i8o ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



him that air of distinction which unmistakably 

 denotes the chief. On two occasions I happened to 

 pass through his village. On the first, I encamped 

 just on the outskirts of his kraal, and he came down 

 to meet me with a retinue of about seventy men, all 

 armed with muzzle-loading rifles, to inquire what I 

 was doing in his country, and whether I wasn't 

 afraid to come there without his permission and 

 with so few men. I replied that I was an English- 

 man, and had nothing to fear ; that I had seven 

 rifles, five of which had ten cartridges in each of 



o 



them, and should trouble arise, each cartridge 

 would mean at least one dead man. I assured him, 

 however, that I was not there for fighting, but 

 simply on my way to the Lujenda River, in search 

 of elephants, and desired to purchase some food for 

 my men and myself from his villagers, to which he 

 replied that an Englishman was welcome to pass 

 through his country, but that he would spill his last 

 drop of blood in resisting the aggression of the 

 Portuguese shensis (heathens). To show that I 

 was desirous of being friendly, I gave him a cupful 

 of whisky and a bowl of tea, and no sooner had he 

 put these out of sight, than he begged for more. 

 This I promised to let him have next day, and on 

 returning to his village, he sent me fowls, eggs, and 

 goats for myself, and plenty of flour and native 

 beer for my men. 



