Chap. IX. TRErARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 201 



body, and tlms, becoming of one blood, you are 

 naturally led to love tliem, ajid grant them what 

 tbey wish. It is not a pleasant subject of reflection, 

 but I have no doubt been operated upon on pre- 

 vious journeys ; being now, however, aware of the 

 custom, I refused the food, and told Mayolo I cared 

 very little to eat of the scraped skull of his grand- 

 father. Of course, Mayolo indignantly denied it ; 

 he said he had offered me food out of pure love 

 for me. 



The last days of May were employed in re-packing 

 my large stores of baggage. It was a most laborious 

 task ; everything had to be sorted, and all that was 

 not absolutely necessary secured in packages to be 

 left behind. How I wished it were possible to travel 

 through Africa with a lighter load ! Amongst the 

 things to be left behind were the remains of my 

 photographical outfit ; I packed them up with a 

 heavy heart, so much did I regret being unable to 

 continue taking photographs. Notwithstanding the 

 lightening of my loads, I still required forty-five 

 porters to carry them. 



A few days before my departure we held a grand 



palaver, and I made my request for the requisite 



number of porters. All wished to go, and, to the 



credit of Mayolo, I must say that I never had less 



trouble in arranging the terms of payment. To 



Mayolo himself I gave all the goods that I had set 



apart to leave behind, owing to the necessity of 



lightening my baggage, including all that remained 



of my photographic apparatus. I had given to him 



more presents than to any other chief, with the 

 15 



