284 ACROSS AFEICA. [Chap. 



September, tliatcli over the doors being so cut and arranged as to form 

 1874. porclies. 



During the night a rifle and cartridge-pouch being stolen, I 

 spoke to the chief respecting the theft. He declared he knew 

 nothing about it, and begged and prayed me not to destroy liis 

 village on account of it. 



Of course I had no intention of doing this, and so I told him ; 

 but he could hardly believe such forbearance on my part pos- 

 sible. And when he saw us depart without having done any 

 harm, his delight knew no bounds, and, to show his gratitude for 

 what he evidently considered my unwonted lenity, he brought 

 some goats to our next camp as a gift. I only accepted one, and 

 gave him a present in return, on which he knelt down and fair- 

 ly covered himself with mud in token of thankfulness. I told 

 him Englishmen did not punish indiscriminately for theft, and 

 that even if I had caught the thief 1 should only have compelled 

 him to return the stolen rifle, and have given him a sound 

 flogging. He had never before heard of such merciful treat- 

 ment, and said the inhabitants of villages fled on the approach 

 of the caravan because the only strangers they had any pre- 

 vious knowledge of were those who came slave - hunting, and 

 seized the slightest pretext to make war and destroy villages for 

 the sake of obtaining slaves and plunder. 



For another few days we marched along by the Lomami, and 

 then my guides became doubtful about the road, and endeavored 

 to work east. One day, after the road had been declared lost 

 and found again three times in an hour, my patience was so 

 tried that I decided to walk on in the direction I wanted to 

 go, whether the guides were satisfied or not. For some time 

 not a man followed me; still I went forward by myself, and 

 then sat down and smoked a pipe, quietly waiting to see the 

 turn events would take. 



Soon four men came running after me without their loads, 

 saying I was going the wrong way, I replied that the only 

 right way was the road I wanted to travel, and that was in the 

 direction I was then walking. 



On hearing this, and seeing my determination, they left me. 

 and I continued on my way. Bombay then followed, and en- 

 deavored to frighten me by declaring that every man would 



