kawawa's demand. 435 



Bring all yours before me, that I may choose which of 

 them shall be mine instead." The wife eloquently 

 defended herself, but this availed little, for these accusa- 

 tions are the means resorted to by some chiefs, to secure 

 subjects for the slave-market. He probably thought 

 that I had come to purchase slaves, though I had already 

 given a pretty full explanation of my pursuits both to 

 himself and his people. We exhibited the pictures of 

 the magic-lantern in the evening, and all were delighted 

 except Kawawa himself. He showed symptoms of 

 dread, and several times started up as if to run away 

 but was prevented by the crowd behind. Some of the 

 more intelligent understood the explanations well, and 

 expatiated eloquently on them to the more obtuse. 

 Nothing could exceed the civilities which had passed 

 between us during this day ; but Kawawa had heard 

 that the Chiboque had forced us to pay an ox, and now 

 thought he might do the same. When therefore I sent 

 next morning to let him know that we were ready to start,, 

 he replied in his figurative way, "If an ox came in the 

 way of a man, ought he not to eat it ? I had given one 

 to the Chiboque, and must give him the same, together 

 with a gun, gunpowder, and a black robe, like that he 

 had seen spread out to dry the day before ; that, if I 

 refused an ox, I must give one of my men, and a book 

 by which he might see the state of Matiamvo's heart 

 towards him, and which would forewarn him, should 

 Matiamvo ever resolve to cut off his head." Kawawa 

 came in the coolest manner possible to our encampment 

 after sending this message, and told me he had seen all 

 our goods, and must have all he asked, as he had com- 

 mand of the Kasai in our front, and would prevent us 

 from passing it, unless we paid this tribute. I replied 

 that the goods were my property and not his ; that I 

 would never have it said that a white man had paid 

 tribute to a black ; and that I should cross the Kasai 

 in spite of him. He ordered his people to arm them- 

 selves, and when some of my men saw them rushing 

 for their bows, arrows, and spears, they became some- 

 what panic-stricken. I ordered them to move away, 

 and not to fire unless Kawawa's people struck the first 

 blow. I took the lead, and expected them all to follow, 

 as they usually had done, but many of my men remained 

 behind. When I knew this, I jumped off the ox, and 



