234 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Chap. XII. 



clayey. I notice that many of the men have their 

 two middle upper incisor teeth pulled out, and the 

 two next to them filed to a point. Some of the 

 women beautify themselves in a similar way ; they 

 also endeavour to improve their looks by tattooing 

 themselves in long scars on their foreheads, between 

 their eyebrows, and on their cheeks in a line with 

 the middle of the ear. 



The people of Nchiengain's village are all Bam- 

 bais or Bambas — that is, the children of slaves, 

 born in the country. The women are the prettiest 

 I have seen in Africa ; and many of them had 

 very small feet and hands, which I have remarked 

 is the case with many of the negroes of Equatorial 

 Africa. 



Although the chief seems to be of a good disposition, 

 I found him no better inclined to forward my journey 

 than any of the others I had had dealings with. 

 Like the Olenda people, he wanted the chief who 

 had brought me to his place to leave me in his 

 hands ; this being the first step necessary to enable 

 the rapacious negroes to get all they could out 

 of me at their leisure. j\layolo w^as firm in his 

 demand to have me forwarded across the Eembo 

 in two days, and I supported his arguments by 

 feigning anger at the chief's proposal, and refusing 

 to eat the presents of food he had made me. Our 

 palavers lasted all this day and the next. I gave him 

 a quantity of goods, but, as was to be expected, he 

 expressed his dissatisfaction, with a view to get more 

 out of me. I left Mayolo with him, and by some 

 means or other he persuaded him to be contented. 



