A STRATAGEM. 507 



observation of where the canoes were hidden among the reeds. 

 The ferrymen casually asked one of my Batoka if they had rivers 

 in his country, and he answered with truth, "No, we have none." 

 Kawawa's people then felt sure we could not cross. I thought of 

 swimming when they were gone ; but after it was dark, by the 

 unasked loan of one of the hidden canoes, we soon were snug in 

 our bivouac on the southern bank of the Kasai. I left some beads 

 as payment for some meal which had been presented by the ferry- 

 men ; and, the canoe having been left on their own side of the 

 river, Pitsane and his companions laughed uproariously at the dis- 

 gust our enemies would feel, and their perplexity as to who had 

 been our paddler across. They were quite sure that Kawawa 

 would imagine that we had been ferried over by his own people, 

 and would be divining to find out who had done the deed. When 

 ready to depart in the morning, Kawawa's people appeared on the 

 opposite heights, and could scarcely believe their eyes when they 

 saw us prepared to start away to the south. At last one of them 

 called out, "Ah! ye are bad," to which Pitsane and his compan- 

 ions retorted, "Ah! ye are good, and we thank you for the loan 

 of your canoe." We were careful to explain the whole of the cir- 

 cumstances to Katema and the other chiefs, and they all agreed 

 that we were perfectly justifiable under the circumstances, and 

 that Matiamvo would approve our conduct. When any thing that 

 might bear an unfavorable construction happens among them- 

 selves, they send explanations to each other. The mere fact of 

 doing so prevents them from losing their character, for there is 

 public opinion even among them. 



