182 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. 
tempers, for a drinking-bout of malafu had just taken 
place; and though the chief was nearly dead drunk, his 
subjects had merely taken sufficient to raise their spirits 
and set their tongues going. They led us up to the place - 
where the chief and his principal men were sitting on 
mats, with jars of palm wine round them, and slaves 
serving it out into a cracked tumbler and a battered tin. 
We were obliged to drink two glasses each as a testimony 
of good-will. I say “ obliged,’ though the obligation was 
by no means unpleasant, for the malafu, made from the 
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THE SHORE AT MUKEMO. 
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sap of the Hyphcene palm, was most delicious and re- 
freshing, and, moreover, as strong as good beer. The chief 
here possessed a cat, which was regarded somewhat as a 
curiosity by the natives. It was the first I had ever seen 
in a Ba-yansi village, although I believe this local scarcity 
was merely accidental, for the domestic cat is fairly 
abundant in West Africa. , 
Many of the children in this place were suffering 
from whooping-cough, and during the night made much 
disturbance with their screaming coughs and fretful 
eres, 
. The next day we passed the tortuous outlet—much ’ 
_~ A Be See eee) 
