346 ACEOSS AFKICA. [Chap. 



June, proper conduct of Lis kinsman, we should be obliged to liurry 

 1875- along on our road. 



The day after camping here, great was my astonishment at 

 the arrival of some of Jumah Merikani's people, bringing me 

 a grass-cloth tent, sent off by him directly on receiving intelli- 

 gence of mine being burned, thus adding to the debt of grati- 

 tude I already owed him for his many and great kindnesses. 

 The men said their orders were to follow until they found me, 

 as it was not to be heard of that an Englishman should travel 

 without a tent, 



Lunga Mandi seemed inclined to be very friendly, and pre- 

 sented me with one good sheep, and sold me another, and in re- 

 turn I made him presents with which he professed himself well 

 satisfied. 



After a time he begged to be allowed to see the effects of 

 fire-arms, and I fired at a target, to give him an idea of the ac- 

 curacy of the rifle, at which he was much astonished. Unfort- 

 unately some one told him about the wonderfully destructive 

 properties of the shell, and he would not be satisfied until I 

 fired one into a tree, when the result so frightened him that he 

 hastily left the camp, and nothing could persuade him to return. 

 I heard afterward that he hid himself in the jungle, under the 

 firm impression that I had been commissioned by Kasongo to 

 take his life. 



Alvez and his people encouraged him in this notion, being 

 rather jealous at his previous friendliness toward me, and I 

 never saw him again, although his sons often came into my hut. 

 They said that, owing to their father's age, he was easily fright- 

 ened ; but assured me that, when the caravan was gone, they 

 would persuade him that I had not the slightest intention of 

 harming him. 



On the eve of the intended start, I heard that some people 

 who had been left behind would not arrive until the following 

 day, when another day was to be allowed for buying food. At 

 the expiration of this time, Alvez told me all was ready for 

 starting, and that we should leave at day - break ; but wlien 

 morning came, a large number declined to move without Coim- 

 bra, who was still engaged in slave-hunting in conjunction with 

 Kasonffo. 



