A CHASE AND A SPEECH 05 



villagers had already run away on our approach, 

 shortly after. ___^ 



The inhabitants apparently mistook our party 

 for that of a Portuguese official collecting labourers, 

 and when we realized this we approached the 

 next village of Tunda, situated 5 miles higher 

 up the Caluando, very cautiously ; sending an 

 advance party to explain that we were merely 

 hunters needing a guide and a little food, for both 

 of which we were willing to pay very handsomely. 

 The Chief of Tunda promised everything, and 

 then ran away with all the men of the village, 

 and we spent the evening rounding up the planta- 

 tions, trying to find a guide and food. After two 

 hours of cross - country scouting and encircling 

 movements, we captured four women working in 

 a field, and one of them, the Chief's daughter, 

 a very pretty girl too, promptly gave away the 

 hiding-place of her father and several other men. 



When the fugitives had been collected and 

 marched back to their village, I told the men 

 that it was discourteous and inhospitable for 

 them to run away from a white traveller, and 

 cowardly to leave their women in the village if 

 they thought we were bad people. The w r omen 

 were shown how unworthy their men folk were 

 of their charms, which they evidently preferred 

 to leave to others ; paid handsomely for all the 

 food commandeered, encouraged to keep the 

 money, and give none to their worthless husbands . 

 This little speech was received with roars of 

 laughter from the women of the village and my 

 own carriers, and the presents with still greater 



