DuringtheseexcitingscenesIalwaysforgotmyfever,butaterriblesenseofsinkingcamebackwiththefeelingofsafety。
Thesamedemandofpaymentforleavetopasswasmadeonthe20thbyoldIongaPanzaasbytheotherChiboqueIofferedtheshellpresentedbyShinte,butIongaPanzasaidhewastoooldforornaments。
Wemighthavesucceededverywellwithhim,forhewasbynomeansunreasonable,andhadbutaverysmallvillageofsupporters;
butourtwoguidesfromKangenkecomplicatedourdifficultiesbysendingforabodyofBangalatraders,withaviewtoforceustosellthetusksofSekeletu,andpaythemwiththepriceWeofferedtopaythemhandsomelyiftheywouldperformtheirpromiseofguidingustoCassange,buttheyknewnomoreofthepathsthanwedid;
andmymenhadpaidthemrepeatedly,andtriedtogetridofthem,butcouldnotTheynowjoinedwithourenemies,andsodidthetraders。
Twogunsandsomebeadsbelongingtothelatterwerestandinginourencampment,andtheguidesseizedthemandranoff。
Asmymenknewthatweshouldbecalledupontoreplacethem,theygavechase,andwhentheguidessawthattheywouldbecaught,theythrewdowntheguns,directedtheirflighttothevillage,andrushedintoahut。
Thedoorwayisnotmuchhigherthanthatofadog’skennelOneoftheguideswasreachedbyoneofmymenashewasintheactofstoopingtogetin,andacutwasinflictedonaprojectingpartofthebodywhichwouldhavemadeanyoneinthatposturewinceThegunswererestored,butthebeadswerelostintheflightAllIhadremainingofmystockofbeadscouldnotreplacethoselost;andthoughweexplainedthatwehadnopartintheguiltoftheact,thetradersrepliedthatwehadbroughtthethievesintothecountry;thesewereoftheBangala,whohadbeenaccustomedtoplaguethePortugueseinthemostvexatiouswayWewerestrivingtogetapassagethroughthecountry,and,feelinganxiousthatnocrimewhatevershouldbelaidtoourcharge,triedtheconciliatoryplanhere,thoughwewerenot,asintheotherinstances,likelytobeoverpoweredbynumbers。
Mymenofferedalltheirornaments,andIofferedallmybeadsandshirts;
but,thoughwehadcometothevillageagainstourwill,andtheguideshadalsofolloweduscontrarytoourdesire,andhadevensentfortheBangalatraderswithoutourknowledgeorconsent,yetmatterscouldnotbearrangedwithoutourgivinganoxandoneofthetusks。
Wewereallbecomingdisheartened,andcouldnotwonderthatnativeexpeditionsfromtheinteriortothecoasthadgenerallyfailedtoreachtheirdestinationsMypeoplewerenowsomuchdiscouragedthatsomeproposedtoreturnhome;theprospectofbeingobligedtoreturnwhenjustonthethresholdofthePortuguesesettlementsdistressedmeexceedinglyAfterusingallmypowersofpersuasion,IdeclaredtothemthatiftheyreturnedIwouldgoonalone,andwentintomylittletentwiththeminddirectedtoHimwhohearsthesighingofthesoul,andwassoonfollowedbytheheadofMohorisi,saying,“Wewillneverleaveyou。
DonotbedisheartenedWhereveryouleadwewillfollow。
Ourremarksweremadeonlyonaccountoftheinjusticeofthesepeople。”
Othersfollowed,andwiththemostartlesssimplicityofmannertoldmetobecomforted“theywereallmychildren;theyknewnoonebutSekeletuandme,andtheywoulddieforme;theyhadnotfoughtbecauseIdidnotwishit;theyhadjustspokeninthebitternessoftheirspirit,andwhenfeelingthattheycoulddonothing;butiftheseenemiesbeginyouwillseewhatwecando。”OneoftheoxenweofferedtotheChiboquehadbeenrejectedbecausehehadlostpartofhistail,astheythoughtthatithadbeencutoffandwitchcraftmedicineinserted;
andsomemirthwasexcitedbymyproposingtoraiseasimilarobjectiontoalltheoxenwestillhadinourpossessionTheremainingfoursoonpresentedasingularshortnessoftheircaudalextremities,andthoughnooneeveraskedwhethertheyhadmedicineinthestumpsorno,wewerenomoretroubledbythedemandforanox!Wenowslaughteredanotherox,thatthespectaclemightnotbeseenoftheownersofthecattlefastingwhiletheChiboquewerefeasting。
GuidesprepaidBarkCanoesDesertedbyGuides
