2G6 THE MARCH THROUGH APOXO-LAND. Chap. XIIL 



day. At nine we passed over a high hill called 

 Ncooiidja. A number of-Apono people from a vil- 

 lao^e a few miles off, iiiclnding four of their head 

 men, accompanied ns for some distance. Some tam- 

 pering took place with my Apono porters, and I had 

 great difficulty in preventing them from throwing 

 dowm their loads and going back. It was an awk- 

 ward position to be placed in ; but, by dint of coaxing 

 and promising extra pay if they would accompany 

 Kombila to the place to which he and they had 

 agreed to take me, they resumed their loads, and we 

 continued our march. 



We passed two Apono villages near together ; 

 and halted for breakfast by a small stream of w^ater 

 near the second one. We were soon surrounded by 

 villagers bringing fowls and plantains. The noise 

 and confusion were so great that I went away alone 

 for a walk in the thick of the forest, leaving my men 

 to bargain for fowls and eggs. All the villagers 

 wanted to get some of my beads. 



AVe resumed om* march at half-past twelve. Kom- 

 bila annoyed me much by slinking behind, and 

 getting drunk with another of my men, named 

 Mbouka, an elder of Mokaba, who at the last moment 

 said he would accompany us for a ivalk. Under one 

 pretext or another they had remained behind ; and 

 as they had told- the villagers to follow them " with 

 the drink," when they knew that I was far enough 

 off, they took their libations. They both made their 

 appearance after causing a long delay, and Mbouka 

 had a calabash of palm wine in one of the country 

 bags, wdiich I detected, the bag being of a great size. 



