248 MAYOLO TO ArOXO-LAXD. Chap. XII. 



bonring villages came to invite us to their respective 

 villages. One of the elders was from a large place 

 not far distant, called Mokaba, and Mayolo recom- 

 mended me to go to this village in preference to 

 the others, because its representative had offered 

 us the greatest number of goats, namely, three. 

 "When I gave my decision, the other two chiefs were 

 greatly annoyed, and we were very near ha\iiig a 

 serious row amongst them. Nchiengain was too far 

 gone in intoxication, having had a drinking bout 

 vv^ith the chiefs of the village where we now were, to 

 accompany us. As we moved off, the two disap- 

 pointed elders followed, and continued to pester us. 

 One of them had the boldness to come up to me and 

 try to lead me off to his village ; it was droll to witness 

 his fright when I turned sharply on him : he stepped 

 backwards trembling with fear, and waved his leather 

 fan before him, crying, " Oh, don't, Oguizi!" After 

 a short march we entered the more friendly town of 

 Mokaba; amidst the shouts of the whole population. 

 I was alarmed at night in finding Mayolo very 

 feverish and unwell. I had noticed the first symp- 

 toms when at Mouendi. 



I am happy to say that my own men now enjoy 

 much better health than they did at the commence- 

 ment of our expedition ; for, strange to say, these 

 negroes cannot bear as much fatigue and hardship as 

 I do, and generally after a long march or a hunt they 

 fell ill. But I could never make them come and tell 

 me as soon as they felt the first symptoms of being un- 

 well, so, at fixed periods — once a fortnight, or once a 

 month, according to the season — they were summoned 