MistakesrespectingtheCoanzaFeelingsoffreedSlaves
GardensandVillagesNativeTradersAGraveValleyoftheQuango
BambooWhiteLarvaeusedasFoodBashinjeInsolence
AposingQuestionTheChiefSansaweHisHostility
PasshimsafelyTheRiverQuangoChief’smodeofdressinghisHair
OppositionOpportuneAidbyCyprianoHisgenerousHospitality
AbilityofHalf-castestoreadandwriteBooksandImages
MaraudingPartyburnedintheGrassArriveatCassangeAgoodSupperKindnessofCaptainNevesPortugueseCuriosityandQuestions
AnniversaryoftheResurrectionNoPrejudiceagainstColor
CountryaroundCassangeSellSekeletu’sIvoryMakololo’sSurpriseatthehighPriceobtainedProposaltoreturnHome,andReasons
Soldier-guideHillKasalaTalaMungongo,Villageof
CivilityofBasongoTrueNegroesAFieldofWheat
CarriersSleeping-placesFeverEnterDistrictofAmbaca
GoodFruitsofJesuitTeachingThe`Tampan’;itsBite
UniversalHospitalityofthePortugueseATaleoftheMambari
ExhilaratingEffectsofHighlandSceneryDistrictofGolungoAlto
WantofgoodRoadsFertilityForestsofgiganticTimber
NativeCarpentersCoffeeEstateSterilityofCountryneartheCoast
MosquitoesFearsoftheMakololoWelcomebyMrGabrieltoLoanda。
24THIongaPanza’ssonsagreedtoactasguidesintotheterritoryofthePortugueseifIwouldgivethemtheshellgivenbyShinte。
Iwasstronglyaversetothis,andespeciallytogiveitbeforehand,butyieldedtotheentreatyofmypeopletoappearasifshowingconfidenceinthesehopefulyouthsTheyurgedthattheywishedtoleavetheshellwiththeirwives,asasortofpaymenttothemforenduringtheirhusbands’absencesolongHavingdeliveredthepreciousshell,wewentwest-by-northtotheRiverChikapa,whichherelat10d22’S。
isfortyorfiftyyardswide,andatpresentwasdeep;
itwasseenflowingoverarocky,brokencataractwithgreatnoiseabouthalfamileaboveourfordWewereferriedoverinacanoe,madeoutofasinglepieceofbarksewedtogetherattheends,andhavingsticksplacedinitatdifferentpartstoactasribs。
ThewordChikapameansbarkorskin;andasthisistheonlyriverinwhichwesawthiskindofcanoeused,andweheardthatthisstreamissolowduringmostoftheyearastobeeasilyfordable,itprobablyderivesitsnamefromtheusemadeofthebarkcanoeswhenitisinfloodWenowfeltthelossofourpontoon,forthepeopletowhomthecanoebelongedmadeuspayoncewhenwebegantocross,thenasecondtimewhenhalfofuswereover,andathirdtimewhenallwereoverbutmyprincipalmanPitsaneandmyself。
Loyanketookoffhisclothandpaidmypassagewithit。
TheMakololoalwaysferriedtheirvisitorsoverriverswithoutpay,andnowbegantoremarkthattheymustinfuturefleecetheMambariastheseChiboquehaddonetous;theyhadallbeenloudincondemnationofthemeanness,andwhenIaskediftheycoulddescendtobeequallymean,Iwasansweredthattheywouldonlydoitinrevenge。
Theyliketohaveaplausibleexcuseformeanness。
Nextmorningourguideswentonlyaboutamile,andthentoldustheywouldreturnhomeIexpectedthiswhenpayingthembeforehand,inaccordancewiththeentreatiesoftheMakololo,whoareratherignorantoftheworldVeryenergeticremonstranceswereaddressedtotheguides,buttheyslippedoffonebyoneinthethickforestthroughwhichwewerepassing,andIwasgladtohearmycompanionscomingtotheconclusionthat,aswewerenowinpartsvisitedbytraders,wedidnotrequiretheguides,whosechiefusehadbeentopreventmisapprehensionofourobjectsinthemindsofthevillagers。
Thecountrywassomewhatmoreundulatingnowthanithadbeen,andseveralfinesmallstreamsflowedindeepwoodydells。
Thetreesareverytallandstraight,andtheforestsgloomyanddamp;
thegroundinthesesolitudesisquitecoveredwithyellowandbrownmosses,andlight-coloredlichensclotheallthetreesThesoilisextremelyfertile,beinggenerallyablackloamcoveredwithathickcropoftallgrassesWepassedseveralvillagestoo。
Theheadmanofalargeonescoldeduswellforpassing,whenheintendedtogiveusfoodWhereslave-tradershavebeeninthehabitofcoming,theypresentfood,thendemandthreeorfourtimesitsvalueasacustom。
