Chap. XXLX. MPENDE'S FRIENDSHIP. 593 



and would answer no questions. I handed a leg of the ox to two 

 of these, and desired them to take it to Mpende. After waiting 

 a considerable time in suspense, two old men made then appear- 

 ance, and said they had come to inquire who I was. I replied, 

 "I am a Lekoa" (an Englishman). They said, " We don't know 

 that tribe. We suppose you are a Mozunga, the tribe with which 

 we have been fighting." As I was not yet aware that the term 

 Mozunga was applied to a Portuguese, and thought they meant 

 half-castes, I showed them my hair and the sldn of my bosom, 

 and asked if the Bazunga had hair and skin like mine. As the 

 Portuguese have the custom of cutting the hair close, and are also 

 somewhat darker than we are, they answered, "No; we never saw 

 sldu so white as that ;" and added, " Ah ! you must be one of 

 that tribe that loves (literally, has heart to) the black men." I, 

 of course, gladly responded in the affirmative. They returned to 

 the village, and we afterwards heard that there had been a long 

 discussion between Mpende and his councillors, and that one of 

 the men with whom we had remained to talk the day before had 

 been our advocate. He was named Sindese Oalda. When we 

 were passing his village, after some conversation, he said to his 

 people, " Is that the man whom they wish to stop after he has 

 passed so many tribes ? What can Mpende say to refusing him 

 a passage ? " It was owing to this man, and the fact that I 

 belonged to the " friendly white tribe," that Mpende was per- 

 suaded to allow us to pass. When we knew the favourable 

 decision of the council, I sent Sekwebu to speak about the pur- 

 chase of a canoe, as one of my men had become very ill, and I 

 wished to relieve his companions by taking him in a canoe. 

 Before Sekwebu could finish his story, Mpende remarked, " That 

 white man is truly one of our friends. See, how he lets me know 

 his afflictions ! " Sekwebu adroitly took advantage of this turn 

 in the conversation, and said, " Ah ! if you only knew him as well 

 as we do who have lived with him, you would understand that he 

 highly values your friendship and that of Mburuma, and, as he is 

 a stranger, he trusts in you to direct him." He replied, " Well, 

 he ought to cross to the other side of the river, for this bank is 

 hilly and rough, and the way to Tete is longer on this, than on 

 the opposite bank." " But who will take us across, if you do not ?" 

 " Truly ! " replied Mpende, " I only wish you had come sooner to 



2 Q 



