Chap. XXm. UNPLEASANT PARTING. 469 



command of the Kasai in our front, and would prevent us from 

 passing it, unless we paid tins tribute. I replied that the goods 

 were my property and not his ; that I would never have it said 

 that a white man had paid tribute to a black ; and that I should 

 cross the Kasai in spite of him. He ordered his people to arm 

 themselves, and when some of my men saw them rushing for 

 their bows, arrows, and spears, they became somewhat panic- 

 stricken. I ordered them to move away, and not to fire unless 

 Kawawa's people struck the first blow. I took the lead, and 

 expected them all to follow, as they usually had done, but many 

 of my men remained behind. When I knew this, I jumped 

 off the ox, and made a rush to them with the revolver in my 

 hand. Kawawa ran away amongst his people, and they turned 

 their backs too. I shouted to my men to take up their luggage 

 and march ; some did so with alacrity, feeling that they had 

 disobeyed orders by remaining, but one of them refused, and was 

 preparing to fire at Kawawa, until I gave him a punch on the 

 head with the pistol, and made him go too. I felt here, as else- 

 where, that subordination must be maintained at all risks. We 

 all moved into the forest, the people of Kawawa standing about 

 a hundred yards off, gazing, but not firing a shot or an arrow. 

 It is extremely unpleasant to part with these chieftains thus, 

 after spending a day or two in the most amicable intercourse, and 

 in a part where the peojDle are generally civil. This Kawawa, 

 however, is not a good specimen of the Balonda chiefs, and is 

 rather notorious in the neighbourhood for his folly. We were 

 told, that he has good reason to believe that Matiamvo will some 

 day cut off his head, for his disregard of the rights of strangers. 



Kawawa was not to be balked of his supposed rights by the 

 unceremonious way in which we had left him, for, when we bad 

 reached the ford of the Kasai, about ten miles distant, we found 

 that he had sent four of his men, with orders to the ferrymen to 

 refuse us passage. We were here duly informed that we must 

 deliver up all the articles mentioned, and one of our men besides. 

 This demand for one of our number always nettled every heart. 

 The canoes were taken away before our eyes, and we were sup- 

 posed to be quite helpless without them, at a river a good hundred 

 yards broad, and very deep. Pitsane stood on the bank, gazing 

 with apparent indifference on the stream, and made an accurate 



