhichtheyhaveadoptedoffilingtheteethtoapoint。
Thechiefandcounselors,seeingthattheywereinmoredangerthanI,didnotchoosetofollowourdecisionthattheyshouldbeginbystrikingthefirstblow,andthenseewhatwecoulddo,andwereperhapsinfluencedbyseeingtheairofcoolpreparationwhichsomeofmymendisplayedattheprospectofaworkofblood。
TheChiboqueatlastputthematterbeforeusinthisway:
“Youcomeamongusinanewway,andsayyouarequitefriendly:
howcanweknowitunlessyougiveussomeofyourfood,andyoutakesomeofours?Ifyougiveusanox,wewillgiveyouwhateveryoumaywish,andthenweshallbefriends。”Inaccordancewiththeentreatiesofmymen,Igaveanox;andwhenaskedwhatIshouldlikeinreturn,mentionedfoodasthethingwhichwemostneeded。
IntheeveningNjambisentusaverysmallbasketofmeal,andtwoorthreepoundsofthefleshofourownox!withtheapologythathehadnofowls,andverylittleofanyotherfood。
Itwasimpossibletoavoidalaughatthecoolnessofthegenerouscreatures。
Iwastrulythankful,nevertheless,that,thoughresolvedtodieratherthandeliveruponeofournumbertobeaslave,wehadsofargainedourpointastobeallowedtopassonwithouthavingshedhumanblood。
Inthemidstofthecommotion,severalChiboquestolepiecesofmeatoutoftheshedsofmypeople,andMohorisi,oneoftheMakololo,wentboldlyintothecrowdandtookbackamarrow-bonefromoneofthem。
AfewofmyBatokaseemedafraid,andwouldperhapshavefledhadtheaffrayactuallybegun,but,uponthewhole,IthoughtmymenbehavedadmirablyTheylamentedhavinglefttheirshieldsathomebycommandofSekeletu,whofearedthat,iftheycarriedthese,theymightbemoredisposedtobeoverbearingintheirdemeanortothetribesweshouldmeetWehadproceededontheprinciplesofpeaceandconciliation,andtheforegoingtreatmentshowsinwhatlightourconductwasviewed;
infact,weweretakenforinterloperstryingtocheattherevenueofthetribeTheyhadbeenaccustomedtogetaslaveortwofromeveryslave-traderwhopassedthem,andnowthatwedisputedtheright,theyviewedtheinfringementonwhattheyconsideredlawfullyduewithmostvirtuousindignation。
MARCH6THWewereinformedthatthepeopleonthewestoftheChiboqueofNjambiwerefamiliarwiththevisitsofslave-traders;
anditwastheopinionofourguidesfromKangenkethatsomanyofmycompanionswouldbedemandedfromme,inthesamemannerasthepeopleofNjambihaddone,thatIshouldreachthecoastwithoutasingleattendant;IthereforeresolvedtoalterourcourseandstrikeawaytotheN。N。E。,inthehopethatatsomepointfarthernorthImightfindanexittothePortuguesesettlementofCassange。
Weproceededatfirstduenorth,withtheKasabivillagesonourright,andtheKasauonourleftDuringthefirsttwentymileswecrossedmanysmall,butnowswollenstreams,havingtheusualboggybanks,andwhereverthewaterhadstoodforanylengthoftimeitwasdiscoloredwithrustofironWesawa“nakong“antelopeoneday,araresightinthisquarter;andmanynewandprettyflowersadornedthevalleysWecouldobservethedifferenceintheseasonsinournorthingincompanywiththesunSummerwasnownearlyoveratKuruman,andfaradvancedatLinyanti,butherewewereinthemiddleofit;
fruits,whichwehadeatenripeontheLeeambye,wereherequitegreen;
butwewerecomingintotheregionwheretheinhabitantsarefavoredwithtworainyseasonsandtwocrops,i。e。,whenthesunisgoingsouth,andwhenhecomesbackonhiswaytothenorth,aswasthecaseatpresent。
Onthe8th,oneofthemenhadleftanounceortwoofpowderatoursleeping-place,andwentbackseveralmilesforit。
Myclothingbeingwetfromcrossingastream,Iwascompelledtowaitforhim;
hadIbeenmovinginthesunIshouldhavefeltnoharm,buttheinactionledtoaviolentfitoffeverThecontinuanceofthisattackwasasourceofmuchregret,forwewentonnextdaytoasmallrivuletcalledChihune,inalovelyvalley,andhad,forawonder,aclearskyandaclearmoon;butsuchwastheconfusionproducedinmymindbythestateofmybody,thatIcouldscarcelymanage,aftersomehours’trial,togetalunarobservationinwhichIcouldreposeconfidenceTheChihuneflowsintotheLonge,andthatintotheChihombo,afeederoftheKasaiThosewhoknowthedifficultiesoftakingaltitudes,times,anddistances,andcommittingallofthemtopaper,willsympathizewithmeinthisandmanysimilarinstancesWhileatChihune,themenofavillagebroughtwaxforsale,and,onfindingthatwewishedhoney,wentoffandsoonbroughtahiveAllthebeesinthecountryareinpossessionofthenatives,fortheyplacehivessufficientforthemallAfterhavingascertainedthis,weneverattendedthecallofthehoney-guide,forweweresureitwouldonlyleadustoahivewhichwehadnorighttotouch。
