330 CURTAILING THE OXEN. 



that no crime whatever should be laid to our charge, tried 

 the conciliatory plan here, though we were not, as in the 

 other instances, likely to be overpowered by numbers. 



My men offered all their ornaments, and I offered all 

 my beads and shirts ; but though we had come to the 

 village against our will, and the guides had also followed 

 us contrary to our desire, and had even sent for the Bangala 

 traders without our knowledge or consent, yet matters 

 could not be arranged without our giving an ox and one 

 of the tusks. We were all becoming disheartened, and 

 could not wonder that native expeditions from the interior 

 to the coast had generally failed to reach their destina- 

 tions. My people were now so much discouraged that 

 some proposed to return home ; the prospect of being 

 obliged to return when just on the threshold of the Portu- 

 guese settlements distressed me exceedingly. After 

 using all my powers of persuasion, I declared to them 

 that if they returned I would go on alone, and went into 

 my little tent with the mind directed to Him who hears 

 the sighing of the soul ; and was soon followed by the 

 head of Mohorisi, saying — " We 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 com- 

 forted — " they were all my children ; they knew no one 

 "but Sekeletu and me, and they would die for me ; they 

 had not fought because I did not wish it ; they had just 

 spoken in the bitterness of their spirit, and when feeling 

 that they could do nothing ; but if these enemies begin 

 you will see what we can do." One of the oxen we 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 objection to 

 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 or no, we were no more 

 troubled by the demand for an ox ! We now slaughtered 

 another ox, that the spectacle might not be seen of the 

 owners of the cattle fasting, while the Chiboque were 

 feasting. 



