XXVI.] DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT OF ALVEZ'S PEOPLE. 341 



The conduct of Alvez's people on the road was disgraceful. June, 

 They attacked any small parties of natives whom they chanced i^*^^- 

 to meet, and plundered their loads, though these consisted chiefly 

 of dried fish and corn, which were being carried as tribute to 

 Kasongo. 



Any cultivated spot they at once fell on like a swarm of lo- 

 custs, and, throwing down their loads, rooted up ground-nuts 

 and sweet-potatoes, and laid waste fields of unripe corn, out of 

 sheer wantonness. In the villages where they camped they 

 cut down bananas and stripped oil -palms of their fronds for 

 building their huts, thus doing irreparable injury to the unfort- 

 unate inhabitants. 



On remonstrating, I was informed that they had permission 

 from Kasongo to take whatever they required. But had they 

 not been armed with guns, they would never have dared to act 

 thus, for on entering countries where the people carried fire- 

 arms these truculent ruffians became mild as sucking doves, and 

 yielded to any demands made upon them by the natives. 



The consequences of this system of living upon the country 

 were to be seen in the entire absence of women and children, 

 goats, pigs, and fowls from the open villages. Only a few men 

 remained in them, in the hope of guarding their huts against 

 being plundered ; but their presence was of little avail. 



While this plundering and looting was carried on in the open, 

 none ventured to separate themselves from the caravan when 

 passing through the jungle, for it was reported to be full of 

 armed men, who would cut off stragglers, and, according to 

 rumor, kill and eat them. 



I kept my men in hand as much as possible, and prevented 

 them from following the bad example set by the rest of the 

 caravan. Yet this only resulted in their being obliged to pur- 

 chase food from Alvez's thieves ; and I should have suffered 

 hunger times without number, had it not been for the rice and 

 flour so generously given me by Jumah Merikaui. Even to 

 the very moment of my leaving Totela he kept me supplied, 

 four men arriving with bags of rice and flour and a bundle of 

 tobacco as we were actually starting. 



A number of rivers were crossed during these four days, and 

 for some distance we marched by the banks of the Kiluilui, or 



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