MPENDE WON OVER. 555 



whom we had remained to talk the day before had been 

 onr advocate. He was named Sindese Oalea. When 

 we were passing his village, after some conversation, he 

 said to his people, " Is that the man whom they wish to 

 stop after he nas passed so many tribes ? What can 

 Mpende say to refusing him a passage ? " It was owing to 

 this man, and the fact that I belonged to the " friendly white 

 tribe," that Mpende was persuaded to allow us to pass. 

 When we knew the favourable decision of the council, I 

 sent Sekwebu to speak about the purchase of a canoe, as 

 one of my men had become very ill, and I wished to 

 relieve his companions by taking him in a canoe. Before 

 Sekwebu could finish his story, Mpende remarked, " That 

 white man is truly one of our friends. See, how he lets 

 me know his afflictions ! " Sekwebu adroitly took 

 advantage of this turn in the conversation, and said, 

 " Ah ! if you only knew him as well as we do who have 

 lived with him, you would understand that he highly 

 values your friendship and that of Mburuma, and, as he is 

 a stranger, he trusts in you to direct him." He replied, 

 " Well, he ought to cross to the other side of the river, 

 for this bank is hilly and rough, and the way to Tete is 

 longer on this, than on the opposite bank." " But who 

 will take us across, if you do not ? " " Truly ! " replied 

 Mpende, " I only wish you had come sooner to tell me 

 about him ; but you shall cross." Mpende said fre- 

 quently he was sorry he had not known me sooner, but 

 that he had been prevented by his enchanter from coming 

 near me ; and he lamented that the same person had 

 kept him from eating the meat which I had presented. 

 He did everything he could afterwards to aid us on our 

 course, and out departure was as different as possible from 

 our approach to his village. I was very much pleased 

 to find the Knglish name spoken of with such great respect 

 so far from the coast, and most thankful that no collision 

 occurred to damage its influence. 



24th. — Mpende sent two of his principal men to order 

 the people of a large island below to ferry us across. 

 The river is very broad, and, though my men were well 

 acquainted with the management of canoes, we could not 

 all cross over before dark. It is 1200 yards from bank 

 to bank, and between 700 and 800 of deep water, flowing 

 at the rate of 3* miles per hour. We landed first on an 

 island, then, to prevent our friends playing false with us, 



