Chap. VI. PALAVER TO DISCUSS THE ROUTE. 115 



he should give them some of the presents I had given 

 him. A few days afterwards Remandji died, and 

 his son shortly followed him. The cry of witchcraft 

 of course was raised, one party saying that some of 

 the neighbouring people had killed their chief, 

 through envy of his possession of the ntangani, 

 whilst others (and these prevailed) said that I had 

 killed him, wishing, on account of the friendship I 

 had for him, to carry him with me to my own country. 

 The present chief, I afterwards learnt, had secretly 

 sent messengers to Olenda to warn him against for- 

 warding me through his country. He said that he 

 did not want to follow the " spirit," as Remandji and 

 his son had done, but would prefer to stop at home 

 and eat plantains. The present world was good 

 enough for him. 



Such is a fair sample of the wild fancies and whim- 

 sical superstitions of these strange people, which 

 interpose the most irritating obstacles to the pro- 

 gress of the African traveller. It was clear I must 

 ■renounce my project of travelling through Apingi- 

 land, with such a charge hanging over my head. 



After a long discussion and many irrelevant 

 speeches, it was decided that I should go through the 

 Otando country, and that Olenda should send forth- 

 with a messenger to the chief, apprising him of the 

 intended visit, and requesting him to send a party of 

 men to help in carrying my baggage. This is the 

 best, and, indeed, the only plan of getting from place 

 to place in this part of Africa. 



I now anticipated but a short delay in Olenda, as 

 on the arrival of men from Otando I should pack 



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