226 GREEDY GUIDES. Chap. XVIII 



should reach iny own chief naked, and was asked what I had 

 done with my clothes, I should be obliged to confess that I 

 had left them with Katende. The shirt was despatched, 

 accompanied by some of my people, who soon returned with 

 the news that it had been accepted, and that guides and food 

 would be sent to us next day. The chief moreover expressed 

 a hope to see me on my return. My men were as much 

 astonished as myse'lf at the demands of the chief as well as at 

 his inhospitality : he only gave us a little meal and manioc 

 and a fowl. After a detention of two days by heavy rains, 

 we felt that a good stock of patience was necessary in travel- 

 ling through this countiy in the rainy season. 



Passing onwards without seeing Katende, we crossed a 

 small rivulet, the Sengko, and after two hours came to 

 another, somewhat larger, the Totelo, which had a bridge 

 over it. At the further end of this structure stood a negro, 

 who demanded toll on the ground that the bridge was his ; 

 and that, if we did not pay, he would prevent our progress. 

 Astounded at such a stretch of civilization, I stood a few 

 seconds confronting our bold toll-keeper, when one of my 

 men took off three copper bracelets, w T hich paid for the whole 

 party. The negro was a better man than he at first seemed 

 to be, for he immediately went to his garden and brought us 

 some leaves of tobacco as a present. 



AYhen we had got fairly away from the villages the guides 

 from Kangenke told us that there were three paths in front, 

 and that, if we did not at once present them with a cloth, 

 they would leave us to ourselves. As I had pointed out the 

 direction in which Loanda lay, and had only employed them 

 for the sake of knowing the paths between villages which lay 

 along our route, I wished my men to dispense with them : 

 but Mashauana, fearing lest we might wander, asked leave to 

 give his own cloth, and, when the guides saw that, they came 

 forward shouting, " Averie, Averie ! " 



In the afternoon of this day we came to a valley about a 

 mile wide, the bottom of which was completely under water. 

 The men on foot were chin-deep in crossing, and we three on 

 oxback got wet to the middle, as the animals' burdens pre- 

 vented them from swimming. A thunder-shower completed 

 the drenching, and gave an uncomfortable " packing in a wet 



