DEMANDS OF THE CIIIBOQUE. 217 



boque -wished to be shown where I lay sick, they very 

 properly refused to point me out. In the morning I went 

 out to the Chiboque, and found that they answered mo 

 civilly regarding my intentions in opening the country, 

 teaching them, &c. &c. They admitted that their chiefs 

 would be pleased with the prospect of friendship, and now 

 only wished to exchange tokens of good-will with me, and 

 offered three pigs, which they hoped I would accept. The 

 people here are in the habit of making a present and then 

 demanding whatever they choose in return. We had been 

 forewarned of this by our guides; so I tried to decline, by 

 asking if they would eat one of the pigs in company with 

 us. To this proposition they said that they durst not 

 accede. I then accepted the present, in hope that the 

 blame of deficient friendly feeling might not rest with me, 

 and presented a razor, two bunches of beads, and twelve 

 copper rings, contributed by my men from their arms. 

 They went off to report to their chief; and, as I was quite 

 unable to move from excessive giddiness, we continued in 

 the same spot on Tuesday evening, when they returned 

 with a message couched in very plain terms, that a man, 

 tusk, gun, or even an ox, alone would be acceptable ; that 

 he had every thing else in his possession but oxen, and 

 that, whatever I should please to demand from him, he 

 would gladly give it. As this was all said civilly, and 

 there was no help for it if we refused but Woodshed, I gave 

 a tired riding-ox. My late chief mutineer, an Ambonda 

 man, was now overloyal, for he armed himself and stood 

 at the gateway. He would rather die than see his father 

 imposed on; but I ordered Mosantu to take him out of the 

 way, which he did promptly, and allowed the Chiboque to 

 march off well pleased with their booty. I told my men 

 that I esteemed one of their lives of more value than all the 

 oxen we had, and that the only cause which could induce 

 me to fight would be to save the lives and liberties of the 

 majority. In the propriety of this they all agreed, and 

 eaid that, if the Chiboque molested us who behaved 8d 



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