Chai'. XIX. MAGOUGA STANDS BY US. 375 



come to return it. I learnt afterwards that my men 

 had threatened the people with punishment if they 

 did not restore the whole of the stolen property. 



I had not intended to pass another night at Niem- 

 bouai, and this distrust on the part of the people con- 

 firmed me in my determination, Magouga had, how- 

 ever, given us a goat, and it was necessary to remain 

 until it was killed and cut up into pieces for con- 

 venience of carriage. Rumours of armed men being 

 seen in the bush round the village circulated about 

 in the course of the day, and the villagers pretended 

 to be alarmed lest they should be attacked on account 

 of us. At length we left the place, and after an easy 

 march reached the village, mentioned in the earlier 

 part of this narrative, which the Ashango and Njavi 

 people share together. 



We were again accompanied by our steady friend 

 Magouga, who, after putting his house at Niembouai 

 in order, announced his readiness to guide us safely 

 as far as Mokenga. He was the only native who 

 consented to accompany us out of the district be- 

 longing to his tribe, during any part of our journey 

 towards the coast. There are very strong reasons 

 why these people of the interior object to going 

 far westward ; they are liable to be detained and 

 enslaved, and it never happens that an Ishogo or an 

 Ashango man, who has once left his country for the 

 sea-board tribes, returns to his native land. Perhaps 

 they thought we might kidnap them. Besides, we 

 had lost nearly all our property, and I was no longer 

 the rich Oguizi that dazzled all people with my 

 wealth on my outward march ; it was therefore a 



