A VEXATIOUS TRICK. 309 



good-sized fowl was sold for a single charge of gunpowder. 

 Next to that, English calico was in great demand, and so 

 were beads ; but money was of no value whatever. Gold 

 is quite iinknown ; it is thought to be brass ; trade is 

 carried on by barter alone. The people know nothing of 

 money. A purse-proud person would here feel the ground 

 move from beneath his feet. Occasionally a large piece 

 of copper, in the shape of a St. Andrew's cross, is offered 

 for sale. 



27 th Fefo'uary. — Kangenke promptly furnished guides 

 this morning, so we went briskly on a short distance, and 

 came to a part of the Kasye, Kasai, or I^oke, where he 

 had appointed two canoes to convey us across. This is 

 a most beautiful river, and very much like the Clyde in 

 Scotland. The slope of the valley down to the stream is 

 about five hundred yards, and finely wooded. It is, 

 perhaps, one hundred yards broad, and was winding 

 slowly from side to side in the beautiful green glen, in a 

 course to the north and north-east. In both the direc- 

 tions from which it came and to which it went, it seemed 

 to be alternately embowered in sylvan vegetation, or rich 

 meadows covered with tall grass. The men pointed out 

 its course and said, " Though you sail along it for months, 

 you will turn without seeing the end of it." 



While at the ford of the Kasai, we were subjected to a 

 trick of which we had been forewarned by the people of 

 Shinte. A knife had been dropped by one of Kangenke's 

 people in order to entrap my men ; it was put down near 

 our encampment, as if lost, the owner in the mean time 

 watching till one of my men picked it up. Nothing was 

 said until our party was divided, one half on this, and the 

 other on that bank of the river. Then the charge was 

 made to me that one of my men had stolen a knife. 

 Certain of my people's honesty, I desired the man, who 

 was making a great noise, to search the luggage for it ; 

 the unlucky lad who had taken the bait, then came 

 forward and confessed that he had the knife in a basket, 

 which was already taken over the river. When it was 

 returned, the owner would not receive it back unless 

 accompanied with a fine. The lad offered beads, but 

 these were refused with scorn. A shell hanging round 

 his neck, similar to that which Shinte had given me, was 

 the object demanded, and the victim of the trick, as we 

 all knew it to be, was obliged to part with his costly 



