DEMANDS OF THE CHIBOQUE. 325 



that their chiefs would be pleased with the prospect of 

 friendship, and now only wished to exchange tokens 

 of goodwill with me, and offered three pigs, which they 

 hoped I would accept. The people here are in the habit 

 of making a present, and then demanding whatever they 

 choose in return ; we had been forewarned of this by our 

 guides, so I tried to decline, by asking if they would eat 

 one of the pigs in company with us. To this proposition 

 they said that they durst not accede. I then accepted 

 the present in the hope that the blame of deficient friendly 

 feeling might not rest with me, and presented a razor, 

 two bunches of beads, and twelve copper rings contributed 

 by my men from their arms. They went off to report 

 to their chief ; and as I was quite unable to move from 

 excessive giddiness, we continued in the same spot on 

 Tuesday evening, when they returned with a message 

 couched in very plain terms, that a man, tusk, gun, or 

 even an ox, alone would be acceptable ; that he had 

 everything else in his possession but oxen, and that, 

 whatever I should please to demand from him, he would 

 gladly give it. As this was all said civilly, and there was 

 no help for it if we refused, but bloodshed, I gave a tired 

 riding-ox. My late chief mutineer, an Ambonda man, 

 was now over-loyal, for he armed himself and stood at the 

 gateway. He would rather die than see his father im- 

 posed on ; but I ordered Mosantu to take him out of the 

 way, which he did promptly, and allowed the Chiboque 

 to march off well pleased with their booty. I told my 

 men that I esteemed one of their lives of more value than 

 all the oxen we had, and that the only course which could 

 induce me to fight, would be to save the lives and liberties 

 of the majority. In the propriety of this they all agreed, 

 and said that, if the Chiboque molested us who behaved 

 so peaceably, the guilt would be on their heads. This 

 is a favourite mode of expression throughout the whole 

 country. All are anxious to give explanation of any 

 acts they have performed, and conclude the narration 

 with, " I have no guilt or blame " (" molatu "). " They 

 have the guilt." I never could be positive whether the 

 idea in their minds is guilt in the sight of the Deity, or 

 of mankind only. 



Next morning the robber party came with about thirty 

 yards of strong striped English calico, an axe, and two 

 hoes for our acceptance, and returned the copper rings, 



