Chap. XIII. NCHIENGAIN'S SPEECH. 253 



intelligence for me. If Mayolo dies I am afraid liis 

 death will be imputed to me. I made presents to 

 the chiefs and elders of Mokaba, to keep them in 

 good humour, and gave a gun to Nchiengain. 



It is settled that nineteen Apono porters are to 

 accompany me to the Ishogo country witli their chief 

 Kombila.* Nchiengain returns to his own place. 

 Before he left me we assembled all our new men, 

 and he made a speech to them whilst I distributed 

 the pay. He told tbem how Olenda had delivered 

 me to Mayolo and Mayolo to him, and that now they 

 must take me safe to the Ishogo people, who would 

 pass me over to the Ashango, and so on. They 

 were to see that I had plenty of goats and plan- 

 tains, and then if their task was well done they 

 would receive their reward as he and his people had 

 done. 



These speeches always have a good effect for the 

 moment, the excitable negroes becoine enthusiastic 

 about the journey, and promise even more than they 

 are required to do. When Nchiengain was about to 

 leave, he delivered up to me a plate and a kettle 

 which he had borrowed of me when we first became 

 acquainted, that he might show the people how great 



* As proper names may be of some utility in the study of the native 

 languages, I subjoin the names of my porters : — 



Head man, Kombila. Second in command, Wbouka. 



