Chap. XVII. WE LEAVE THE VILLAGE. 347 



I had intended the precious fragments of my kettle 

 as a parting present to the porters when they should 

 have safely conveyed me to Njavi-land, and, being 

 irritated with the evidently underhand dealings of 

 these fellows, I refused their request. The question 

 of more pay was not, however, what had drawn 

 the people to their secret meeting. The true cause 

 of the meeting was the arrival of a deputation, 

 from some villages further ahead, to threaten the 

 Mouaou people with war if they came with me 

 through their villages. The aim of the embarrassed 

 Kombo was apparently to trifle with me with a 

 view of gaining time, during which he might settle 

 his outstanding palavers with the hostile villagers 

 further on. 



The next day (July 25th), on finding there was 

 no chance of our departure, I made up my mind to 

 retire for a time from the village, and show my dis- 

 pleasure in that way ; this being an effective mode 

 of bringing them to reason, for I knew they would 

 come and humbly promise everything I wanted to 

 induce me to come back to the village. To spurn the 

 hospitality of a village, and retire offended from it, 

 touches the primitive African in his tenderest feelings 

 and stings him to the quick. I made all the porters 

 return the pay in beads that I had given them, and 

 then with my men transported my baggage to a dis- 

 tance in the woods, on the borders of one of those 

 beautifully clear streams which are so frequent in 

 this mountainous region. The amount and weight of 

 my baggage were still very great, and carrying the 

 boxes was a work of great labour. The path down 