Wewerenowrathergladtogetpastvillageswithoutintercoursewiththeinhabitants。
WeweretravelingW。N。W。,andalltherivuletsweherecrossedhadanortherlycourse,andwerereportedtofallintotheKasaiorLoke;
mostofthemhadthepeculiarboggybanksofthecountry。
AswewerenowintheallegedlatitudeoftheCoanza,IwasmuchastonishedattheentireabsenceofanyknowledgeofthatriveramongthenativesofthisquarterButIwasthenignorantofthefactthattheCoanzarisesconsiderablytothewestofthis,andhasacomparativelyshortcoursefromitssourcetothesea。
ThefamousDrLacerdaseemstohavelaboredunderthesamemistakeasmyself,forherecommendedthegovernmentofAngolatoestablishachainoffortsalongthebanksofthatriver,withaviewtocommunicationwiththeoppositecoastAsachainoffortsalongitscoursewouldleadsouthwardinsteadofeastward,wemayinferthatthegeographicaldatawithinreachofthateminentmanwerenobetterthanthoseaccordingtowhichIhaddirectedmycoursetotheCoanzawhereitdoesnotexist。
26THWespentSundayonthebanksoftheQuiloorKweelo,hereastreamofabouttenyardswideItrunsinadeepglen,thesidesofwhicharealmostfivehundredyardsofslope,androcky,therocksbeinghardenedcalcareoustufalyingonclayshaleandsandstonebelow,withacappingofferruginousconglomerate。
Thescenerywouldhavebeenverypleasing,butfevertookawaymuchofthejoyoflife,andseveredailyintermittentsrenderedmeveryweakandalwaysgladtorecline。
Aswewerenowintheslave-market,itstruckmethatthesenseofinsecurityfeltbythenativesmightaccountforthecircumstancethatthosewhohavebeensoldasslavesandfreedagain,whenquestioned,professtolikethenewstatebetterthantheirprimitiveone。
Theylivedonrich,fertileplains,whichseldominspirethatloveofcountrywhichthemountainsdoIftheyhadbeenmountaineers,theywouldhavepinedforhomeToonewhohasobservedthehardtoilofthepoorinoldcivilizedcountries,thestateinwhichtheinhabitantshereliveisoneofgloriouseaseThecountryisfulloflittlevillages。
Foodabounds,andverylittlelaborisrequiredforitscultivation;
thesoilissorichthatnomanureisrequired;whenagardenbecomestoopoorforgoodcropsofmaize,millet,etc。,theownerremovesalittlefartherintotheforest,appliesfireroundtherootsofthelargertreestokillthem,cutsdownthesmaller,andanew,richgardenisreadyfortheseedThegardensusuallypresenttheappearanceofalargenumberoftall,deadtreesstandingwithoutbark,andmaizegrowingbetweenthemTheoldgardenscontinuetoyieldmaniocforyearsaftertheownershaveremovedtootherspotsforthesakeofmilletandmaizeBut,whilevegetablealimentisabundant,thereisawantofsaltandanimalfood,sothatnumberlesstrapsareseen,setformice,inalltheforestsofLondaThevegetabledietleavesgreatcravingforflesh,andIhavenodoubtbutthat,whenanordinaryquantityofmixedfoodissuppliedtofreedslaves,theyactuallydofeelmorecomfortablethantheydidathome。
Theirassertions,however,meanbutlittle,fortheyalwaystrytogiveananswertoplease,andifoneshowedthemanuggetofgold,theywouldgenerallysaythattheseaboundedintheircountry。
Onecoulddetect,inpassing,thevarietyofcharacterfoundamongtheownersofgardensandvillagesSomevillageswerethepicturesofneatness。
Weenteredothersenvelopedinawildernessofweeds,sohighthat,whensittingonox-backinthemiddleofthevillage,wecouldonlyseethetopsofthehutsIfweenteredatmidday,theownerswouldcomelazilyforth,pipeinhand,andleisurelypuffawayindreamyindifference。
Insomevillagesweedsarenotallowedtogrow;cotton,tobacco,anddifferentplantsusedasrelishesareplantedroundthehuts;
fowlsarekeptincages,andthegardenspresentthepleasantspectacleofdifferentkindsofgrainandpulseatvariousperiodsoftheirgrowth。
Isometimesadmiredtheoneclass,andattimeswishedIcouldhavetakentheworldeasyforatimeliketheother。