348 DEMANDS OF THE CHIBOQUE. Chap. XVIII. 



loth. — We went forward some miles, but were brought to a 

 stand by the severity of my fever on the banks of a branch of 

 the Loajima, another tributary of the Kasai. I was in a state of 

 partial coma until late at night, when it became necessary for 

 me to go out ; and I was surprised to find that my men had 

 built a little stockade, and some of them took their spears and 

 acted as a guard. I found that we were surrounded by enemies, 

 and a party of Chiboque lay near the gateway, after having pre- 

 ferred the demand of " a man, an ox, a gun, or a tusk." My 

 men had prepared for defence in case of a night attack, and 

 when the Chiboque 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 me 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 goodwill 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 com- 

 pany with us. To this proposition they said that they durst not 

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

 of deficient friendly feeling might not rest with me, and pre- 

 sented 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 accept- 

 able ; that he had everything 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 bloodshed, I gave a tired riding- 

 ox. My late chief mutineer, an Ambonda man, was now over- 

 loyal, for he armed himself and stood at the gateway. He would 

 rather die than see his father imposed on ; but I ordered Mo- 

 santu to take him out of the way, which he did promptly, and 

 allowed the Chiboque to march off well pleased with their booty. 



