338 SANSAWE'S HOSTILITY. 



countenance. There cannot have been much intercourse 

 between real Portuguese and these people even here, so 

 close to the Quango, for Sansawe asked me to show him 

 my hair, on the ground that, though he had heard of it, 

 and some white men had even passed through his country , 

 he had never seen straight hair before. This is quite 

 possible, as most of the slave-traders are not Portuguese, 

 but half-castes. The difference between their wool and our 

 hair caused him to burst into a laugh, and the contrast 

 between the exposed and unexposed parts of my skin, 

 when exhibited in evidence of our all being made of one 

 stock originally, and the children of one Maker, seemed 

 to strike him with wonder. I then showed him my watch, 

 and wished to win my way into his confidence by con- 

 versation ; but when about to exhibit my pocket compass 

 he desired me to desist, as he was afraid of my wonderful 

 things. I told him, if he knew my aims, as the tribes in the 

 interior did, and as I hoped he would yet know them and 

 me, he would be glad to stay, and see also the pictures of 

 the magic lantern ; but as it was now getting dark he had 

 evidently got enough of my witchery, and began to use 

 some charms to dispel any kindly feelings he might have 

 found stealing round his heart. He asked leave to go, 

 and when his party moved off a little way, he sent for my 

 spokesman, and told him. that, '• if we did not add a red 

 jacket and a man, to our gift of a few copper rings and a 

 few pounds of meat, we must return by the way we had 

 come." I said in reply, " that we should certainly go 

 forward next day, and if he commenced hostilities, the 

 blame before God would be that of Sansawe ; " and my 

 man added of his own accord, " How many white men 

 have you killed in this path ? " which might be inter- 

 preted into, " You have never killed any white man, and 

 you will find ours more difficult to manage than you 

 imagine." It expressed a determination, which we had 

 often repeated to each other, to die rather than yield one 

 of our party to be a slave. 



Hunger has a powerful effect on the temper. When we 

 had got a good meal of meat, we could all bear the petty 

 annoyances of these borderers on the more civilized region 

 in front, with equanimity ; but having suffered consider- 

 ably of late, we were all rather soured in our feelings, and 

 not unfrequently I overheard my companions remark in 

 their own tongue, in answer to threats of attack, - - That's 



