122 ASIIIRA-LAND. Chaf. VI. 



the other causes of unfriendliness, threatened to em- 

 barrass my movements. After the lapse of a few 

 days, two other cases of the disease occurred, also in 

 men who had carried my goods from the Bakalai 

 country. I began to be alarmed, for I knew what 

 havoc such a pestilence would cause amongst these 

 people if it gained head. But I had no fear for 

 myself, for I had been, fortunately, re-vaccinated in 

 London a fortnight before I left England, little think- 

 ing what I should have afterwards to pass through. 



The first step I took was to keep my Commi men 

 away from the places where the disease had shown 

 itself. This was remarked by the people, and their 

 suspicions were strengthened. They began boldly 

 to accuse me of having introduced the eviva (thing 

 that spreads, i.e., the plague), or, as they sometimes 

 called it, the ojyumja (a bad wind), amongst them ; they 

 declared that I had brought death with me instead of 

 bringing good to the people ; that I was an evil spirit ; 

 that I had killed Remandji, king of the Apingi, and 

 so forth. Hence arose angry disputes. Quengueza, 

 never a very good-tempered man, grew furious. He 

 asked them whether they thought that he, the king 

 who held the passage of the Rembo, had come with 

 his white man into the bush amongst these pigs of 

 Ashira to be cursed? Old Olenda held Quengueza 

 in great respect, and invariably sided with him in 

 our troublesome disputes with the Ashira people. 

 Some days passed in this way. I strove my utmost 

 to get away from the place before the disease had 

 made further progress. Olenda had sent orders 



