332 VEXATIOUS TEICK. Chap. XVIII. 



27th February. — 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 wooded. 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 north-east. In both the 

 directions from which it came and to which it went, it seemed 

 to be alternately embowered 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 orna- 

 ment. 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 



