342 THE FIGHT AVERTED. Chap. XVHT. 



begin first and bear the guilt before God : we would not fight 

 till they had struck the first blow. I then sat silent for some 

 time. It was rather trying for me, because I knew that the Chi- 

 boque would aim at the white man first ; but I was careful not to 

 appear flurried, and, having four barrels ready for instant action, 

 looked quietly at the savage scene around. The Chiboque coun- 

 tenance, by no means handsome, is not improved by the practice 

 which they have adopted of filing the teeth to a point. The 

 chief and counsellors, seeing that they were in more danger than 

 I, did not choose to follow our decision that they should begin by 

 striking the first blow, and then see what we could do ; and were 

 perhaps influenced by seeing the air of cool preparation, which 

 some of my men displayed, at the prospect of a work of blood. 



The Chiboque at last put the matter before us in this way : 

 '• You come among us in a new way, and say you are quite 

 friendly : how can we know it unless you give us some of your 

 food, and you take some of ours ? If you give us an ox we 

 will give you whatever you may wish, and then we shall be 

 friends." In accordance with the entreaties of my men I gave 

 an ox ; and when asked what I should like in return, mentioned 

 food, as the thing which we most needed. In the evening 

 Njambi sent a very small basket of meal, and two or three 

 pounds of the flesh of our own ox ! with the apology that he 

 had no fowls, and very little of any other food. It was impos- 

 sible to avoid a laugh at the coolness of the generous creatures. 

 I was truly thankful nevertheless that, though resolved to die 

 rather than deliver up one of our number to be a slave, we had 

 so far gained our point as to be allowed to pass on without 

 having shed human blood. 



In the midst of the commotion, several Chiboque stole pieces 

 of meat out of the sheds of my people, and Mohorisi, one of the 

 Makololo, went boldly into the crowd and took back a marrow- 

 bone from one of them. A few of my Batoka seemed afraid, 

 and would perhaps have fled had the affray actually begun, 

 but upon the whole I thought my men behaved admirably. 

 They lamented having left their shields at home by command 

 of Sekeletu, who feared that, if they carried these, they might 

 be more disposed to be overbearing in their demeanour to the 

 tribes we should meet. We had proceeded on the principles 



