A GRAVE OFFENCE. 311 



and, on coming to the villages beyond this, we often saw 

 boys and girls engaged in digging up these tiny quad- 

 rupeds. 



Katende sent for me on the day following our arrival, 

 and, being quite willing to visit him, I walked, for this 

 purpose, about three miles from our encampment. When 

 we approached the village we were desired to enter a hut, 

 and, as it was raining at the time, we did so. After a 

 long time spent in giving and receiving messages from the 

 great man, we were told that he wanted either a man, a 

 tusk, beads, copper rings, or a shell, as payment for leave 

 to pass through his country. No one, we were assured, 

 was allowed that liberty, or even to behold him, without 

 something of the sort being presented. Having humbly 

 explained our circumstances, and that he could not expect 

 to " catch a humble cow by the horns," — a proverb similar 

 to ours that " you can't draw milk out of a stone "—we 

 were told to go home, and he would speak again to us 

 next day. I could not avoid a hearty laugh at the cool 

 impudence of the savage, and made the best of my way 

 home in the still-pouring rain. My men were rather 

 nettled at this want of hospitality, but, after talking over 

 the matter with one of Katende' s servants, he proposed 

 that some small article should be given, and an attempt 

 made to please Katende. I turned out my shirts, and 

 selected the worst one as a sop for him, and invited 

 Katende to come and choose anything else I had, but 

 added that, when I should reach my 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 to him, and some of my people 

 went along with the servant ; they soon returned, saying 

 that the shirt had been accepted, and guides and food 

 too would be sent to us next day. The chief had, more- 

 over, expressed a hope to see me on my return. He is 

 reported to be very corpulent. The traders who have 

 come here seem to have been very timid, yielding to every 

 demand made on the most frivolous pretences. One of 

 my men, seeing another much like an acquaintance at 

 home, addressed him by the name of the latter in sport, 

 telling him at the same time why he did so ; this was 

 pronounced to be a grave offence, and a large fine de- 

 manded ; when the case came before me I could see no 

 harm in what had been done, and told my people not to 



