AFRICAN HONESTY. 



309 



the water remains so clear is this : the country is covered by 

 such a mass of vegetation that the water flows over the grass, 

 etc., without disturbing the soil beneath. 



There is a large central district containing a large lake formed 

 by the course of the Zambesi, to explore which would be well 

 worthy of the attention of any individual wishing to distinguish 

 himself. 



Having got down amongst the people in the middle of the 

 country, and having made known to my friend, the chief, my 

 desire to have a path for civilization and commerce on the east, 

 he again furnished me with means to pursue my researches east- 

 ward ; and, to show how disposed the natives were to aid me in 

 my expedition, I had one hundred and fourteen men to accom- 

 pany me to the east, whilst those who had travelled to the west 

 with me only amounted to twenty -seven. I carried with me 

 thirty tusks of ivory ; and, on leaving my wagon to set forth 

 on my journey, two warriors of the country offered a heifer 

 apiece to the man who should slay any one who molested it. 

 Having proceeded about a hundred miles, I found myself short 

 of ammunition, and despatched an emissary back to the chief to 

 procure more percussion caps from a box I had in my wagon. 

 Not understanding the lock, the chief took a hatchet and split 

 the lid open to get what was wanted ; and notwithstanding the 

 insecure state in which it remained, I found, on returning two 

 years after, that its contents were precisely as I left them. Such 

 honesty is rare even in civilized Christian England, as I know 

 from experience ; for I sent a box of fossils to Dr. Buckland, 

 which, after arriving safely in England, was stolen from some 

 railway, being probably mistaken for plate. 



I could not make my friend, the chief, understand that I was 

 poor; I had a quantity of sugar, and while it lasted the chief 

 would favor me with his company to coffee ; when it was gone, 

 I told the chief how it was produced from the cane which grew 

 in central Africa, but as they had no means of extracting the 

 saccharine matter he requested me to procure a sugar-mill. 

 When I told him I was poor, the chief then informed me that 

 all the ivory in the country was at my disposal, and he accord- 

 ingly loaded me with tusks, ten of which, on arriving at the 

 coast, I spent in purchasing clothing for my followers ; the rest 

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