Chap. XYITI. DISCOURAGEMENTS. 353 



the guides seized them and ran off. As my men knew that 

 we should be called upon to replace them, they gave chase, 

 and when the guides saw that they would be caught, they 

 threw down the guns, directed their flight to the village, and 

 rushed into a hut. The doorway is not much higher than that 

 of a dog's kennel. One of the guides was reached by one of my 

 men as he was in the act of stooping to get in, and a cut was 

 inflicted on a projecting part of the body which would have 

 made any one in that posture wince. The guns were restored, 

 but the beads were lost in the flight. All I had remaining of 

 my stock of beads could not replace those lost ;" and though we 

 explained that we had no part in the guilt of the act, the 

 traders replied that we had brought the thieves into the 

 country ; these were of the Bangala, who had been accustomed 

 to plague the Portuguese in the most vexatious way. We were 

 striving to get a passage through the country, and, feeling anxious 

 that no crime whatever should be laid to our charge, tried the 

 conciliatory plan here, though we were not, as in the other in- 

 stances, likely to be overpowered by numbers. 



My men offered all their ornaments, and I offered all my 

 beads and shirts ; but though we had come to the village against 

 our will, and the guides had also followed us contrary to our desire, 

 and had even sent for the Bangala traders without our knowledge 

 or consent, yet matters could not be arranged without our 

 giving an ox and one of the tusks. We were all becoming 

 disheartened, and could not wonder that native expeditions 

 from the interior to the coast had generally failed to reach their 

 destinations. My people were now so much discouraged that 

 some proposed to return home ; the prospect of being obliged 

 to return when just on the threshold of the Portuguese settle- 

 ments distressed me exceedingly. After using all my powers 

 of persuasion, I declared to them that if they returned I would 

 go on alone, and w-ent into my little tent with the mind directed 

 to Him who hears the sighing of the soul ; and was soon followed 

 by the head of Mohorisi, saying — " We will never leave you. 

 Do not be disheartened. Wherever you lead we will follow. 

 Our remarks were made only on account of the injustice of 

 these people." Others followed, and with the most artless 

 simplicity of manner told me to be comforted — "they were all 



2 A 



