Chap. XVI. VILLAGE OF MONGON. 327 



reply was the same — the people there also would ask 

 them for some of the meat. They succeeded in eat- 

 ing the wdiole of the goat at one meal ; after wliich 

 they came to me saying, " You see we have eaten 

 the whole of it. Ashango people have big stomachs 

 — we do not want any one to help us to eat the 

 goats that you will give us. It is a bore that people 

 cannot be allowed to eat their meals in quiet, without 

 others coming to ask them for some of the food." I 

 could not help laughing ; for these very fellows had 

 been plaguing my men at Niembouai every time we 

 killed a goat ; and they used to make such a terrific 

 noise, praising the meat, and begging for some of it, 

 that I often had to come out of my hut, and diive the 

 whole lot of them away. 



The country continued very hilly, and we made 

 detours to avoid the steep ascents. At length, a little 

 before the sun set, we reached the village of Mongon. 

 Many of my porters had relatives here, and we were 

 received in a friendly manner. We passed the night 

 in the village, and I was fortunate enough to take 

 several lunar observations, which gave 12° 3' 37" E. 

 long., and I found the latitude to be 1° 56' 45" S. 

 I was only able to take one meridian altitude ; but it 

 was a very successful one, and may be relied upon. 

 The place is the most elevated I have yet found, 

 being 2488 feet above the sea-level. I was glad to 

 find we had made a little northing duriiDg the day's 

 march. 



July Gth. I had great difficulty in getting my men 

 away this morning. They wanted to spend the day 

 idling and drinking with their friends, who had 



