118 KARONGO. 



While this was going on, having perceived several 

 fishermen engaged a little way off hauling in nets, I 

 strolled down to watch them. They succeeded in 

 catching a large quantity of small fish, about the size 

 of a half-pound perch, and not unlike that fish in 

 shape. Most of them were of a beautiful blue colour, 

 while many were red from the mouth to half an inch 

 behind the gills, the rest bright blue. They present- 

 ed me with one, the largest they had caught. On 

 returning, I found that the chief, Karongo, had ar- 

 rived, and was inspecting the boat. He was a little 

 man, his countenance bearing decidedly a bad caste, 

 and he seemed suspicious, and very curious to see and 

 know everything. His whole contour gave me the 

 idea of a man well practised in every art of vice and 

 villainy. However, he told the same story we had 

 already heard, further stating that the white man had 

 given him a spoon, whicli he sent for at once. The 

 messenger soon returned with it, and there could be 

 no doubt of its being of English manufacture. Mr. 

 Young asked him to give it to him, but the chief re- 

 fused, and said that he must have two fathoms of cloth 

 and some beads in lieu of it. This demand was too 

 exorbitant to be complied with. However, he was 

 shown a better, newer, and, what Karongo seemed to 

 prize most, a brighter spoon, and an even ^' swop " 

 was made. He told us that the white man had re- 

 mained a few days in his village, and asked us to walk 

 up and see the room in which he had slept, and where 

 and how he had tied up the cloth house (mosquito 

 curtains.) 



Mr. Young, Sinjerry, and myself accompanied him 