Thebirdcontinuesitshabitofinvitingattentiontothehoney,thoughitsservicesinthisdistrictareneveractuallyneeded。
MyMakolololamentedthattheyneverknewbeforethatwaxcouldbesoldforanythingofvalue。
Aswetraverseasuccessionofopenlawnsanddeepforests,itisinterestingtoobservesomethinglikeinstinctdevelopedevenintrees。
Onewhich,whencut,emitsamilkyjuice,ifmetwithontheopenlawns,growsasanordinaryumbrageoustree,andshowsnodispositiontobeaclimber;whenplantedinaforestitstilltakesthesameform,thensendsoutaclimbingbranch,whichtwinesroundanothertreeuntilitrisesthirtyorfortyfeet,ortotheleveloftheothertrees,andtherespreadsoutasecondcrownwhereitcanenjoyafairshareofthesun’sraysInpartsoftheforeststillmoredensethanthis,itassumestheformofaclimberonly,andatonceavailsitselfoftheassistanceofatallneighborbywindingvigorouslyroundit,withoutattemptingtoformalowerhead。
Itdoesnotsucceedsowellasparasitesproper,butwhereforcedtocontendforspaceitmaybemistakenforonewhichisinvariablyaclimber。
Thepathsherewereverynarrowandverymuchencumberedwithgiganticcreepers,oftenasthickasaman’slegTheremustbesomereasonwhytheyprefer,insomedistricts,togouptreesinthecommonformofthethreadofascrewratherthaninanyother。
OntheonebankoftheChihunetheyappearedtoapersonstandingoppositethemtowindupfromlefttoright,ontheotherbankfromrighttoleftIimaginedthiswasowingtothesunbeingatoneseasonoftheyearontheirnorthandatanotherontheirsouth。
ButontheLeeambyeIobservedcreeperswindinguponoppositesidesofthesamereed,andmakingafigurelikethelacingsofasandal。
InpassingthroughthesenarrowpathsIhadanopportunityofobservingthepeculiaritiesofmyox“Sinbad“Hehadasofterbackthantheothers,butamuchmoreintractabletemperHishornswerebentdownwardandhungloosely,sohecoulddonoharmwiththem;butaswewendedourwayslowlyalongthenarrowpath,hewouldsuddenlydartaside。
Astringtiedtoastickputthroughthecartilageofthenoseservesinsteadofabridle:ifyoujerkthisback,itmakeshimrunfasteron;
ifyoupullittooneside,heallowsthenoseandheadtogo,butkeepstheoppositeeyedirectedtotheforbiddenspot,andgoesinspiteofyouTheonlywayhecanbebroughttoastandisbyastrokewithawandacrossthenoseWhenSinbadraninbelowaclimberstretchedoverthepathsolowthatIcouldnotstoopunderit,Iwasdraggedoffandcamedownonthecrownofmyhead;andheneverallowedanopportunityofthekindtopasswithouttryingtoinflictakick,asifIneitherhadnordeservedhislove。
Aremarkablepeculiarityintheforestsofthiscountryistheabsenceofthorns:therearebuttwoexceptions;
oneatreebearingaspeciesof`nuxvomica’,andasmallshrubveryliketheplantofthesarsaparilla,bearing,inadditiontoitshookedthorns,bunchesofyellowberriesThethornlessnessofthevegetationisespeciallynoticeabletothosewhohavebeeninthesouth,wherethereissogreatavarietyofthorn-bearingplantsandtrees。
Wehavethornsofeverysizeandshape;thornsstraight,thinandlong,shortandthick,orhooked,andsostrongastobeabletocutevenleatherlikeaknifeSeed-vesselsarescatteredeverywherebytheseappendages。
Oneliesflatasashillingwithtwothornsinitscentre,readytorunintothefootofanyanimalthattreadsuponit,andsticktherefordaystogetherAnotherthe`Uncariaprocumbens’,orGrapple-plant
hassomanyhookedthornsastoclingmosttenaciouslytoanyanimaltowhichitmaybecomeattached;whenithappenstolayholdofthemouthofanox,theanimalstandsandroarswithpainandasenseofhelplessness。
Wheneverapartoftheforesthasbeenclearedforagarden,andafterwardabandoned,aspeciesofplant,withleaveslikethoseofginger,springsup,andcontendsforthepossessionofthesoilwithagreatcropoffernsThisisthecaseallthewaydowntoAngola,andshowsthegreatdifferenceofclimatebetweenthisandtheBechuanacountry,whereafern,exceptoneortwohardyspecies,isneverseenTheplantsabovementionedbearaprettypinkflowerclosetotheground,whichissucceededbyascarletfruitfullofseeds,yielding,assomanyfruitsinthiscountrydo,apleasantacidjuice,which,liketherest,isprobablyintendedasacorrectivetothefluidsofthesysteminthehotclimate。