Chap. XIX. CURTAILING THE OXEX. 2:5S 



on the threshold of the Portuguese settlements distressed rne 

 exceedingly. After using all my powers of persuasion l 

 declared to them that if they returned I should go on alone, 

 and, retiring into my little tent, I lifted up my heart to Him 

 who hears the sighing of the soul. Thither 1 was boob 

 followed by the head of the Mohorisi, saying, " ^Ye 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 my children ; they knew no one but Seko- 

 letu and me, and they would die for me ; they had just spoken 

 in the bitterness of their spirit, and when feeling that they 

 could do nothing." One of the oxen offered to the Chiboque 

 had been rejected because he had lost part of his tail, as they 

 thought that it had been cut off and witchcraft medicine 

 inserted ; and some mirth was excited by my proposing to 

 raise a similar prejudice against all the oxen we still had in 

 our possession. The remaining four soon presented a singular 

 shortness of their caudal extremities ; and though no one ever 

 asked whether they had medicine in the stumps, certain ir is 

 that we were no more troubled by the demand for an ox ! 

 AYe now slaughtered another ox, that the owners of the cattle 

 might not be seen fasting while the Chiboque were feasting. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Through Bashinje territory to Cassange, and thence by Tala 

 mungongo, the basongo territory, and the districts of am- 

 baca and goltjngo alto, to loanda 



24th. — Ionga Panza's sons agreed to act as guides into the 

 territory of the Portuguese if I would at once give them 

 Shinte's shell. I was strongly averse to this, but I yielded 

 to the entreaties of my people, and delivered up the precious 

 shell. A Ye went west-by-north to the river Chikapa, which is 

 here (lat. 10° 22' S.) forty or fifty yards wide ; we crossed in 

 a canoe made out of a single piece of bark sewed together at 



