336 ASHANGO-LAND. Chap. XVL 



Commi men, Mouitcln and Rapelina, slaves lent me 

 by my friends Djombouai and Sliolomba on the Fer- 

 nand Yaz. They had lately become, I knew not 

 why, discontented and troublesome, and were detected 

 to-day in pilfering' powder, bullets, and other articles, 

 with the intention of laying in a store of ammunition 

 before running away. Mouitchi was a lazy fellow, 

 and his loss would not have been a very serious 

 matter to me ; but it would not be prudent to lessen 

 the numbers of my small party, and leave these 

 Commi men in the interior. I was obliged to have 

 them both disarmed, and, after considering for some 

 time, decided that it would be best to tell them they 

 might go and find their way back to the coast, if they 

 liked to try. The elders of Niembouai, when they 

 saw I intended to dismiss the two men, treated the 

 matter as a very serious one, and came to me to say 

 that I could not be allowed to leave the men in the 

 country in that way, but that I must name two of 

 the elders of the place to be their protectors or 

 masters. My object, however, was not to get rid 

 of the men, but to show my displeasure at their 

 misconduct ; and I thought the best way to do this 

 was to pretend to be utterly indifierent whether tliey 

 accompanied us any further or not, for this would 

 be likely to make them repent and beg to be taken 

 back again. The event proved that I was not mis- 

 taken : they left the village, but came back repentant 

 the next day. 



July \2tli. ^Ye did not leave Niembouai. Olomba 

 without trouble. First, my porters of Niembouai 

 West wanted an increase of pay ; then the peoj)le 



