BLUFF 237 



house ; in spite of his gun and his fierce looks he 

 kept at a reasonable distance from me, thinking 

 probably that I carried a revolver in my pocket. I 

 installed myself as comfortably as the circumstances 

 would allow in the verandah of his house, and patiently 

 awaited events from seven o'clock until after mid- 

 day, when the affair ended ludicrously enough in 

 rain. Lusanghi paid me visits at intervals, and 

 looked unutterable things and uttered things that 

 cannot be published ; but when a deluge of rain 

 came down and threatened to spoil his many- 

 coloured garment, he gave in at once, and the 

 porters were forthcoming in five minutes. 



I have related this incident at some length to 

 show the kind of difficulties which the foreign 

 traveller may expect to encounter in some parts 

 of the Upper Congo. Such a thing could not 

 possibly occur to State officials, because they never 

 go anywhere without a certain number of soldiers as 

 escort, and an insolent person would very soon find 

 himself in trouble ; but people travelling, as we were, 

 without any outward signs of authority, are abso- 

 lutely at the mercy of the chiefs of the countries 

 through which they pass. 



From inquiries that I made about my friend 

 Lusanghi, it appeared that he had very materially 

 assisted the Government in quelling the Arab revolt 

 a few years before. The Belgians had very unwisely 

 shown their gratitude for his services by making him 

 chief paramount over many minor chiefs and an 



