Chap. II. KING OLENGA-YOMBI. 29 



my own case, on my former journey, owing- to my 

 popularity among the chiefs and the powerful friend- 

 ship of Quengueza. It was now my aim to get this 

 new law repealed, at least as far as I was concerned ; 

 and on the 22nd of November King Olenga-Yombi 

 came in person to my village on the Fernand Yaz, to 

 hold a palaver thereupon. 



King Olenga-Yombi still retained his old habits 

 of dr-unkenness, which I have described in ' Equatorial 

 Africa ; ' and although it was early in the morn- 

 ing when he came to see me, he was already fuddled 

 with palm wine. I made him a present of a very 

 long blue coat, the tails of which dangled about his 

 ankles when he walked, and a light yellow waistcoat 

 with gilt buttons ; with these he strutted about with 

 the true pride of an African king, and they seemed 

 to please him quite as much as the muskets and many 

 other more useful articles which I added to the gift. 

 A single word from Olenga-Yombi might have hin- 

 dered me from passing up the river ; for, although in 

 council the head chiefs of these tribes have no more 

 influence than the other speakers, they have the 

 power of veto in many things. There is a certain 

 spirit of loyalty amongst these Africans which leads 

 them not to disobey a positive prohibition by the 

 superior chief, although he may not have the physical 

 power to enforce obedience. It was important there- 

 fore for me to conciliate this drunken negro chief. 



The palaver was held in the council-house of the 

 village, a large open shed, chairs being placed for 

 the principal speakers. There was a Mpongwe man 

 present who had recently come from the Gaboon, en- 



