SOME CURIOUS ARGUMENTS. 337 



and our hunger being now very severe, from having 

 lived on manioc alone since leaving Ionga Panza's, we 

 slaughtered one of our four remaining oxen. The people 

 of this district seem to feel the craving for animal food as 

 much as we did. for they spend much energy in digging 

 large white larvae out of the damp soil adjacent to their 

 streams, and use them as a relish for their vegetable diet. 

 The Bashinje refused to sell any food for the poor old 

 ornaments my men had now to offer. We could get neither 

 meal nor manioc ; but should have been comfortable, had 

 not the Bashinje chief Sansawe pestered us for the 

 customary present. The native traders informed us that 

 a display of force was often necessary before they could 

 pass this man. 



Sansawe, the chief of a portion of the Bashinje, having 

 sent the usual formal demand for a man, an ox, or a tusk, 

 spoke very contemptuously of the poor things we offered 

 him instead. We told his messengers, that the tusks were 

 Sekeletu's : everything was gone, except my instruments, 

 which could be of no use to them whatever. One of them 

 begged some meat, and, when it was refused, said to my 

 men, "You may as well give it, for we shall take all after 

 we have killed you to-morrow." The more humbly we 

 spoke, the more insolent the Bashinje became, till at last 

 we were all feeling savage and sulky, but continued to speak 

 as civilly as we could. They are fond of argument, and 

 when I denied their right to demand tribute from a white 

 man, who did not trade in slaves, an old white-headed 

 negro put rather a posing question : " You know that 

 God has placed chiefs among us whom we ought to support. 

 How is it that you, who have a book that tells you about 

 him, do not come forward at once to pay this chief tribute 

 like every one else ? " I replied by asking, ■' How 

 could I know that this was a chief, who had allowed me 

 to remain a day and a half near him without giving 

 me anything to eat ? " This, which to the uninitiated 

 may seem sophistry, was, to the central Africans, quite 

 a rational question, for he at once admitted that food 

 ought to have been sent, and added, that probably his 

 chief was only making it ready for me, and that it would 

 come soon. 



After being wearied by talking all day to different parties 

 sent by Sansawe, we were honoured by a visit from him- 

 self ; he is quite a young man, and of rather a pleasing 



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