300 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



October, lied, his word being as good as his bond ; and, indeed, that he 

 1874. ^.j^g altogether the most honest man on the face of the earth. 



When we had exchanged greetings, and I had informed him 

 of my name, nationality, and the object of my journey, I in- 

 quired into his history, and learned that Dondo, on the river 

 Kwanza, in the province of Angola, was his native place. He 

 left there more than twenty years ago, and had spent the great- 

 er portion of that period in traveling and trading in the in- 

 terior, formerly as agent for white mercliants, but latterly on 

 his own account. He gave me to understand that his head- 

 quarters were at Kassanci, and he intended to start on his 

 homeward journey on the return of his men, who were away 

 with Kasongo, as his stores were nearly expended. 



I asked whether he knew any thing of Lake Sankorra, but 

 he had only heard of it, and informed me that people trading 

 there followed a very dangerous route through Mata Yafa's 

 country. Mata Yafa is the native pronunciation of the title of 

 the chief generally called Muata Yanvo by writers on Central 

 Africa. 



I felt much inclined to attempt a visit to Mata Yafa's capital, 

 respecting which some strange accounts have been written, but 

 was told that, the rains having set in, the roads would be well- 

 nigh impassable. Even if I reached the capital, I was warned 

 that I should never return, as the last white man known to have 

 visited his sable majesty was forcibly detained to instruct the 

 people in the art of European warfare, and, after four years of 

 dreary captivity, died there, having had no opportunity of es- 

 caping. 



On inquiring whether a more direct route to the lake existed, 

 I heard that men belonging to Jumah Merikani and Alvez had 

 been within a few days of its shores, but, finding no ivory, tliey 

 had turned back. The road they traversed was only practicable 

 in the dry season, as it led across vast treeless plains intersected 

 by many rivers, and in the rainy season they M'ere converted 

 into swamps. 



Alvez offered to conduct me to Loanda or Benguela, for, in 

 liis opinion, my party was far too small to travel alone through 

 the intervening countries in safety, and it was agreed that on 

 arrival at the coast I could nuike him a present proportionate 



