126 THE PLAGUE IN ASHIRA-LAND. Chap. YII. 



under the coarse skin of the savage, the noble heart 

 of a man who had hut the promptings of generous 

 instinct to guide him. 



A few days afterwards Quengueza, at my earnest 

 persuasion, sent away all his people, and used his 

 influence with Olenda to get me again a number 

 of porters to continue my journey. The Ashira 

 tried to persuade Quengueza to leave me, promising 

 him they would take care of me. The old chief had 

 a very stormy palaver with Olenda, and taunted him 

 with his inability to send me forward on my journey. 

 He threatened to return to Goumbi and tell the 

 people how powerless Olenda was, or else to take 

 me to the Bakalai, who would do better than the 

 Ashira had done. Olenda was stung by these re- 

 proaches, and undertook at once to send for his 

 nephew, Arangui (the same w^ho had taken me to 

 the Samba Nagoshi Falls), to guide me to the Otando 

 country. 



Three times I had mustered porters for my on- 

 ward journey, and had each time been disappointed 

 through the poor fellows falling ill of the epidemic 

 before even the packing of the loads was completed. 

 I had now given away a large quantity of my goods, 

 and had much reduced my baggage ; but still it 

 would require more men to carry it than were now 

 in a condition to work in Olenda's village. Thirty 

 men were all that could be mustered at the command 

 of Olenda, and they are so proud that they would 

 not go to another clan to get porters from among 

 their friends. The bargaining for pay was the most 

 difficult r had ever experienced. The rascals knew 



