CIVILITY OF AN " OLD GENTLEMAN. 261 



ing him I should be compelled to remam in the vil- 

 lage till I procured men in their stead, he pro- 

 vided me with the number required, and in the after- 

 noon, which was very sultry and oppressive, we start- 

 ed again down the banks of the river, through more 

 cotton and castor-oil fields. 



About five o'clock I overtook an old man who was' 

 walking along very drunk — behind him marched his 

 two wives, one carrying his bow and arrows, and the 

 other a large pot of pombe. On discovering my pre- 

 sence, he began clapping his hands and laughing vio- 

 lently, his more sober companions moving off the track 

 we were walking, and kneeling down while we passed, 

 in token of respect. The old gentleman, sitting down 

 under a tree, and calling up the lady with the pombe, 

 invited us to drink. The invitation was accepted, and 

 as we found the beer good, it was quickly disposed 

 of by my men and myself. A small bit of calico, 

 given in acknowledgment of this attention, was thank- 

 fully received, and we were off. 



Just before sunset one of my new men informed 

 me that we were close to the village of P'maro 

 (called after the chief), where we should have to sleep, 

 and that I should stop with the remainder of the 

 party where I was, while he went and told the chief 

 that we were coming, so that the people might not be 

 frightened and run away ! In about half an hour, 

 during which a slight shower of rain fell, he returned, 

 and with a downcast countenance stated that the chief 

 was away, and that his brother, who was in command 

 during his absence, said he could not let us into the vil- 

 lage. This was decidedly unpleasant news. We had 



