358 VEXATIOUS TRICK. 



February 21th. Kangenke promptly furnished guides this 

 morning, so we went briskly on a short distance, and came to a 

 part of the Kasye, Kasai, or Loke, where he had appointed two 

 canoes to convey us across. This is a most "beautiful river, and 

 very much like the Clyde in Scotland. The slope of the valley 

 down to the stream is about five hundred yards, and finely wood- 

 ed. It is, perhaps, one hundred yards broad, and was winding 

 slowly from side to side in the beautiful green glen, in a course to 

 the north and northeast. In both the directions from which it 

 came and to which it went it seemed to be alternately embower- 

 ed in sylvan vegetation, or rich meadows covered with tall 

 grass. The men pointed out its course, and said, " Though you 

 sail along it for months, you will turn without seeing the end of 

 it." 



While at the ford of the Kasai we were subjected to a trick, 

 of which we had been forewarned by the people of Shinte. A 

 knife had been dropped by one of Kangenke's people in order 

 to entrap my men ; it was put down near our encampment, as 

 if lost, the owner in the mean time watching till one of my 

 men picked it up. Nothing was said until our party was 

 divided, one half on this, and the other on that bank of the 

 river. Then the charge was made to me that one of my men 

 had stolen a knife. Certain of my people's honesty, I desired 

 the man, who was making a great noise, to search the luggage 

 for it ; the unlucky lad who had taken the bait then came 

 forward and confessed that he had the knife in a basket, which 

 was already taken over the river. When it was returned, the 

 owner would not receive it back unless accompanied with a fine. 

 The lad offered beads, but these were refused with scorn. A 

 shell hanging round his neck, similar to that which Shinte had 

 given me, was the object demanded, and the victim of the trick, 

 as we all knew it to be, was obliged to part with his costly or- 

 nament. I could not save him from the loss, as all had been fore- 

 warned ; and it is the universal custom among the Makololo 

 and many other tribes to show whatever they may find to the 

 chief person of their company, and make a sort of offer of it to 

 him. This lad ought to have done so to me ; the rest of the 

 party always observed this custom. I felt annoyed at the impo- 

 sition, but the order we invariably followed in crossing a river 



