394 ACKOSS AFEICA. [Chap. 



October, Here I was delayed for a week, witli scarcely any thing to 

 1875. occupy my time. My first care was to enlist guides for my 

 journey to tlie coast, and to obtain stores for buying provisions 

 on the road, and also some extra cloth with which to clothe my 

 people somewhat respectably for their entry into the Portu- 

 guese settlements. 



Every stitch of European cloth had disappeared from the 

 persons of my followers, and they were now dressed in rags of 

 "Warua grass-cloth. Indeed, some were so nearly naked that 

 they could not possibly have appeared in any place having pre- 

 tensions to civilization. 



In order to procure this clothing, it was necessary to buy 

 ivory and bees-wax from Alvez to exchange, as he assured me 

 it was utterly imjDossible for me to get any credit. But I after- 

 ward found that he had misled me in order to seize another op- 

 portunity of fleecing me by charging a high price for the wax 

 and ivory ; for on meeting Senhor Goncalves, he told me he 

 would readily liave sold cloth to me at Benguela prices, adding 

 only the cost of porterage. 



Further delay also arose through waiting for a guide. Alvez 

 wished to send Chiko ; but he refused, fearing he might be 

 recognized, and Manoel was told off for the duty. 



I had also to await the arrival of some Bailunda — who act as 

 porters between Bilie and the coast — who were to carry thither 

 some wax for Alvez, to be exchanged for stores which would 

 enable him to proceed to Jenje with the view of selling his 

 slaves. 



At last, on the lOtli of October, I started. I selected a small 

 number to accompany me on a visit to Kagnombe, the chief of 

 Bihe, and Senhor Goncalves, leaving the remainder to follow 

 and rejoin me at the settlement of Joao Baptista Ferreira. 



At the moment of marching, one of those whom I had di- 

 rected to come on afterward commenced crying because his 

 chum was going with me. He declared I had sold him to 

 Alvez for a slave, and altogether made such a hullabaloo over 

 the matter that I felt obliged to allow him to join my little 

 party. This man was a sjDecimen of some whom Bombay en- 

 gaged at Zanzibar, and I had to drag across Africa. 



We then marched tlirouo-h fertile and well-wooded country 



