Chap. XIX. FRIENDLY EECEPTION AT MOKENGA. 379 



made a most exciting story of it. I found that lie 

 had gradually increased the number of the people 

 we had killed. At the last place where he told his 

 tale eighteen was the number; he now stated it was 

 thirty. My Commi men were just the same. Modest 

 and tolerably accurate at first, before we were quit 

 of the Ashango territory, they now began to boast 

 frightfully of the deeds of valour they had enacted. 

 Like Sir John Falstaff, they gradually augmented the 

 number they had slain with their own hand. Each 

 of them declared in turn that he had killed several 

 of the enemy, and Mouitchi, who had sneaked into 

 the forest at the commencement, and had taken no 

 part in the struggle, ^^■as more boastful than any of 

 them. He was firm in his statement that he had 

 killed five with his own hand. The further w^e 

 travelled from the scene of action, the more my 

 valiant Commi boys exaggerated the nimiber they 

 had slain ; until at Quengueza's the total had reached 

 the fearful fiirure of 150. 



o 



The sympathy and hospitality shown to us by the 

 Mokenga people, after the speech of Magouga, were 

 quite remarkable. Old Mokounga, our former Ishogo 

 head guide, took me to liis own house, saying I was 

 his guest and must stay with him, and the villagers 

 invited my men to stay with them. Sugar-cane, 

 plantains, and ground-nuts were brought to us and 

 given to my people ; Mokounga gave me a goat ; 

 kettles and firewood were brought to us to cook our 

 food ; in short, the kind-hearted people seemed to be 

 sincerely happy to see us back amongst them, and I 

 felt happy myself. 



